POP- Crowded!!!!

[gottagodisney]

Just returned from a 4 day trip (3/11-3/14) - Stayed at Pop Century. The Cm at check in said that they were 100 % full. The transportation from MK in the evening was terrible! We waited over an hour for a bus and then it was standing almost every time. The other value resorts were not experiencing the same problem.

From what I was told- Pop has 3000 rooms (x2 in each room)- one bus stop. All 3 all stars combined are smaller than that although each has their own bus stop. Pop has one stop (and not any more buses it seemed).

Nice rooms- loud in the food court and shopping area- food not too appetizing looking- way too crowded for me!

Overall it was a nice trip but most likely will not revisit Pop.

 

[lovethattink]

Those were my feelings from our stay in Feb. It was ok to try it once. I'd hate to have a headache and be eating in the food court! Checki -in was way too long of a line too.

 

[eeyore0062]

We are staying there in June. Since we are local, we will likely drive to the parks anyway, but thanks for the warning on the busses.

 

[LadyLt]

From what I was told- Pop has 3000 rooms (x2 in each room)- one bus stop. All 3 all stars combined are smaller than that although each has their own bus stop. Pop has one stop (and not any more buses it seemed).

QUOTE]


This is incorrect. Pop Century has 2,800 + rooms. (In the completed half) Each All Star has 1,900 +. So Pop Century has approx. 900 more rooms than one All Star. All three All Star resorts add up to just under 6,000 rooms. When the second half of Pop Century is built, it will also have just under 6,000 rooms and it will have two bus stops.

 

[spiceycat]

if it is that full - when are they opening up the other part....

I want to see it!!!

 

[hegs65]

I am so sorry that you didn't enjoy Pop Century! We stayed there over MLK holiday in January and had a wonderful time! We never had to wait longer than 5 minutes for any bus to or from Pop. I found the rooms to be clean and fresh. I do have to agree though, that the food court was on the loud side. We were actually impressed with the food in the food court. We had never stayed at a value resort so we weren't sure what to expect. We especially liked the meatball subs and chicken strips. Overall I think our whole Pop experience was exactly as I envisioned it. The icing on the cake though had to be the price! In my opinion $55 per night inside the park was a dream come true!

 

[pongoperdigirl]

I stayed at All Star Movies in May 2004, and the three All Star resorts share buses. When leaving the MK, you wait in line with everyone from all three resorts. We waited a very long time. Plus when you get picked up by the buses to go to the parks, they stop at sports first then music and finally movies, so in the mornings you may have to stand on the way there because at movies you are last on the line.

 

[foxtrotter]

We stayed at Pop twice last year and didn't have any problems at all with the services offered. Every time it looked like we would have to wait a long time for a bus, like after MVMCP, two or three buses would show up and load everyone in. One evening at Epcot we waited maybe 20 minutes for a bus but that was an odd time when it seemed hardly anyone was leaving so they probably don't schedule many buses for that time and the bus was only 1/4 full when we finally left. We never waited more than 15 minutes for a bus leaving Pop, mostly it was in the 5-10 minute range.

We found the food hit or miss (pizza was awful, chicken strips, wraps, desserts were excellent) but only ate in the court once because it was indeed rather crowded.

We'll be staying off-site on our next trip, but I think Pop is great if you want to stay on-site on a budget and can get a $55 code. It's clean and the theme-ing is huge and kitschy and fun and we found the staff mostly very nice and helpful.

 

[Cinderella822]

I stated at POP last August. I have mixed feelings about it. I thought it was too spread out and a bit noisy. However, I loved the food court. I thought everything I ate was rather good (for a food court that is). And they had a nice selection of items. I don't recall ever having to wait too long for a bus, except one night going to DTD. One time, one of the CM's let my DD use his walkie talkie to call for another bus to come when it was crowded. For a value resort, I thought it was rather nice.

 

[drp4video]

I have stayed at Pop twice, once at Christmas and once in August. I enjoyed it. I am going back the second week in April but have not made my ressie yet. Debating on trying a moderate as I will be solo for the fist time. (daughter is going with music high school group but staying off property, and we plan to hook up when we can in the parks)

 

[MILEMRKR63]

I stayed at the POP last August for 5 nights for my first ever stay at a value resort. I stayed there at employee rate for the stay. Enjoyed it so much that I am also staying there this June for a week, same rate. I loved the resort and truly didnt miss the extras the other resorts offered because I don't stay in the room except to sleep, don't need turndown service and don't mind a food court. BTW, Pedals bar by the hippy dippy pool had some of the most generous drinks I have had. Tne barstaff was wonderful and this was echoed every night by lots of adults coctailing it up.

I have to say I found the transportation to be excellent. Yes I had to wait for busses on occasion but it was nowhere near the wait time it took for me to get to/from any park to the GF when I stayed there. Yes the GF is awesome but it seems there was never a bus that didnt stop elsewhere either coming or going. This is also the case when I stayed at the WL last year.

Maybe its just me, but I like the idea of waiting for a bus , getting on it, and knowing I am going directly to my resort as opposed to not having to wait for a bus but and making multiple stops.

