Disney’s Pop Century Resort is one of the cheapest on-site hotels at Walt Disney World, making it a top pick for saving money. This review shares photos of the newly-refurbished rooms, thoughts on amenities, compares it to other Value Resorts, and more.
Pop Century has a reputation among frequent Walt Disney World guests as being the favorite ‘budget pick’ for a variety of reasons. It’s always been viewed as a cut above the All Star Resorts, but had slipped a bit in recent years. That was mainly due to the debut of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, which caused Pop Century’s stature among Walt Disney World fans to drop a bit.
Even after the opening of Art of Animation, Pop Century has remained a popular choice for frugal fans for a couple of reasons. The first is that the best rooms at Art of Animation are the Cars Family Suites, which are larger and more expensive. If you don’t want or need this, you’re stuck with the regular rooms. Those are all Little Mermaid rooms, and are undesirable for a couple of reasons. Additionally, Pop Century is now seeing renewed interest for a few other reasons that make the hotel very appealing–arguably worth downgrading to book in some scenarios.
First, a room refresh was completed at Pop Century in 2026. This was a soft goods refurbishment, which offered iterative improvements over the modernized rooms that debuted back in 2017. From a functional perspective, the Value Resorts are honestly some of our favorite standard accommodations at Walt Disney World right now.
The new rooms feature more pops of with pops of color to help the rooms overcome the ‘sterile and antiseptic’ criticism. There’s warmer, wood-toned flooring and a geometric flooring inlay, new furniture, curtains, and other furnishing refreshes that include little touches, like Hidden Mickeys. You can see more of these for yourself in First Look Photo Tour of New Rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, or via the photos below.
The redone rooms were initially controversial with nostalgic Walt Disney World fans, the results have been a major crowd-pleaser in terms of both style and substance. In fact, we’ve spoken with multiple managers at the Value Resorts, and they’ve indicated to us that guest feedback has been almost unanimously positive.
Admittedly, this is only a minor selling point for Pop Century now. It was the first to receive the room reimagining, but the All Stars have followed suit with an almost identical overhaul. Most recently, Walt Disney World announced the next ‘phase’ in the Value Resort refurbishments: what’s likely to become a years-long overhaul of the All Star Resorts lasting until 2028 or 2029. This should mirror the soft goods refurbishment completed in 2026 at Pop Century. In the meantime, avoiding construction is a reason to pick Pop Century over the All Stars.
Along with the room refurbishment, Pop Century received several refreshes in the last year, all of which are finished as of 2026. One of these is a new coffee shop and seating area in the Everything Pop Food Court, which is a lovely little addition. Another is a redone lobby, which modernized the space and added more seating (albeit at the expense of the fan-favorite shadowbox displays).
The latest change that elevates all Value Resorts is Airport Luggage Transfer. Guests staying at Pop Century or the other Value Resorts can use this pilot program provided by BagCheck to transfer their luggage to and from Orlando International Airport, when flying on participating airlines.
This started roughly one year ago, and quickly expanded from Pop Century to the All Stars and Art of Animation. The bad news is that it hasn’t started at any of the Moderate or Deluxe Resorts or any other airlines. It’s only the Value Resorts as of June 2026.
The good news is that Airport Luggage Transfer at Value Resorts is Now Available for Arrivals, which began last holiday season. On top of that, the service expanded from Southwest Airlines-only to include United and American Airlines just last month. Expect more airlines and resorts to be included before 2027. For now, this is a definite advantage for guests flying those airlines and staying at Pop Century, especially since bagcheck at MCO can be brutal.
The other big not-so-new thing that has further elevated the status of Disney’s Pop Century Resort is the Disney Skyliner gondola station, which the resort shares with Art of Animation Resort. This connects Pop Century to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT via Caribbean Beach, and means access to two parks and several hotels (including the character dining at Riviera Resort) without getting on a bus, which is huge.
Since going into operation, we have used the Skyliner many, many times, and are huge fans. From our perspective, the added value to Pop Century of this non-bus transportation cannot be overstated, which is good…because Walt Disney World has really increased Pop Century’s nightly rates!
The Skyliner makes for easy midday breaks when you’re doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, and is extremely advantageous for Early Entry at both parks. Knocking out Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Frozen Ever After, or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure before the park even opens to day guests is huge. The benefits of the Skyliner cannot be overstated–we prefer it to the monorail.
We absolutely love the Skyliner and would choose one of these resorts over their counterparts just about any time of year…except when the Skyliner is down for its annual refurbishment (2027 dates) or more likely to be impacted by downtime due to storm season. Even the latter doesn’t make it a non-starter (the monorail also isn’t 100% reliable!), it just makes awareness of the weather more important.
The bottom line is that the Skyliner is a gamechanger, and we think it makes Pop Century worth the premium pricing over the All Stars. You’re getting Deluxe-caliber unique transportation at a Value Resort!
Before selling you on Pop Century, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that the Value Resorts are quite divisive. Some Walt Disney World fans love them for their convenience and price-points, others hate their motel-style design and feel their larger-than-life icons are over the top and tacky.
