Disney’s Pop Century Resort is 1 of 5 value resorts on the Walt Disney World Resort property.
Being a Value Resort, Pop Century is cheaper per night and doesn’t offer the same amenities as Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. But, it is still a popular resort, especially due to pricing.
Plus, it has access to 2 forms of transportation: buses and the Disney Skyliner. We, personally, love having access to the Skyliner, so this is a huge perk.
If you’re planning a Disney World vacation and can’t decide where to say, here’s everything you need to know about the fun, colorful, and perfectly-themed resort.
Pop Century Quick Review
Is it as fancy as Disney’s Grand Floridian or as lush as the Poly? No. But that doesn’t mean that Pop Century doesn’t have a lot to offer.
We often choose Pop Century above other resorts because of its convenient transportation options (both bus and Disney Skyliner are available here), and the price point as a Disney Value Resort. And while the rooms are on the smaller side, they’re efficiently designed, ensuring you have everything you need after a long day at the parks.
But, this resort is popular and HUGE, and that popularity and size can lead to a noticeable buzz – especially around popular destinations like the pools. So, light sleepers might find the noise level a bit challenging.
But despite the negatives, for its pop-centered charm, convenient transportation, and price point, it’s a favorite of ours in the Disney lineup.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Affordable, fun theming especially for younger kids, dedicated buses (meaning the buses aren’t shared with other resorts), can walk to Art of Animation to take advantage of their fantastic food court, access to the Disney Skyliner gondola system
Cons: Spotty cell phone service and WiFi connection, spread out, can be noisy
Overview
Resort category: Value
Resort area: Wide World of Sports Resort Area
Address & Phone Number
1050 Century Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-8433
(407) 938-4000
Pop Century is located in the Wide World of Sports Resort Area and next to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Pop Century’s theming and decor can’t be missed.
The resort celebrates the fads of the 1950s through the 1990s and honors catchphrases, toys, dances, and timeless fashion.
Each building honors a specific decade and is accompanied by over-the-top statues and decorations, including Roger Rabbit, Big Wheels, and beloved childhood toys, like Play-Doh and the Rubik’s Cube.
Guest Rooms And Bathrooms
Overall, the rooms and bathrooms at Pop Century are pretty standard, but offer lots of storage and space, which is always a great thing when traveling. They have also recently been remodeled, which is a nice perk.
You can fit suitcases underneath the bed, and there’s also a dresser with drawers and other storage. Plus, a closet with hangars can be found in the bathroom.
The rooms feature standard amenities, including a hairdryer, in-room safe, telephone, free WiFi, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, and mini-refrigerator. And there’s no carpeting, but a wood-style laminate floor that makes for easy cleaning.
The bathrooms have both a tub/shower combo with a toilet that is separate from the sink and vanity area. There’s also a sliding door that you can shut if you want privacy between the bedroom and the sink/vanity area.
This is always a positive, especially if you have multiple people getting ready at once.
Standard and Preferred Rooms
There are 4 types of rooms to choose from during your stay (there are room layouts posted below):
- Standard
- Standard Pool View
- Preferred View
- Preferred Pool View
There are also both wheelchair and hearing accessible rooms available in each category that include a roll-in shower and visual alarms.
Note: Preferred rooms are priced higher and give guests closer access to the lobby, dining, transportation, and shopping.
Each room will have 1 King bed or 1 Queen bed and 1 Queen-size table/pull-down bed, aka a Murphy bed. As you can see in the photo below, there is a pull-down bed where the table and chairs are.
It’s pretty simple, but something to keep in mind, especially if you don’t want to pull down a bed at night and then put it back up during your stay. One pro is a Murphy bed gives you more space.
There are also plenty of outlets and USB plugs in the rooms: a set on either side of the bed and on the dresser directly underneath the TV.
The size of the bathroom and rooms are standard — nothing huge, but just your average hotel room. Each room can fit up to a total of four people.
