Pop Century Resort — The Classic Years

I like the Grand Floridian Resort. I have stayed here several times and have enjoyed the luxurious surroundings of Disney’s flagship resort. It’s wonderful to be pampered at this deluxe facility. Staying here makes me feel special.

But I also like the Pop Century Resort. It also makes me feel special, but in an entirely different way. You see, it has qualities that the Grand Floridian does not – like whimsy. It’s fun to stay at the Pop Century! The resort is silly in the extreme. It has kitsch. And it’s full of memories from our youth.

Pop Century Sign

As soon as you turn onto the roadway leading to the resort you know you’re in for a walk down memory lane. Signs from another era like “Color TV” and “Air Conditioning” greet you as you drive by. And then there’s the sign that every parent can identify with”¦

Are We There Yet? sign

The Pop Century Classic Years Resort opened on December 14, 2003. This hotel takes a lighthearted look at the second half of the 20th century with different sections of the resort representing the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. But what you see here is just Phase One of the project.

Phase Two was to cover the first half of the century, the Legendary Years. Construction began on Phase Two, but shortly after work started, it was discovered that Disney wasn’t filling all the hotel rooms they already had so until tourism picked up, the project was put on hold. You can see the beginnings of Phase Two across Hourglass Lake. Phase Two of Pop Century has been officially canceled. Disney announced on May 12, 2010, that the area for Phase Two will now become Disney’s Art of Animation Resort scheduled to open late 2012.

Phase Two

When you drive up to the resort, a giant logo of the property greets you as well as the dates for the five decades represented here. These flank the Classic Hall building, containing the resort’s public rooms.

Classic Hall

Classic Hall

Classic Hall

Inside Classic Hall is the registration area. Behind the counter is a timeline with recognizable photographs from the 1950s through the 1990s. It’s here that you’ll check-in and receive your welcoming package containing a property map, current Disney information, and other fun stuff to rifle through once you get to your room.

Registration Desk

Resistration Desk Wall

Check-in is after 3pm, but registration can be completed before this time. If a room is ready before 3pm, you will be given a key at that time. Check-out is at 11am. Magic Your Way Tickets may be purchased and dining reservations may be made at the adjacent concierge desk.

Concierge Desk

Opposite the registration desk is for me, one of the best displays at Walt Disney World. I’ve been known to take out-of-town friends to the Pop Century Resort just to show them this incredible wall. Once again, a timeline from the 1950s through the 1990s is represented here. But this time, the wall is filled with memorabilia from the era. The “pop” culture of fifty years is on display. Just to give you the smallest inkling of what I’m talking about, here are some of the items you’ll see: old TV Guides, an 8-track player, cabbage patch kids, a Trivial Pursuit game, a “Where’s the beef?” plate, platform shoes, an aluminum ice-cube tray, 45rpm records, and more. It would be impossible for someone to stand before this wall and not recognize something that they owned at one time in their life. For me, this wall is an “E” ticket attraction.

Memorabilia Timeline

Memorabilia Timeline

While checking in, there is a nearby children’s area where the little ones can watch Disney cartoons until mom and dad finish with the necessary paperwork. For the teenagers of the family, Fast Forward Arcade is also nearby.

Children's TV Waiting Room

Fast Forward Arcade

Fast Forward Arcade

Also housed in Classic Hall is Everything Pop Shopping and Dining. The shop portion of this complex offers your typical array of Disney souvenirs and clothing.

Everything Pop Shopping and Dining

Everything Pop Shopping

The food court here is massive. A number of different stations offer everything from pasta and pizza to ethnic choices. Of course, hamburgers and fries are available as well as some healthy meals. There is also a Grab-N-Go section with muffins and croissants in the morning and premade salads, sandwiches, and desserts during the rest of the day. Breakfast is served from 6:30am to 11am, lunch and dinner from 11am until midnight. Seating is available in three large areas surrounding the food court. For a complete menu, click here.

Just a word of warning. In the morning, the food court looks like Grand Central Station. Plan accordingly because your meal is going to take longer than you anticipate.

