Pop Century Resort Disney Value Resort Review

So, you’ve finally decided to visit Walt Disney World.  Yay! If you’ve decided to stay on property and are trying to figure out how to stay on property while staying on a Disney Budget, then we think Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World might just be the answer you’ve been looking for. From Disney-themed grounds to newly renovated rooms and access to the Disney Skyliner, here’s everything to know about Pop Century Resort.

Value Resorts at Walt Disney World

Value Resorts at Walt Disney World are the least expensive resorts on Walt Disney World property. Walt Disney World’s Value Resort category has options, but, dare we say, none as attractive as Pop Century Resort.  Art of Animation is a good contender for best Value Resort, however since it’s technically a “Value-Plus” resort, it tends to be a bit more expensive. Art of Animation resort also consists of only a few benefits like family suites and The Little Mermaid rooms. 

The All-Stars Resorts at Walt Disney World include All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, and All-Star Movies. These are all right next to each other and all offer the same amenities. They’re all also generally very loud and chaotic due to the high volume of school groups, athletic clubs, competition teams, and more that flock to the cheapest resorts on Disney property. Don’t get us wrong, any stay at Walt Disney World is a blessing. And we’ve stayed at all of the All-Stars Resorts before when traveling on a budget. But there’s something just a little nicer about Pop Century to us, and that is why it’s our favorite Value Resort at Walt Disney World. 

Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World
As we mentioned above, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is in the Value Resort Category. But something about it just feels a little a different than the others. Yes, it’s still crowded and loud at times. But we are big fans and we don’t see that stopping any time soon. Pop Century is located on Disney’s Skyliner route, making it really convenient to get around. This is especially true if you want to explore other resorts. Being able to hop on the Skyliner and have dinner at Sebastian’s Bistro, or grab a coffee at Le Petit Cafe makes this resort feel really elevated in some way. 

Pop Century was renovated in 2018. The new rooms feel larger, cleaner and brighter. We love the simple Disney decor they’ve kept, and we love that every time we come back, the rooms still feel pretty new. 

Pop Century Resort Grounds and Buildings

Pop Century is decorated with bright, fun colors. We think kids all of ages will love the larger than life theming. And each building has a theme based on a specific decade. Like the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. These buildings and the whole theme of the resort were designed with Pop Culture (and of course Disney) elements from each decade. It’s a mixture of nostalgia, cute and cheesy. We love it.  The resort consists of several areas to know before you go. The Classic Hall Lobby and Food Court are central to the entire resort and can be easily accessed by all area paths.

50’s Area at Pop Century Resort

Starting on one side of the resort is the 50’s area. The 50’s area consists of Lady and the Tramp and Bowling Pins. This area also includes a transistor radio, 45 RPM records, and the Bowling Pin Pool. 

60’s Area at Pop Century Resort

The 60’s area at the Pop Century Resort flanks the main pathway from the Classic Hall Lobby and Food Court and is closest to the Disney Skyliner station. Home to the Hippy Dippy Pool, this section includes peace signs, flowers, The Jungle Book characters Baloo and Mowgli, Playdough and one of our favorite photo ops, Surfer Goofy. 

70’s Area at Pop Century Resort

Foosball, 8-track tape staircases, disco balls, the Mickey Phone, Big Wheel and two twister play areas are part of the 70’s section of Pop Century Resort. This area has great photo ops throughout and is to the left of the Classic Hall and Food Court when exiting from the back. 

80’s Area at Pop Century Resort

Welcome to the 1980s! In the 80’s section of Pop Century Resort, you can find the Roger Rabbit building, Rubik’s Cube, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and the Computer Pool. 

90’s Area at Pop Century Resort

The ’90’s area of Pop Century includes a larger-than-life cell phone staircase, a giant laptop, and rollerblades. You can also find the Hip Hop Dance building here, and the 90’s section shares the Computer Pool with the ’80’s section. 

Pop Century Resort Rooms

Newly renovated, the resort rooms at Pop Century Resort include the fold-down sleeper bed, and separated bathroom and vanity areas, making it easy to get ready with multiple family members sharing a room. We also love the built-in toiletries, multiple USB ports and nice coffee and fridge setup. The beds are raised with plenty of underneath storage and overall, it’s a very clean, streamlined look. The Pop Century rooms have only one permanent bed fixture, with the other bed able to be pulled down out of the wall. When it’s not a wall bed, it’s a wall with a table. 

We also really love that the new rooms at Pop Century have so many outlets and USB ports now that we never find ourselves without somewhere to charge our phones, laptops, or cameras.  This makes charging all the things at the end of the day a breeze!

Pop Century Room Decor

A lovely upgrade from the wallpaper Disney borders of the old days. The new decor is simple but cute, focused on print pieces, rather than actual wallpaper. And made as part of the wall bed, that is lit from within so that each bed gets its own lighting. 