Pop Century Resort Room Options
Room type(s) | Bed size | Max people per room | Floor plan |
---|---|---|---|
Standard Views of the Courtyard, Pool or Parking Area | 1 Queen and 1 Queen-size table bed | 4 | |
Preferred Views of the Courtyard, Pool or Parking Area Close to Melody Hall, Dining, Shopping and Transportation | 1 Queen and 1 Queen-size table bed | 4 | |
Family Suites Views of the Pool, Courtyard or Parking Area Views of the Pool, Courtyard or Parking Area 1 Queen Bed and 2 Queen-Size Pull Down Beds | 1 Queen and 2 Queen-size pull down beds | 4 |
VIDEO: Disney’s Pop Century Resort tour (rooms, pools, dining)
Checking In and Out
When it comes to checking in and out, you have a few options: at the front desk, online through the official Walt Disney World website, or via the My Disney Experience app.
Even though the front desk in Classic Hall, the lobby/main building, is there to assist guests, especially with checking in and checking out, all Disney World Resort guests are encouraged to check-in online or by using MDE.
- Checking-In: After you check-in online or using the app, you’ll receive a room-ready notification via next. You can then use your MagicBand or MDE’s digital key feature to unlock your room door.
- Checking-Out: Currently, guests will automatically be checked out of their rooms. You can also check out directly in the MDE app. But, if you have unresolved charges to your hotel folio, you’ll need to visit the front desk.
Note: Guests also have the option of to chat virtually with resort Cast Members via MDE for any assistance.
Classic Hall doesn’t just house the lobby, but is also where you can find the gift ship and food court, Everything POP Shopping & Dining, and the Fast Forward Arcade.
The pickup and dropoff location for Mears Connect (which is the replacement for Magical Express) and bus transportation are also right outside the main lobby, along with luggage storage for those who have checked out or are waiting to check in.
Note: Resort Airline Check-In and Magical Express are no longer available.
Package Delivery & Pick Up
You can have packages and groceries delivered to your Disney Resort hotel, along with shipping select items home.
Disney used to have a service where you were able to purchase items in the parks and then have them delivered to your resort’s gift shop. However, that service has been unavailable for several years now.
Parking
Although parking at Disney World resort hotels used to cost a nightly fee for resort guests, Disney has changed their policy so that parking is now free for all on-site resort guests. This change was implemented on January 10, 2023.
Complimentary standard self-parking is also available for non-resort guests exploring dining, shopping, entertainment, and other experiences during the day.
We have a complete Walt Disney World parking guide you can browse.
Resort Map
Pop Century Buildings
In addition to what is listed below, there are also Standard room view locations throughout the resort. Depending on your room, you may have a longer walk to the Skyliner station, but it’s usually not too bad. The Preferred rooms are located to Classic Hall and the buses — not the Skyliner.
50s
Buildings: 1, 2, and 3 (Preferred room location in areas closest to Classic Hall; Standard pool view location)
Location Tips: Buildings 1, 2, and 3 have both Preferred rooms, which are close to Classic Hall and the buses, along with Standard pool views.
60s
Buildings: 4 and 5 (Preferred room location in areas closest to Classic Hall; Preferred pool view location)
Location Tips: Buildings 4 and 5 are in the middle of all the buildings. You can find both Preferred rooms and Preferred pool view rooms here for the Bowling Pool. These buildings are also closest to the bridge to Art of Animation and the Skyliner.
70s
Buildings: 6 and 10 (Preferred room location in areas closest to Classic Hall)
Location Tips: Buildings 6 and 10 have select Preferred rooms that are close to Classic Hall. They are situated between the Hippy Dippy Pool and Computer Pool.
80s
Buildings: 7 and 9 (Standard pool view location)
Location Tips: Buildings 7 and 9 are near the Computer Pool. While father from the Skyliner, some of the rooms aren’t too far from Classic Hall and the buses.
90s
Buildings: 8 (Standard pool view location)
Location Tips: Building 8 is located pretty far from Classic Hall, the buses, and the Skyliner. The walk adds up after long and hot park days.
Amenities and Shops
There are several amenities offered to guests at Pop Century, including an entire arcade, a gift shop, on-site laundry services, and even the chance to watch movies outside on a big screen!
Important note: Some of the following amenities might not be available at all times.
- Laundry Services: There are 24-hour self-service laundry facilities available near the Bowling Pool, Computer Pool, and Hippy Dippy Pool.
- Dry Cleaning Services: For dry cleaning and valet laundry service, select “Housekeeping” on your room phone.
- Fast Forward Arcade: Play old video games here; located in the Classic Hall building near the food court
- Everything POP Shopping & Dining: The food court and gift shop located in Classic Hall.
- Movies Under the Stars: Watch complimentary Disney movies on select nights near the Hippy Dippy Pool.
- Childcare Services: In-room babysitting for children 6 months to 12 years old.
Pools and Recreation
There are three pools at Pop Century with fun theming and activities perfect for guests. Disney Resort pools also make a great way to relax on non-park days.
Important note: Some of the pools and recreation options might not be available at all times.
The pools available and their locations:
- Hippy Dippy Pool: A ’60s-themed pool located in the 1960s section. It’s shaped like a flower and even features over 235,613 gallons of water. There’s also a kiddie pool behind Classic Hall, right behind the Hippy Dippy Pool.
- Bowling Pool: By the 1950s section, guests can swim in this pool shaped like a bowling pin that also holds 144,352 gallons of water.
- Computer Pool: The final pool is the computer-shaped pool in the 1990s area. The pool also features touches like a giant floppy disc and keypad.
A for playgrounds, there is one play area on property for kids to climb and slide. You can find the playground in the ’70s section.
Restaurant & Dining Options
There is one main dining option at Pop Century and it’s Quick Service.
Guests can dine at the Everything POP Shopping & dining food court. This features several different varieties of food and also has Mobile Order.
You can read more about the dining options below.
Quick Service
You don’t need reservations to dine at Pop Century’s Quick Service location, but Mobile Order is handy and we recommend using it, especially during peak dining times.
Everything POP Shopping & Dining
This is a food court-style restaurant with several stations that serve pizza, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and more.
Location type: Food Court
Type of food: American
Meals served: Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
- On the Disney Dining Plan? Yes, 1 Quick Service credit(s)
- Pros: Lots of food options and seating, mobile ordering in My Disney Experience available
- Cons: Can get very busy during peak times
Everything Else
If you want to grab a beverage to drink by the pool or while you’re hanging at the resort, you may want to try the outdoor bar.
Petals Pool Bar
Location type: Quick Service
Type of food: A pool bar that serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
- On the Disney Dining Plan? No
- Pros: A few specialty drinks available, TVs to watch
- Cons: Only a few seats at the bar (most people take drinks to the pool)
How to get from Pop Century Resort to anywhere at Disney World
There are two main forms of transportation available: Walt Disney World buses and the Disney Skyliner.
Regarding the latter, Pop Century and Art of Animation share a Skyliner station that travels to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
You can browse all of the different ways to get from Pop Century to anywhere at Disney World below.
wdt_ID | Starting Point | Ending Point | How to get there |
---|---|---|---|
1 | All-Star Movies | All-Star Music | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
2 | All-Star Movies | All-Star Sports | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
3 | All-Star Movies | Animal Kingdom | Follow these steps:
Want to get there faster? Or have feedback about a route for us? |
4 | All-Star Movies | Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House (main bldg) | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
5 | All-Star Movies | Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
6 | All-Star Movies | Art of Animation | Follow these steps:
|
7 | All-Star Movies | Bay Lake Tower | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
8 | All-Star Movies | Beach Club Villas | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
9 | All-Star Movies | Beach Club | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
10 | All-Star Movies | Blizzard Beach | Follow these steps:
Or have feedback about a route for us? |
Scheduled Refurbishments
None scheduled right now.
Other Info
- Pop Century Resort Maps
- Pop Century Photo Tour
- Pros and Cons of on-site Walt Disney World Resort hotels
Pop Century Trip Reports
- Kellen’s coast-to-coast runDisney trip – PREP 393
- Disney World birthday trip with Savannah and her mom – PREP 384
- Missy’s solo Disney Mom-cation – PREP 381
- Marin M.’s family celebration trip to Walt Disney World – PREP 364
- Erin C.’s trip with two little ones to Disney World – PREP 358
- Heather C.’s May Trip – PREP308
- Casey’s Thanksgiving Trip – PREP294
- Liz’s October extended family trip – PREP291
- Ken & Emily from Mousehacking first trip w/a baby – PREP281
- Melissa’s May Trip Report – PREP275
- Heather’s September trip report – PREP258
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