The GROOVIER New Pop Century FAQ Thread Chapter 4! ~ Posts #1, #2 & #3 are MUST sees!

[Minnie&Nana]

I am thinking the guests who pay for that extra so called perk will be newbies who've no idea how loud it can be - or those with young children who like the first floor pool side rooms - which I've read about often on the DIS.

What is Disney thinkin'! Money, money, money. We can only assume (that) they have so many requests for a pool view at POP (that) it is the reasoning behind the increase....unfortunately, these days Disney likes to take advantage of any trend in requests. Some would say it does allow those who want that location to pay for it and be assured they will get a room facing the pool.

Someone asked if this includes the 80/90's pool - interesting thought, but the way it is stated online it appears to mean a preferred room location with a pool view - but we will try to get that clarified.

Give me a std room a the 4th floor facing the lake!

 

[jenseib]

I am thinking the guests who pay for that extra so called perk will be newbies who've no idea how loud it can be - or those with young children who like the first floor pool side rooms - which I've read about often on the DIS.

What is Disney thinkin'! Money, money, money. We can only assume (that) they have so many requests for a pool view at POP (that) it is the reasoning behind the increase....unfortunately, these days Disney likes to take advantage of any trend in requests. Some would say it does allow those who want that location to pay for it and be assured they will get a room facing the pool.

Someone asked if this includes the 80/90's pool - interesting thought, but the way it is stated online it appears to mean a preferred room location with a pool view - but we will try to get that clarified.

Give me a std room a the 4th floor facing the lake!

I LOVE 1st floor poolside....60's. We have had it twice and never really any noise issues, but we go in March. This past March I asked for 50's 1st floor poolside and didn't get it and asked to be moved and was assured it was poolside, and she even circled the area...I was put back 1 door away from the parking lot. I was NOT happy at all. But it was 1 night and I didn't want to walk all the way back and change it again. I will gladly pay if I get 1st floor poolside in the 60's, but any other floor or pool, I wouldn't.

 

[KELLY]

I LOVE 1st floor poolside....60's. We have had it twice and never really any noise issues, but we go in March. This past March I asked for 50's 1st floor poolside and didn't get it and asked to be moved and was assured it was poolside, and she even circled the area...I was put back 1 door away from the parking lot. I was NOT happy at all. But it was 1 night and I didn't want to walk all the way back and change it again. I will gladly pay if I get 1st floor poolside in the 60's, but any other floor or pool, I wouldn't.

I think that is what will be intresting. Exactly where these rooms are. I'm also wondering if they entire 60's section will once again be preferd. I'm also surprised they didn't add this room category to the AS resorts.

 

[jcarwash]

The rooms in the 60s with a view of the Hippy Dippy Pool are already preferred rooms under the current pricing, so I'm wondering if the new "preferred pool view" rooms are going to include the rooms in the 50s and 80s and 90s that face those pools...and if more rooms in the 60s become the new "preferred" vs. the current standard.

On the preferred pool thing, my thinking is the current preferred rooms in the 50s actually don't have a clear view of the Bowling pool, while the current standard rooms do. If Disney wants to charge more for people wanting to see a pool, wouldn't those parts of buildings 1 and 3 make sense? And same for 80s and 90s?

If you're not on the DIS and have no idea what's what at Pop, you may just pay extra to see "a pool" rather than some icky parking lot. (Although I'd rather see an "icky" Disney parking lot any day.)

Otherwise, will the block of higher cost preferred pool view rooms just be in the 60s? Seems like a small change to the cost structure.

You can tell I'm looking forward to when the new preferred room map is figured out...some day

 

[Manda]

Well, I'm back from 6 nights at Pop.

My final verdict:

I agree that it's the best of the values (this is our 3rd value). We were in room 1124, 50s section, preferred, facing landscaping. It was a super, super easy walk to buses, pools, food, etc. The room looked great. The pool was awesome. No problems at all with transportation. We've stayed at two other values previously - Sports and Music - and I just felt the general layout, look and feel, amenities, etc., were better at Pop. To me though, it didn't really feel like a vacation resort... more like summer camp. Which isn't necessarily bad, but not necessarily what I'm always looking for.

So if I did a value again, it would be Pop. But I'd prefer to stick with deluxe.