Pop Century Bathrooms

The bathrooms at Pop Century finally got the upgrade with the toilet and bath behind a closed door. We love having access to the vanity without having to compete for bathroom time. However, the vanity is a bit small at times. And with no second mirror in the room, this can be a challenge. While we applaud Disney’s view on mirrors, as three girls traveling together, we had to be very strategic about getting ready in the morning. We also are huge fans of the new built-in toiletries that are popping up in the resorts so we were happy to see these were part of the new rooms at Pop Century!

Pop Century Resort Food Court

Located at the center of the resort in the Classic Hall the Everything Pop and Shop Dining Restaurant offers a variety of foods and mobile order options too. With multiple drink stations, the food court seems larger and a lot less crowded than the All-Star Resorts, where it felt like we were always waiting to get our drinks. Always. That said, Pop Century’s food court is separated out into a variety of sections, to help disperse crowds and noise. 

Everything Pop has a variety of grab and go items, as well as hot meals offered throughout the day. Sometimes finding breakfast at Walt Disney World can be a bit difficult. But the food court at Pop Century has a fairly standard menu that most people should be able to find something to enjoy. And we love being able to mobile order while we get ready for the Parks in the morning. And stop in the food court with our breakfast waiting for us.

One benefit of being in walking distance to Art of Animation is that you can also take advantage of their food court, Landscape of Flavors. Landscape of Flavors tends to have a few more adventurous items on their menu. And is a great way to add a little variety if you’re eating a lot of your meals at your resort. 

Pop Century Pools 

Pop Century resort is set up similar to the other Disney Value resorts, with an extra smaller pool than the All Stars Resorts have.  The main poll, the Hippy Dippy Pool, is a 60s themed pool that can be found right behind the lobby and food court area, Classic Hall. The 1950’s Bowling Pool and the 1990’s Computer Pool are also available in their respective decade themed areas. The Hippy Dippy Pool is where you’ll find all the action, with games and activities throughout the day. And the two smaller pools are perfect for those looking for a pool close to their room, or for a more quiet and less hectic atmosphere. 

Pop Century Running Trails

Pop Century also has a New Balance running trail. This runs throughout the resort which follows parts of Hourglass Lake. And then connects to the running trail within Art of Animation which you can access right across the bridge.  There are fun pop culture facts located all along this trail to help keep you entertained while you run or walk. 

Pop Century and Art of Animation

Pop Century is actually located right across from Art of Animation. Which is pretty cool because you can walk across Hourglass Lake, and there you are. We love resort hopping, so for us, even just seeing another resort is exciting. And since it’s so close, guests at Pop Century can easily access Art of Animation’s Landscape of Flavors food court, gift shops, trails, and browse around the resort. Check out our Art of Animation Review. 

Guests of Pop Century unfortunately don’t have access to the pools at Art of Animation. But you can pretty much access everything else like dining and shopping. 

Pop Century Resort Transportation

Primarily offering complimentary Disney bus transportation to and from the parks, and Disney Springs, Pop Century Resort also has access to the Disney Skyliner Gondola system.  You can grab the gondola at the gondola station on the bridge over hourglass lake. This gondola will bring you to Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios.  The addition of the Skyliner at Pop Century has really increased its popularity. And as a result, it’s usually the most expensive of the classic Value Resorts. And usually sells out the fastest. The Skyliner does make it worth it though! Especially if you happen to be planning to spend a lot of time at either Epcot or Hollywood Studios during your trip.  

Pop Century Resort Activities and Amenities

This resort offers Movies by the pool, a pool bar, food court, arcade, laundry facilities, and surrey bikes!  You have to head over to Art of Animation but it’s still a cool perk to have access to if you’re looking for some downtime away from the parks. There are also activities throughout the day, which can be found on the Resort Activities schedule. You can pick this up at the front desk, or check it out near Classic Hall. 

Pop Century Resort Map

Pop Century Resort Review

We love the theming throughout the resort. It’s fun, it’s bright and makes you feel like a kid again. But let’s make one thing clear. This is not the resort to come to if you’re trying to relax or be fancy. This is the resort you come to if you want to be surrounded by Disney and fun. It’s kitschy, kind of cheesy, and just plain silly fun. One of our favorite parts about Pop Century was that while it was not as relaxing as Caribbean Beach or as fancy as the Grand Floridian it was quieter than the All-Star Resorts. Which was nice! 

If you’re looking to stay at Walt Disney World on a budget, Pop Century is our absolute favorite Disney Value resort. We hope this review has helped you in making a decision about your Walt Disney World Resort selection whether you choose to stay here or not! Have you stayed at Pop Century before? Did you love it, or not so much? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!