Pop Century Legendary Years - 03/2007 & Updated 06/2008!

[CanadianGuy]

I think you give the general public too much credit. I bet a lot of folks would go along with what ever "theme" Disney put on the 30's and 40's and would have no idea when the depression was or care if they did know. I would be willing to go along with Disney's theme.

Well Disney management is giving them too much credit.. I'm just quoting the rumor.. Personally I would have never thought of that myself.

I ain't pretty and I ain't smart... but I am friendly.

Knox

 

[MNWDWMANIAC]

I know a few people were asking for locations of River Country and it's placement on Bay Lake. Here are a few different views. The first two show things before they totally pulled the rug out from under River Country. You can see where it sits on the South side of the Lake. Notice the clear blue water in the pool. Even the play area in the lake is cleaner looking.

But the more recent pictures show the true state.

All images are borrowed from http://maps.live.com/ and are copyright 2006 Microsoft Corporation.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I found this link:

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jeff_lange/archive/2006/04/13/1813.aspx

that also has some interesting pictures.

I also had a link (I can't find it now) that had the themes of the Legendary Years. The 30s was like the 70s in that it had a courtyard instead of a pool, and the courtyard was fashioned after a Monopoly board. That would be cute! I think that one of the other themes was Route 66. I think there was supposed be a pool shaped like a Coke bottle (20s??), which is similar to the bowling pin pool in the 50s. If I find the link later, I'll post it.

 

[Figment*Fan]

I was really hoping that they would finish Pop. I would love to see the theming, esp for the 30's and 50's. Granted not all of the 'legendary years' were peachy, but each decade still had a lot of great aspects. Similarly, the current decades portrayed at Pop didn't all have positive events happening (Vietnam War, etc), so I am sure they can choose only the good parts for the decor.

It's sad seeing this side of Disney (abandoned projects like the Legendary Years and the water park )

 

[danv3]

Looks like someone went in for a closer view at LY...

(I'm too much of a n00b to be able to post links, but search "Legendary Years" at youtube)

 

[suzimar57]

that's such a cool video!

 

[geetey]

Here is a link to the youtube video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSc1fG0ETeY

Interesting that someone could get onto property without getting busted! I was waiting for security to arrive and bust the videographer.

I had heard construction was halted due to 9/11 - then the hurricanes came through. When Disney went to restart construction, the buildings were no longer up to newer codes (implemented due to the hurricanes) and couldn't be completed "as is" which lead to legal battles with the construction company. (I guess neither side wants to bear the cost of meeting these new code guidelines. Just what I had heard, but I wanted to throw another rumor/theory out there.

Personally I am enjoying the better bus system of just a partial POP. I am sure when/if the other side is opened, our bus situation will be similar to other resorts with multiple stops.

 

[jenseib]

I thin kthere would have to be seperate buses for them becuase the buses are full already when they leave the classic side. Maybe at slow times they would share, but when I was there the buses were full wit hpeople waitng all the time.

 

[skeleton_pirate]

HA! In theory at least.. the 20's and 30's would be the two center buildings.. if the decades followed the same basic layout as the other side of the lake.

So under that premise.. at least some of the 30s would be preferred rooms.

But your quote gives me an idea..

The 30s is the depression.. so.. since money is tight.. those rooms are cheaper.

Knox

It's funny- at lunch I was with my wife and I said that I would LOVE to stay in the 30s building! We both do a lot of vintage styling, so I think of Jean Harlowe and Betty Grable, not so much about poverty and war.

 

[geetey]

I thin kthere would have to be seperate buses for them becuase the buses are full already when they leave the classic side. Maybe at slow times they would share, but when I was there the buses were full wit hpeople waitng all the time.

I don't know. The All Stars use just one spot at the parks. I figure Pop will end up the same - with a stop at Classic Years and Legendary Years each time the buses return. Just a thought. I would love it if I were wrong!

 

[minnie61650]

I don't know. The All Stars use just one spot at the parks. I figure Pop will end up the same - with a stop at Classic Years and Legendary Years each time the buses return. Just a thought. I would love it if I were wrong!