Everything Pop Dining

Everything Pop Dining

Everything Pop Dining

Transportation to the theme parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney is by bus. These depart approximately every twenty minutes. There is only one stop for the entire resort and it is located outside of Classic Hall.

Bus Pick-up and Drop-off

The resort has only one playground and it can be found between Classic Hall and the 1970s theme buildings.

Playground

1950

Now it’s time to take a look at the various sections of the Pop Century Resort, starting in the 1950s era. Three four-story buildings make up this grouping. The structures here are painted purple and the balconies are adorned with silhouettes of the popular dance craze of that decade as well as the catch phrases of the day. The swimming pool is in the shape of a giant bowling pin and larger-than-life icons anchor the entrance to each building.

Dance Craze

Pop Saying

Lady

Tramp

Juke Box

Bowling Pin Pool

Here are some interesting facts about these icons. The juke box is 40 feet tall. Lady is 23 feet tall and Tramp is 30 feet tall. The barrels they sit on are 8 feet in diameter and 21 feet tall. The bowling pins that house the stairwells at the end of each building are 65 feet tall.

Be sure to read some of the song titles on the juke box. They’re a hoot. For example, “My Car’s Jacked Up But My Heart’s Broke Down.” “My Love Is Deep (Like A 3D Movie),” and “She’s Got A Color TV (Now She Never Looks At Me).”

There is a self-service laundry near the pool. It is housed in a giant bowling shoe rack.

Laundry Facility

Laundry Facility

1960

The buildings in the 1960s section of the resort are painted in shades of orange with lime green accents. Once again, the latest dance craze and catch phrases decorate the exterior of the buildings.

1960s Building

The icons here are Mowgli and Baloo from the Jungle Book and a container of Play-Doh. Be sure to look at the wall behind the Play-Doh and you can see a number of extruders which came with the Fun Factory toy set. Also check out the elephant’s ears. You can see the “child’s” fingerprint that crafted the animal. The stairwells here are enclosed in giant Duncan yo-yos. The Play-Doh can is 22 feet high and 19 feet in diameter. Mowgli is 19 feet tall and his sidekick Baloo is 35 feet tall. And the yo-yos are 37 feet tall and 27 feet wide and the string is 1 foot in diameter.

Mowgli and Baloo

Play-Doh

Duncan Yo-Yo

The Hippy Dippy Pool is in the shape of a large flower with shower-flowers positioned around the pool’s edge spray the swimmers below. All three of the resort’s pools are open from 7am to 12-midnight. Lifeguards are on duty from 10am to 10pm. No towels are available poolside and should be brought from your room. Life vest are available at each pool.

Hippy Dippy Pool

Shower Flower

A full-service bar called Petals is located near the Hippy Dippy Pool as is a ping pong table and children’s interactive fountain.

Petals Bar

Ping Pong Table

Interactive Fountain

1970

Disco was king in the 1970s and this is evident in the next cluster of rooms. Painted in shades of green, mood rings and platform shoes line the balconies and 8-track tapes house the stairwells.

1970s Building

8-Track Tape Stairwell

Disney contacted many of the original manufactures of the reproduced toys for specifications in order to recreate them accurately. The toys were digitalized then a machine built a larger-than-life reproduction. Foam, fiberglass, and steel complete the final assembly. If you look at the back of some of the objects, you can even see the trademark information.

A Mickey Mouse telephone and a Big Wheels are the giant icons here. If you go up to one of the upper floors and look down on the Big Wheels, there’s a cute joke to be seen. The Mickey phone is 30 feet tall and stands on a base which is 8 feet tall. The push button “keys” are 1 foot wide and the handset is 20 feet in length. The front wheel on the Big Wheel is 18 feet in diameter and the tops of the handle bars are 25 feet off the ground. The 8-track tape is 35 feet tall and the “tape” is 2 feet, 6 inches wide.

Mickey Mouse Telephone

Big Wheels

Big Wheels Joke

A giant foosball table with 12 foot players sits between Mickey and the Big Wheels. Further down the way is an outdoor Twister set.

