Pop ??? Preferred Room Need?

[New_Disney_Lifer]

I'm nervous. We have booked our upcoming trip at the Pop. We have stayed at the All Star Sports last time and LOVED it.

After speaking to a CM last night, I'm concerned... He made it seem like Pop is gigantic in comparison. He said that a preferred room is a MUST there unless you want to walk 20 minutes to the bus.... What do you think???

He sold me on the preferred room. BUT - He also made me VERY concerned about crowded buses, long walks, over crowded pools....

How was your POP experience? Any feedback is appreciated!

Thanks,
Tara - mom to a prince and 2 princesses.

 

[DaisyD23]

honestly, I think that CM was just trying to get you to buy a preferred room instead of standard....20 minute walk to the bus stop, no way!!! even if you were given a room in the furthest room away in the 90's section, I can't see it taking 20 minutes, maybe 10. I think Pop is pretty much the same size resort as the all-stars. It has more rooms bc at Pop there are 4 floors whereas the all-stars only have 3 floors. We've never waited any longer than 20 minutes for a bus to any of the parks. I don't remember feeling overly crowded at the main pool, and the bowling pin pool at night there was like nobody in it, we had it all to ourselves.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

That CM has never stayed at POP and seems to know little about the resort.

If you have small children or walk very slowly the longest walk might possibly be 7 mins, maybe 10. We've been on the back side, 4th floor, end of building in the 50's Jukebox and it was 5 mins strolling.

We've always had longer walks at a deluxe than any stay at POP.

Have a look through the POP faq thread - it's fabulous with loads of trustworthy info:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1629396

Be sure to get to know the map so you can add a request to the reservation, then nicely ask at check-in if your request can be accommodated. Most POP CM's are very helpful and willing to help find a room location you'd like, when possible.

Have fun planning and a wonderful trip!!

 

[pamelasu1]

We stayed at Pop in October 08 and had a preferred room. We loved the resort, but wished we had not paid the extra for preferred. Our room was as far away from the main building as you could get and still be "preferred". Two rooms further down and we would have been "standard". If I had it to do over again, I would request standard room, the 50's building first, 70's building second. I would also request a "lake view" (no extra charge at Pop), as that would be the quietest location.

We walked all around the resort many times and it is not as huge as I thought from reading about it. The only buildings that were a bit of a long walk were the 80's and 90's, but even those weren't too bad IMHO...maybe 10-15 minutes, walking at a very leisurely pace. Also, many of the preferred rooms are facing the Hippy Dippy pool, which can be very noisy and busy. We were in the 50's building, not facing the pool, and really appreciated the quietness of our location. The 50's pool was quiet most of the time, BTW, except for once when they closed the hippy dippy pool for some reason and everyone migrated to the 50's pool.

You will love Pop, preferred room or not! Just keep in mind whether you want a quiet location or one close to all the action (and noise). Depending on which you prefer, you can add requests to your reservation to reflect that with either the preferred room or the standard room.

Hope this helps!
Pam

 

[pamelasu1]

Sorry, I forgot to mention the bus question you had...

We never had trouble with the bus system. Sometimes there was standing room only at park closing, but that can happen with any of the resorts.

Otherwise, transportation was great. Pop does not "share" the routes with another resort, so it is very quick. You get on the bus and go straight to the park. Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus, with one exception, and then 2 buses showed up at the same time.

Have a great time at Pop!

Pam

 

[Alice1386]

I stayed at Pop this past December in a preferred room and wasn't really pleased with it. First, the CM who I booked are trip with basically "pressured" me into getting the preferred-not cool. The walk to the buses are never more than 10 minutes if you walk as slow as a snail (even from the furthest room). We also never waited more than about 10 minutes for a bus to come at Pop. With that said, we adore Pop and highly recommend it (we always want to stay there)! I would only get a preferred room if you want to be super close to the pools and the food court... If not, it isn't worth the extra money. We will not be staying in a perferred room EVER again!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

You definitely don't need a preferred room. The resort is alot of fun but be warned that unless you get to the food court early in the morning (before 8am), it is a zoo.

