Some Pop Century questions?

[Minky]

Okay, we have never stayed at a value before, but always wanted to try Pop because it looks fun and colorful, I had a few questions though...

1. Are there ceiling fans in the rooms?

2. It has a lot of rooms, does the resort seem overly crowded or congested?

3. If you normally stay deluxe, will Pop be a bit of culture shock, or fun in a different way?

we are laid back and have stayed at every Deluxe and moderate on property and loved all of them (except coronado springs, dunno why) Dont care about hair dryers, or coffeemakers....but dont like the idea of staying at a resort that will feel as busy as the theme parks, or a room thats too tiny?

Any help you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks!

 

[Fire14]

In my stays at Pop I've never found resort to feel crowded. The rooms are small in comparsion to deluxe I'm sure ( i've never stayed anything but value). WE did 3 adults in room without a problem. My one big problem was bed size ( always felt I was gonna fall off bed) I honestly Love Pop over all stars but think all star beds are bit bigger.

Dh and I stacked our suitcases in front of door between rooms, and friend put hers in corner by table. We had plenty of closet space for the few things we hung up and simply asked for more towels to be left.

There was no ceiling fans in rooms but there was motion sensor air thing that about froze us out each night in Feb and Oct.

Friends of ours said they felt POP was too spread out for them, I never felt this way but do kinda see where I would if I stayed at CBR or POR.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

#1- no ceiling fans
#2- to us it seemed overly crowded (you don't want to feel like you're in the park dodging strollers at your hotel)
#3- I think the pop will be a culture shock if you are planning a long stay like a week or more.

We just returned from a trip less than a week ago and were supposed to stay at the pop for 6 nights, we have stayed at all categories and were excited to be staying at the pop-- don't get me wrong it is a very nice resort and if we were only staying for 1-2 nights it would have been great. But because of the crowds, noise and small rooms we decided on the second night to switch to the Poly (we also have a 1 and 4 year ago and folding strollers and getting on the bus played a role in moving to a monorail resort). My husband was also very disappointed that the frozen coke machine was always broke.
The Pop can be very fun and is a clean resort and you can't go wrong with any disney resort IMO, you must decide what your top priorities are for your resort and choose one that fits-- if big rooms with ceiling fans are high on your list a value may not be for you.

 

[Aimeedyan]

1. no fans
2. it is a busy resort, lots of activity and people. there are a LOT of rooms in a small amount of space, but it wasn't like walking down Main St after Wishes or anything =)
3. That's a matter of opinion. We won't stay value again due to space and noise issues, but others seem to like it. Beds are small - doubles or a king. We had a king room and it was enough space for 2 people, but the connecting double double (family next door) was very tight and we could never do more than a night or two in that space with more than 2 people. Even two were cramped in the double double. It's very diff than a deluxe. We just did two nights there and that was enough for us. Others can spend weeks there and it's great for them. =)

 

[lajones81]

3. That's a matter of opinion. We won't stay value again due to space and noise issues, but others seem to like it. Beds are small - doubles or a king. We had a king room and it was enough space for 2 people, but the connecting double double (family next door) was very tight and we could never do more than a night or two in that space with more than 2 people. Even two were cramped in the double double. It's very diff than a deluxe. We just did two nights there and that was enough for us. Others can spend weeks there and it's great for them. =)

Agreed! My friend and I stayed at POP and had a wonderful time!

 

[Luv4Disney]

Okay, we have never stayed at a value before, but always wanted to try Pop because it looks fun and colorful, I had a few questions though...

1. Are there ceiling fans in the rooms?

2. It has a lot of rooms, does the resort seem overly crowded or congested?

3. If you normally stay deluxe, will Pop be a bit of culture shock, or fun in a different way?

we are laid back and have stayed at every Deluxe and moderate on property and loved all of them (except coronado springs, dunno why) Dont care about hair dryers, or coffeemakers....but dont like the idea of staying at a resort that will feel as busy as the theme parks, or a room thats too tiny?

Any help you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks!

Just returned. We thought the resort did seem overly crowded, especially the bus stops. We were in a bit of culture shock after a moderate resort. No because of room size, but because of the quietness and small amenities. PO was so calm and peaceful. It was not at all calm and peaceful for us at the Pop (plumbing being one thing) and we didn't even go during a busy season. We'll be shelling out the extra dough to stay moderate or deluxe next time.