Foosball Table

Twister Set

A pleasant walkway can be found skirting Hourglass Lake. Lining the path are signs describing interesting bits of trivia appropriate to the era. And be on the lookout for Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head for a great photo op. (I remember when you used real potatoes with this toy.)

Resort Walkway

Trivia Sign

Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head

1980 & 1990

The last cluster of rooms contains three buildings and combines two decades. The 80s buildings are painted in shades of red with Rubik’s Cubes housing the stairwells and the 90s rooms are in shades of blue with very dated cell phones hiding the steps. The Rubik’s Cube is 23 square feet on each side and each color panel is 7 feet by 7 feet. The peak point of the cube is 41 feet off the ground. The various cubes are in different stages of solving the same puzzle. The cell phone is 55 feet tall to the top of the antenna and the buttons are 2 feet, 8 inches wide.

Rubik's Cube

Cel Phone

The large entrance icons for the 80s building are a Walkman and Roger Rabbit. The 90s building features a giant laptop computer. Roger Rabbit is 23 feet tall and his barrel is 12 feet in diameter. The Sony Walkman is 33 feet high and the headset is 37 feet wide at its widest point and its earphones are 4 feet in diameter. The laptop computer screen is 28 feet wide by 21 feet high and the keys are 1 foot, 8 inches by 1 foot, 8 inches. Be sure to check out the information on the screen. You just might find a Disney reference or two.

Walkman

Roger Rabbit

Laptop Computer

Laptop Computer Screen

The pool area resembles a giant desktop computer. The keyboard is part of the decking and the pool itself is the monitor. The laundry room is the computer and a stack of floppy disks sits nearby housing backstage equipment. The “mouse” can be seen on the “pool rules” sign.

Computer Pool

Laundry Room

Computer Disks

The Pop Century is a value resort. This means the rooms are some of the smallest on property. Measuring 260 square feet, most feature two double beds and can sleep four. Some rooms offer one king bed. Cribs are available upon request. Adjoining rooms can be requested but not guaranteed. The views are either “standard” or “courtyard.”

Are the rooms spacious? Nope. Are they adequate? Yes. Two people will have no problem sharing these quarters, but when you add a third or fourth person, things can get tight. Be sure to pack your sense of humor.

Towels left on the floor will be exchanged for fresh. However, Disney is encouraging that folks reuse their towels and ask that you place them back on the towel bars. Bed sheets are changed every four days unless you request otherwise.

Currently, all of the rooms at the Pop Century are undergoing renovation. The remodeled rooms feature a clean, almost a minimalist look. A chest of drawers with a flat screen TV and a small table and two chairs complete the furnishings. High speed internet connection is available, but the plug is on the baseboard and requires getting down on your hands and knees to find it. There is a $10 daily fee for the connection.

The pictures below are of a newly remodeled room.

Two Double Beds

Chest of Drawers and TV

Table and Chairs

The bedspread depicts the Fab Five in various “pop” poses and the carpet has some hidden Mickeys.

Bedspread

Mickey Carpet

The vanity area only has one sink and is open to the bedroom. A curtain can be drawn for additional privacy. The drinking glasses are plastic. Also found in this area are an iron and board, luggage rack, hairdryer, and safe. A small refrigerator (for medical needs) is available upon request. The toilet area is basic.

Vanity Area

Toilet and Shower

The window curtains were designed to overlap one another when drawn, effectively blocking out any “leaking” sunlight. I like this.

Overlapping Curtain Rods

Ice and drink vending machines are available on each floor and all buildings have elevators.

Ice and Vending Machines

The Pop Century offers very few frills. But it does offer a lot of fun. You can’t help but smile when visiting this resort. The Pop Century was designed for the budget conscious traveler; however Disney went out of their way to make sure it doesn’t feel that way. As I said at the beginning of this article, I like the Grand Floridian. But I also like the Pop Century. I have a great time when I visit this resort.

There are less expensive options available on Hwy 192, but they don’t offer the magic and the perks found at a Disney resort. If your budget can afford it, I would suggest considering the Pop Century. You’ll be glad you did.

I have created a six minute video of the resort for your enjoyment.

