How is POP?

[lisab]

We are planning our second trip with our kids (ages 9 and 13), and are thinking about trying out POP. We stayed at CSR last time and really liked it. We are going to try to go value and buy the quick meal plan with the money we save. Any suggestions are exactly where to stay at POP - we were thinking the 50's? Any other comments about the resort are really appreciated!

Thanks! Lisa

It is really snowing here in PA - wish I was at Disney NOW!

[KeriWDE]

We've stayed at Pop twice and have totally enjoyed both times. Our perspective on WDW rooms is that they are for the 3 S's. Shower, sleep and something in the bathroom. ;)

Our only issue with Pop is that it is not a monorail resort. Clearly, it's not a big issue, since we are staying there again next month. Someday, we may feel like we can justify the extra money a monorail resort requires. But for now the Pop is our choice.

Once we have stayed in the 1970s, next to the Country/Western 8-track. The 2nd time, we were in the 1990s laptop building. For some reason, no one really says it's the best/closest/preferred building. But we actually thought it was convenient. We would just walk across the parking lot to the bus stops.

I plan on requesting, the same 1970s or 1990s building or the 1980s Sports building.

(I'm getting these "names" from an online map of the Pop at wdwinfo.com, I apologize if they're not familiar or correct. They LOOK correct.)

I think you'll enjoy it. The buses go straight to the parks or DTD, and you don't have to stop at any other resort. This is the sole reason we don't stay at the All-Star Resorts.

Have fun!

[lisab]

Great news. Are all of the rooms recently referbished - I keep hearing talk of this? Any advice on the food court, and did you rent a frig?

The only other thing we are considering is the quick service dining - any advice?

Thanks for letting me pick your brain a bit! :mickey:

[forever a child]

Here is the link to my review of our stay at Pop in May of 2010. http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=171222

We stayed in the 50's room #3433. It faced the lake and we could see fireworks at night outside of our room on the balcony. If I were to stay at Pop again, I would ask to be in that area again.

[KeriWDE]

My kids will be 10 and 4 next week. They're twins. lol

Anyway, I've never needed a fridge for them. We've used the ice buckets for keeping a bottle of water or whatever cool. It's never been a big issue for me.

We've eaten at the food court several times when we've been there. The food is as good as or better than CS in the parks. There is a good variety of choices. It can get crowded, so patience might be something you arm yourself with before you go. There have been a couple of times when I would have loved to see a CM walking around with a wet towel wiping the tables and putting chairs in place or with a sweeper. But it gets busy and it just seems that it's hard for them to keep up.

I've always found the CMs at the checkouts polite and quite helpful. Our last day in 2009 we had some credits left to use. The CM there made great suggestions for us to use them for snacks for the drive home.

[mom2morgan]

My kids will be 10 and 4 next week. They're twins. lol

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do they have the actual same day? My cousins were born two years apart on their mom's birthday - pretty neat ;-)

[A Big Kid]

I personally find the POP and AS to be a miserable experience. To me, the crowds seem much more unruly than other resports.The food courts are a free for all.

At the resort, I want to relax and be free of the hustle, bustle, and hubbub of the parks.

I dont mind paying the extra money to get into a little more laid back atmoshpere.

[olivegirl]

WE love love love POP CENTURY!!! We have stayed there many times and love it more each time!! The grounds are BEAUTIFUL, the food is awesome and the rooms are clean and comfortable!!!! We were there in August and had a renevated room!!! Great is all I can say!! We usually get a room by Hourglass Lake!!! It is sooo quiet and peaceful!! The sunsets are just gourgeous!! The food court is large and has great food! We never had to wait more than 15 mins for a bus!! We love that we have a choice of pools!! Have a GREAT trip!!

[KeriWDE]

do they have the actual same day? My cousins were born two years apart on their mom's birthday - pretty neat ;-)

No. I was just being witty. ;)

Actually, only my husband's birthday is NOT in January. He's a November baby. But my birthday is today. I'm 40. :ack: The 10 y-o and 4 y-o have birthdays 5 days apart.