I agree if the 2ed section of Pop is opened most of the rides back from the parks will be shared with both sections of Pop.

Each All Star has 1,960 rooms for a total of 5,760 rooms.
Each section of Pop would have 2,880 rooms with a total of 5,760 rooms so they will have the same number of rooms.

Going to the parks will most likey be like the All Stars also. Sometimes 1 stop sometimes 2.

---------------------------------------------------
To me Bus Sharing at the All Stars is really a non issue.

In the mornings during Park opening hours each All Star usually has a dedicated bus.

During mid day it is usually just our stop and maybe one more on the way to the parks. On the way back sometimes it is all 3 but often Sports and Music share and Movies has it's own bus back. Each of the All Stars usually has it's own dedicated bus back from the MK.
That is a big plus. It seems like the Music bus stop usually has the shortest of the three All Star bus lines.

I guess some people who stay at POP see all 3 All Star names on the return sign of our bus stop when they head to the POP bus stop and think All Stars also has 3 stops on the way to the park.

(Even when we stop at another AS resort to load up it has not taken more than 5 minutes and we are on our way!)

 

[geetey]

Thanks for clarifying, Linda. As one of those POP people, I do look at the signs and figure you have multiple stops. As you can see by my siggy, I have stayed at other resorts and POP is the only one that doesn't have multiple stops! Even when we were at the Poly in January, we still got that 'ugh' we are stopping again feeling. When I really think about it, the two Halls are so close that it won't feel anything like the stopping at the MK resorts or the Epcot resorts (BW/YC/BC).

We didn't have a good experience during our ASMo stay but we love POP! The buses are just one of the reasons.

 

[iggbees]

Apparently -- the scuttlebut I heard recently is that they are planning on finishing the Legendary Years.. but "supposedly" Bob Iger (or some executive ) was troubled over some of the themeing..

IE: Who would want to stay in the building for the 30's (The Depression).. and the war years? (the 40s..) Obviously they wouldn't be themed to those ideas.. but still people have their mindsets about those times.

So the last *I* heard.. and this is FULL-ON rumor.. was that some thematic elements were being adjusted and then construction might resume. And the same source confirmed that he/she too had heard that some of them *might* be finished as family suites.

Again - this is all RUMOR. Some, or none of it could be true.

As for bug infestations and the like.. Remember.. the buildings as they stand today -- floors, walls etc.. Are for the most part.. just concrete. One of the buildings has had some more work done in the interior.. But I suspect that would be trashed.

With concrete floors and walls.. the buildings could be easily cleaned up and ready to finish construction in short order.

Knox

that's pretty funny about the theming issues, considering the 70's were a time of the vietnam war, the 80's were filled with drug abuse, the 00's were also a time of war.

personally when i went last august we had a clear view of the buildings from our section in the 50's and every time i would have to walk out onto the landing, i would feel really sad to see those deserted buildings. they actually remind me of how the movies from the 10's and 20's look, bleak, beigy brown and stark. i really hope that they do something with those buildings, but from looking at the dis it seems that the only places people want to stay are the deluxe resorts (there are thousands upon thousands of posts about how people are staying at deluxe resorts). just look at the who's going in june/july thread. the people who all posted there are staying at some deluxe or another, i'm one of the only ones in that thread staying at pop (or any value for that matter). it's not like a difference of few dollars to stay at pop or a deluxe either, so why wouldn't disney want to create more deluxe resorts and boost their profits, since it seems that's where people want to stay?

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

When we were at POP in May we were talking to a manager at the shop and commented on the Legendary Years and whether they would ever finish it. We were told that they stopped building the Legendary Years when 9-11 happened and attendance dropped off. By the time attendance picked up, they could not finish the resort with the construction contract they had. The next available time to resume construction is now 2010 and it is possible that they may make the Legendary Years all family suites. Of course, this is all speculation at this point and I guess we will have to see. We too stayed in the 50's building and I agree it is depressing to see the buildings just sitting there.