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57 Replies to “Pop Century Resort — The Classic Years”

  1. Hey Jack,

    Thanks you for all the info. My Daughter (Jaiah) and I plan to visit Disney June 20th for 7 days, I’ve booked “Pop” and can’t wait to have fun.

    Thanks!

  2. Thank you so much for this in-depth report on Pop! We are taking our 4 year old twin daughters for their first visit at the end of the month and were bumming a little about going with the value resort instead of the Moderate (what we originally booked), but after reading this and your reader comments, I can’t wait to get there! The past three times I’ve been to WDW, I’ve stayed off-site, but thought the better of it now that I’m taking the girls. I’m going to share the pictures and video with them today so that they can get even more excited about their first visit! Thanks again!

  3. Pop is one of my favorites as well. It also has the best music on it’s buses and don’t forget about Twist in the morning and the Hustle at night in the food court!

  4. Thanks for this blog,
    I will be staying there with my family in 2 days!!!!We have never stayed in this resort before, and your review and pictures have me VERY excited. We have rented 2 rooms as we have “adult” children (18 & 21) and thought it would be best 2 have 2 bathrooms. Can’t wait to get there. Thanks again!

  5. You totally made my day with this photo report. This resort will always hold a place in my heart as it was where my wife and I stayed at our very first WDW trip back in 2008. Seeing the picture of the “Everything Pop” store took me back to those hectic mornings running by it and smelling the coffe coming from the dining area. Thanks again for this report!

  6. Way to say thanks for this, it made me happy to see this resort again. This was our FIRST Disney resort, and also our favorite, for years we stayed off property in Kissimmie (spelling?) but eventually we took the risk and hopped right into this one.. and it was great!! We usually stay here or the Wide World of Movies/Music/Sports, last year we got to goto the Caribbean Resort, which was fun and more quiet in the evenings, but just didn’t have the huzzuh of Pop. 😀

    Thanks!

  7. I LOVE the value hotels!
    For some reason they’re ALL the FUN the deluxe ones don’t have. Even the curtains and furnish in Grand Floridian are old fashioned and FULL of garden like designs that just make us wink wink.
    Pop Century is the Best!
    THANKS Jack!!

  8. Dear Jack,

    Thank you for the memories ! In our first trip to WDW with my daughter (then 4) we stayed at POP Century but you should have seen her face when she saw all the giant figures, she was so excited and happy !

    Same as with Ileana from Argentina, with our weak currency we can not afford to stay at more pricey resorts, staying at POP allows us to stay longer and to buy more stuff.

    The service in my opinion is real friendly, the food is good, the mini supermarket inside real convenient. Ask for a “preferred” room and you will get a real good location close to everything.

    Also note that coming from the airport with the Disney Magical Express it will be the first stop, great if all you want is to start having fun the soonest possible.

  9. Just arrived home from Pop Century. what a very nice resort. As always the beds were comfortable and the rooms are very clean. The price was excellent. the view of hourglass lake was charming, and now thanks to Allears i realize what the building was across the lake. The landscaping was pretty, and the extra touches disney gives is amazing. The resort is one of the largest im told, and it was filled with people, but very fun. Always the best time.

  10. Pop Century is my second favorite hotel after Riverside! Thanks for the pictures and video-gave me a little mini trip back in my mind!

  11. Hi Emma…this is Johnny.

    To answer your question…no, it’s not exactly going to be a “value resort” like Pop-Century.
    Disney describes it as a “one-of-a-kind, family-friendly” resort featuring family suites designed around 4 themes.
    There will be nearly 2000 new units total. The four themes will be The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid. 1,120 family suites in the first 3 wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wing. I’m hoping that at least the 864 rooms in TLM wing will be “Value,” but I’m not getting my hopes up too high.

    If you go to Blog Central you’ll see the news about this under the Disney News Blog section.

  12. Thanks for the great blog Jack! Pop Century is my family’s favorite Disney resort and you did a great job of putting into words all the fun and magical parts of staying here!

    One question I did have about the new animation resort across the lake was will it remain a Disney value resort like Pop Century, or will it move into the higher moderate or deluxe categories?