And this year - just so I can officially prove my insanity - I'm having both their parties on the same day AT HOME!!! :crazy:

[disneymom15]

We also love POP. My husband and I will be staying there again in 16 days. We've stayed there many, many times. The food court is great, lots to pick from.

[mom2morgan]

No. I was just being witty. ;)

Actually, only my husband's birthday is NOT in January. He's a November baby. But my birthday is today. I'm 40. :ack: The 10 y-o and 4 y-o have birthdays 5 days apart.

And this year - just so I can officially prove my insanity - I'm having both their parties on the same day AT HOME!!! :crazy:

Happy Birthday!!:party2::party2: And good luck with their party - my aunt used to do the kids parties on different days (and just ignore her own). I think that just prolonged the pain ;-)

[GottaLvDisney]

We loved Pop when we stayed there. While it doesn't have the same relaxed atmosphere that some of the deluxe's seem to offer, we didn't find it to be awful either. Of course, I have 6 kids so maybe my 'relaxing' radar is off kilter. ;)

The food court was crowded, but for the most part things moved quickly, and we enjoyed the food as far as QS goes. We had a room in the 50s bldg and that that was perfect. Far enough away from all the noise at the pool, but close enough to the food court and parking lot (we use our own car so I can't say about proximity to bus locations).

[Not2Loud]

As far as the Value resorts go, POP is my favorite based upon proximity to all the parks.

The food court always seems busy, but hey, I'm not staying there to spend time in the food court!!

[JPL]

I've stayed at Pop several times when travelling alone and not wanting to spend a lot of money or when I'm out of DVC points. I have always enjoyed my stay there and never had any real problems. The food court can get crowded during peak hours but this true at just about any resort. The buses for the most part were always timely with the exception of DTD buses which were few and far between but then again I had the same issues at AKL in December.

[Ally'sMom]

We have been staying at Pop for many years with my 2 kids. Last year we decided to stay at Port Orleans Riverside. Let me say the hotel was incredible, but the next time we go we will be going back to Pop - we love it there. The bus service was better, the food selections were better - at POR we could not get close to the drinks, people kept pushing us out of the way. I felt safer when we stayed at Pop because there was always so many people around. For my family, Pop is great for the money - I would rather spend the money in the parks then at the hotel.

[Suzi Q]

I can't remember how many times I've stayed at Pop, but I love it so much I always return! Have also done all the AllStars and CB, prefer Pop. Cast is great, if there is a problem it's fixed immediately - last Nov. the bathroom fan wasn't working, not only did maintenance fix it immediately, I also got a phone call from the desk to make sure it had been fixed and was there anything else I needed? What a nice touch. See Joan, a cashier in the food court, she looks like the Fairy Godmother with the prettiest big blue eyes, and is a sweetie. The refurb room is really nice looking, loved the carpet design.

suzi q
working on trip #28....hopefully soon!

[princessgirls]

So here is my two cents:

Stayed at Port Orleans Riverside 3 times and the French Quarter once. Booked a quick trip last December at the Pop Century. Price is what sold it... was skeptical.

I liked it!!! My kids loved it!!! It was 99% full while I was there, and I had no problems. The food court was enormous, and I can't handle the crowds that are there at breakfast anyway, so other than filling up our mugs, we AVOID!!!
The buses were FAR BETTER than what I was used to at the Port Orleans. That's saying a lot. Liked the one central area for buses, and they were organized!!! They run a lot of buses in and out of the Pop!!

Rooms were adequate. Nothing fancy. Comfortable and clean. Perfect, I only paid $79 a night, I was on Disney property, and basically we only slept in the room. You can rent a fridge for $10 a day.

Pools were fun. No waterslides, but nice, and there are a few large pools on property.

Bottom Line the Pop Century is a GOOD Value for the money. I was pleasantly surprised.

Julie:mickey:

[LudwigVonDrake]

If staying at Pop pay the extra money per night to get a "preferred room". I think it's $10 a night. You'll be closer to the main building (bus stops and food court) :wave: