I have some Pop Century Questions...

[darthmacho]

I'm getting real antsy with less than four weeks until our epic 14-day WDW trip, so I thought I'd ask a few questions about people's experiences at Pop Century. Answer any or all of the questions you want, or feel qualified to:

What is the food court like?

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic?

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...

What's your favorite Pop building, and why?

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools?

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?

Any other tips about Pop Century?

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August?


Thanks for any replies or comments! :mickey:

[TinkerbellT421]

I'm getting real antsy with less than four weeks until our epic 14-day WDW trip, so I thought I'd ask a few questions about people's experiences at Pop Century. Answer any or all of the questions you want, or feel qualified to:

What is the food court like? We actually enjoyed the food court here way better than the AllStarMovies resort. We always got this chicken parm which was surprisingly really good but we haven't stayed there in a long time
Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic? We were there in January and at lunch time it was crazy busy. But like anywhere else try to avoid the typically food rush hours
Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...Yes, and it was absolutely delicious. Not much to describe except it's cheesecake that's been dyed to have that swirly look just like a tie dyed tshirt would look like.
What's your favorite Pop building, and why? We only stayed once and it was the 50's building. It was a great location we were on the lake end of the building so we would come out of the room and the stairs were right there and every morning we would go down those stairs and come out facing the lake, hourglass lake I believe it's called. And we would bring some bread or pizza crusts and feed the ducks every morning. It was so great.
Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools? We didn't use the pool
I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene? Never did the laundry there
How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park? Eh, we were there in January and it was a slow time at the time and I hated the buses lol. A couple of nights pop did share with as movies but that was only once or twice. Other than that the nice thing about pop was they had their own bus, where with the all stars I REALLY hated those buses. But even for the slow season the buses were always packed at standing room only by the time we got on at the end of a long night.
Any other tips about Pop Century? Not that I can remember right now. Not sure there's anything to do about it but for some reason I found the walls to be super thin, could hear EVERYTHING. Doors slamming, toilets flushing, people talking if they had a voice that travels. I learned to zone it out but it was distracting and annoying at first. Word to the wise, keep anything of value out of site of the door. The way the rooms are setup and the way housekeeping does the rooms, it's very easy for someone to grab something out of there. There's actually a thread somewhere around here about that.
One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August? Wish I knew the answer personally. Only things I know of are what others have posted for that time of year. During January there were some there but not overwhelmingly.


Thanks for any replies or comments! :mickey:

Those are my opinions. Either way you will be in DISNEY! yay! :) I'm jealous! 14 days?!? I want a trip like that :(

[I LoveJack]

We have stayed there a few times. The food court is nice, they have 4 different stations to chose from, plus an icecream one. The tie dye cheescake is good. It has a red velvet cake bottom instead of a graham cracker crust. The buses are usually not a problem, never waited for more than 15-20 minutes.Longest ride is to MK, They have 3 pools, the hippy dippy pool is the main one by the 60's building. The other 2 are by the 50's and 90's, they are quieter. Have stayed in all decades except for 60's. The 90's are farthest away but none are more than 5-10 min walk. Havent done laundry but it is by the main pool and haven't had any tour groups when staying there so can't help with that.

[Pirate Granny]

Luv the pop. We've stayed in all the bldgs. Actually like 70's best as no pool, but close to splash pad, buses (if you walk around the bldg), and playground. Food court is much bigger than the all stars. BUT you can go across the bridge and mix up meals with the Art of A resort, which is quite nice and has different offerings. Also pop does not share buses, even with A of A...but if it was me, I would take the first bus, or shortest line to either of those sister resorts. Never had the cheesecake, but love their icecream sundae and it's a snack item. Unfortunately, you can't share pools with the A of A...but the theming there is beautiful, make sure you take a walk at night to see the cars section. Have a wonderful time...two weeks...haven't quite managed that long, but we're inching towards it each visit!

[tinksmom02]

Here are my thoughts from our very short, spur of the moment trip last month:


I'm getting real antsy with less than four weeks until our epic 14-day WDW trip, so I thought I'd ask a few questions about people's experiences at Pop Century. Answer any or all of the questions you want, or feel qualified to:

What is the food court like? We only used it for breakfast, but it was good, large selection.

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic? Again, only speaking for breakfast but yes, I noticed a distinct increase in crowds the later in the morning we went.