I'd call back and get a standard room to save the money and spend the money saved on food or souveniers.

Pop has a great gift shop. I loved it.

The bus system was quick and efficient. DD and I were there in Nov. 08 and most of the time we had great timing and would get to the bus stop right when a bus was pulling up.

At night when the parks closed there could be a line but at MK they had 2 bus lines running to get you back to the resort quickly.
So if you are at MK when they close, look at the bus line next to Pop's and see if there is a line there or a CM there (it wasn't assigned to any resort). Ask the CM if that bus will be going to Pop too. It was for us and we only had to wait for 1 bus which was great.

 

[Jessma9902]

I'm nervous. We have booked our upcoming trip at the Pop. We have stayed at the All Star Sports last time and LOVED it.

After speaking to a CM last night, I'm concerned... He made it seem like Pop is gigantic in comparison. He said that a preferred room is a MUST there unless you want to walk 20 minutes to the bus.... What do you think???

He sold me on the preferred room. BUT - He also made me VERY concerned about crowded buses, long walks, over crowded pools....

How was your POP experience? Any feedback is appreciated!

Thanks,
Tara - mom to a prince and 2 princesses.

Hi Tara,
I agree with the rest: you do not need a preferred room. We stayed at Pop in December 2007 in a "standard" room- we ended up in the absolute furthest room away from the buses and main lobby area. Even with that room, we were only a 5-10 minute walk to the bus/lobby area.

When we went back in April 2008, I booked a "preferred room" and then asked at check-in to be in a room close to the lobby/bus area. The CM told me that in order to be close, you do not need a "preferred room" rather a standard with a *request* to be close. Needless to say, she put us in a GREAT location- in the 60's area- central to everything. PLUS, that room was a "standard" so we were refunded the difference for the 'preferred' that we had bought with our package.

Go with a standard, and then call ahead to request the building you want. (We loved the 60's building area and pool area that goes with it!)

Enjoy!!

 

[herbanretreat]

Okay just my two cents. Everyone is talking about the walk to the bus stop, but nobody has mentioned the long walk back from the bus at 10 pm after whatever firework show you just came from. I don't know how old your kids are, but the first time we stayed at Pop I had a 7 year old and a 1 year old in a stroller. My oldest was so exhausted at the end of every day it was a nightmare coming home from the bus stop to our "standard" location. Let me add that we are NOT the commando types at the parks and take many breaks during the day. But it is alwas late when you get back and if you were relaxed on the bus back it is sometimes very hard for those little legs to imagine walking anymore. I will gladly pay the extra to not have to hear any eztra complaining. Now the girls are 4 and 10 so we'll see this time around

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

HI! I agree with the above poster. We've done Pop twice. Once we had standard room and were in the 80's. It was miserable. It was a very long walk to get sodas and food (hubby would sometimes run down and get breakfast stuff to bring back while we were getting ready), and an even LONGER walk carrying a very tall 4 yr old after a long day at the parks (we also had a 9 month old in the stroller). In May we paid for preferred and were poolside. It was AWESOME and I would never go back to standard there!! I could get my soda and be back to the room in 2 minutes. So for us it was SO worth the extra money!!

 

[roscoepc1]

My sister and bil just got back from Pop...their 6th trip, and first time at Pop (they've stayed in other values and mods, just not Pop before).

They were very unimpressed. My sis said it was "ok" but only b/c it was JUST the two of them....if they'd had the kids with them, it would NOT have been ok.

They much preferred All-stars...

 

[New_Disney_Lifer]

Thank you so much for the advice! You have all calmed my fears some...

I'm thrilled to hear that the bus situation isn't that bad....

I have decided to call Disney and switch our reservation to a "standard" and
put a request in closer to arrival for our other needs. We will need a few other things (pack and Play, fridge).

We are a Grand Gathering group of 13. I hope it's not that difficult to accommodate us.

