Photos & Video: New Rooms at Pop Century
We’ve stayed in a newly-refurbished room at Pop Century Resort, and wanted to share some photos and video from these redone hotel rooms at Walt Disney World. In addition to that, we’ll cover our experience staying in these redesigned rooms, offer thoughts on what the refurbishment means for the future of Pop Century, and why you might or might not want to request a new room on your WDW vacation.
The Pop Century refurbishment was completed in phases, building by building, and is now finished. Currently (as of Summer 2019), the only construction project at Pop Century is the Disney Skyliner gondola station being “built” in the middle of Hourglass Lake between Art of Animation and Pop Century. However, that’s been finished and testing for months now, and should debut in the very near future.
Suffice to say, there’s no reason not to stay at Pop Century right now. In fact, Disney’s Pop Century Resort is one of our top picks for places to stay at Walt Disney World in Fall 2019 and beyond. It’s an excellent option on the Value Resort end of the spectrum, with amenities and accommodations far superior to the All Star Resorts…
It’s no secret that we were excited about the Pop Century room refurbishment. Back in the spring, we shared that we specifically booked Pop Century for our fall trip in the hopes of being able to stay in one of these rooms. We absolutely loved the look of the preview photos, and were excited that this would be an upscale Value Resort room. So…did the refurbished rooms live up to our hype?
Yes. Absolutely. We were 100% satisfied with the new room, and think it’s an unequivocal upgrade from the old rooms at Pop Century. Thanks to our experience in this new room, Pop Century will once again be in our regular Walt Disney World hotel rotation, particularly during long weekend ‘rope drop until park close’ trips.
Before we get going with our thoughts on this experience, here’s a video tour of the new room we stayed in at Pop Century to provide some context for what we’re describing:
The biggest change you can expect to see is a new configuration with a regular bed flanked by nightstands, and Murphy bed that doubles as a table. Both of these beds are queen-sized, versus the double beds previously in these rooms.
There’s a lighter color scheme, dominated by white with hints of orange and lime, Mickey Mouse pop art above the queen bed, and Pluto pop art above the Murphy bed. There’s also a ton more storage space, including a dresser under the television, room for luggage under the bed, and a variety of random cubbies around the room.
You might say this is a nice space-saving solution, but we cannot be too positive here (it’s the internet, after all). So, let’s call this what it is: Disney’s clandestine attempt at tricking you into leaving behind your valuable Duffy plush collection so that Walt Disney World can increase revenue at Property Control.
There are also a boat-load of USB-charging ports and outlets around the room. Again, clearly a way for Disney to acquire and resell my iPhone charging cable. Those wily minxes!
In the corner, there’s a kiosk with drawers, a mini-fridge, and a coffee maker! This is somehow a Walt Disney World Value Resort first, which is astonishing. All 41 of the hotels we’ve stayed at near Disneyland have had coffee makers, including the worst one, which I wrote should be condemned by the City of Anaheim.
In the bathroom, you have a vessel sink, illuminated bathroom mirror, and make-up mirror. There’s also an actual sliding door separating the bathroom area from the main room (instead of a thin curtain), glass door in the shower, and rainfall shower fixture in addition to the standard one.
All of these things, to us, are upgrades to the room with zero downside. Each individually might be a minor thing, but collectively, they make for a room that is significantly “plussed” over the Value Resort defaults.
One of the biggest complaints that we’ve heard about the rooms is that they are “un-Disney” and thematically lacking. We’ve heard this criticism a few times, and frankly, it’s perplexing.
To be sure, there is valid criticism that some could levy at these rooms…but them being less themed than their predecessors is not such a critique.
Here’s a picture of a Pop Century room from our last stay there, a few years ago (from our old Pop Century Review, which will be updated very soon):
Note that this was shortly before the removal of the comforter, which was replaced by a similar runner at the bottom of the bed. Aside from that, the only thematic touch is the painting on the far wall.