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...Tasty! If I remember correctly, it's a cheesecake on top regular cake. Very good, although next time I want to try the new cupcake, I think it's the King's cupcake?

What's your favorite Pop building, and why? We were on the ground floor of building 9, and really liked it. My only request for that trip was to be close to transportation, and it was fairly close, but bonus it was (I thought) a quieter section. We're heading down again fairly soon and I believe I'd requested/paid for a preferred room for this trip, and I'm actually a little scared of what we'll get.

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools?The 90's pool was definitely quieter than the Hippy Dippy pool. Didn't get to the bowling pin pool

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?We were only there 3 days in June, so no need for laundry, but will be interested to hear the responses you get.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?The only problem I had with the buses is how far away the POP bus stops are at the parks.

Any other tips about Pop Century? There were not nearly enough towels in the room for DD & myself to shower & use the pool. Take inventory as soon as you check in and call Mousekeeping ASAP if you think you'll need more.

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August? I hope not. ;)


Thanks for any replies or comments! :mickey:

[Pirate Granny]

I've paid for a preferred room before...and too funny, they offered me the ground floor right in front of the pool...said,uh, no thank you, noise level is bad at night when teens are in the pool until 2am... Had a third floor facing the main pool once, had to call the front desk more than a few times one night. So we got a nice quiet room facing the lake on the top floor instead. Also a preferred room at the time. 60's were all preferred. Pop truly is our fav value, stayed there at least ten times.

[eam]

Love, love, love POP! Stay there every trip, then usually move to WL. It looks like most of your questions have been answered except about the laundry. I have used the laundry facilities at POP a few times and they were very nice - quiet and clean. I have used the one by the food court, and the one by the bowling pin pool.
Have a wonderful time, and I look forward to reading your trip reports.

[BriarRose0708]

I'm getting real antsy with less than four weeks until our epic 14-day WDW trip, so I thought I'd ask a few questions about people's experiences at Pop Century. Answer any or all of the questions you want, or feel qualified to:

Pop is the only resort I've stayed at on property, and I'll be back there again in October. Don't know how it compares to other resorts, but just make sure you don't go in expecting Deluxe amenities. I think you will really enjoy it!

What is the food court like?
The food court is very similar to other resort quick service. There are different stations spread out, and you can find the usual chicken nuggets, burgers, fries, and pizza. There are also sandwiches, pasta, and Mom's Night Out dinner specials that change every night. The coolers are stocked with drinks, desserts, fruit, and half gallons of milk and orange juice.

If you use a refillable mug, the drink stations are located separate from the main food area just behind the checkout lanes. This is nice to just get up and grab a quick refill and not wade through the food areas to get there.

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic?
I've been there in summer season, spring break, and the fall and I haven't seen the food court or pools overly crowded and chaotic. Before 8 a.m. the food court is pretty slow, and at other peak eating times there will be lines, but nothing more than you would find at a quick service place in the parks.

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...
YUM! It's a layer of Red Velvet cake on the bottom and vanilla cheesecake on top. Even though it's tye-dyed, the colors aren't flavored. It's worth trying at least once! If you're on the dining plan, another great dessert option is from the icecream station. Tell the cashier you want a sundae for dessert and they will give you a stamp on your receipt, and you can use it up to 45 minutes later to go back up and get your sundae. They are HUGE sundaes that usually run $4 - 5.00

What's your favorite Pop building, and why?
I really like the 50's section, and any building in the section is good. My favorite room was in the Lady building on the ground floor facing toward the parking lot. Not adjacent to the parking lot, just facing that way. It wasn't loud at all and all I saw when I walked out the door was greenery. It was maybe a 5 minute walk to the main building and buses. I'll be requesting this building again in October!

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools?
The computer pool in the 80's/90's section and bowling pin pool in the 50's section are both "quiet." I've never had a pool side room, so I don't know how quiet they actually are, but when using the bowling pin pool it was normally peaceful.

