Reviews of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by hello12345 Review Date: 02/03/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
Stayed in Building 10 (70's) Jan 30-Feb 2. Arrived at about 8:15 am and they had a room ready. Check-in was quick and easy. We were using the wrist bands so everything was on them. I was able to link my annual passes, fastpass+ selections, charging, and room key all to the band.
Our room was on the corner of the courtyard facing the foosball players and the lake. The area was quiet for the most part. However, the one day we decided to take a timeout and rest at the room for a few hours we had to listen to a South American school group sing, clap, and chant in the courtyard. Why they picked that courtyard I don't know? This brings up my major issue at value resorts. You have to put up with large groups almost anytime of the year. A big high school dance competition was going on at HS so a imagine the All-Star resorts were even worse during this weekend. I'm starting to think there is no slow time of the year at Disney anymore.
We did not use the food court. It looked to be very busy every morning when we walked by. The gift shop is attached to the dining area. The gift shop was nicer and bigger than the All-Star Sports.
Our room was adequate. The room is small as expected. We area family of 4, but we spend most of time at parks or pool so room size is not a huge issue. Beds were ok. I noticed mildew on the corner of the shower tiles and a layer of dust on the shelf above the mini-fridge. Our room was cleaned by 1pm.
The main pool near Classic Hall serves the purpose. Kids were disappointed with no slide and adults wanted hot tub. Other than those differences you also have to bring towels to pool. Moderates and deluxe have towels for use at the pool area.
The bus service was pretty good. We never waited more than 10 minutes coming or going for a Pop Century bus. Major complaint is no shade/shelter at Classic Hall bus stops. While we waited in the rain several times the bus driver took his time loading motorized scooters first. Disney should consider a system where people with motorized scooters and people with large land yacht strollers have to wait for a special bus. Anyway.....
Overall our experience at Pop was better than All-Star Sports. I just like the feel of the Deluxe resorts better. Some of the little things make staying at a Deluxe or Moderate worth the extra cash. I have to give Pop an above average rating because it served our purpose for this trip with no major problems.
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Large Tourist GroupsReviewed by melanieinma Review Date: 01/26/2014
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
I stayed Jan. 20-25. I could hear every thing that was going on in the other rooms around me. I could literally hear some one going to the bath room then flush when they were done. Disgusting to say the least. The food court the worst I have experienced at Disney. I did not get one meal for my self or for my family that we were satisfied with whether it was cold, dried out or burgers that were in steamers instead of being grilled fresh. I can not say any thing good about this place.
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PriceCons:
Food court,noiseReviewed by BacksideOfWater1971 Review Date: 01/26/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
I recently returned from a 6 day, 5 night stay at Pop Century resort.
The resort is themed to Pop Culture from the 1950s-1990s with the 50s wing having massive statues of Lady the dog, Tramp the dog, and a jukebox in front of the buildings and bowling pins as stairwells. The 50's wing is also home to a bowling pin shaped pool that is quieter than the main pool.
The 60's wing has Baloo and Moguli from The Jungle Book and a jar of Play-Doh in front and various color Yo-Yos as stairwells. This is also where the resort's main pool and kiddie pool are located, both shaped like flowers. Various activities take place here during the day and a poolside movie under the stars at night. It can be a bit noisy so if you are ;looking for peace and quiet in the middle of the day, request a different wing. Near the pool is also the poolside bar but I didn't partake in anything there.
I was staying in the 70's wing which had a giant Big Wheel and Vintage Mickey Mouse telephone in front, 8-Trac tapes as stairwells, and a giant Foosball set between the buildings as well as 2 small areas with Twister mats painted on the ground. Between the 60s and 70s wing was a small water play area featuring Goofy holding a surfboard.
The 80's wing had Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head nearby with a giant Walkman and Roger Rabbit out front and Rubik's Cubes in various states of being solved as stairwells.
The 90s wing building had a laptop out front and cell phones as stairwells.
Between the 80s buildings and in front of the 90s on was the computer shaped pool, also a quiet pool.
Around the resort were sings telling about major events that happened during that particular decade.
Nestled behind the Big Wheel 70s building was a small play area for children. Near all 3 pools was guest laundry facilities.
Classic Hall was the resort's main building being the home of the main lobby with memorabilia from the years lining the walls as well as a kid's area with games and TV, the Fast Forward arcade (that I didn't visit this trip) and the Everything Pop Gift Shop and Food Court.
The gift shop had a lot of the same merchandise you could find anywhere on property but also sold things you may need like sunscreen, moleskin pads, pain reliever, magazines, etc.
