Pop ME at 5:00am to airport, how to get to main bldg that early?

[Jillpie]

I think I'll be staying only one night at Pop Century the night before I return home. I've got an 8:00 am flight, so a 5:00 am ME pickup. What if my room is really far away from the main bldg, what do you do that early in the morning? Do you call bell services and they'll come by with a golf cart? Thanks.

 

[skiingfast]

I think you walk, the rooms aren't that far. Also Bell service will ask if you want your bags picked up since you are using ME.

 

[Allison]

walk

 

[goofy4tink]

The furthest room from the main bldg is about a 5 min walk......I've been on the far backside of 50's bldg 2, at the very end of the bldg, and it was a bit less than 5 mins. I've been on the backside of bldg 4, 60's and it was about 4 mins.
You just take your bags and head out...if you wait for luggage assistence, it could be a longish wait. I would just grab my own bags and do it myself.

 

[Lewisc]

Luggage services at POP doesn't run 24/7. Plan on having to take your own suitcases. If that's an issue book a later flight. Otherwise consider that when you decide how many and what kinds of bags you'll be taking. If necessary have one person wait with the bags at the DME bus stop while the rest of you make a second trip to the room.

 

[clkelley]

Here is what I would do. When you check in to Pop Century, tell them you are staying for just one night and have most of your luggage stored in Luggage Storage for the night. Then just have one small bag with what you need for the night, then it is a short walk with that one small bag to the DME pickup area.

I would give yourself extra time in the morning to get your bags from the luggage room. Luggage services doesn't open until 7am, but the front desk staff will retrieve stuff for you. It takes a few extra minutes for them to do it for you.

 

[Lewisc]

Why not just ask for a room near the DME bus stop? It might be quicker to roll your luggage over to the bus stop then it will be get your bags out of storage.

 

[Missytara]

Why not just ask for a room near the DME bus stop? It might be quicker to roll your luggage over to the bus stop then it will be get your bags out of storage.

I am not sure about POP, but at POR, the DME bus stop is right at guest services at the Main Building. Last year, we were at SSR and the same thing; DME and guest services were right there at the same spot in the main building.

So I see a lot of validity in asking the guest services to come over to your room in the evening and pick up your baggage to take it to guest services, rather than waiting until the next morning and hoping they have enough staff on at 4:30 am to take you over with all of your luggage.

 

[Lewisc]

My suggestion is to try and get a room close to the stop. 5-10 minutes to roll the bags over to the stop. OP will probably be leaving prior to luggage service being available and probably prior to a CM staffing the luggage storage room. Probably faster to roll the bags, even if it takes 2 trips, then getting a front desk CM to open the luggage storage room.

 

[Jillpie]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm actually going solo this trip, visiting my son who is doing a prof. Internship at DHS, really looking forward to it. I just added on an extra night, due to Airtran changing flight times. I've never stayed at Pop before, I thought it was huge, but it doesn't sound like it. I'll have a very small piece of luggage, so I'll carry it myself and I definitely will ask for a rm close to the ME pickup. Thanks so much!

 

[Alesia]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm actually going solo this trip, visiting my son who is doing a prof. Internship at DHS, really looking forward to it. I just added on an extra night, due to Airtran changing flight times. I've never stayed at Pop before, I thought it was huge, but it doesn't sound like it. I'll have a very small piece of luggage, so I'll carry it myself and I definitely will ask for a rm close to the ME pickup. Thanks so much!

Pop is really small. The farthest building is only a 5 minute walk to classic hall.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm actually going solo this trip, visiting my son who is doing a prof. Internship at DHS, really looking forward to it. I just added on an extra night, due to Airtran changing flight times. I've never stayed at Pop before, I thought it was huge, but it doesn't sound like it. I'll have a very small piece of luggage, so I'll carry it myself and I definitely will ask for a rm close to the ME pickup. Thanks so much!

Yeah, okay, you want Building 1.

 

[seashoreCM]

(For those eavesdropping) Can your wheeled suitcases be strung together to all be pulled at once? In a piggyback stack so they all move in one block and not in a train where the rearmost one keeps poking out to one side and then to the other side making the whole train wiggle? This way you only need to make one trip from the room and more importantly don't have to leave some bags unattended while fetching the rest.

Also is it that big a deal to set your alarm clock ten minutes earlier so you can get to the resort main building on time? And/or skip the morning shower and primping.

 

[maxiesmom]

Remember too that you need to be at the DME bus stop 15 minutes before you scheduled pick up time. Busses do show up early, even during the wee hours of the morning. My poor dad almost missed his bus before I knew that piece of info.

 

[goofy4tink]

I was going to ask how much luggage you had...but you beat me to the punch. With just the one piece, you won't have any issue at all. The distance from the furthest building, to the DME area, is about the same as the walk from the shuttle monorail to the baggage claim area at MCO...not far at all. I would request bldg 1 if at all possible. That one is right next to the luggage area...has both standard and preferred rooms.

 

[Jillpie]

I was going to ask how much luggage you had...but you beat me to the punch. With just the one piece, you won't have any issue at all. The distance from the furthest building, to the DME area, is about the same as the walk from the shuttle monorail to the baggage claim area at MCO...not far at all. I would request bldg 1 if at all possible. That one is right next to the luggage area...has both standard and preferred rooms.

Thanks so much, very helpful!