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?
I did laundry once in he building next to the bowling pin pool. I think it was on a Monday morning in June. No one was in there using the machines (really, who wants to do laundry on vacation) and I put my clothes in and went for a swim. A tip- get travel size detergent and put your quarters in a ziplock bag with the detergent packets. It will save you time looking for change and you won't have to worry about overpaying for detergent out of the vending machines.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?
The longest I've ever waited for a bus has been 15 minutes. I find that since Pop is usually a moderately busy resort they keep the buses coming. I love that there are 5 different queues to stand in for each park (including DTD) so you can gauge how crowded your bus will be! Although beware: an empty bus queue may mean a bus just picked up a load of people and another one may not come for 15 - 20 minutes. One drawback is that the stops to go back to Pop are pretty far away from the exit, which makes a long walk after a long day walking and standing in lines. The longest ride is to the Magic Kingdom, but it all depends on traffic and how fast your driver is going. On average I would say 20 minutes to MK, EPCOT and AK, and 15 minutes to HS. I don't go to Downtown, so I don't know the length for that.

Any other tips about Pop Century?
Enjoy it! Walk around each section and take pictures of the huge figures from the decades. Reminisce with your family about an item or time in your lives- the walk down Memory Lane can really trigger some memories!

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August?
Don't know about these particular groups, but I have been there for cheerleaders, spring breakers, and UK tour groups. While they can some times get carried away with the cheering, I just remind myself that they are there to have fun and everyone has a right to enjoy Disney. I don't expect tourists from a different country to immediately know how to act in a new place where they (likely) don't speak the language fluently and are probably really overwhelmed by all there is to do and see at WDW.



Thanks for any replies or comments! :mickey:
I think you and your family will really enjoy POP! When you come back, please tell us how it was!

[Dopey's Girl]

Pop is great. The food is ok. Typical food court stuff. I like the salads and sandwiches. The food court can be nuts, especially at peak hours. I usually get my food and either eat by the pool, or take it to my room. It can be pretty noisy!

The tie-dye cheesecake is ok, I'm not a fan of all the food coloring. Makes your mouth a horrible color. Love the ice cream though!

I have been in a number if the buildings, as long as I don't face the pool, it's good.

Pools are good. I prefer the quiet pools. Just less splashing. Plus the laundry is right there. You can swim and clean clothes. I do laundry at least once a trip (I hate bringing home dirty clothes!) and it's never been hard for me to get a machine. If you have a car (can't remember if you do) it may be worth it to venture off property for laundry supplies. He stuff they sell is really spendy. Also be sure to have lots of change. I never have luck with the change machines!

I have always used the buses and have never had a complaint. If you are at a park at close, the line will be long, so be prepared.

I love Pop. It's worth spending some time to explore. Since you will be there for a while, that shouldn't be an issue! Enjoy!

[Pop Centurion]

What is the food court like? The food court has a wide variety of food to choose from at different stations. Some of my favorites are the Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Alfredo Sauce, Shrimp Lo Mein, Build your own Burrito, Turkey Ciabatta, Mediterranean Flatbread, & Fried Chicken from the mom's night out menu.

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic?
It really depends on the time of year. Late August shouldn't be too bad. But Breakfast hours are always mobbed no matter what season. Also just between 11-midnight can get crowded when everyone is returning from the parks. This is usually because most of the stations are closed & everyone is in line at 1-2 spots. Seating at that time is pretty empty. You can get a seat by one of the TV's & watch Disney channel while you enjoy a late meal. That's one of my favorite things to do.

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...
It's the first thing I eat on our arrival.

What's your favorite Pop building, and why?
I enjoy the 50's building with a pool view. Mainly because it's the first one we stayed in at Pop. Also your close to the ME entrance/exit so you can use those doors to cut through the Classic Hall to get to the busses/gift shop/food court. I especially like doing this late at night when returning from EMH's or DTD because it's empty & I can make a detour into the kids play room area where a TV plays classic Disney cartoons :thumbsup:

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools?The computer pool is the least crowded late at night because everyone flocks to the Hippy Dippy Pool. Bowling pin pool isn't too bad at night either but the computer pool is definitely quiter at night.

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?
We've done laundry a couple times late at night. We like to go close to midnight & enjoy the pool while our clothes wash.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?
Generally they're prompt but there's been a few occasions for us when the bus was much later than it should have been.

Any other tips about Pop Century?
Take the time to explore it. Walk along hourglass lake & read all the signs from the different years. It's fun to take pictures next to the signs with the year you were born. At 8:00am they do the Twist in the foodcourt. At 6:00pm they do the hustle in the main lobby of Classic Hall. Not sure if they still do but they used to bring out a bunch of big wheels for the kids to ride next to the giant big wheel icon at the 70's building. You can also play twister on the outside twister boards at each end of the 70's courtyard. There's a ping pong table next to Pedals & the Hippy Dippy pool. I know I'm forgetting some stuff but those are some of the highlights.

