The decision on where to stay when you visit Walt Disney World is a difficult one. What are your main criteria? Budget? Location? Amenities? There’s a lot that goes into the decision to stay at a Disney Resorts Collection Hotel! Luckily for you, the MouseHouseNews.net team is continuing our resort review series to give you the inside scoop on what these resorts are like.
For our latest review, we visited Disney’s Pop Century Resort. This is the “Remember When” resort that reminds you of life in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. It is one of Disney’s five Value resorts, but only one of two Value resorts that also has Disney Skyliner access. This makes Pop Century one of the more sought-after resorts at Walt Disney World.
Resort Amenities
Disney’s Pop Century Resort is anchored by Classic Hall. Classic Hall is where you will find most of the resort’s main amenities. The check-in desks are located here along with Luggage Assistance, an arcade, restrooms, and a combined eatery/gift shop called Everything Pop Shopping & Dining. Classic Hall is also your gateway to the Disney bus hub at Pop Century. Bus destinations from Disney’s Pop Century include Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs (with connecting service to the water parks). Those heading to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios will need to use the Skyliner.
Pools
There are three pools at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. The feature pool, the Hippy Dippy Pool, is located behind Classic Hall. There is also a pool bar adjacent to the Hippy Dippy Pool called Petals Pool Bar. There are also quiet pools located at each end of the resort. The Bowling Pool is located in the 50s section while the Computer Pool is located in the 90s section.
Disney Skyliner
The Disney Skyliner is likely the biggest differentiator when people are deciding between value resorts. While most value resorts have similar amenities, access to the Disney Skyliner usually gives Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort an edge. These neighboring properties share a Skyliner station, which allows a direct route to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, with connection to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Skyliner is a great alternative to taking a crowded bus. For this convenience, rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort are more expensive than at Disney’s All-Star resorts.
Campfire Activities
Like most other Disney Resorts, you can enjoy a nice campfire nightly at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. When the sun goes down, make your way to the campfire area for some marshmallow roasting!
The Rooms
Rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort are categorized by room location and view. Standard rooms are in locations that are generally farther away from the epicenter of the resort, Classic Hall. Preferred rooms are closer to Classic Hall and offer a shorter walking distance. Those rooms are typically located in the 50s, 60s, and 70s section of the resort. Pool view rooms, as you would guess, have views that look out onto a pool area. All rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort have exterior doors and windows that look onto a common walkway, so privacy can be a bit of an issue when your windows are open.
The majority of rooms at Pop Century have a queen bed and a queen size table bed. The table bed can be used as a second queen bed, or you can keep it flipped up into the wall and use the table & chairs instead. This saves some space when two beds are unnecessary. There are a handful of rooms that have a single king bed as well. Being that this is a value resort, there’s not much to the rooms, but they will have most of what you need. As with other Disney resorts at Walt Disney World, there is a smart TV, phone, and Hey Disney interactive voice assistant device. There are ample power outlets and USB charging ports for most needs, and there are floating nightstands on each side of the beds.
Additionally, Disney provides a single-serve coffee machine along with some coffee, creamer, tea bags, cups, lids, and sweeteners in each room. For those cold drinks, there is an ice bucket and a beverage cooler available.
Storage space for your clothing is sufficient, with a 3-drawer dresser and a closet rod with hangers. The beds do allow for storage under the beds as well, so you can stow away your luggage while staying in the room. When you are ready to go out into the world, there is an in-room safe for your valuables. You can also find an iron, ironing board, and hair dryer for your use as you prepare to go to the parks.
In the bathroom area, you will find a single sink with a huge mirror and magnified makeup mirror. We were provided with a bar soap and tissue on the vanity. The water closet houses the toilet and shower behind a pocket door with full-length mirror. Amenities in the shower include shampoo, conditioner, and body wash (all wall-mounted).
Housekeeping occurs every other day at this resort.
Before I get into the last part of this review, I want to say that I know how complicated it can be to plan a Disney World vacation. With so much to do, planning for these Disney trips can be downright overwhelming! If you have enjoyed our tips and reviews on MouseHouseNews.net and would like to have my help when you are planning your trip, I can help! I am a Travel Advisor with Purely Luxe Vacations and can book your Disney World trip for you. My basic services are no fee to you. If you would like me to quote you some pricing for your next Disney World vacation, I’m happy to help.
About that Skyliner…
I’ve already mentioned that the Skyliner is a convenient mode of free Disney transportation offered at Pop Century. However, the level of this convenience should not be overlooked. Yes, you can efficiently get to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios using the Disney Skyliner. What you may not realize, however, is that this transportation opens you up to so much more! Buses do not go from resort to resort. In order to visit another resort using a Disney bus, you must first go to a theme park (or Disney Springs), then get on a second bus to the resort you want to visit. This results in a lot of wasted time. The Skyliner from Pop Century/Art of Animation gives you access to the following resorts:
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort (via a short walk from the EPCOT International Gateway Skyliner station)
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (via a short walk from the EPCOT International Gateway Skyliner station)
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn (via a short walk from the EPCOT International Gateway Skyliner station)
- Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels (via a short walk from the EPCOT International Gateway Skyliner station)
This means, you can resort hop and visit all of these other fantastic resorts all without stepping foot on a bus. Even if checking out other resorts isn’t your thing, I’ll bet food is! Access to more resorts also means to more food options. If you are staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort for a while, you may get tired of the menu at Everything Pop Shopping & Dining. However, the Disney Skyliner opens up direct access to all of the eateries at these additional resorts. Disney Adults, this is the hidden advantage of the Skyliner! Let’s face it, between the free transportation options and the great dining options, those are many of the reasons to stay at a Disney resort.
Watch our video embedded near the top of the page for our in-depth video review of Disney’s Pop Century Resort. The MouseHouseNews.net team also provided additional coverage about this resort last month when Pop Century celebrated its birthday! If this resort does not fit your needs, maybe you’ll be interested in either a Village room or a Tower room at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. MouseHouseNews.net recently reviewed the rooms at that resort as well. We have more of these videos on the way, so be sure to subscribe to our channel if you want to see more of these. Or course, we’ll keep bringing you more Disney Vacation News and Reviews For Disney Adults here at MouseHouseNews.net! Happy trip planning!
