In Defense of the Pop Century and Animal Kingdom

[CastleDream]

I really like listening to the show and love hearing the opinions about various things about Disney World. I feel like I need to defend a couple of my favorite places though!!! Haha. I walked around the Pop Century Resort many evenings and found the dining area crowded, but it was a nice selection of food. I really liked the Pop Century =) Also in defense of Animal Kingdom, which is probably my favorite park...I think it may very well be that being from Florida you just hate being in any type of heat for an extended time...not sure...but being a nature/wildlife lover I find Animal Kingdom not a place to ride rides or see shows all day...but to take it all in. I thouroughly enjoy the atmoshpere created in the "Oasis" and spend quite a bit of time on the Discovery Island Trails. So anyway...to each his own I guess =)

 

[*NikkiBell*]

to the DIS, CastleDream!

Just like the team said on the show, this is their opinion and it's okay to have a different view point than they do.

With that being said, I do have to say I disagree with them...slightly.

I never like Animal Kingdom and always felt it was a "half day" park. There were some WDW trips I did not even visit it. It wasn't until I went on the Wild by Design tour that AK became my all time favorite park. I learned so much about the architecture, animals, and planning of this park that I just love being there, even in the heat. I really recommend this tour to everyone. It 100% changed my outlook on everything at AK.

 

[BriarRosie]

I find that Animal Kingdom is so much more pleasant to visit in December.
This park tends to get a bad rap because it's not like the other parks, but I really like the shows and animal viewing paths.

As for Pop Century, it's my favorite value resort. I like it much better than any of the All Stars. If I had a choice, that would be my pick. I have my own Highs and Lows for their topics, but my picks tend to change on a moment's notice.

 

[disneysteve]

DW and I had the privilege of visiting AK during annual passholder preview prior to the grand opening in 1998 and also attended grand opening. We loved exploring every inch of the new park. From the very beginning, we realized that AK was different from the other Disney parks. Also early on, it became apparent that most guests didn't appreciate that fact. They didn't want different. They wanted more of the same. They didn't know what to do in a park that wasn't destination-oriented and packed with rides and attractions. They weren't accustomed to coming to Disney and meandering along various paths just for the heck of it to find whatever they happened to find. DW and I loved discovering the unmarked paths leading into the wooded areas and across the little streams. I've often said that at AK, the park itself is the main attraction. Or at least it was until Disney little by little caved to public pressure and gradually converted AK into a more traditional theme park. It is kind of sad going through the park today and remembering what it was like when it first opened. We enjoy AK and we would never skip it. We love Expedition Everest. We just think it is a shame that that's what it took to get people into a park that was supposed to be all about nature and real life stuff.

 

[paulasillars]

AK is by far my favourite park. We always spend more time there than any other park. We spend hours watching the animals in the various exhibits and enjoy walking the nature trails and just stopping and enjoying the surroundings. Its also IMO the most beautiful of all the parks.

I also very much like the shows at AK and throw in a couple of rides on Everest and I'm a very happy girl.

 

[disneychic2]

DW and I had the privilege of visiting AK during annual passholder preview prior to the grand opening in 1998 and also attended grand opening. We loved exploring every inch of the new park. From the very beginning, we realized that AK was different from the other Disney parks. Also early on, it became apparent that most guests didn't appreciate that fact. They didn't want different. They wanted more of the same. They didn't know what to do in a park that wasn't destination-oriented and packed with rides and attractions. They weren't accustomed to coming to Disney and meandering along various paths just for the heck of it to find whatever they happened to find. DW and I loved discovering the unmarked paths leading into the wooded areas and across the little streams. I've often said that at AK, the park itself is the main attraction. Or at least it was until Disney little by little caved to public pressure and gradually converted AK into a more traditional theme park. It is kind of sad going through the park today and remembering what it was like when it first opened. We enjoy AK and we would never skip it. We love Expedition Everest. We just think it is a shame that that's what it took to get people into a park that was supposed to be all about nature and real life stuff.

Very well said. While AK is not my favorite park, I do love it and would never come to WDW and skip it. I love the fact that it is unique and not so fast paced as the other parks.

 

[kbelle8995]

JMO, but I like Pop Century, it is much better than the All stars. I like walking through the different sections and listen to each decades' music. Also it can be a quiet resorts unlike the All Stars which seems to have a lot of the teen group visitors and is much more noisy.

