How I fell in love with Pop Century Resort

[BabybetterDisney]

I started going to Disney World 8 years ago. There was me, the then DS11, DS9, and DS4. I had been dreaming about the Caribbean Beach resort for years, so I got it with free dining. It was as beautiful as I imagined.

One day, we were coming back from Epcot late at night during EMH (big mistake). The bus took a long time to arrive. My DS4 was whining that he was tired. The bus driver was a woman. She was the only woman bus driver I've ever seen in WDW, before or since. And she took the longest time loading the handicapped person, about double the time other bus drivers took. As we waited, my DS4 whined some more.

We got on the bus just barely and didn't have a seat (DS4 whined). The bus was packed solid. It took off and drove and drove. The trip from Epcot to Caribbean Beach is normally 10 minutes, but that bus just drove on and on, from one road to the next. (This was before the GPS days.) After we've been on the bus for what seemed like forever, DS4 says, Mama, are we lost? I told him that no, it's just that he's tired, so it seems like a long time. We should get there very soon.

Finally, the bus pulled up to the security gate, which opened for us to go in. It was very dark out and hard to see anything. Then the bus drove up to the front of the hotel, and it was not the Caribbean Beach! It had these huge bowling pins that shone brightly in the night, as big as a light house. It took my breath away. The front of the hotel had this 3-story tall exploding sign that says POP CENTURY RESORT! After the long, dark bus ride, everything looked incredibly bright and beautiful and stunning! I stared at the bowling pin and decided right then that I will stay there next. Then I told my DS4 that um, yeah, sweetie, we're lost.

We eventually made it back.

We've been staying at the Pop Century ever since. We've also stayed at many other Disney hotels for short stays, including the Grand Floridian, but none can compare to Pop Century in my heart. Every year, when I walk into my Pop room, I feel that I'm finally home.

Do you have a story about you and your favorite hotel?

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Back in 2007 I planned our very first trip to WDW with dh dd(9) and ds(6). Being from Canada the flights were very expensive so I was looking at the values. I knew about the different categories but had not really researched them other than price. After checking in at the Pop front desk we walked out the doors and came face to face with the Hippy Dippy Pool, the different icons, colours, palm trees etc. My kids stood there just gaping and I still remember thinking "if this is the values what the heck are the deluxe like!" I fell in love with Pop instantly and always feel like I'm coming home. We have had 4 wonderful trips there and one at Music (which I like almost as much). My next mother/daughter trip in June is in ASMusic because Pop was sold out of the summer deal. Now, 11 years later I can easily afford a Moderate but honestly don't see the value in it because everything we need the values provide.

 

[DaniMoon]

There will never be another "WOW" moment for me, like when my kids walked onto the POP resort. Goofy with the surfboard and the sportscar (before it was gated), we probably spent 20 minutes with them walking around and talking to Goofy. That appeal for the and the appeal of the decades for me and my husband. The disco music, the Rubik's cube. It's home.

We do do moderate or deluxe now, but a longer stay at POP always wins. I do want to do AKL someday, maybe when the kids are grown. Even now, I could swap resorts to do free dining, and I won't. I will keep a look out if something opens at POP, but neither me nor my hubby are willing to swap resorts for the FD offer.

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

I'll preface this to say I've not actually stayed in a Disney hotel yet, but my "story" is from Disneyland. We moved to SoCal the summer of 2015, and we went to hang out at Downtown Disney during Labor Day. We decided to have QS lunch at the Disneyland hotel. I know it's the original Land hotel, but I just didn't feel the hype about it. (The outside pool area was cool though). To me, it could've been a Hilton anywhere. A few months later we took our first real trip at Thanksgiving. I had wanted to go see the tree at the Grand Californian so we did that our first night. I was just blown away. That hotel is so gorgeous! I'm not a rustic person but I just fell in love with it. It's luxurious yet calming. It became our go-to hang out for rest time during our Land trips. Our kids love to sit in the little leather rocking chairs to watch movies in the lobby.

We later did a character breakfast at Paradise Pier and I also felt ambivalent about it. I doubt we'll ever get to stay at the GC but a girl can dream!

 

[coast2coastmickey]

I'll preface this to say I've not actually stayed in a Disney hotel yet, but my "story" is from Disneyland. We moved to SoCal the summer of 2015, and we went to hang out at Downtown Disney during Labor Day. We decided to have QS lunch at the Disneyland hotel. I know it's the original Land hotel, but I just didn't feel the hype about it. (The outside pool area was cool though). To me, it could've been a Hilton anywhere. A few months later we took our first real trip at Thanksgiving. I had wanted to go see the tree at the Grand Californian so we did that our first night. I was just blown away. That hotel is so gorgeous! I'm not a rustic person but I just fell in love with it. It's luxurious yet calming. It became our go-to hang out for rest time during our Land trips. Our kids love to sit in the little leather rocking chairs to watch movies in the lobby.

We later did a character breakfast at Paradise Pier and I also felt ambivalent about it. I doubt we'll ever get to stay at the GC but a girl can dream!

We stayed at the GC once. Hands down the best Disney hotel in the US, period. Pricey though.