2020 Curious Constance Trip Preparation/Report

[Mickeyboof]

But Pop (and maybe AoA)? has the advantage of dedicated bus service. And while the single bus stop can be a drawback in some ways, it's better than having buses arrive that are too full to board (from the earlier stops in your resort). Love the Pop Century bus service.

I’ve never had the issue of a crowded bus leaving the resorts. It’s often always the return bus trip. The value resort lines are shockingly long. (Then you finally are close to the front, and four scooter show up, and it’s another 30 minutes of waiting).

 

[drizgirl]

I’ve never had the issue of a crowded bus leaving the resorts. It’s often always the return bus trip. The value resort lines are shockingly long. (Then you finally are close to the front, and four scooter show up, and it’s another 30 minutes of waiting).

The value resorts bus lines are long. But that's because the resorts are huge and they only have the one stop. I've never had trouble with timely arrival of buses at Pop or AoA.

 

[Curious Constance]

Have you been to WDW before? It's hard to understand the scope of WDW compared to DLR if you haven't been. If you're not careful you can spend large chunks of your time traveling from one location to another. And if it's all new to you, what you really need is to maximize time in the parks.

The Little Mermaid rooms are adorable. But they're a long way from anything. It's a long walk just to get to the food court and bus stop. Make sure you're up for that if you decide to stay there.

Pop Century is great, but it's also large. I suggest getting a perferred room so you can (hopefully) get closer to the bus stop and/or gondola.

If you're not careful, you can end up walking as far to your bus stop at your resort as you walked from your Harbor hotel to the front gate of the parks.

Pop Century for the win. The prices did jump when they opened the Skyliner but it was worth it.

Thank you, this is great info! I basically haven’t ever been to WDW. Only went a couple single days as a teenager, and didn’t stay at the hotels. And I did notice the preferred room option at Pop that was closer to restaurant/transportation. Good to know that’s worth it.

 

[drizgirl]

Thank you, this is great info! I basically haven’t ever been to WDW. Only went a couple single days as a teenager, and didn’t stay at the hotels. And I did notice the preferred room option at Pop that was closer to restaurant/transportation. Good to know that’s worth it.

I've been to both many times. If you have other questions, ask away. If you want to PM, feel free.

 

[Curious Constance]

Appreciate it! You might eventually regret the kind offer though lol

So looking at Pop room options we’ve got two preferred options:

Preferred Room
Views of Courtyard or Landscaping
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation


And then the slightly more costly:

Preferred Pool View
Views of Hippy Dippy Pool
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation

So I suppose my question would be is the Hippy Dippy Pool or Courtyards going to be closer to transportation? But I assume
It would depend on where the non pool view room puts you as it could probably be several locations.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Appreciate it! You might eventually regret the kind offer though lol

So looking at Pop room options we’ve got two preferred options:

Preferred Room
Views of Courtyard or Landscaping
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation


And then the slightly more costly:

Preferred Pool View
Views of Hippy Dippy Pool
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation

So I suppose my question would be is the Hippy Dippy Pool or Courtyards going to be closer to transportation? But I assume
It would depend on where the non pool view room puts you as it could probably be several locations.

I would imagine regular preferred would almost certainly be quieter, cheaper, and closer.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I hate the value resorts.

 

[drizgirl]

I hate the value resorts.

Then you probably shouldn't stay in one.

 

[drizgirl]

Appreciate it! You might eventually regret the kind offer though lol

So looking at Pop room options we’ve got two preferred options:

Preferred Room
Views of Courtyard or Landscaping
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation


And then the slightly more costly:

Preferred Pool View
Views of Hippy Dippy Pool
Close to Classic Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation

So I suppose my question would be is the Hippy Dippy Pool or Courtyards going to be closer to transportation? But I assume
It would depend on where the non pool view room puts you as it could probably be several locations.

It really depends on your priorities. If a quiet room mid-day is important, then preferred pool view might be too loud. Hippy Dippy pool is right out the doors of Classic Hall (where gift shop and foot court are located). Preferred will be not quite as close, but still close and better than standard (which can be very far in some cases). But typically are a little quieter. We stayed by the Hippy Dippy pool once and loved it. But we almost never come back for a nap. Find a map of the resort that has room categories shown and you'll get an idea.

 

[Curious Constance]

I hate the value resorts.

If that's an offer for you to pay the difference between a value and another hotel category for me and my family, then I accept.

 

[Phroobar]

I hate the value resorts.

The only place I would stay is a value resort. We spend all of our time at a park or exploring the property. A hotel is just a room to sleep in. Disney World is far too expensive as it is.

 

[socalifornian]

AoA’s Nemo pool has underwater music

If that's an offer for you to pay the difference between a value and another hotel category for me and my family, then I accept.

Pick Port Orleans French Quarter then

 

[Curious Constance]

The only place I would stay is a value resort. We spend all of our time at a park or exploring the property. A hotel is just a room to sleep in. Disney World is far too expensive as it is.

I can see splurging for a moderate if you have tons of time to relax and break from the parks, but anything other than that is just waaayyyy too much for me to justify spending the money on. We spend most of our time at the parks too, and I don't think I would ever spend the price of braces for a week's hotel stay at WDW.

Fun fact, when I price hotel at POP, 6 day tickets, and flight to Orlando, it's exactly the same price as it was for flight to LA, hotel for a week, and tickets to DLR for 5 days.

 

[Curious Constance]

I mean, the Pop is waaaayyyy better than what we're used to staying at on Harbor, and for about the same price, so we're kinda feelin like we'll be livin like kings.

 

[drizgirl]

Especially with this being your first trip, if you have the energy to be in the parks most of the time, then a value resort should be fine. We stayed for 10 days on our last trip and were barely in the room. I would have felt bad spending more on our place to sleep. But it was nice to be on site. The theming keeps it fun. And the transportation is great. Especially if you're going to use the Skyliner.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

The value resorts are big gaudy horribly dated motels. I stayed at several and found them loud and horrible to navigate. Taking the buses back and forth was also horrendous.

 

[PiratesMansion]

I used to dream of staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Then I realized that not only will I never make enough money to justify doing that, but I can do everything at AKL except for the whole "Look out at the Giraffes from your own balcony" thing without staying there.

The values are nothing great, but staying at them was helpful pragmatically because 1) 60 Day FP+ Window 2) Disney transportation. Which honestly I don't care for, but it was very helpful when my friend lost his car keys at Typhoon Lagoon and/or if we wanted to do different things, and 3) EMH at Magic Kingdom was dead because Pandora was brand new and everyone wanted to see it at night. Not so sure it would be the same now.

Though now that there are parking fees that definitely kills it a bit.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

You can get deals on the more expensive resorts, or at least you used to be able to.

 

[PiratesMansion]

You can get deals on the more expensive resorts, or at least you used to be able to.

Technically, but often they only bring the price down to "obscene" instead of "impossibly obscene."

Though that may well change in the consumer's favor post-CoVid. Apparently it did post-9/11.

 

[mickEblu]

Though that may well change in the consumer's favor post-CoVid. Apparently it did post-9/11.

This is what I’m hoping for. It would take a really good deal to deviate me from my plan of waiting to go until both of my kids are brave, 7 or older or 40 inches or taller.