POP fans please ease my fears

[PolyAddict]

So here is my resort drama...

I originally booked Poly LVC for our May 08 trip, but after talking to DH decided I wanted to pay for this trip with my own paychecks without his help because I always put him in a bind with my last minute shortages.

SOOO, I booked 2 rooms at POP after alot of consideration for Swan/Dolphin (for about the same price but only for one room, we are a family of 5).

We have never stayed at a value and didn't like POR, so I am a little nervous and need some reassurances. Here are the things we didn't like about POR

1. Room was way too small for our family of 5 and the kids wouldn't sleep on the trundle because it was "by the door and way too scary" , so DH was stuck on it.

2. The resort was too spread out and the walk to the food court was ridiculous.

I think we would be better off with 2 rooms because of our growing family.
After looking at photo's, I think POP loks like alot of fun. The main thing that I am nervous about is the long lines for the buses and the thin walls. I mean I can get over the "motel" feel and the loss of pool slides and even sit down restaurants but I am very worried about the other things listed.

Do I have a valid reason to be worried about the thin walls and long bus lines?

Thanks,

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

We (our party of 5) just got back from a stay at Pop August 21st to 27th. We had two room and got connecting rooms. The bus lines we only bad when leaving the parks at night (as all resorts are) We never waited more then 15 minutes for a bus and most of the time was able to sit and not stand.
The food court was busy in the mornings, but even then we only waited about 10 minutes if that in line.
As for the rooms , our room was in the 70's section in building 10 on the bottom floor and the only noise we ever heard all week was the noise of the super loud toilets, even then it was not enough to wake us or even bother us.

We are visiting WDW again next fall and I would stay at POP again in a heart beat.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Your fears can go away. We never had any of those problems at POP, now it has been over 2 years since we stayed there, but I don't think it has changed. The rooms are small, but with two you should be fine. I peraonally didn't like All Satr Movies, but loves Pop. I didn't hear anything from any of the other room and we were on the 2nd or 3rd floor with another floor or 2 above us, except a toilet flushing one morning about 8:30 and we were up getting ready anyway. I am somewhat of a light sleeper and I was so tired from a day at the parks, I didn't notice any noise. There was never much of a wait for a bus and the lies weren't long. They don't usually share buses with other resorts, so that shouldn't be a problem. I love the food courts at the Value resorts for the variety of food, that was my only gripe about staying at WL. The pool (computer in 90's section) was great and quite. Not a long distance to the food court or bus stop form where we stayed in the 70's building with the big Mickey's phone in the middle. I think you will love it IMHO. I didn't pay any attention to the "motel" feel, you are at WDW and that was my focus.

Suzanne

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

I LOVE the POP! It is so fun and a very fun and casual place to be~~
There is a lot to do there. You can take long walks and go see all the large icons and the food court is awesome along with the giftshop!!

 

[antmaril]

We were at Pop last week in two connecting rooms. I am an admitted hotel snob and was very reluctant to stay in a value resort. We usually stay at the Boardwalk Inn.

Well, we were very pleasantly surprised. We were in the 50's Section, Building 1 Rooms 1106/1107 and we thought the location was perfect. Ours was a preferred location and it was a quick walk to the food court and the bus stop. We thought the resort was very cute and we felt it was a great value for the money. Our room was clean and functional.

We didn't think it was noisy. The toilets are a little loud, but it was not a big deal.

I would stay there again when planning a budget trip.

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

Here is a picture I found of the Awesome Dining there!

Everything Pop Dining

 

[Xiarra]

So here is my resort drama...

I originally booked Poly LVC for our May 08 trip, but after talking to DH decided I wanted to pay for this trip with my own paychecks without his help because I always put him in a bind with my last minute shortages.

SOOO, I booked 2 rooms at POP after alot of consideration for Swan/Dolphin (for about the same price but only for one room, we are a family of 5).

We have never stayed at a value and didn't like POR, so I am a little nervous and need some reassurances. Here are the things we didn't like about POR

1. Room was way too small for our family of 5 and the kids wouldn't sleep on the trundle because it was "by the door and way too scary" , so DH was stuck on it.

