Save money and go to POP?

[Mark Cameron]

Hey you guys, I'm sure this has been discussed but I couldn't find it. We have only stayed at Moderates but we are going for a longer period next year and are debating staying at Pop Century to save the extra money. We are a family of three with a boy that will be 5 next year. We don't spend a lot of time at the resort and like to be close to a bus stop. We also enjoy the quietness of moderates during an afternoon nap. I think most of the refurbs on the room will be done by next year at POP so the beds shouldn't be an issue. What do you POP experts think? I'd like to hear from some that have stayed at Mods and went to POP!

Thank you!

 

[Disneylover99]

We've stayed at many moderates and deluxes but Pop is still one of my favourite resorts. We are a family of four and we frequently stay at Pop for 2 week trips. Standard rooms are often quieter than preferred rooms.

 

[ilovevacation]

We also like pop. We have stayed at many wdw resorts (although not yet at a deluxe but we are scheduled for poly in August) but I would stay at pop again in a heartbeat. Like you we have never spent much time at the resort until this upcoming trip with a baby. The values seem to be smaller than csr and cbr so you are never far from transportation . Have a magical trip!

 

[chuckml]

We've stayed at all 3 levels and are heading back to Pop for the 3rd time this Summer. We love POFQ, love CR, and had mixed feelings about AKL.
We've had the best bus service out of any of the resorts at Pop.
The food court has numerous options for all kinds of tastes.
We do stay preferred to guarantee proximity to Classic Hall and the Hippy Dippy pool.
I'd recommend Pop to anybody based on our past experiences at the resort.
Enjoy!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Pop is awesome! Love that resort. Plus with the rooms being refurbed with queen beds, its even better! I say go for pop. And yes, standard rooms are quieter than preferred. I like 60's lakeview rooms. So pretty. This was the picture i took (this is facing AoA):

 

[Shellyb84]

We've stayed at all levels of resorts and have ones we love at each level.

We really love Pop. When we're not staying deluxe we typically choose Pop over a moderate. The grounds are beautiful, the decor and pools are fun, the food court is (usually) good with a ton of options. The new rooms are great and so cute. It's not a huge resort so we've never felt too far from the main building and bus stop no matter what section we're in. We always request a top floor room and have never had issues with noise.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

I love Pop! It is the resort I always stay at for my solo trips. DD15 loves POR, so family trips we typically stay there, but if I want to save money, I have no issues with Pop. The only noise issue I remember is once I was in the 50's section that faces the 60's section, top floor, and every morning they would start running golf carts super early, right below my room. I use a noise machine app now, so I don't think I would notice that any more. Last trip, I was in the 90's section, pool view, and I still had no problems with noise coming back early afternoon for my naps.
I love so much about Pop. The new rooms are awesome. The overall theming of the resort is adorable. The food court has improved a LOT! I really like that they only have one bus stop, with a queue, and the resort isn't all that big. I like walking around the resort and looking at all the signs and décor. I love the lobby with the shadow boxes for every decade.

 

[KenHutch]

Money can be a big issue for vacation. We normally stay moderate and this time we are staying at AKL but my 17 year old daughter has informed me that since this is the last trip that I have to pay for her maternal relatives starting with out 2021 trip we are staying at Pop and going for the deluxe meal plan. We are rope drop to park close commandoes and she has informed me that rooms are just for sleeping anyways.

 

[Momof2Singers]

Hey you guys, I'm sure this has been discussed but I couldn't find it. We have only stayed at Moderates but we are going for a longer period next year and are debating staying at Pop Century to save the extra money. We are a family of three with a boy that will be 5 next year. We don't spend a lot of time at the resort and like to be close to a bus stop. We also enjoy the quietness of moderates during an afternoon nap. I think most of the refurbs on the room will be done by next year at POP so the beds shouldn't be an issue. What do you POP experts think? I'd like to hear from some that have stayed at Mods and went to POP!

Thank you!

We always stay at POR, and in December this board convinced me to go to POP, so we will be there for the holiday festivities. Looking forward to having a great
time.

 

[Texans_loyal]

The new rooms at POP are awesome! I would make the switch in a heartbeat.

 

[supitscarrie]

I love POP, especially now that the room upgrades are in effect! My DH and I are heading down at the end of November this year and we opted to stay at POP (which should be completely done on the room refreshes by then) rather than splurge for a Moderate. The several hundred dollars' worth of difference can now go to better dining experiences and an extra day in the parks.
I most recently stayed at POP for a long weekend in October - went down for MNSSHP - and had such a comfortable time in the new rooms. I stayed on the Murphy bed the whole time and it was super comfy. We were in a standard room in the '90s section and even though we were on the first floor we didn't experience any significant noise level at all. If you want to avoid noisiness, you probably want to book a standard room, since that'll put you farther away from the pools and from Classic Hall, which is where most the noise originates. The food court is good, the bus service is reliable, the pools are nice, and even the rooms farthest from the bus stop aren't THAT far away (we cut across the parking lot from where we were in the 90s section, which otherwise looks really far away on the resort map). I honestly cannot recommend Pop Century enough. It's currently the best bang-for-your-buck on property.

