Disney's Pop Century Resort

Let’s start my resort reviews off with the first Walt Disney Resort that I ever stayed at - Pop Century Resort. I first stayed at the Pop Century Resort in 2015, and I was pleasantly surprised. Being unfamiliar with Walt Disney World Resort at this time, this experience was certainly eye-opening and in a great way. The beauty of staying at Walt Disney World Resort is that they have you covered every step of the way. You never need to leave Disney property to enjoy your vacation. Every time I stay at Pop Century, it makes me feel like a kid again on summer vacation. From transportation to dining to entertainment to shopping - Disney has you covered. For the resort reviews, I will be focusing on what makes each resort unique, the transportation options that moves you from your resort to the parks, restaurants, shopping, and whatever you have planned. Let’s take a look at this value resort.

The Layout

Disney’s Pop Century Resort is divided up into decades from the past - the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s - each decade “pod” is themed externally to match each particular decade. I particularly love this layout due to the convenience of parking and the ability to locate your room’s building via a larger-than-life landmark. These landmarks consists of giant items including a Mickey Mouse telephone, a Rubik’s cube, a Big Wheel tricycle, Baloo, a Yo-Yo, and many more! All of these decade pods are centered around the Classic Hall, equipped with the lobby, massive food court, gift shop, and arcade. As you exit the back of the Classic Hall, you enter the main pool of the resort, the “Hippy Dippy Pool” featuring the “Petals” pool bar. There are a total of three pools, the “Hippy Dippy Pool”, “Computer Pool”, and “Bowling Pool”. Also, there is one simple splash pad for younger children & a playground as well. If you are able to request one decade, I would highly recommend the 60s pod as this put you right in the center of the action. Though, no decade is too far of a walk, some decades are certainly more convenient than others. If you were to continue past the “Hippy Dippy Pool”, you will run right into Hourglass Lake and one of the best advantages to staying at Pop Century, Disney’s Skyliner!

Transportation

The Skyliner station on Hourglass Lake opened in September of 2019 and really made traveling to the parks much more convenient. Disney’s Skyliner system is a modern-day gondola system that offers breathtaking views and a peaceful ride over Walt Disney World Resort! If you cross over the bridge on Hourglass Lake, it will take you right to Disney’s Art of Animation resort. Both Pop Century and Art of Animation share the Skyliner station located on Hourglass Lake. The Skyliner is really what makes these two value resorts stand out from the rest, especially Pop Century, which is usually more reasonably-priced. Hop aboard the Skyliner which can take you to destinations such as Caribbean Beach Resort, Riviera Resort, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Be advised, during hurricane season (June - November), it is more likely to shut down due to weather while keeping guests' safety at the forefront. This is where Pop Century’s other transportation option comes into play, the bus system! Disney’s buses are a huge asset to Walt Disney World Resort as they never stop running due to weather. The buses can take you to and from all parks, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Overall, I give Pop Century’s transportation a 3 out of 5. The only way transportation gets better at Disney World Resort is being a monorail resort or if the resort offers boat transportation to the parks.

Dining

When it comes to Walt Disney World Resort, dining is always a top priority to a successful vacation. Dining at Pop Century is limited with options. However, I will say that the food court at Pop Century is one of the better food court options in Walt Disney World. There are many options to choose from with a spacious dining area. Food options include burgers and fried, a footlong chili cheese hot dog, simple pasta, breadsticks, pizza, chicken fingers, and much more. There are also many grab and go options including various desserts, canned beer, milk, juice, sandwiches, and so much more. One great feature that I really enjoy at Walt Disney World resorts is the refillable resort mug. For $19.99, guests can purchase a refillable resort mug for the length of your stay. You can fill up on your favorite soft drinks, coffee, tea, and water as many times as you want throughout your stay. This is basically as far as the dining options go at Pop Century. Most food is good quality for a food court. The pizza on property can use quite a bit of work, so I wouldn’t recommend pizza unless your are ordering delivery. With that said, I give Pop Century’s dining a 2 out of 5.

Proximity and Theming

Pop Century is right in the middle of the action with the Skyliner, but it’s definitely not walking distance like some of the other deluxe resorts that Disney offers. If you have a car, parking is included and you are only about 10 minutes or less from any of the parks. Though you may face a parking fee if choosing to park at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios. I really enjoy the fun theming here at Pop Century. Receiving your room assignment is part of the excitement and joy here with each having it’s own theming to a particular decade. The interior of the rooms is consistently the same across the board here though. If you are fortunate to be assigned a room in the 60s pod, you are in for a treat.

Rooms

Rooms at Pop Century make the most of the limited space. All rooms feature a dining table that pulls out into a Murphy bed giving you a total of two beds which can sleep 4 pretty comfortably. We managed to fit a pack n’ play snugly in the room while using both beds. If you only need one of the two beds, this room is pretty spacious. There are plenty of storage options throughout the room & bathroom. All rooms include a beverage cooler, small safe, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. The bathroom shower is pretty spacious and includes body wash, shampoo, and conditioner attached to the wall of the shower. One down side I must admit is that I find housekeeping to be lacking since the Pandemic. What was once a very pleasant and memorable experience has turned into a sparse occurrence if you choose to accept housekeeping during your stay. Housekeeping comes every other day now and from my experience, it’s a toss up if they come at all. This is one main area I would like to see drastically improve at most Walt Disney World Resorts. Overall, you aren’t in your rooms too long, and I give Pop Century’s rooms a 2 out of 5 since the interior lacks anything memorable. The rooms here certainly get the job done though.

Summary

Pop Century is the one resort that I recommend to newcomers of Walt Disney World due to its major value and the fantastic transportation options. At times, you can find a room at Pop Century for under $200 and rooms can go up to $400 a night. This resort allows families to have an amazing vacation without breaking the bank. I would not recommend sleeping more than four people per room. If you have a larger party, adjoining rooms are available by request. If you require larger rooms, Art of Animation might be your better option. Overall, I love Pop Century, and I still stay here to this day. Each and every stay brings me back in time to the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s as well as to the first time I stayed at Pop Century!