 

[SaraMc]

I too like Pop Century. For us with two small kids, it works. I also have a very frugal husband that if we could stay in a motel six far away from the parks to save money he would..
Now as for AK.. its really hot. But we go every now and then. But if we miss it its not a big deal. We know we will be back.

 

[mainegal]

I really enjoy the attention to detail and theming in Animal Kingdom. I could enjoy just being there and wandering around. Need to add, I have only been there in December, not when it is "Animal Kingdom Hot".

If I stay with my budget, not my dreams, I love Pop. My interests include popular culture and history, so it suits me perfectly. The rooms are basic, but I spend time in the parks, sleep in the room.

 

[sayhello]

I always stay at Pop Century if I can. It's my favorite of the Values, and I just can't justify to myself paying more than twice as much for a moderate or higher. I just don't spend enough time in the room. I look at that extra money as money I could spend taking tours and doing special events. (I think it's another reason I like doing ABD's, because it forces me to stay at really nice hotels.) Sometimes I'll spring for the nice but expensive place, but WDW is just one of the places I haven't been able to do that.

I also love Animal Kingdom. But then, I usually go in November or December, when it's relatively cooler. The first time I went to AK, I just wandered the park, and took in the nature paths, the aviary, etc. I had fabulous conversations with the cast members there, too. It was like going to a really cool Zoo. I've actually never done any of the rides at AK besides the Safari ride.

Sayhello

 

[trspann1]

I think the podcast crew hinted towards an underlying truth when they almost all stated Pop Century was their "least favorite" resort... it really depends on what your purpose is. I am going their with my daughter in late August. I would have liked (and did look at) some of the moderate resorts (Deluxe was out of the budget for this trip), but it came down to our true purpose for the resort for THIS TRIP. It will be used mostly for sleeping at night, and the afternoon return to "rejuvinate", which may often include a swim. Since my daughter doesn't like water slides anyway, that aspect of a moderate/deluxe didn't matter.

If I were looking to spend a lot of time at the resort itself, I would agree with the crew that Pop would not be on my "short list". A future trip to the World will probably include staying at a moderate or deluxe resort... which my daughter will probably view as an "upgrade from our previous trip!".

As always, great job by the podcast crew in making sure that everyone understands that we should never be disillusioned by anyone's personal opinion. For this upcoming trip, Pop Century does work for me!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I think the podcast crew hinted towards an underlying truth when they almost all stated Pop Century was their "least favorite" resort... it really depends on what your purpose is. I am going their with my daughter in late August. I would have liked (and did look at) some of the moderate resorts (Deluxe was out of the budget for this trip), but it came down to our true purpose for the resort for THIS TRIP. It will be used mostly for sleeping at night, and the afternoon return to "rejuvinate", which may often include a swim. Since my daughter doesn't like water slides anyway, that aspect of a moderate/deluxe didn't matter.

If I were looking to spend a lot of time at the resort itself, I would agree with the crew that Pop would not be on my "short list". A future trip to the World will probably include staying at a moderate or deluxe resort... which my daughter will probably view as an "upgrade from our previous trip!".

As always, great job by the podcast crew in making sure that everyone understands that we should never be disillusioned by anyone's personal opinion. For this upcoming trip, Pop Century does work for me!

Thank you for saying this.

This is exactly what we mean!

 

[WaltD4Me]

I've never understood why people would get upset by the reviews. Everyone has different likes/dislikes and expectations. I'm always usually up for giving something a try, even with no so great reviews...except for Shutters, I'll be skipping that place, I don't think I can ever get past the picture of the spleen on a plate.

 

[cindyland]

I loved AK, but with a family of five, we all loved different parks (except my husband, he doesn't like "favorites"). I loved the colors, the layout, the shows, it was all so new and different. I welcome all of the comments of the Podcast crew, but their point of view is different than mine. We were making that "once in a lifetime" (o.k. twice in a lifetime) trip so it's not something we do again and again, and we saw everything with fresh eyes. And we weren't visiting during the hot, miserable months so we had a different perspective of AK. To each his own, a day at DW is better than any day at work...

 

[Karlzmom]

For us, AK is a favorite...maybe not for a reason most people would come up with. We loooove the Boneyard! Yes, I know its "just a playground" but for DS its a chance to really just play. So much of WDW is hurry, wait and then brief periods of great excitement followed by more wait/excitement, etc. At the boneyard he just gets to play, and play and play! DH and I can sit and chat while keeping an eye on him, so it works well for all of us. DS has already asked if we can go back for our next trip. I know there are playareas at other parks, but its the boneyard that really puts a smile on his face [and isn't that what its about after all?]