Most Recent Reviews
Review of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by abmadmo Review Date: 07/19/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Stayed at Pop for the 1st time July 6-13 with my husband and 2 daughters. We loved the resort. More than plenty lifeguards (at the Hippy Dippy pool anyway) so that we felt ok letting our 16 yo and 10 yo swim w/o us being right on top of them. I requested a standard room in the 60's section for easier access to the buses and food court and we were put in building 5 in the 60's (5316) which overlooked the lake and AoA. Being on the 3rd floor and away from the pool, it was SO quiet. Never heard a sound while in our room. Though there were several LARGE quincenera groups, dance competition groups and international groups all over WDW as well as Pop, they were polite and kind of fun to watch, if not a little hard to deal with in the food court. At times 1 register would be partitioned off for one of these groups only. Not a huge ordeal though. We didn't eat a great deal at the food court but what we did was very good. We always get the refillable resort mugs and this was our 1st time using the RFID ones. It was a little obnoxious getting the cup aligned right at first and irritating if the station I was at had run out of drink syrup b/c I'd then move to another drink station to read that I still had X minutes or seconds til my next refill. No worries though b/c you can get another refill in 3 minutes. Mousekeeping was wonderful before and during our stay. CM's were very friendly and helpful. My only issues, which are small, is that if it's raining and you're en route to your room, there's not much cover and the parking for the 60's section is WAAAAAY far away from the actual 60's buildings. Not a huge ordeal as we stay on WDW transportation from the second we check in til the moment we leave. Just kind of a pain to lug luggage so far. All in all? A great resort w/ ample seating in food court, plentiful gift shop, fun poolside activities director at the (main) pool and clean with comfy beds (though the pillows could've been better).
Pros:
the happy energy, good lifeguard presence, price, cleanlinessCons:
would be nice to have more cover between buildings during rainReviewed by tootiee6 Review Date: 07/19/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We got a discounted rate. We stayed in building 25. It was a little confusing to figure out the paths but I'm a good navigator so it wasn't an issue. It wasnt terribly far since we'd already been walking a lot anyways, it wasn't very noticeable to us. Either we were very lucky or there are tons of buses bc we never waited more than five mins on a bus and the west bus stop was like a minute from our room. The quiet pool was awesome and actually was quiet and wonderful after a long day in the parks. Old man island pool was very fun and the kids loved the waterslide. The boat ride to downtown disney was one of best parts. The rooms were fun and I loved the beds made out of trees. We left mousekeeping tips and they left us lots of extra soaps and shampoos! Our mousekeepers also had to deal with a wet murphy bed each night bc our 5 yr old had some drinking liquids too late and being so tired not waking up issues, so Id strip the bed and pile them up for them at least bc I felt so badly. So being as they had to deal w pee pee sheets and still left us goodies, I was very pleased!! The food at the food court , we only ate breakfast was good. All of the staff was very helpful and kind. The only issue we had was the thermostat and they sent someone up within five mins to look at it as we didn't know how to get it off the set temp. Also the drink machine at our bus stop didnt work and the food p, ace was closed and we prolly would have paid $10 for a cold refreshing beverage then!!
Pros:
beautiful landscaping, discounted room, friendly staffCons:
no drink machines or places to get drinks late late at nightReview of Trail's End Restaurant
Reviewed by tpetty Review Date: 07/18/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We ate here on 6/5/14 since we were staying two nights at the Fort. The food was good and they replenished the buffet throughout our time there. It would be nice if their food stations could be separated somehow since it seemed like the middle section created a bottleneck at times. The food wasn't overly hot but that is typical for buffets.
My only complaint is the way they had the chairs seated around the table. On almost all the tables we were seated by they had 2 chairs on the same side but left the two other sides chair free. I am guessing they did this for space and traffic flow but putting 2 people on one side when it really is only made for 1 creates a tight fit especially if both individuals are on the larger side like DH and I are. There were 4 of us so it would have been nice had all four of us had our own side of the table. However, our table was also up against a pole so we really only had 3 sides. There wasn't even enough room on the sides that the chairs were on for the chairs themselves not to touch so throw in knees and elbow into the mix we would have been uncomfortable and bumping into each other the entire meal. We ended up putting one chair around to the one free side and used the 3 sides that we could and my DMIL sat diagonal at the corner of the other side to give her and my DS enough elbow room. We would have asked for another table but all the tables around us were like that. On the 2nd level with the buffet 4 top tables up there seemed to be unitizing all four sides.
Pros:
Nice selection of food; value price compared to other buffetsCons:
Seats arrangement at tablesReview of T-Rex
Reviewed by jules2014 Review Date: 07/18/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
I ate here with a group of people on July 11. We did not have advance reservations but waited less than 10 minutes for 8 people. we had 2 children in the party (3 and 5 years of age) and both were a bit scared of the loud noises (especially the meteor shower) and the moving dinosaurs. Our server was decent. The food was excellent, I had the fish tacos and they were the best fish tacos I've had so far. It is pricey, but since i love the food and the atmosphere, its worth it.