Thanks Again!
Tara

 

[Minnie&Nana]

You ca add your request now, rather than wait. It will not be any better to wait, unless you decide to fax as well.

Have a wonderful GG, Tara!

 

[DisneySweetheart]

As I recall, the last time we stayed at Pop, we were in the 90's area. It was not a very long walk at all to get to the busses in the morning. We cut thru the parking area a little instead of walking around the path and out thru the main building in the morning. No problem.

We loved the buses at pop. The food court was great too.

The pools looked fun, however, since we can swim at home we avoid pools at disney. We want to do the park stuff!

Have a wonderful time

 

[suz2]

I just changed my reservation to CSR. I requested Cabana 8. Good choice? Is this a remodeled section?

 

[goofy4tink]

Just to add yet another voice...I've stayed at POP in bldgs 1, 2 (both in the 50's section), bldg 4 (60's), 10 (70's I think), and in 80s. My favorite room? The one in 60's. It was on the 4th floor, on the backside of the bldg. Took about 5 mins to walk to the bus and the food court.
My room in bldg 2 of 50's was about as far as you can be and still be at POP...3rd floor, all the way to the back end of the bldg....we were the last room before the bowling pin stairs leading to the back parking lot. Even from that room, it was only a 7 min walk to the main bldg...and that was counting the wait for the elevator!!!
80's?? Over next to the Rubicks Cube...ground floor, again only about 4 mins. My room in the 70's bldg, was a preferred room..only time I booked a preferred room. And, I won't be doing it again. Yes, it was a bit quicker to the bus stop, but only by a few mins. It was noisier than other room locations, had a ton of foot traffic going past at all times of the day and night.

I can't, for the life of me, figure out how anyone can say it's a 20 min walk to anywhere at POP. It took my dd and I about 35 mins to make the loop around the whole resort, on the sidewalk!!!
Most of the resorts that are spread out, have multiple bus stops, within the resort. CBR, CSR, and POR all have multiple stops. So most rooms are close to some bus stop. I was in the way back area of AB at POR many years ago. It took close to 10 mins to walk to the food court!! But, there was a bus stop within a 4 min walk.

 

[Keeponsmiling]

My son and I stayed there this past May in the 80's building. The walk to buses AND food was no more than 5 minutes. The only way I can see it taking you 20 minutes to get to the buses is if you walked the perimeter and stopped to take it all in.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I get preferred at Pop simply because I love the Mickey Phone, Jungle Book and Lady and the Tramp and I know with preferred I'll get one of those buildings! But I have stayed in the 90s section (or was it 80's it was the Rubix Cube) and the walk is no more than five minutes. And you can cut across the parking lot to the bus stop and its very fast. So for me its a theming thing, not a long walk thing!

Pop is large but not the largerst by far. Go over to OKW, SSR or one of the mods, and you'll see a large, spread out resort! And at none of those are you even more than 10 minutes away to the main area from the most outlying section. So for sure Pop is less than ten minutes.

That cm was trying to upsell you!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I just changed my reservation to CSR. I requested Cabana 8. Good choice? Is this a remodeled section?

Visit the CSR threads. Buzz or one of the regulars can tell you if that is a good location. I think it is but can't be sure, I only stayed there once. But regardless, no section of CSR is further away than ten minutes from any other area. I know because I was in Ranchos 7B which is the furthest out from the food court and front desk and it was about a 7 minute walk tops.

CSR is wonderful, again visit the CSR threads to find out all the cool things about it! Have a fun trip!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I would also request a "lake view"

No, no, no - not "lake view". "Facing the lake"! Same thing to you and me, right? Not to most of the reservations Cast Members (for example, certainly not to one who thinks it takes twenty minutes to get anywhere from a Standard room at Pop Century). The 70s, 80s, and 90s buildings are closer to the bus pickup area than the other buildings.

NO room is more than 750 feet from the center of Classic Hall; not counting floor differentials, from one corner of Pop Century to the diagonally opposite furthest corner (the entire resort is roughly oval-shaped) is 1,500 feet.