Just Back from POP...NEVER AGAIN

[SweetMissy]

Wife and I usually stay at CSR but wanted to try others and chose POP...our reservation was for a room in the closest 50's building to lobby and a bottom floor due to hip problem...ended up with 50's building 2 rm 2309...a long walk with bad hip...3rd floor...so much for requests...day 1 wife went to use snack credit did not work...got new keys...then would not work in door..,.went back a 2nd time...told all was ok...my key worked hers did not...another long walk...we had to walk 4 times to lobby...to get keys straightened out...day 2...took shower...tub did not drain...another waqlk but this time we were going to a park...asked to be compensated...got flowers in room...somethying more substantial was expected....1 good thing house keeping was excellent....
on to the food court...hello....anyone ever hear of manners...guests there were the most impolite rude people...kids running...screaming....kids pushing me a 56 yo man out of way to get to soda...got a bacon cheeseburger....tasted like vomit.....only halfway decent food was pizza ...but not that good....and another thing was the piggyness of families....throwing things on floor....saw one family get up and leave and floor looked like it blew up...WE ARE A SPOILED SOCIETY....I could go on and on but will not....all I can say is Never again at POP...now on to MVMCP....again does anyone have manners...strollers must have hit my feet 100 times...note to DISNEY....YOU ARE SELLING WAY TO MANY TICKETS TO THESE EVENTS....
One more general comment...we were in the happiest place on earth and NO ONE WAS HAPPY....just my 2 cents....want to flame me...BRING IT ON!!!!!

You're from Deerfield, NY, so you're practically my neighbor, lol. ANYWAY....we stayed at Pop when we went to Disney the 1st time and had a great time. I don't know, maybe things there have changed. I think your mistake was staying at a resort geared towards families when it's just you and your wife. If you stay at a resort such as this, expect kids and unfortunately expect rude kids. The food was decent when we were there. Sorry you had a bad experience!

 

[ccgirl]

Funny you say that...we stayed at a value resort for the first (and last) time last week. The people there did seem a lot ruder than those I encountered in other hotels. Parents were letting their children do pretty much whatever they wanted. I went to the quiet pool one day and a group of older people were reading. All of a sudden, two boys (looked to be about 12) came by and started jumping, and yelling. Even my DD8 said, "I thought this was the quiet pool?" As my DH says, the "value" brings out the "best" in people and you don't need money to have class. Conversely, when we stayed at POFQ and BWV parents seemed to be keeping a better eye on their children and manners seeemed to be used a lot more often. As for strollers, I have had many of a person just cut right in front of mine then yell at me. While I go with the crowd, and do not use it as a battering ram, I also cannot help it if someone cuts in front of me. My DS is 2 and sometimes he wants to walk so sometimes my stroller will be empty as well.

 

[ccgirl]

Here is the thing--I think it is rude to get on a bus and expect someone to get up and give you their seat. You have no idea what is going on with the person who is sitting. No way of knowing if they have problems of their own that mean they can't stand on a full bus. So if you have to have a seat, you need to take care of it yourself. Rent a car, use taxis, or just wait for the next bus.

You can't judge just by looking who deserves a seat more than someone else.

Guess I see both sides of it. I think everyone is equally entitled to a seat though. Nobody is any more entitled to a seat than the next person. This is why I no longer take WDW transportation. I want to be guaranteed a seat and the only way to do that is with a rental car.

 

[Theresa-MI]

I've stayed at the Pop two times. The first one I thought we just weren't lucky, but the last one, this past August, OMG!!! Never again!

First of all we paid for a preferred room and got a room far from the food court/lobby and the view? PARKING LOT!
Complained at the front desk and the cast member insisted that was a preferred room, which I cannot believe up to this date!

We had VERY NOISY neighbors and the walls are so thin! We could hear their shower, flush, even their alarm clock at 6 in the morning every day. Was that annoying!

Food court - FILTHY! Tables with food/drinks spilled everywhere. People coming from the pool soak and wet, sitting and leaving everything a mess.
Food just edible, nothing more than that. And good luck finding a table if you try to eat at certain times... The microwave and toasters were disgustingly dirty.

