Just back from POP--Review

[DiszyDeanette]

We just got back from 9 days at POP last night, and while we didn't "LOVE" it, we'll be back. We had always done moderates before, and prefer POP for several reasons. When We got the map at check-in, we laughed because we ALWAYS get the room far, far away from the pool/foodcourt. No different this time, we were in the wing of the 50's building that was closest to the lake. But it WAS ground floor, last room. So no stairs, no neighbors on one side. Nice. And it was also nowhere NEAR as far away from everything as a moderate room out in the boondocks was. We stayed at POR and only got to the main pool maybe once or twice, the foodcourt once. They were just too far, it was rediculous. Sure the walk was pretty and landscaped, but walking is for the parks for crying out loud! CSR was about the same for us, we were closer to the pool, but making it all the way to the food court was rediculous. POP is nice and compact, you can walk from one end to the other in a few minutes. A big plus for us! Not to mention it was clean and fun, my daughter loved the pools!

The busses were OK, with the exception of the bus for Downtown Disney/Typhoon Lagoon. That one just made me MAD. One driver even told us that they only have a pickup every 45 minutes or so. Not cool when you have Gospel Brunch tickets at the House of Blues. We would be waiting in a LONG line, watching bus after bus come and go multiple times for the other lines, sometimes when there was nobody even in line! When it got to the point that the next bus was going to get jacked by the people in line, and they were telling the other drivers about it, suddenly two in a row showed up. Ah, the magic of Disney!

Anyway, I don't think I'd ever shell out the extra for a moderate again. Not when we enjoyed our stay at POP more than POR/CSR... although I do miss the CSR busses, those were awesome!

 

[declansdad]

OK, so now I'm freaking. I just switched from ASMo to Pop for my Jersey Week trip. Smokers by the food court, lots of noise and no seats on the bus?! I'm thinking I should call CRO back and switch back or try ASMu.

I wouldn't worry about it, everyone sees things differently. Yes Pop is more like a Super 8 than a Hilton but then again that why it is classified as a value. Busses have never been a problem for us in either stay (July and August). Walking has never been an issue for us but I guess that would depend on how you walk. IMO, you could walk from one end of the resort to the other in 5 to 10 minutes.

It is not for everyone but if don't set you expectations up for deluxe, you won't be dissappointed.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I wouldn't worry about it, everyone sees things differently. Yes Pop is more like a Super 8 than a Hilton but then again that why it is classified as a value. Busses have never been a problem for us in either stay (July and August). Walking has never been an issue for us but I guess that would depend on how you walk. IMO, you could walk from one end of the resort to the other in 5 to 10 minutes.

It is not for everyone but if don't set you expectations up for deluxe, you won't be dissappointed.

Not thinking deluxe, again, just want a room where I don't hear my neighbor's conversations word for word and they can't hear mine. Again, I wouldn't consider a value if I didn't think I could handle it. There are inconsiderate people everywhere, it has nothing to do with value vs.deluxe. However, we have no control over how the rooms were constructed. If the walls are truly "paper thin" then I need to reconsider my choice and try All Stars.

Maybe I should remove my Poly signatures so that people stop thinking this a value vs. deluxe issue?!

 

[declansdad]

Not thinking deluxe, again, just want a room where I don't hear my neighbor's conversations word for word and they can't hear mine. Again, I wouldn't consider a value if I didn't think I could handle it. There are inconsiderate people everywhere, it has nothing to do with value vs.deluxe. However, we have no control over how the rooms were constructed. If the walls are truly "paper thin" then I need to reconsider my choice and try All Stars.

Maybe I should remove my Poly signatures so that people stop thinking this a value vs. deluxe issue?!

We've been at Pop twice and the only time we have ever heard noise from the other rooms was when people were being overly loud. Youcouldn't hear normal conversations, or TVs.

eta: My comment regarding the deluxes was simply referring to expectations people have in reagrd to the three different levels at WDW Resorts.

 

[HopperFan]

However, we have no control over how the rooms were constructed. If the walls are truly "paper thin" then I need to reconsider my choice...

3 trips to POP and I have NEVER heard my neighbors, and I did have neighbors. One with a one year old, so I expected some squealing or crying.......nothing. Once with two @ 4 and 5. Heard them giggle outside, but not from the walls. I have only heard folks walking along walkway outside room.

