Help me feel good about Pop

[apress]

The title says it all. I'm three weeks out and I am really bummed about staying at Pop. I know, I shouldn't feel this way but I feel like we are taking a step back by being at Pop. The last two times my family has stayed at Riverside and we loved it, but this time my mom is going and she wants to stay at Pop so that is where we are at. The other thing that has me worried is the predication of crowds. Everyone is saying it will be packed and there is nothing available at the other resorts. Help me find my Disney joy again. thanks

 

[disnut8]

The title says it all. I'm three weeks out and I am really bummed about staying at Pop. I know, I shouldn't feel this way but I feel like we are taking a step back by being at Pop. The last two times my family has stayed at Riverside and we loved it, but this time my mom is going and she wants to stay at Pop so that is where we are at. The other thing that has me worried is the predication of crowds. Everyone is saying it will be packed and there is nothing available at the other resorts. Help me find my Disney joy again. thanks

Well, first of all, your family will be together. Second of all, your mother wants to stay at Pop Century. So ALL of you can walk around the resort and share in the icons from the different decades and decide what you remember (or in the case of the youngsters, what they don't know about them). Then you can stroll along the river and look at the signposts from every year from 1950 to 1999 and see a significant (?) event from that year.

Having people from different generations at Pop Century really puts the icing on the cake. We had to explain to our grandkids what a floppy disk was. Pop Century really bridges gaps and gets family members talking to each other.

 

[Airykah]

We love Pop Century, we have a split stay coming up and Pop filled in the days between the DVC resort. There are tons of buses for Pop, the gift shop is fun...and honestly how much time will you really spend there anyway! You'll have a fantastic time..just remember you're in Disney, how bad could it be?

 

[Hibiscus]

I have visited Pop & eaten in the food court, which had a lot of interesting & unique choices. If you're concerned about crowds, one of the great things about Pop is that it has frequent buses which aren't shared with any other resort (not even AoA), and make only one stop. Unlike POR, Pop's transportation has dedicated queues, so you don't have to worry about scrambling to get in line when the bus arrives.

I also loved looking at the shadow boxes of each decade in the lobby! The resort seemed very busy & fun with lots of activities going on.

 

[Pats Dragon]

Pop is our favorite place to stay. Buses are best of any resort. The lake is beautiful. Love the food court and large selection of food. We enjoy the several pools and the pool bar. The room is small but adequate. If we hang out at the resort we go to the food court or pool.

 

[Disneylover99]

I like Pop more then Riverside. Bus service has always been better for us at Pop. Plus you can easily walk to AofA to eat, take their buses and check out the resort.

 

[WiscMomof2]

We've never stayed at Riverside, but we love POP. For a value resort it's cute, clean, and a fun vibe all around. Bus to parks has been really great every time we've stayed. The rooms will be smaller than moderates, but that's about the only downside I can see.

 

[dvcmom14]

We stayed at Pop recently and really enjoyed it. It was fun explaining some of the iconic symbols to my girls who had no idea what a vinyl record was (for shame!). We also had a really good time walking around the resort and the pool was awesome for the kids.

 

[maxiesmom]

I stayed at the Pop for the first time last week, and had a great time! The people working there are some of the best--to a person they were friendly, and truly seemed to want to help you in any way they could. The food court has a lot of selection, not all plain food court food but not all crazy themed food either. A nice balance.

I love Riverside too, but I liked Pop a lot, and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. Don't compare it to Riverside the whole time you are there, look at it as something new and enjoy it for what it is.

 

[samsteele]

I stayed at Riverside some years ago. It is nice. However, I was hardly ever at the resort long enough to enjoy all of the amenities that I had paid for. I was always in the parks. Since Riverside, I've stayed at the POP multiple times. I really love it. I enjoy the music, the pop icons and the general vibe. The bus system is absolutely superior and IMO better than Riverside as no bus to share with another resort and only 1 stop. I miss the boat to Downtown Disney but I still go to either Riverside or French Quarter on my day off and take the boat to DD (now Dis Springs). The room is a bit smaller than a mod and not as well decorated, but it is clean, safe and good for sleeping. I rarely eat in the POP cafeteria as the crowds get to me. I eat most of my meals in the parks, at other resorts or at Disney Springs. I do enjoy the King Cupcake and the Tie-Dye Cheesecake. A quick walk over the Generation Gap Bridge takes you to Art of Animation. You can check out their cafeteria and use their busing system as a backup. Many people hop on the AoA bus at the end of the day if the line for the POP bus is too much. Enjoy your time there. Your vacation will rush by in a hurry. Make the most of the POP. Who knows, you might end up loving it, too.