Walkways filled with trash... empty cups, napkins ... there was a pizza box on the stairs to our building that remained intact for 3 days before I complained at the front desk and somebody collected it.

Thank God we did not have to use the buses... The lines were always huge ...

From now on, if budget in an issue, I'll stay off WDW grounds at any hotel, nothing could be worse than what we've experienced at the Pop Century Resort.

 

[Max Webster]

Wife and I want to flame me...BRING IT ON!!!!!

Troll

 

[Jessica14]

We had quite the opposite experience last week as far as rudeness goes. We were at POFQ which we loved although, yes, you could hear people flushing all night. Other than that, it was very quiet. We never encountered one rude guest, CM, stroller pusher, wheelchair, or scooter rider. In fact, I felt we were very accomodating to those on scooters and vice versa. My husband uses crutches and I felt that CMs were much more accomodating than when we went previously. No front of the line privledges (which is fine with us), but making sure that he used wheelchair entrances for the monorail and main entrance and exits. It really avoided him being pushed. Many people offered him their seats on the Monorail, though he preferred to stand. I also think in general, no one pushed him as has happened in crowds before. See a guy on crutches walking too slow? Just shove him out of the way. No problems anywhere!
Jessica

 

[maxiesmom]

Funny you say that...we stayed at a value resort for the first (and last) time last week. The people there did seem a lot ruder than those I encountered in other hotels. Parents were letting their children do pretty much whatever they wanted. I went to the quiet pool one day and a group of older people were reading. All of a sudden, two boys (looked to be about 12) came by and started jumping, and yelling. Even my DD8 said, "I thought this was the quiet pool?" As my DH says, the "value" brings out the "best" in people and you don't need money to have class. Conversely, when we stayed at POFQ and BWV parents seemed to be keeping a better eye on their children and manners seeemed to be used a lot more often. As for strollers, I have had many of a person just cut right in front of mine then yell at me. While I go with the crowd, and do not use it as a battering ram, I also cannot help it if someone cuts in front of me. My DS is 2 and sometimes he wants to walk so sometimes my stroller will be empty as well.

FYI the term Quiet Pool just mean there are no features such as a slide or pop jets. It doesn't mean that everyone by it is expected to be quiet.

I also don't agree with what you seem to be saying that people at the higher end resorts (i.e with more money) keep a better eye on their children. I have stayed at 3 Deluxe Disney resorts, and the kids there behaved the same as the kids at the Value resorts. And the parents treated them the same. Money does not buy manners or class.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Funny you say that...we stayed at a value resort for the first (and last) time last week. The people there did seem a lot ruder than those I encountered in other hotels. Parents were letting their children do pretty much whatever they wanted. I went to the quiet pool one day and a group of older people were reading. All of a sudden, two boys (looked to be about 12) came by and started jumping, and yelling. Even my DD8 said, "I thought this was the quiet pool?" As my DH says, the "value" brings out the "best" in people and you don't need money to have class. Conversely, when we stayed at POFQ and BWV parents seemed to be keeping a better eye on their children and manners seeemed to be used a lot more often.

What is so rude about kids jumping and yelling near a pool? It's a pool at a vacation resort. There are plenty of quiet places to sit and read at Pop; just take a walk around the lake and you'll find lots of nice, quiet places to read. Pools are for swimming and playing and having fun. Now if these kids were splashing people outside the pool or pushing anybody or yelling something rude that would be a different story, but just yelling and jumping? How is that rude?

Quiet pool just means no features. It has nothing to do with the volume at the pool.

I've met plenty of classy people at all levels of resorts (I've stayed at Pop, POFQ, SSR and Poly) just as I've met rude people at all levels of resorts. In life in general, the classy people I've met come from all incomes and financial levels just as the rude and entitled come from all incomes and financial levels.

 

[lustergirl]

What is so rude about kids jumping and yelling near a pool? It's a pool at a vacation resort. There are plenty of quiet places to sit and read at Pop; just take a walk around the lake and you'll find lots of nice, quiet places to read. Pools are for swimming and playing and having fun. Now if these kids were splashing people outside the pool or pushing anybody or yelling something rude that would be a different story, but just yelling and jumping? How is that rude?