 

[HopperFan]

Just read a review on another website from someone from the UK who spent 21 days (!) at Pop.

She said it was noisy, specifically, "You can hear EVERYTHING from people next door. We did not request an adjoining room, but I'm fairly sure that the majority of the noise came from this door. If you do not want an adjoining room, make sure you ask at check-in."

This is my main concern and my understanding is that most rooms have connecting doors. Can you request a room WITHOUT a door? I see a call to Guest Services in my future....

Go to this site http://www.willcad.org/disney_maps.html#values and click on the map with the actual room numbers.
You will see there are very few connecting rooms.
I would just request that you not get one of these rooms which should not be a problem because they are in higher demand.

ps The only resort I had neighbor noise (and banged on the wall) was AKL.

 

[branv]

I think one thing is certain with every single resort: you cannot predict if you will like a resort based on others opinions. If these varied reviews tell you one thing, it's that every experience is different, and it may sincerely not have a thing to do with the persons expectations. I think too often people make unfair assumptions about people who have different POP opinions: that if they hate it they are too picky, too snobby or have unreasonable expectations, or if they loved it, they are easy to please, used to budget motels, sleep like the dead. I think it's very easy to tell when people are being Disney slavish or ridiculously over demanding, but generally most of the times I find that people who like or dislike POP are perfectly reasonable.

Personally, I probably won't do POP again. I felt I knew very well what to expect when I got there: a clean, budget experience, with some great Disney kitsch. I read about probs with noise but since our visit was in slow January time, hoped that would help. Got a 3rd floor room facing a quiet area. Generally, everything was just what we expected. The food court was GREAT! Really friendly CM's. Mass chaos, sure, but well...again, expected.

But the reason we won't be back? The noise. We barely slept a wink, and while I am an average sleeper, DH normally sleeps like the dead. Our neighbor's weren't loud, but we literally could hear the dresser drawers going "shhhhh" as they slid shut and then "thump" as they connected. We heard clothes being pulled off the hangers b/c they went WACK as they hit the wall. We could hear their TV and the murmer of their conversation. The worst were the doors. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, of people running in and out of the rooms.

I know for sure that others will not have the same noise issues. Maybe they'll be in a room with better construction or have fewer neighbors. Maybe they are used to noisy conditions b/c of where they live or their family type -- who knows. In contrast, we had a good nights sleep the previous trip at POFQ...relatively full resort, on the bottom floor of the fourth building, where everyone had to pass to get between the food court and the busses, and we only sometimes heard running feet and the usual flushing toilets. Coincidence? I can't say. But I know I slept A LOT better.

BTW: I had to laugh at the story of Dis'ers caught smoking in a non-smoking area. If you go by these boards, 99% of Dismembers are perfect guests. Gotta love the internet.

P.S. Our first night at POP, on a stroll through the grounds, we had a nice conversation with a gentleman who visited Disney twice a year. He started lamenting how people were simply not as nice at the parks as they used to be, and told us that the night before a large tour group had been swimming at the main pool when they decided to just whip off their bathing suits and have a regular party of it! How's that for an unexpected Disney experience?

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Thank you declansdad and hopperfan. I just tried to switch to ASMu and the CM gave me all the reasons why HE thought I would be happier at Pop. He actually convinced me to keep my ressies as I have them (the price is the same for all 4 values, so Disney loses nothing). We retooled my requests and hopefully all will be well. I really want to give Pop a chance!

 

[declansdad]

Thank you declansdad and hopperfan. I just tried to switch to ASMu and the CM gave me all the reasons why HE thought I would be happier at Pop. He actually convinced me to keep my ressies as I have them (the price is the same for all 4 values, so Disney loses nothing). We retooled my requests and hopefully all will be well. I really want to give Pop a chance!

No problem.

I hate to see people get worried and want to change without trying something for themselves. As I and many other have stated, everyone will have a different opinion and as valuable as they can be, people need to make up their own minds. You will find good and bad reviews about every resort at WDW. Each needs to be taken for what they are, the opinion of one guest based on their experiences.

It is like movie reviewers. If I based my movie selections solely on their opinions, I would be missing many great movies.

Have a great trip.

 

[stemikger]

Wow. Are you talking about my favoriate resort in Disney. I love this place, and I have to defend some of what you have said.

