Will we be happy at Pop Century after several trips at POR?

[plum pirate]

My family and I (DH, 2 DDs - 9 and 12) have been to WDW several times with each trip at a moderate hotel and we love POR. For our next trip in June we are finding no deals to be had (we got used to that free dining during 05 and 07 trips), and so we are thinking about staying at PC rather than POR. We do spend a little bit of time at POR but certainly more in the parks. I love the landscaping, Piano Bob, etc., at POR but the additional cost of $600 + will pay for a lot of food. Has anyone "downgraded" to a value resort after staying at moderates? My DH thinks it is all in the attitude and would rather spend the money in the parks than on the resort. We cannot change our travel dates and this will be the longest trip we have ever taken (6/10 - 6/18). I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced both resorts, particularly in the summer. I have to admit that some of the review about PC (thin walls, limits on AC, etc) have me a bit worried.:shrug:

 

[Monty]

My family and I (DH, 2 DDs - 9 and 12) have been to WDW several times with each trip at a moderate hotel and we love POR. For our next trip in June we are finding no deals to be had (we got used to that free dining during 05 and 07 trips), and so we are thinking about staying at PC rather than POR. We do spend a little bit of time at POR but certainly more in the parks. I love the landscaping, Piano Bob, etc., at POR but the additional cost of $600 + will pay for a lot of food. Has anyone "downgraded" to a value resort after staying at moderates? My DH thinks it is all in the attitude and would rather spend the money in the parks than on the resort. We cannot change our travel dates and this will be the longest trip we have ever taken (6/10 - 6/18). I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced both resorts, particularly in the summer. I have to admit that some of the review about PC (thin walls, limits on AC, etc) have me a bit worried.:shrug:

DS12 and I have stayed at Deluxes, Mods and values, bouncing back and forth all the time. We loved PC when we stayed there. The theming is great for kids [even 48-yo kids like me! ] and the transportation is actually better than some of the mods. If price is an issue, you won't be disappointed at Pop.

We never had any problems with noise from other rooms, though occasionally kids running outside our room could be heard. It certainly wasn't a problem.

 

[eroyee]

We have stayed at both. POR is our favorite moderate but we really love POP. Look at the reviews on allearsnet.com. Your kids will really like it. the food court is good, bus service is good, theming is good. You will be there at a busier time than us, but go and enjoy. Your DH is right. save the money for goodies and food at the park.......you wont be sorry.......

 

[Disneykidder]

Stayed at POR in winter and PC in summer. I didn't find any problems with PC at all. Theming was great, food court was delicious and pools were fun and not as crowded as we thought they would be. We have stayed at ASports and although the theming and overall place was awesome there, we didn't like a lot of the company it had. (Baseball tournaments from all over the world staying there...not cool kids) PC was great. Never had any noisy problems, buses were frequent, rooms were clean and not that small. We are the type who leave the room fairly early and come back fairly late and then take a swim and hit the hay. I, too, would rather use the extra $$ on food and incidentals.

Hey, welcome to the boards.

 

[plum pirate]

Thanks everyone- you all are making me feel much better about the PC! One thing I think the kids will like are the frozen drinks available in the refillable mugs that is not available at the moderates.

(Thanks Disneykidder for the welcome also (I've been lurking since last spring)).

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hey Pirate!!! The only thing that will be a bit of a shock is that the room size is smaller. Just be prepared for that and you will be fine. I actually like Pop Century and as others have said the food court is good, the transportation is good and I think you will have a great time!!! Belle

 

[Pioneer Hall]

It won't be as elaborately themed but it will still be a great experience. Amenity wise it offers nearly the same things as POR except boat rental and a table serve restaurant.

 

[wdwmomof3]

After staying at CB and then going to Music, when we pulled up at saw the over sized decor, we laughed really hard. It is different but we loved it. My sister has stayed at Pop several times and they love it. The rooms are not that much smaller either, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[Victoria]

My family and I (DH, 2 DDs - 9 and 12) have been to WDW several times with each trip at a moderate hotel and we love POR. For our next trip in June we are finding no deals to be had (we got used to that free dining during 05 and 07 trips), and so we are thinking about staying at PC rather than POR. We do spend a little bit of time at POR but certainly more in the parks. I love the landscaping, Piano Bob, etc., at POR but the additional cost of $600 + will pay for a lot of food. Has anyone "downgraded" to a value resort after staying at moderates? My DH thinks it is all in the attitude and would rather spend the money in the parks than on the resort. We cannot change our travel dates and this will be the longest trip we have ever taken (6/10 - 6/18). I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced both resorts, particularly in the summer. I have to admit that some of the review about PC (thin walls, limits on AC, etc) have me a bit worried.:shrug:

I have stayed at all levels of resorts. Of course the Deluxes are wonderful, but when you really think about it, you are just paying for a place to sleep and keep your luggage. I prefer to save the money on the resort (a place I dont spend a whole lot of time) and spend it in the parks (where i spend most of the time).

POR is nice, but so is Pop Century. I don't think there is a huge difference between the two...plus transportation in and out of Pop Century will be far more convenient than having to stop at a million bus stops. Your kids will probably love the LARGER THAN LIFE icons at Pop too! :lol: You can't be a ginormous Rubik's Cube, right?!

Have a great trip! Say hi to Mickey for me!

PS: Welcome to the boards!!!!

 

[mickey&me]

I agree with DH. Go with the expectation that it's going to be fun, and you'll be happy. Being happy is, after all, a conscious choice. Look around on PC's site through the Disney website, and prepare to have a good time. Know that it will be a different experience, and realize that different is good.