 

[n2mm]

We just returned from a 16 day stay at Pop and had a great time. Married to a CM and we go to WDW 4-6 trips a year (you can't beat the rate). Depending on the time of year and weather we choose a value resort or delux resort. In December we stayed at the BWI and January WL, but for our Spring and Fall trips (always 10-16 days) we stay at Pop (or a value). One, it's because it's regular season and the rates are higher elsewhere. The weather is great and we find we don't spend much time in the room, and again it's so warm we don't need a hot tub or inside corridors. During our May 16 day stay at Pop we had a great room (90s) to the side of the food court/bus stop--took about 3 minutes to walk over. We used the computer pool and it was never crowded. The food court was good too. Housekeeping was adequate, even when we had a subsitute. We got towel animals almost daily. The only problem we had was our neighbors slamming the door around mid-night (they were only there for about 3 days, but we usually got a little slamming in at 6:30AM when we got up, didn't want them to sleep the whole day).

We are due to go back in July (BC) and September (CR), but will be back at Pop for 12 days in October (then AKL in December). We just don't waste our money on the moderates, we find them to be expensive value resorts. We have stayed at all of them and hated CSR, loved Dixie Landing--but after our last stay there a couple of years ago, find that it's really showing it's age and the old air conditioning unit/heating unit is/was so filled with mildew, I would get allergies on every visit. (We also never used the tiny hot tub at moderates -- except CSR, it's huge).

We do always ask for a king bed at Pop and have almost always gotten it. We always use our rental car no matter what resort we stay at, so buses are just not an issue for us. We have absolutely no problem going back to Pop, it's such a great value. I guess if we only went once or twice a year we would always choose a delux resort, but with 6 trips this year alone (and 5 last year), we can stretch our stays by adding a value resort to several visits. Also, by having a rental car we still pop over to any resort to eat at our favorite places.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I think the noises (esp. from plumbing) is much less on the corner rooms. We stayed 2nd floor, corner room, 50's bldg #3, and only heard showers 2 mornings, and maybe 3 flushing toilets in 9 days. I've heard the same things, at CBR, and CSR.

We really enjoyed Pop- I was concerned since we have always stayed deluxe, or moderate. I found very little difference between the mods. and values. I will go Deluxe, with a deal, or be very happy w/ Pop Century from now on. We have it booked for our December trip.

As for crowds- We did feel that the main pool, was crowded most of the week, but the 50's pool was awsome- always had chairs, and room to splash around.

Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. Stood off, and on, but no different than at any resort. Much better than our CBR experiences.

There is a big difference between a value, and deluxe resorts, but not a bad way, just different. I hope you have a nice vacation.

 

[Zandy595]

I loved POP. To me it didn't seem crowded at all. IL's want to stay at a mod or deluxe in October and said they'd pay the difference for us to stay too, but I'd rather stay at POP again. We've stayed at CBR before and as much as I love the Caribbean theme, I liked POP better. We had to walk a very long way to get to the foodcourt/pool/buses at CBR. I would like to try a deluxe, but when I looked at the prices of the restaurants as opposed to the value foodcourts, it was outrageous.

 

[#1hockeymom]

My son and I stayed last October at POP after three concierge trips. We loved it! Yes, it was a slight culture shock, but we knew going in what it would be like. Pop was cute in its own way and did have some pluses for it like a bigger food court and a frozen coke machine! There were only two of us in the room, so YES the room is small, but for two people it was fine.
Comparing it to another non-concierge/deluxe trip, CBR in January, we spent most of the time wishing we'd stayed at POP and saved the money over CBR.

Go and have fun!
Debbie

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Okay, we have never stayed at a value before, but always wanted to try Pop because it looks fun and colorful, I had a few questions though...

1. Are there ceiling fans in the rooms?

2. It has a lot of rooms, does the resort seem overly crowded or congested?

3. If you normally stay deluxe, will Pop be a bit of culture shock, or fun in a different way?

we are laid back and have stayed at every Deluxe and moderate on property and loved all of them (except coronado springs, dunno why) Dont care about hair dryers, or coffeemakers....but dont like the idea of staying at a resort that will feel as busy as the theme parks, or a room thats too tiny?

Any help you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks!

1) There is no ceiling fan from what I can remember.

2) We were there in the beginning of August and while the resort was "crowded" in the amount of rooms occupied, the walkways, etc.... were never even remotely crowded. At any given time, so many people are elsewhere in WDW that it should be no worry!

3) Of course it will feel odd going from Grand Floridian to Pop , but for us it wasn't. See we started off at the All-Star Sports one year, moved up to Grand Floridian, and then back down to Pop Century. You want to know the best part, we would take All-Star Sports and Pop Century over Grand Floridian ANYDAY!! (well not if it was say $50.00 LOL)

I mean after going from the size rooms at GF to Pop's, you will notice the difference. Now I'm not saying this will make the biggest difference in the whole world. You can still move around your room fine and such!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Okay, we have never stayed at a value before, but always wanted to try Pop because it looks fun and colorful, I had a few questions though...