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August?
The time of year we usually go we've never really had problems at the resort.

[Harkleroad]

We have stayed at Pop four times in the last five years. As far as locations we have stayed in the 50s and 70s. Both are close to the main lobby and bus pickup. We prefer 50s because it does have a pool and is close to the parking lot. Anything passed the 70s is a longer walk. We have never had any real issues with noise. There are a few things that we noticed last Oct. though. The chlorine in the 50s pool was so strong last year that it actually faded my boys swimsuits. When I say faded I mean to the point of bleached out to look like they were 10 years old. This is the first time this has happened there, and I hope that it was just a random problem. My boys eyes hurt so much they did not want to go swimming again the entire week. I did do laudry twice during the week. It took multiple attempts to get the laudry done. The machines are showing age and several were not working. The change machine was also out of order at the time. This caused there to be a line for machines forcing everyone to stay with their laudry instead of enjoying the pool. It can also take more than one round in the dryer to get clothes dry. I would suggest bringing the travel packs of detergent if you have room. The cost is three times as much if you purchase it there. I don't want to sound discouraging but these are the issues we noticed last year. We do enjoy Pop. The food court can be busy, but it is manageable and the food is good especially the cheesecake. Everyone is friendly and overall we have always enjoyed our stay. This year we will be staying at AOA before my two boys decide the Little Mermaid rooms are too girly. So I'm sure it won't be too long before we return to Pop. Enjoy your vacation!

[Tink#64]

Darthmacho! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Pop after your trip! I know you've been planning for a long time! Great responses here to your questions!

We've stayed at Pop 6 times and it's our WDW home. We love it all! The fun atmosphere, it's kooky & neat & corny all rolled into one great resort!

Food court - Our experience has been really good, great menu choices, good portions! We usually get dinner from the food court most days, early evening, during our break, and we've never found it crowded at that time. And the cheesecake - Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (A Stacey moment here! :blush:)

We've stayed in bldg 4 of the 60's section & bldg 10 of the 70's section. We enjoy them both, but I sort of prefer bldg 10 as it's much closer to the bus stops! Also only a few more steps to the food court & main pool than the preferrred bldg 4. DH prefers the 60's section for the lake views, but that's only steps aways from bldg 10!

We enjoy all of the pools! The main one, the Hippy Dippy Pool is so neat & I love the water spraying flowers! And the proximity to the food court & beverages - not to mention Petals Pool Bar & the adult libations! :D We've found the bowling pin pool & the computer pool both to be very quiet, & very relaxing!

I've never done laundry on vacation! EVER! I do that at home the other 51 weeks of the year! :laundry: But if you're so inclined, the laundry facility is located right by the Bowling Pin pool. I know you're planning an extended trip & I can see where it would be beneficial to take care of the laundry! I've never seen a crowd using the machinesl! So you could easily do your laundry while you enjoy the pool & a break!

The busses, well not always a science, we've never had any problems! Even now that we drive, once we arrive on WDW property, we rely totally on WDW transpo! And we've never had a complaint! The busses run very regualarly, most waits from the resort average in the 10 - 15 minute range. One year, we planned a very last minute trip during our DS's Spring Break & we had to stay offsite for the first couple of days as there was nothing available on property. Let me tell you, to me the vacation feeling didn't set in until we checked in at Pop & were able to park our vehicle & let Disney do the driving! So no complaints here!

As far as Pop in general, most have already suggested that you walk the property, which we really enjoy! We also like to split it up, some during the day & some at night, when the various icons are lit up! Pop looks totally different at night, as does the lake! Just a really enjoyable resort! I'm so jealous - the AoA Resort will be open for your stay & I've read that the bridge between the two is open! I can't wait until next year to actaully walk all the way across the bridge & check out AoA! Yes, Pop is a value resort, but it's perfect for us! We spend most of our time in the parks, that's why we go to WW! Pop is a super clean & neat resort, I really like the lake & all of the landscaping! I think it's actually a fairly quiet resort! We've never had bad experiences with noise inside or out of the room!

Sending you some :pixie: for a wonderful trip!

[darthmacho]

Thank you everyone for you're replies! I've gotten at least a little bit of helpful info from each one of you, and a lot of enjoyment from your answers. I'm really getting excited about the trip, and I'm delighted I have people that I can chat with about WDW that can also appreciate how I'm feeling about it.

