Pop Century

[linedropper]

Ok,

Have only visited DW three times, Last two times have been at value resorts. First time w stayed at All Star Music and had a great tim with honestly nothing negative to say! Second time (Jan 18-27 2008) we stayed at Pop. We paid for a preferred room but had 3 times the walk we had preferred at ASM. Also every morning no matter what time you headed out you had to wait 2-3 buses to head to any resort except the water park and Downtown Disney. Not a big deal but with a three year old and always having to cram in with a stroller it sucked! Never had that wait at a busier time at ASM. Also the food court was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen! They need another food court there the same size! Couldnt find a place to sit, lines to get food were way to long, what a waste of disney time! Needless to say over a 10 day period we ate there twice, day 1 and day 10! Just put it in our schedule to eat off POP! Also the return buses back were ridiculous. Especially coming back from Illuminations! We waited almost an hour, you would not have believed the line! First time I almost saw people come to blows was when some lady walked right up like she deserved to be on, started crying and all he-- broke loose! Not a disney moment. All I am saying here is maybe we caught a bad week, at Pop. But I will never stay there again to find out if that was the reason. I would not go there even if Disney called me and comped a room for 10 days! So now I have to pony up for moderate or go back to ASM!

Steve:mickey:

[disneymom15]

Sorry you disliked Pop. It's our favorite of all 4 values and we've stayed at all. When did you go? Maybe you should try value season when the crouds are lighter.

[jwildflower1981]

I feel the exact same way about POP. We will never stay there again.

[honeebee86]

i usually do stay at Pop (the only other one Ive stayed at has been All Star Sports, yuck!) but can understand your frustration. Even when it is a "slow" time at wdw, the bus line for Pop is always long after park closing. your are also right about the food court being packed, especially in the morning! I actually made a short trip to All Star Movies with my 3 younger brothers this past Feb and thought the hotel was wonderful. It is the newer of the 3 all star's and the food court wasn't half as bad as Pop can get. We didn't use the buses but i can tell you they looked more calm in the morning than Pop does. Also, keep in mind that Pop is nearly the size of all 3 all star's in one. That is why thngs can get overwhelming. I suggest you try All Star Movies.

[johnO]

Well I've got some comments as well. I've stayed at all four Value resorts. Pop Century is a mad house! I've posted here before wondering why in the world people here on intercot rave so much about the place. It is the newest of the values yes but the food court is entirely too small, no if ands or buts about it. It was so frustrating to eat there the few times that we did. The only thing that I think Pop did well at is they had quite a few buses. But then again when you consider the fact that Pop is 1 and 1/2 times larger than the other values, and always busy, you would expect them to have more buses.

We stayed at All Star Music this past Sept. The buses at ASmu are the worst of any value. Hands down. We consistantly watched buses from the other values come and go while we would wait to leave the parks. I counted the ratio to be 5 to 1! 5 buses would show up for the other values for every 1 ASmu bus! 5 to 1!!!!! How could it be so lopsided? I complained, respectfully, numerous times pointing this out to drivers

While waiting to leave the hotel in the mornings we once waited for over an hour!!! And Im not saying the line was that big and it took an hour until it was our turn, no it was over an hour between buses to Epcot!! People were furious, rightly so, two of the bus supervisors ended up coming to the scene. When we finaly go onboard we got into a traffic accident on the way!

The value with the best busing i believe is ASmovies. Some here complain that ASmo shares with ASsport but I found that to be a rare occaision and not that bad when we had to. It seemed to only be a night .

[BigRedDad]

I am going in 15 days. I hope it is not this bad. If I have to wait for 2- buses in the morning or at night will not be too bad as long as they are lining up behind each other. However, if they are loading one and it takes 5-10 minutes between buses, then that is ridiculous. It will definitely determine whether I ever stay at a value resort again. The worst part of a Disney trip is waiting on their transportation.

[Taja]

I am going in 15 days. I hope it is not this bad. If I have to wait for 2- buses in the morning or at night will not be too bad as long as they are lining up behind each other. However, if they are loading one and it takes 5-10 minutes between buses, then that is ridiculous. It will definitely determine whether I ever stay at a value resort again. The worst part of a Disney trip is waiting on their transportation.

If you're leaving the park immediately following fireworks or second parade (if there is one), you can almost be guaranteed a long line for the busses.

Relax and chill for a bit in the park, and the bus queue will be much shorter!

Other than park closing, the only time I've had to wait a significant amount of time for a bus (and I wait until I can be seated) is at EPCOT. To both CSR and PC. For some reason, the CSR bus never showed up one night (around 7 p.m.--well before park closing) and a CM finally called around 8 p.m. One showed up in about 10 minutes. :thumbsup:

PC wasn't Disney's fault--it was mine! I injured both legs two days prior to our WDW visit last December and wasn't able to climb the steps into the relief buses they sent. I had to wait for the final bus to use the wheelchair/ECV lift! *LOL* I was walking wounded.

