Welcome to the NEW Pop Century!
I love Pop Century! The theming and the price make it a great Resort to spend your vacation.
What sets it apart from the All-Stars is the fact that Pop has its own buses. There are 3 All-Stars Resorts and they all share the same buses. I love the All-Stars, but the buses are a huge deal for us. It is the reason we choose Pop over the All-Stars. Pop is also right next door to Art of Animation, separated only by a bridge over Hourglass Lake. If the buses back to Pop are a lot longer than Art of Animation, we have no problem hopping on that bus and walking across the bridge, back to our room.
That’s why it is so exciting that Disney has been working hard updating the rooms. The 90’s are finished and ready for reservations. Right now, they are working on the 80’s building, which should be finished up some time this month, followed by the other buildings. The rest of the resort is up and running as usual. Construction only goes on during the day (about 9am to dusk), while guests are up and traveling between the parks. Most guests don’t even notice that anything is going on, so don’t let the renovations deter you from considering Pop. If there are any available, you can request one of the updated rooms when you check-in. The 80’s and 90’s buildings are in the back of the Resort, so be prepared for a longer walk to the buses and the food court.
The Bedroom/Living Area
The Resort is getting a fresh Modern look. The main difference is that there is no longer carpeting on the floor. It is replaced by a neutral colored wood floor. This will make things much easier to clean up, so I think this is a good choice.
There also appears to be more outlets. Notice the 2 outlets under the TV! There is also another outlet on top of ALL 3 night stands. I bring a Power Strip with me to keep all of my devices in one place. This is the perfect place to put them during the night to charge.
There is also a 2 person table/desk with a pull-down Murphy Bed, similar to what you see in the Art of Animation Suites. Pull it down to reveal Pluto sleeping away and dreaming of bones.
The Bathroom
The main difference I see with the bathroom is STORAGE! Notice all the cubbies below, next to, and surrounding the sink. This will help out tremendously during our future stays at Pop. It wasn’t a huge deal, but once we unpacked toothbrushes, toiletries, my makeup bag, brushes, etc… there really wasn’t any room left for anything else. Plus, it looked cluttered with all that stuff sitting there. There was a little shelf under the mirror, which helped, but there still wasn’t much room for anything else. At night, I had to rearrange things so I could wash out our refillable mugs and leave on the counter to dry. This new arrangement is going to make our stay so much easier and tidier.
The only thing I would mention about the new bathroom is there appears to be no more tub/shower combo. This won’t make a difference for our family since my kids are older, but this might prove to be a problem for those with small children who take baths.
Of course, you can still find a safe to store your valuables during the day when you are not in the room. You will also find a coffeemaker.
So, what do you think of the new design?
I would have liked to see a little more color on the walls and the shower may be an issue for some, but overall, I love the new design. The wood floors are a good choice, the barn door is so much better than the curtain, and the storage is going to help my family out a lot. Of course, it is also aesthetically pleasing. I can’t wait to stay there again.
