Pop Century Room Refurbishment
Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World is currently undergoing a room refurbishment that will totally redesign the guest rooms. This is being completed in phases, building by building, and should be completed by May 2018. Prior to then (likely as soon as June 2017), it will be possible to request a refurbished room. In this post, we’ll cover what the refurbishment means and why you might (or might not) want to request a new room if you’re staying at Pop Century.
If you’ve searched DisneyWorld.com recently, you might’ve seen this notice: “Disney’s Pop Century Resort is currently undergoing some refurbishment projects across the Resort. During this time, the Resort will be in full operation, with all amenities available–including dining, merchandise and recreation locations. It is possible that construction may be seen or heard, but noise should not be heard from Guest rooms between dusk and 9:00 a.m.”
June 11, 2017 Update: Guests who have checked into Pop Century this week staying in the 90s building have reported that they have received a remodeled room. It appears that the entire 90s building is now finished and open, with work continuing on the 80s building, which should also be finished in the very near future…
If you’re visiting in the next couple of weeks and want a refurbished room, we’d recommend requesting the 90s. After that, you should be safe to request the 80s, as those rooms should be done by around July 2017. If you’ve already had a chance to stay in one of the new rooms, please report on your experience in the comments below.
Here’s a look at one of the new rooms that Walt Disney World posted on Twitter:
Groovy! The resort rooms at Disney’s #PopCentury Resort are starting to pop with updates in color and comfort! pic.twitter.com/3aEsZbISWF
– WDW Today (@WDWToday) June 16, 2017
Some guests have expressed concern to us about how this room refurbishment will impact their stay at Pop Century, and we want to reiterate that it really should not. This refurbishment is to the guest rooms only, and is occurring in sections during daytime hours. You won’t notice it unless you’re in the building where it’s happening during the day, and even then it’s unlikely. (If you’re still worried, simply request a room away from the refurbishment.) We think there’s a lot to be optimistic about with this room refurbishment, too…
If you’re a regular reader of our newsletter, you might recall that I mentioned these new rooms over a year ago (I might’ve posted about them on the blog, too–I cannot recall). At that point, someone had sent me photos of a test room that would be the basis of this pretty dramatic room renovation.
Fast forward to last week, when I finally heard an update on this that some rooms in the 80s/90s section of Pop Century were nearing completion. I decided to post about it on our Facebook page to see if anyone could confirm details or share photos.
Someone sent me through-the-window photos of construction progress (thanks Monica R. for the on-the-ground reporting!) on the 90s building that were taken May 8, and not only was the final design identical (from what I saw) to the test design, but the room was pretty much ready for occupancy. The only thing missing was a mattress.
The biggest change you can expect to see is a new configuration with a queen sized bed flanked by nightstands, and Murphy bed that doubles as a table (see the below Art of Animation Murphy bed for visualization–the table here will be much smaller and everything less…vibrant).
In addition to that, there will be a lighter color scheme, dominated by white with hints of orange and lime, and Mickey Mouse pop art above the bed. There will be a dresser under the television, coffeemaker kiosk with drawers, vessel sinks, illuminated bathroom mirror, and abundance of storage.
Personally, these new rooms are very appealing. They feel very much like Mickey meets Mid-Century, almost like Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal. (Based on what I saw, these are not quite that nice or detailed–but nicer than the current Pop Century rooms.)
Although it’s a divisive resort, we have always been fans of Pop Century. We stayed here a lot in college, and it was a favorite spot for our commando (in Disney parlance, this does not involve going without undies) long weekend trips.
It’s a great way to enjoy on-site benefits like Extra Magic Hours, Disney’s Magical Express, and free transportation at Walt Disney World. If you’re mainly spending time in the parks, Pop Century has always been a great option thanks to those perks, reliable transportation, strong (for a Value Resort) dining, and, of course, its price-points.
We are not on quite as tight of a budget as we were back in college, but this room renovation puts Pop Century back on our radar as a regular place to stay. The space that the Murphy Bed will open up plus having a coffee maker will be huge for us. We think Pop Century will be great for couples and solo travelers.
Style-wise, I’m also a fan of the new rooms. The pop art suits these rooms well, and the renovated rooms now strike me as more on-theme than what was there before.
In fact, we’re so optimistic about the refurbished rooms that we’ve already booked Pop Century for our Fall 2017 Walt Disney World trip. (Now watch, we won’t get a refurbished room!)
Of course, these new rooms are not going to be for everyone. The layout, particularly the Murphy bed, will not be as appealing to some families. It’s also possible that kids won’t enjoy the more subtle theme and use of pop art rather than an overt cartoon style.
This is understandable, but my counterpoint to this would be that literally every other Value Resort is aimed squarely at families with kids. I know, I know, “Disney is for kids, Tom!” This does not mean that every square inch of Walt Disney World needs to cater directly towards them.
