Staying at POP and I'm concerned

[ratherbeinwdw]

I, like you, was concerned about staying at POP. It was fine. It's not something I'll do again though. We are back to AoA when we need two bathrooms. We got connecting rooms in June at the POP which was very convenient and made the room feel bigger as we left the adjoining doors open most of the time. The food court is the best. The bathrooms are much bigger than the other values or the mods as is the safe. It was very noisy at night.
We did wait for busses a lot, but it was June and the end of Star Wars Weekends so it was crowded. We were in the 90's section, but it was actually a short walk across the parking lot to the bus stops and lobby.
My son and his girl friend really liked POP.

 

[BigRedDad]

People always ask me where to stay. I always ask what they want to get out of the bed they sleep in and the shower they use. After that, it comes down to how many people are going and how much they want to spend on that bed and shower. Some people look down on Value resorts. For us it comes down to where we want to spend our money. There is only 1 thing in all the resorts that a guest can do that non-guests can't: use the YC/BC pool. Everything else is accessible by people just visiting the resort. It may not be "permitted" to pool hop, but people do it ALL the time.

We are a family of 3. The only thing the room is for is sleeping and showering. I do not need to spend $300 a night for it. I can stay in a Value and have money I saved on the room for nice meals or other things. This is just me. Others with larger families or different tastes need to wake up in deluxe accomodations. That is fine for them.

 

[Kate Alan]

You'll be fine at POP. I stay there nearly every time I go to WDW and it is clean, pleasant, and fairly quiet, esp. in comparison to the All-Star resorts. Rooms aren't huge but they are just what you need, especially if you don't plan on spending most of your time in the room (I'm more of a "give me a clean, quiet place to lay my head at night as the rest of the time I'm scouring the parks" person).

 

[NormC]

Could you elaborate on this a little?

I am a DVC member. Home resort is BLT. We have also stayed at Kidani. Before we bought DVC we stayed at POP and we loved it. For the price it was very clean and had everything we needed. The housekeeping was great. They played with the kids stuffed animals and everyday they were posed in different scenes. They folded the towels and washcloths in different shapes. This is part of the Disney Magic you lose as a DVC owner. Kidani room was dirty and dark. BLT was fine. WL was fine.

 

[JillC LI]

Did you really think that we peons who stay at Value Resorts have to suffer through dirt and grunge and poor service?! Of course not! The rooms may be smaller and the entrances outdoors instead of indoors, but you still get the same wonderful Disney service. Don't worry.

Btw, we are like many others who just sleep and shower in the room and cannot fathom paying for an elegant room on a Disney trip. But if you can splurge all around, go for it!

 

[DisneyDaver]

If you stay at value resorts regularly, please know I'm not trying to offend! Just wanted to get that out of the way immediately!

Okay, so I've never stayed at a value resort. The first time I went to WDW I stayed at Coronado Springs and every other time I've stayed at a deluxe resort as a DVC member. We booked a last minute trip and the only thing available was Pop Century. I was recently reading a post elsewhere about value vs. deluxe being apples to oranges and how many DVC members would "never stay in a value again!!!1!!" We're a little worried now about staying at Pop Century. I know it won't be awful, but I have a thing about hotels and I get really freaked out pretty easily about certain things including cleanliness. I'd love to hear from people who have switched back and forth between deluxe and value resorts! Please set my mind at ease!!

I usually stay at the Monorail deluxe resorts for convenience but have stayed at All-Star Sports a couple times. I thought it was clean and a great place to stay. For me, the big downside was the long bus rides to get to all the parks. I felt I lost too much time traveling. Time is so valuable in a WDW vacation that I would rather pay more and be closer.

 

[Hockey89]

You sound like a treat...

 

[rufio]

You sound like a treat...

 

[deanaandrich]

I'm a topic hijacker, but I was considering bringing my own coffee maker when we stay there in Nov. and heard that it's a no no for fire reasons or some such - is this something people have been able to do regularly without a problem? Thanks

Yes we regularly bring a coffee maker on all our trips- Disney has never commented that we can't have it. We never hide it- it's always out in the open.

 

[jlsHouston]

POP was the first resort we ever stayed at. It was 4th of July summer and the bus stop in front was ALWAYS crowded. The building we stayed in was right behind the lobby and there was a huge pool and a little bar with tables. So it was very convenient. The room was clean...I remember thinking it felt a little dated but nothing terrible or unbearable.
Then we did a few moderates...then we moved on to the deluxes.
Personally I think you are going to see the differences between staying value and staying dvc or deluxe. But I don't think it will detract too much from your trip because you are much more a park junkie than a resort junkie.
I am sure you will have a BLAST!

 

[jaklgreen]

We stayed at POP one night before our cruise. Never again. The rooms were tiny (you open the door and the bed is right there) the beds are doubles and not queens. And I have never been to a resort where so many people stay out until 2-3am with their kids running and yelling and disturbing everyone. Woke up the next morning to beer bottles littered everywhere, on the ground, in the bushes. Plus walking around we saw several security officers knocking on doors. Have never ever had that kind of experience in my 27 visits to WDW.