 

[2013Frozen]

We love Pop. Liked it even more than CBR. The pirate pool at CBR was cool, but we think Pop is just more fun.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm like you in that I really like Port Orleans but we're trying Pop this time so we'll worry together. I am excited about trying a new place and also the Art of Animation is so close by which is nice. But I still worry a little because we did not enjoy the Allstars some years ago. People continually tell me that Pop is much better so I'm staying positive!

 

[GreatLakes]

POP is my go to resort. I've stayed at moderates and both the Swan and Dolphin but I view the room as a place to sleep and then leave for the day so I usually go with POP for that reason. The values are different then the moderates but I never found them to be less fun to stay in. Different isn't necessarily better or worse and that is how I'd describe the difference between a moderate and POP.

 

[hsmamato2]

out of al the values, I think Pop is the most fun! You will be together,in Disney,and having fun- enjoy it! The pools are cute,the themes are bright and lively.... the food court is a ton of fun...if you miss a walk along the water like at POR, walk along the lake to visit AOA and back again....very pretty out there

 

[KristenGoebel]

I was the same way before our September last minute trip. I had only stayed at Deluxe and POR as well. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved POP. I loved it way more than POR and was honestly the first resort where I said I want to stay here again. If you know going in what you're getting its great. I knew we'd have a smaller room, not all the extra amenities the deluxe and moderate resorts have, and no sit down restaurant. Best bus service we have ever had as well. Longest we waited for a bus was 20 mins to EPCOT one night and it was slower due to several electric carts. This was the first time I had seen a transportation employee stationed at the bus stop telling guests when to expect the bus and to make sure no one was waiting too long. Everything was wonderful and I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. I loved the theming, you were much more immersed in Disney than at a mod or a deluxe. I didn't mind that at all.

 

[buzznina]

We have stayed at all 3 levels and still really enjoy our stays at Pop and also ASMO. The only big downside for us is the full size beds, but other then that we have had great stays at the value resorts. Our DDs love the oversize statues and the themes, they would miss the pool slide though FWIW; we like to spend time at the resort we stay at and not just use it as a place to sleep/shower. We have fun at all the resorts, we are not the type that "has to have a balcony" or "indoor hallway" etc. to have a great family vacation.

 

[SamIAm21]

Pop Century is a great place to stay. Colorful, bright and really fun. It is a complete opposite of the sedate, old southern, Riverside, but change is good. I LOVE their food court and I think Everything Pop is one of the best gift shops of all the resorts. It's huge and has just about everything. It's a mini World of Disney. The bus makes no other stops, not even AOA. The rooms are always comfortable and I usually find the people to be really friendly. The food court does get busy and the laundry always seems busy, but other than that, it's all good!

 

[Planogirl]

Pop Century is a great place to stay. Colorful, bright and really fun. It is a complete opposite of the sedate, old southern, Riverside, but change is good. I LOVE their food court and I think Everything Pop is one of the best gift shops of all the resorts. It's huge and has just about everything. It's a mini World of Disney. The bus makes no other stops, not even AOA. The rooms are always comfortable and I usually find the people to be really friendly. The food court does get busy and the laundry always seems busy, but other than that, it's all good!

Ooh, this caught my eye. I love that!

 

[Sherrkel]

Like you, we're scheduled to arrive at Pop for our first stay at that resort, a little over 3 weeks from now. I'm excited!.
I won't say we had misgivings at first about booking Pop, but we wanted to do Disney a little lighter on the wallet this trip. I've done a lot of research the past few months, and now we're really looking forward to it. I continuously read favorable posts from most disers.
As for your other concern, I won't say I'm not worried about crowd levels in general, but we've been to Disney enough times now that we know to be prepared for anything and everything. It's when you don't do your homework and don't prepare yourself that you set yourself up for disappointment.
I hope you have a wonderful time, and maybe we'll see you around the Pop.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

We try to do each trip different than past trips. We've done moderates, deluxes, and our last trip was Pop Century. I really enjoyed it! I requested the 50's section because Lady and the Tramp is my favorite, and I ended up near the big Lady statue. If you can find a great attitude, you'll end up having a great time!