Keep the replies coming. I know there are a lot of Pop Century aficionados here on Intercot. :mickey:

[Disney Hungarian]

I'm getting real antsy with less than four weeks until our epic 14-day WDW trip, so I thought I'd ask a few questions about people's experiences at Pop Century. Answer any or all of the questions you want, or feel qualified to:

What is the food court like? Big, loud and busy. Much like being at any CS in the parks.

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic? Was there the last week of June and it never was unbearable.

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it... I didn't eat the cheesecake. I did buy one for someone else and they raved about it.

What's your favorite Pop building, and why? Building 10. It is quiet, no pool and a quick walk to food court or busses. Plus there is a huge Big Wheel, whats not to love!

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools? 2 pools (computer and bowling pin) are supposed to be "quiet" pools. The kids in the pool typically have a different opinion of what "quiet" is.

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene? I did not do laundry. I was with someone who did. I was shocked at the condition of the laundry room in the 50's section. Half of the machines were not functioning and the ones that were working looked like your dirty clothes may be cleaner than the machine. Still, they were able to get the laundry done and enjoy the pool with no problems.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?

Any other tips about Pop Century?

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August?


Thanks for any replies or comments! :mickey:
I am still on the fence about Pop. Bad experience in May, yet no probs in June.

[Katzateer]

Looks like you have gotten a lot of replies. I didn't read any of them so may repeat.

We have stayed at POP 6 or 7 times. My favorite area is the 50's section top floor.

The food court gets noisey and crowded. We don't eat there often but the food has been good. The tie dyed cheesecake is good and they have the same chocolate cake cups and carrot cake cups the other value resorts have.

The buses are great. They only have one stop and did not share any other resort.

I do laundry every trip. I take my load down, go back up to the room for 30 minutes then go back down. I pre measure my detergent I bring from home or use the little pod detergents or the sheet detergents ( got those for last trip and they worked great - look like dryer sheets but they are soap).

We not spend a lot of time at the resort or the pool but I like pop as a home base. The last trip housekeeping wasn't too great but we were only there for 3 nights so I didn't complain.

Have a great time!

[disneynarula]

We stayed there in September so I can not speak for the tour group subject.

We had an infant with us so we did a LOT of laundry. It was crowded at night. I ended up doing laundry during our mid day break. I am an early bird so I also did some laundry early in the morning. Do bring your own detergent. It is very overpriced in the machines. Like some OPs said, the tide pods are nice for traveling.

I was not impressed by the tie dyed cheesecake. I am a cheesecake snob! I think it is more the novelty of it that makes it popular. I think the cheesecake I make at home is better.

We enjoyed lunch and dinner at the food court. It was fine. I found the food court to be more spread out than at the values. We never found it to be overwhelmingly crowded.

[Wolf]

All of this is based on my trips which have all been in Jan or Oct so base that with what you will but here goes!

What is the food court like?
It can be hectic in the mornings and dinners but if you hit at off times or real early you should be fine, eat outside if you can, its really nice and gets you away from all the loud. The food is good, I was actually sick one time (me and airplanes don't get along too well) and they had chicken noodle soup at one of the stands that helped me alot. The flat breads are really good and I loved their grab and go area

Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic?
It get crowded, it has to, its a HUGE place, but its never (from my experience) just a free for all, its abit nuts in the food court at 8-9am but just embrace the chaos and roll with it, or maybe eat in the parks you're heading to?

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it...
Yes, we loved it! I'm not a huge cheesecake fan but it was so cute I couldn't help it! It was really yummy I thought.

What's your favorite Pop building, and why?
We LOVE the 50's, the theming is adorable and its close enough to everything without being in the thuroughfareof constant traffic!

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools?
The laptop pool never had but 5ish people in it when we would wander by, this is during times that there would be 40ish in the flower pool?

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?
Never done laundry, sorry.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?
Hmm...this is a loaded question because busses do come often but there is always a HEAP of people heading out, esp at peak times. This can make the bus stop hectic. You will have to stand sometimes, there is no way around that unless you rent a car, but its not awful, just part of it I'm afraid.

Any other tips about Pop Century?
I really enjoyed Pop Century, we had alot of great trips spent there! Look at the black tiles when you are checking in, the have sparkle in them and were honestly my favorite part of Pop Century, just something thats such a small detail thats super pretty. Duno I'm weird.

