Bad Pop Century Experience

Well just got back from Orlando today and wanted to relate a bad experience at the Pop Century. We arrived our first day and checked in and were assigned a room in one of the 70's buildings. When we checked in we were never informed that parking for people in the 70's building's is almost 3 blocks from your room. So needless to say it took me almost a half hour in 87 degree heat to lug our luggage to a 4th floor room.

Figuring I would learn from this experience on our checkout I walked the 2 blocks from our room to luggage assistance to get a baggage cart to take our bags to the car . When I get to the front of the line to get a cart I'm told that he can't give me a cart unless I have my room Key which of course I left in my room with my wife. Now I'm mad and try to explain to this idiot that the only way to get into the Resort is to either have a key or be checking in to a room as the guard stops you at the gate so I'm evidently a guest. Secondly why else would I want a luggage cart unless I needed one to move my luggage the 3 blocks to my car. No go won't let me have a cart now I'm Pi##ed. Walk back to my room carry my luggage back to my car 5 trips 3 blocks each way.

Disney needs to inform everyone who stays at Pop Century that it is blocks from the parking lot to your room and needs to have luggage service people stationed in the lots or carts stored in the lots.

Evidently whoever designed Pop Century didn't have to carry his own luggage.

I would not stay here again if Disney paid me to.

Dave

 

[nicholas]

Well just got back from Orlando today and wanted to relate a bad experience at the Pop Century. We arrived our first day and checked in and were assigned a room in one of the 70's buildings. When we checked in we were never informed that parking for people in the 70's building's is almost 3 blocks from your room. So needless to say it took me almost a half hour in 87 degree heat to lug our luggage to a 4th floor room.

Figuring I would learn from this experience on our checkout I walked the 2 blocks from our room to luggage assistance to get a baggage cart to take our bags to the car . When I get to the front of the line to get a cart I'm told that he can't give me a cart unless I have my room Key which of course I left in my room with my wife. Now I'm mad and try to explain to this idiot that the only way to get into the Resort is to either have a key or be checking in to a room as the guard stops you at the gate so I'm evidently a guest. Secondly why else would I want a luggage cart unless I needed one to move my luggage the 3 blocks to my car. No go won't let me have a cart now I'm Pi##ed. Walk back to my room carry my luggage back to my car 5 trips 3 blocks each way.

Disney needs to inform everyone who stays at Pop Century that it is blocks from the parking lot to your room and needs to have luggage service people stationed in the lots or carts stored in the lots.

Evidently whoever designed Pop Century didn't have to carry his own luggage.

I would not stay here again if Disney paid me to.

Dave

I'm sorry you had such a negative experience at Pop Century. I love the resort and hope there was at least some aspects of it that you were able to enjoy.

 

[nicholas]

Also, it IS a value resort. As harsh as it sounds, you get what you pay for.

 

[EGNATZ1]

I realize it's a value resort but it still cost us close to 100.00 a day per room. We had 5 rooms for 5 days as there were 13 of us in my family on the trip, and I expected much more from Disney.

After visiting Disney for the 6 th time in ten years I'm sorry to say that Disney has lost it's edge and Universal has overtaken them in cleanliness service and inovation.
The 2 days we visited Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure were much more enjoyable than the five days we spent in Disney.
Many of Disney's attractions have non working elements And the parks are starting to look worn and don't seem to be a magical place anymore but just a big money pit.

And believe me this comes from someone who breathed Disney for years.

 

[cherrynegra]

Yeah, the one major complaint I hear about Pop Century, and the other value resorts as well, is the parking lots being so far from the rooms in certain buildings. I lucked out being assigned to the '80s building and the parking wasn't that far.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

The parking lots are far away from some buildings but not all.

My room in the 50's building was about 20 feet from the parking lot.

It's worthwhile to request "close to parking" if that is important to you.

 

[trackbarroness]

I stayed at Pop Century this past March and I enjoyed the the overall experience of the place. Granted I and my Mom didn't drive to or from WDW like in years past. Well anyway sorry to hear you couldn't get a luggage cart at PC. If you think about it the CM was after all just doing his/her job. I believe it's a rule of thumb at all the resorts not just PC. As to staying at PC again that's your choice. Have you written to WDW about what happened outside of here?
But outside of you wasn't there anyone else in your party of 13 helping you out with the luggage?

I'm going again in November/December and am going to be staying at a moderate hotel for the first time, and it's the one I've always wanted to stay at. POR. It's not like I didn't like PC I really did and in fact I loved it there. I was also in the 50's building but that might have had something to do with having two elder handicapped ladies with us. :hammer: Oh my Mom and I pushed them both in wheelchairs so it was more like a working vacation then a bona fide vacation. Besides I'm usually the one buggy lugging the luggage to the room and back to the car, so it was nice not to at least from the mears shuttlebus. So you've only have had 6 trips to the world? I started visiting WDW way back in the summer of '72. With the exception of from July of 92 until 99 which were the only years I didn't/couldn't go visit WDW. With lots of working vacations prior July of 92.

 

[garyhoov]

Does anyone know if it's worse than any of the All-Stars? The Parking in All-Stars never seemed that bad to me, but if it's worse, maybe I should plan around it.

Can't you drop your bags off at the front door and have them deliver them to your room?

 

[TravisMT81]

yes they have luggage assistance and it is free no tipping. Also if you shopped around you could have stayed at a moderate for 100 dollars a night.