Pros:

Transportation was great. It never felt like a long bus ride anywhere. Often, there were buses double-stacked for the parks in the morning during the "rush".

Room was super nice and clean and fresh. Mousekeeping was on the ball and had our room clean by the time we came for break each day (that has been an issue for us at every other resort we've stayed at Disney World).

The pool was cool and refreshing. The main pool at ASMu was about 180 degrees. Hippy Dippy was actually refreshing. We did use the locker room area by the pool on our final day and it was clean and serviceable.

The food court was okay. I felt there was more variety than some other resorts where we've stayed and the lines never backed up as badly as they did at the All Stars food courts.

Cons:

It was NOISY. And since there were very late park hours all week, the noise never stopped. I didn't sleep well a single night. And my son, who generally sleeps like a log, was even bothered by it. I'd stayed in a preferred pool-facing room (literally steps from the pool) at ASSports once as a free upgrade and it was super noisy, too, so vowed to never do that again. Then two years ago, we had a courtyard facing room at ASMusic in Jazz (but on 2nd floor) and it was nice and quiet. I was really disappointed by the noise issue. Mostly just disappointed by how inconsiderate people are. Surely they realize that people could be sleeping just on the other side of those windows? I agree with what another poster said though - I think it may seem quieter in a King room. Our quieter experience at ASMusic was a King room. Your head is just so darn close to the wall in the two bed rooms.

Also, really missed the poolside activities like they have at ASMusic, BC, and BLT. Since my son is an only, he really likes those activities as a way to meet up with other kids and have someone to play with other than his boring parents.

A little annoyed that they don't have towels available at the pool. Every other resort we've stayed at (including the other values) had towels available.

And one issue with the locker room by the pool: the changing area is right inside the door - which is viewable from outside when the door opens. AND when the cleaning guy pops his head in to check to see if the room is empty. (Fortunately, I was wearing enough clothes to be decent.)

 

[iamtheprincess]

We got our dates for June 2112!!!! I will be calling them back and changing to a preferred room NO pool view. We don't like alot of noise at night. Can't wait to get back to Disney!!!

 

[tina.tina]

tina.tina ~ thanks for mentioning this today!

You're welcome!

There is a standard pool view category, too, that will probably be for the bowling pin & computer pools.

 

[Finally08]

Well, I'm back from 6 nights at Pop.


Also, really missed the poolside activities like they have at ASMusic, BC, and BLT. Since my son is an only, he really likes those activities as a way to meet up with other kids and have someone to play with other than his boring parents.

Aww,...there are some poolside activities, I think they just happen at certain times of day. Almost every day when we were coming or going mid day we would see the commotion, and we finally stopped once so dd could pla giant Jenga and hoola hoop a bit.

I am not a huge Pop fan by any means...I am a deluxe resort snob in fact, but I think it's this type of stuff that makes dd love Pop so much. She is often an only kid on our trips and she LOVES making friends with everyone.

 

[englishrose47]

The 60's preferred does include NON poolview rooms now , it was explined to me that preferred is the closest to the lobby , not the foodcourt or buses , but seeing as the food court is of the lobbyIf they maintain that criteria it will NOT be the 80's or 90's as they are NOT close to the Lobby so it has to refer to the 50's and 60's !!!Let's hope I'm right !!

 

[Christine9125]

I LOVE 1st floor poolside....60's. We have had it twice and never really any noise issues, but we go in March. This past March I asked for 50's 1st floor poolside and didn't get it and asked to be moved and was assured it was poolside, and she even circled the area...I was put back 1 door away from the parking lot. I was NOT happy at all. But it was 1 night and I didn't want to walk all the way back and change it again. I will gladly pay if I get 1st floor poolside in the 60's, but any other floor or pool, I wouldn't.

I am right there with you, I love 1st floor poolside and will be paying the extra charge to get it.

 

[KELLY]

Did anyone else notice pop in general is more expensive then the all stars for next year. I priced the same vacation and pop was around 50.00 more so around 5.00 more a night. I will still pay it beacuse I prefer pop but they are trying to get there money that is for sure.

