An honest review of Pop Century - just back

[Dodie]

I could be wrong here, but I think that when you press the button on the phone for the front desk, you actually get a call center and not actually the front desk. I think that it was posted by Chip 'N Dale on the transportation board. Just letting everyone know, so the the blame is place where it should be and not on the CM's at Pop.

That could be the case, but the snippy CM answered the phone "Caribbean Beach and Pop Century Engineering, this is XXXX speaking."

 

[jjan]

That could be the case, but the snippy CM answered the phone "Caribbean Beach and Pop Century Engineering, this is XXXX speaking."

Yes they would do that since they would have a code/incoming phone number on their phone to know where you were calling from.

 

[brooke1]

I stayed this past OCT in the 50 section jukebox building bottom floor pool side and did not hear a peep.

I am very curious to find out if there are better buildings than others,(you never know) like i said above never heard a word.

So very one tell us your buliding and so on and lets see what happens.

thanks
Brooke

 

[Okiemom]

What is a white noise maker?

 

[Cookie Princess]

Reason number one:
I have never, anywhere, in ANY hotel (Disney or otherwise), no matter how inexpensive or expensive, stayed anywhere were the walls were as thin as at Pop Century. We could literally hear everything that happened in the rooms on either side of us.

DITTO. We had our one experience at POP last year and won't return. The walls are very thin and we could hear noise during all hours of the night. We have also stayed at all levels of WDW resorts and have been extremely happy at the All Stars. POP NO MORE!

 

[disneysnowflake]

You guys are making me nervous.
We are staying at Pop for 8 nights beginning a week from Friday. We aren't going to rent a car. I assumed the bus service for Pop was good.

I'm very nervous.

 

[HaleyB]

What is a white noise maker?

They make a constant soothing sound, and block out unwanted noise. Sound machines work too- you know the ones that sound like waves or leaves in the wind or water moving. Just be sure to actually listen to it and see if it sooths you or annoys you before you buy one.

We had excellent bus service at the Pop. We always went to the parks early and the buses came about every 10 minutes. Travel time to park varies but we never felt like it took too long. PC is very close to MGM and Epcot.

 

[Lucky4me]

We also use a sound machine and have no problem with noise at POP. When we're not sleeping, the tv is on so we may have heard people moving about, but no conversations. My only minor complaint was the skeery airplane toilets.

 

[MommyPoppins]

We have stayed there 2 times and while I agree that the food court area is a zoo, we are always cold in our room and can adjust the temp as needed, we also never hear anyone in the rooms around us, except for the occasional toliet flush.

 

[Blueberry]

We stayed at POP for the first time beginning of the month and truely loved the place..too bad your stay was not as good.

We had no problems with the food court and we are two empty nesters with no kids or grandkids on this trip. Of course mornings food courts are more busy and especially the drink stations with everyone refilling their mugs, but we could always find a seat inside...even over Labor Day Weekend. EVen with the dining plans we never stood in line for food over 7 or 8 minutes (we timed it), food check out was easy never waited over 5 mins (we timed it). Tables were always clean and available every time we ate there.

As someone said, do not base how your stay will be on others as we are all so differnt, what appeals to one persoan will not to a fellow traveller.

We will definitely return to POP..it was a wonderful vacation

 

[Blueberry]

We also use a sound machine and have no problem with noise at POP. When we're not sleeping, the tv is on so we may have heard people moving about, but no conversations. My only minor complaint was the skeery airplane toilets.

For those who have not stayed there, the toilets are water saving power flushers and make a differnt noise when they flush.....

 

[nem75]

We just returned from a 5 night stay at POP. Our family loves this resort above any that we have stayed in, including mods and deluxes. The theming is fun and the price is right. The noise was not an issue with us, I never heard anyone in the toilet and the only way I heard my family in the connected room was when they were screaming. We stayed in the 70s on the second floor facing the lake. The overall noise in the food court worked for us since we had 8 kids with us and it wasnt like we were noticably loud. The timing of your experience in the food court as far as noise or ease of getting through the lines is essential. 10am is not a good time to be in there. 8am is. Also right after the parks close for the night and everyone is back from the parks and hungry, it will be busy. The food court set up is typical of Disney with the different lines. I have not experienced one without a seperate line for pizza and burgers.

