The GROOVIER New Pop Century FAQ Thread! ~ Post #1 is a must see!

[jenseib]

I am a bit confused. When we were there last Aug., we used the ME, but we retrieved our own luggage, went downstairs checked in and loaded up our luggage. Maybe this had to do with the airline we used (Spirit Air) I don't know. If this was the case then maybe thats the best way to go, so you don't have that worried feeling about wether or not your luggage will be there when you arrive. We are using Continental this time, but I may still collect our luggage, just to play it safe. Cya all in Dec.

Did you not get your luggage tags from ME before you left? As usually if they are on it, then they don't even go on the belt. They are just put in the Disney pile, so to say. I don't think it matters what airline you fly, you can use ME.

We were there In April and were In the 50's Bldg and were on the top floor facing the Bowling pin pool(non peffered). I was wondering If we asked for the ground floor rooms In the (do not know )Bldgs that suround and face the Main pool thats by the bevereage bar. Is this worth getting? Wow thats a long question thanks

We had 60's buildings, first floor, facing the baby pool and we thought it was totally worth it. But if we didn't have that location, t hen I don;t see preferrred as much better.

 

[mousebit]

Hi Everybody! Just wanted to comment on the luggage issue. This is nothing new for POP. It happens occasionally. Way back in 05 we had a small issue with our luggage ending up in the wrong room and others have reported the same happening to them.

What should be mentioned is that tho there is often mass confusion (depending on crowd levels, how many guests are arriving/leaving around the same times, etc.) I have never known anyone to report actual lost (permanently) luggage. It just seems to get misplaced (temporarily). Considering how much baggage they handle, it's to be expected once in a while.

However, it doesn't much matter if mishaps only happen to one in a hundred if you are the ONE! (And 99 others are chiming "It didn't happen to me!")

So, IMHO, the best thing to do is to make sure you have enough things in your carry-on to get you thru 24 hours. That includes a change of clothing for the next day. (Don't believe the 3 to 5 hour delivery story - not always a fact at POP.)

When we arrived on Sept. 20, luggage services was a disaster. We had the wrong bags delivered to us while we were out for dinner. Couldn't get luggage services to answer the phone. Front desk said you have to call LS. I finally gave up at 10:30p and went down to LS, more concerned about the bags that were mistakenly delivered to me than where my bags were (altho my arrival time that day was 1:00p). What a crazy scene! It was obvious there was no management, just CMs running in circles looking exhausted and confused - and a whole lot of upset guests. They finally found my bags but said they could not get to them until they unloaded the racks in front of them. I told them (again) I was fine until morning but was more concerned about the people whose bags were in my room. AND I wanted to get to sleep - early morning at AK the next day. At 11:40p, they delivered my bags, but the LS CM didn't understand about the bags left in my room. I had to force him to take them! I really wanted to clobber the guy! But I know he was just exhausted. And it was not his fault. Somehow the system had just gotten overloaded and out of control.

Anyway, all was well...until our departure. But that's a whole other story and this post is getting pretty long.

Bottom line: pack a good carry on and if LS is a mess just go with the flow and don't let it change your plans. Chances are it will eventually work itself out.

We had a wonderful trip and I will always come back to POP in spite of the luggage problems, but IMHO they definitely need to give the LS issues some attention.

 

[Buckeye Gal]

Boy do I hope you're all right about the $40 umbrella stroller instead of $99! I would be nothing but happy to be wrong about that!

....When we arrived on Sept. 20, luggage services was a disaster...... Front desk said you have to call LS. I finally gave up at 10:30p and went down to LS....What a crazy scene! It was obvious there was no management, just CMs running in circles looking exhausted and confused - and a whole lot of upset guests.....

That's about the time I went down! I probably saw you! Yes, it was crazy. I agree....it's going to happen from time-to-time, and you should be prepared. For me, it was just annoying that I had to leave the comfort of my room after a long day. The positive is that the CM took the luggage to my room as I stopped at Everything Pop to get a drink.

 

[englishrose47]

I always pack enough in my carryon to hold me over for the first day, ie change of clothes pj, toothbrush/paste(trial) deodorant, sunscreen , swimsuit !! I also tell everyone to pack an outfit in someone elses suitcas this way if 1 or 2 bags get lost a change of clothes is in another suitcase . Tip I learnt on the Dis !!