Adults without kids represent a surprisingly large demographic for Walt Disney World. From the 1970s until 1990s, this was something Disney recognized, and promoted its adult side quite a bit: from golf to Pleasure Island to the Disney Institute (and more).
When Sarah and I first started visiting together, the tides had turned, and almost everything was geared towards kids, right down to promotional videos, which seldom featured any non-nuclear families. It was all about pirates, princesses, skipping hand-in-hand with Mickey Mouse to Dumbo, and so on.
At some point in the last 5 years or so, this changed again. We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in the amount of offerings aimed at childless adults, honeymooners, and other guests like us. These are still the small minority of offerings, but it’s nice to see that we are no longer the “forgotten” demographic.
To be clear, I’m not stating that everything at Walt Disney World such cater towards people like us. To the contrary, I realize families are Disney’s bread and butter. I’m simply stating that families need to likewise understand that the (Walt Disney) World does not revolve around them. From honeymooners to conventioneers to obsessive out-of-state Annual Passholders, people without kids are also a lucrative demographic…and Disney doing a little bit for them is not the end of the world for families. 🙂
Overall, there are a couple of main takeaways from this article. First, you should not worry about your experience being impacted if you’re staying at Pop Century between now and May 2018, but you might want to request a room away from the refurbishments if you’re really concerned about it. Second, depending upon whether the new room style (particularly, the pull-down Murphy bed) appeals to you or not, request a refurbished room or a non-refurbished room if you’re visiting in Summer 2017 or later. We’ll keep you posted with updates to the Pop Century room refurbishment project as we hear them, so stay tuned!
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of these changes to Pop Century? Excited for the room redesign, or are you not a fan of the Murphy bed style? Do you agree or disagree with my take on the changes being appealing to couples or solo travelers? Any thoughts of your own to add? Have you done some sleuthing of your own to see the new rooms? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
I’m so glad they’re not letting this resort languish. It’s my go-to for quick and/or cheap trips. AKA, going commando.
I’m leaving next week to celebrate my dad’s 70 th birthday, yep no kiddo’s unless it’s me. We’re staying at pop and i didn’t knew they changed the rooms like this! Have no idea what to expect. I requested a room in the 50ies section no idea if they are done already. We will see. I just hope the new bed will be ok!
The room renovations are not done in any sections, and won’t be done in the 50s for quite a while.
Pop has been my home base for most of my Disney travels but I have drifted away lately to ASMusic. I always travel solo and I agree, this new room configuration is going to be very appealing to couples and solo travelers. I may change my resort back to Pop for this Halloween with the hope of getting a refurbed room, especially if I can pick up an AP rate.
A couple of thoughts, one, I don’t think there have been any photos yet of the dresser area? Do you think it is possible they will use the same type of furniture there that they did at CBR and POR to add space for a fifth person? Two, If they don’t, I think that even though these rooms will technically still sleep 4, families may not want to mess with the fold down bed which may reduce the overall occupancy of the resort down enough where bus and food court crowding won’t be an issue anymore. It all works for me!
“Do you think it is possible they will use the same type of furniture there that they did at CBR and POR to add space for a fifth person?”
No. This is definitely not part of the redesigned rooms at Pop Century.
My daughter thinks pull-down beds are the coolest thing! She can’t wait to stay at Pop Century again to try this out. I hope the price doesn’t go up too much. Pop has always been one of our favorite resorts, especially when we are traveling on a budget. I will never stay at the All Stars again and wasn’t a fan of AOA (Mermaid room–no point in doing a suite when there are only 2 of us–although she would love to!)
Are they going to have 2 queens and a Murphy. Or are they all going to be 1 queen and 1 Murphy?
1 queen plus the murphy is a queen, too.
Correction. The regular bed is a queen. The murphy bed is full/double size.
The bed is a queen. The Murphy is a full/double bed, not queen.
I’m really excited about the new rooms! My children will be 6 and 4 so the set up is great. I’m glad to have a queen rather than a double. I just booked my room for January 2018 and the Disney agent I spoke to mentioned nothing about the room upgrades but did mention there would be grounds work going on. Something about geisers or fountains. Any news on that since I was hoping for a lake view room?
Here is a photo that shows a coffee maker
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneys-pop-century-resort-information-questions.3338191/page-208
There are a couple of model photos on Disboards
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disneys-pop-century-resort-information-questions.3338191/page-206
Awesome, thanks for sharing that. From what I could see in the through-the-window photos, this is exactly what the finished rooms look like.
Thanks for the update. I remember reading about this a year ago, but hadn’t seen updates anywhere.
This would have been great a few years ago when our DD was younger and preferred sleeping with us (we’re small and all fit in a queen just fine). The extra space for the stroller would have been great. For now, it’s probably a wash space-wise for us. We are mostly out-the-door in the morning and stagger back late-at-night people, so the murphy bed will probably stay folded down.