 

[ISTCrew20]

The problem with Pop Century from day one was that there was not enough parking. There were plans to get it fixed, but I don't know any more than that.

Pop Century is one of my favorite resorts. You didn't like anything about it?

 

[EGNATZ1]

Believe me we shopped around as this trip has been planned for months and the rate we got at Pop Century was the best we or our travel agent could get for that amount of rooms the week we needed them.

To me Pop Century is the Motel 6 with Neon colors thats 3 times the price. Don't mind spending the money if the service and experience is worth it Pop Century is not worth it by any stretch of the imagination.

As far as writing Disney about my experience I will be sending off a letter tomorrow although I doubt I will hear anything from them .

 

[TravisMT81]

well that is your first mistake, a travel agent!

 

[EGNATZ1]

No actually the travel agent is a personel friend who has gotten me some great deals on 4 star hotels and travel around the country. I travel a lot in my line of work and never had a problem with any property he has set me up in.

 

[nicholas]

I don't think it matters what resort you stay in. Some rooms are close to parking lots. Some aren't. Sometimes you get a room close to the parking lot. Sometimes you get one further away. I guess you've pointed out something good for all of us to know....if it's important to be close....make a request.

I, for one, love Pop. I use my cast member friends' discounts and depending on season can sometimes get a room for 45/night, and that is still pricey to me. But I know that staying at a value resort I'm gonna have to put up with less slightly less services offered in order to have the cheaper rates. I dunno. Maybe it just didn't seem like such a big deal to me because, after living in nyc and doing nothing but walking all day long, a trip around the resort seems like a piece of a cake.

I hope you enjoyed the parks and vacation overall though, and didn't let your negative experiences at Pop ruin the entire trip.

 

[TravisMT81]

No actually the travel agent is a personel friend who has gotten me some great deals on 4 star hotels and travel around the country. I travel a lot in my line of work and never had a problem with any property he has set me up in.

travel agents are great for anyplace outside of Disney, but it is usually better to go directly through disney and read the message boards to find codes for discounts on rooms.

 

[Woody13]

Does anyone know if it's worse than any of the All-Stars? The Parking in All-Stars never seemed that bad to me, but if it's worse, maybe I should plan around it.

Can't you drop your bags off at the front door and have them deliver them to your room?

Take a look at this resort map:

http://www.magicaltravel.com/pop_century_map.htm

The parking at POP is a problem because of Hourglass Lake and (especially during the busy times) there just aren't enough parking spaces. The parking lots for the 50's and 60's guests are way too small for the capacity of those buildings. Many people staying there overflow into the Guest Check-In parking lot and then the overflow continues clockwise through the 70's, 90's and 80's parking lots. Also, even if you get a parking space close to your room, then you better not move your car because other guests will move in and get your space as soon as you leave!

Parking at any and all of the All-Stars is a breeze but parking at the POP requires skill and stealth (and roller luggage)!

 

[EGNATZ1]

Actually parking has changed from the map what used to be seventies parking is parking for the 90's and the seventies parking is where the 90's used to be. And as you said the lots fill to capacity when the buildings are full as they were last Sat through Wed.

All I can add is some very poor planning went into this and they explain nothing to you about their parking situation and luggage sevices when you check in. All they did was give me a map to show me where my room was and where to park.

 

[Woody13]

Actually parking has changed from the map what used to be seventies parking is parking for the 90's and the seventies parking is where the 90's used to be. And as you said the lots fill to capacity when the buildings are full as they were last Sat through Wed.

All I can add is some very poor planning went into this and they explain nothing to you about their parking situation and luggage sevices when you check in. All they did was give me a map to show me where my room was and where to park.

You're right and I share your frustration concerning the parking lots. It's just another case where WDW is trying to put 10 lbs. of "stuff" inside a 5 lb. bag. :wave:

 

[wannab@dis]

You are complaining about the services of the resort, but you didn't use the services they offer. Luggage assistance is wonderful. Drive up, drop off at the main entrance, and they will deliver the luggage to your rooms. Second, if you call the evening prior to leaving and schedule a time, they will send someone with a luggage cart to your room to help with the luggage.

As for the parking, Disney has always pushed for a park and ride transportation system. You park the car at the beginning of your vacation and don't touch it until the end. I've done it several times with no problems. With that in mind, I don't care to park a little further from the resort since I'm only going to and from the car once or twice.

If the parking and luggage were a huge matter for me, I would pony up the extra cash to stay at a resort with valet services. ahhh, that would be sweet!

 

[EGNATZ1]

You say I didn't use the service they offer. Pretty hard to use a service you know nothing about and aren't even told about when you check in. Luggage service is no where near the front check in desk . Yes the service exists but someone needs to tell the thousands of other people who carried their suitcases just as I did .
And if you read my original post I went to luggage services to get a cart I was denied one because I didn't have my room key . Guess what I have stayed at resorts that cost a lot more than Disney resorts and never had a problem as this.

The main reason my family chose Pop Century was that we had 6 kids with us and thought it would be a resort they would have enjoyed, if it had just been my wife and I we would have stayed at Animal Kingdom resort or Wilderness lodge but we chose to stay with my family at Pop Century.

As far as park and ride my whole reasoning for taking my car on the autotrain was to have it with me so I could come and go as I please and not rely on Disney transportation which can be crowded.