Disney's POP CENTURY RESORT Information & Questions

[StageTek]

We are visiting at the end of March and I'm starting to worry about using the skyliner. Early entry for some days is 7:30. The thought of being up, dressed, fed, and in line at 6 am just doesn't sound doable with two teens.

Please reassure me before I start to lose my mind. LOL

If getting up, dressed and fed isn't doable to be in line at 6AM what time do you think you CAN get everyone up, dressed and fed?

 

[bluezy]

Yeah, I understand that. We like to get all the big rides out of the way in the morning so we aren't in long lines first thing. We have been staying at Boardwalk the past 5 years (minus covid year), so dealing with the skyliner is stressing me out. The last time we stayed at POP was pre-skyliner, so just anxious I guess.

Just wanting to set expectations so there are no surprises, they function (the teens) better that way.

Thanks for the great thread!

I'm not sure if this will apply to your situation, but I'll share my family's experience with the Skyliner for rope drop at DHS this past June. We were staying at AoA, but that doesn't really change anything other than we had to walk a little further to get to the end of the line since it wraps over to the Pop Century side of the bridge. Early entry at DHS was 8:00 for us that week. I wanted to be in line by 6:45 at the latest (actually, I wanted to be in line by 6:30 but got major pushback from DH & the kids on that one) but our "kids" (ages 17, 22, & 23 at the time) were not moving as fast as I would have liked them to that morning. We didn't get out to the Skyliner until almost 7:00 (one hour before EE opening). Our older son and his family (including a 5 yo and a 5mo) were in line for Skyliner by 6:50 (they stayed at Pop) and just about to board as we got in line. At that point, the line was wrapped back to building 3 of the 50's section. I thought our morning would be ruined because we'd be arriving too late to get on the rides we were hoping to knock out during that EE time. Full disclosure: We were not trying to get to RoTR as we were buying an ILL for that (which I did while standing in line). Our goal for that 30 minute EE was to ride ToT, RnR, and MMRR. Even though we were just getting in line at about 7:00 a.m., according to the time stamp on pictures I took that morning, we were already through security at DHS and standing in line at the tapstyles (about 50 people back) by 7:22. And I think we had already been standing there a minute or two before I took those pictures. By 7:42, we were walking down the street heading towards ToT. The members of our family who were riding ToT (everyone but me, DH, and our 5 mo grandson) were pretty close to the front of that line and they were actually off the ride by about 8:05. Our group was able to do ToT, RnR, and we were in line for MMRR (had a 15 minute wait at that point) before the park opened to the general public. It all worked out fine for us. Now, if we were planning to go to RoTR at rope drop, we probably would have been a bit further back in the crowd than I would have wanted to be. But the reality is, if RoTR was our goal, *I* would have been in line at the Skyliner by 6:30 with or without the kids. They would have been on their own and left to suffer the consequences of not getting up and ready early enough. Skyliner is very efficient and even when the line is super long, it moves very fast since it's constantly loading. Rope drop at DHS and leaving after the fireworks one night at EP were really the only times we had more than just a few families (if that) in front of us in line. We didn't do any rope drops at EP this trip so I don't have any info to share on that.

 

[CarolynFH]

But the reality is, if RoTR was our goal, *I* would have been in line at the Skyliner by 6:30 with or without the kids. They would have been on their own and left to suffer the consequences of not getting up and ready early enough.

Exactly!

 

[rhenkt]

I think how early you need to arrive also depends in your Genie+ and LL plans for the day. For example, for Epcot if you're getting Genie+ for Ratatouille and Frozen, which is quite doable, you don't even need to line up for Skyliner until 7ish. There's no pressing need to be at front of rope drop.

 

[finleyd]

I will be traveling with my 2 grandsons, ages 9 and 7 in October, I plan on doing Movies under the Stars. Do they still do the marshmallow roasting and the scavenger hunt. I thought they might enjoy this.

