Notes on Pop Century

[scrapquitler]

Just wanted to share after my week-long stay at Pop Century, especially things that I didn't hear from blogs or DISboards.

1. BUGS/GNATS - Unfortunately, the humid and warm environment of Florida is ideal for bugs too. There were gnats/midges all over our door every single night, and a ton would fly in everytime we would open the door. It was also unpleasant to see many of the dead ones stuck all over our door. My advice is to stay AWAY from rooms near/facing the lake.

2. BUSES - The Disney transportation system has its up and downs, but Pop Century almost always had it worse. When heading back to the resort, Pop Century was always the farthest or second farthest bus station from any park besides Blizzard Beach. Also there was always an incredibly long line each time, no matter what time of day. Though, all the values tend to be farther away.

3. ELEVATORS - I took the stairs for most of my trip, but noticed that there were only two elevators services each building (60's, 70's, etc.). This is way too few for the amount of people staying in each building. If you have a member in your party that uses a wheelchair, this might be a really long wait in the morning/night.

Otherwise, I would recommend Pop for the reasons listed throughout the forums here and well-known blogs. CM's were very friendly and helpful.

We never saw a lot of bugs/gnats when we visited, at Pop or anywhere else on the WDW property EXCEPT for love bugs. And there were millions of those.

We never had a problem with the buses at Pop, the lines got long, but the buses usually came quickly. I thought the bus was better at Pop than at AKL when we stayed there. And AKL is a deluxe, and the bus stop for AKL was the furthest at AK. Go figure.

We also never had a problem with the elevator at Pop, but we only stayed on the 4th floor one trip, so mostly we just used the stairs. When I did use the elevator, I never had to wait long. But we tended to not leave/arrive at the hotel at the same time as the biggest crowds.

 

[loves to dive]

While I'm not a fan of the value resorts I will say:

It's Florida and it's not really going to matter where you stay, if there is water there is going to be bugs. If you are staying in a deluxe with a room facing the lake, chances are you are going to have gnats during certain times of the year. I live in Georgia in a subdivision with a pond maybe two miles from our house and in the summer we fight gnats constantly.

The buses are the buses are the buses. I swear it doesn't matter where I'm staying the bus stop is going to be the last one and I know they do move them. The wait times can be good or bad at a value or a moderate or a deluxe, makes no difference. Just depends on when you get to the stop, if there are traffic problems, etc. Certain times of the day I've stood in line waiting for a bus and had 3 buses get loaded before we moved up to load while staying at a deluxe resort.

I'm fortunate enough not to have to take elevators so I even take the stairs at the deluxe resorts, I like the exercise especially since I'm not young any more and it's good for me. I think the majority of people in the value resorts tend to take the stairs so the number of elevators they have are most likely more than sufficient.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I just returned from a 10 day stay at POP myself. I didn't have any issue with any bugs of any type (gnats, love bugs, mosquitoes).
I find POP to have excellent bus service in general. Most of the time I was on a bus in 5 to 10 minutes. There was one time I waited for a bus to The Studios that was beyond the Disney's suggested 20 minute wait time. And I strongly suspect I know why. When the driver did finally show up, he took us on a very long drawn out way to the Studios and in the Front entrance!! I am very familiar with driving around down there and normally from POP you would use the back entrance to the Studios as it is literally right around the corner (3 to 4 min drive at most). He took 15 minutes getting us there. I watched the clock on the bus from the time he left the light at Victory way until the the toll booth at the Studios!! Less bus runs for him!! That was annoying!!
But generally the bus services at POP are excellent!!
And AoA has the furtherest stop at MK.
All the values are pretty much clustered together at Epcot.
The Studios bus stops aren't bad at all IMO.
And I haven't been yo AK in a long time and the last few times I have we drove and paried on the HC lot, so I can't really remember that one very well since it has easily been a few years if not longer for using the bus to get there.

 

[ratt1345]

As for the gnats, they are around whether there is a lake or something similar. I am a native Floridian and have lived near water and currently not anywhere near water. I experience the gnats without water. So you going to be bothered by them no matter where you are in Florida.

As for long lines to go back to POP when you are leaving, let me ask something. When are you leaving the parks? Are you leaving closer to when the parks close? If so, then how are you expecting there to be no one there? Unless you leave the parks in the mid afternoon, you are going to experience long lines at the bus stop.

 

[winterman]

I can only comment on the elevators. In April, 2015, we had requested a first floor room but no first floor connecting rooms available, so we were placed on the second. DGS was in a stroller so we always used the elevator. Over 9 days, I recall only once that we had to wait because the four of us didn't all fit.