Disney’s Pop Century Resort is a value-priced Walt Disney World hotel in Bay Lake, Florida, that opened December 14, 2003. Its 2,880 rooms sit across ten buildings grouped into five decade-themed areas of the 1950s through 1990s, each fronted by oversized pop-culture icons like a giant Rubik’s Cube, jukebox, and Big Wheel trike.
Pop Century earns its keep as one of the more connected budget options on Disney property: it’s one of only a handful of resorts on the Disney Skyliner gondola line, giving a direct-ish lift to Epcot and Hollywood Studios in addition to the standard bus network, all at value-tier pricing rather than moderate or deluxe rates.
Stats at a Glance
- Resort: Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Location: Bay Lake, Florida (Walt Disney World, near ESPN Wide World of Sports)
- Opened: December 14, 2003
- Rooms: 2,880 rooms across 10 buildings
- Price tier: Value (Walt Disney World’s lowest owned-and-operated tier)
- Park transport: Disney Skyliner to Epcot/Hollywood Studios (transfer at Caribbean Beach); buses to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and water parks
- Perks: Complimentary early theme park entry (standard for all WDW resort guests); no Extended Evening Hours (deluxe-only perk)
- Theme: 20th-century American pop culture, split into five decade zones
Rooms, Theming and Dining
Standard rooms sleep up to four and were refreshed with hard flooring, queen beds, and refrigerators in a prior renovation, with a further room and lobby refurbishment running from spring 2025 into February 2026 that brought a brighter palette, wood-toned flooring, and Hidden Mickey details into the fabric. Food is centered on Everything POP Shopping and Dining, a large food court with stations for breakfast plates, pizza, sandwiches, and grab-and-go items, plus Petals Pool Bar at the main pool. There’s no table-service restaurant on site, so guests wanting a sit-down meal head to another resort or Disney Springs.
The resort’s decade theming is more about photo-op scale than deep storytelling — giant bowling pins, a Rubik’s Cube facade, and a 1960s Woodstock-style bus are the visual anchors — which makes it a hit with families who want big, colorful backdrops without deluxe-resort pricing.
Getting to the Parks and Perks
Pop Century shares a Skyliner station with neighboring Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and that gondola line runs to Caribbean Beach Resort, where riders transfer to a second gondola for Epcot or Hollywood Studios. It’s a genuinely useful shortcut to those two parks, though the transfer adds a step and the station can draw long lines at rope drop. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are bus-only from here, along with Disney Springs and the water parks. Like every Walt Disney World resort guest, staying here unlocks complimentary early theme park entry 30 minutes before official opening; Extended Evening Hours are reserved for deluxe-resort guests, so late-night park access isn’t part of the Pop Century package.
Who Should Stay Here
Pop Century suits budget-conscious families and groups who want to stay on Disney property, use Disney transportation, and get early entry without paying moderate or deluxe rates. It’s a strong fit if Epcot and Hollywood Studios are trip priorities, given the Skyliner link. Guests who want a quiet, upscale atmosphere, an on-site table-service restaurant, or a one-seat ride to Magic Kingkingdom should look at a moderate or deluxe resort instead, since Pop Century’s food court can get crowded at peak meal times and the property leans loud and kid-focused.
Explore more: Where to Stay at Walt Disney World, Epcot guide, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guide, Magic Kingdom guide.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort FAQs
Does staying at Pop Century get you early entry to the parks?
Yes. Like all Walt Disney World resort hotels, Pop Century guests get complimentary early theme park entry 30 minutes before official park opening every day. It does not include Extended Evening Hours, which are limited to Disney’s deluxe resorts.
Is Disney’s Pop Century Resort worth the price?
At the value tier, Pop Century is one of the cheaper ways to stay on Disney property with Disney transportation and early entry included. It trades upscale dining and quieter grounds for a lower nightly rate, which makes it good value for families prioritizing park time over resort amenities.
How do you get from Pop Century to Epcot and Hollywood Studios?
Take the Disney Skyliner gondola from the Pop Century/Art of Animation station to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, then transfer to a second Skyliner line that continues to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. Buses serve Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and the water parks directly.
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Photo: Unknown / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.