2. The resort was too spread out and the walk to the food court was ridiculous.

I think we would be better off with 2 rooms because of our growing family.
After looking at photo's, I think POP loks like alot of fun. The main thing that I am nervous about is the long lines for the buses and the thin walls. I mean I can get over the "motel" feel and the loss of pool slides and even sit down restaurants but I am very worried about the other things listed.

Do I have a valid reason to be worried about the thin walls and long bus lines?

Thanks,

We stayed there back in 2004 for 3 nights. IMHO I think it will be what you make it... As with any of the Moderate and Value hotels, it is spreadout as both moderate and value hotels consist of many buildings unlike the deluxe hotel. The walk to the main building and the stops will greatly depend on the rooms that you get... try to put in a request for a building that is close to the main building and 2 rooms that connect.

As with any hotel the lines for the buses can vary depending on how many people are staying at the resort. We didn't have a horrible time with the bus, but then again we also had a rental car.

The food court is fun and has a lot to offer and is great for families with children. My husband and I (who don't have any children yet ) said how much fun it would be to go stay there when we have children.

As for thin walls, we didn't have any issues but again everyone has different tolerances for what they consider too much noise (although... with the flush system on those toilets in Disney Hotels.....I don't think even a 3 ft thick concrete wall is enough to muffle that sound.... )

My best advice is to give it a whirl... worst case you don't like it and won't stay there again.... best case you will have a great stay and fun at POP and decide to stay again and save money!!!! Just remember... you will never know until you try!!!! What works for one might not for another! (Wow, was that a string of cliches or what )

 

[PatsGirl]

Just got back last night and we love it even more than the last few times Every time we go I like it even more believe it or not. We would NOT book a preferred room -- even at 10 pm at the pools there was alot of commotion and kids running around, etc. I prefer a room a bit further away and have never had one TOO far way IMHO. I would agree with those that say the walls are thin. We had a crying baby next door one night for about 20 minutes but that didn't bother me so much (as its not really preventable). It's the people who decide to let their children run around at midnight outside the rooms and I think this is considerably more apparent in the preferred areas, although we did have one night that I gave a thought of peeking out and giving "THE EYE" to a few of them. Another issue that I've had in many hotels is people who put the bar lock across to keep the door from closing/locking while they are going just outside for a minute -- the constant banging is REALLY annoying but I must admit, I am embarrassed to say that one of the kids in my party did this until I realized it, of course! We had room #1147 in the 50s and it was a great location, just steps from the bowling pin pool and laundry and a very short walk to the foodcourt.

Ahhh, the foodcourt -- where to begin? The food is very good and very kid-friendly here. I only found the lines long once, and that was at 10 am, at 7 there were only a few people around and started getting a bit busier around 8 or so but still not bad. They offer soup to nuts and a gift shop to boot.

My kids and I have stayed at Coronado Springs and have visited many of the other resorts. They MUCH prefer POP to CSR and when we discuss staying elsewhere we have decided that AKL is a definate maybe and the Poly is a definite for an adults-only trip. Other than that, its POP for us!

 

[lynn46356]

We stayed at Pop for the first time this past February. We've stayed at POR, POFQ and BC twice. I had a hard time deciding on where to stay but took the plunge and picked Pop. These boards helped a lot also. That being said, we LOVED Pop. We had a room in the 70's section, bldg 6, 2nd floor. It was a great location I thought. I didn't book preferred. I was asked at check in if I had a preference on decades. I just said somewhere not out in tim buck too. I thought we had a very short walk to classic hall and the bus stops. I loved the choices for food at classic hall. Our DS8 loved the chicken nuggets. haha We managed to avoid crowds at breakfast by getting up and out of the room by 7 a.m. Not too many people were up at that time let me tell you. By the time we had finished breakfast it was getting a little more crowded. Although the rooms were small, your have two rooms should make things much more managable. When we stayed at the BC with 5 our room was big enough for two adults, two teens and our son in a crib. Hope this helps. I know how much fun it is trying to make the RIGHT decision on our Disney vacations. Here hoping your next one is WONDERFUL!