I hope they have under-bed storage. I never understood why you wouldn’t have that (it’s crucial on their cruise ships). Perhaps too many guests forget things under the bed?
Great article, Tom. I’m not sure how I feel about this! I have always loved the two full beds! I’ve never slept in a Murphy bed? And at 54 it holds absolutely no appeal (i know, starting to sound like “get off my lawn, you earn kids!”). Are they even comfortable?? My bed and blankets are crushed up in some wall all day? Eww. Going in December, someone please reassure me!
I am very excited by this. I’m coming in Decemder and will have a scooter which can now have room to park and not be a fire hazard trying to get out.
So will the online check in have an option to request refurbished room or is this a call in type request? Thanks for update we are going in December and I wanted a refurbished room hopefully in 70s
I think the refurbishment rooms sound great. My mom and I just stayed at Pop April 30-May 6 and while I liked the resort in general, the room was in definite need of an update! We were doing more of the commando touring so it didn’t bother me much, but I could definitely see how if we were gonna spend a lot of time in the room I wouldn’t have liked it as much.
I actually was thinking the new Pop Century layout may be BETTER for some families. The addition of the queen size bed makes it much more shareable for two adults. And with a bed that can fold up every night, it makes the room more liveable.
My example, family of 6
Two rooms at Pop Century fall rates: $264
Includes 2 queen beds, 2 murphy beds, 2 bathrooms, 520 sq ft
1 family suite at Art of Animation fall rates: $358
1 queen bed, 2 full beds, 2 bathrooms, 565 sq ft
Interesting perspective. My thinking was that the Murphy bed and table could not be used simultaneously, but I guess for some families, that would not be an issue.
The extra storage is what does it for me. This December I stayed at a value resort for the first time. It was just me and my 7 year old son this time as my husband wanted to stay home instead of taking our 1 year old with.
Even with the 2 of us, and the fact that I used all the tricks people gave us like bringing an over the door shoe holder, etc, we still didn’t have nearly enough storage. I vowed that we would NEVER stay at a value resort again!
The new bed situation would also be nice. Little kids can always sleep on the floor on an air mattress. They do that when camping anyways. Heck, when I went camping as a kid, all I had was my sleeping bag. I don’t think I would do that to big kids though. You don’t want them sore, uncomfortable, cranky and even more overtired from lack of sleep.
I didn’t mention it in the main article because I’m not totally sure, but it looks like the main queen bed is elevated, meaning it likely has storage underneath, too. Not totally (or even 75%) sure on that, but if so, these rooms will be GREAT for storage.
So, I’m still confused about the Murphy bed (sorry)!!! Are the rooms for 3 people or 4??? I’m going in November and might request a newly finished room!! Are roll away beds available (seems like a tight squeeze!)? Is that an upcharge??
The Murphy bed looks to be the same size as the ones at Art of Animation (see above), which can sleep 2 people, not like the smaller ones at Caribbean Beach or Port Orleans.
In other words, the new rooms will still sleep 4. 🙂
I was confused about that too! Thanks for clarifying
This might be a silly question but are the rooms getting 2 queen beds and a Murphy bed? Or only one? If so, I think it’ll be a great space for everyone! And even though I do have kids, I think WDW doesn’t need to be COMPLETELY geared toward them, they can appreciate toned down theming too
One queen bed and one Murphy bed. I think they’d have to remove the bathroom to fit 2 queen beds AND a Murphy bed! 😉
Kool they can put in a communal bathroom then. Lol
It is so nice to see you mention that there are adults without children who enjoy Disney immensely. My husband and I do not have children and we chose WDW for our honeymoon. We happily took advantage of the adult-centered activities, such as the Hangar Bar in Disney Springs and Signature Dining. Disney is for the kid in all of us, so it is nice to see that they recognize that many childless couples enjoy Disney and have the disposable income to do so.
I think the “disposable income” part of your post is what’s key to Disney. For some reason, it took them forever to realize that a lot of DINKS love Disney, and with a growing number of Millennials either waiting to have kids (or not having them at all), it really does not make sense for Walt Disney World to focus exclusively on families.
We upgraded to the moderate resorts mostly for the queen sized bed. If Pop is installing a queen bed, we would definitely consider going back especially since the free regular dining plan won’t be available at moderates any more. I would rather pay less for our resort since we have to pay the upgrade for the free DDP. We always loved Pop Century…looks like they are making good changes!!
Enjoy the lower prices while you can. Once these rooms are done and the gondola system is done, you can expect significant price increases at Pop Century.
That’s what I was afraid of. Not only will the rooms cost more, I imagine they will become quite difficult to book. The rates will be less than themoderate resorts, but a lot higher than the All Star resorts. What is your opinion?
Can you request a refurbished room if you plan on booking for winter/spring 2018?