We like the Value Resorts for what they are, but we’ll be the first to acknowledge that they aren’t a good fit for everyone. Then again, there isn’t a single hotel at Walt Disney World that is. All have pros & cons, even fan favorites like Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian. (In the case of both, it’s the high cost!)
In Are Walt Disney World’s Cheapest Hotels Actually Good? (second spoiler: yes, they are!), we make the case for choosing Value Resorts over off-site accommodations or higher-tier resorts that are on-site at Walt Disney World. This isn’t to say that the Value Resorts are right for everyone, but a lot of travelers dismiss them out of hand because “cheap” and “motel-style” or other budget-friendly buzzwords turn them off.
We’ve stayed at every single Walt Disney World hotel numerous times, from the cheapest to the most luxurious. And yet, we keep coming back to Pop Century. Not only is it a sentimental favorite for us, but we also think it offers unparalleled bang for buck. That’s true whether you’re comparing it to shady off-site motels or astronomically-priced on-site accommodations. Sure, it’s no Four Seasons…but it’s also not priced that way!
Whether the Value Resorts are right for you comes down to the nature of your visit and how much money you’re willing and able to spend on accommodations. If you’re taking a “the room is only for sleeping” type trip during which you want to be in the parks as much as possible, the Value Resorts are great because they can be as little as $100 to $175 per night with a good Walt Disney World room-only discount, and allow budget-conscious guests to stay on Walt Disney World property.
By contrast, if you are on an adults-only trip (such as a honeymoon) and plan on spending a lot of time at your resort, Pop Century (or any of the Value Resorts) is definitely not a good fit for you. In that case, it’s worth spending the extra money to upgrade to a resort with a nice pool, better dining options, more sophisticated common areas, and superior amenities.
If all of this still sounds good, and you haven’t yet encountered any deal-breakers that make you jump off the Pop Century Hype Train, let’s turn to amenities.
As with all on-site Walt Disney World hotels, Pop Century offers the perks of a Disney hotel, such free transportation around Walt Disney World, Early Entry, and the extended Advance Dining Reservation window. Guests at Pop Century can also purchase the Disney Dining Plan, but whether that’s a real perk is debatable. (Not everyone loves it.) On-site guests are also able to purchase discount MagicBands pre-arrival. Again, not sure this is much of a real perk anymore.
One really-for-real on-site advantage is early access to Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. We’re not going to get into the nuts and bolts of it here–see our Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Walt Disney World for that–but the bottom line is that on-site guests have a significant head-start on making Lightning Lane ride reservations.
Staying on-site is pretty much the only way to score the most popular picks, such as Slinky Dog Dash, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Test Track, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. None of the above are unique to Pop Century guests, though–these are perks for all on-site guests, from the All Stars to Grand Floridian.
Guests staying at Pop Century are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours, as that isn’t offered to Value and Moderate Resorts. From a perks perspective, that’s the only real loss of staying at Pop Century.
For many families, the pools are of paramount concern. The feature pool at Pop Century is the Hippy Dippy Pool, which is located directly behind the Classic Hall lobby and food court.
Dedicated to the ‘Flower Children’ from the Summer of Love, the Hippy Dippy Pool is flower-shaped and vibrantly colored. There’s also a water play area for small children with bubbling fountains.
This feature pool is nothing special. It’s comparable to the other Value Resorts, but would rank below almost all of the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. Simply put, if you’re choosing where to stay on the basis of the pool, pick another hotel.
While the Hippy Dippy Pool is larger than Pop Century’s other two pools, it’s also significantly busier.
For this reason, we prefer the other two pools at Pop Century: the Bowling Pool and the Computer Pool. The former is designed to look like a bowling alley, featuring bowling ball racks and other fun details. The Computer Pool is shaped like a gigantic laptop PC from the heyday of 1990s AOL dial-up. (You can almost hear the ‘You’ve got mail’ and AIM sounds as you lounge there.)
None of these pools have hot tubs or jacuzzis, which are only found at Moderate Resorts and above. You can find a pool bar, called Petals Pool Bar at the Hippy Dippy Pool. At these pools, you’ll also find self-service laundry facilities.
After on-site perks, transportation, location, pools, and room quality, dining is the next most important aspect of a resort for most guests.
We consider Pop Century’s Everything Pop food court to be superior to the food courts at the All Stars, with the Tie-Dyed Cheesecake having a bit of a cult following.
They also serve a variety of more ambitious entrees than you’ll find at many other food courts around Walt Disney World. Speaking of food, Pop Century is also one of our top recommendations for the Free Dining promotion at Walt Disney World, when that’s available.
In terms of other amenities, there are a couple of small playgrounds, none of which are particularly noteworthy. One that is somewhat neat is the Goofy Pop Jet Playground. Realistically, your kids will probably end up playing around the various lawn areas of the resort. There’s also Fast Forward Arcade and a jogging trail that connects to Art of Animation.
