News Disney’s Pop Century Resort Lobby to Undergo Retro-Inspired Refresh

[JohnD]

It was a dated lobby. I am excited for the refresh with maintaining the time capsules hung on the walls.

How does a lobby look dated in a resort which purposely has a theme that is, well, dated?

 

[castlecake2.0]

I agree.

But after what they did at OKW I don’t trust them. Someone will decide what POP needs is “more Disney”.

I think they heard the feedback after that (and Saratoga) fiasco. I think they’ve done beach club and boardwalk since and they scaled back on the cover everything in paint and wayfair furniture approach.

 

[Comped]

I'm such a sucker for those shadowboxes on display...I was happy to find the life magazine of WDW grand Opening at a antique store...

But, there was one that always stuck out with me since it just looked it was just to tie in with the live action My Favorite Martian movie from Disney bit seeing this is one of the more memorable items I have seen there displayed.

Fun fact - many items have name tags on them somewhere with particular CM names. That's because when the place opened, Disney borrowed many items from CMs with historical significance, with the intent of perhaps giving them back if the lobby was ever renovated and them removed. Others were bought outright at garage sales around Central Florida, as far away as Titusville (which may or may not have supplied the Apollo items, I was never able to get a firm answer on that). No idea if Disney does kntend on returning items if those displays get removed, or if it's all getting archived (or more likely CC or a licensed reseller or auctioned, or perhaps even just straight up trashed). There is some really weird stuff in there that Disney would never approve today, including references to multiple competing studios and theme parks. Last time I checked there were also more Disneyland related items (and pictures throughout the lobby) than WDW ones.

I would put good money on the desks being minimized or removed entirely as well, since Disney seems to love having their concierges do everything on iPads (except dining reservation related things because it seems like the program doesn't work on them). And you really don't need desks if they can just stand around a small table or something and maybe have one or two computers if absolutely required. Of course I have really disagreed with removing the desks (I don't believe Disney should be forcing the iPads at the very least because of technological issues, never mind how weird it looks to have those computers basically be unused despite it being easier for them to use the computers vs the iPads to do their work) and every concierge I talked at the resort definitely used the desks (and the computers) to some level. The one thing I am not as sure about is if they are also going to refresh the lobby music to be much more Disney focused (there are barely any beyond I believe four of them, referencing Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and TLK, in that order). Dolly might be a survivor of that purge because Disney now owns the rights to 9 to 5 (the film). The song does not ever play at 9:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m., but that's besides the point...

 

[jmuboy]

I am indifferent if the lobby updates gets a look and feel similar to the recent Everything POP food court updates. BUT - these retro displays of artifacts HAVE to stay as part of the new design. They - ARE - such a cool and integral part of how the lobby conveys the hotel's theme. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the displays to survive.

 

[nickys]

I have heard bad news…..

The displays are being removed. And according to CMs they are being replaced by painted walls.

Now technically, I guess, that doesn’t necessarily mean the displays won’t return. Or maybe there will be decades-themed murals.

But it doesn’t sound hopeful.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Haha, point taken! But I do think that it can be redesigned in a way that pays homage to the decades without looking like it hasn't been touched since those decades.

They should add a second 50’s Primetime restaurant at POP…an actual TS at POP & accessible for the guests at AoA…if not 50’s, make a section of the restaurant for each decade…THAT would be awesome!

 

[Comped]

I have heard bad news…..

The displays are being removed. And according to CMs they are being replaced by painted walls.

Now technically, I guess, that doesn’t necessarily mean the displays won’t return. Or maybe there will be decades-themed murals.

But it doesn’t sound hopeful.

Shame. Was always a fun part of my time at Pop to go through them with guests. Made the evenings (especially) go by a little quicker!

 

[jmuboy]

Have we seen any final images of the lobby...or is it still under final stages of refurbishment.

 

[UNCgolf]

I've never had any interest in staying at Pop Century so I'd never paid much attention to it as a resort.

Now I wish I'd gone to see the lobby before these changes, because I'd have loved perusing those shadowboxes full of memorabilia and photos from different decades.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I've never had any interest in staying at Pop Century so I'd never paid much attention to it as a resort.

Now I wish I'd gone to see the lobby before these changes, because I'd have loved perusing those shadowboxes full of memorabilia and photos from different decades.

They were really fun and one of more interesting things to look at in the Resort

 

[Comped]

They were really fun and one of more interesting things to look at in the Resort

Guests LOVED them. One of the few reasons guests would stick about in the lobby any longer than they had to (because, let's face it, those seats aren't comfortable and there is 0 to do otherwise if you aren't asking a question, resolving an issue, or getting somewhere else). I once met a lady who actually sold some of her stuff to WDI at a garage sale years ago, which ended up in a box (I think it was one of the 70's ones?), which was pretty cool. Nothing or nobody I could find had a list of these non-CM sellers though...

I appreciated them because they gave me an excuse to stop standing around and praying some guest would ask me more than a 2-second question (but also not yell at me for dining plan issues).

 

[MisterPenguin]

Have we seen any final images of the lobby...or is it still under final stages of refurbishment.

Part of the wall is still curtained off.

CMs are leading the Thriller line Dance

 

[Casper Gutman]

I've never had any interest in staying at Pop Century so I'd never paid much attention to it as a resort.

Now I wish I'd gone to see the lobby before these changes, because I'd have loved perusing those shadowboxes full of memorabilia and photos from different decades.

It’s not a bad resort at all. The shadowboxes were great - it was a lot of fun to know you could find references to Buffy, Sopranos, and Encino Man on Disney property.

It’s exactly the sort of interesting, slightly off-kilter thing modern Disney management is determined to destroy.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It’s exactly the sort of interesting, slightly off-kilter thing modern Disney management is determined to destroy.

Pop Century is another Disney thing that wouldn't be built today because so many aspects of the resort reference non-Disney things...and it's intentionally dated in decor.

But that's what give its whole appeal and substance. In hindsight, they underbuilt the 90s section. In 2003 no one had nostalgia for the 1990s, but now? It's a big part of pop culture and Disney merch specifically.

 

[Comped]

The shadowboxes were great - it was a lot of fun to know you could find references to Buffy, Sopranos, and Encino Man on Disney property.

And Wendy's, McDonald's, DC, NBC/CBS/other networks' TV shows and their films too, a ton of non-Disney musical acts, Rocky Horror, Sesame Street, plus loads more I'm probably forgetting... About the only thing they didn't have was a copy of Bat Out Of Hell.

(I never realized until I found an article that pre-pandemic there used to be CM led tours of the shadowboxes in the afternoon. Nobody I worked with ever mentioned it. Full on spiel too! I wish I'd been able to do that!)

 

[surfsupdon]

Pop pool bar is closed too. The trailer bar said was supposed to reopen in October but that ain’t happening.

 

[jmuboy]

Has the lobby been completed yet?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Has the lobby been completed yet?

No.

Curtains are still hiding the part of the new wall art.

But, you can be relatively certain it will be a continuation of the Fab Five each having their own section with square icons representing a decade.

Minnie in the 50s. Daisy in the 60s. Donald in the 80s. Shadow boxes aren't coming back.

The icons and squares seems to be a recurring graphic art theme popping up around WDW.

Research:

 

[nickys]

Shadow boxes aren't coming back.

 

[UNCgolf]

Sad about the shadowboxes. I said it somewhere above, but if I'd known they existed I'd have visited Pop Century at some point just to look at them.

I definitely don't care about visiting to see some Fab Five murals (not that they look bad; just not a reason to go out of my way to visit).