Planning a Disney World Vacation? Here’s our review of the Pop Century Resort at Disney World.
If you are looking for a fun hotel on Disney property, Pop Century has a lot to offer. From Skyliner Access to it’s fun Retro vibe, it’s not hard to see why this Disney resort hotel is so popular!
Let’s dive in and talk about all of the pros and cons of staying at this Disney hotel.
Pros of Staying at Pop Century
1) Amazing Theming
From the amazingly huge Retro statues scattered throughout the resort, to the moment you enter your room that is decorated in the perfect theme, you are sure to be wowed!
Pop Century is known for it’s fun nostalgic theming. It has been renovated over the past several years and it’s incredible! You’ll love the modern look of the bedroom and the updated bathrooms.
The rooms have a fun Disney theme and they really make the most of the space with the Murphy beds.
2) Skyliner Access
There’s a huge benefit to staying at a resort on the Skyliner.
The Skyliner is Disney’s aerial gondola lift system that connects certain Disney hotels with 2 of the Disney theme parks (Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot).
Pop Century is one of the 4 Disney resorts that are connected by the Skyliner.
The other 3 are Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Riviera.
Having access to the Disney Skyliner Station is incredible because it’s a smooth, beautiful ride that takes you directly to the parks. It’s so much less stressful than taking the Disney bus or driving.
3) Room Amenities
You can choose from rooms with 1 queen bed and 1 queen sleeper table (a Murphy bed that folds out at night and can become a table during the day). Or you can get a King size bed.
When you book your room, you’ll notice that you can choose between a standard room and a preferred room.
The Standard Rooms will tend to be a little further from transportation and the main lobby with food options. The Preferred Rooms (which cost a bit more) will be closer to transportation, pools, and the gift shop, front desk and dining at the main building. You can call a few weeks before your trip to request a certain location.
The rooms at Pop Century have a beverage cooler, to keep your drinks cool. (But note that it’s not a traditional refrigerator, so it may not be safe for items like milk).
Rooms do not have a microwave. You can request a microwave for your room, but keep in mind, requests are not always guaranteed.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort offers rooms for a maximum of 4 guests. If your family is larger than 4 people, like ours, you can book 2 connecting rooms.
The exception to this “4 people per room” rule is if you have a 5th person who is under the age of 3 who will sleep in a crib. However, the space would be incredibly cramped with a crib.
Larger families might also want to consider nearby options like Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, which has family suites that can sleep up to six people.
4) Plenty of Photo Ops
Pop Century Resort is filled with amazing photo opportunities.
Young kids and grown-ups alike will enjoy seeing giant versions of retro toys like Rubik’s cubes, Bowling Pins, Mr. Potato Head and a giant Big Wheel trike.
You’ll also find characters from Roger Rabbit, Lady and the Tramp, and more!
5) Themed Pools
Pop Century has 3 pools:
- Hippy Dippy Pool – which is the main pool on the Pop Century property. This large pool area has a fun 60’s vibe with flower shaped water jets and 1960’s theming.
- Bowling Pool – a pool in the 50’s section that’s shaped like a bowling pin.
- Computer Pool – a pool in the 90’s section that is shaped like a computer complete with a keypad and floppy disc.
- Plus, there’s a Splash Pad for the little ones!
Cons of Staying at Pop Century
1) Expensive
Pop Century is considered a Value Resort. However, there’s quite a price jump per night compared to Disney’s All-Star Resorts.
This is because it’s a popular resort being on the Skyliner route, close to the parks, and of course the theming is popular as well.
Prices can vary though, and you just might be able to score a great room at a great price depending on the time of your trip.
2) Can be Noisy
I’ve stayed at Pop Century twice and one time it was perfectly quiet and the other time was miserably loud. I think the difference was the location of our hotel room.
All rooms at Pop Century have a door that opens to the outside. This means that if someone is talking as they walk past your room, it can be quiet loud.
We found that the rooms next to the pools were especially loud. Unfortunately, Disney keeps their pools open late sometimes, which means that you might be dealing with excessive pool noise until 11 pm.
This was super frustrating for our family with young children as we wanted to go to bed on time to get up for rope drop the next day….meanwhile the pool was full of teenagers yelling loudly for HOURS.
A solution for this is a white noise machine or a white noise phone app or some ear plugs. But I thought I’d mention it since it’s nice to know this flaw ahead of time so you aren’t settled into your bed and dealing with lots of outside noise.
We have been happiest with Pop Century when we get a room that faces the parking lots. Surprisingly, these rooms are much quieter…and quite handy for moving into your hotel room.
3) Must Use Skyliner
The Skyliner has always been a pro for our family, but if you have someone who is afraid of heights and would rather not use the Skyliner, you might want to book a different hotel.
Pop Century does not offer bus service to Epcot or Hollywood Studios because it has the Skyliner and they expect you to use it. They do offer bus service to Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom.
The exception to this is in cases of inclement weather, if the Skyliner is closed down then bus service is offered.
The Verdict: Pop Century Resort Review
Overall, we would recommend staying here.
The Pop Century rooms are comfortable, the bus transportation is reliable, and we absolutely love the Skyliner access.
We do recommend that you request a room in a quiet section (not next to the pool) if you plan to go to bed before 11pm.
You can do this by calling the resort and speaking to a cast member, or you can check-in on the My Disney Experience App and look for options.
More Disney Tips
Looking for more Disney tips? We’ve got you covered!
Make a plan for What to Do on Arrival Day at Disney World here. So many great ideas for kicking off your vacation!
Wondering What to Do while Waiting in Line at Disney? Check out the big list of ideas.
Learn how to Avoid Long Lines at Disney World here. We share all of our best tips to help you spend more time having fun and less time waiting!
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