There really is a value to be had at these resorts if you plan on being out and about during yuor visits.

I just loved the POP!!!

 

[Jasminesmommy]

I stayed at All Star Movies in May 2004, and the three All Star resorts share buses. When leaving the MK, you wait in line with everyone from all three resorts. We waited a very long time. Plus when you get picked up by the buses to go to the parks, they stop at sports first then music and finally movies, so in the mornings you may have to stand on the way there because at movies you are last on the line.

This is incorrect. At MK each AS has its own bus and only stops at its resort I know this positivly I was there in Sept and have it on tape now the other 3 parks yo share but ASmo usually gets a bus to them selfs since the other 2 stops fill the buses or at least thats how its been the last 2 years i visited.

 

[copper0426]

We have stayed at all 3 of the All Star resorts and swore we would never stay at any of those again. Then Pop opened and we decided to give it a try for a short trip, we already had our passes and would go cheap. Well it seemed to us that Disney did something different with this resort. It was nice. Waiting for the buses to come wasn't an issue we never waited very long and ate in the food court at different times, never really had a wait there either. Of course we have been going to Disney at least 3 to 4 times a year for the past 13 years and we eat at different times avoiding the rush and have things pretty well planned. We even went back 2 more times within the next month. Our favorite will always be DIXIE LANDINGS before its name change as a Moderate and Wilderness Lodge as a Deluxe. It seems that no matter what time we ate at Wilderness Lodge, there was always a line in the food court. We just came back from the Beach Club on the 13th we didn't eat there, so I couldn't tell you what the lines were there. Transportation was wonderful.

Someone posted that their Resort was booked that weekend. I believe that the only place we could get reservations for was Beach Club, of course my husband called that Friday afternoon. So Be glad you got in and didn't have to pay an arm and a leg.

Diane

 

[jtdl]

The transportation from MK in the evening was terrible! We waited over an hour for a bus and then it was standing almost every time. The other value resorts were not experiencing the same problem.

Nice rooms- loud in the food court and shopping area- food not too appetizing looking- way too crowded for me!

Overall it was a nice trip but most likely will not revisit Pop.

My feelings exactly. We stayed Feb 6 - 12 and had the same problem with the bus from MK. Our line up was all the way down past all the other resort quene areas, right to the end of the whole bus stop area. The All Stars were next to the Pop and they didn't have line ups at all. When a bus arrived, it took their whole line. They did add more buses and they were coming every 5 - 10 minutes, but I would assume it was still a very long wait for the people at the end of the line! We lucked out and were only just out of the quene area. And same thing, with the standing room only. We had a 3 year old, who was always sleeping by the time the bus got there, so we always had to wait for another bus so we didn't have to stand. And yes, the food court was always crowded and we did eat there and the food was not very appetizing!

The nice thing about POP was that all the buildings are reasonably close to the bus stop. I remember staying at ASMu in Country Inn and the walk from the bus stop after being in the parks all day was excruiating!

If we ever stay in a value resort again (I'd prefer a resort with a sit down restaurant) I will drive my own vehicle to the parks - which is what I begged my husband to do this last trip, but he wouldn't. I think especially with young kids and strollers it would be sooooo much easier to have your own car.

 

[gottagodisney]

The crowd would actually spontaneously cheer when a new bus would come because it was that bad. We also seemed to have quite a few handicapped (?) people who would just roll up to the front of the line (with the whole family) that we had been waiting in for 45+ minutes....have the driver do the whole 10 minute lift thing- then walk to their seat??

Again, the resort itself was nice- and of course I was there at Spring Break (Paid $121 a night for room one month out) - LESSON : Don't visit Disney at spring break, drive to parks if staying at a value resort.

 

[cottontail]

Gottagodisney: How was it in the parks your four days, also was it busy around the pool area at pop.

Thanks,

Deb.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

If I'm not mistaken, you went during one of the most peak times of the year. I'd try going back during a less crowded period.

We went to Pop in Dec. (first week) and it was not crowded at all. We never had a line or long wait for a bus, we never found the food court to be very crowded.

It all depends when you go.

 

[gottagodisney]

Gottagodisney: How was it in the parks your four days, also was it busy around the pool area at pop.

Thanks,

Deb.

Parks were actually not that bad considering the time of year. We avoided the early entry days and did quite well. Mk of course was the most crowded- we did MK on Friday and Sunday and it was not too bad.

We did MGM on Saturday (opening-not early entry) and it seemed desserted. Epcot was not crowded either. AK seemed the most crowded (did that Sunday am). I think the best thing to do is do AK after lunch -although it is hotter it is also less crowded.

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

I have stayed at the AS Sport and Music but have not been back since Pop opened so I am just speaking by what I've heard, from what I understand it is a shorter trip to the parks from the pop then from the AS resorts because from the AS the buses make more stops along the way, the Pop has a quicker direct route, my advice is get to the bus early or wait untill after the big rush to head out.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I stayed at POP in November. I loved it and would gladly stay there again.