Disney's POP CENTURY RESORT Information & Questions

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5 more weeks til Pop! I'm looking forward to Pop even more than usual this trip - we just purchased DVC so we won't get to stay at Pop very often anymore which makes me a bit sad! We'll have to add on a few nights to our DVC stays sometimes to get our Pop fix :flower1:
That's EXACTLY what we're doing in Dec.
 


In mid-June, DH & I will be staying on WDW property for the first time since 2011! It will also be our first time at Pop and I had a few questions even after searching through the message threads. We booked a Standard Room as we won't be in the room that much, but I am a little unsure of what to request regarding location.

1) Anyone know if ALL the room refurbishments will be all done by June and actual building choice won't matter? I was reading that some of the 1950s rooms were really bad.

2) Speaking of location, I keep hearing lake view and top floor is quietest due to the new laminate floors and away from pool areas. Frankly, I'm more concerned about bus stop location and walking to/from the room for long park days, but if the sound is "that bad" is it better to request top floor/lake view?

3) I personally was leaning toward requesting building 1 (1950s) but is building 7 (1970s) better or about the same? We aren't planning on doing laundry, but i know 1970s buildings don't have a close laundry. But just in case...(maybe I kinda answered my own question with that lol)

4) I read that some of the moderates and up resorts have TVs that tell you when the next bus is arriving. I assume that is not the case for value resorts like Pop?

5) Fingers crossed that the gondola will be done by June, but anyone have any further info on when that is supposed to be completed? I keep hearing mid-2019 but that could mean anywhere from June-August.

Thanks in advance for all your help! I always enjoy planning Disney trips. :-)
 
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In mid-June, DH & I will be staying on WDW property for the first time since 2011! It will also be our first time at Pop and I had a few questions even after searching through the message threads. We booked a Standard Room as we won't be in the room that much, but I am a little unsure of what to request regarding location.

1) Anyone know if ALL the room refurbishments will be all done by June and actual building choice won't matter? I was reading that some of the 1950s rooms were really bad.

2) Speaking of location, I keep hearing lake view and top floor is quietest due to the new laminate floors and away from pool areas. Frankly, I'm more concerned about bus stop location and walking to/from the room for long park days, but if the sound is "that bad" is it better to request top floor/lake view?

3) I personally was leaning toward requesting building 1 (1950s) but is building 7 (1970s) better or about the same? We aren't planning on doing laundry, but i know 1970s buildings don't have a close laundry. But just in case...(maybe I kinda answered my own question with that lol)

4) I read that some of the moderates and up resorts have TVs that tell you when the next bus is arriving. I assume that is not the case for value resorts like Pop?

5) Fingers crossed that the gondola will be done by June, but anyone have any further info on when that is supposed to be completed? I keep hearing mid-2019 but that could mean anywhere from June-August.

Thanks in advance for all your help! I always enjoy planning Disney trips. :-)

Hi @spiderann, Happy to help you out as it seems in your quest to research answers you may have come across some outdated information.

1. All Pop rooms were refurbished and open for guests as of August of this year.

2. How noisy the rooms are seems to be a combination of how sensitive people are to noise and how insensitive their neighbours are! ;) If you are sensitive to noise then requesting a top floor is a good idea. The standard rooms do not face pools so that shouldn’t be a noise concern regardless of where you are placed. I find Pop to be very quiet.

3. Just helping clarify here. I believe you mean building 1 in the 50’s and building 10 in the 70’s if you are looking for close to Classic Hall and the buses. Building 7 is part of the 80’s section and has some of the furthest rooms from Classic Hall and the buses.

4. I cannot remember if the bus times were on the tv as I did not use that feature on the tv if they were there. The resort bus times are available on your MyDisneyExperience app so will be at your fingertips not only when in your room but also places like the food court or shopping area. It is not uncommon for buses to arrive (and depart) earlier than displayed so I would not plan to arrive just as the bus is scheduled to arrive.

5. The opening date of the gondolas has not been announced although they are coming along nicely. The information you have is the most accurate that is out there. If anyone tries to tell you differently right now it is truly their best guess so take it with a grain of salt.