Aside from that the room is devoid of Disney decor and is completely un-themed, unless you count a random collection of three circles in the carpet. As you can see, Pop Century’s old rooms were not exactly the pinnacle of themed design. We suspect a lot of the complaints about the new design are rooted in nostalgia more than anything else.
Here’s a similar view of the new room:
This room has Mickey Mouse pop art above the bed, which alone gives it as much in the way of Disney decor as the previous room. It also has Pluto art above the pull-down bed, so it should get the edge in terms of “Disney-ness.”
Beyond that, the style here actually goes further than before thematically. The room uses bold colors, minimalist design, sharp lines, and the contrast of wood against white. To me, these rooms feel very much like a Mid-Century design with flourishes of Disney-inspired pop art. Certainly not as good as the Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal Orlando, but a step in the right direction.
Part of what surprises me is the complaint that there is not enough Disney in the room. (Between the Mickey and the Pluto, there’s more.) The thing is, the amount of overt Disney IP is not what defines “theme.” Disney characters are not a theme. To the contrary, they are usually a crutch, acting as a veiled substitute for theme.
In the case of these new Pop Century rooms, you have the best of both worlds. The Disney decor is in the pop art style, meaning it satisfies both the thematic requirements and those who expect a dose of Disney in their room. Should there be more? Arguably. Is it less themed than before? Inarguably no.
With that said, I can understand the complaint that the room feels sterile due to the abundance of white. Although I don’t agree with this critique, I can at least respect the logic behind it. Having a blue wall (like the old Pop Century room, current Cabana Bay rooms, or even the bathroom of this room) might’ve made the space a bit more inviting.
Personally, I feel Value Resort rooms have always been too dark and drab, and this brightens them up. Perhaps it was an over-correction to the old style, but I’ll take a hotel room that looks crisp and clean over one that’s dark and drab any day. Still, I can appreciate the desire for something of a happy medium.
Likewise, I think adding a bed runner into the mix would help. I was mostly on board when the hotel industry moved from comforters to bed runners, but I cannot support this new trend of eliminating the bed runner completely.
Walt Disney World has followed this trend at some resorts, and I think it really think that’s a mistake. The bed runner is a quick and easy way to reinforce theme, and the missing runner makes the bed look ‘naked’ and plain. I know it’s a little thing, but it’s these details that really count at Walt Disney World.
Another complaint is that the removal of carpet and addition of laminate flooring makes the room louder. The obvious solution here is to request the top floor and reenact the hit film Stomp the Yard with nary a care in the world. That’s what we did, and noise was never an issue…for us.
If you end up on a lower floor with a herd of children (or us) above you, perhaps you won’t be as forgiving of this change. Noise aside, we prefer the new floors. They are easier to clean and keep clean; in a budget-rate motel, we’re down with as little bodily fluid-retaining surfaces as possible.
The space that the pull-down Murphy Bed opened up for us was huge. It made the small room feel less claustrophobic, and that plus the color choices made it easier for us to spend time in the room without going stir-crazy. We think this change makes the new rooms at Pop Century a significantly better option for couples and solo travelers.
It may come as a surprise, but most visitors to Walt Disney World are not couples or solo travelers. (I know, right?!) For families, the layout with the Murphy bed not be ideal, especially since it means not having any table in the room when the kids are sleeping.
That’s really the only downside for families that immediately jumps to my mind. There’s always concern that Murphy beds will be less comfortable, but we did not find that to be the case. I’m sure there are other changes that could be legitimate negatives for some parties, but I suspect that’ll largely be on a circumstantial basis.
Overall, we view the new rooms at Pop Century as significant upgrades. Recent Walt Disney World room changes have been hit or miss, but to us, this is an absolute home run–the best room refurbishment to date. These are improvements to the point that we once again look forward to staying at Pop Century, and now (also once again) view this as the #1 Value Resort at Walt Disney World. The rooms certainly are not perfect, but in our estimation, this is the single-greatest improvement to a guest room we have seen since we’ve been visiting Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, it’s not all upside. Between this room enhancement and the upcoming Skyliner, we have little doubt that Disney has plans to position Pop Century into a higher ‘tier’ in the next couple of years. (So in other words: enjoy these upgrades to Pop Century at the current rates while you can!)
