Five Reasons Why POP! Century is My Favorite Resort.
With so many hotel options, POP is my go-to resort.
There are so many resorts to choose from when vacationing at Walt Disney World, and the budgets and amenities vary. I break them all down in this post, but when I book for my family’s vacation, I always start with Disney’s POP! Century Resort.
Opened in 2003, the resort theme is based on American pop culture, with areas based on decades ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s, and each features oversized relics from the era. The hotel has 2,880 rooms and was refurbished in 2017. The hotel features a food court, shop, arcade room, a main pool shaped like a flower and smaller pools, one is bowling pin-shaped, and one mimics the shape of a floppy disk.
If you have ever considered a stay at this large resort, here are my top five reasons for choosing POP! Century to encourage your visit.
5. Ease of access
If you are driving your own vehicle, this resort is right off the highway and easy to get to. It’s also a short bus ride to the resorts. What I love most is that the resort feels large, but there are short walking distances to everything. Need to do some laundry? Facilities are just steps away. Want to grab a treat and refill your Disney mug? The main lobby and food court are a short walk, even from the furthest rooms. It is convenient to get around the resort, get to the buses, or access any other amenity you may need.
4. Simple room décor
While I love being fully immersed in theming while at the parks, I need my hotel room to be low-key and a calming space where I can ease some overstimulation. When the rooms were refurbished in 2017, they kept the décor simple and clean. With only 260 square feet of space, Disney makes the best of it, and there are plenty of storage cubbies and drawers to stash your stuff. We slide our open suitcases under the bed and toss dirty clothes there until laundry day.
3. Murphy bed/table space
This is my child’s favorite feature of the room – a dining table that disappears under a queen-sized Murphy bed. This setup is also available at the All-Star Resorts. When we need extra space to eat get organized for the day, we tuck the bed away and have a meal at the table. When it’s time for rest, my child loves to “reveal” the bed, which comes with its own set of lighting and a mural above the headboard. It’s a fun touch we don’t see in most hotel rooms.
2. Price
POP! Century is a value resort, and while it’s not the cheapest in the category, it fits right into my comfort zone for hotel rooms. I personally prefer to spend less on the room and more for park upgrades, such as Lightning Lane. For my family, we spend a small portion of our vacation in the room, so we just need a comfortable place to sleep, shower, and have easy access to the parks. This resort checks all the boxes for us.
1. Disney Skyliner
Instead of buses for Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, POP! Century is on the Skyliner route. Disney’s Skyliner is a gondola-style transportation option that connects POP! Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Riviera Resort to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. This is by far my favorite way to get to the parks; honestly, it is my favorite ride in all of Disney. The Skyliner runs one hour before early theme park entry times and will close 90 minutes after park closing times for Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. The Skyliner closes for maintenance the last week of January and is not available. In most cases, my family has had their private gondola for each ride, making this option far superior to the bus transportation at other resorts.
Sounds amazing, right? Are there any dislikes about POP!?
Every place has its pros and cons, and while POP! is one of my favorite resorts, it does have one drawback that I mitigate for — thin walls. The resort is set up motel-style, with all room access being exterior doors. You can hear a lot of noise, especially in the early morning when families are trying to get up and out to the parks for early entry times. I can usually hear doors being closed and TVs in every room that share a wall with the one I am in. I bring sleep headphones or ear plugs to help me sleep at night.
Even with the thin wall drawback, POP! Century is a great option for those looking to keep their nightly rate low while still having access to great amenities and easy transportation.
A note from Disney: From late March 2025 to mid-February 2026, Guest rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort will undergo refurbishment. While all resort amenities will remain available, Guests may notice construction during daytime hours.
