Pop Century Resort

Pop Century Resort Rooms

2008-07-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Pop Century Resort rooms aren’t anything to write home about as far as luxuries go, but they are a clean and comfortable place to rest after a long day out touring the Disney parks.

Each Pop Century room is 260 square feet, which is pretty small if you’ve never been in a room that size. Most rooms have two double beds, but some have one king. Request a King ahead of time if that is all you need.

Amenities in the room include a 27 inch TV, no HBO or Cinemax channels here, remember you’re at Disney! There is a wall safe as well as an iron and ironing board. Of course a telephone is there along with free voice mail service. Be sure to request a wake up call at least once, another nice Disney touch.

Disney is of course accommodating, so if you have any special needs, they can usually help you out. Pop Century rooms that are accessible to guests with disabilities, TDD telephones, cribs, and refrigerators are available upon request. If you have medication that must be kept cold, you can usually get a refrigerator for free, otherwise the charge is $10 a day.

Rooms at the Pop Century Resort are divided into Standard and Preferred categories. The Preferred rooms as far as I can tell are all of the rooms in the 60’s section. This section surrounds the main swimming pool, and is also closest to the food court and the Pop Century Bus system. For these privileges, you pay an extra $10 or more per night. So if you don’t mind walking a little, save yourself the money and go standard.

Standard rooms include all of the other decades. The 50’s section and the 70’s section are still fairly close to the food court, lobby, and buses. If you request one of these sections when you make your reservation, Disney is usually pretty good about honoring your request. The 80’s and 90’s sections are furthest away from the center of things, but can still be a good choice depending on your circumstances. While there is a walk if you stay in these sections, they are good if you have your own car and don’t plan on using the Disney buses to get around. There is also more parking around these sections, and the pool here is not as busy.

Rooms at the Pop Century can be as low as $82 and as high as $151 based on the time of year you are staying. Shop around as deals and packages are always coming and going.

Check in time at the Pop Century Resort is 3PM and check out time is 11AM.

Pop Century Resort Transportation

2008-06-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Getting there, and getting around is half the fun. That's especially true when visiting the Walt Disney World Pop Century Resort in Florida. What options do you have as far as transportation goes at the Pop Century Resort?

You can easily stay at the Pop Century Resort without a car. This is because on-site guests at Walt Disney World can use the extensive transportation system that has been put in place. While this transportation system consists of buses, boat, and even a monorail, guest staying at the Pop Century hotel will primarily be using the bus system.

While the Pop Century Resort is not completely isolated from other parts of Walt Disney World, it is not within walking distance of any other hotels or theme parks. Bus stops directly out front of the main entrance will be your first stop and your ticket to the rest of Walt Disney World. You can generally get to the bus stop in about 5 minutes from any part of the Pop Century grounds.

The bus system runs all day, from an hour before the first theme parks open, until usually an hour after they close. Expect extremely heavy volume and extra wait times if you are trying to get on a bus right around and after closing time.

Each theme park has its own bus stop, one each for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney MGM Studios, and the Animal Kingdom. In addition, there are two other bus stops. One will transport you to the Downtown Disney area where you can go shopping, visit Disney Quest, or see the Cirque de Soleil show. The other will take you to the Disney water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

How long does it take to get to the theme parks from the Pop Century Resort. Of course things will vary based on traffic, but you usually travel time to the theme parks wont exceed 15 minutes. Current estimates from the Pop Century Resort to the bus stop drop-off locations are as follows:

Magic Kingdom-12 to15 minutes

Epcot- 8 to10 minutes

Animal Kingdom- 9 to 12 minutes

Disney MGM Studios- 5 to 7 minutes

Downtown Disney-10 to 15 minutes

Now there won't always be a bus waiting for you when you get to the bus stop, so add the time you wait for the bus to the numbers above. Generally you won't have to wait long for a Pop Century bus, 15 minutes is the longest I have ever waited, but after the morning rush, it may be a little longer than that.

Is the bus system better than renting a car? While a lot of that is based on your individual preference, the bus system works out well for most families. Traveling to the theme parks is usually easier on the buses because they drop you off close to the entrance. Driving and parking a rental car to the parks adds time as you either have to walk all the way to the entrance or wait for a tram to pick you up.

This is especially true at the Magic Kingdom, where the parking lot is located behind a lake that is in front of the Magic Kingdom. If you drive from the Pop Century Resort and park at the Magic Kingdom parking lot, you then have to take a boat or the monorail just to get to the entrance of the park. Even if you have a car, I recommend taking the bus when visiting the Magic Kingdom.

Finally, if you are flying in to Orlando and your considering renting a car because of the cost of a taxi to the Pop Century Resort, there is now a free alternative. All guest staying on site at Walt Disney World properties are eligible for Disney's Magical Express service. This service, currently offered at no charge, transports visitors from the Orlando airport directly to the Pop Century Resort, or any other on-site property you might be visiting. Disney then collects and brings your checked luggage to your room a few hours later.

Overall, visitors to the Pop Century Resort have multiple transportation options, but you can't beat the free options provided by Disney.

Pop Century Resort

2008-05-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Pop Century Resort is located in Walt Disney World in Florida. It is one of four Disney World “Value” resorts. So why consider the Pop Century Resort?

This resort offers a good trade-off between cost and value. While you won’t find any fancy hotel amenities, you do get to experience the feeling of staying in Walt Disney World for your whole trip.

The Pop Century Resort has 2,880 rooms total, divided into five different themes. Each theme is dedicated to a decade during the 20th century, starting in the 50’s and moving up to the 90’s. Pop culture icons surround the buildings, for example, giant yo-yo’s surround the 70’s buildings.

Pop Century Resort rates start as low as $82 dollars per night, and can be even lower if you find a good promotion. Being on-site allows you to enter a different theme park early each day. You can also stay later than the public at a theme park each day with the “magical hours’ program.

Rates at the Pop Century Hotel vary based on the season you are staying. There are currently five seasons: Value, Regular season, Summer season, Peak season and Holiday season rates. Obviously rates are much higher during high demand times of the year, so if at all possible, plan your trip during the low season. Crowds in Disney World will be smaller as well.

Another advantage to staying at the Pop Century Resort is that you can take advantage of the Walt Disney World transportation system. Bus service reaches the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Animal Kingdom, and Disney-MGM Studios. Pop Century resort buses also can take you to Downtown Disney and the water parks. All of this is free for guests staying at the Pop Century Resort.

The Pop Century Resort has a large on-site food court as well. Standards such as burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and french fries are available, plus some variety as well. The seating area is fairly large, 640 seats total, but with so many rooms the place can get busy. Try to visit early in the morning or later at night to avoid the crowds at the Pop Century Resort food court.

The Pop Century resort features three different swimming pools are on-site to keep you cool on those hot Florida days, and nights. All three are fairly large, with the Hippy-Dippy pool being the largest at the Pop Century Resort. Plenty of lounge chairs are there for adults to hang out by the pool while the kids play.

Overall, the Pop Century Resort is a great place to stay at Disney World.