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of these new rooms at Pop Century? Excited for the room redesign, or are you not a fan of the Murphy bed style? Do you agree or disagree with our take on the changes being appealing to couples or solo travelers? Any thoughts of your own to add? Have you stayed in one of the new rooms? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
We are going to Pop the end of May and staying in a preferred room with pool view. Hoping these room have been renavated. Do you know if they have been?
we stayed in the renovated room in November 2018. we found that the smaller closet space was insufficient for our needs as we hang everything we brought down using our own hangars. the second issue we had was Disney mousecleaning was not making up the murphy bed. it would just be closed, out of 4 nights there, it was only made up once. we have been fans of the Pop for quite a few years and will be returning again this year. I wish they would put clocks back in the room. I was able to ask for a clock at the front desk upon checkin in years past, and would receive one, this past year, we never did, even after a repeat request.
We asked for a clock too, when we checked in. Front desk phoned my room while I was out and left phone message explaining they no longer had clocks.
One thing I thought of as a person with 2 very little ones (baby and 2-year-old) is that if the family has only babies and toddlers, you can leave the bed up and there’s sooooo much more room for the pack-n-play. Just bring a tot cot for the toddler (or use a second pack-n-play) and you’re golden! So not all families with kids will be at a disadvantage… just ones with older kids.
I see the case of water in the video. Is this something you can order in advance? We will not have a car, but taking the Magical Express from & to the airport and will not arrive to the room until ~1am.
We stayed at Wilderness Lodge four years ago and used Magical Express. I used Garden Grocer and had items delivered. Its a wonderful service and is one of the Bricker’s recommendations. I ordered everything before we left home and it was delivered and stored at the resort until we arrived. I highly recommend using them.
I stayed in a refurbished room in December. Personally, I’d rather save the difference of the “nicer” resorts and stay here. Lots of walking at any of the resorts and I prefer to be on property for the perks. There’s nothing like having a park practically to yourself at 11 pm. With that said, however, paying $ 185 for this was a shock considering I used to pay $ 49…lol. Loved all of the storage as well as the table / bed. And a hot bath after a long day of walking was fabulous.
Thanks for the review and pictures, Tom! I love the look of these new rooms. I totally agree with you that it’s a huge improvement that actually improves the theme and Disneyfeel. We’ve never stayed at a Value resort before – my husband is a big guy and we need a larger space when he’s with us, and I hated the dingy dark look of the old rooms so was very hesitant to even try them – but I just booked a Mom-and-son trip for August 2018 at POP. I think it will be perfect for the two of us, and I’ll be comfortable in the clean, modern lines of the new style.
I just returned from a stay in a new room at Pop Century (80’s) primarily because of the Brickers’ glowing recommendations and LOVED it. I cannot emphasize enough how clean, bright and airy the room felt. The old rooms were dingy, stale, and boring in my opinion-just a plain vanilla hotel room with Disney print bedspreads. The new rooms feel very innovative, with good organization, design and lighting. The beds were VERY comfortable including the Murphy bed. (Firm, but not at all like the hard value mattresses of old.) The overall room felt very fresh and modern, but not at all sterile. The large space between the dresser and coffee kiosk is a space to place the luggage rack, or perhaps the chairs when the bed is pulled down. The room is still tiny of course, but the new design feels bigger and definitely upscale for a value resort. I agree it felt very mid century modern, fitting in well with the theme of Pop Century. If booking value, this would be my top choice, and I would be inclined to choose this over some of the moderates as well.
Hi Annie was the 70’s building done.
How do you go about requesting one of the refurbed rooms when booking online?
My solution was to buy Disney door covers at BDay decor at the dollar store to hang on the walls (Blue Tape or Restickable Tabs) and on lamps plus plates & napkins and/or tablecover. Cheap and disposable and I don’t worry about damaging anything. Of course i do it regardless of the room decor..lol
Also, the murphy bed we stayed in before at Art of Animation was extremely painful hard and uncomfortable so this is disappointing! Furthermore, I see there are now no box springs on either bed, so I’m afraid they will be extremely uncomfortable and hard….
