Pros & Cons of Disney’s Pop Century

One of the first things to consider when planning your next trip to Disney World is where to stay. Value resorts provide many benefits such as their cost and kid friendly themes but also have a few drawbacks. Below you will find some of the pros and cons on Disney’s Pop Century Resort, one of two neighboring value resorts, that will hopefully help you in your decision-making process.

Pro: Recently Refurbished, Comfy Rooms!

Disney’s Pop Century was recently refurbished every guest room, bringing this blast from the past to modern times! The refurbishment took the rooms all the way down the studs and now offer new comfy beds, stylish designs, and much more. Each room has either a king bed or a queen bed with a pull down queen sized table bed, a flat screen tv, storage for clothes. Other necessities include a mini fridge, as well as a full bath. The bathroom offers separation, so multiple guests can use the space or get ready for their day. There’s a door between the sink and the side of the bathroom with the tub/shower and toilet, offering some privacy. These rooms are extremely well done and a great place to relax after a long and exhausting day exploring the parks at Disney World.

Con: New Rooms, Still Close Quarters

The size of the rooms at Pop Century are still pretty small, despite the impressive refurbishment. For a couple, there is certainly enough space, but things start to get cramped once you add kids into the equation. Two queen beds do provide enough sleep space. However, f you plan for a day off from the parks or taking breaks during the day, you may find these rooms to not provide the needed space for kids and adults to co-exist or, if you are traveling with family and friends, lacking in personal space.

One additional thing to consider if traveling with kids is that you will likely have to hit the hay at the same time that they do, which may not be a problem if you are tired from all the steps taken that day or if you have older kids in their teens, but for those with toddlers or even infants may struggle to find a balance between keeping their kids asleep and spending time together as adults unwinding from the day.

Pro: Skyliner

One huge positive is the newly added Skyliner that can be found between these two Disney properties. This is a great addition that helps with what used to be a con of Pop Century’s: transportation. Previously only having shuttle access and not being on the monorail or walking distance to any of the parks, the Skyliner is not only a huge boost to those disadvantages but may also be the best form of transportation Disney World now offers.

Con: Busy Dining at Everything Pop

Pop Century is typically at capacity with families small and large, which is typical of a Value resort. This can cause some traffic in the dining room at Everything Pop Shopping and Dining, whether it is trying to find a table to accommodate your group or waiting in line for one of the more popular dishes of the day. If you are traveling during peak seasons it may be worth your while to head to grab your meals or snacks a little earlier than normal to grab the dish you are desiring or hold a table and worst case scenario you just end up being ahead of schedule! Pro-tip: Use Mobile Ordering to queue up your food and cut the lines!

Pro: Short Walk to Art of Animation

Pop Century and Art are within walking distance of each other. Take a short walk across the bridge that connects these two resorts and where you can find the Skyliner to change up your day with a new scene. At Art you can find a few different themed areas based on some of the most popular Disney characters such as Finding Nemo, Lion King, Little Mermaid and Cars. There is also a comparable dining venue, Landscape of Flavors, that you can visit if looking for a change in eating locale.

RELATED: The Unforgettable Art of Animation

Con: Noisy Rooms

The rooms at Pop Century are very nice after their refurbishment but all of them are accessed from the outside. This means that outside noise, neighbors walking past your room and other situations may cause noise to be an issue. The Preferred rooms by the pool might be more noisier during the day and interrupt naptime with other travelers enjoying the cool water. This typically is not an issue late at night though, as the pool closing time is typically 9pm (although this does tend to vary by resort, pool and season) and many of the families staying at the resort have young kids that will be going to bed at this time if not earlier.

Pro: Dedicated Buses

Another advantage that Disney’s Pop Century (and Art of Animation) have over the other value resorts is that they have their own dedicated buses. Once the bus arrives, you are straight on your way to your park destination without having to stop at another resort. Same goes for the ride back from the park, no additional stops and you go straight back to your own resort. The same cannot be said about the All-Star resorts which can sometimes share shuttles. This may not seem like a big deal but can cut down on time spent waiting and reduce stress for families that are managing young kids and all the accessories needed to make park days a success (strollers, diaper bags and so much more).

Con: Refurbishments Still Ongoing

The refurbishments of the guest rooms may be done, but other refurbishments are still underway. One major refurb that is happening is on the Hippy Dippy Pool, which is the main pool at the resort. The renovation is expected to be completed by early spring 2020 and there are two other pools to use, but with the pool being closed it could cause the others to be over crowded. One benefit of the timing is that it is the winter and the colder season for Orlando so you will likely not be as interested in taking a dip compared to the very hot summer. Luckily this refurbishment will only last the next few months and have a minimal impact on those still planning their trips!

Pro: Overall Best Value

As mentioned above, Disney’s Pop Century is considered to be the best value resort for many reason. From the pricing of a value resort to the updated rooms and added Skyliner transportation, you really won’t go wrong booking your next stay here. For more information or help making an upcoming reservation, please reach out to us here so we can make this trip as magical as possible!