I do appreciate the difficulties with engineering, but we were cold in the rooms and I am usually a hot person. So for those who are heading out to POP. Plan your timing for eating and taking busses to the off-peak times, and ask for a room in an odd place, like facing the lakes and you should avoid some of the headaches that come when a lot of people are enjoying the magic of Disney.

 

[Tinkbell]

Thanks for the honest review. When it is that hot outside, a cool room should not be so hard to get.

 

[THE HAT]

this thread is so back and forth,lol.
we were at pop in jan. 60's building 3rd floor overlooking the pool.

-room was perfect temp every day and night. never a problem adjusting it to how we needed.

-noise level was zero (we heard one toilet flush once in the morning while we were brushing our teeth) and we had for two nights on one side with a connecting door neighbors,if we had not seen them leaving we would have never know they were there, and then for the last two nights neighbors on the other side of us, and again if i had not chatted our last morning there with the husband i would have never know they were there either. i am a very light sleeper also.

-food court was never busy, or long lines anywhere, and we ate there all but one breakfast and almost all nights once the parks closed.super fresh food and great choices!! plenty of seats inside or out. morning was a bit noisy but it was just all the excited kids ready for a day of disney. ( i am sure our ds helped in the noise level too)

-buses were super! never more then a 15 min wait heading to the parks, and the same on a return. we sat every time going to a park and we(dh and myself.. ds sat all but once) did stand more then sit on the return as we would give our seats up to those who looked like they needed them more.

-we did have one longer ride back one night from MK as our driver asked us if we would like a little ride to see some of the christmas decorations that were still up. and majority said heck yeah!!

-the pool area was always (only used hippy dippy)clean, and lifeguards on duty until 10. there was never more then 15 people in the pools at night. (don't know about the day as we were at the parks) noise level was again zero. we would head up to bed at 11ish, and the pool was open until midnight and we would never know it.

-this all being said everyone is going to have a diff experience, and will have different expectations. we have stayed at 4 star hotels and have had more noise then we had at PC. we just feel that for US disney isn't about the fancy resorts, but about the parks, so we would rather put are money into that then the room we are in for sleep and showering. now when we stay in bar harbor, we always spend the extra for the resorts right on frenchman's bay cause that is what bar harbor is all about!! same as when we go to boston we always stay high end as that is (again for us) part of the thrill of being in the "big city". (remember small town maine family here,lol)

so i am not sure if any of what i have written has helped or not but this is what OUR experience was.
and we are heading back jan of 2007 to PC without even a thought to go elsewhere!!

~peace and safe travels

 

[lookingforward]

The walls may be the same construction but the ventilation system or air conditioning system could be different, thus resulting in the increase in room to room noise at POP vs. other value resorts. Just a thought.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I only read the OP's post and just a few after that.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your stay at POP.

I've stayed at POP 3X already and I have never had any noise problem. NO thin walls for us. And our stay there has always been great. NO problems with the thermostat.... It's always just the perfect setting for us.

 

[minnie61650]

The walls may be the same construction but the ventilation system or air conditioning system could be different, thus resulting in the increase in room to room noise at POP vs. other value resorts. Just a thought.

ITA

Linda
AKA All Star Goddess

 

[Threehearts]

You sound like a completely reasonable person and I've no doubt that all you've said is true. I like hearing the plusses and minuses so that I can weigh the options and decide what's best for my family. I don't think that it is helpful to always refute a negative report. Some resort visits are just not the best. By always describing every aspect of WDW in glowing terms, it gives visitors overly inflated expectations and can lead to disappointment. Honest experiences, even if they are of a poor condition help me to temper my expectations. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Threehearts

 

[Dodie]

You sound like a completely reasonable person and I've no doubt that all you've said is true. I like hearing the plusses and minuses so that I can weigh the options and decide what's best for my family. I don't think that it is helpful to always refute a negative report. Some resort visits are just not the best. By always describing every aspect of WDW in glowing terms, it gives visitors overly inflated expectations and can lead to disappointment. Honest experiences, even if they are of a poor condition help me to temper my expectations. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Threehearts

Thank you.

 

[LakeAriel]

I use a "fan" at home just for the "white noise". Amazing how it works.