Is POP too far out there???

[3girlsdisneydreams]

Hey everyone...

I have a question for those who are familiar with POP.. i was just looking over a resort map and also reading the info center here...
It looks SO far away from everything.. 25 min bus to Magic Kingdom... we have 3 very young children and that is probably where we will spend more time than any other park...I hate to waste so much time on a bus.. and it also seems like such a large resort that I wonder if we will get stuck in a far away room walking forever every day for a bus.

would it be wise to choose another value resort or upgrade to a moderate?? (Dh and I have stayed at AS sports and AS movies.. but was back in 98 and 99/00.. so I was hoping for something different)

Money is an issue.. we couldn't go higher than moderate and even that I would want to know that it's going to be much more convienent for us there to justify spending the extra $300 - $400 over value.

I saw the Port Orleans reccommendation and that looks much closer to MK.

Any guidance would be appreciated!!!

[Disneyfun]

I have found that riding the bus anywhere at WDW takes an average of 20-30 minutes, especially if you factor in wait times for the bus to arrive at your resort.

One of the benifits of staying at POP Century over the All-Star resorts is that POP has it's own bus as the All-Stars share a bus between the three.

If you have your car there with you, I would reccomend simply driving to the different parks. Parking at the theme parks is free for resort guests. This would allow you the most amount of flexibility to come an go as you please.

Walking distance at the value's and the moderates could be the same, no matter which one you stay at. I would reccomend calling or faxing in a request in advance that you would prefer a building closer to the front desk/food court as you will have 2 young children in your party. I would recommend the 70's building.

POP also seems to be much more quiet than the All-Star resorts as they ussually only host families. All-Stars will host the cheerleading/youth baseball/bands/you-name-it groups attending competitions there at WDW. They can be rowdy at times, especially at night.

Everything being said - I would reccomend saving the money, calling ahead to request the 70's building, and rest or plan your day as you use the bus to head out to the MK each morning. The bus ride from POR will only be moderatley quicker, but for the extra money that you are spending, you could rent a car for the duration of your stay.

[Marker]

I'll have to be honest. The only driving I do at WDW is when I first arrive, and when I depart. And now with Disney's Magical Express, I sometimes don't even drive at all. Therefore, even after all the times I've been there, I still don't really know my way around, or what resorts are close to what.

All I know is, I get on a bus, and "POOF" I'm transported to where ever I want to go. No matter if I'm at an All*Star, at POP, at POR or whatever, I really haven't noticed much difference in getting around.

I really don't think it makes all that much difference transportation wise. Some rides may be a litte longer than others, but honestly I couldn't really tell you which. And when one resort may be closer to one park, another resort is closer to another. They're all close to something, and not as close to something else. In the end, to me, it doesn't really matter. Once your chatting on the bus, it goes by quickly no matter where I'm going.

[Crow]

i love Pop, its location is good for me. staying again in Sept. the bus is usually fullest to MK but the same at other resorts. i dont go to MK as much anyway. hop the bus to Epcot and you can take the mono to MK. and what was said about Allstars sharing the bus is true. just try to avoid MK at closing, or wait till the crowd thins out as the bus line can b long if you leave right after fireworks. driving might seem faster, but you still have to take the mono/boat from T&T center whereas the bus goes right to MK. no worries remembering where you parked also.
save the $$ since its tight.

[Jasper]

Unless you only plan on going to only one park during your entire stay then each park is going to be a different story in terms of transport time. For example, staying at POP means shorter transport times to MGM but longer times to The Magic Kingdom. So, if you decide to stay at a resort closer to the Magic Kingdom then when you want to go to MGM, you will again have longer transport times.

We have found that Disney transport is way better than using your own vehicle at Disney World. Having said that, you will find that Disney has the whole transport thing down to a real science and has the length of time in transport as well as the number of riders per bus very well balanced. Because of that it really doesn't make much difference which resort you stay at.

As for which building to stay at, they all have their pros and cons. I would suggest that you look at each building carefully and decide which one meets the largest number of your needs. Also, don't forget to consider the theming as an important part of your choice.

[BronxTigger]

I am not familiar with Pop, but it seems like it always takes at least 20 minutes to get from the resorts to the parks. The exceptions to this are many of the Deluxe resorts, which are usually located next to one of the parks and are priced as such.

Some of the resorts share buses, so even if they may be closer, they may still take as long or longer than the Pop, which does not share a bus.