Pros:
good food, cool atmosphereCons:
LOUD, can be priceyReview of Pop Century Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by Jessica527 Review Date: 07/18/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We traveled with a party of 7 with 3 different rooms. Pop Century was very accommodating, prior to our stay – I requested that the 3 rooms be in the same building and close enough to an elevator to accommodate 2 people in our party if on an upper floor. Not only did Pop Century put all 3 rooms in line for us, but upgraded us to premium to allow a shorter walk for our party to the bus stop and food court. The room was good and we had no issues with mousekeeping. We were happy with the food options and we mostly used our snack credits on breakfast options at the resort. It was also great to see at night how lively the resort is, including many cast members available for pin trading and many different activities going on throughout the resort. Our only complaint was the long lines for the bus service when coming home from a park. The going to was never bad, but typically when we were coming home it would be quite the line. I believe we only sat down on the bus once or twice our entire stay due to the amount of people on the bus. I am thankful that Pop Century did not share their bus service with any other resort though. We have stayed deluxe in the past and we came home feeling excited about Pop Century at the value pricing.
Pros:
Room location, food options, room accomodationsCons:
bus serviceReview of Ft. Wilderness Cabins (Moderate Resort)
Reviewed by tpetty Review Date: 07/17/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed in a cabin for two nights (6/4/14 and 6/5/14) and really enjoyed it. Having stayed at various other Disney resorts in different categories it felt very weird being in the cabin since all the other resorts for the most part have the same layout just different sizes.
We were a party of 3 adults and one 3 year old so DH took the double bed in the bedroom, I took the top bunk and DS took the bottom bunk. My DMIL took the murphy bed. The murphy bed might have been comfortable for 2 adults but there is no way the double bed would have been comfortable with 2 adults (cabins are listed as sleeping 6).
We tried to take advantage of what this resort had to offer so DS took his 1st pony ride at Tri Circle-D ($5) and visited with the Magic Kingdom horses and Dragon Calliope in the stables. We attend Chip 'n Dale's Campfire sing-along and would have stayed for the movie but it was one we didn't care for. We watched Wishes from the beach and caught the Electrical Water Pageant from a boat coming from the MK back to the Fort.
The Fort is a really nice resort and it does feel like you are in the middle of nowhere.
Our only complaint was there are no sidewalks for the cabin loops so if you use the bus system and it is late at night you have to walk in the street area to get back to your cabin. Traffic is kept down to a minimum but it was pretty dark in the loops. It also would have been nice to have a playground area near each loop instead of having to go all the way to Pioneer Hall.
Pros:
Quiet, roomy, nice having a kitchen even though we didn't use itCons:
toilet acted up, no sidewalks around the loopsReviewed by tink1970 Review Date: 07/16/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
My DH and I spent our anniversary here for the 2nd year in a row in the Honeymoon Suite.
The room was clean, the bathtub is amazing (jetted and deep), there were welcome chocolates on the bed, as well a comfy robes.
The lounge offerings were bountiful-hot and cold appetizers which made me regret our later dinner reservations!
The staff ensured we understood our magic bands and that they were activated for our room. Since it was our first time using them, that was much appreciated.
Overall, would definitely return. The lodge is beautiful and the service was excellent.
Pros:
location, decor,lounge offeringsCons:
—Review of Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Reviewed by mzznlink Review Date: 07/16/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
Started with Arancini (tasty) and pitcher of wine for the ladies and blood orange fresca for the gents (really good). We each got a different pizza and shared; pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, and Margherita. We were all stuffed by the end. Great crust and flavor. For dessert we shared an order of Zeppole di Caterina (very good) since we knew we were going to Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles for more sweets.
Pros:
Pizza!Cons:
—Review of Mickey's Backyard Barbecue
Reviewed by mzznlink Review Date: 07/16/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
It had been about 18 years since we went to Mickey's Backyard BBQ, the kids are now 21 - 33. This time we had an addition, my son's wife and our 1 year old granddaughter. She had a blast with the characters and loved swinging her arms to the music. Food was good, especially considering they have to lay it out for all those people. Adults had fun too. I just wish it was a little longer. It was July 4th so afterwards we went to the beach to watch the fireworks at MK.
Pros:
Interacting with the charactersCons:
Too shortReview of Frozen Summer Fun Premium Package
Reviewed by Dfranzese712 Review Date: 07/15/2014
Rating: (7) Recommended
My husband and I took our 4 year old daughter to Hollywood Studios for the Frozen package on July 6th which was the 2nd day for the package. It was a very hot day and we needed to arrive early to get in line, if not we would have had special area seating but not a good view, especially if people decided to stand. We had to wait a while until it started.
The parade started at the beginning of Hollywood blvd and we were seated near the hat where the stage was. The parade was short and there was no real show after , quick welcome to Anna and Elsa. Also it said snacks were served however we didn't get offered any. Then we found out later they were in the back and we were sitting in the front.
Then we went to the sing along. I thought it was a personal sing along with Anna and Elsa where children got to interact with them but it wasn't. It was a show, and not even at that. They showed the movie clips for the sing along. Two Arendelle " residents" told the story. They were very funny but adult humor! We saw Anna for a few minutes at the intro and then elsa Anna and Kristoff were at the end for the " let it go" song, which was the best part. The show is in a theater and when we went in the first front three rows were reserved for wheelchairs and strollers. So we had to sit in the 4th. As they let the stand by ppl in they started sitting them in the front! My husband complained and so we moved.
The best part was the fireworks show, the dessert was fantastic, again standing only. The only problem was the hat blocked the view of the fireworks! You had to move to the side to really get a good view.
I know it was only the 2nd day so hopefully they will work out the kinks! I hope this review helps!