The new rooms look so sterile, not at all homey/welcoming/inviting :-(. Easier to keep clean probably, but sad to see.
I cannot believe I am commenting on the bed runner. I agree with the review, the bed runner is the splash of color that would keep it from looking sterile. I don’t know if the mostly family demographic requires the modern minimalistic look. I am sure it’s Disney way of saving money by going so modern now, the rooms can go longer without needing to be refurbished.
I took a sneak peek in late September and was not overwhelmed with the new room re-do. Nah. I spent some time thinking about the significance of an ultra-modern décor as opposed to the previous environment. The ambiance has gone from cozy-comfy life in the 50’s & 60’s to Star Wars…using white & silver accents…just like a Storm Trooper. The Murphy bed does not do it for me. I really do not want to pull down the bed. …plus! When it is down, it is high off the floor. I do like the bathroom! It offers privacy and is very clean looking. I’m hoping that the rest of the resort remains authentic in it’s representation of years gone by. Maybe it should reflect the life & times of the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s…not a sterile room without feeling. It is a miss.
If we are going Jan 2018, which building should we request to get a refurbished room as close to the bus stops as possible?
Hi there! Im in the same boat. Did you figure out which room to request?
I was hoping to get an answer to this too – any updates?? TIA!
Why is there that big open space between fridge/coffee unit and dresser? They could have extended the dresser top to make it a desk area?
Why is there that big open space between fridge/coffee unit and dresser? They could have extended the dresser top to make it a desk area?
I’ve heard some rooms are shower only. Personally I’d love one of those rooms as I never have a bath in hotel rooms unless it’s a big jacuzzi tub!
Booked this resort as a way to save money and justify splurging for the deluxe dining plan. This was before I knew some of the rooms were being updated. This looks great! You said building 10 will be done very soon, which is good because the 80’s and 90’s sections look a tad too far from the lobby and bus stop for my liking. I’m going to request a room in building 10 and hope it is open and updated in time for my late November trip!
Tom, I haven’t stayed here in about a decade, so maybe I am the wrong one to even talk about it. Of course I don’t believe it. The old rooms were not overly attractive, but I have a very hard time seeing what you do in the new ones. Are they better looking? Maybe. They are less stale looking (to be fair, even though Pop opened late in 2003, the rooms had a very 90s All Star design look). But they are still tiny and white and boring. They in no way compare with Cabana Bay. And bottom line, Disney (as I have been writing since finding out in 2013) is phasing out the value, moderate and deluxe designations, so it can do surge pricing and pricing based on locations. Let’s be blunt, whether you have an old room or a new room at Pop you are looking at a tiny basic room that is less than any Hampton Inn or Hilton Garden Inn or Fairfield Inn in O-Town. A room that was a value when you paid $35-75 a night. The fact that people on average pay well over $100 to stay here and will pay as much as $300 when the Skyliner and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge debuts. Might you then suggest that your readers stay off-property versus Pop?
Just returned from staying at POP in the 90s building and we LOVED the rooms. A massive improvement from the older rooms. It was so new, clean, comfy, contemporary, with so many little conveniences that made our stay so nice. Cannot wait to stay there again!
I guess I am one who does not like the sterile, white, nondisney atmosphere of the new Pop rooms. You are right, there are families with little ones who love the kitschy Disney effects. The only way you know you are in a Disney resort room is the pictures of Mickey over the beds. Otherwise, I think it looks like any run of the mill hotel offsite. The plain white beds remind of a hospital room awaiting a patient. Honestly, I can see the upgrades to the bathroom, but come on, it’s Disney and it needs to retain some of the wonderful Disney décor that makes Disney resorts special. I do think it is an ok generic motel room, which is the best I can say about it. Sorry, but it’s DISNEY!
I can appreciate your perspective generally, but in this case, how is two Disney pictures (Mickey & Pluto) less than one?
??