Pop Century is a value resort and the first of three resorts we stayed at during our trip. Value Resorts are great for families who will be spending most of the day in the parks. There are less amenities, but you still receive the incredible Disney service and cleanliness. Pop Century also has ‘larger than life’ statues themed around Pop Culture. It absolutely has a kid friendly and super fun vibe that is perfect for families.

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The Room:

Our room was in the 90s building, which is pretty far from the main building, main pool, and Skyliner. It was nice and quiet out where we were, and the smaller pool outside of our building was never busy! The couple of walks we took to the front of the resort wasn’t a huge issue, but if going for a long time, it may get a bit annoying to walk every time you want a drink refill. If you’re looking for a room closer to the main pool and Skyliner, we recommend requesting the 60’s building! 70’s buildings are also a bit closer. The rooms were renovated just a few years ago. No carpeting, big screen TV, glass sliding shower doors, and bigger beds! There is now one queen bed and one pull down Murphy queen bed. These replace the two full beds that used to occupy the space. The rooms are definitely tight, especially with the Murphy bed pulled down. When the second bed is not pulled down, it has a nice little table. If I was going away by myself or with my husband and had to work from the resort, Pop would actually be a great little location due to the configuration! If I was traveling with more than 2-3 people the room would be pretty tight, especially with luggage and whatnot, but the renovated rooms are lightyears nicer than the old rooms. They do have a mini refrigerator and coffee maker available as well as ample storage space!

Transportation:

We loved that Pop Century now has the Skyliner. The busses are honestly not our favorite, and Pop Century having the Skyliner was a MAJOR plus! We left for Epcot around noon and there was no line whatsoever. We did have to transfer at the Caribbean Beach hub, but It is extremely easy and straightforward. It is about a 10 minute total ride to Hollywood Studios and 16 minutes to Epcot from boarding! There are lines in the morning, so we recommend arriving early – Skyliner starts running one hour prior to park time, and we recommend being at the station at least a half hour prior to that. The other option would be to wait until after the park opens and the lines start to dissipate pretty quickly! The only downside of the Skyliner is that if there are storms in the area, they stop running. This happened to us when we were in Epcot! We ended up walking to Beach Club and grabbing an Uber as we were all the way in the back of the park when we found out they were not running. The other alternative was to walk to the front of the park and wait for the bus. Since we didn’t know if it would start pouring again, we opted for the Uber! Keep an eye on the weather forecast and have a backup plan just in case.

The resort is pretty centrally located, so bus rides to the parks or Disney Springs are not super long. We didn’t ride the bus during this trip, but we have seen that they are hiring coach busses to take folks to the parks. This is due to spacing and being able to get more people to the parks faster. Although it is not the same Disney experience, we appreciate Disney noticing this is an issue and working to be more efficient while still keeping their guests safe.

Food:

The food courts at the Value Resorts are chaotic and absolutely wonderful. While the menus are significantly reduced in Covid times, they BY FAR have always had the largest menus and most options. When I was younger, I had stayed at value resorts for cheer competitions, senior trip, and on a few trips with my aunt. I remember always loving the food court because of the sheer amount of choices that were available. I do find now with Deluxe resorts that the menus are a bit more limited and ‘complex.’ It may be harder for a picky eater to find something they love at the Deluxe resorts. Pop Century always has the staples! Whenever someone asks us which resort we recommend, we always advise them to check the QS menus. Even if you have no set plans to eat at the resort, it is always important to know there’s something there you can eat and enjoy should plans change! Now for the chaotic part… there is something about the Pop Century breakfast rush that gives me heart palpitations and a huge rush of nostalgia. We have observed that most guests who stay at the value resorts are hitting the parks EARLY and therefore the food court would become quickly packed and slightly overwhelming. While this has changed due to Mobile Ordering, it is one of those memories and feelings that sticks with you forever. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Movile Ordering – since reopening last July, Disney has required Mobile Ordering for *most* quick service locations. You have to utilize the My Disney Experience app to select a time frame, food selections, and check out. You then go to the QS location during your selected time frame and ‘check in’ through the app. It is super simple and honestly our favorite new way to order. The only issue is that you are unable to customize some things (aka coffee, the most important thing LOL), but it has made the entire process super easy and quick for us personally! Once you pick up your food, you’re able to sit down and eat in the massive food court area. I will warn that the Disney prices do not end in the parks. I purchased a hot coffee, water bottle, and side of bacon for about $11.00.

Shopping:

Pop Century has a store attached to their dining location with merchandise, toiletries, OTC medicine, sunscreen, luggage, etc. Really anything your heart desires! Disney has always made it super easy to stay “inside the bubble” so to speak and these stores within the resorts seal the deal. Disney has pretty much thought of everything one would need last minute. If there is anything that they don’t have, you can order from Amazon and have it shipped to the resort! Just remember that they charge $6 per package. We found the newest Minnie ears during our trip, so they really keep the shops well stocked with the newest, hottest items.

Pools:

As we said before, our room was right next to one of the three pools at the resort. It is computer themed and was very quiet the few times we passed on a Saturday and Sunday. The main pool is ‘Hippy Dippy’ themed and was definitely the busiest. The pools here do not have any slides or extras, but they are totally sufficient to splash around and lay in the sun! Children’s Activities are located at the main ‘Hippy Dippy’ pool, but not at the smaller pools. They bring music, trivia, and more for adults and kids alike.

Overall:

Overall Pop Century is an awesome, budget friendly option. If frills or amenities are not important, Pop Century cannot be beat. Skyliner access to two parks seals the deal, and we would definitely recommend Pop Century over the other value resorts due to this alone. The grounds are immaculate, and the new rooms are clean and updated.

Any other questions about the resort or our stay? Drop them below!!

FAST FACTS:

Rooms –

• One queen size bed, one pull down queen size bed. Multiple views available

Transportation –

• Bus to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs
• Disney’s Skyliner to Hollywood Studios in Epcot

Dining –

• Quick Service (no sit down dining available)
  • Everything POP Shopping and Dining – Open Daily 7am – 10pm

Shopping –

• Everything POP Shopping and Dining  – Open Daily 7am – 10pm

Pools –

• Three pools total