Dodie
<font color=green>Survived the big crash<br><font
- Joined
- Nov 10, 1999
- Messages
- 6,673
DH and I are both in our early forties. We visit Disney World every year. We have stayed in nearly every type of accommodation offered value, moderate, deluxe, and home-away-from home. We are not resort snobs and have always enjoyed our stays regardless. We dont complain. We are very easy going people. We know that we are basically using the room just to sleep, as we are on the go most of the time.
Our reservations for this trip were at Pop Century. Reasons for this choice: our budget called for a value this time; this was the least expensive way to take advantage of the free Disney Dining plan that was being offered at the time; I had heard a lot of good things about Pop Century and thought we should try it since we had stayed at the All Stars previously.
We will not be returning to Pop Century.
Reason number one:
I have never, anywhere, in ANY hotel (Disney or otherwise), no matter how inexpensive or expensive, stayed anywhere where the walls were as thin as at Pop Century. We could literally hear everything that happened in the rooms on either side of us. We knew that Isabelle in room 3168 didnt like to brush her teeth and had to be scolded/yelled at every night and morning to do so. We learned that "Nathan" in room 3166 threw a screaming fit every night before bed and every morning when they were getting ready. We could hear details of conversations being held at normal volume in the rooms next to us. We heard every toilet flush made in each room on either side of us. We heard every shower. If we happened to be in our restroom at the time, we even heard details from our neighbors (above, behind, and beside) restroom visit (if you know what I mean).
Reason number two:
When we checked into the room at around 1:30 on our arrival day it was like an oven. I had printed some directions that someone had provided on the Pop Century FAQ thread to override the motion detector/thermostat in the rooms at POP, but those directions didnt match the thermostat we had which actually appeared to be brand new. (Maybe theyre onto us.) The thermostat was automatic and could not be adjusted. I then called engineering and asked if they could come and check the A/C as it appeared to be set on 68 but it was far warmer than that.
While we were in the parks, someone apparently visited the room and reset the thermostat to 65 degrees. It was still very warm in the room. The fan would run for a few minutes and would then shut off. I hit the display button on the thermostat and it showed the actual temp in the room 78 degrees!
I called engineering again and asked for someone to come check it. The person said that someone would be right there. It was late and we were tired, so, after 30 minutes, when no one had come yet, my husband called them back. The woman who answered this time literally snapped his head off. This is not a priority sir. Please allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for a response! He was stunned and told her that the original person said that someone would be there right away. All she did was repeat, Please allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for a response. Wow. Thanks for that famous Disney customer service.
When the maintenance person did come, he fiddled with the thermostat for awhile, pushing buttons quickly and kind of hiding what he was actually doing from view. He said that it had been programmed wrong and that it should cool down now and that the fan should stay on at least on low all of the time during our stay. I am guessing that he actually did some sort of override, but didnt want me to see what or how. He set the temperature on 68, saying that was as low as the thermostat would allow them to go. He said that the 65 degrees that appeared on the thermostat when we returned to the room didnt mean anything since it wouldnt cool below 68 anyway. Wow. Thanks a lot to the maintenance person who must have thought he could trick us into thinking that we were cooler.
During the rest of our stay (with 95 degree weather), the room was cool enough day and night following his visit so whatever he did worked. (We did not notice any kind of motion sensor or anything that impacted the unit as I have read here previously.)
The resolution of this was acceptable, although I do not particularly appreciate not having some control over my own A/C in the room, think that this must be an issue that they are aware of, and wonder how many people sit and swelter thinking that they have no choice, etc.
Reason number three:
We love the food court concept. We enjoy grabbing breakfast before we leave the resort and like having the various options available for a quick lunch or dinner.
The food court at Pop is a zoo. I kept reminding myself that we were there at a non-busy time of year. I cannot imagine what its like during busy season. It is poorly laid out and seems tiny in comparison with the food courts at other resorts. The seating area is deafening. Im sure that this has something to do with the warehouse-like design of the exposed metal ceiling and ductwork, but the place just reverberates with noise. You cant even carry on a conversation. Im not complaining about kids having fun and being excited its Disney World for goodness sake. The layout is just crazy and there is nothing to absorb the sound. Not a pleasant way to start the day.
We would stay again at the All Stars if that is what the budget allowed, but not at Pop Century. I am not knocking the value resorts as a whole. I understand that there is a need for this type of resort. The theming is cute. The pools were nice. It was great to see that they actually had lifeguards on duty, even late into the evening. If I were a parent, I would appreciate that.
I wrote this review because I have appreciated the information I have received here in the past about the various resorts. However, I have seen others who have provided such honest (negative) information who have been attacked for doing so or have had posters essentially accuse them of lying or making stories up because the OP's post didn't match their own personal experience. I hope that doesnt happen here but - if it does thats okay too. Whats important to me is that people understand what they are getting into.