The food court in Port Orleans is not bigger than Pops. Pop's food court is so much nicer and bigger. Also, I am not a smoker, but Pop has a section for them and it does not interfear with the non-smoking guest. And lastly, I have stayed at Pop 3 times (every time it was for 11 days and I have never had any problems with the buses).

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, but it sounds like you are being a little too critical of this magical place.

 

[branv]

Pop has a section for them and it does not interfear with the non-smoking guest.

I'm sorry you had such a bad time, but it sounds like you are being a little too critical of this magical place.

This post was going so politely, with people offering similar and differing opinions, until you posted this. Regarding the smoking, the OP is not the only person on this thread to have issue with the smoking. So clearly, that it does not interfere with the non-smoking guest is just YOUR OPINION, not fact as your writing implies. To state it thus implies the anecdotal experiences listed on here are somehow lies or exaggerations. Also, by accusing the OP of being overly critical you are stating that her opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations. How would you feel if someone said your opinions on POP can't be trusted because you clearly have low expectations? They shouldn't b/c that statement, a parallel to your own, would be rude.

I realize sometimes how we write comes across entirely different than how we intend, but as worded your post is insulting.

 

[darlak]

This post was going so politely, with people offering similar and differing opinions, until you posted this. Regarding the smoking, the OP is not the only person on this thread to have issue with the smoking. So clearly, that it does not interfere with the non-smoking guest is just YOUR OPINION, not fact as your writing implies. To state it thus implies the anecdotal experiences listed on here are somehow lies or exaggerations. Also, by accusing the OP of being overly critical you are stating that her opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations. How would you feel if someone said your opinions on POP can't be trusted because you clearly have low expectations? They shouldn't b/c that statement, a parallel to your own, would be rude.

I realize sometimes how we write comes across entirely different than how we intend, but as worded your post is insulting.

Wow, talk about overly critical. The poster you quote wasn’t being rude in the least, just sharing their personal opinions. I realize that their opinion may have been different than yours, but they are allowed to hold a differing opinion. That’s how a message board works…people share their opinions and experiences. Please don’t attack someone just because they don’t happen to agree with you.

 

[branv]

Wow, talk about overly critical. The poster who quote wasn’t being rude in the least, just sharing their personal opinions. I realize that their opinion may have been different than yours, but they are allowed to hold a differing opinion. That’s how a message board works…people share their opinions and experiences. Please don’t attack someone just because they don’t happen to agree with you.

Please state precisely where I attacked the poster b/c he didn't agree with me or the OP about POP? I never once said he was wrong for his opinion about POP. If you reread you will see that I objected to the poster's approach towards those opinions critical of POP. He flatly stated that nonsmokers could not have a problem with the smoking areas therefore implying that complaints about smoking are fabrications. In addition, the poster called the OP critical, which is an insult invalidating the OP's experience or ability to give a balanced opinion. As stated, the rest of the posters were able to offer differing opinions and politely acknowledge that everyone has a different experience, while this poster calls into question even the validity of differing opinions. I was merely showing the poster that he might have given his opposite opinion about POP without insulting the merit of the OP or others experiences.

 

[michelle1]

I will be at POP for the first time later this month and have also had second thoughts about whether I should stay there or another value. I have read many posts with good and bad opinions and realize that I need to take everything I read with a grain of salt because I will be forming my own opinion and how will I even be able to do that unless I try it for myself. Despite all of the negatives I have read I am very excited to be trying a new resort...which brings me to my question...has anyone stayed in a former smoking room and, if so, is the smell of smoke gone? Did POP have certain buildings that were smoking or were the rooms scattered throughout the resort?

 

[stemikger]

Originally posted by Branv
This post was going so politely, with people offering similar and differing opinions, until you posted this. Regarding the smoking, the OP is not the only person on this thread to have issue with the smoking. So clearly, that it does not interfere with the non-smoking guest is just YOUR OPINION, not fact as your writing implies. To state it thus implies the anecdotal experiences listed on here are somehow lies or exaggerations. Also, by accusing the OP of being overly critical you are stating that her opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations. How would you feel if someone said your opinions on POP can't be trusted because you clearly have low expectations? They shouldn't b/c that statement, a parallel to your own, would be rude.

I realize sometimes how we write comes across entirely different than how we intend, but as worded your post is insulting.
__________________

Mom is that you.

