Just back from POP...

[Cinderumbrella]

I am so sorry to hear you felt that way! We went to Pop last month (our first time EVER at a value) and really enjoyed it. I requested the 70's lakeside in the hopes that it would be quiet, and I was right!! We enjoyed coming back to the hotel to all the hustle and bustle of the courtyard/pool etc. but were even more happy to not have to sleep near it!!!

 

[Carlyzmom]

Interesting thread. We are doing a split stay next year. First POP then AKL. We just want to experience the different types of resorts - and cut down on the expense of a deluxe. I guess we will find out if it is worth it!

 

[rebe1968]

Wow..is all I can say

 

[Missus Toad]

We are planning to stay there ONE night, (before our Poly stay) as we are driving in pretty late. I've been nervous about it for the very reasons you stated, but I keep thinking "it's only one night".

Same here (except we've got a late flight)! Yikes! Although after a day of flying cross-country with two little kids I should think we'd be able to crash anywhere.

 

[blabbermouth]

I just wonder why no one else ever uses ear plugs? So simple.

 

[Gillian]

I just wonder why no one else ever uses ear plugs? So simple.

I do! Never travel without 'em!

But I worry that I won't hear the alarm clock.

 

[goofy4tink]

Yes, my time with the Mouse was indeed, awesome!! Enjoyed the trip a great deal...





I did have a preferred room. I was in the 60's section yo-yo building (if you're facing the pool with Classic Hall to your back, it was the building on your left... on the pool side).

It was necessary for me to have a preferred location because I have Lupus, and I needed to be close to the food court, etc, etc, so that I wouldn't have a super long walk to get to the car, food, etc. Having Lupus means I can get tired very easily, and it's not your normal "tired", it's down to the bone fatigue that makes it impossible to do anything, really, especially when you're in a "flare". (And just in case anyone is wondering, I rented an ECV in the parks during the trip, because I couldn't really take too much walking in the Florida heat). I also had to be on the first floor because of the joint pain I experience, stairs are a real PAIN (pun intended), and I didn't want to deal with elevators.

Anyway, this was my first time staying value and will probably be my last. I'm glad I had the experience, though, because at least I can say I tried it, and that it's not for me. (And just being in the World is consolation enough )

Thanks for specifying which area you were in...that would most certainly make a difference. I really vasillated, back and forth, over whether or not to book a preferred room. I've always stayed in a standard and been very happy. We'll see how it shakes out in Sept. The first floor is the noisiest of any floor though.

We just left Pop on Saturday and we commented several times on how quiet things were. We were in the 50's building #2, facing the pool but on the end next to the lake. I was very pleased and we loved it there again. I thought that most of the week the Hippty Dippty Pool close to the 60's was closed. Actually the pool near my building was the full one and it was not bad at all. I think we are like an earlier poster, we are so tired that we drop when we hit the pillow. Everything was great for us and I would certainly do it again. I am sorry to hear that the OP had a bad experience. Maria, our cleaning lady took good care of us and made us lots of towel animals.

My favorite bldg....love bldg 2!!

I just wonder why no one else ever uses ear plugs? So simple.

Nope, can't use them. I put them in, then lie awake wondering what is going on that I can't hear...fire alarms, that sort of thing. I know...dopey.

 

[minnie61650]

I stay at the values quite often and have never had an issue with noise.

The noise issues come with :

1. The main pool is located very close to some of the value rooms.

The themed pools at the mods and deluxes are set away from the rooms.

Tip: Ask for a room facing away or located a ways from the main pool.

2. Turbo toilets

The Values, AKL, SSR, and some of the renovated rooms at POR are newer and have the turbo toilets.

Tip: Close your bathroom door at night because noise travels through the plumbing.

3. Connecting rooms

About 50% of the value rooms have connecting doors.

Noise will travel under the connecting doors in a room.

Tip: If you have noisy neighbors open your connecting door and place a rolled up bath towel on the floor between then close and lock your connecting door.

Some guests find that using a fan or a white noise machine helps them to get a better night's sleep.

These tips should help you get a restful sleep wherever you choose to stay.

Have fun at Disney!

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

... and I hated it!

It was noisy, and impossible to sleep (and I'm a hard sleeper). While the theming is great, and the resort in and of itself is nice, it's just way too noisy (for me) to enjoy staying there.