  13. Hi Jack,
    As always, great job! We do like POP as well. I must confess, though, that when we stayed there a couple of years ago, I never noticed the unfinished sister hotel on the other side of the lake. Interesting. Still, it is fun.

    However the room is crowded. We have a 6’2″ 17yo son and 11yo daughter. Because of the difficulty of getting them to share a bed, we bought a $30 folding cot and carry it with us. She loves it. It makes the room tighter, but it makes bedtime so much easier.

  14. Hi Jack. Once again, great blog. I read everyone you post. I was wondering if I could get your expertise on something? My family is planning a trip to “The World” in December and we’ve made reservations at POR French Quarter. What are your thoughts on this resort? We’ve stayed at POR Riverside a couple of other times, but have always wanted to try French Quarter. Love to hear your opinion.

  15. Hey Jack,

    Thank you for all the insight into Pop Century. We are awaiting our trip in July 2010 and this just puts the icing on the cake. We are so excited to go and this just makes me wish it was tomorrow that we arrive and not July… Your pictures are beautiful and I cannot wait to take some of my own. Happy traveling.

  16. We are going on another family vacation in June and staying at Pop. We have stayed there for the past 3 years and would not even think about moving up to a moderate. We are so pleased. It is my husband, me, my 15 year old daughter and 19 year old son. The rooms are perfect and don’t feel small at all.

    The biggest plus, is not sharing buses with other resorts. It is straight to the parks and back.

    Can’t wait!!!

  17. Hello Jack!

    Thank you for a POP fix! Our family has stayed at most of the deluxe resorts but also really loves POP for all the reasons you mentioned but mainly because it is just fun! Full Disney immersion! Love seeing the newly renovated rooms. Looking forward to the Art of Animation Resort!

  18. Great review Jack!!

    I made my first trip to WDW in 12 years this month and stayed on property for the first time ever. I was disappointed that we could not afford a fancier hotel — Until we arrived at the Pop.

    I don’t know how to describe it, but the feeling one gets there is warm, welcome and friendly. The property feels intimate and even if your room is on the lake, you really don’t have a long walk to the food court.

    Next time we come back, we will stay here again. I like the idea of saving money on our room and splurging on the Deluxe dining plan!

  19. Hey Jack,

    Thank you for bringing Pop Century to life! I have never stayed at this resort, but thanks to your descriptive writing and fine videography, I want to book a weekend getaway at Pop!

    I definitely want to check out the “E” Ticket attraction in the lobby. Wonder what they have for 1989, my birth year??

    The details used on the huge icons are amazing. I love it! It seems a lot of thought went into the 50s, 60s and 70s sections and the 80s and 90s were hurriedly completed. Of course, a lot more went on in those three decades, so that’s probably why.

    Judging from the details of this resort, I cannot wait for the Art of Animation resort to be completed!

    -Kirstin

  20. Jack,

    I agree with you–I really enjoy Pop for its own special reasons, even though I have stayed at the Grand and several of the moderate resorts. All the Disney resorts have their own unique sprinkling of pixie dust that you just cannot find at other hotels in the area.

    I just have one note to add to your blog. I was told during my December 2009 trip that all the King bed rooms are handicap accessible rooms, meaning there is no tub in the shower, the bed is very low to the ground, etc. Great for those with special needs, but couples without special needs they might want to stick with a double bed room instead.

    Great blog once again!

  21. Great post! We just got back yesterday. Pop is our favorite. We’ve stayed at many of the other resorts, actually we only have about 4 hotels left before saying we’ve stayed everywhere. We’re only in the room from about 11pm to 7am, with a “nap” possibly for a hour or two in the afternoon. It’s a great value, the food court’s hours fits into our lifestyle, and it has it’s own buses. To me its hard to stay anywhere else. You just have to smile when you see that all of the props are larger than life.

