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

 

[DisneyJill]

I have to agree with what Main Street USA said. Pretty much everything that Disney does is for a reason. No, you're probably not going to take the luggage cart home with you on the plane, or in your car. But let's say, while in your care, that it gets broken or that someone gets hurt on it. By giving them your room key, you have assumed responsibility for the luggage cart while using it. I have found, that most of the time, a policy is in place b/c of prior problems. For instance, if you make a PS at Cinderella's Royal Table for the character breakfast. The person whose name is on the PS MUST be the person that checks in the day of your breakfast. Why? Because someone made a whole bunch of PS's and sold them on eBay. Try, just for once, to see it from the other persons perspective. It's not their fault that they couldn't give you the cart, they were just following policy. Yet you got aggravated with them and they had to feel bad for it. And, I hate to sound just completely stupid but...why didn't you pull your car up to the curb to unload and load your luggage? None of the parking is THAT far from any of the buildings that you couldn't have pulled up somewhere and had a closer walk. I'm not saying that sometimes things don't seem silly and I'm not going to argue with you about Pop, because you have your opinion and that's a-okay. But, it's just one opinion, not the definitive answer. And calling it a Motel 6 with neon lights is again, just an opinion. Keep in mind, Disney has value resorts in additon to the rest of their inventory to cater to every market. Some people save their whole lives for a trip to WDW, so Pop may seem like a palace to those. Some people have little kids, who like the oversized theme. Some people are just going to sleep there so they couldn't care less if they have a view of Lady's butt from their room. My point? If you don't like it, stay somewhere else and pay more for the lush surroundings of the Grand or the Yacht Club or Portofino Bay at Universal, since you're so impressed with their service and appearance. My guess is there will be some disappointments at those places as well.

 

[RebeccaQ]

My family stayed at Pop Century this September because the trip was on same-day notice. We will not stay there again. It was immensely crowded - I guess just because of the sheer number of rooms available there. We did not like the luggage system there - we'll bring it up sometime - we were told our luggage would take at least an hour to get to our room (so we opted to haul it up ourselves). Again, I guess this is just how they have to operate with that many people. Then the day we were leaving, my husband brought down our luggage himself (we were not satisfied with the idea of scheduling a pick up time the night before) to their storage area. But when the car arrived to bring us to the airport, they took 25 minutes to "find" our luggage - even though when he placed in in their storage he told them what time we would be retrieving it. The even brought out the wrong luggage and argued with my husband "are you sure this isn't your stuff?" - as if we wouldn't know our own belongings!

Anyway, the overall experience is less than desirable where service is concerned. And the foodcourt was a nightmare to us. I guess it really is mainly because of the huge size of the resort - our driver told us there are (I don't remember the exact number) thousands of rooms - and multiply that times more than one person per room - wow. You have to take into consideration that when thousands of people are being handled, something's got to give. Either the price has to go up or the service has to go down - same with not every building can be conveniently located if there are just so many rooms. So I am not knocking Pop Century - it is just doing what it can.

I can definitely recommend the Contemporary. We have enjoyed staying there. We are trying the Wilderness Lodge in January, so I can't comment on it yet, but I imagine it will be nice too.

The great part is - no matter what - you are at Disney World - yipee!!!!

 

[AEfx]

I found Pop to be amazing. The service was great - especially for the category. I mean, if people are expecting instant concierge luggage service for $50-80 bucks a night, you aren't being very realistic. They will happily give you a cart to get it to your room yourself - as long as you meet the very easy requirement of giving them your ID. It's really not a big deal - unless you have an attitude about it, as was demonstrated at the start of this thread.

The staff was very prompt and very "Disney", and very accomidating. The food court is a bit busy on peak times, but most of the time was very pleasant and had little wait and plenty of places to sit. You just have to learn not to think like everyone else - eating lunch at noon means lines anywhere, including WDW.

The only complaint I had at all is with a bit of the landscaping - it seems to send you a bit out of your way at times, but I assume that this was a design decision to handle the large capacity of the resort. I had a room in 50's A, which was closer to the main building than the "prefered" rooms in the 60's.

So if you wanna spend a couple hundred bucks a night on a room - sure, go elsewhere and you can have instant bell-services, but I'll be paying my $49 AP rate at Pop, and schlep my own luggage up (it's only twice - once at check-in and once at check-out). I absoulely loved the resort, and it met all my needs - a great theme, great bus system, a comfy bed to sleep in after park-going all day, and a place to take a nice shower mid-day in between park hopping. Mousekeeping kept the room spotless, and universally everyone I met/spoke to/passed walking who was a CM went the extra mile to just say "hello" and to make sure the visit was magical.

With all the money I save staying at Pop, I have more cash for extra meals at Le Cellier or Brown Derby (steak cobb!), or for doing things like MNSSHP or even just being able to afford an AP. If your goal is a nice, clean place to bathe and sleep while park going, Pop is so for you. If you want concierge services, or are looking for "luxury" over function, than you probably want somewhere else.

Best part? They don't book groups at Pop...so no cheerleaders practicing on the lawn at 7am.

AEfx

 

[nicholas]

Ooh. You're back! Pictures please!

 

[signerdreams]

1) the pop century resort only has 3 stories!!!!!!!!!not 4!!!

2)you should have looked at maps before you went showing how far away the rooms are

3)you should have requested a room close to the parking lot

4) the luggage car guy was just doing HIS job. so dont get mad at him

5) why would you have wanted a luggage cart if you are not a guest? one word terrorism!!

 

[signerdreams]

btw i stayed at this resort in may in the 80's section and LOVED it

 

[signerdreams]

and my room was as far away as you can get from the parking lot in section i was in

 

[nicholas]

It actually DOES have four floors.

The rest of your points were pretty accurate though

 

[KilleriMac17]

I loved pop, and I think its funny, how many people complain about things that are THEIR own fault usually. :lookaroun

 

[TheOneVader]

If you had 13 people at your disposal, you MAKE THEM take some of the luggage :hammer:

 

[DisneyJill]

signerdreams, I'm not sure if you are familiar with the "edit" link, but you can edit your first post to add additional thoughts instead of posting again and again. Just a helpful hint. :wave:
And Pop actually does have 4 floors in each building. The All-Stars only have 3.

 

[Disnut]

Does any of the value resorts have elevators? Or do you have to climb stairs?

 

[DisneyJill]

Does any of the value resorts have elevators? Or do you have to climb stairs?

All buildings have both stairs and elevators :wave:

 

[AEfx]

Ooh. You're back! Pictures please!

I've been working since I got back - but I have tomorrow off and that will be picture download day. I lost a few early in the trip - including some amazing close-ups of the Witch AA from GMR, but saved most of what I took.

I got to ride PotC, Pooh, Pan, and Snow White all alone (yes, I rode PotC alone with empty boats behind and in front of me, someone give me a medal) during one MNSSHP, so I got TONS of pictures of the insides of those rides...

AEfx