I plan to do a separate post (on the Restaurants Board) with a review of our use of the Disney Dining plan which was just AWESOME!
Our reservations for this trip were at Pop Century. Reasons for this choice: our budget called for a value this time; this was the least expensive way to take advantage of the free Disney Dining plan that was being offered at the time; I had heard a lot of good things about Pop Century and thought we should try it since we had stayed at the All Stars previously.
We will not be returning to Pop Century.
Reason number one:
I have never, anywhere, in ANY hotel (Disney or otherwise), no matter how inexpensive or expensive, stayed anywhere where the walls were as thin as at Pop Century. We could literally hear everything that happened in the rooms on either side of us. We knew that Isabelle in room 3168 didnt like to brush her teeth and had to be scolded/yelled at every night and morning to do so. We learned that "Nathan" in room 3166 threw a screaming fit every night before bed and every morning when they were getting ready. We could hear details of conversations being held at normal volume in the rooms next to us. We heard every toilet flush made in each room on either side of us. We heard every shower. If we happened to be in our restroom at the time, we even heard details from our neighbors (above, behind, and beside) restroom visit (if you know what I mean).
Reason number two:
When we checked into the room at around 1:30 on our arrival day it was like an oven. I had printed some directions that someone had provided on the Pop Century FAQ thread to override the motion detector/thermostat in the rooms at POP, but those directions didnt match the thermostat we had which actually appeared to be brand new. (Maybe theyre onto us.) The thermostat was automatic and could not be adjusted. I then called engineering and asked if they could come and check the A/C as it appeared to be set on 68 but it was far warmer than that.
While we were in the parks, someone apparently visited the room and reset the thermostat to 65 degrees. It was still very warm in the room. The fan would run for a few minutes and would then shut off. I hit the display button on the thermostat and it showed the actual temp in the room 78 degrees!
I called engineering again and asked for someone to come check it. The person said that someone would be right there. It was late and we were tired, so, after 30 minutes, when no one had come yet, my husband called them back. The woman who answered this time literally snapped his head off. This is not a priority sir. Please allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for a response! He was stunned and told her that the original person said that someone would be there right away. All she did was repeat, Please allow at least 45 minutes to an hour for a response. Wow. Thanks for that famous Disney customer service.
When the maintenance person did come, he fiddled with the thermostat for awhile, pushing buttons quickly and kind of hiding what he was actually doing from view. He said that it had been programmed wrong and that it should cool down now and that the fan should stay on at least on low all of the time during our stay. I am guessing that he actually did some sort of override, but didnt want me to see what or how. He set the temperature on 68, saying that was as low as the thermostat would allow them to go. He said that the 65 degrees that appeared on the thermostat when we returned to the room didnt mean anything since it wouldnt cool below 68 anyway. Wow. Thanks a lot to the maintenance person who must have thought he could trick us into thinking that we were cooler.
During the rest of our stay (with 95 degree weather), the room was cool enough day and night following his visit so whatever he did worked. (We did not notice any kind of motion sensor or anything that impacted the unit as I have read here previously.)
The resolution of this was acceptable, although I do not particularly appreciate not having some control over my own A/C in the room, think that this must be an issue that they are aware of, and wonder how many people sit and swelter thinking that they have no choice, etc.
Reason number three:
We love the food court concept. We enjoy grabbing breakfast before we leave the resort and like having the various options available for a quick lunch or dinner.
The food court at Pop is a zoo. I kept reminding myself that we were there at a non-busy time of year. I cannot imagine what its like during busy season. It is poorly laid out and seems tiny in comparison with the food courts at other resorts. The seating area is deafening. Im sure that this has something to do with the warehouse-like design of the exposed metal ceiling and ductwork, but the place just reverberates with noise. You cant even carry on a conversation. Im not complaining about kids having fun and being excited its Disney World for goodness sake. The layout is just crazy and there is nothing to absorb the sound. Not a pleasant way to start the day.
We would stay again at the All Stars if that is what the budget allowed, but not at Pop Century. I am not knocking the value resorts as a whole. I understand that there is a need for this type of resort. The theming is cute. The pools were nice. It was great to see that they actually had lifeguards on duty, even late into the evening. If I were a parent, I would appreciate that.
I wrote this review because I have appreciated the information I have received here in the past about the various resorts. However, I have seen others who have provided such honest (negative) information who have been attacked for doing so or have had posters essentially accuse them of lying or making stories up because the OP's post didn't match their own personal experience. I hope that doesnt happen here but - if it does thats okay too. Whats important to me is that people understand what they are getting into.
I plan to do a separate post (on the Restaurants Board) with a review of our use of the Disney Dining plan which was just AWESOME!
Oh well, at least we'll be in Disney! 
at the All Stars on his first visit. 