 

[fla4fun]

I used to stay deluxe only because, well, that’s all there was. Once they started opening mods, I stayed mostly deluxe but sometimes mod. I wasn’t fond of the All Star resorts, but I like Pop and AoA a lot. The past year I have been staying primarily at Pop to save money (bought a new car and working to get the savings account built back up). My vacations at Pop have been just as fun as any of my mod or deluxe vacations. The best advice I can give you is to remember to keep your expectations realistic. There’s no point in being upset because a value doesn’t have a table service restaurant or a pool slide or a hot tub, as that’s not part of the value resorts. If you need the moderate amenities in order to enjoy your vacation, then a mod is a better fit for you. I don’t need a pool slide or a hot tub, and I am OK with doing my TS dining away from the resort. I actually prefer the designated queues for the individual buses at the values to the free for all boarding at the mods.

 

[TotallyTink]

I have stayed at AKL, POR, CBR, All Stars, and Pop. I like POR a lot (beautiful grounds, good food court, boat to DS) but it is so spread out, the multiple bus stop set up isn't great, and it is getting too darn expensive. I am headed back for my 4th stay at Pop this summer! It is so much more compact and I love that there is just one bus stop with a queue. The food court is fine. The grounds aren't as pretty but the price is right. I can't speak to how quiet it is for a nap during the day, but I would agree with PP that the standard rooms are probably quieter in general.

 

[Bailey Smith]

We had POFQ booked, but because money was tighter than we anticipated for our budget, we decided to switch to a value resort and my travel agent recommended POP. Honestly, the room refurbishments was the deciding factor for me. I love the new look of the rooms at POP and I was happy to hear POFQ was converting there rooms to a similar style, so it was not a huge downer to switch to POP and we saved some money by doing that.

 

[kenthanson]

I love pop and it's my preference when at WDW, it has the best bus service that I've experienced and the food court is better then the mods I've stayed at.

 

[agavegirl1]

I have stayed a CBR, BC, and Pop in that order. Pop was a choice to stay longer and spend less. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will consider it again in the future. Ask for a room on the top floor. It is less noisy. Pool views are also noisier if it is the main pool. The quiet pools are fine. We were able to nap or relax. The dedicated bus service is really nice and we enjoyed the upbeat vibe and nostalgia of the place. We found a few favorite relaxing spots on the grounds...near the lake and at the Juke Box pool (while doing laundry sometimes). DH preferred Pop to BC actually. He though BC was great for location but didn't find value in the decor, TS restaurant or Stormalong Bay pool. As for CBR, I stayed they pre-DH with kids. It was just okay for me. Very similar to Pop but more expensive.

 

[Mark Cameron]

Thanks you guys for all the input. I just don't know what I want to do. I guess I just need to be a little patient and see what *** has to offer and make a decision. If POP is a good bit cheaper overall we may do that! Especially since they have queen beds now. I'm 6'2" about 280 lbs so double beds aren't my friend lol

 

[cleophus12]

Another endorsement for Pop. Room refurbs are great. The new rooms are a little like a dorm room but in a really good way. Everything is streamlined and space is well utilized. The food court is also one of my favorites on property. Plenty of options. If you like the quiet, you might request an upper floor room and don't request a pool view. We were just recently in the back of Building 10 and it was super convenient but very quiet. We are DVC owners and never hesitate to stay at Pop when we can't get our DVC choice. Enjoy.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I’ve stayed pop, My only Value experience. For us, a last choice resort. Just my opinion as many people love it, again just opinion here... which is why I like that disney has a resort for Everyone’s tastes.. my take:
It was Noisy and Loud everywhere, seemed like lots and lots of families with younger kids and Groups, it was much more chaotic at the food court area people wise, no restaurant choice, there is no covered area ( so u will get wet if rain and/or increase chance to bake in the sun, no benches to sit) at the busy bus stop ( only mode of transport). Pool theming ..basic yard pools..no quiet pool/s. the room was Smaller and felt tight for us, super basic room amenity, the walls were so thin as to hear toilets flushing all nite and literally heard louder conversations. It’s about Expectations.. and I’ve Experienced so much better ( for us) so again.. just our take.
Wherever you decide, have a Wonderful visit!

 

[Drusilla]

Following since my dd16 is not so sure about staying at Pop this summer. We've always stayed at AKL and one time at a mod. Value resort is new for us. I think it will be just fine since we don't spend that much time in our room anyway...