Have a great trip!!
One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August?

[riley1129]

my mom and I stayed in the 1960's section and LOVED IT!! I don't think its chaotic at all. Its big enough where you're not always crammed with a thousand people

[Crow]

Ive stayed here a few times, as you can see from my sig. all but 1 or so have been in the 50s area, which i think is a good location since it has its own pool which isnt as busy as the main pool. the backside of some of the buildings do have a view of fireworks some and water and the parkin lot is behind it.
The food court is busy in the morning. selection is ok, had tie dye some yrs ago dont remember it being great but ok. the refillable mug price has gone up but still get it, the only thing is idt they have icees anymore for it which made a good mixer.
buses..i think any of the places worst buses are for MK since most people go there. MK is further from POP than EPcot, DHS. which is fine for me as i spend most time at EPCOT.
I usually see what has a long line in AM, if MK is too much ill go to Epcot since you can always grab a monorail.
another big plus now is AOA, you can just walk across the bridge to there and look at it and eat in its food court, which seemed to have a good selection.
I do go w POP over AS, since its newer and better located.
have a great trip

[LeFouX2]

We just got back from POP on 7/16. I have a thread started on our stay at POP but I will just reply to your questions...don't want to get the Sr. Cast Members upset at me anymore then they are. Hopefully, I can be very helpful to you since we just returned.

What is the food court like?

Good, good choices. We ate there a lot for breakfast (grab something and go) and only one dinner. I would definitely stay away from dinner. They do have pizzas that you can order from the dining hall, don't do the room order, and take back to your room... that was great. The breakfast burrito was great, enough to share with someone and my kids enjoyed the waffles. We would usually grab a bagel and take it back to the room as everyone was getting ready for the parks or take it to the bus stop and eat. The dining hall was very busy from 7:30 to 9 mainly due to touring groups that took up most of the tables and could not walk around properly around people with trays. (Scared my younger child at times.) Overall it was ok, not my best experience at a resort.


Does it get unbearably crowded and chaotic? the dining hall? yes, the resort, it can esp. if large groups are there. That was our issue.

Has anyone had the Tie-dye cheesecake? If "yes", tell me about it... yes, my daughter had three and loved it but her mouth was four different colors for the rest of the night which gave us a good laugh. There are other desserts including ice cream that are just as good or better. The grab and go part of the dining hall is great if you want to take something back to your room.

What's your favorite Pop building, and why? We stayed in the 70s. The 80s seemed great too. They were away from the biggest pool and from a road. And that was the best part...even though we had major problems with tour groups at the resort, they must have been staying in the 1910's (haha) because we did not hear from them at night. Nice.

Tell be about the pools. Are any of them "quiet" pools? 80s had a great quiet pool. The main pool was the loudest and busiest.

I have several times pencilled in to do laundry. Has anyone else attempted this? If "yes" tell me about your experience. No problems, or was it a mob scene?

Did not do that, packed for 7 days. No time to do laundry...busy schedule.

How are the busses? Prompt? Efficient? Long rides to any particular park?

Good, prompt, about every 20 min. If a tour group shows up, go have a snack and come back. They can take up 2 buses and will be loud on it. We waited one night way past close of DHS on a bench just relaxing as two buses of tour groups left for POP and left many families waiting for 40 min. Sometimes you just have to surrender and make the most of it.

Any other tips about Pop Century? This goes long with the last question so I will take care of both here. If you have a problem with a tour group being too loud, taking up too much space, etc. go to see the hotel manager on duty and you can request a change of resort. They offered that to us on our last night, but we really did not want to pack up things and move. Plus our daughter planned the trip and wanted to stay there...she chose the resort.

We had problems with them at the big pool one night...playing music, running around the pool, etc. so we went to another pool and it was great, more families. The will take up the dining hall at times which was our biggest complaint and will sing and chant in their chairs while you are trying to have a family meal, just take back to your room. What upset us the most is that Disney (hotel admin) would turn the other cheek and pretend that they could not hear them or see them. That's what my entry is about and why I decided to stand up for families who were trying to have an awesome vacation with their hard earned money.

One more. I've heard some nightmare stories about Brazilian tour groups overwhelming Pop this summer. Are they likely to still be around in the last two weeks of August? Hope not, they usually in July due to their winter break and in our winter for summer break. I will not go back in July again.