I would stick with the reservations that you have. Even if you choose to rent a car, you may have to take a tram or walk a long way in the parking lot, as well as getting stuck in the parking lot traffic, which would mean the bus may even be faster than a car. If not, it is usually less hassle.

[JoDisney]

POP is an Epcot resort. It is beside CBR, a moderate. The other Value resorts, the All Stars, are Animal Kingdom resorts. The moderates, POR and POFQ, are considered Downtown Disney resorts. The moderate, CS, is an Animal Kingdom resort. So if you want to be in a MK resort, you have to go Deluxe, like WL, POLY, GF or Contemporary or (Home Away from Home FW). Honestly, I find the bus transportation from POP to be quite good. As I said, this resort is right near CBR and Epcot. I have always said that you can't beat a moderate resort. I think they are the best value on property. But, you will have a bus drive to MK at the Values and the Moderates. The closest value is POP. My favorite moderate is POR or POFQ. Go to "Info Central" above, then scroll down and click on "Maps", then click on "Disney Overview Map" or "Disney Detailed Map." You will see where each resort is located. Note: POP is not on there, but it right beside CBR.

[HndrdPrcnt]

The POP is great and the bus rides are not bad at all. Also, having your own bus, you get to your resort a lot quicker than you would going to some of the other resorts! Furthermore, no matter what building you are in, the walk to the bus stop is not that bad. I would recommend the 50's and ask to be facing away from the pools for a quieter room.:thumbsup:

[RockChalkKimball]

Keep the reservation at POP and save your money. Your kids will love the resort. As for transportation, I agree with above posts. I have never actually timed each trip, but they always seem to go quickly and where we are staying doesn't seem to make any difference. As for choosing a building, look at a resort map and see if there is a location you like. After walking MILES every day in the park, the few extra steps don't seem to make that much of a difference.

[Bethanymouse]

The POP is great and the bus rides are not bad at all. Also, having your own bus, you get to your resort a lot quicker than you would going to some of the other resorts! Furthermore, no matter what building you are in, the walk to the bus stop is not that bad. I would recommend the 50's and ask to be facing away from the pools for a quieter room.:thumbsup:

Couldn't have said it better. This will be our third trip to the pop this summer and we really enjoy it. I grew up going to the POLY but with our budget (when the parents are paying!) the Pop is perfect for us. We spend the majority of our time at the kingdom as well. The buses are a bit of a pain at times but remember that you have your own bus to the POP resort, you arent sharing and for the most part there is always someone willing to let the kids sit down. Best of luck, if you try the POP I think you will enjoy it!:D

[wilshade]

Don't worry about the bus. Pop Century is a great resort for kids and adults. As has been stated, Pop has its own bus and the waits and transport times are in line with elsewhere on property.

I have ridden the bus from Pop to the Mk and back again with many kids aboard. They all seemed to be interested in watching the sights as the bus drove on.

Yes, the way back from the MK at night with tired kids might be more of a challange. But, you could offset that with a promise of an icecream from "Everything Pop". They have the best icecream station there.

I have stayed at Pop twice now and could not have asked for a better experience.

[lindique]

Actually, Pop is pretty centrally located - especially compared to All Stars, which is at the other end of the property.

[3girlsdisneydreams]

Thanks everyone!!!!

We will keep our reservation there. I completely forgot about the all-stars sharing buses.. and having stayed at two of them... I should've remembered... (it's been 7 and 9 years since those trips)... as soon as I read the reply I was thinking... OH, YEAH and remember having to sit there through driving to all of them.
Glad to hear POP doesn't share at all.. so that will be great!

thanks again! :thumbsup:

[CleveRocks]

OP, you said you looked at a map of WDW and considered Pop to be sort of far away from everything.

One of the things you have to keep in mind is perspective ... you're looking at "relative" distance. Relative to the other resorts it might look far, but in the real world it's not that way.

Let me give you an example. Put Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and the Queen of England in a room together. If you did this, you'd consider Oprah "poor" compared with the others, even though she probably has about a cool billion in the bank. See what I mean? She's not poor at all, but put her in that room and she sure seems that way. Same with Pop and location and distances to parks.

[3girlsdisneydreams]

Thanks!!

My main concern was distance to MK because that's where we will be most... and on the map of the "world" Pop and MK appear that they couldn't be further away from each other..LOL and then reading the 25 min bus ride timeframe.. it got me wondering if staying there wasn't the best idea... but I am good now!! :thumbsup: