Our likes and dislikes of Pop Century!

[purpledisneyprncess]

We just returned from a 7 day stay at the Pop Century. This was our 4th time going to Disney but our very first time staying on-site! The last 3 times we stayed at the Wyndham which is located right next to Downtown Disney. (We used to walk to Earl of Sandwich from the hotel and it was a 5 minute walk!)

We were really hesitant to stay on-site only because we really loved the Wyndham, but the deal we got thru Travelocity was too good to pass up.

So I'll start with the positives of Pop Century. The fact that the buses take you directly to MK, that alone was so worth it! I remember having the Wyndham buses drop us off at the TTC and then we'd have to take the monorail or ferry boat over to MK. That was such a hassle. Hopping on one form of public transportation, to have to hop on yet another just to get to MK. The other 3 parks we did get dropped off directly at the park.

Being in a Disney hotel is still being in the Disney bubble. Everyone we encountered was "Disney Friendly", which is what we like. The experience of people being courteous and friendly is a big part of the magic that we feel of being in Disney.

Now, the fridge issue that is such a hot topic. We booked way prior to the fridge's being pulled out. We were really looking forward to that amenity, as we had it at the Wyndham and it was so convenient to be able to store our milk (we are big cereal eaters) and our cold drinks to for those hot FL days. Once we got to Pop, we did get a credit for not having a fridge, so we were thankful for that. However, Dh had to put new ice in the cooler each day and he said he would have rather had a fridge than the $ credit due to that hassle.

The beds- the beds at Pop were uncomfortable and I didn't get a good's nights rest not one night there. They were very hard! I will admit I had so much excitement while being on the trip that I woke up very early every morning, so that didn't help either--- but the beds prevented me from being comfortable.

The one thing that truly had me upset with the Pop was the night we were checking out. We decided that we would leave late at night as opposed to checking out early in the morning. We had a long drive back to NJ so we left around 10pm. As we were getting our things together and tidying up the room, I moved some towels on the floor and a roach scattered past me. I picked it up with the towel and put it on the tv stand to get a quick pic of it and see if it really was a roach or not. That really disgusted me as I have a phobia of bugs, esp. a roach! Bleh! And my DH said "Why didn't you just flush it right away?!" LOL Anyhow, I'm sure lots of hotels have roaches, but to see it just grossed me out. Upon checking out, I told the front desk CM and showed her the picture, to which she replied "Yup that's definitely a roach". She made a note to let her manager know. I was thinking about speaking with the manager myself, but really just wanted to be on our way, and Dh and kids were already in the car waiting. I trusted that the CM told management.

Overall, the stay was great but I wished I hadn't seen that roach. My DH said he's sure they are in all the walls and we just happened to see one, but even if you don't see any it doesn't mean there aren't any. Maybe he is right.

In any event, hoping other Pop guests do not have to SEE any. I made sure to go thru all of our bags and suitcases in the driveway before I brought them into the house.

I think I would stay at another value resort again in the future-- but I'd lean more towards Art of Animation. The Wyndham still has a special place in my heart and the ONLY reason I would consider anywhere else is b/c I hate being dropped off at TTC and not directly at MK. lol

 

[EmpressBubbles]

I have no doubt that the bug you found was a roach. However, WDW is in Florida. The heat makes the place a breeding ground for bugs. Finding one in your room is not a big deal.

I'm just happy for you that it was a normal roach and not a Palmetto bug!

 

[MinnieKitty]

Glad you had a nice trip! We stayed at Pop back in January. It was also our first time staying on-site. We also loved the convenience of the bus service and being in the Disney bubble for our entire vacation!

We didn't see any bugs in our room, however there were quite a few in the hallways/walkways. We are from FL so we kind of expect it, and I can see how one could easily slip in a room while a door was open. I'm so sorry you had to see it in your room! It would have given me the heebie-jeebies too!

The beds/bedding kind of reminded me of a middle-of-the-road hotel you'd find on the side of a highway. We'd stay at a value again for the Disney feel and customer service, but I imagine we could spend the same amount of money on an off-site hotel and had a little bit nicer of a room. It comes down to personal preference, really. It will take a lot to tear me away from Disney property!

I think your review of the resort was very fair and spot-on.

 

[CarolB]

Did you ask to have a fridge put into the room? Just wondering if they said NO after you asked, or just provided a credit because the fridge had not yet been replaced. Need to plan for our Oct stay at the Pop. Have stayed many times, first without fridges in the values and then after they placed them in all the resorts. Now that we are used to having one, I am hoping one can be provided if requested, during this transition time.

 

[purpledisneyprncess]

Can't figure out how to multi quote from my phone.

I'm def glad to not have seen any Palmetto bugs. Heard those are huge roaches?

I tried to block it out but now just remembered walking by a bunch of squished, dead bugs all over the walkways near the rooms! I really tried not to think about but I'm almost certain they were roaches. I never knew that the hot climate attracted them more.

And thank you to the poster that said my review was spot on and fair.

About the fridge: I didn't ask for a fridge instead of the credit only because I just thought they didn't have any fridges. In hindsight I should have asked.

One more thing I forgot to add: the 60's hippy dippy pool located right near Classic Hall was nice. The lifeguards were constantly walking the perimeter of the pool and were great at safety checks. One even came over to me to ask if my daughter was ok, which she was. But still nice and would rather them be over cautious than under. There were also games and activities scheduled at diff times at the pool. We didn't participate but it looked fun. My kids just wanted to swim. . I'm sure it's been talked about a lot but they have movie night as well. It was when the kids were either getting ready for bed or the later nights we were still in the park. That will be on put to do list for next trip!