Lynn

 

[I Love Pluto]

We're Pop snobs! Trust me - you will LOVE it!

 

[BamaFan121s]

Just depends I guess. We have been there when we had really loud neighbors and waited sometimes an hour (or more ) for busses at Pop. Then there have been times when we didn't hear a peep from anyone and the busses were not bad either. Unfortunately, the POP rooms are smaller than the Moderate Resort rooms. In any case, your walk to the food court will be closer--Pop is not nearly as spread out as the moderate resorts.

 

[beroh2253]

We're Pop snobs! Trust me - you will LOVE it!

ME and DW will be leaving for POP in 2 weeks for 9 days, our first stay at that resort. We always do what was mentioned above , over by 7 am for breakfast and that really beats the crowds and also early at the parks gets you on the rides without too much wait.
It's great to hear all the positive reviews about POP and hope to add to the positive reviews when we get back.
POP and DDP for 9 days can't beat that.

 

[MousekaMaddi]

go and enjoy
CLOSE your bathroom door EVERY NIGHT b4 u go to bed, it majorly cuts the toilet flushing noises during the nite

we stay preferred and prefer it

no probs w busses, nothing outrageous

we have enjoyed POP Many MANY trips!

 

[Mr. Pig]

Your fears are eased.

With two rooms I think the size issue should not be an issue. It can even be possible to get away from each other a little. I think the "paper thin walls" notion is exaggerated. I have stayed in more upscale hotels where I heard more noise that at POP.

Depending on where you stay at POR the walk to the food court can be much further than the furthest point at POP. It's just the way they are laid out.

POP has more people so buses can fill up but there will be more of them. At least they have roped off queue's for them so you don't a cutting in line issue - those waiting the longest get on first. I don't think May will be a huge crush for bus lines.

 

[disneymom06]

We just returned from 1 week at POR (5 people) and then 1 week at POP with connecting rooms (6 people as DH flew down). I am not a POP fan but this week they had me sold on POP. POR was such a dissappointment from the housekeeping to the food court. Maybe it was just a bad week but this was before the 26th when the free dining started. POP on the 26th was fantastic. Clean and friendly, so much so that next visit the children asked if we could just stay at POP.

 

[PolyAddict]

Thanks for all of the great posts. I know their are alot of POP lover son the DIS. Keep them coming, good and bad.

 

[grgich]

I've stayed at the Poly, WL, YC, AKL Concierge, and POR-Riverside (back when it was called Dixie Landings). We are also a family of 5, and what I thought were a family of 'deluxe snobs' because we also didn't like POR. I *thought* it was the "motel" feel of it, but after staying at Pop from 8/26-9/1 this year, I think POR just wasn't a theme we enjoyed, and if I recall correctly, the heating/cooling was under the window and was loud and annoying. At Pop, the thermostat is on the wall, and even though the door opened directly to the outside, it didn't feel "motel-like" inside the room. We thought that Pop was a very good value for what you got. (And with free dining - it was an especially good value for us!).

Room Size
Yes, the room is small, but with 2 rooms connecting, we felt like we had adequate space. A room at Pop is only a little smaller than a room at POR, so 2 rooms at Pop will be quite spacious in comparison. And everyone will get their own beds. Except for the parents - Pop only has double beds, and they seemed pretty small when I'm used to my king size bed at home. But the beds were comfortable. Not luxurious, but adequate. We brought along curtain rods and hung a shower curtain between the room and the sink area. (I got a Tink shower curtain and a Mickey shower curtain off of Disneyshopping.com pretty cheap, so I dont think it looked too "ghetto" as others have said). As for the size of the actual bathroom (toilet/bathtub), I think it's the same size as the one at the YC!