 

[DreaGirl]

I'm not sure if this will apply to your situation, but I'll share my family's experience with the Skyliner for rope drop at DHS this past June. We were staying at AoA, but that doesn't really change anything other than we had to walk a little further to get to the end of the line since it wraps over to the Pop Century side of the bridge. Early entry at DHS was 8:00 for us that week. I wanted to be in line by 6:45 at the latest (actually, I wanted to be in line by 6:30 but got major pushback from DH & the kids on that one) but our "kids" (ages 17, 22, & 23 at the time) were not moving as fast as I would have liked them to that morning. We didn't get out to the Skyliner until almost 7:00 (one hour before EE opening). Our older son and his family (including a 5 yo and a 5mo) were in line for Skyliner by 6:50 (they stayed at Pop) and just about to board as we got in line. At that point, the line was wrapped back to building 3 of the 50's section.

Thank you for typing this all out! This was very informative and puts me at ease. I talked to my kids and they are on board to get to the skyliner early the first few days so we can feel it out and then go from there.

 

[hdrolfe]

I did try searching but am probably using the wrong key words.
Does skyliner run after an After Hours party (at HS)? or do they use buses then?

 

[summerlvr]

I did try searching but am probably using the wrong key words.
Does skyliner run after an After Hours party (at HS)? or do they use buses then?

When I went to the AH in January, the Skyliner was closed after the event and they were running buses.

 

[brockash]

It's 60 min, right? So we could go grab breakfast, if it's open, and eat in line?

We brought breakfast to the line from our room. I don't think you'd have time to get something from the food court if hrs all stay same. Skyliner started loading at 7 and food court doesn't open til then.

 

[brockash]

I did try searching but am probably using the wrong key words.
Does skyliner run after an After Hours party (at HS)? or do they use buses then?

No, buses. Just did it last night. Bus was quick though.

 

[sarabguerra]

We brought breakfast to the line from our room. I don't think you'd have time to get something from the food court if hrs all stay same. Skyliner started loading at 7 and food court doesn't open til then.

That was my concern. One of my favorite things about Disney is that I can eat so well with my allergies. But if I want to take advantage of EE, I have to skip my favorite meal - GF Mickey Waffles!! And for the love of all things, we all need coffee before 7am! I do wish the quick service places were open earlier. 6am makes so much more sense, even if they had limited, prepackaged items for that first hour.

In all seriousness, I usually pack breakfast goodies for us to snack on in the AM, either in the room or on our way to the park, and we eat an early lunch in the park.

 

[WEDWDW]

That was my concern. One of my favorite things about Disney is that I can eat so well with my allergies. But if I want to take advantage of EE, I have to skip my favorite meal - GF Mickey Waffles!! And for the love of all things, we all need coffee before 7am! I do wish the quick service places were open earlier. 6am makes so much more sense, even if they had limited, prepackaged items for that first hour.

In all seriousness, I usually pack breakfast goodies for us to snack on in the AM, either in the room or on our way to the park, and we eat an early lunch in the park.

No Skyliner,but one cool advantage the All-Star Resorts have over Pop Century is that their Beverage Islands are available 24/7 for Mug use.

Also,their Food Courts open at 6:30 AM and "usually" one Register opens around 6:15 AM for Grab n Go purchases.

 

[StacyStrong]

Is the in room coffee a drip pot?

 

[StageTek]

Is the in room coffee a drip pot?

No. It's the Cuisinart 2-Cup Coffee Maker. It takes paper "pods".

 

[Scott R. Scherr]

No Skyliner,but one cool advantage the All-Star Resorts have over Pop Century is that their Beverage Islands are available 24/7 for Mug use.

Also,their Food Courts open at 6:30 AM and "usually" one Register opens around 6:15 AM for Grab n Go purchases.

Is it the Pop Century or All Star Resorts Food Court that opens at 6:30 a.m.?

 

[jcarwash]

Is it the Pop Century or All Star Resorts Food Court that opens at 6:30 a.m.?

Everything Pop: 7:00 am
All-Stars (End Zone, Intermission, World Premiere): 6:30 am

 

[Scott R. Scherr]

Everything Pop: 7:00 am
All-Stars (End Zone, Intermission, World Premiere): 6:30 am

Thanks!

 

[teach22180]

I thought you all might want a report from fhis week. First MK bus came today at 710 for a 830 extra hours. Skylines has been starting between 645 and 7 with 830 epcot and 800 DHS early entries.

 

[afan]

Checking in tomorrow for 5 nights!

 

[WEDWDW]

Checking in tomorrow for 5 nights!

Enjoy 5 nights of Groovy,Far Out,Pop Century Life!!!!