 

[ssidiouss@mac.c]

I love the Pop Century.. and honestly even for the same price I wouldn't move to the moderates. The busses are so much better at Pop and theres just this really fun vibe there that screams Disney to me. I would love to stay at a few of the Deluxe resorts like Poly, WL, and Boardwalk Inn.. but the price is so much higher than we can go 2 weeks at Pop Century instead of 1 week there.. so we are going for the 2 weeks instead.

 

[garyhoov]

I think the theming of the value resorts is a lot of fun.

Your kids should be young enough to really enjoy it.

 

[figmentmom]

POR is our favorite resort, but we stayed at PC for a family reunion last year, and it was great. Be prepared for that smaller room eek, but otherwise, the theming is fun and you'll have a great time.

 

[pinkstar15]

I was just like you all a few years ago. We have always stayed in moderates but then decided to save some money, we sould stay at pop. It was a very big change for me. There was so many kids and it was very noisy and crowded. The theme was pretty cool but i missed the landscapes and quietness of port orleans and caribbean beach. I bet your kids would love pop though. I was 18 or 19 when i stayed there so it didnt interest me as much. I did enjoy walking around and discovering a lot of statues and thing from my childhood like playdough and mr. Potato head. I hope you all have fun. Im trying out All star music this year since it is said to be a little quieter and their rooms were just renovated. Good luck!

 

[maryszhi]

even though we always stay at disney on property hotels, i say this to everybody: it doesnt matter where u stay, on or off property. hwat does is u have a great time makeing memories of disney and to be glad you get to go to disney. people sometimes dont realize how lucky they are. for some people the closes thing to disney is the disney store, or a disney show/skate, or the disney channel,or not even any of those. i have been prvilaged to travel alot, and going to disney/disney crusie included. i thank god for allowing me to do what some people can only dream about.

 

[DisneyPirate85]

LOTS AND LOTS OF CONCRETE at Pop! And in the summer the Bus stops are exposed to the Florida sun,when in line,. But the staff is very good and food court is pretty nice too. There will be ALOT of children tho,LOTS. However you can still enjoy a nice quiet walk on the backside of Pop and walk around the lake and across the bridge. The biggest diffrence is the Landscaping POR is just Beautifully landscaped...but when you take into count the amount your saving $$$ landscape is not that big of a deal. :wave:

 

[Frosty689]

My family and I (DH, 2 DDs - 9 and 12) have been to WDW several times with each trip at a moderate hotel and we love POR. For our next trip in June we are finding no deals to be had (we got used to that free dining during 05 and 07 trips), and so we are thinking about staying at PC rather than POR. We do spend a little bit of time at POR but certainly more in the parks. I love the landscaping, Piano Bob, etc., at POR but the additional cost of $600 + will pay for a lot of food. Has anyone "downgraded" to a value resort after staying at moderates? My DH thinks it is all in the attitude and would rather spend the money in the parks than on the resort. We cannot change our travel dates and this will be the longest trip we have ever taken (6/10 - 6/18). I would love to hear from anyone who has experienced both resorts, particularly in the summer. I have to admit that some of the review about PC (thin walls, limits on AC, etc) have me a bit worried.:shrug:

Well, well seems your in the same boat as I was a couple of days ago. I actually just stayed at the PC with my family while I was visiting a college and a one day trip to Disney World. My last vacation prior to the one I just mentioned, took place at the Polyenisian, and well of course I loved it!!! (2nd time staying there) But in my opinion the hotel does matter. Regardless of where you do end up staying on the Disney property, your going to get different levels of the "Disney Difference."

I'm not sure if I'm alone in saying this but I definitely have a better vacation staying at the moderate and upper hotels. (Thats not to say I've ever had a bad vacation at Disney World) My family NEVER spends time at the hotel, we only sleep there and have breakfast there every once in a while, but it still matters to me. The atmosphere is much more magical and the more pricey hotels have a much more open and relaxing feel. That of course could just be me.

But a Disney Vacation is a Disney vacation! It's that simple, if you love disney no matter where you stay you're going to have a fantastic time! Have a safe and happy vacation!

 

[IMPoppins]

I really like Pop. I really like the theming. I enjoy the Hippy Dippy pool and our kids (6 and 3) really like the Goofy water jets. I LOVE that it only has one bus stop. I've stayed there a few times and have always had pretty good room locations. I can't say what it's like in the summer because I've only been there at off times (Jan, Oct, etc.) I think the rooms, while small, are clean. The biggest negative I have found at this resort is the craziness of the food court. They have a good selection, but it is a free for all. Of course, if you go early in the am ,or at off times, you'll have no problems.
Having said all that, my DH can't stand the resort ( too noisy, over run with large groups, doesn't like the a/c, small room, etc...) Give it a try. If you don't like it you can stay with POR in the future. Have a great time whatever you decide :wave:

 

[SusanAnne]

We usually stay at the AKL, but because of the economy, we have downsized and decided to stay at Pop. We have stayed there before, but in our last 4 trips to Disney we have stayed at AKL. While I prefer to stay at the AKL, the savings of nearly $2000.00 for 7 nights makes a big difference. Bottom line for us was, lets just get to Disney. Yes, we have stayed at the moderates before, but my daughter actually prefers Pop to any of the mods.
We are just thankful to be able to be going at all this year. I am just planning on keeping an open mind to the resort and just enjoying all of the Disney magic regardless of what resort we will be at.