Thin Walls
Yes, Pop has thin walls. For me, it was only a problem the first night. I used one pillow for my head, and that pillow was pushed up against the headboard. I could hear everything in the room next door - until the neighbors finally went to sleep and then it was fine. The next night, I put one pillow up against the headboard, and then slept on a second pillow, and voila, no sound from next door. Worked for me. My DH and kids never heard anything, and had no complaints about the thin walls. As for the flushing toilets, yes they are loud. But I read a tip to make sure your bathroom door is shut at night, which is what we did, and I never heard any flushing toilets or showers running. We were also on the top floor, so that may have helped as well. We were on the first floor at YC and I could hear toilets flushing - even with the bathroom door shut - so the floor you are on could very well be the factor in hearing the flushing sounds or not. I brought along ear plugs just in case, and ended up not using them.

Resort Spread
The buildings at Pop are not as spread out as at POR-Riverside. At POR we were in the Alligator Bayou section, building 15 I think, and it was quite close to the bus stop (walking through a parking lot to get to it) and the food court. At Pop we were in Bldg 2, 50s section overlooking the Bowling Pin pool. The parking lot wasn't very far, and the walk to the food court was reasonable - not right out our door, but a 3-5 minute leisurely walk. Bus stops were a little further than the food court, but not much. BTW, I was alarmed when I got a room overlooking the pool - I had heard they were really loud, but we didn't hear any noise from the pool. And people were out in that pool WAY after midnight making lots of noise. Once the door to the room was shut, we didn't hear the pool noise. Although early one morning, we did hear what we thought was a rumbling of an airplane - turned out to be people walking by with their rolling suitcases.

Buses
I hated the buses. They were very crowded whenever we used them. I like the idea that the buses had a queue for each park (at POR you just wait until one shows up - no queue and sometimes we were all waiting on the same bus and didn't get on that first one). But the lines at Pop and for Pop were ridiculous! Even between 11am and noon, there were lines of people waiting for buses at Pop. And coming home after a park closed - THAT was pure madness. Especially at MK - the bus stop for Pop is the furthest away, and the crowd queued up there was incredible. We got into the line, and it was not until the 4th bus that came did we get on. And that was standing room only. I think in the week we were there, I was able to sit on a bus only twice. All the rest of the times, it was standing room only - or wait another 15-20 minutes. My other compliant with the buses was the route they seemed to take to get to the different parks. Pop is really close to MGM, but yet it took 12-15 minutes to get there by bus. Well, actually another complaint is that the drivers of those buses really seem to go too fast around the turns - here we are hanging on trying not to end up in some stranger's lap while the bus flies around a turn - and seems to make many more turns than necessary. After a few days of this craziness, we decided to start driving to the parks - and wow, what a difference. Very easy drive to AK, MGM and EPCOT. (We didn't go back to MK again.) I guess my 2 cents on the bus situation is that I wouldn't use them again, although I would definitely consider staying at Pop again. Although Poly is still mine and DH's favorite. And AKL is DS's favorite. My other 2 kids seem to be happy wherever we go - no favorites per se.

Food Court
I am used to much less crowded resorts, I think, because I found the food court to be CRAZY. People everywhere... and at all hours it seemed. We arrived late on 8/26, I think it was 10pm or so, and the lines were incredibly long at every one of the food stations, and then after waiting in those lines, you had to wait in huge lines to pay for the food. It was a madhouse. The mornings were no better - maybe even worse. Lots of people waiting in line just to fill up their mugs, no tables to sit at... Now to be fair, it was during free dining - where it seemed like most people had no idea what was included in the plan, and the checkouts seemed to take forever. As another poster said, the food court seemed to quiet down between 1-3pm but the other times - be prepared for a crowd.
But on a good note - the food itself was actually quite good. Especially the Chicken with Penne Pasta. The pizzas are tiny and cost over $5.00, which I think was quite expensive for what you got. Everyone enjoyed the Pop waffles - very cute. I didn't especially like the tye-dye cheesecake with the red velvet crust, it was ok, but not something I would get again. The carrot cake was good, as were all the pastries/muffins. And the salad with the feta cheese, that was very good.

