Walking Around the Pop Century Resort

In Part 1, we walked around the Pop Century’s main building, food court, and pool.  This time, we’ll take a look around the rest of the resort.

My reflection.  It would be impossible/expensive for Disney to walk everyone to their rooms after checking in to the resort, but I’ve always found the Value resorts to have particularly confusing layouts and poor signage.  It’s relatively easy to find your room once you know where it is, but that first walk can be a little rough.  That being said, I’m not known for having a sense of direction and I’m easily confused.  You can totally trust me though.

Getting a “Preferred” room is an extra $15/night or $105 over the course of a seven night trip.  You’ll find Preferred rooms in certain parts of the 50s, 60s, and 70s sections.  Personally, I’m not interested in paying the upcharge, but I don’t mind walking a little bit more.  I wish they had a version of the Preferred rooms called something like “away from the freakin’ kids and pools.”  That would be worth an extra $15.  Heck, an extra $1,500.42.  I think the furthest rooms away from the main building are around five to seven minutes away, so you’re not looking at the 15 or 20 minute walk you’d be looking at from the Ranchos section to the main building at the Coronado Springs Resort.

Like the other Value resorts, the main decorations are these oversize icons.  Yo-yos in this instance.

The vibe is decidedly motel-y.  The Value resorts are nice on a budget or for those that aren’t necessarily going to spend a lot of time in the room.  There isn’t much of a point in dropping $400/night at the Polynesian if you’re going to spend most of your time at Epcot.  But you’re also talking to someone that would probably stay off-site with a family if I was planning to drive to the Parks.  For less than you’re paying at the Pop this summer, you can easily rent a three bedroom townhouse with two bathrooms and a kitchen in Kissimmee.

More big stuff.

I should probably get my head out of the gutter, but those speaker things always look like cigarette packs.

The resort has two “quiet pools”  This one in the 50s Section and the Computer Pool in the 90s section.  There isn’t a whole lot that’s “quiet” about them, but you can see that there are far fewer people here than the Hippy Dippy.  As I recall, they turn the country music on right at 8am.

Another opportunity to give your clothing away at the on-site laundry machines.  Every once in a while someone will ask how I “support this website.”  Remember I said I sold clothing on eBay, right?

A jukebox.

Only the hippest tracks.

Another shot. Try to dodge Dad’s fists.

Tramp and The Lady:

It’s always “interesting” to see what Disney decides to do with its movie choices.  I’m not sure what they were thinking with the Mighty Ducks section at All-Star Movies.  I’m not saying it isn’t a “classic,” but it certainly isn’t as timeless as many of Disney’s other properties.

Maybe Bobbum Man lives here.

Really, nothing is small at the Pop.  Other than the rooms!  ZING!

Out closer to the pool sits Play-Doh.

Totes cute.

More timeless?  Or is it just that I enjoyed watching it growing up?

Years represented.  Good thing they didn’t try to do “the future” again.  Or go to Mars.

Like every other Disney resort, movies are offered on-site. I guess they aren’t showing American Psycho daily anymore. More kids in the summer probably.

Take me to the Groooooooooove Town.

Via this truck with cowboy hat.

As far as I know, this water play area hasn’t worked in years. Goofy’s always getting cheated.

I’ve never actually seen anyone playing.  All the better, I would guess.

Big Wheel.

Is it wrong that I instantly thought, “I wonder if that would be a good scotch drinking location?” You’d probably need to be air-lifted.  Or a couple of you could sort of toss me up there.

Large Foosball.

Large Mickey.

Getting closer to the 90s – a time that I understand.

Somebody could probably stand this up straight.  I’m not sure how they can in good conscience operate Pop Century with this sideways.  Add in that broken down condiment dispenser and I’m putting up a one star review on Trip Adviser.

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head near the back of the resort.

Moving into the 80s and 90s.

Pac Man.

Electronics equipment built with proprietary formats will never work, Sony!

The Computer Pool here around the 90s section.

I watched Roger Rabbit when I was much younger in the movie theater and I remember it scared the heck out of me.  I was a nervous child.

Another look at the pool.  Not dead yet.

A potentially more pleasant look at the Pop’s landscaping.

The facts:

Allegedly.

Mom, what’s a nuclear accident?

Erupting to announce that I will be born in exactly five years.  Get ready ‘merica.

I’ll have to return to capture the facts I missed.  For knowledge.  For America.