Pop Century buses

[notslim99]

Hey everyone! The wife and I are looking into a possible trip to WDW September 1-6, 2011. :sohappy: We will be taking our 4 year old son with us. My wife and I stayed at the POFQ in March and loved it. We were looking into POP to save a little green and take advantage of the free dining plan during our trip. My question is concerning the buses at POP. How crowded are they and are there several stops at the resort? We were spoiled by being the first on and off at POFQ. Thank you in advance.

 

[disneygirl76]

Hey everyone! The wife and I are looking into a possible trip to WDW September 1-6, 2011. :sohappy: We will be taking our 4 year old son with us. My wife and I stayed at the POFQ in March and loved it. We were looking into POP to save a little green and take advantage of the free dining plan during our trip. My question is concerning the buses at POP. How crowded are they and are there several stops at the resort? We were spoiled by being the first on and off at POFQ. Thank you in advance.

I can only tell you what a friend told me because my DH and I have not stayed at Pop or POFQ before. She told me that the buses can be a long wait and she gets really frustrated by this. That being said, September is a slower time to go. So the crowds will be down even though free dining is being offered. I believe these dates are over Labor Day correct? That might add to the crowds too.

 

[lilclerk]

This has always been one of my complaints as well about the value resort bus pickup areas. I really wish they would put up some sort of shading over the corral area. I am sure they could come up with something without disturbing the facade of the front of the building.

Yes, this is my only complaint about the value resorts. I don't really see how bus shelter should be a perk of staying at a moderate or above. That said, I totally love Pop and don't think I'll pay the premium to stay at a mod or deluxe again unless there's no availability at Pop.

Labor Day is the quietest holiday at WDW, you'll have a blast =)

 

[Mukta]

so how did you get to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom? Im curious because im staying at the Pop Century Hotel July 8th-15th of this year

It was a short trip and I didn't end up visiting AK at all. I went to DHS for a few hours. I took the boat from EPCOT to DHS and the bus from DHS back to Pop at night.

 

[disneygirl1]

We are staying at POP the 8/31-9/6 this year!!! Love it there. Buses run pretty regularly, only issue I have is that all POP's bus stops at the parks are the furthest from the main gates, but not that big of a deal for me not tot stay there. Like any resort. POP always has a line a park closing, but they get buses in and out fast!

If I were you I totally make any room requests now before you check in!

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The bus service at Pop is more efficient than at most other resorts. The only downfall, as someone mentioned, is the lack of shade.

I love Pop and almost always stay there. For the amount of time I spend in my room, it's not worth the extra costs. Plus, you can use the Tables in Wonderland card at the food court.

 

[Mikester71]

Thank you all so much!!! Can I request a certain building at check-in time?

Like others have already said, you are supposed to make your room request when booking the room. However, my family has had no such luck with this the past 3 stays out of our 4 total stays at POP (1st trip didn't matter since we didn't know the resort yet ). Each time we went to check in, it was like we didn't even make a request at all. They stuck us in rooms on the opposite side of the resort from where we had asked to be put, and I booked the rooms a year out each time and had my CAA agent double check my request. The good news is each time this has happened, my wife or I have been able to talk them into eventually switching us to the section we had originally asked for within a half hour of checking in. And this is even during Spring Break, when they are completely booked! Of course I am EXTREMELY grateful and thankful that they did this for us each time, since they didn't really have to. LOVE POP!!!!:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[Mikester71]

We loved the 50's it was super quiet and the pool was nice. It is a little further from bus stop, but that didn't bother us. It maybe took us 5mns to get from room to bus stop

This is our favourite section too...LOVE facing the pool there! :sohappy: With the right shortcut or path, you can be in the cafeteria or at the bus stop in nothing flat; like 3-5 minutes (if that even) like you said. And we were even on the 4th floor and walked down the stairs every time! :ROFLOL:

 

[Mikester71]

Hate to look like I am totally hijacking this thread or something here with all these posts ( :lookaroun too late ), but does anyone know if the rooms in the 50's section facing the pool are considered preferred rooms or not? When we asked to be put there this past trip in March, I was told they were preferred rooms only and then they suddenly moved us in to one a half an hour later with no extra charge or questions asked. Seemed weird to me! :shrug:

 

[coltow]

Hate to look like I am totally hijacking this thread or something here with all these posts ( :lookaroun too late ), but does anyone know if the rooms in the 50's section facing the pool are considered preferred rooms or not? When we asked to be put there this past trip in March, I was told they were preferred rooms only and then they suddenly moved us in to one a half an hour later with no extra charge or questions asked. Seemed weird to me! :shrug:

I thought only 60's section and 1/2 the 70's were considered preferred.

 

[Mikester71]

I thought only 60's section and 1/2 the 70's were considered preferred.

I know, right! That is what I thought too! :shrug: But when I asked if we could be moved to the 50's section in March after they had put us WAY in the back facing all of the construction, the girl on the phone (I phoned the front desk from our room after we made the LONG trek back) told me that the 50's section, facing the pool is considered preferred. That was news to me. We were put in the 50's section (facing pool) in 2009 and didn't pay for a preferred room! :shrug:

 

[mikeb1967]

POP Preferred Rooms/ Buses

Hello. We have stayed at many different Disney resort hotels. The Pop is our favorite for a few reasons. It is a good value if you luv to be on-the-go at the theme parks, we don't spend much time in our room, if we want a relaxing type of vacation we take a cruise. It is nicely themed and very comfortable with a great food court. We ALWAYS ask to be on the first floor(makes for much quicker walks to the bus or food court) and we ask to be as close to the main food building as possible, we have always been pleased with our location, but YOU HAVE TO ASK. In fact I always call 2-3 days before our arrival date to talk to someone at the Pop front desk to arrange these details, then when i get there i ASK again, and no online check-in, i prefer to speak to a real human being. The bus service is consistently great at the Pop because of the number of buses that run there. It goes without saying that you need to get out the door early and to the bus stop if you want to be somewhere at a certain time. At the end of the day it does get busy at the theme park bus stops, but after Wishes or Illuminations it's busy at every bus stop. Sometimes we rush out to beat the crowd and other times we wait a good 30-45 mins and enjoy shopping and the quietness of the parks when everyone leaves. By that time the bulk of the crowds are gone at the bus stop. I would much rather stay at the Pop with only one stop then stay at some of the moderates or deluxes with an inner bus loop ie. Caribbean beach, Port Orleans, Coronado Springs even Fort Wilderness (these resorts you pay much more for a room, you still have to walk a distance to a bus stop, and you have to catch a bus to get to the main bus stop to catch another bus to the parks...a long journey) Anyway just my two cents worth. Inevitably you will get stuck waiting for a bus no matter where you are going, but really...you're on vacation at Disney...relax and enjoy the view.
MikeB

 

[Disneydreamer23]

i WOULD call back and request it now, and Im staying in a preffered room i Oct for my honey moon other wise i never have.