Disney's Pop Century Resort
by the TopOfHotel team
Pop Century is the best-value resort with a Skyliner hub — giant 4-storey pop-culture icons that are genuinely fun to photograph, a gondola straight to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, a flower-shaped pool and a food court famous for its tie-dye cheesecake, all at the lightest price of any Skyliner resort (just know the rooms sleep 4, are small, and the walks are long).
Pop Century is the best-value resort with a Skyliner hub — giant 4-storey pop-culture icons that are genuinely fun to photograph, a gondola straight to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, a flower-shaped pool and a food court famous for its tie-dye cheesecake, all at the lightest price of any Skyliner resort (just know the rooms sleep 4, are small, and the walks are long).
In-Depth Review
If your family of 4 or fewer wants the cheapest stay that still gets you the Disney Skyliner gondola and fun theming, Disney's Pop Century Resort is the best value we'd point you to. It's a Value-tier resort themed around American pop culture split by decade, 1950s through 1990s, turning the toys, fashion and icons of each era into giant statues across the grounds. Guest reviews put it at around 8.6/10.
Rooms and decor
Rooms have been freshly renovated and feel clean and bright, with a queen bed plus a Murphy bed that folds up into a desk to free up floor space, and cute Mickey pop-art touches. Straight talk before you book: the standard room sleeps only 4 and is small at around 260 sq ft with a single bathroom, so a family of 5 or 6 needs to look at the Family Suites at Art of Animation next door.
Food and amenities
On the food side there's Everything POP, a big food court famous for its legendary tie-dye cheesecake. The main pool, Hippy Dippy, is shaped like a flower and has a kids' splash zone, with a second Computer/Bowling Pin pool and giant floor games like hopscotch and Twister out on the courtyard. The real draw, though, is the 4-storey giant icons scattered all over — Lady and the Tramp, a giant blue yo-yo, a Rubik's cube, Baloo and Mowgli, an 80s mobile phone, Winnie the Pooh — plus era slogans painted huge on the buildings like "CAN YOU DIG IT?" and "Peace Man." Kids (and parents who lived through it) wander and photograph every corner, and reviews describe a resort where the place itself is the entertainment.
Location and getting there
The same selling point as Art of Animation is the Disney Skyliner hub, linked by the Generation Gap bridge floating across Hourglass Lake, with gondolas running direct into Epcot and Hollywood Studios — only here it costs less, making it one of the cheapest resorts with a Skyliner. Kids love riding the gondola like a ride of its own. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, though, mean a bus.
Things to know before booking
A few honest points: the standard room sleeps only 4 and is small, the resort is large and very spread out so the far decade buildings are a long walk to the food court and Skyliner, it gets crowded and loud with big groups, the Skyliner only reaches Epcot and Hollywood Studios while MK and AK mean a bus, and there's no character dining on site.
Our take
After reading through plenty of real guest reviews, Pop Century fits a family of 4 or fewer on a budget who want the Disney Skyliner plus fun, photo-friendly theming at the lightest price, with their park days leaning toward Epcot and Hollywood Studios — it's one of the best-value resorts at Walt Disney World. The trade-offs you have to accept are rooms that sleep just 4 and run small, a sprawling resort with long walks, and a bus to MK and AK. Families of 5 or 6 should go to Art of Animation above; if your budget is even tighter and you can handle bus-only transport, look at the three All-Star resorts next.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Giant 4-storey pop-culture icons all over the resort — Lady and the Tramp, a giant yo-yo, Baloo, an 80s mobile phone and more — plus era slogans painted on the buildings, so there are fun photos at every corner.
- It has a Disney Skyliner hub (the Generation Gap bridge crosses the lake to Art of Animation), a gondola running direct into Epcot and Hollywood Studios — and it costs less than Art of Animation.
- The flower-shaped Hippy Dippy Pool is the main pool, with a kids' splash zone, a second Computer/Bowling Pin pool, and giant floor games like hopscotch and Twister out on the courtyard.
- Everything POP is a big food court famous for its legendary tie-dye cheesecake, and the starting price is the lightest of any resort with a Skyliner.
- Rooms are freshly renovated — a queen bed plus a fold-away Murphy bed and bright Mickey pop-art touches — so they feel clean and cheerful.
- Standard rooms sleep only 4 and are small at around 260 sq ft with a single bathroom, so families of 5 or 6 need the Family Suites at Art of Animation next door.
- The resort is large and very spread out — the far decade buildings are a long walk from the food court and Skyliner, and it gets crowded and loud with big groups.
- The Skyliner only reaches Epcot and Hollywood Studios (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom mean a bus), and there is no character dining or table-service restaurant on site.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
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Insider Tips
- Take the Disney Skyliner into Epcot or Hollywood Studios — great value at a Value price, but leave buffer time since it closes in wind or storms.
- Walk the giant icons for photos (Lady and the Tramp, the yo-yo, Baloo) and try the tie-dye cheesecake at Everything POP.
- Ask for a room near Classic Hall and the Skyliner (the 1960s or 70s zones) — the resort is big and the far buildings are a long walk.
- Families of 5 or 6 won't fit one room, so cross over to the Family Suites at Art of Animation right next door.