The food court had a wide variety of options between 5 stations. I personally only had 2 meals there. 1 breakfast and 1 dinner. For breakfast I opted for biscuits and gravy. Being from the south that was a no brainier. The biscuit was light, fluffy, and flavorful and gravy was no to thick, not to thin and tasted wonderful. For dinner I had Pepperoni Pizza bread which was delicious and some of the Tye-dye cheesecake which I didn't think much of, but then again I am VERY particular when it comes to cheesecake. Also at the food court you can buy the mugs that can be refilled unlimited times during your stay. I read many people complaining about issues with the new RFID system. I personally had no issues. Set your mug on the tray, fill it up, remove mug. You have to wait 2 minutes between refills to minimize sharing.
Pop Century is the only resort on it's bus line which was a major factor in why I opted to stay there other the lesser priced All star resorts which share a bus between the 3 resorts. Buses came regularly and I was never made to wait long nor where they ever super crowded like the All Star buses. Only once was I not able to sit during the trip.
The room itself was very clean and was kept that way daily by Mousekeeping. In the room was 2 full beds, a nightstand with a phone and alarm clock, a small table with 2 chairs, a dresser with 3 drawers with a large flat screen TV on top and a mini fridge, a small area with a sink and mirror outside of the bathroom, and a small bathroom with a tub and toilet. Personally while at Disney all I need a room for is a bed and a shower so this fit my needs perfectly although I do see where it could be a bit cramped for a family.
The only complaint I had was I requested a lake view so I could see the Art Of Animation resort across the hourglass lake but got a room on the opposite side of the building but since I was hardly ever in the room, that was a minor issue.
If you want a resort with a ton of things to do outside the parks and a sit down restaurant Pop Century is not for you, but if you are a nostalgia buff like me you will love it here. Especially where they hold dance parties in the food court like when I was invited by Cast Members to do The Twist. Either it is more strenuous then it looks, or I am VERY out of shape.
Pros:
No Shared Buses, close to Epcot and DHS, Wonderful ThemingCons:
NoneReviewed by jackiejzhou Review Date: 01/20/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Stayed there Jan 7-10, 2014. I took my 9 year old son on DW winter special. The room is clean, perfect for 2 of us. Could be too small for 4. We arrived at 5.00 am, took the DW express to the hotel, and the room was ready to move in. Maid service is prompt. Front desk is very nice. Bus is frequent. We never waited more than 5 minutes. We had room service one night with bread sticks and chicken wings. It was very good. We had a quiet room in the 70th facing the lake. The only con. is there is no sound proof between rooms. I could hear next door going to the bathroom. Fortunately, no one snored:)
Pros:
location, transportation, price, food.Cons:
—Reviewed by KIL2814 Review Date: 01/16/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
I wanted to post a review since I just read several somewhat negative reviews and we had a wonderful experience there and would stay there again. We stayed at Pop from 12/22 to 12/28/13. It was our first trip to Disney as a family and we had a preferred room. The room was very clean and let's face it, you are not in the room that much. I thought the bus transportation was excellent. There was no bus sharing like with the All Star Resorts. Yes it was busy because we were there at Christmas but we took advantage of the extra magic hrs. and never had to wait more than a few minutes for a bus. The kids loved the pool and didn't seem to mind the food court. We did online check-in and had magic bands and check-in/out was a breeze. We arrived an hour or so before check-in and our room was ready for us. My only complaint, and it's not Disney's fault, were the rude people (other guests) in the food court. The refillable mugs were great but it was very annoying to be standing there filling your mug and someone else just shoves theirs in front of you. By the end of the trip I was glad to get away from crowds of rude people, but unfortunately, you are going to run into them everywhere.
Pros:
Clean, bus transportation was fine (no shared buses)Cons:
food court could use some updatingReviewed by Mirner77 Review Date: 01/09/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
After reading about the length of the walk to the rooms at the Art of Animation, we opted to stay at Pop Century. We truly were not disappointed. We sprung extra for a preferred room and this was really great since we got a room super close to the transportation and the food court. We requested a room on the top floor which we received. Our room was very quiet despite facing the pool. The room was kept super clean by Mousekeeping. We had two towel animals. A Mickey on arrival and a little one also mid-week. The food court was always busy, but there was always room to sit. Staff was wonderful! Friendly and helpful as can be! We had yogurt parfaits for breakfast, which were wonderful! We had burgers one night and it was all very good! No complaints and refillable cups are great! The amount of time we spent in the room was so minimal and I didn't find the size of the rooms was an issue at all for my family of 4 (2 adults, 15 year old and a 7 year old). We were only in our room to go to sleep and to get ready in the morning. I see no need to spend more on a "deluxe or moderate" accommodation when we're only there for minimal amounts. Pool area was cleaned daily. I will definitely be returning to the Pop Century!
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Location, bus transportation systemCons:
NoneReviewed by michelle032203 Review Date: 01/08/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed there from December 26-31, Check in was very easy and simple, the lobby was decorated very nicely for the them. The kids found all the objects from the different decades very interesting. Our room was a nice size room for a Value resort. The bathroom shower was the worst part of the room. We only used the pools once during our stay and they were nice. No slides or hot tubs but that is what I expect out of a value resort. The bus service was nice, the stop for the bus was in the front of the resort. We never waited to long for a bus and they weren't to crowded even though the parks were the most crowded I had ever seen them.