  22. Hey Jack!

    Pop Century is our “Home” resort; it’s the only place we ever stay.
    We usually stay for just 1 or 2-nights at a time because it’s only a 75 min. drive from home….our other home, I mean. 😉

    Every single time upon our arrival as I make the turn into the entrance, we go thru the same ritual: After yelling “we’re here!” I proceed to read the signs as if it’s the first time we’ve ever been there.
    “ooh, look…they’ve got color TV!” and “Hey! the rooms are even air-conditioned…fancy shmancy.”
    It’s a great way to start a Disney vacation because the “whimsy” starts before you even get to the Magic Kingdom.

    Thanks again for another Super Great blog. ~ Johnny.

  23. We leave for Pop century in 2 days & I am soooo excited! We’ve only ever stayed at the all star resorts & when we found out that pop was a value resort AND had their own bus route, I couldn’t resist trying it out! Now after reading your blog I am even more excited! I’d love to see a birds eye view of the resort to see just how far a walk it will be to the buses from each building..my MIL is coming too & has a bad knee, so I’m hoping our room isn’t too far away…we didn’t add the cost of a preferred room…but we did get a free dining plan (another first) so we are excited about that!
    I’m also happy to see so many other comments that are ALL positive about Pop Century!! 9 days may not be enough!!!

  24. Thanks for your great review and pictures! We love staying at Pop Century and are staying there again at the end of May.
    Do you happen to know if any other areas have been refurbished besides the 70’s?

  25. Hi Jack! My family and I just stayed here for 5 nights last November. Like you, I enjoy staying at all the resorts for different reasons. (We have stayed at almost all of them, minus the DVC resorts). Pop Century was a lot of fun. We enjoyed walking around, posing with the different characters and icons. There was so much to do and so much to see. We too had a preferred room, which made proximity nice. The only downside for us, was the cafeteria. It was always clean, never had a problem finding seats, and food selection is great. It’s just REALLY loud. Or, I’m just getting old. 🙂 We are looking forward to the Wilderness Lodge in July, and hopefully, the Beach Club in November…

  26. Hi Jack!

    I loved the blog! This resort has special meaning to me, as it was the resort I stayed at during a solo trip back in 2006. I absolutely loved it and will always have special memories of the fun atmosphere. Thanks for a great blog!

    Tracy

  27. Thanks Jack for another great review.

    I love the POP. It really feels like home now. I stayed there in 2009 for a week and just this March again for 5 days until I moved to the Wilderness Lodge for 2 days, and I
    must say I was very pleased with my preferred room. It was in the 50’s building and that was neat as I was born in that era.
    I know the higher priced hotels have more choices for restaurants, but the Pop’s food court and HUGE Everything POP shop really spoils you, especially since they both stay open until much later than most resorts. I just have one tiny complaint and I am glad you brought it up in one of your other blogs. I can live with the thin-ish towels and the lack of bathroom beauty products, but the toilet paper and tissues are really not the best (like sandpaper after a couple of days) so I may be forced to bring my own the next trip.
    I am also glad Disney is utilizing the buildings across the lake. I am looking forward to the new hotel. I just hope that it will have its own bus service. Having the Pop bus to ourselves is really great.

  28. Thanks so much for this update of the Pop Century. We’re experienced Disneyers but traveling here for the first time in less than a month (June 16). This makes it even more exciting. loved the whole blog

    Susan

  29. Thanks Jack! Your review was perfect timing for us. We are taking our boys to Disney for their first trip this fall and staying at Pop for the first time. Love your posts!

    Dana

  30. Hi Jack! I look forward to every blog you write. My husband and I have not stayed at Pop Century, but have always wanted to. We are DVC members so we stay quite a bit at our home resorts. However, in October we finally will get to stay at The Grand Floridian. This resort has eluded us for years (price of course!). Anyway, after our stay there, Pop Century will be the only resort we haven’t visited. I definitely would love to read a blog about your visit(s) to The Grand Floridian!

  31. Great review Jack! This was a great reminder in the middle of my workday that I will be at Pop in less than a month. 🙂

    One thing that may or may not matter to people considering a stay at Pop: out of all of the Value Resorts, Pop seems to house the lowest number of tour/school groups. I am not sure if WDW purposely reserves this resort for families, if it is simply coincidence (I have seen only one group at Pop over the course of several trips, while the All-Star bus stops have been full of them), or if the spacing makes groups less noticeable. I have nothing against groups–I did Magic Music Days twice with my high school marching band, a dream come true–but my family has found Pop to be a little less hectic than the All-Stars as a result.