 

[darlak]

This post was going so politely, with people offering similar and differing opinions, until you posted this. Regarding the smoking, the OP is not the only person on this thread to have issue with the smoking. So clearly, that it does not interfere with the non-smoking guest is just YOUR OPINION, not fact as your writing implies. To state it thus implies the anecdotal experiences listed on here are somehow lies or exaggerations. Also, by accusing the OP of being overly critical you are stating that her opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations. How would you feel if someone said your opinions on POP can't be trusted because you clearly have low expectations? They shouldn't b/c that statement, a parallel to your own, would be rude.

I realize sometimes how we write comes across entirely different than how we intend, but as worded your post is insulting.

Well. let's see...you stated that the previous poster was insulting when they asserted their own opinion to be fact, which they did not. You stated that by posting their own opinion, the previous poster is suggesting that other posters have lied or exaggerated about their own experiences. Finally you suggest that by stating "I'm sorry you had such a bad time, but it sounds like you are being a little too critical of this magical place.", the previous poster has implied that another poster's "opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations".

Please state precisely where I attacked the poster b/c he didn't agree with me or the OP about POP? I never once said he was wrong for his opinion about POP. If you reread you will see that I objected to the poster's approach towards those opinions critical of POP. He flatly stated that nonsmokers could not have a problem with the smoking areas therefore implying that complaints about smoking are fabrications. In addition, the poster called the OP critical, which is an insult invalidating the OP's experience or ability to give a balanced opinion. As stated, the rest of the posters were able to offer differing opinions and politely acknowledge that everyone has a different experience, while this poster calls into question even the validity of differing opinions. I was merely showing the poster that he might have given his opposite opinion about POP without insulting the merit of the OP or others experiences.

The poster never stated that nonsmokers "could not" have a problem with the smoking areas. The actual statement was "Also, I am not a smoker, but Pop has a section for them and it does not interfear with the non-smoking guest." So by asserting that he was "therefore implying that complaints about smoking are fabrications." you have suggested that he is calling the OP a lair. Finally, and perhaps the most insulting comment is "In addition, the poster called the OP critical, which is an insult invalidating the OP's experience or ability to give a balanced opinion." To suggest that the previous poster's statement calling the OP critical somehow invalidates the OP's experience or ability to give a balanced opinion is just ridiculous. The previous poster is allowed to give their own opinion and the mere fact that it differs does not detract from nor invalidate the OP's opinion in the slightest.

 

[stemikger]

Originally posted by Branv
This post was going so politely, with people offering similar and differing opinions, until you posted this. Regarding the smoking, the OP is not the only person on this thread to have issue with the smoking. So clearly, that it does not interfere with the non-smoking guest is just YOUR OPINION, not fact as your writing implies. To state it thus implies the anecdotal experiences listed on here are somehow lies or exaggerations. Also, by accusing the OP of being overly critical you are stating that her opinions are invalidated b/c she has unrealistic or unfair expectations. How would you feel if someone said your opinions on POP can't be trusted because you clearly have low expectations? They shouldn't b/c that statement, a parallel to your own, would be rude.

I realize sometimes how we write comes across entirely different than how we intend, but as worded your post is insulting.

I was going to reubt this, but just read by darlak wrote. LOL.

In all serousness, I don't take this stuff too serious, but I don't think I was dismissing wht the OP said. I was just being light about it and stating how much I love Pop Century. After all read my signature.

Branv, I think for some reason I hit a nerve with you, but I also, think you should lighten up with this stuff. It's not life or death you know. But if you feel the need to scold and whip me with a wet noodle, go for it.

By the way darlak, do you want a job as my lawyer. LOL.

 

[darlak]

By the way darlak, do you want a job as my lawyer. LOL.

Nope, I'm not a lawyer. I just like to play one on the Dis. Given the bad rep attorney's have, I'm not even sure whether that was a compliment or an insult.

ETA: By the way, please don't think I thought you couldn't defend yourself. I was just standing in during your absence.

 

[faith]

Loved Pop when we stayed there with our granddaughter. As far as standing on buses, if we were next in line and it was standing room only we just stepped aside and waited for the next bus. This was for the Magic Kingdom buses...too far for us to stand. The food court was nice, but crowded late night or early breakfast hours. We just realised that was par for the course, and took our time. The room was clean, and Emily enjoyed the pool. We were in the 9's area (Rubic's cube icon), so it was a quieter pool.

 

[faith]

Forgot to mention in my previous post...I don't recall any smokers at Pop, so it must not have been bad.