 

[DisneyJoe]

We stayed at POP one night before our cruise.......The rooms were tiny.

FYI, Value resort rooms are 260 sq ft. Most DCL staterooms are the same or smaller.

 

[crispy]

We stayed at POP one night before our cruise. Never again. The rooms were tiny (you open the door and the bed is right there) the beds are doubles and not queens. And I have never been to a resort where so many people stay out until 2-3am with their kids running and yelling and disturbing everyone. Woke up the next morning to beer bottles littered everywhere, on the ground, in the bushes. Plus walking around we saw several security officers knocking on doors. Have never ever had that kind of experience in my 27 visits to WDW.

I have stayed at Pop on many occasions and have never had an experience remotely similar to this. I think you were just very unlucky.

 

[AndyS2992]

For me, the big downside was the long bus rides to get to all the parks.

How so? Epcot, DHS, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, ESPN , Blizard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are right next to Pop Century. You can even see Spaceship Earth from Pop. The only 'long' drive is for Magic Kingdom. Pop is one of the closest to the parks.

 

[DisneyDaver]

How so? Epcot, DHS, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, ESPN , Blizard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are right next to Pop Century. You can even see Spaceship Earth from Pop. The only 'long' drive is for Magic Kingdom. Pop is one of the closest to the parks.

The OP asked about staying at value resorts in general. Per my post, I was referring to my stays at All-Star Sports. I have never stayed at POP.

 

[AndyS2992]

The OP asked about staying at value resorts in general. Per my post, I was referring to my stays at All-Star Sports. I have never stayed at POP.

Ah right, misread. Although even then all the value resorts are pictured on the map above meaning they are all in very close proximity to the parks except MK.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

The line of cars waiting to get in to All Stars at night after the park closes is horrendous. Who thought it was a good idea to have one lane be the sole entry to three sprawling resorts? And of course, every car has to stop and either scan a magic band or talk to the guard. Poor planning.

 

[JillC LI]

We stayed at POP one night before our cruise. Never again. The rooms were tiny (you open the door and the bed is right there) the beds are doubles and not queens. And I have never been to a resort where so many people stay out until 2-3am with their kids running and yelling and disturbing everyone. Woke up the next morning to beer bottles littered everywhere, on the ground, in the bushes. Plus walking around we saw several security officers knocking on doors. Have never ever had that kind of experience in my 27 visits to WDW.

This has not been our experience at all.

For me, the big downside was the long bus rides to get to all the parks. I felt I lost too much time traveling. Time is so valuable in a WDW vacation that I would rather pay more and be closer.

I like the convenience of quick travel too which is why we always search for a great car rental rate for our trips, and it is much less money than staying at a deluxe (all of which would really only put me close to some but not all of the parks).

 

[epcot2004]

POP is by far the best Value resort that we have stayed at. More 'resorty' than Music which is our only other Value. I share your concerns about the Values and in-fact switched from POP to Yacht Club for our next trip. I fear we have forever been 'damaged' by the Deluxe resorts. Even Port Orleans which used to be our favorite is not good enough any more. Not trying to be a snob, just how we feel. Disney is masterful at the 'get what you pay for' aspect of their resorts. I am convinced that housekeeping is better the higher resort class that you stay at. As I have posted in other discussions here a sub-par room will ruin a trip for us. No matter what resort we stay in we always have them show us on the map where it is located prior to confirmation. Also, always like the top floor rooms as they tend to have less foot traffic most of the time. In the end we would gladly stay at a Value versus staying home! Have a great trip!

 

[psukardi]

If you stay at value resorts regularly, please know I'm not trying to offend! Just wanted to get that out of the way immediately!

Okay, so I've never stayed at a value resort. The first time I went to WDW I stayed at Coronado Springs and every other time I've stayed at a deluxe resort as a DVC member. We booked a last minute trip and the only thing available was Pop Century. I was recently reading a post elsewhere about value vs. deluxe being apples to oranges and how many DVC members would "never stay in a value again!!!1!!" We're a little worried now about staying at Pop Century. I know it won't be awful, but I have a thing about hotels and I get really freaked out pretty easily about certain things including cleanliness. I'd love to hear from people who have switched back and forth between deluxe and value resorts! Please set my mind at ease!!

I would love to set your mind at ease, but I won't because I won't lie to you and tell you what you want to hear. I went to value resorts my whole life growing up (one or two stays at a moderate) and not until after I graduated from college and established myself did I get to see what a Deluxe was all about. After several stays at the Beach Club and a few at the GF - I would never stay at a value again. At that point I'd probably just stay offsite and snag a room at the Gaylord that's right near downtown Disney. There I know I'll have a quality room and not have to deal with potential issues that I'd have at a value. Plus, let's be honest - the on site transportation for a value resort is not that great. Bite the bullet and pay for the parking.

Remember, at the POP you're going to have to deal with a further trip on the bus. You're going to have a door that's facing the outside and you're going to have a lot less privacy and a lot more noise. good luck if their is a cheerleader type thing going on or some pop warner football thing going on. Or heaven forbid a tour group of some sort.

Good luck!