 

[disneydreamin247]

I have a question about transferring to another resort. I plan on leaving at about 6 AM and taking a cab to WL to check in and get our package, then heading to MK for AM EMH. Do I have to wait in my room for luggage services to come take it or can I let them know about the transfer and leave it there?

 

[phillytwins]

I have a question about transferring to another resort. I plan on leaving at about 6 AM and taking a cab to WL to check in and get our package, then heading to MK for AM EMH. Do I have to wait in my room for luggage services to come take it or can I let them know about the transfer and leave it there?

Transferring luggage is (or at least has the potential to be) another nightmare. If you are taking a cab to WL in the AM, then bring your luggage with you and have them keep it at the WL's LS. Last time I went, I waited until 1AM to get my luggage from ASMu to AKL, and they said it would get there between 3 & 5PM. THere was mass confusion at AKL's LS, so it could also happen anywhere, not just Pop! Because of that mess, I don't plan on doing any more split stays.

 

[disneydreamin247]

Transferring luggage is (or at least has the potential to be) another nightmare. If you are taking a cab to WL in the AM, then bring your luggage with you and have them keep it at the WL's LS. Last time I went, I waited until 1AM to get my luggage from ASMu to AK, and they said it would get there between 3 & 5PM. THere was mass confusion at AK's LS, so it could also happen anywhere, not just Pop! Because of that mess, I don't plan on doing any more split stays.

EEP! Now I'm worried. I suppose I could just put everything I need in my carry on and take that with me so I don't have to worry about not getting it promptly.

 

[phillytwins]

EEP! Now I'm worried. I suppose I could just put everything I need in my carry on and take that with me so I don't have to worry about not getting it promptly.

Didn't mean to scare you. You should be fine if you bring your carry on with enough stuff for the day/1 night. I should add that, for all my troubles, AKL let me get a bathing suit from the gift shop and they paid for it.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Just a reminder that the luggage problem may not always be Disney's fault. Our luggage was 'misplaced' by the airline and took about 3 days to get to our room. We didn't have our luggage to go through customs in Montreal because it had been lost already! We arrived on Sunday morning and got our stuff on Tuesday, in the evening sometime.

We had (thankfully) packed some stuff in our bags to get us through, but not 3 days worth. We had to re-wear some clothes.

 

[Figaro's paws]

Hi all, just booked first visit to Pop and wondered if there were any fridge swaps going on that you can post me a link to? Thanks!

 

[DisneyDadNY]

Hi all, just booked first visit to Pop and wondered if there were any fridge swaps going on that you can post me a link to? Thanks!

Here is a link to a good one: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1882502

 

[disneyin2008]

Hi all, just booked first visit to Pop and wondered if there were any fridge swaps going on that you can post me a link to? Thanks!

Here's a link to the sticky about refrigerator swaps....it lists all the swaps available so you can easily find them all to see which have the dates you need and then which has the terms you want. Some are free, some cost a few dollars, some include toasters or coffee pots or fans, etc.

 

[Goofy22]

Hi all, just booked first visit to Pop and wondered if there were any fridge swaps going on that you can post me a link to? Thanks!

Check out my signature there is a link in there to a great Pop frig swap! With lots of dates open for 2009 I used it in august and I am on to use it again this august! Hope this helps you if not goto the budget board lots of swaps on threads there as that is where they post them!

 

[octoberprincess]

Well...our trip has come and gone before we knew it. We were at Pop from Oct 6th - 10th. We checked in around 1:30pm maybe 2. Our room was ready. I faxed over our room request 4 days before our trip (80's building, 1st floor, pool view) and recieved each request I asked for. We used ME our luggage was there with the water I ordered from costco.com when we returned around 11pm that night. We decorated our window before we left for the parks. When we returned there was a b-day card and balloons on my bed =) Mousekeeping was great, they left extra towels like requested. I have not a single complaint about Pop (and I'm one who tends to find something to complain about no matter what)

 

[TheRatPack]