 

[minnie61650]

..........
i really hope that they do something with those buildings, but from looking at the dis it seems that the only places people want to stay are the deluxe resorts (there are thousands upon thousands of posts about how people are staying at deluxe resorts). just look at the who's going in june/july thread. the people who all posted there are staying at some deluxe or another, i'm one of the only ones in that thread staying at pop (or any value for that matter). it's not like a difference of few dollars to stay at pop or a deluxe either, so why wouldn't disney want to create more deluxe resorts and boost their profits, since it seems that's where people want to stay?

I agree.
There was a poll that was recently on this board about which type of resort
DIS'ners stayed at.

From this thread:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1470258


about 8% stayed at the values
about 24% stayed at the mods
about 58% stayed at the deluxes


Taking a brief look at these figures (if they truly represent the current numbers of rooms rented at Disney) it looks like 3 times as many guest stay at the mods than stay at the values.

The Values have a total of 8,324 rooms.
All Star resorts = 5,664 rooms and Suites
Pop - 2,660 rooms

The Mods have 7,089 rooms
CBR has 1,921 rooms
CSR has 1,921 rooms and Suites
POFQ has 1,008 rooms
POR has 2,048 rooms

So the value resorts have 1,235 more rooms than the mods but the mods are used by 3 times as many guests.

No wonder All Star Music and All Star Sports are often more than half empty during the slow times of the year.

If this truly represents the general public than it may be a long time before
Disney finishes the other half of Pop.

JMHO

 

[CanadianGuy]

Linda:

Remember of course now that DIS board members are hardly a representative sample of the general public. Far from it.. they are more likely to consist of regular and returning Disney guests.. who are more likely to see the value and pay the extra for the higher level of hotel rooms than the thousands and thousands and thousands of occasional, one time only or very first time guests.

Add on top of that, many DIS members either didn't see or didn't respond to that poll you pointed out -- I for example -- missed it entirely (while I was off staying at a moderate ironically enough.) It's highly unscientific.

And it can't be forgotten than many of those going from these for different dates this year may or may not have received different kinds of discounts (up to 40% off, free dining etc.) and 'upgrade offers' -- not the least of which was the much bally-hooed "upsell" rates for moderate & deluxe's offered for different resorts for June & July.

Lastly, there are about 200 responses to that poll.. out of the 120,000+ members of the DIS. That's an extremely small response rate.

On another note, I think I'm pretty confident in saying that I think Disney has plans to finish 'Pop' and I think that will be done by 2010. We'll see if I'm right.

Knox

 

[disneygal2007]

Do u think us that stay at the value refuse to stay on the side faceing the buildings they might fix it? I know we stayed lake side in Feb and we took video and lots of pics and a friend of ours said it looked like the projects where she grew up. And I have to agree they kinds do.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Do u think us that stay at the value refuse to stay on the side faceing the buildings they might fix it? I know we stayed lake side in Feb and we took video and lots of pics and a friend of ours said it looked like the projects where she grew up. And I have to agree they kinds do.

Not really. Disney responds very slowly to any kind of outside pressure that doesn't cost them money.. and sometimes even ignores the kind that costs them money if they think they are doing the right thing for their business in the long run.

Like I said above.. I think it will be finished by 2010... in one way or another. Either the existing buildings will be torn down.. or torn down and rebuilt or whatever.

Knox

 

[safetymom]

I can remember when the finished side of POP sat for quite a while because of 9/11. Many Dis'ers posted how they would never ever stay at POP because of the the theming. It was too radical for them. Now you hardly ever hear anyone say that.

Now it is the darling of the value resorts. I am sure that Disney will open that side when it makes sense for them to do so.

 

[jenseib]

Do u think us that stay at the value refuse to stay on the side faceing the buildings they might fix it? I know we stayed lake side in Feb and we took video and lots of pics and a friend of ours said it looked like the projects where she grew up. And I have to agree they kinds do.

I doubt that would ever work. I doubt you could get enough people to even do that. If I want to go to Disney and that area facing the other side is the only rooms available, I'm going to take it. Plus you really can't be guarenteed on where your room will be anyways. I really didn't think they looked THAT bad from afar. I do wish they would finish them, but nothing I can do about that, and I'm not spending my trip worrying about it either. I am not at the hotel long enough to care!