Quiet pool just means no features. It has nothing to do with the volume at the pool.

I've met plenty of classy people at all levels of resorts (I've stayed at Pop, POFQ, SSR and Poly) just as I've met rude people at all levels of resorts. In life in general, the classy people I've met come from all incomes and financial levels just as the rude and entitled come from all incomes and financial levels.

I say amen to your post. Some people equate the levels or resorts as being what type of class a person is, that irritates me to the fullest. I have stayed at all 3 levels of resorts and seen some pretty trashy people at the Poly so this is a myth.

 

[lustergirl]

Funny you say that...we stayed at a value resort for the first (and last) time last week. The people there did seem a lot ruder than those I encountered in other hotels. Parents were letting their children do pretty much whatever they wanted. I went to the quiet pool one day and a group of older people were reading. All of a sudden, two boys (looked to be about 12) came by and started jumping, and yelling. Even my DD8 said, "I thought this was the quiet pool?" As my DH says, the "value" brings out the "best" in people and you don't need money to have class. Conversely, when we stayed at POFQ and BWV parents seemed to be keeping a better eye on their children and manners seeemed to be used a lot more often. As for strollers, I have had many of a person just cut right in front of mine then yell at me. While I go with the crowd, and do not use it as a battering ram, I also cannot help it if someone cuts in front of me. My DS is 2 and sometimes he wants to walk so sometimes my stroller will be empty as well.

just love the elitist attitude

 

[ForeverDance]

As others have said, there are rude people and inconsiderate parents at all economic levels. What you will see at a value resort is more people and usually more young children. Young children left to their own devices will usually "cause trouble" (whether at a moderate or deluxe or value). The percentage of children left on their own is likely no more at a value than a deluxe, but overall there are more of them so it may seem like values have more "out of control" kids. The same goes for rude people in general.

 

[ccgirl]

just love the elitist attitude

No elitest attitude here. Just stating my opinion. Apparently, I was wrong in what I thought the definition of "quiet pool" was. Thank you for the corrections, now I know. BTW, the boys were yelling obscenities and jumping when the sign was clearly posted with no jumping. And...parents were nowhere to be found. Just because I stated what I observed (which was different than you observations, apparently) does not make me an elitest. The behavior of people at the ASMo, BWV, and PoFQ varied according to my observation.

 

[Sue M]

Here is the thing--I think it is rude to get on a bus and expect someone to get up and give you their seat. You have no idea what is going on with the person who is sitting. No way of knowing if they have problems of their own that mean they can't stand on a full bus. So if you have to have a seat, you need to take care of it yourself. Rent a car, use taxis, or just wait for the next bus.

You can't judge just by looking who deserves a seat more than someone else.

I don't think the poster got on a bus expecting a seat to be given up for her, holding a sleeping child. It's just common curtesy to do so. Not talking of people who have mobility issues and can't stand. It's the people who are perfectly able to, and don't.
I don't think it's rude to expect curtesy to be offered.

 

[Chuck S]

I don't think the poster got on a bus expecting a seat to be given up for her, holding a sleeping child. It's just common courtesy to do so. Not talking of people who have mobility issues and can't stand. It's the people who are perfectly able to, and don't.
I don't think it's rude to expect curtesy to be offered.

But how can you really know who does or does not have some sort of disability? I would probably be one of the men judged "rude" by not standing. However, I have permanent nerve damage in my right foot because of a rattlesnake bite. I have extremely poor balance because the nerves do not work properly, especially when I become stressed or tired. I am only able to walk well in the parks because I am pushing my mom in a manual wheelchair, so it is like a walker for me. But to look at me, a person would likely judge me fully ambulatory, as I am the one pushing the wheelchair.

 

[MickeyT]

Rude/Wild behavior can and does happen everywhere (sadly). We stayed at Poly Club level last July and there was a 'band' of young children (under 10 yrs old) terrorizing our ground level floor. About 6 or 7 of them staying in 2 separate rooms with their moms. Doors slamming. Screaming in the halls. They were pulling flowers out of the gardens, crawling on our patio looking in our room and catching lizards and playing baseball with them. Yes throwing them and hitting them with sticks in the yard in front of our rooms. I had to say something to them then.