Well...our trip has come and gone before we knew it. We were at Pop from Oct 6th - 10th. We checked in around 1:30pm maybe 2. Our room was ready. I faxed over our room request 4 days before our trip (80's building, 1st floor, pool view) and recieved each request I asked for. We used ME our luggage was there with the water I ordered from costco.com when we returned around 11pm that night. We decorated our window before we left for the parks. When we returned there was a b-day card and balloons on my bed =) Mousekeeping was great, they left extra towels like requested. I have not a single complaint about Pop (and I'm one who tends to find something to complain about no matter what)

Glad you enjoyed your trip. This is our 3rd year requesting rooms (first floor, near the food court) and we still didn't get it. Actually when we checked in they had our 'connecting' rooms in 2 different buildings, one in the 50's and one in the 80's....funny!!! We're outnumbered by kids so they changed that really quick for us, but put us at the very end of the 50's building, on the 2nd floor It was a hike everytime we needed to get something to eat or drink....next year we'll be sure to either pay for preferred room or just be prepared for the hike.

 

[Simba77]

Glad you enjoyed your trip. This is our 3rd year requesting rooms (first floor, near the food court) and we still didn't get it. Actually when we checked in they had our 'connecting' rooms in 2 different buildings, one in the 50's and one in the 80's....funny!!! We're outnumbered by kids so they changed that really quick for us, but put us at the very end of the 50's building, on the 2nd floor It was a hike everytime we needed to get something to eat or drink....next year we'll be sure to either pay for preferred room or just be prepared for the hike.

Well, there are a few things you need to remember when requesting rooms.

1) Make sure you note your requests on your reservation as soon as possible, and I recommend faxing in your requests again 3-5 days before your arrival.

2) Priortize your requests when you send them in. If the MOST important thing is being close to Classic Hall, note that first, followed by requests for the floor you'll be on, connecting rooms, etc. If you booked 2 rooms and your reservations are "linked", then they'll automatically put the two rooms next to each other. If it's more important to be on the 1st floor, then make sure that's #1, and be sure to state that your requests are in order of priority. Don't forget to be courteous in your request fax (please, thank you, etc). If you sound demanding, and make multiple requests, they may pass over your fax or put it aside for the time being. It shouldn't happen, but honestly, if you're not asking nicely, you deserve to be passed over.

3) If you book with a Travel Agent, I think it's even more imperative that you double check with the TA that your room reservation is linked if you have more than one room, and also double check with the TA that your requests were forwarded to Disney. Then, on top of that, you should still send in a fax. Every time we've faxed we've gotten our exact requests.

4) Remember that all of the rooms closest to Classic Hall are preferred rooms. If you booked a standard room, you can not be placed in these rooms that are close to Classic Hall unless you do book preferred, so check out the maps of which rooms are preferred and which are standard in post #1. Really, there aren't a whole lot of rooms that meet the criteria of close to Classic Hall, 1st floor, connecting. In fact, there are probably only a handful of non preferred rooms that connect on the 1st floor and are reasonably close to Classic Hall.

5) Keep in mind that depending on your request, it will be harder to get what you ask for. The most often requested things would have to be "closest to Classic Hall" so those rooms are going to fill up quicker. To top that off, if you request connecting rooms, there are only so many rooms that connect (not all rooms have the connecting feature), so if connecting rooms is a priority, it's going to be difficult for them to also get you on the 1st floor, and on top of that get you someplace reasonably close to Classic Hall. The more requests you put in, the harder it is for them to meet them. And if you don't state that your requests are in the order of most important, then they may not know, and try to meet what they think is more important (like connecting rooms, for example).

On our trip last month, they met all our requests. I requested, 50s section, pool side view, 3rd or 4th floor, connecting rooms if possible, in that order. I e-mailed our TA with the requests, and then faxed ahead of time. When we got there, I didn't even mention our requests, they had already put us in those rooms (and we got there somewhat later that night than we had expected, around 7:00).

Hopefully those tips will help! None of those things are "official" tips, but from everything I've read, and everything we've done in the past, those are the things that work best and things to keep in mind.

 

[armen11]

Well, there are a few things you need to remember when requesting rooms.

1) Make sure you note your requests on your reservation as soon as possible, and I recommend faxing in your requests again 3-5 days before your arrival.

