Pop Century or Wilderness Lodge

[dmbouton75]

We (2 adults, 2 children) currently have reservations for connecting rooms at Pop Century for 9/30-10/9 with the free dining. My friend and her family have a reservation at the Wilderness Lodge for the same time frame. If I change my reservation over to the Wilderness Lodge, so we can all be together, I can only afford 1 room there and can only *hope* for bunk beds. It would cost me an extra $560 dollars, too. We had 2 rooms at PC last Decmeber and really liked it, but I would really like to stay at a deluxe. I can't decide whether to make the change. Any opinions?

Thank you for your help.

TTFN,
Dawn

 

[maggiegrace1]

Wilderness lodge is very nice.. but if you really can use the extra money then stay at pop.. you will have more room with the 2 rooms and you like it already..... If you do not mind spending the extra $ then go for it... but that money can go towards a lot more stuff and you will prob be in the room for a short period anyway... have Fun regardless...

 

[RickEff]

I guess at Pop Century, you'd have two bathrooms and a little more privacy.

But - staying at a deluxe compared to a value resort is a huge difference in ambiance and comfort. If you've never stayed at one before, why not give it a try? You have the added bonus of being closer to your friends. The Lodge is a great place to be.

I always look at it this way - if I'm not happy where I am I can usually change resorts, as long as there is room of course.

Worst case scenario - you'll know for the next trip and you've had a new experience!

 

[Yoop33]

I was just at Wilderness Lodge and stayed in a 2 bedroom Villa. To be honest with you I was not very impressed. If you have kids I think they would probably enjoy Pop Century more cause it feels a little more playful. Wilderness Lodge seems very serious.
Plus you are going to save money and probably be a lot more comfortable. Hope you have a good time!!!!

 

[ToTBellHop]

I'd stay with Pop--all I do in the hotel is sleep anyway, so if I want to hang out w/ friends, we just meet at the parks--spend that extra $560 on much more fun things and have breathing room with two rooms at Pop (and, in my mind, a better location--much shorter trips to the parks other than the MK).

 

[tigsmom]

We stay in a standard room at the WL all of the time. We have 2 girls (17 & 11) and they share one of the Queen size beds. There is enough room for all of us. Having a second bathroom would be nice though.


While the WL is a beautiful resort and very relaxing and being close to the others in your party would be nice, don't sweat it if you can't afford it or it doesn't work for you. You can always go over and visit, enjoy the restaurants and hang out.

A vacation should be for relaxation and if moveing to the WL will add unneeded stress, keep what you have and enjoy! :wave:

 

[altec]

In terms of room size and things in it there is not much difference between pop and wildi, however wildi have really good theme although kids may like the colours/fun of pop more. if you spend a lot of time at hotel go for it, if not stay at pop.
have fun!

 

[Dukeblue1016]

I'd go with Pop strictly because... you'll have an extra $560 to spend on your vacation!!!! Which is awesome! Plus you'll have more room with two seperate rooms at pop like someone already said... and also you're not in the room so much that it makes it worth it... in my opinion...


HOWEVER... IF money wasn't a concern to me... and I could spend it no problem, I'd DEFINITELY stay at Wilderness Lodge... Deluxe Resorts are so much nicer in every aspect its unbelievable

 

[scorp111]

In terms of room size and things in it there is not much difference between pop and wildi, however wildi have really good theme although kids may like the colours/fun of pop more. if you spend a lot of time at hotel go for it, if not stay at pop.
have fun!

Pop rooms are 260 SF and WL rooms are 340 SF, that is almost 30% larger.
Obvious this is a moot point when you double the POP room because you would have 2.

 

[Damien666]

If you don't mind spending some extra money, go for WL. Much nicer and bigger rooms. I had a friend go to POP and she said the rooms were a bit too cramped. The boat ride to MK is a nice plus.

 

[HoW]

I'm going to shock myself and say stay at Pop. I am absolutely in love with WL, but my fiancee and I decided to not stay at a deluxe resort this trip because the extra money could be used for either more fun on the vacation, or for saving for something else after we returned. In the case of having children along, I think the extra space of a second room would provide everyone a little more "me" space and make the trip just a little more enjoyable.

 

[Unplugged]

Honest opinion from a DVC-WL owner

I'm a DVC member at WL so I obviously love it there. My wife and I have been going for years and love the more "serious" (as someone used) side of the theme. It's very relaxing to us and absolutely beautiful architecture, not to mention Artist Point is one of our favorite dining experiences. This year we're taking our 1 year old (Sep 25 - Oct 5) and can plan well as we know the resort.

I will say this as a completely honest and neutral opinion. If we were traveling with multiple kids and/or on a tighter budget, we most likely would be spending more time in the parks or more focused on a kid-centric theme. Thus, the deal that is going for the All-Star with dining included is great! You really have to think about how much time will you spend at the resort? Enough for the adults to try to relax and justify the expense? Perhaps not.

Since your friends are at WL, I'd stick with the reservations you have. Make sure to visit them at the Lodge and if time permits, grab diner at Artist Point (knowing it's something the grown ups will really enjoy). Check out the convenience of the boat shuttle to MK, the themed pool, and the walk around the geyser. Then if you really like it (it does offer a lot), perhaps you can stay there on your next trip. That's how we switched from staying at Caribbean Beach each year to WL "owners", one visit and we were hooked. Of course after one stay and spending tooooo much, we joined DVC so we can stay there affordable now (no marketing intended, just helpful explanation).

 

[dmbouton75]

Thank you!

I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my question and helped me make my decision. I've decided to keep our reservation at Pop Century.

Have a Magical Day!
Dawn

 

[mousermerf]

Dan,

Talk to your friends and see about setting up some times for the kids at the Cubs Den (WL's child care center) while the adults do dinner at Artist's Point.