You can imagine their behavior in the lounge. I did complain/comment to the CM's and things did seem to settle down. All the while mom was sitting in her room on a computer (they had their door propped open so it wasn't hard to see in) while the kids ran wild.

Point is can and does happen everywhere and it does affect your stay. We stayed at POP last January and everything was fine. Sometimes just luck of the draw. Just like room assignments....luck of the draw.

 

[maxiesmom]

I don't think it's rude to expect curtesy to be offered.

We differ on that. I think it IS rude to go about expecting people to be courteous to you, AND getting upset when they are not. I don't go to the mall, buy a bunch of stuff, and then get mad at people if they don't hold the door for me. It was my decision to buy so much stuff.

Same thing applies on the busses. If my decision is to get on a full bus knowing I (or another member of my party) can't stand, then shame on me for getting mad if someone doesn't hop out of their seat because I made a bad choice. Why should other people be EXPECTED to accomodate me and my bad decisions? No one is forced to use the Disney busses. If you don't feel safe standing on them, then don't.

Be thankful when someone is courteous to you. Not expecting of it and then angry when courtesy is not offered.

 

[jenseib]

Wife and I usually stay at CSR but wanted to try others and chose POP...our reservation was for a room in the closest 50's building to lobby and a bottom floor due to hip problem...ended up with 50's building 2 rm 2309...a long walk with bad hip...3rd floor...so much for requests...day 1 wife went to use snack credit did not work...got new keys...then would not work in door..,.went back a 2nd time...told all was ok...my key worked hers did not...another long walk...we had to walk 4 times to lobby...to get keys straightened out...day 2...took shower...tub did not drain...another waqlk but this time we were going to a park...asked to be compensated...got flowers in room...somethying more substantial was expected....1 good thing house keeping was excellent....
on to the food court...hello....anyone ever hear of manners...guests there were the most impolite rude people...kids running...screaming....kids pushing me a 56 yo man out of way to get to soda...got a bacon cheeseburger....tasted like vomit.....only halfway decent food was pizza ...but not that good....and another thing was the piggyness of families....throwing things on floor....saw one family get up and leave and floor looked like it blew up...WE ARE A SPOILED SOCIETY....I could go on and on but will not....all I can say is Never again at POP...now on to MVMCP....again does anyone have manners...strollers must have hit my feet 100 times...note to DISNEY....YOU ARE SELLING WAY TO MANY TICKETS TO THESE EVENTS....
One more general comment...we were in the happiest place on earth and NO ONE WAS HAPPY....just my 2 cents....want to flame me...BRING IT ON!!!!!

I haven't had a chance to read all the replies yet. but I will.
I am so sorry to hear about your experience, but it kind of sounds like you might've went in with out enough research. At least as a Diser, (which we tend to reserach a LOT! LOL)
Requests are jsut that. Not guarenttedd at all. And now Disney is putting in a new system that has a computer assign rooms, which I have heard may already be in use. So your request may have not been looked at. If you do have a problem with where you are at, just asked to be moved. MY DH just had his hip replacement, replaced, and we will also be asking for ground floor (which we prefer anyways) and if they don't give it to us, I will be sure to see if we can be moved.
As for snack credits, you are not alone there either. Disney is upgrading the whole system, and so far it has been nothing but problems for a lot of people. Some people have lost all credits because the system upgrade is not going right. It should not be such trouble for the guests, and Disney shoud've planned this out better, but from the sounds of it, they didn't and are not handling it well.
As for being compensated.....Disney does this sometimes, and never usually anything big. Flowers sound like what they usually do, or sometimes it's stuffed animlas for kids.
And the food court,,,well lets just say it is a madhouse during busy times. And people are rude everywhere, at the parks, and at all resorts. Pop food court is actually voted as best on property for food though. I think all Disney burgers are pretty much jsut boring burgers. I don't think you can get a great one anywhere on property. And the pizza, which was your favorite, kid of strikes me as funny, as most people say Disney pizza is one of the worsts foods on property as well. LOL! Not sure if you tried any of there other items, but some are really good. But when it comes to food courts at Disney, none of the food is fantastic.
Did you rent a scooter for the parks then? Pop is one of the least spread out resorts, but the parks have far more walking. It always makes me laugh a little when people complain about walking at resorts, but have no problem walking at the parks all day.
I hope you can have a more magical time next trip. Sounds like you went at a very busy time and it didn't live up to what you thought it would. Perhaps try a different week next trip, and of course at a resort you know you like, and you should have a better time. WE have had ups and downs at Disney, but I really try to keep looking at the positives, after all it is our vacation and I want to make the absoulte best of it, no matter what is thrown at us.