General concensus from the fam was that Pop was a fun place to stay, it wasn't 'deluxe' but for the price it was an incredible value. We loved the huge icons, we liked our rooms, we found all the CMs there to be extremely helpful, we were surprised at how good the food was at the food court and how very clean everything was. We didn't like the "crowded" feel of the Hippy Dippy pool, check-in line, concierge line, food court line, bus line... you get the picture... lots of people waiting in lots of lines. But for $164/night with free dining... hmm... we worked around the crowds and had a very enjoyable time at Pop. {I wonder what it's like when Pop is not crowded?, or is it always crowded?}

 

[PolyAddict]

grgich,

thanks for the very insightful post. You seem to have the same feelings about POR, which is why I assumed I would HATE a value, if I HATED a MOD. I like the fact that you could compare them all. Heck, on our June 07 trip to AKL, at times I thought we were the only people getting on a bus in the morning and we are not early birds. On our morning walks to MK from CR, we were always alone also. That will be missed for sure. We do not like to drive while at WDW and not sure if it's something we want to consider. I am determined to go into this with an open mind. But have also discussed the possibility of upgrading if a good enough rate comes out.

 

[KimWDW]

We love Pop. We've stayed three times. Then decided this year we're going to try something new. We booked POFQ, then got switched to POR with a code, then two days ago I got scared after reading all the POR bad reviews and switched back to Pop and saved us hundreds of dollars.

Keep in mind, I've only been to Pop in the off-season (October 05, October 06, January 07). I'm sure it's different in July. But we LOVE it.

Details:

- The food court is huge and has tons of choices. The only time we ever saw it crowded was on weekends. During the week during all our stays, it was pretty empty actually. I like being able to eat outside, too, that's nice in the mornings. Also, if you have kids try to catch the food court CM's doing either The Hustle or the other song they do. One is in the morning and one is at 6pm. You can ask what times they do it at. It's hilarious, fun, and the kids love to join in and dance with them.

- Pools - the pools are great! My son also loved the kiddie pool (it has fountains in it) and my son's favorite is the Goofy splashpad. He loves that.

- Arcade - huge! My son loves the arcades. He loves building up tickets throughout the week and then getting a prize at the end.

- The rooms are typical rooms. Nothing special. Whether it's loud or not depends on your neighbors. Out of the 3 weeks we've stayed at Pop we only had one bad night where a couple above us were screaming at each other. But just regular conversation we never heard. I don't think the walls are any thinner than any other hotel. The toilets are very loud, so close your bathroom door at night. Overall, the hotel seemed very clean. I think part of it is how young/new the hotel is. Bright colors, great music, it's just happy and cheerful all the time.

- Great photo opps! Take the time to walk around and take some great photos with the huge icons. Take a walk along the lake, over the bridge, etc. Play some of the games (the big twister game, etc). Also they have little games and things setup for the kids all the time, too. Sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, etc.

- Buses. The buses are the main reason we switched our upcoming reservation from POR back to Pop again. Pop does not share with anyone else and does not have multiple stops. You get on and the next time that bus stops, it's for the park! It's fantastic. The queues are fantastic because they are separate for each park and the lines are chained off so people can't cut in front of you. It's not a mad dash when the bus comes, it's all very organized which I enjoy. Most of our wait times have been 5 minutes. The only time we had to wait long was 20 minutes for a DTD bus in the early afternoon, but that's not really long at all! The only times we've had to stand on the bus was when we left a park at a bad time (right after the fireworks). I love the Pop buses.

I think that's it. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[apulk]

You probably don't need any more convincing but I figured I would add my two cents.

Everything you have heard IS true -- small rooms, it is a big place and if you are on the other end -- you WILL have a long walk to buses, main pool, food court, etc. and it really is a value resort (basically a Disney Motel 6) but....

It is just a place to stay. We are spoiled -- we usually stay at nice places Disney or otherwise. We are vacation club members and actually did just book a 2 bedroom at Old Key West for January but when I saw the AAA rates for 2 rooms at Pop we decided to stay at Pop again and will use our points for a 2nd trip in 2008 to our home resort on Hilton Head. When I ran the idea by the kids (17, 15, 10 and 9) -- they said -- "great, we love Pop century."

But even just being a place to stay -- the grounds are nice, the theming is great, the food court is awesome -- lots of selection, good qualtity, fast and because it is so big -- it is sort of exciting being there...there is always a buzz there.

Do it -- you will have a great time.