2) Priortize your requests when you send them in. If the MOST important thing is being close to Classic Hall, note that first, followed by requests for the floor you'll be on, connecting rooms, etc. If you booked 2 rooms and your reservations are "linked", then they'll automatically put the two rooms next to each other. If it's more important to be on the 1st floor, then make sure that's #1, and be sure to state that your requests are in order of priority. Don't forget to be courteous in your request fax (please, thank you, etc). If you sound demanding, and make multiple requests, they may pass over your fax or put it aside for the time being. It shouldn't happen, but honestly, if you're not asking nicely, you deserve to be passed over.

3) If you book with a Travel Agent, I think it's even more imperative that you double check with the TA that your room reservation is linked if you have more than one room, and also double check with the TA that your requests were forwarded to Disney. Then, on top of that, you should still send in a fax. Every time we've faxed we've gotten our exact requests.

4) Remember that all of the rooms closest to Classic Hall are preferred rooms. If you booked a standard room, you can not be placed in these rooms that are close to Classic Hall unless you do book preferred, so check out the maps of which rooms are preferred and which are standard in post #1. Really, there aren't a whole lot of rooms that meet the criteria of close to Classic Hall, 1st floor, connecting. In fact, there are probably only a handful of non preferred rooms that connect on the 1st floor and are reasonably close to Classic Hall.

5) Keep in mind that depending on your request, it will be harder to get what you ask for. The most often requested things would have to be "closest to Classic Hall" so those rooms are going to fill up quicker. To top that off, if you request connecting rooms, there are only so many rooms that connect (not all rooms have the connecting feature), so if connecting rooms is a priority, it's going to be difficult for them to also get you on the 1st floor, and on top of that get you someplace reasonably close to Classic Hall. The more requests you put in, the harder it is for them to meet them. And if you don't state that your requests are in the order of most important, then they may not know, and try to meet what they think is more important (like connecting rooms, for example).

On our trip last month, they met all our requests. I requested, 50s section, pool side view, 3rd or 4th floor, connecting rooms if possible, in that order. I e-mailed our TA with the requests, and then faxed ahead of time. When we got there, I didn't even mention our requests, they had already put us in those rooms (and we got there somewhat later that night than we had expected, around 7:00).

Hopefully those tips will help! None of those things are "official" tips, but from everything I've read, and everything we've done in the past, those are the things that work best and things to keep in mind.

Well said there Simba,

Those are awesome travel tips, thanks for sharing...

 

[seadd67]

Sorry If this sounds dumb but how does the swaps happen, when you do not know what room your in ubtill you get there?

 

[blondinkaya]

I wish I'd seen this post before I called earlier. We're planning a trip with the in laws next November (call me crazy, but I do love them). I had to make two different ressies. Anyway, the lady on the phone was really nice. She asked me if I wanted connecting rooms, as my oldest son will be rooming with my mil and fil. I didn't have to ask. That's the first request she put in. Then I asked for a top floor in the 50's section. I wonder if we'll get any of what we're asking for. She sounded pretty certain we'll end up with connecting rooms at least.

We had our first trip this past May (at Pop). We asked for 1st floor, 80's section. We got the top floor in the 70's section. It ended up being perfect because we overlooked the lake and it was incredibly quiet. I'm just curious about the rhyme and reasoning behind matching requests with what you actually get.

All I know is I can't wait until next November! We're heading down next month for Sea World (gotta use our free passes); we decided to stay at Shades of Green and hit the first night of MVMCP while we're there, but it won't come close to a "real" WDW vacation ... Maybe it will be enough to tide us over, a little at least ...

 

[englishrose47]

When I arrived in Feb.They had me in the 80's when I had requested 50's or 60's 1st floor ! I was put in the 80's as I had joined a GG that fell thru!! I explained that I wasn't part of a GG and did not want to be in the 80's . They put me in the 50's 1st floor> It was a little far walk but was sooo quiet and by the Lake I loved it . So when you get ther if you don't like where they have you ask for something else .This Disney and they do try to please you!!
As for the SWAPs Check out the budget board and look at the first post of a swap thread it will explain what to do !!