You thought it was impossible, but Pop Century is getting worse

[Another Voice]

The core problem with Pop Century is not its appearance, its location or any class warfare diatribe. The main problem is that Disney didn’t even try with this project. Personal tastes have nothing to do with the disappointment most people feel, it’s simply that once again Disney has let everyone down.

At its best, PC is simply a cheap knock-off of the All Star Resorts. Same concept but with even less imagination and effort put into it. Where is the creativity in the design? Where are the “only Disney could think of this” aspects of the project? Where is the novelty? Where is there any indication that this place is at WDW and not in the middle of Branson?*

Where the purpose of Disney was to “…be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world”, the design goal of Pop Century seems to be “well, someone’s going to like it”.

PC is nothing but a big glittering icon of the current management philosophy – all we have to do is to put the DISNEY® name on something. Trouble is the public is smarter than that even without the “taste police” having to blow the whistle.


* - I did not mean to offend Branson.

 

[HorizonsFan]

I did not mean to offend Branson.

Darn. I was just about to declare you the winner!

 

[Tartan Tigger]

Originally posted by Bstanley


But one of the things that always surprises me when I visit WDW is that about 50% of the folks visiting WDW are from outside the US. Is it possible that the Pop Century buildings - clownish caricatures of real resort buildings - actually fit in with a foreign visitors view of what America is? You know - the land of McDonald's, Pink Flamigos, etc?

As a visitor from the UK I would like to say that I don't think of America as McDonalds and Pink Flamingos I don't fancy staying here myself but if I could get it cheaper than the All Stars then I would. We always book a package holiday to WDW as it is easier to do. Unfortunatley we don't get all the great room rates that you guys get and every penny counts.

I am staying at All Star Movies for 14 nights in July. There will be 2 adults and the total cost of this holiday is approx $4140. If I were to stay at a moderate this price would almost double.

 

[All Aboard]

HorizonsFan, the comparison to South of the Border was not a knock on the folks from Mexico, rather the unsightly tourist trap that sits on I-95 at the border of North and South Carolina. True, it is "themed" to Mexico (very loosely) but is on its own one gawdawful ugly place.

Follow this link to see just what South of the Border is like

 

[space42]

You know it has to be bad when even members of car#1 don't like it! *

Sounds like someone should make an amendment to the car#1 description. "The magic is as strong as ever except for Pop Century"

*no offense to car #1 people intended

 

[eeyore0062]

Wassup, Word Up, Let's do Lunch, Dude...

--- and these are just the phrases I would love NOT to be reminded of!

I think that the original concept was cute, but they are taking it much too far. They may have needed a new value resort at the time construction started, but this is ... uh ... tacky!
I wasn't overly fond of All Stars, but they are looking like the Hyatt in comparison!

 

[Lesley]

I believe that one post was referring to truck drivers, not those who live in trailers...but I could be wrong! And gcurling has taken care of the South of the Border reference (for further info see the infamous "funky chicken" thread where this was first covered)

 

[HorizonsFan]

Well, so far this thread has insulted people who live in manufactured housing and Mexicans.

Apparently this post needed one of these:
I'll be more careful in the future.

 

[Doug123]

I, too, do not like to judge things without seeing for myself. However, I can say that I have a general concern about Disney's apparent direction toward "cheap." They might do ok in the short run with this philosophy, but it WILL hurt them in the long run.