 

[pampam]

I guess I live a slower, gentler life than Maxiesmom. We hold doors for people, or try to help wherever we see a need. We greet people on the street we don't know, and find it pleasant when such curtasies are returned. We are not offended when they are not, but usually they are. Everyone likes respect, and people usually respond to how they are treated. That's not to say Maxiesmom is wrong. She probably lives in a differrent part of the world than I do, with a different culture. And that's ok. I won't try to force my lifestyle on her or anyone else. However, if we all were to smile and nod at strangers, or be pleasant to people serving us, if we were to reach out and help when we saw someone struggling it would make their day easier, and put a little joy in ours.

 

[maxiesmom]

I guess I live a slower, gentler life than Maxiesmom. We hold doors for people, or try to help wherever we see a need. We greet people on the street we don't know, and find it pleasant when such curtasies are returned. We are not offended when they are not, but usually they are. Everyone likes respect, and people usually respond to how they are treated. That's not to say Maxiesmom is wrong. She probably lives in a differrent part of the world than I do, with a different culture. And that's ok. I won't try to force my lifestyle on her or anyone else. However, if we all were to smile and nod at strangers, or be pleasant to people serving us, if we were to reach out and help when we saw someone struggling it would make their day easier, and put a little joy in ours.

I don't think West Michigan is a crazy, rude place. And I never said people here were not friendly. Most of them are! I just don't go around demanding people be nice or friendly to me, and then being mad when they are not.

If you run around demanding people be courteous to you, maybe they go thru the motions, but any real nice emotion behind it is lost. I would rather someone be genuine with me, then fake being nice and rolling their eyes behind my back.

 

[jakeybake]

I live in Boston which is the kingdom of rudeness and even I was taken a back by how rude people at Pop were.

Most of the people I encountered lacked even the smallest amount of courtesy and class. I watched people smoking in non-smoking areas and near children, then throw their used, dirty cigarettes on the ground. I watched people cut other people in line who were going to pay at the food court registers. I watched numerous people grab other guests food at the different food areas, after witnessing them order the same item AFTER the person they took the food from. Then playing it off like they didn't realize it.

I was in the concierge line waiting my turn to try and switch my paper passes over to my room card and watched someone walk right up to the desk, from the other end of the main lobby, and demand assistance, with not a thought to the 10 other folks waiting in line. Worst of all were the guests walking around the resort with beer bottles in their hands. I'm an adult so no big deal but there are children all over that place and the should not be subjected to a bunch of intoxicated people walking around with open containers of alcohol everywhere they turned.

Also, family after family got up from their tables at the food court and left their trays and dirty containers, utensils, napkins and half eaten food on the table. Not even a thought to picking it up and throwing it into the many provided barrels all over the food court. Just leaving their dirty remains behind for the next family, who needs to sit there, to throw away. I couldn't believe it, and it wasn't one or two people, it was many, many families and couples.

No one, and mean NO ONE ever held a door for me or anyone else, nor showed even one sliver of courteousness during my stay. It was so bad that I called my wife and told her that I needed to change resorts and would never EVER stay there again.

The old expression "You get what you pay for" applies perfectly with the Pop Century Resort. There was no security presence at all and the Cast Members constantly looked the other way. Why have rules in place if you are never going to enforce them?

I have stayed at all levels from Deluxe (GF. BC, YC, WL) to Moderate (POR, CB, POFQ) and now Value and am sorry to say that the level of rudeness and lack of class increases the lower the category of room.

Like the OP said, never, ever again!!

J