The Pop Century Resort is a vibrantly themed Walt Disney World Resort that is a great value for families on a budget. While the rooms are exactly what you’d expect from a budget friendly hotel, the resort does provide some of the Disney magic you’d expect staying on site. Think of Pop Century as a really fun themed Motel 6 with Disney World benefits.
Photo credit: Karen Heffren / Desert TravelingMom
Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World
Pop Century is a popular value priced resort at Walt Disney World. Its theme is pop culture fun from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. Located in the ESPN Wild World of Sports area, this resort is closest to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.
Video Tour of Pop Century Resort
What works for families
- Every room comes with a mini fridge and free wifi.
- The food court is an easy walk from just about every room and offers a variety of food options.
- Despite it being a value resort, there are plenty of activities scheduled, including a nightly Disney movie.
- You’ll also find a splash pad, playground, and arcade. Don’t miss the two free video games in the Children’s Playroom near the check in desk as well.
- Pop Century has its own theme park shuttles, they do not pick up or drop off at other resorts
Free Video Games at Pop Century Photo credit: Karen Heffren / Desert TravelingMom
What doesn’t work for families
- The rooms are small with just enough room for 2 double beds and a small table with 2 chairs.
- Families of 5 or more will have to book a 2nd room or stay elsewhere.
- There are no water slides or spas at value resorts.
Pop Century Resort Details
At the resort, there are 10 different buildings separated and themed by decades. The main pool is located in the 60’s section of the resort, directly behind the main hall. This is where you will find pool activities and a pool bar. There are 2 other pools, one near the 80’s and 90’s buildings and another near the 50’s buildings. The building has outdoor hallways with elevators located near the center. The main hall houses registration, the gift shop, the food court and an arcade.
Art of Animation playground Photo credit: Karen Heffren / Desert TravelingMom
The Hourglass Lake separates Pop century from the Art of Animation Resort. A short walk across the Generation Gap bridge will take you to the other side, the walk is less than 5 minutes from resort to resort. While they don’t allow you to pool hop, there is a fun playground near the pool that my boys enjoyed. Plus Art of Animation is a really fun resort to explore with kids. It’s themed in sections by animated movie. You’ll find Finding Nemo, Cars, Lion King and Little Mermaid sections. The biggest benefit to heading across the lake is checking out the Art of Animation food court. They have different food choices, making it worth your while to “pop” over for a meal.
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Pop Century Dining
The food court was the biggest benefit (besides a much cheaper price tag) for our family when of staying at Pop Century. We moved from a Deluxe resort, Yacht Club which was an amazing place to stay although pricey! It was easy for me to pop over to the food court each morning to grab a drink with my refillable mug at the food court. Plus the very nature of a food court means there are plenty of food options, everyone was able to find something they liked. The food was decent, exactly what we’d expect from a food court. We don’t generally do expensive, sit-down meals at Disney so the food court worked well for us.
Guest Room at Pop Century Photo credit: Karen Heffren / Desert TravelingMom
Pop Century Room
The rooms are standard Walt Disney World value rooms with 2 double beds (or 1 king bed) in 260 square feet. It’s a tight fit but works if you don’t plan on spending much time in the room. All rooms have a small table with 2 chairs, flat screen TV, small fridge and a closet area next to the sink. Only a curtain separates the sink from the rest of the room but there is a door that separates the toilet and shower from the sink area.
There is nothing special about these rooms, but again if you need to save money, the resort is fun and you’ll still receive the benefits of staying on site. I recommend asking for a room in the 70’s section to avoid any loud pool festivities.
Bus Stop at Pop Century Photo credit: Karen Heffren / Desert TravelingMom
Walt Disney World Resort Benefits
All Walt Disney World Resort guests can take Mickey’s Magical Express transportation to and from the Orlando airport. Keep in mind they do require a departure from the resort 3 hours prior to your flight time (4 hours for international flights) even though it’s only about 30 minutes to the airport. WDW resort guests also have access to Extra Magic Hours in the parks. Unlike Disneyland which only offers extra magic hours in the morning, Walt Disney World guests also have access to later nights in the parks as well.
The best part of Pop Century is its overall value. It’s a Walt Disney World Resort with all the benefits and fun theming without the hefty price tag. If you are looking for an upgrade, check out our favorite moderate resort Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside.
We were just at Pop Century a few months ago. Pop Century is our go-too resort when we visit Disney. For us traveling with a toddler, the compact nature of the resort and the fact that the buses only service Pop Century are the two biggest positives. With a 3 year old, not having a table service restaurant or water slides is not a deal breaker.