I can tell you that they start cleaning the pool area every morning around 6 or 7 (because I could hear them doing it), I knew who's luggage got delivered when (because I could hear the carts), and I can tell you the bathroom habits of all of my neighbors because of the constant toilet flushing we heard.

The pool was nice, but we only got to enjoy it once because it was so crowded at all times of day (and night).

All in all, I don't think I will ever stay there (or any value) again. I will fork over the extra cash and stay mod or deluxe.

I know there are some people who love POP, and that's great, and I can see where the resort has it's virtues, but for me, the negatives outweighed the positives, and I don't think I will ever be a return guest at POP.

These are the reasons DH refuses to ever stay at a value....he would stay off site before staying at a value. Hope you still had a great time, despite the room you had

 

[Dawn68PA]

We've stayed as ASMu & Pop and had wonderful experiences. ASMu was in the Jazz Building, non-preferred room, overlooking the parking lot. Fine by me. Quiet yet close to everything.

Pop was also non-preferred, 70s building overlooking the fooseball field. Wonderful. I could hear the turbo toilets lmao: what a name) but no biggie. We were satisfied at both locations.

We usually go at slow times of the year so maybe that made a difference, but I'd stay at either one again. Although not for some time. I'm trying to make my way through staying at each resort once!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Sorry your stay was not all you would have wanted it to be. We had a similar experience at POP.

We were in a preferred room on the side AWAY from the pool and we could still hear our neighbors and mousekeeping. I was awakened by a little one crying somewhere in our vicinity in the early (like 2 am) hours of the morning, the walls were that thin. Our area should have been one of the quietest - in 50's, Lady building, upper floor, in the crook where there is landscaping and the parking lot beyond but still could heard everyone around us, although not pool noise.

Now I know to take earplugs too! I'll stay there again someday I'm sure, give it another try, but right now it's my least favorite WDW resort. Stayed at ASMo's twice and had no problems there.

So, for those of you going to stay there - take something to block out the noise . I'm sure it's luck as to who is around you, but just in case . . .

 

[Amy&Dan]

For the toilet noise issue: Close your bathroom door! I do this at all the rooms at I stay at WDW, esp. the ones that have the turbo toilets. It really cuts down on the noise from your neighbor's flushing. And if you pay for preferred at Pop or any other value, you run the risk of being near the pool.

I have found ASMU to be the quietest of the values, it has the nicest landscaping, its been refurbbed and we love that resort. It also seems to have the fewest kids.

I think its a luck thing. We stayed at Music for six nights in April, we loved our stay there, the room was so quiet (we were preferred but not facing the pool). On the other hand, at the Poly recently, we had the noisest neighbors. They would send the kids out to the hall while the parents were getting dressed so the little darlings would run up and down the hallway, all excitd to be heading out for the day. We also had housekeeping issues. So you can have some issues regardles of where you stay.

I am sorry the OP had this bad of a time at Pop. Unfortunately, it happens.

 

[asmit4]

It is so interesting how everyone has such a different experience. We did ASMu for the first part of our trip. It was GREAT! The family suites were awesome, no noise, no flushing issues (we were on a higher floor which may have helped), the pools were practically empty and only a handful of children in them.

Then we switched to AKL, preparing to be pampered. Boy were we wrong. The room seemed so much smaller than ASMu. The noise was INSANE in the morning. EVERYONE walking down the halls with giddy kids...sleeping past 7am was next to impossible-thank goodness we like AM EMH! The pool was so crowded and noisy, we all hated it. ASMu was so much more relaxing. Plus we felt the bus service was better for the allstars. I think it was b/c we felt we could catch ANY of those buses and just walk 5 minutes more to our room. Where with AKL, you have to catch the 1 bus or else.

 

[tlens]

My "value" experience was similar to yours. Still Disney. Still had a good time, but too crowded, too loud, too cramped. Won't repeat it, but I'm glad I gave it a whirl. It's like food. How do you know you don't like it if you've never tried it?

Ditto!

 

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I'll be trying POP for the first time this Oct. I'm a light sleeper and have insomnia. I hope being that it isn't during their busy season that I don't get a noisy room. I'm sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience. Now I'm a little worried about our room.

 

[RMulieri]

I agree about the bathroom sounds...those toilets flush like jet engines