Parking at Pop Century

[montessori]

We stayed at Pop Century on December 20th, before checking into the Boardwalk the next morning.
The resort was fine, cetainly new and clean.
We watched "Wishes" from the catwalk outside the California Grill (it was FREEZING out there that night!) and had a wonderful late dinner in the wine room there.
When we got back to the resort, there were cars (mostly SUV's actually) parked everywhere!
There were no parking spots left. People were parked in any spot they could find. All along the entrance roads, along the curb where you pull up to load and unload your luggage...everywhere.
If I had been driving, I would have been out of luck. My husband was able to squeeze in behind a car and the fence at the end of the property. That was the LAST available space to park.
In all of our many DW vacations, at many different DW resorts, we've never seen anything like it.
I'm curious why it would be like that, the obvious would be that the parking lots weren't designed to handle the occupancy but that doesn't seem likely.
Any ideas?

 

[CheshireVal]

I noticed the parking lots seemed kind of small when we were there (19th-21). We were able to find a space when we went to our room (though options were limited), but finding a space at Classic Hall to check in was a challenge!

The biggest problem I had with the parking was that there was NO convenient parking lot to our room (we were in a 50s building). We had a VERY long way to haul our luggage, which we've never experienced at All Stars.

 

[CBRorBust]

I think the parking issue may have been in the fact that people don't/didn't park in their "decade" because other lots may have been closer to whatever it was.

Also I think a part of it was the time that you went. We were at WDW from 12/14 to 12/20, and we stayed at pop on opening day with VERY FEW people, the parks weren't crowded at all, then by Friday morning I was ready to leave! The whole thing was just really really starting to get crowded. We stayed at Pop on our last night 12/19 and checked out on 12/20 at around 3ish. The lobby was nuts. A ton of people, so I'm sure that also added to the parking lot issue.


Anyways, I'm sure you still had a great trip, and I think it's important to point out various things about different resorts so that people can get an all around view of the place.

 

[Ashleigh]

I have heard that there are plans to add more parking spots, and that the plans for the resort were started before 9/11 when everyone usually flew into Florida for their Disney vacation. Everyone drives now instead of flying.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I am really nervous about this problem. My two little boys and I arrive at PC tomorrow afternoon (without my husband) and I'm hoping we don't have trouble parking and getting checked-in. I'm going to have enough trouble managing them with the luggage... and I sure don't want to walk 100 miles.

I assume they don't have valet?

Does anyone have advice on where to find a parking place?

Do they have some kind of temporary parking while we're checking-in?

Will they take our luggage to the room?

Thanks!

 

[catherines_mama]

Tigr.. Yes, they do have a service called "luggage assistance" I think that's the name. Give them your luggage when you checkin, and it will be delivered to your room within 1 hr of the room being ready. From reports I have read, they are very quick.

The reasoning about not as many folks flying sounds like a good one. I am now glad that I have decided to rely on Bus Transpo for our trip. We're drivng down from NC and am looking forward to parking after checkin and not seeing my car again for 5 days! LOL

I hope if it is a planning issue, its one they can resolve quickly with little affect to the guests!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Indeed, during the week of Christmas, parking was a bit of a challenge for us. As someone stated earlier, Pop Century was designed prior to 9/11, when more people were flying in.

More people are driving down these days, plus we had way more Florida Residents than we had anticipated (must have been all those good AP/FR deals!). As such, the parking lots were more crowded than we had anticipated.

We did open up more parking (250 spaces) in the 1950's, where things were the worst. Since they did that, parking has been better.


Adding to all that, Imagineers are working feverishly to add more spaces into other existing lots. Not sure how they will, but something will be done. We're hoping to have all this taken care of by Spring/Summer break.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by Chip 'n Dale Express
...Adding to all that, Imagineers are working feverishly to add more spaces into other existing lots. Not sure how they will, but something will be done. We're hoping to have all this taken care of by Spring/Summer break.

Heh heh, two years of planning for PC and two more years of construction and they expect to have their "oops" rectified in 4-5 months?

I love Disney's optimism. They make Alan Greenspan sound like Chicken Little.

 

[Sammie]

If parking continues to be a problem at other resorts, I certainly hope that Disney finally does something about people not staying at that resort parking in the lot all day.

I really think it has come to a point now that if someone wants to visit the resort for dinner or shopping they need to take Disney transportation.