Happy to help answer any more questions that might Pop up! :D
 


Thanks @scrappinginontario! Yes that was a typo about building 7. I meant 10.

Ive been researching some more and touringplans.com keeps recommending building 6.

Anyone make a room request through them before? How is it different from requesting yourself through Disney directly?
 
Thanks @scrappinginontario! Yes that was a typo about building 7. I meant 10.

Ive been researching some more and touringplans.com keeps recommending building 6.

Anyone make a room request through them before? How is it different from requesting yourself through Disney directly?
I
see the main difference is that with TP i can request an actual room rather than just a decade/building.

That being said, I’ve found this past year that often my room requests are not able to be granted, at least with first room assignment of a trip. I’m guessing this could be due to Pop running at capacity.

In each of the last 4 trips (2 mine, two friend’s trips do they made requests) we called Disney plus had TP Fax over the same request but with an actual room number included. None of our room locations were granted and only one was even close. I don’t know if others have been experiencing this but since the refurbishments my experience with the first room assignment they send me has been very different from request.

1. Jan 2018 requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 7. Kept the room assigned but will not again as it was just too far for us from Classic Hall and buses. (I’m not one who enjoys walking through the parking lot to get to buses so took the long route and walked around.)

2. Aug 2018 requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 8. Requested a reassignment and was given bldg 4.

3. Aug 2018 Requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 5. This was still 60’s section so happily kept this.

4. Aug 2018 Requested body 4, was again assigned bldg 7. Oh no! Did not want to do that long haul again. Requested reassignment and was given an amazing location in bldg 6 which we loved!!

So, two things to take from this.
1. Called in/faxed requests are only that - requests

2. Don’t be afraid to request a reassignment. You may need to wait longer for room to be ready (or even be willing to move rooms after your first night) but Pop CMs smare happy to move you if they can.
 
I
see the main difference is that with TP i can request an actual room rather than just a decade/building.

That being said, I’ve found this past year that often my room requests are not able to be granted, at least with first room assignment of a trip. I’m guessing this could be due to Pop running at capacity.

In each of the last 4 trips (2 mine, two friend’s trips do they made requests) we called Disney plus had TP Fax over the same request but with an actual room number included. None of our room locations were granted and only one was even close. I don’t know if others have been experiencing this but since the refurbishments my experience with the first room assignment they send me has been very different from request.

1. Jan 2018 requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 7. Kept the room assigned but will not again as it was just too far for us from Classic Hall and buses. (I’m not one who enjoys walking through the parking lot to get to buses so took the long route and walked around.)

2. Aug 2018 requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 8. Requested a reassignment and was given bldg 4.

3. Aug 2018 Requested bldg 4, was assigned bldg 5. This was still 60’s section so happily kept this.

4. Aug 2018 Requested body 4, was again assigned bldg 7. Oh no! Did not want to do that long haul again. Requested reassignment and was given an amazing location in bldg 6 which we loved!!

So, two things to take from this.
1. Called in/faxed requests are only that - requests

2. Don’t be afraid to request a reassignment. You may need to wait longer for room to be ready (or even be willing to move rooms after your first night) but Pop CMs smare happy to move you if they can.
Ive only been to WDW twice but both times my room requests weren't granted. We stayed at POP and AOA. I'm not expecting my request to be granted this time either. Just hoping for it I guess. I'm just happy to stay here i guess.
 
I’m back in Michigan. Had a great trip and enjoyed Pop a lot. We were in room 3152. It was a great location in the 50’s section. For our room and the one next to us, the doors were not angled like nearly every other room. That gave a bit more extra room inside. We did not have a connecting room. We also had a tub in the bathroom. DD and I had fun playing corn hole by the main pool with a couple of frozen adult beverages. Bus transportation was great. Never waited more than about 10 minutes. We went to MK this morning and the bus was full by the time we got near the front of the line. The driver said another bus would be there within 5 to 7 minutes. He was right.

We are going back in December but staying at Yacht Club. I can certainly recommend Pop and will stay there again. I tried answering questions whilst we were there, but will answer more if anyone has any I can address.