Speaking of which, the jogging trail–and Generation Gap Bridge–that connects the two resorts is a nice amenity. It essentially opens up your area to explore…or eat…to Art of Animation, too. While it’s possible to move between the All Star Resorts, it’s not nearly as convenient, and requires trekking through parking lots or along the road.
Finally, Pop Century offers Walt Disney World’s free Movies Under the Stars program. This is a pretty neat offering for families who don’t stay late in the parks; the resort plays a different (family-friendly) Disney film every night of the week on an outdoor screen. You can find the movie schedule in the hotel’s lobby–it’s usually animated films.
Up until Art of Animation opened, Pop Century was the popular pick among the Values because it was the newest, nicest, and only Value Resort with a full-time dedicated bus service.
Pop Century does charge a premium (~$20 to $50/night before discounts) over the All Star Resorts, but I think most regulars of Pop Century would agree that this premium is well worth it for dedicated bus service, nicer resort, and Skyliner transportation. Again, the Skyliner is the differentiator. It’s a game-changer, in our view.
Pop Century is still nicer than the All Star Resorts, but if you don’t mind paying a bit extra to stay at Art of Animation, that’s arguably an even better pick–especially for families of 4-6 people. Not only that, but the Disney animation icons will resonate with kids much more than random pop icons that they probably will not recognize (there are some Disney icons scattered about the grounds of Pop Century, but Art of Animation is ALL Disney icons).
The food court and overall “newness” of Pop Century as compared to the All Star Resorts, plus the dedicated bus and Skyliner transportation, are where the advantages lie. Plus, Art of Animation is only a short walk away, meaning that you have the Landscape of Flavors food court and its bus system at your disposal, too.
On a recent stay at Pop Century, when we were at Magic Kingdom waiting for a bus, Art of Animation showed up before Pop Century, so we just took that and walked across the Generation Gap Bridge; the two resorts are so close together that walking didn’t take any extra time.
Now let’s take a look inside the guest rooms, starting with the redesigned ones…
The biggest change you can expect to see is a new configuration with a regular bed flanked by nightstands, and Murphy bed that doubles as a table. Both of these beds are queen-sized, versus the double beds previously in these rooms.
There’s a lighter color scheme, dominated by white with hints of orange and lime, Mickey Mouse pop art above the queen bed, and Pluto pop art above the Murphy bed.
There’s also more storage space, including a dresser under the television, room for luggage under the bed, and a variety of random cubbies around the room.
You’ll also find tons of USB-charging ports and outlets around the room. If you’re in one of these rooms, there’s no need to bring those USB-charging strips that we recommend in our Packing List for Walt Disney World.
The pull-down Murphy bed that converts into a table and chairs when not in use is a fantastic feature.
It makes the room feel larger, clearing more floor space and also adding daytime functionality. As parents to a toddler, we love this redesign for how it opens up the room, giving us more area for activities while we’re getting ready.
It’s to the point that we prefer the slightly smaller rooms at Pop Century to those at the Moderate Resorts that are larger but lack floor space due to just having two standard beds. The flexibility here is key.
In the corner, there’s a kiosk with drawers, beverage cooler (not technically a mini-fridge), and a coffee maker.
In the bathroom, you have a vessel sink, illuminated bathroom mirror, and make-up mirror. There’s also an actual sliding door separating the bathroom area from the main room (instead of a thin curtain), glass door in the shower, and rainfall shower fixture in addition to the standard one.
All of these things, to us, are upgrades to the Pop Century guest rooms with zero downside. Each individually might be a minor thing, but collectively, they make for a room that is significantly “plussed” over the Value Resort defaults.
Now, let’s take a look at the old guest rooms. All renovations are now finished and these rooms are gone–we’re simply sharing for the sake of comparison:
Note that this was shortly before the removal of the comforter, which was replaced by a similar runner at the bottom of the bed. Aside from that, the only thematic touch is the painting on the far wall.
The old rooms at Pop Century aren’t really anything special. They’re your basic cheap hotel/motel rooms that would fetch significantly less in the “real” world. It should also be noted that these rooms are quite small (having the option to fold-up the bed makes a world of difference).
Overall, Pop Century is a great option for guests who want nicer on-site accommodations than the All Star Resorts, especially via transportation and upgraded amenities. It’s one of the resorts where we’ve stayed the most, and we really like it. For quick, weekend trips when we won’t be in our rooms much, Value Resorts are great. For longer or more relaxed trips, we prefer the ambiance and quality of a Moderate or Deluxe Resort.
With that said, it’s tough to argue with the re-imagined guest rooms and Skyliner gondola access offered by Disney’s Pop Century. From a practicality and bang-for-buck perspective, it should be easy to see why Pop Century is once again our #1 Value Resort. Those rooms are incredibly spacious, and Pop Century is perfect for our travel style. While we still prefer the atmosphere of Art of Animation, the overall package and value for money offered by Disney’s Pop Century Resort pushes it over the top.
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Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Are you a fan of Pop Century? Do you prefer it or Art of Animation Little Mermaid? Do you not care for the Value Resorts at all? Thoughts on the theme here, or the best section in Pop Century to choose? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!