Pop Century Review

Pop Century

By Diva Mommy

Pop Century has a large main pool, 2 smaller pools (all which are heated) and a Toddler pool. One of the smaller pools is shaped like a bowling pin in the 50’s section, and is often very quiet.
The other pool is shaped like a computer monitor which is by the 90’s section. This is also a quiet pool, so its a nice place for adults to enjoy and soak up some sun.

The largest and main pool is called Hippy Dippy Pool, which is NOT QUIET. Since this is the main one, it is of course, more crowded. There are also more chairs and tables around it. Very cool flower- shaped sprayers are aimed at the pool to play in.

Just behind this pool is the toddler pool. Its a zero entry level pool which is surrounded by padding so kids can run free. It’s nice for moms and dads to sit close by at the tables and enjoy the sun while the kids are playing in this pool. Also by the 60’s section is a great little playground. Its kind of hidden, but I think for this reason, it stays kind of quiet.

ARCADE
In the Main building you will find an arcade, it is very loud in there, so be warned if you bring in any sleeping toddlers with you.

Just outside the arcade is also where they have and artist doing caricatures. They are always so good and the drawings make for a great souvenir. The paper they use says “Walt Disney World” on it, so you will always remember where you had it drawn. I always get my daughters done, so I can see how she has grown up each time we go.

The main building, where you check in, is called Classic Hall. There are cases that line the wall with all different “pop culture items” in them. Items such as movies, toys, and music albums with the year listed above them. Keep an eye out for Michael Jackson, Ninja Turtles, My Little Ponies, and Cabbage Patch Kids! I usually take a picture by the case for the year I was born.

SHOPPING
Also in Classic Hall is where “Everything Pop” is, which is their shopping and dining areas. They have all kinds of great Disney merchandise in here, such as pins to trade, clothing, kitchen items, toys, and collectibles. They also sell things you may have forgotten like toothpaste, q-tips, medicine, diapers, wipes, or sunblock.

BUSES
Just outside the store is where the Theme Park buses depart from. Similarly to All Star resorts, the bus stops are in a line marked by signs for which park the bus is bound for.

However, there is something big that sets Pop Century apart from the other value resorts! This hotel does not pick up any up at any other guests or stop at any other hotel. Which means FAR less crowding on your trips “home” after fireworks.

LAUNDRY
Near the 50’s area, beside the pool you will find the laundry facilities. There are plenty of washers and dryers, also vending type machine if you do need to buy soaps. We usually do one load of wash on vacation, to get out all those Dole Whip stains on our shirts.

The dining area here is also in Classic Hall near the gift store.

DINING
There are a few different dining options here to choose from, but there is no formal “sit down” restaurant at Pop Century. It is a cafeteria style with a seating area. You can find grab-and-go-market items such as bottled drinks, fresh fruit, chips, or cereal. However you can also find bakery items like cookies, rice crispy treats, huge buttery croissants, Pop Century’s famous tie-dye cheesecake, and awesome banana bread (my dad’s favorite). There is a grill shop where you can purchase chicken nuggets and Angus burgers.

In the morning they serve french toast which you must try. In the sandwich and salad shop they have “Pop” waffles with fruit in the morning, and soup, salads, and flat bread sandwiches later in the day. And in the pizza and pasta shop for breakfast you can get the croissant sandwich. At night be sure to try the Alfredo chicken, it comes with a huge piece of chicken!

Now in the ethnic shop, in the morning is where you can get the famous Disney breakfast platters, and later they have some Chinese food, along with a really good nacho supreme. They also rotate the Moms Night Out dinner served in a TV dinner style dish. Be sure to try some ice cream or a milkshake for dessert and I highly recommend a brownie sundae! It is delicious.

It might also help you to know that pizza service is available from 4:00pm until midnight.

Outside by the main pool is the pool side bar called Petals Pool Bar where you can order all your drink favorites, and even try some new ones while enjoying playing a game of ping pong.

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ROOMS
The rooms here, in my experience, are similar to other value rooms and hotel rooms. You can get 2 double beds or 1 king size bed (upon special request), the room itself is the same size either way.

The rooms are decorated to fit the building decade they are in.

There is also a standard or preferred room, the difference is the view, location and about $15 dollars a night. The standard will have views of the of the resort grounds or parking lots. The preferred has slightly better views like the pools. However, the real difference is the location, the preferred will be much closer to the main pool and Classic Hall including the buses. Which can really help at the end of a long day. Do not underestimate the size of this resort. The standard rooms will be FAR back in the back of the resort which is not a big deal if you’re driving, but if you’re using buses it can really be a pain.

All the rooms come with the basics: hairdryer, in-wall safe, iron and ironing board, tables and 2 chairs, and of course supplied with those cute Disney soaps and shampoos. They are also in the process of putting in mini-refrigerators in ALL ROOMS! Which is a plus!

If you are in need of a pack-and-play for your infant/toddler to sleep in, they are available upon request at no fee, and they also supply Mickey sheets. I would recommend that you tell them when you are making your reservation. I usually lay a towel in between the mattress and the sheet just to give it a little extra cushion. Handicapped accessible rooms are also available upon request, and all rooms are non-smoking.

ACTIVITIES

Other great benefits of this hotel are some of the activities they do here. During the day they have Disney trivia and games at the main pool. The trivia is really fun for all ages, with many questions are about movies, and many interesting facts about the parks.

At night, they show Disney movies on a large screen outside also by the main pool. When you check in they give you a schedule of the weeks events for your stay including the list of nightly movies, so you will know what they will show each night and at what time. So grab some popcorn with your kids and enjoy a movie by the pool.

Pop Century is also very accommodating to any special needs service you may need, including complimentary wheelchairs to use at the resort.

Diva Verdict: So all around this resort is awesome and a really good choice for families with kids of any age or the pop-culture-seeking guests. We love staying here for their fun activities, great themed pools, and all the retro things they have to look at. I have noticed that this resort does fill up faster than the All Stars (probably because they don’t share a bus), so plan accordingly because you don’t want to miss out on a great stay. It will be interesting to see what happens when the Art of Animation rooms officially open, but for now, Pop Century is our FAVORITE value resort.

Have a groovy day!

And don’t forget to look for the hidden Mickeys’ in the food court!