    Have a magical day!

  32. Great blog as always Jack, thanks so much. Do you have a preference as to which section you stay in I wonder? Do you actually get a choice even? What are your views on the decision not to go ahead with Phase 2? This does seem a shame but the new resort in the planning looks fun.

    As we own a timeshare condo off Highway 192 we tend not to stay on Disney property when on vacation but hubby and I treated ourselves to 10 nights at The Grand Floridian for our Silver Wedding Anniversary. This was, of course, amazing but I see where you are coming from when you say The Pop Century is just as special in it’s own way, great for kids and adults alike.

    Thanks again Jack for bringing the Magic that bit closer!
    Nicki

  33. Jack,
    Great blog on Pop Century and very accurate. I just came back this Sat. from 10 days at Pop.

    My favorite resort is Wilderness Lodge but when looking for value I stay here–about 10 times. I usually travel alone and this resort is great if you don’t require much room. Find it easy to work around the breakfast crowd. Also my opinion is that this resort has the BEST bus service of any resort on property!! Also at 10 P.M. I reported the ice machine had not been working all day on my floor at it was fixed the next afternoon. Great value for the price plus the extra perks of Magic hours etc.

  34. Nicely done!! 🙂

    Your selection of music for the video was very well done.
    I always look forward to your blogs.

    Like always you put much time and effort into your work.
    I always thought it curious that they kept that old building across the lake. Looking forward to the new resort. Mostly for more options for value suites since we are a family of six.

  35. Thanks! That was great info. I’d never considered staying there before. I’ve never seen pictures and the descriptions just didn’t intrigue me. Usually we stay at the moderate/deluxe resorts but I would stay here with the kids for a few days of just hanging out at the pools! They would love it.

  36. Jack,
    I am enjoying your review of these resorts. Are you planning to do this with all the Disney resorts? I sure hope so! Thanks.

  37. I love POP! We’ve stayed at more expensive Disney properties but this resort is just too fun not to enjoy. Thanks for the blog entry.

  38. Hi Jack,

    Thanks for another great review…I hope you continue doing this for all the Disney resorts because there is nothing better than reading your reviews, seeing your photos and videos. You do a really great job setting the scene so to speak.

    Pop Century looks interesting but I’m not sure I could be swayed from Riverside…you definitely made it more appealing than I thought though. The room looks a lot smaller than those at the moderates so I’m surprised it’s only a 55 sq foot difference.

    I also didn’t realize that the fridges weren’t in the rooms free of charge…that is so handy.

    Keep the reviews coming,
    Wendy

  39. My husband and I have been to Walt Disney World close to 40 times and have stayed in resorts at all levels, but Pop Century is our all-time favorite! Watching your video tour was like going home. This summer we will have four teenage grandchildren with us. I’m sending your blog to them so they can have a sneak preview to the magic that awaits. Thank you for the wonderful article.

  40. Jack:

    I caught a typo in your introduction. The word you were looking for is ‘kitsch,’ not ‘ketch.’ A ketch is a type of sailing vessel. I think you were going for the artistic style.

    Sorry, I’m an English teacher. I almost pulled out a red pen and circled the word on my screen. 😉

    THANKS!

  41. I think the word you want above is “kitsch.” A ketch is a boat. Otherwise, beautiful pictures, brings back great memories of my recent stay there, which was as fun as you say!

  42. Hi Jack,
    (I meant to ask)I noticed that the numbers/letters are missing from the Jukebox. Do you know if they will return? That stuck out to me when I saw the picture…
    Thanks, David

  43. hey jack
    great blog on Pop Century. My family and I stayed there last year and we loved it. we also had a preferred room which was great because it was close to everything. We are also planning to stay there next time we visit. Can’t wait for your next blog and as always keep up the great work.