[IloveDisney71]

I have stayed at Pop in July and in Feb. It was a much nicer stay in Feb. The crowds were lighter. I don't mind the small food court because I rarely use the food court. In July the bus lines were very LONG but in Feb. they were always short. I'm guessing it depends on the time of year you decide to go. I have also stayed at ASM twice and to me the rooms are very similar. I don't mind walking at resorts because I know when I'm at Disney I'm going to be doing a ton of walking in the parks too.
There are pros & cons to everything. If I was going to Disney in the summer I'd probably pick ASM but if I'm going in the off season I'll probably pick POP.

[ASweetLov]

I Love Pop Century. I have never had to wait for a bus at the resort for more than 10 minutes on average, and i expect it to be busy after fireworks or when parks close and I am patient about the buses so it really doesnt bother me. I never went to the foodcourt in Pop on busy times, like exactlly lunch time, I usually went around 2 and it was pretty much empty. I think Pop is wonderful and so does my boyfriend, my best friend and her brother loved it too last trip. I will intoduce Pop to my sister in April 2009 and get her opinion on it but she is pretty much like me:mickey:

[PetefromRI]

We stayed at Pop over that same time(late Jan.) and was very surprised at how crowded it was.It was the second time at Pop with a great AP rate so I'd go again but the Disney busses have really gotten lousy as of late even at the moderates.We may end up renting a car and driving:ack: if it doesn't improve soon.I've never stayed at the other value resorts.Are the foodcourts bigger and are the busses any better?

[JerseyDad]

.....I too am a huge fan of POP...and have never had the problems or issues that have been highlighted in some of the posts.

Is the food court busy? Can if be crowded? Of course...but it's all dependant on the time you hit it. I also know it's got the widest selection of food of all the values. I can't recall ever eating lunch or dinner (in) the food court, we have however brought the food back to our room. It's usually just a breakfast place for us...and that, is usually EARLY...before most other guest are up.

We have stayed at AllStar Music.....once. At one point on our way home...we said, "never again"....and made POP our resort of choice since then. We preferred POP from the first time we went to WDW...and the second time we went to WDW the same year as a spur of the moment type trip...and could only get into ASM. ASM's bus situation is basically the only issue that I had there...since it's a shared bus route with the other AllStar values.

....but...I will take notes on the posts that state that POP was swamped with people...and make sure we're not there at those times!!;)

[Squeaky Mouse]

I'm very sorry you didn't enjoy your stay at Pop. For the sake of folk's who have NOT stayed there but may be considering it, I think it's only fair to point out that any of the negatives you experienced could have happened at ANY of the WDW resorts. We take 5+ trips to WDW each year (and I'm only counting the ones that are 4 days or longer), so I have many experiences to back-up what I'm saying. In fact, our longest walk to a resort room was at AKL, our worst bus experience was at VWL, most unfriendly CM experience was a tie between Sports and POR, worst food at CBR, etc. On the positive side, our most convenient (non-preferred) room was at Pop, best CS food was at CSR, best bus service was at AKL, most friendly CM experience was at Music, best housekeeping service was at POFQ, etc. I've learned to NOT expect everything to be absolutely perfect. Thus, I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. Overall, the WDW resorts bring my family quite a bit of pleasure.:thumbsup:

[mrsgaribaldi]

I'm sorry you had such a bad time. We've stayed there many times and always enjoyed it. In fact, we are booked for May. We have a car so I never use the transportation but I've never had a bad time at the food court. Again I'm sorry you had such a negative experience.

[linedropper]

I understand I dont want to ruin it for anyone planning to go, But come on. I am telling them not to go jan 18-27 because it id ridiculous. Now we worked around it and had a good time, but to plan your vacation around not eating on site, leaving fireworks early just so you get on first bus. And we cant just hang around the park at 10 with a 3 year old. Lot of factors. I am just saying take these factors into consideration when going to pop! From what I remember ASM had the same kitchen area as pop! How does that make sense! There were more seats and and extra fountain set up I believe at Pop but whooppp dee dooo! 10 days and one meal at pop because there were no seats! I think I am helping people with this! Pay the extra for a moderate or go to a All star resort! The only great thing I can say about Pop is our maid is great at making animals!


Steve:mickey:

[tinka]

We stayed at Pop last year in May and are going again in May this year...no problems at all. In fact it was far better bus system thatn we had at our last 2 visits to AS Sports and POR. We never had to wait for a bus coming or going-although I do have to agree, the food court is small. But we ate most of our meals in the parks anyway. maybe it was just the time of year...

[johnO]

Overall, the WDW resorts bring my family quite a bit of pleasure.:thumbsup:

I think everyone would agree. We complain about things such as buses or food courts etc. But I don't think anyone would prefer NOT to go to WDW because the food court is crazy, we adapt and opt not to eat there etc.

[BoomNLeon]

Cheers, JohnO! You hit the nail on the head.

