Disney’s Pop Century resort is one of the value resorts on-site at the Walt Disney World resort. It is one of the Disney resort hotels that won’t break your budget and offers great amenities.
Disney’s Pop Century resort was where we stayed during our first visit to Disney World. It is a great value for guests wanting to stay on-site.
Since our first visit in 2013 it has received a room refurbishment that has removed the carpet flooring and added the murphy beds to the rooms.
I really enjoyed walking around Pop Century with the kids and stopping to see all the bright colors and fun Disney characters throughout the resort.
Pop Century is a Disney value resort and is located on the Disney Skyliner. The Disney Skyliner is a gondola transportation system that takes guests to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Pop Century is also among the higher costing value resorts along with Art of Animation Resort. These resorts share a skyliner station.
The All-Star Resorts are the other value resorts at Disney World. They have a movie, sports, and music theme and are typically the least expensive on-site resorts at Disney.
If you want more details about the cost of a Disney vacation read this article: Disney Vacation Cost for a Family of Five
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Pop Century is in the ESPN Wide World of Sports area of Walt Disney World. It is closest to Hollywood Studios followed by Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom.
There is bus transportation and the Disney Skyliner to get guests to the parks and Disney Springs. Plan on 15-20 minutes (or more) of travel time from the resort to the parks.
Pop Century Layout
Pop Century is a large resort divided into sections. It is themed to decades of time. There is a 50’s, 60s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s section of the resort.
If you have a day to rest from the Disney theme parks I suggest taking the walk around the resort to explore.
Guests can see the larger-than-life icons of your favorite Disney characters as well as nostalgic items from decades of the past.
In the 80’s section there is a giant sized rubics cube. In the 60’s section there is a life size Baloo and Mowgli. The 50’s section has giant bowling pins.
Be sure to check out the giant sized Mickey phone in the 70’s section.
The main lobby also has a quick service dining area and gift shop. This is centrally located between the different areas of the park.
If you are looking to stay close to dining and transportation you should request the 60s section.
Although this review of Pop Century is a good one, Pop Century is a motel style resort. All room entrances lead to the outside.
There are no elevators either so be prepared to walk up stairs if you have a 2nd or 3rd floor room or request a first level.
Rooms at Pop Century
Pop Century guest rooms fit a family of four. There are 2 queen beds or a king bed. The queen rooms have a murphy bed that can fold up for a sitting area.
On a recent stay we really liked the murphy bed to maximize the space in the room when we were taking a mid-day break.
If you are looking for a short walk be sure to book a 60’s room. These are close to the bus stop, front desk, arcade, main pool, and skyliner.
Guests can stay at different decades with preferred rooms or standard rooms located at all areas of the resort.
If you would like a pool view consider reserving a preferred room. We typically book a standard room because it is not a priority for us to have a view.
The Pop Century hotel rooms are on the smaller side. They are 260 square feet but the pull-down bed is a nice feature to help maximize the space during your stay.
There is a small mini-fridge and coffee maker in the room. As well as storage space under the bed and in the closet area.
As I mentioned earlier Pop Century fits 4. Pop Century does not have family suites either.
During my research of our upcoming trip I started running some numbers to see what would be best for our Disney trip as a family of five.
Currently Pop Century has rates at $155.00 a night. If a family of five books 2 connecting rooms that will be around $310.00 a night.
It will give you a lot of space if you are traveling to Disney with teens like we are and it will also have two bathrooms.
This may not be in your budget, and that is okay, but it is worth researching. Often the resorts that will fit the five of us are priced much higher than $310.00 a night.
The family suites at Art of Animation are often $400+. I also suggest shopping around for resort prices.
Dining at Pop Century
Dining at Pop Century is located at the pop food court. This is similar to the value resorts at Disney World.
Although there is not a sit down restaurant to dine at the quick service is a great option.
Pop Century Dining is a quick service option at Everything Pop Shopping & Dine located in the main building.
You do not need reservations as this is a cafeteria style dining option. Guests can purchase breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
There are also grab and go snacks and desserts. Guests can also order pool side at the Petals Pool Bar.
Pop Century also offers take-out pizza orders. There are different stations that will meet the dining needs of most guests.
Transportation from Pop Century to the Parks
Pop Century offers bus transportation to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and the Disney Skyliner to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
If the Skyliner is down due to weather or other issues bus transportation is provided. If you are unsure about the Skyliner read our review of the Disney Skyliner to get an idea of what to expect.
There is not bus transportation to Epcot or Hollywood Studios when the Skyliner is in operation.
The skyliner offers an enjoyable ride over hourglass lake and continues over Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort before making it’s way to Epcot.
Guests headed to Hollywood Studios will have to transfer to the Hollywood Studios Skyliner at the main Caribbean Beach station.
Expect longer wait times for buses and skyliner during opening and close of the parks.
Guests can also drive to the parks. If you are parking at the resort you are charged a nightly fee of $15.00 and receive complimentary parking at the theme parks.
Pools at Pop Century
Hippy Dippy Pool is the main pool located at the 60s area of the resort. There is also a small splash pad for younger ones.
There are also two pools at the 90’s section and the 50’s section. The 90’s has the computer pool and the 50’s has the bowling pool.
These pools are basic but can often be less crowded than the main pool. At the value resorts the biggest difference is the size of the pool.
On-site guests can use any pool at the resort.
Recreation at Pop Century Resort
Most of the main recreation at Pop Century is located at the Hippy-Dippy pool or the main lobby building.
When guests check-in they are given a daily schedule of what to expect for the week of your stay. There are games and trivia by the pool as well as arts and craft activities.
Most nights there is a Movie under the stars night. The movies change nightly. Your recreation guide will tell you where and when the activities will be.
Pros and Cons of Pop Century Resort
Pop Century is one of the more updated value resorts and it is on the Disney Skyliner making it a budget friendly resort choice for most families.
Dining at Pop Century is good but they do not offer any sit-down options. If you are looking for quick food because you are spending most of your time at the parks Pop Century is a great choice.
The pools are basic and do not include waterslides like the moderate and deluxe resorts. Again if you are spending more time at the parks this may not be a prioritize.
If you enjoy pool time each day you may want to look at resorts with more water amenities.
The décor is very bright and busy. This is a pro or con, depending on what you are looking for in a resort. Most families with young kids will enjoy the theme.
The rooms are recently refurbished and are nicely decorated. These recent refurbishments along with the addition of the Skyliner has made Pop Century one of the most popular value resorts.
Disney’s Pop Century is a great value resort option for guests looking for a place to rest their heads while they spend their days at the Disney theme parks.
It has the same welcoming cast members as any Disney resort and fits within a value budget for those looking to keep the cost down.