  44. Jack,
    You really took me back to my Jan 09 vacation. I strongly recommend Pop to any budget conscious traveler because of the wonderful and whimsical decor. One thing you forgot to mention is the Tie-dye cheesecake found in the food court. Its so colorful and adds just another small detail to that fun factor. I highly urge anyone staying to splurge on this treat.

  45. Hi Jack!! we stayed there last January and I loved it (last time, Feb/08 was All Star Movies) I have a picture of my children in every spot you posted here, we loved walk around the lake searching for our year (my son is a 2000 kid, and he was very upset about it)

    You can imagine, here (in Argentina) a dollar cost almost $ 4, so the only resorts we can afford are the values (we stay 12 nights each night)but we enjoyed very much to stay on property. Thank you again for your post!!!

  46. Hey there Jack,

    I can see I need to stay next time at Pop Century! It looks like a lot of fun. My brother, who lives in Orlando, was telling me last weekend about the “ghost town” of the legendary years resort that was just sitting there and the plans for the new animation resort. I think the new resort will be nice but it does seem a shame to not finish Pop Century also. I would have loved to have seen the icons selected for the first half of the twentieth century.

    Thanks for all the great photos,

    Clare

  47. Jack-Jack!

    You have chosen a Disney Resort wisely (I humbly head bow). We’ve stayed at POP on several occasions and it’s always been great!

    With Linda and I (just 2 adults) the small 260 square foot rooms are fine. Now, they do fill up fast if there’s more people. But if you’re doing your Disney World vacation right you’re never in your room anyways.

    We like buildings 4 and 5 in the 60’s.

    4th floor.

    Facing the lake.

    It’s nice and quiet up there with a great view.

    And when you leave your room, it’s a straight shot past the Hippy Dippy pool and through the food court and then on to the bus stop or parking lot.

    Why is that a big deal?

    Every time you leave your room you get that Disney – pow! – when you come and go. And it makes it really easy to get your money’s worth from that resort refillable mug if you’re always walking right by the soda machines.

    Jack-Jack, you have once again demonstrated that you are the ultimate black-belt ninja of the Disney blogosphere. Someone has to be the best and that’s you, my man.

    And the video is pretty cool, too.

    Dave

  48. I love Pop Century. You described it correctly, fun. I’m glad to hear about the opening of the resort where the Legendary years was going to be. I had heard that Pop Century was going to be re-themed to match a new resort.I’m glad it is staying the way it is.

  49. I am really enjoying the resorts that you are doing. I am really missing a lot by staying only at 3 resorts. OKW, AKL, and Kidani. I need to go down and stay at one of the value resorts. I think the grand kids would enjoy that. Great job again. Enjoy the video and all the info. Can’t wait until the next resort. Keep doing what your doing. Thanks

  50. Thanks Jack! My 4 year old and I just had a blast reliving our memories. We have stayed at the Pop Century on our last two trips and loved it. I agree it really is a fun place to stay especially with young children, they sure don’t care about the amenities and would rather you spend the extra money on other things. The nostalgia makes it fun for adults too. For the amount of time you spend in the room, the size really is just fine for a family of four and they are just as clean as any other Disney resort. We found that if you leave a nice tip, they leave something new made out of towels everyday. As far as the transportation, it is great that you don’t have to share buses with another resort and the bus rides are part of the adventure for our boys. Do you think that when they complete the new resort across hour glass lake that they will share buses? Thanks again for the great video and pictures. My four year old asked if we could go back today, unfortunately I had to tell him no but hopefully soon.

    Debbie

  51. Jack,

    Great job. This is my favorite resort and you made it feel like I was there. I never noticed the weight limit sticker on the Big Wheel. I will definitely look for it next time. Plus, you are right. When you arrive you feel like you should start having fun right away.

    Thanks.

  52. Jack,

    As usual, another great, detail-filled blog. My family and I just got home from a week-long stay at Pop Century (our rooms were just to the right of Mowgli and Baloo, on the first floor). As you noted, what Pop Century lacks in deluxe amenities, it makes up for in just plain fun. We had a great time!

    As a side note: the arcade was scheduled for refurbishment just after we left (starting on the 10th of March). It will be interesting to see how that turns out.

    Thanks again.

    Neil