 

[DebbieB]

I noticed when we stayed at CBR in October, more than half of the parking lots around the buildings were always empty. That maybe why they cut down on the parking, but looks like they went too far!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by Sammie
If parking continues to be a problem at other resorts, I certainly hope that Disney finally does something about people not staying at that resort parking in the lot all day.

I really think it has come to a point now that if someone wants to visit the resort for dinner or shopping they need to take Disney transportation.

**********************************************
You are feeling that way because you use your car... I usually park mine & leave it for my entire stay (unless I go off property for something). If you were using Disney's transportation, you wouldn't want the non-resort guests taking up the seats on the bus. There is nothing worse than going on a bus with 3 small tired children & there are no seats for them.... and no one wants to give up their seat.... so having non-guests use the transportation is just as bad. The ONLY way to solve it is to supply more parking spots. One plus to Disney is at least they don't charge for the parking at the resorts. I have stayed at the HRH & RPH and they charge $6 per night... and there were times that I couldn't find a spot.... a spot that I have PAID for to boot!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Well, I'm hoping that by arriving tomorrow in the afternoon I will be able to find a space. The only bad thing is since I don't know what building I'm in I really don't know where to park.

 

[DebbieB]

I think that is only a problem at the MK resorts and Boardwalk. They have tightened up at the MK resorts with 3 hour passes. At Boardwalk, they are supposed to add more public spaces by cutting the valet lot from 400 to 200 spaces. I hope they will make those extra spaces for BW guests only. When we stay there it's always a pain to find a spot in the evening. They are trying to control non-guest parking by making non-guests park in the overflow lot across the street (next to the gas station) when the main lot is full.

I think part of the Pop Century problem is more people who fly are renting cars rather than use crowded Disney transportation (myself included).

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by A Mickeyfan
**********************************************
You are feeling that way because you use your car... I usually park mine & leave it for my entire stay (unless I go off property for something). If you were using Disney's transportation, you wouldn't want the non-resort guests taking up the seats on the bus. There is nothing worse than going on a bus with 3 small tired children & there are no seats for them.... and no one wants to give up their seat.... so having non-guests use the transportation is just as bad. The ONLY way to solve it is to supply more parking spots. One plus to Disney is at least they don't charge for the parking at the resorts. I have stayed at the HRH & RPH and they charge $6 per night... and there were times that I couldn't find a spot.... a spot that I have PAID for to boot!

How would you know whether I use my car or not? I did not say that I did.

I use my car to go off property only or Downtown Disney etc, I always ride Disney transportation to the parks and all Disney guests have access to Disney transportation regardless of where they stay.

However I am tired of when I do come back to my resort in my car I can not find a place to park due to many parking there visiting or going to the parks from my resort. Many have stayed way past their 3 hour limit.

Personally I think Disney should charge nonguests for parking in a resort parking lot. Many resorts do this and will give you a voucher for the cost if you dine or shop. That way if you really are there to shop or dine, you will not mind paying the parking fee for a nonguest of that resort.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by Sammie
How would you know whether I use my car or not? I did not say that I did.

I use my car to go off property only or Downtown Disney etc, I always ride Disney transportation to the parks and all Disney guests have access to Disney transportation regardless of where they stay.

However I am tired of when I do come back to my resort in my car I can not find a place to park due to many parking there visiting or going to the parks from my resort. Many have stayed way past their 3 hour limit.

Personally I think Disney should charge nonguests for parking in a resort parking lot. Many resorts do this and will give you a voucher for the cost if you dine or shop. That way if you really are there to shop or dine, you will not mind paying the parking fee for a nonguest of that resort.

I wasn't meaning that as an attack against you...didn't mean to make it sound that way... what I was saying (& now that you have stated that you do as I do with your car) having the non guests on the bus is just as bad when the bus is over crowded. I have been on both ends of it... We stayed at the Contemporary and used the car to go shopping at the outlets only to return & not be able to find a spot anywhere.... it took us around 20 minutes to find one.... and we also stayed at the Boardwalk and never got a seat on the bus..... to me, if you are paying the big bucks to stay at a particular resort...there SHOULD be a parking spot for your car & a SEAT on the bus, that is part of what you are paying for..... I have to agree with what some of the other posters have said... when I have stayed at any of the values or moderates, I never had a problem with parking... (only the bus) While staying at the Boardwalk.... I was toooo afraid to move the car .... I figured we would never get a spot back if we did! So like I said... I didn't mean this as an attack against you.... so please accept my apoligy.... Disney needs to improve the parking at the resorts.... and so does Universal..... they have too few spots & too many guests. Some guests have 2 cars...that takes up spots too. I am guilty of that... I have gone away with the kids & then my husband would drive up to meet us 1/2 way through our stay. We are now taking up 2 spots but have no choice??? It is a no win situation...with no easy solution.......