Special thanks to @scrappinginontario for her dedication to this thread! ❤️
 
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I’m back in Michigan. Had a great trip and enjoyed Pop a lot. We were in room 3152. It was a great location in the 50’s section. For our room and the one next to us, the doors were not angled like nearly every other room. That gave a bit more extra room inside. We did not have a connecting room. We also had a tub in the bathroom. DD and I had fun playing corn hole by the main pool with a couple of frozen adult beverages. Bus transportation was great. Never waited more than about 10 minutes. We went to MK this morning and the bus was full by the time we got near the front of the line. The driver said another bus would be there within 5 to 7 minutes. He was right.

We are going back in December but staying at Yacht Club. I can certainly recommend Pop and will stay there again. I tried answering questions whilst we were there, but will answer more if anyone has any I can address.

Special thanks to @scrappinginontario for her dedication to this thread! ❤️
Thanks so much! My dd and I love Pop and enjoy helping others have a great time there too! So glad you had such a great time at Pop!! How fun to be counting down to your next trip so quickly! We’re Disney bound in December also.
 
We just booked a stay at Pop Century a few nights ago so now I'm in planning mode! We did Disney about 3 years ago and went with friends. We managed to go during the free dining promo and it was our first trip with kids, so we went all out. Stayed a week at CBR, had the meal plan so did lots of character meals, did the photo pass thing. Our upcoming trip will be more of a budget trip. DH booked a 3 night stay at Hilton Grand Vacations to do a timeshare presentation (only going for the free lodging, not interested in purchasing a timeshare!). We will start there on a Wed.-Sat. at the end of March, then move to Pop Century for 3 nights. I got 4 days of tickets so that we can do parks on F-M, travel home Tuesday. I'd love any advice on where to request our room in Pop Century (prefer close to the shuttle stop - after a long day at the park, we are all tired and my 10 and 12 yr. old are now too big for us to carry back to the room if they fall asleep on the shuttle!), as well as dining on a budget tips since we are not planning on doing the meal plan this time. The girls have requested that we try to get reservations in the West Wing at BOG, other than that we will likely do quick service while in the park. And I'll bring along cereal and instant oatmeal for breakfasts in our room. Are there mini fridges and/or microwaves at Pop Century? Last time we also got fruit, yogurt, milk, bread, etc. delivered from Garden Grocer, though we may just try to pick that stuff up locally on our own since we are starting at the Hilton. One more Q: our check out time at Hilton is 11 am, but we want to head to one of the parks that day. Can we leave our luggage at check in at Pop Century before our room is ready? Thanks for the help!
 
Others who are far more knowledgeable than I will answer your questions re room location, etc. I just wanted to tell you to BE STRONG when you go to the timeshare presentation, because timeshare salespersons are experts at keeping you there longer than you expected and convincing you to buy. If the session is supposed to last a certain amount of time, set your phone to ring at that time so that you know when you can leave and not incur charges for your stay. The forums at tug2.net have lots of information about HGVC as well as dealing with timeshare sales. TUG (Timeshare Users Group) also has listings for resales, and it can be helpful to have a few printouts showing what HGVC resales are going for (the question to ask the sales person is “why should I pay you $xxxx when I could buy the same thing resale for $yy?”). Good luck and enjoy your stay at HGVC and at Pop!
 
Others who are far more knowledgeable than I will answer your questions re room location, etc. I just wanted to tell you to BE STRONG when you go to the timeshare presentation, because timeshare salespersons are experts at keeping you there longer than you expected and convincing you to buy. If the session is supposed to last a certain amount of time, set your phone to ring at that time so that you know when you can leave and not incur charges for your stay. The forums at tug2.net have lots of information about HGVC as well as dealing with timeshare sales. TUG (Timeshare Users Group) also has listings for resales, and it can be helpful to have a few printouts showing what HGVC resales are going for (the question to ask the sales person is “why should I pay you $xxxx when I could buy the same thing resale for $yy?”). Good luck and enjoy your stay at HGVC and at Pop!

Thanks for the heads up. We've done two TS presentations before, one for RCA that we were dumb and bought into, then got home and regretted it so called and canceled within the 3 day cancellation period. Other one we did at Massenutten and we knew going in to be strong and not show any weakness! Planning on setting an alarm on my phone and having the kids start to whine/complain when the allotted time is up!
 
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