Disney- Pop Century Resort

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I guess the most logical place to start talking about our Disney trip is with our resort. Since that’s the first place we went to, other than the Orlando airport. Which is fairly disorganized and slow, compared to the STL airport, at least while we were there.

The resort we stayed in was Pop Century. It is one of the cheapest Disney resorts (the other being All-Stars) but it was fine for what we wanted. I knew we would not be in the room other than to sleep and get ready in the morning, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on accommodations. It might be different in a few years when we have kids who need naps and when we will need more down time at the resort. But we knew we definitely wanted to stay on property.

There are a few perks to staying at a Disney resort versus a random hotel.

First, you get free transportation. This includes both to/from the airport, and also to/from all the theme parks and in between parks. The transportation from the airport is called Disney’s Magical Express. You stand on a red carpet while waiting to board the bus to your resort. This part of the airport was actually very organized. In fact, EVERYTHING about Disney is organized down to the minute. That is one of the great things about Disney. Also, you don’t have to go through baggage claim. They get your luggage for you and it magically shows up in your room within three hours. And you don’t have to sit and wait in your room for it. We were able to drop our carry-ons in our room and head out to a park right away.

Second, you can get the Disney Dining Plan. For a fixed cost, you get a snack, a counter service meal (fast food), and a table service meal (sit down) for each person, for each day of your stay. We were lucky and got the dining plan for free as part of a special promotion. Jonathan is a big eater and he was nervous that it wouldn’t be enough food for him. I planned on spending a lot of extra money on food. Well, we only bought one snack and a few drinks outside of our dining plan. We were able to do several character dining experiences and international restaurants at Epcot, too. We brought stuff like granola bars and small boxes of cereal for breakfast but otherwise we ate out all the time.

And the third great thing about staying at a Disney resort? The Disney-ness. Including the over-the-top theming and special touches on everything, and the staff (called Cast Members throughout Disney World). Nothing is left for you to figure out on your own. You don’t have to bug them for anything. They are a step ahead of you the whole way. Even housekeeping (a.k.a. Mousekeeping) left us cute surprises in our room almost every day!

Our resort, Pop Century, had a theme of American Pop Culture from 1950-1999. There were lots of great things to look at from each decade, under glass in the main building. I know that sounds boring and historical but it was really fun to see toys from when I was little, and things we remembered our parents talking about. I wish I had taken pictures. This picture was on the last day when Jonathan declined the use of Luggage Assistance but it’s the only one where you can see the inside of park of the resort.

There were also five sections of buildings with guest rooms- one for each decade. We were in the 90s one and I have to say it was the least exciting. It was mostly cell phones and a giant laptop and stuff like that. Each section also had its own pool that also went along with the theme. Here is the view facing the building we stayed in.

We also went swimming one afternoon in the 60s pool. I thought this was the most fun area in the resort. It had a “groovy” shaped pool, whatever that is. There were also giant flower fountains spraying different areas of the pool. And a poolside bar called Petals. A few shots of the area around the pool and then one of me swimming. Notice I am only visible from the shoulders up while wearing a bathing suit. There’s a reason for that, folks. You should thank me.

Our resort also had a giant cafeteria with a lot of different food options, like Italian and Asian and hamburgers and sandwiches and stuff. We got a refillable mug for $12.49 and I would recommend that to anyone staying on site. You get unlimited free refills at any resort during your visit. And it’s a cute plastic souvenir mug with a lid.

There was also an arcade area. We used it for about an hour the last day of our trip, while we were waiting to check in for the bus to the airport. We spent about $10 and redeemed our tickets for two mini containers of play-doh for Bailey. Which probably would have cost under $1 at the store, but we had fun.

Me and my honey in front of the resort- we got pretty good at the self-portraits during our trip. Of course he had a hard time being serious since I couldn’t look over and see his face while taking the picture.

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