1. Are there ceiling fans in the rooms?

2. It has a lot of rooms, does the resort seem overly crowded or congested?

3. If you normally stay deluxe, will Pop be a bit of culture shock, or fun in a different way?

we are laid back and have stayed at every Deluxe and moderate on property and loved all of them (except coronado springs, dunno why) Dont care about hair dryers, or coffeemakers....but dont like the idea of staying at a resort that will feel as busy as the theme parks, or a room thats too tiny?

Any help you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated
Thanks!

1. I don't think there were ceiling fans, but then, we went in Dec and it was cool anyway, the room always felt comfy and I think they probably have some sort of AC unit in the room.

2. In Dec. it did not feel overly crowded. We were able to get food at the food court quickly, the store was never wall to wall people and the pools were rarely packed. Again, this was Dec. though. The rooms are spread out enough that it was not really an issue.

3. I've stayed at CR several times, Poly, AKL, POR several times, POFQ and Pop. Pop was not really culture shock because I'd stayed in the mods before and knew what it was like to have seperate buildings for different rooms. It was fun in a different way. We liked the icons and the walk around the grounds at night when everything was all lit up. I would gladly stay at PC again. The only thing we thought was different was the rooms are a little smaller, and we like having private balconies and full service restaurants at the deluxes.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

i just came back from pop from a may 11-16 trip...we stayed 50s building, the one with the big jukebox...never had any problems at all with noise or crowds..

 

[Billysee]

We recently stayed at Pop (May 17-22) and never found crowds to be a problem. We were in the 90's building and used the computer pool which was never crowded despite some very hot weather. The rooms were a little on the small side, but noise was never a problem. We drove to the parks so I really can't say how the bus service was. Overall we were very pleased and would definitely go back

 

[Magalex]

Just like to say we like POP too! We(DH, myself & 4 yr old DS) had such a great time at the resort. Everyone said the week we went was a very crowded time(4-22 to 4-30 2005) but we had no problems moving around POP. We stayed in the 50's building facing the landscape/parking lot. We thought it was convenient to the main bldg. and had no problem walking to the bus stop. Yea I would agree that the food court could get busy but everyone is having fun. It is a Disney trip!

Have FUN! You are at DISNEY
Magalex

 

[faeflora]

We stayed at POP during Spring Break. We did not feel crowded at all. We had previously vactioned at the Wilderness Lodge, Disney Institute, and POR, we found POP to be great for the price, clean and all of the CM's were wonderful. We are heading back in 30 days.

 

[jennat]

We are trying to decide whether or not to get a car. How is the food court? How expensive and what kind of food do they have. What are the other options (is taking a bus to DTD..what is there etc) Any other thoughts. We will be there for three nights after a cruise and then go over to Hard rock for two nights. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Do you have to pay to park at Pop? Is it worth the hassle? Thanks!

 

[Zandy595]

We are trying to decide whether or not to get a car. How is the food court? How expensive and what kind of food do they have. What are the other options (is taking a bus to DTD..what is there etc) Any other thoughts. We will be there for three nights after a cruise and then go over to Hard rock for two nights. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Do you have to pay to park at Pop? Is it worth the hassle? Thanks!

If you are a guest at Pop Century, parking there is free.

Check out Pop's Foodcourt Menu. Scroll down to Pop Century. It's about 3/4 of the way down the page.

 

[Luv4Disney]

i just came back from pop from a may 11-16 trip...we stayed 50s building, the one with the big jukebox...never had any problems at all with noise or crowds..

We were there, same time, same exact building, 3rd floor. Maybe kids just liked yelling at 7:15am in front of our room. There didn't seem to be crowds, just at the bus stops - everywhere. We stayed until the 21st though. It definitely became MUCH busier on the 20th and 21st!

 

[lajones81]

We are trying to decide whether or not to get a car. How is the food court? How expensive and what kind of food do they have. What are the other options (is taking a bus to DTD..what is there etc) Any other thoughts. We will be there for three nights after a cruise and then go over to Hard rock for two nights. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Do you have to pay to park at Pop? Is it worth the hassle? Thanks!

My friend and I didn't have a car on site, but a few times we got a taxi. We are too young to rent a car and, yes, I know people will think we were crazy for taking a taxi, but we both had 5 days for vacation and wanted to use every precious moment! We took a taxi to the parks and took the Disney transporation home each night or to other locations on site.

The food court worked just fine and we went during the spring break rush! Here is a link about the POP food choices: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=820324&highlight=POP+food

I apologize, as I thought there was another link. I can't find it though.

My friend and I enjoyed the strawberry pancakes and ham and cheese omelets, as well as the hash browns/potatoes. We didn't really eat there for lunch and enjoyed a wrap and burger for dinner.

I'm not sure about the parking fee. I would post your question at:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=698727&page=1&pp=15

Enjoy!