 

[Sammie]

A MickeyFan, no apology needed, just curious as to how you determined by my previous post how I was using the car.

In fact I agree with you. I think the guest of a particular resort should have first dibs on parking, seats on buses and hammocks on the beach to watch fireworks for that resort. Parking this summer at the Polynesian was so horrible, I wished I had stayed somewhere else. The parking lot was full of cars with the 3 hour pass on thier dash and many were there all day. Yes I checked after days of not being able to find a place to park. I felt like I was at the mall at Christmas, riding the lot, looking for an emtpy place. I understand completely the situation at the Boardwalk. The Epcot and MK resorts are the hardest hit.

Sorry to say though, you and I are in the minority as others think differently.

 

[Cheryl N. WI]

We stayed at PC Dec. 18-23 and we loved it! We were in room 6461 which was in 70s building A. Our first night when we checked in very late (around 11:45pm) the CM showed us the 70s parking lot on the resort map and the she also mentioned the 80's parking area as an option for us. DH drove into the 70s lot first and it was very crowded, not completely full, just a few parking spots left way at the far ends so we decided to check out the 80s lot; there were hardly any cars in the 80s lot so we parked there only 3 spots down the row which ended up being very convenient for us because that area turned out to be even more convenient for us to park in than if we would have parked in the closest rows in the 70s parking section. Our entire stay we parked in the 80s area and we never had a problem getting a close parking spot even on the 19th when we got back to PC after midnight after MVMCP. When we were leaving PC in the morning of Dec. 23 to head to the airport DH wanted to drive to the foodcourt area for breakfast and then the car would be parked close by to leave from there he accidently turned in to the 70s lot instead of the foodcort/checkin parking area and we noticed how crazy the parking area was in the 70s with cars parked in every possible spot, even parked along the curb where there were'nt "parking spots" and we even remarked about how crazy the parking was there but how empty it had been even that morning in the 80s lot where we had been parking.

So if the 70s and 90s lots are full try the 80s lot which might actually be a bettter place to park if your'e in that area of the resort. It certainly worked great for us.

Cheryl

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by Sammie
A MickeyFan, no apology needed, just curious as to how you determined by my previous post how I was using the car.

In fact I agree with you. I think the guest of a particular resort should have first dibs on parking, seats on buses and hammocks on the beach to watch fireworks for that resort. Parking this summer at the Polynesian was so horrible, I wished I had stayed somewhere else. The parking lot was full of cars with the 3 hour pass on thier dash and many were there all day. Yes I checked after days of not being able to find a place to park. I felt like I was at the mall at Christmas, riding the lot, looking for an emtpy place. I understand completely the situation at the Boardwalk. The Epcot and MK resorts are the hardest hit.

Sorry to say though, you and I are in the minority as others think differently.

I just went by the notion that if you were suggesting for the non-guests to ride the bus instead, you must not be riding the bus & seeing how crowded they are too. That was just all. Also, I can see from your post that you are from Florida so you wouldn't have flown & taken Mears or something over, you more than likely drove to WDW. By the way....what part of Fl are you from? Funny you mentioned the Poly... when we stayed there, we never got a seat on the hammock for the fireworks. We were lucky enough to have a room with a direct view of the MK. We were in the Hawaii Bldg, 3rd floor & had a balcony (If we didn't we would have been sitting on the sand to watch the fireworks). so I hear what you are saying about that too!

 

[Divamomto3]

Originally posted by Ashleigh
I have heard that there are plans to add more parking spots, and that the plans for the resort were started before 9/11 when everyone usually flew into Florida for their Disney vacation. Everyone drives now instead of flying.

I don't think that's necessarily true at all. "Everyone" doesn't drive to Orlando..I certainly have no intention of doing it!

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
Heh heh, two years of planning for PC and two more years of construction and they expect to have their "oops" rectified in 4-5 months?

I love Disney's optimism. They make Alan Greenspan sound like Chicken Little.

LOL...Like in the "MONEY PIT" classic comedy, everything will be ready in only **TWO WEEKS**!
Thanks for the chuckle.