Good luck. You will have an awesome time. Stick to it and take up for yourself. We had a problems with them in the parks too (tour groups) and had to stick up for ourselves bec. Cast Members were too busy. At one time, we had four groups, including us, telling a group of South American youth to go to back of the line, do not cut, and all they could say is that they were shy and did not speak English. But there were able to tell us that they wanted to join their friends at the front of the line. It gets to be a hot issue in 95 degree temps and 60 min. wait lines.

Like I told my family, don't let others take away from your super vacation and great family time. Have a magical trip.

[jimsgal05]

hello well hmm I have dd who is 6 and has Austim..she loves disney she was there when she was 3..no melt downs..here is my question/situation..we stayed at POLY last MAY and had the neighbors from Hell LOUD screamming child from 1am -2am then at 6-am...wasn't thrill we where there only 3 night the last night I spoke to the desk and told them don't put anyone near them... they said we would ahev changed room for you...I ahd the MK view..no I wanted and paid for that view... SO anyways POP is where we are staying read that the rooms you can hear all around. I know when people walk by the door you going to hear them and expect that... is there a floor building I should ask for? I know not near the pools beacuse of sounds.I f my dd can't deal...it will be a long 8 days. any help I would love to hear.

[PopPhan]

As you can tell by my screen name, I am a big phan of Pop Century....:D

Food Court & Crowds: Good number of selections and types of food. Good variety in the 'Grab 'N Go' cases. Can get REALLY busy at peak meal times, but if you can 'beat the rush' by 30 minutes either way, it is quite manageable. Remember that this is the largest of the resorts on Disney property and is quite popular.

Tie-Dyed Cheesecake: Have had it and can actually say that I was not all that impressed. Maybe I got a bad/old piece, but it seemed a bit on the dry side and not all that flavorful. Nice for the novelty, but there are other better desserts available.

Favorite Pop Building: Hmmmm...Now that is a good question....Really like the Lady Building (Bldg. 1) in the 50's section and the Walkman Building (Bldg. 9) in the 80's section for a couple reasons -- Close to buses/food court; Away from the hustle and bustle around the Hippy Dippy Pool; Quieter.....

Pools: Both the Computer Pool (80' - 90's area) and the Bowling Pin Pool (50's area) are quieter pools, with the Computer Pool being the least visited (it's a simple rectangular pool!! BORING!! LOL)

Buses: At peak times -- Park Opening, Park Closing -- Buses can be a hassle. Again, because this is the largest resort, the sheer number of visitors can make the bus lines rather long, but at those times there are buses arriving/leaving almost constantly. Never had more than a 5 - 10 minute wait between buses at Pop to go to a park. For some reason, however, the DTD and Water Park buses are not quite so regular. At closing time, MK and EPCOT 'stack' buses at the park pick up points. There are almost always 2 buses loading to get you back to the resort, and the wait between buses is not long. (Seems longer because you ARE in a queue and tired from a long day!! LOL)

Laundry: Sorry, never did laundry at the resort, but never see many people going in and out of the laundry areas, so I would assume they are never packed. (But you know what they say about those who assume......;) )

Tips: Try to eat any meals that you are going to have at Pop during 'off' times (before 8 am, between 10 and 11:30am, between 1 and 4pm, and after 8pm); Take some time to explore the grounds -- Take a walk down Memory Lane (start from the 50's section parking lot and work your way around) See how many of the trivia questions you can answer without looking at the backs of the signs.; Take a walk over the Generation Gap Bridge -- notice the different script for the dates as you walk across, check out the turtles/fish/etc. in Hourglass Lake (and not that AoA is open, you can check out that resort as well!! Can't wait until my next visit so I can do that!!); Check out all the oversized icons at the different sections/buildings -- note details like the phone number on the cell phones, the patterns on the Rubik's Cubes, the songs on the 8-Track Tapes, the information on the Big Wheel, etc.

Tour Groups: We tend to go during periods with few tour groups in the parks, so never seem to have problems with them at the resort. I had heard, however, that the All Stars get most of the tour groups and Pop gets very few.

Enjoy your trip, darth!!!

[LVT]

Good laundry set up. I do laundry every trip. It is a standard set up and the price was about the same. I have good luck with the detergent pods. I use ALL unscented, (hypoallergenic)
I find it easier to drag rolls of quarters along.