Disney's Pop Century Resort Review

There is a definite advantage to staying on property when visiting Disney World. Transportation is provided to all four of the theme parks. You avoid paying for parking and instead get dropped off right at the park entrance.

There are a range of resort options from value to deluxe. Each category has its own set of amenities and benefits. They all have nice pools and at least one restaurant and gift shop on site.

Disney’s Pop Century is a value-level resort. It has a theme oriented toward American pop culture from the 50’s through the 80’s. In addition to the main building, there are multiple motel-style buildings. They are arranged in groups by decade. I stayed in the 1950’s area which was very convenient to the main building, while the 80’s might be a bit farther away. The buildings are decorated in bright colors like Orange, Pink and Green and have icons on the balconies. Each building has a phrase across the top such as ‘Right On’, ‘What’s Your Handle’ and ‘Can You Dig It’. The stairs are located at the ends of each building and look like a period-relevant item like a yo-yo, a Rubik’s cube, a bowling pin or an eight-track tape.

Rooms face either a pool or the lake. I had a pool-facing room. Overall, it was spacious with a king-sized bed and a small table with two chairs. The bed was a nice size but very firm. Three pillows, also very firm, were provided. The bathroom was small but was in a split format with the sink outside the main bath would enable two to get ready at the same time. The shower was tile which was a nice upgrade from what you might expect in a value hotel. Soap and shampoo provided were H20 which are very nice products. Amenities in the room include a small refrigerator, a nice flat-screen TV, an ironing board and a small safe.

There is a nice walking trail around the resort. You can see the Art of Animation resort across the lake. There is a bridge that allows you to walk between the resorts. As you walk around the resort, there are many interesting statues such as Lady and Tramp, a large foosball table, and a surfing Goofy next to an antique Corvette.

There are multiple pools and each has a unique theme such being shaped like a bowling pin or a flower. They are nice pools but there are no slides.

The main building houses check-in, a gift shop and a restaurant. Food is served until midnight. The restaurant is large with multiple stations. Each has a unique set of entrees ranging in price from $8-10. With the stations, there was a wide variety of food available. I had a pasta and chicken dish that came with a breadstick. It was tasty and filling. There are also a variety of snacks, desserts drinks available. For example, you can get a slice of cake or cheesecake starting at $4. Beer is available and a 16oz Bud or Miller Light is $5.50. The gift shop has a range of souvenirs and offered pretty much the same things as the gift shops at any of the Disney resorts. I was surprised that they did not feature Pop Century items such as a pin for my Disney pin collection.

While Pop Century is a nice resort, there are a few things to know. I had a pool-view room. While the pool closed at 11:00 pm, people stayed up and hung around the pool well past closing time, taking and laughing loudly. If you are looking for a quiet night’s rest, you might want to opt for a lake-view room.

While the room was comfortable, it was what you might expect from an inexpensive hotel. For example, the towels provided were thin and fairly small and the cups provided were plastic. The theming of this resort is pretty basic and some might consider it kind of tacky.

The real question is always whether you would stay at a resort again. The answer is maybe. While I definitely prefer the Disney Deluxe Resorts like the Polynesian or Wilderness Lodge, given the right circumstances I would consider staying at Pop Century again. It is a clean and comfortable resort with all of the benefits of staying on property at Disney World.

Have you stayed at the Pop Century Resort? What was your experience? Share a story by leaving a comment.