 

[KELLY]

The 60's preferred does include NON poolview rooms now , it was explined to me that preferred is the closest to the lobby , not the foodcourt or buses , but seeing as the food court is of the lobbyIf they maintain that criteria it will NOT be the 80's or 90's as they are NOT close to the Lobby so it has to refer to the 50's and 60's !!!Let's hope I'm right !!

So is all of 60's prefered now?

 

[HoltDisney07]

Last time we were at Pop we stayed 60's 3rd floor right in front of the infant pool. I loved this location. This time I requested 60's ground floor, pool view (with a preference for the infant pool not the Hippy Dippy pool). I guess we will see when we get there. I really hope we don't get smack dab in front of the Hippy Dippy pool though. It will probably be too noisy for my family. Kinda like sleeping in a hotel on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD. Love the thought until you've experienced it and get about 2 hours of total sleep.

With saying all that I would still be one of those people to pay the extra $100+ to be in a prefered pool view room at Pop. The convience is worth it to me at this point in my lift, just like paying for a prefered room this year was. I'll probably be joining most of you lake view facing folks in a few years though. Once I have no strollers to lug around and I don't mind having my children walk to the pool without me.

 

[kimberstampin]

Headed to POP in 11 days! Sooo excited.

 

[kimberstampin]

Sorry for double post-- need to have ten.

We are staying in a "connecting room" hopefully in 60s or 70s. Anyone stayed in one of these recently? Is there noise from construction or renovation or any other bits of advice for room request?

 

[KELLY]

Headed to POP in 11 days! Sooo excited.

Have a great time!!!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

So is all of 60's prefered now?

I think what Rosie was referring to would be the 60's preferred rooms that do not face the pool. That has not changed. Several years ago Disney changed the original preferred rooms to certain 50's, 60's and 70's rooms - prior to that all of the 60's was preferred, but guests soon figured out which rooms in the 50's and 70's were almost as good and that there was 60's rooms further from the Lobby than some of the 50's and 70's - thus the change. When Disney figures out what guests requests most, they up the cost. Some would say this allows guests to book what they want -

Next year Disney has so many resort categories and so many "seasons" - it seems to be getting a bit over the top.

 

[KELLY]

I think what Rosie was referring to would be the 60's preferred rooms that do not face the pool. That has not changed. Several years ago Disney changed the original preferred rooms to certain 50's, 60's and 70's rooms - prior to that all of the 60's was preferred, but guests soon figured out which rooms in the 50's and 70's were almost as good and that there was 60's rooms further from the Lobby than some of the 50's and 70's - thus the change. When Disney figures out what guests requests most, they up the cost. Some would say this allows guests to book what they want -

Next year Disney has so many resort categories and so many "seasons" - it seems to be getting a bit over the top.

I read somewhere that POR now has 9 categories. That is a bit much. I can see having 6 beacuse of the new royal rooms but 9. That and now pop is 5.00 more a night over the all stars. They know it is more popular so why not try to get more money.

I did know they made the change about the 60's rooms not all being prefered. I just wanted to make sure they didn't change it back. I like being in the 60's facing the lake and would pay prefered to get it. Just wanted to double check.
Thanks

 

[jenseib]

I read somewhere that POR now has 9 categories. That is a bit much. I can see having 6 beacuse of the new royal rooms but 9. That and now pop is 5.00 more a night over the all stars. They know it is more popular so why not try to get more money.

I did know they made the change about the 60's rooms not all being prefered. I just wanted to make sure they didn't change it back. I like being in the 60's facing the lake and would pay prefered to get it. Just wanted to double check.
Thanks

Pop and the All stars are in 2 different counties and there has always been a slight price difference between them because of tax, so the $5 might be a tax thing.

 

[englishrose47]

I think what Rosie was referring to would be the 60's preferred rooms that do not face the pool. That has not changed. Several years ago Disney changed the original preferred rooms to certain 50's, 60's and 70's rooms - prior to that all of the 60's was preferred, but guests soon figured out which rooms in the 50's and 70's were almost as good and that there was 60's rooms further from the Lobby than some of the 50's and 70's - thus the change. When Disney figures out what guests requests most, they up the cost. Some would say this allows guests to book what they want -

Next year Disney has so many resort categories and so many "seasons" - it seems to be getting a bit over the top.

Yup that's what I meant !!!But even some Lakeview are preferred now . When does this change take effect??