The food court wasn't what I expected. We felt like it didn't have enough choices and the kids choices weren't very kid friendly. I thought for a Value resort they would have better selections since a lot of people would be eating there versus a deluxe resort. The food seemed a little fancy and expensive. We walked over to Art of Animation's food court one day to see if it was any better and it was worse on food selection. Overall we loved staying here and it has been our favorite Value Resort we have stayed at. If you are looking for one of the cheaper resorts I would recommend this over the All- Star Resorts.
Pros:
Clean resort Area, Buses weren't crowdedCons:
Bathroom shower was horribleReviewed by bosslady79 Review Date: 01/07/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Stayed 10 nights Nov 11-20. Everything was awesome. For the amount of time spent in the parks, why pay extra for a moderate or deluxe. first time staying at this resort, will definately be back. Only minor issue, AC unit is a bit loud.
Food court good for breakfast and lunch. Short bus line waits. Could use some minor refurbs to paint.
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everythingCons:
nothingReviewed by annahdean Review Date: 12/24/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed at Pop from 12/14 – 12/20. This was my third stay and the whole experience was great. We waited maybe 2 or 3 minutes to check in (at 3:30 p.m. on a Sat.). The guy was very friendly. They had us booked in the 70s, but I asked if we could move to the 50s near Lady and the Tramp for my 4-year-old’s viewing pleasure. He made a quick call and we were allowed to move to the 50s, 1st floor, building 1, right in front of the bowling pin pool. I felt it was probably a preferred room as it was just steps from the pool and only one building was between us and the food court/main building; however, we paid for a standard room, so I was ecstatic.
He did forget to tell us to set up a pin for our Magic Bands, so when I went to grab our mugs and a snack, I couldn’t purchase them. I had to go back to a lady with an iPad at the check-in area. It took all of 5 minutes, not a huge inconvenience. It’s human error. It could happen at a moderate or deluxe.
Parking was very convenient just outside our building also, not to mention we needed assistance at the end of our stay to jump our car off from leaving the lights on, someone was there within minutes and took care of it.
Our room was clean, and we had plenty of clean towels (and wash cloth animals most days) with new soap and shampoo replenished every day.
As far as the food court goes, there’s a pretty decent selection (the brisket was actually really good). There are never enough cashiers in the food court, but hello, you’re at Disney. There is going to be some waiting in lines.
What I did appreciate was when my 4-year-old said his hamburger tasted like smoke (flame grilled), and he wouldn’t eat it. A girl was restocking the jelly and sauces and overheard him. She asked if he would like an Uncrustable PB&J, and she immediately brought him one (no charge).
We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus and although at some parks the Pop bus stall is a far walk, that’s not the case for all four parks. I remember it was close at some. You have to appreciate there is no sharing buses with other resorts, whereas some of the Deluxe resorts do share.
I read other reviews complaining of children running around and no embellishments in the room. Well, we brought our own Disney plush toys and embellished it ourselves, and my child was one running around. So whether you will like Pop or not depends on your expectations. If you want a quiet, fancy scene, it isn’t for you. It was perfect for us.
Pros:
clean room, friendly staff, convenient parking, etc.Cons:
noneReviewed by memakwed Review Date: 12/22/2013
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
We have never stayed at a value usually a moderate occasionally a deluxe. this trip we knew we would arrive in the evening before our ressies at POR so we thought we would try a value for one night. Originally I wanted All Start Movie but they couldn't accommodate so we opted for POP. The grounds were manicured and the rooms were clean. If that was all that I was evaluating I would return. It is basic, no embellishments in the room but fine if you aren't using the room a lot. My problem stems with check in and out. We checked in at 7pm and the woman who helped us kept us there for 45 minutes wheile she was on hold with mouse keeping to find out if our room was ready because we had a special VIP cleaning due to my son's health issue. We also had requested a handicap room for a wheel chair. We were a party of 2 adults and 1 child for 1 room and my parents had a separate ressie for a room as well. 45 minutes later we were sent to our room. When we arrived on the 3rd floor there were two rooms with the same number. WHAT? so we went to my parent's room and I called the front desk to find out which was ours. Turned out both. I was the handicap room with a King and 1 was 2 doubles not handicapped, the rooms connected. Didn't make sense at all. At the front desk the woman said since we were switching resorts in the morning we should come down and check out in person. So in the morning we did just that or so we thought. The woman at the desk took our names punched it in the computer and said we were all set. But we weren't. At POR we went to check in and found out that we weren't checked out at the other hotel at all. The woman at POR made it easy and took care of it. She checked us out and then checked us in.
Oh and the running screaming kids were too much in the lobby just ridiculous. We all agreed we will not go back if there is a choice and we always have a choice. I would try a different value though based on the room and the room only. Glad we were only there for 1 night.