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

[quote=JerseyDad;1574076
We have stayed at AllStar Music.....once. At one point on our way home...we said, "never again"....and made POP our resort of choice since then. We preferred POP from the first time we went to WDW...and the second time we went to WDW the same year as a spur of the moment type trip...and could only get into ASM. ASM's bus situation is basically the only issue that I had there...since it's a shared bus route with the other AllStar values.
[/quote]

We absolutely won't go back to POP again - we went for our anniversary last September & had the most unmagical vacation we've had at WDW. :( Paid for preferred - got put in the back of beyond - rude, unsupervised, unruley kids running the halls after 10pm @ night. Rude neighbors slamming the door on locks because they were too lazy to use their key card coming & going & that was after 11pm. Food court selection was great, but you had to be a table vulture to get a spot to sit if you were lucky enough to have hot food by the time you found a spot to eat.

In January 08 we stayed at ASMu and loved it. Our Standard room was in a much better location there than the preferred room we had at POP. We had absolutely no problems with the busses - they came very frequently and we only shared with the other AllStars one day on the way to AK. Otherwise we had our own bus coming & going. Food court and shop was great. Perfect selection and always somewhere to sit. Loved the activities for the kids around the pool. Also enjoyed the evening movies by the pool. Nice to relax and watch a Disney pic. :mickey:

[Mikey Piano 23]

Finally someone else that hated Pop, I thought we were the only ones! Not only was the food court crowded which I dont care but it was filthy!

[Pirate Granny]

We LOVE the Pop...we were there the week between Xmas and NY and we NEVER waited for a bus, either coming or going...of course, we were late starters...after we had breakfast around 10am (no problem getting seats then) and we stayed late...I had warned my friend to expect long bus lines and long waits and was very surprized that we never had a problem...Yes, early in the morning the food court is crowded...but we've stayed at the Stars (all three) and they are just as crowded...It's a hit and miss situation...some weeks are better than others and I once we waited over an hour at EPCOT for our bus to WL (deluxe) and finally there were only the ten of us waiting and there was NO ONE else in any line for any resort except us ten...so go figure...even the Deluxe have problems.
ENJOY...and I'll admit, since I normally expect the worse, I'm usually always happy that the worse never happens.
:pirate:

[Tink#64]

I Love Pop Century. I have never had to wait for a bus at the resort for more than 10 minutes on average, and i expect it to be busy after fireworks or when parks close and I am patient about the buses so it really doesnt bother me. I never went to the foodcourt in Pop on busy times, like exactlly lunch time, I usually went around 2 and it was pretty much empty.

:ditto:

We have stayed at Pop our last 3 trips & we'll be returning this fall. We have no complaints. We really enjoy Pop & we consider it our Disney home. Our 1st trip we stayed at ASMo's, the bus situation there was much worse. Once during our last trip we waited around 20 minutes or so & when the bus came, there were 2 of them & the 1st bus driver apologized profusely & explained that they had a bus that broke down. We usually eat either lunch or dinner at Pop, we get our food & eat out by the pool. Granted we're also not there at noon or 5 pm for meals, but the only time I've seen the food court packed was the MD holiday weekend. But that is rated as one of the busiest times during the year to visit. We've always visited in May, with from what I've read, moderate crowd levels.

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience. I suppose there are so many factors, that it could honestly happen to any of us on any given trip. I hate that it ruined Pop for you, but it doesn't sound like the stars were aligned for you & Pop for that trip. :(

[adoptionislove]

I think it is all in the way you choose to look at things!:mickey:

[linedropper]

It really must be a hit or kis thing, When we stayed at ASM in October of 2006 we honestly had no problems in food court and absolutely no problems with bus. Then we ran into the buzzsaw at Pop, But like someone said, we didnt let it ruin our trip! We just dealt with the buses and planned meals in the parks! Believe me i am not saying I will never go back to DW, Just started this thread commenting on the horrific time we had jan 18-27 of this year! So if your planning your trip for that time next year. You now have a a basis of what to expect!

Steve
:mickey:

[ltam16]

I've stayed at Pop twice once memorial day and once the week before labor day. Some days its was packed and we had to wait longer for bus & food. Never really had a problem finding seating at the food court. I guess I just viewed it as I am in Disney and doing it in a way I can afford and it is no different than waiting for a ride line. The only time that it was hard was at Park closing with everyone being exhausted and cranky.

[Yano]

omg, I worried:ill: now.
we will be leaving to POP tomorow. it is our 1st time there, we usually stay @ AKL. I just hope we have a good experience, Im sorry you had a bad one.
please wish me and my family luck.
:flower::flower:

[Young@Heart]

Sorry you had a bad experience. We looooove POP! :number1: We'll be going there again in Aug, and chose 2 rooms there over the less-expensive option of POR. We loved POFQ, but had horrible bus experiences there. Also, very crowded food court.

We never experienced long lines at the POP food court and never had difficulty finding seats (this was late June). I'm sure every resort has their good times/bad times. We choose to focus on the good time. :cloud9: It's DISNEY!!!!

[mrsgaribaldi]

omg, I worried:ill: now.
we will be leaving to POP tomorow. it is our 1st time there, we usually stay @ AKL. I just hope we have a good experience, Im sorry you had a bad one.
please wish me and my family luck.
:flower::flower:


There are always people that have bad experiences at all the resorts. Don't let that scare you. We stayed at the Beach Club concierge and I hated it. I will never go back there again. See what I mean? ;) I'm sure you'll have a great time. We are going back to Pop in May:mickey: