Pop Century vs. a moderate for a solo trip?

mrcase77

Mouseketeer
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
I'm planning on going to WDW in Feb 2019. The only on site resort I've ever stayed at was AoA a few years ago with some friends. I have been playing around with the idea of either staying at Pop or at a moderate (probably either POFQ or Coronado Springs). I'm not a big pool person so any days I didn't spend in the parks would probably either be hanging around my room or going to Disney Springs. Maybe reading by a pool, but probably not. And then the hammocks at Coronado looked appealing for reading until I remembered there are possibly snakes and alligators in the water 5 feet away. lol.

I say all this to ask...is it worth spending the extra money on a moderate or am I just as well off at Pop since it's just me? I had read mixed reviews on Pop.
 
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If you can afford a moderate and would enjoy one, there's no such thing as it being a waste because it's "just you." It's your trip; enjoy it!

If it were me I'd probably go for a moderate, and I'd take POFQ over Coronado Springs. I've stayed at both and both were nice, but I really think POFQ has the edge over CS:
  • POFQ's much smaller size means it's only got one bus stop and that bus stop is a nice, short walk regardless of what room you're assigned. At Coronado Springs you risk the bus filling up before it gets to you if you wait at any bus stop other than the one where it first stops.
  • My opinion is that POFQ has better theming throughout the resort and inside the rooms. Coronado Springs does have a couple different styles of buildings, which is interesting, but I found POFQ more visually interesting.
  • POFQ is connected by boat to Disney Springs, and it's a pretty scenic ride. Coronado Springs only has bus service.
I've also stayed at POP, and my feeling on it is that it's just okay. I'd stay there again if that was what my budget demanded, but I wouldn't consider the resort itself very attractive when planning a trip. You'll find it's probably a bit worn compared to AoA because it's older, and my personal feeling is that the theming is both tacky and tacked-on (it doesn't feel like you've been transported to another place like a moderate...it just feels like you're in a cheap hotel with a bunch of giant plastic wingdings stuck to the outside). BUT...the rooms are clean, the food's probably as good as anything you'll get in a food court at a moderate, and it only has the one bus stop so it doesn't get that bus loop issue I mentioned re: CS. Also, you can walk across the bridge and use AoA's food court, so there's that.
 
I'm planning on goin go WDW in Feb 2019. The only on site resort I've ever stayed at was AoA a few years ago with some friends. I have been playing around with the idea of either staying at Pop or at a moderate (probably either POFQ or Coronado Springs). I'm not a big pool person so any days I didn't spend in the parks would probably either be hanging around my room or going to Disney Springs. Maybe reading by a pool, but probably not. And then the hammocks at Coronado looked appealing for reading until I remembered there are possibly snakes and alligators in the water 5 feet away. lol.

I say all this to ask...is it worth spending the extra money on a moderate or am I just as well off at Pop since it's just me? I had read mixed reviews on Pop.

Based on what you say I would for sure save the money and stay at POP. Not sure your dates - but the rooms, when finished, will have queen beds like the moderates. And since just you - leave the second bed up and you will feel like the room is much larger. The money can be better used for nicer dining, tours or something else.

If you lean towards moderate, go for CSR. It's a very adult, very nice resort with room renovations going on right now. Lots of spots to sit and relax, several bars/lounges/dining options. It has a very relaxing adult feel to it, while POFQ is very popular with young families and it's amenities lean that way. My adult kids find CSR is their favorite to stay in now.
 
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I've stayed at Pop, CSR, and POFQ - all solo. I love all three - for different reasons.

Value vs. Moderate is really about budget - and how do I want to spend my money that trip. The mod rooms are bit bigger, tend to have better beds (but not always), have more interesting theming, have a coffee pot (though Pop does now, too) and for me - the upgraded pool (w/waterslide and whirlpool) is a big plus for me. The mods feel a tad less "mass market dorm room like" - but when you really look at the scenario - that's still exactly what the mods are, too. The only time I've settled in for an alcoholic drink and people watching at a resort - at a value. Lounges aren't important to me.

My quietest stays have been at values - my loudest stays have been at a deluxe and one memorable night at a value. So - that's not even predictable.

Don't make the decision based on "its just me" - base the decision on "what you want" - it's your trip! It's your budget. Remember - some solos always stay deluxe or in villas - just because of their financial situation.
 


I have done solo trips at mostly the All-Stars/Pop, once at Saratoga Springs. For budget, and also for non-park days, I chose to stay at the values and then go explore/relax at other resorts. Lounging around lobbies/quiet areas of the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are my favorite, or relaxing in the Beach Club or Boardwalk lobby areas in a quiet nook with a book or wandering around the boardwalk was wonderful. Riding the monorail and getting off at each of those resorts is great too for exploring or relaxing in different theming, and gives you more options for eating lunch/dinner.
 
I'd rule out coronado. Biggest pool on property, vast and expansive.

Pop is my resort of choice and has been for about 6-8 solo trips. I'm a budget minded traveler who goes often. If I were in your shoes and had 10 months out, I'd go for POFQ. Treat yourself. It's a $250 deposit and then you can pay it off in increments between now and then. Use an app like digit.co to help save money and have fun.

Curve ball - some DVC points should be expiring in March of 2019 so around January you should start seeing some good deals on them from members in this sites DVC forum. Risky but you can potentially land somewhere like Boardwalk or Animal Kingdom Lodge for the same price.
 
I struggled with the same question. Ultimately, I decided upon 10 nights at Pop (with a savings of $600). If I were sharing expenses with a fellow traveler, it would have been another story. Budget won and I can dedicate the extra funds to extra fun...in my case, Keys to the World tour and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, perhaps a Food & Wine event. I have stayed at almost every property and love the Mods and Deluxe, still when I can swing extra days, I'm happy to check into Pop.
 
I have stayed solo at Coronado Springs once and Pop 3 times. I even reserved Coronado for a recent solo trip, then decided to downgrade to Pop and spend the extra $ on other things. The refurbished rooms at Pop are really nice. Like a PP, I do spend time at other resorts, often hanging out at GF, Trader Sam's, the Wave bar at the Comtemporary, and AKL.

The food court at Pop can get crowded at meal times, especially if there are sports/cheerleading competitions going on at the time.
 
I stayed in a refurbished room at Pop last summer, with a friend. It was a simple but comfortable stay, even having to pull down the queen. For someone solo, even better. I liked the three pools and could always find space at one to suit my mood.

But I've also stayed at POFQ (with my mom) and it was just right. Small, quiet and charming (as PPs have said). Plus you have the option to take a short stroll over to POR, where there's more nighttime entertainment and TS as well as a food court. The pools at both (and you can use the pools at both) are really interesting.

That said, I'm trying CSR for my first true solo trip, and here's why. When I booked, the 10-day trip cost just $200 more to go to CSR over Pop, because -- I think -- of the construction at CSR.

No matter what, you can't go wrong, imho. Enjoy!
 
Love them both, but since cost is usually a consideration I usually stay at POP. When traveling solo I like to come and go thru the main resort building (where the front desk etc is), and both POP and POFQ have that. POP is centrally located and doesn't share buses with another resort so that's a big plus. The front of the resort is rather cement-y looking but the grounds are nice. The only real negative for POP for me is the gondola construction currently going on.
 
I'm not a big pool person so any days I didn't spend in the parks would probably either be hanging around my room or going to Disney Springs.
My experience is solo at French Quarter, ASMo and CBR; I'm doing my second solo trip to FQ in Sept. I'm planning on a Sept 2019 trip (got an AP) and have been looking at POP to save some money, but every time I lean back to FQ.

Love the boat trip to Disney Springs, love hanging around the resort and reading. Love the walk over to Riverside. Love the rooms.
 
Ah, two things that have occurred to me while reading other replies:

1. You may want to look into whether CSR will still be undergoing refurbishments during your stay (it seems like a long way out, but I honestly don't know). I stayed there during refurbishments this past January and did not feel impacted aside from the entry to the resort looking a bit bleak due to the construction being all up at the front. Depending on how big of a deal that is for you, it can either be a great opportunity to get a discounted mod room or it can be a dealbreaker; I don't know your priorities.

2. You could consider a split stay, starting in POP and upgrading mid-trip to one of the moderates, which would allow you to experience a moderate while going a little easier on your budget. I know you were considering already splitting your stay between Disney and Universal, though, so it may not be worth it to you to move rooms a second time in the middle of the trip. Just thought I'd point it out, though, in case it's something that might make sense for you.
 
Thanks everybody!

To, be clear, when I said "just me", my main thought was that square footage and number of people a room can sleep isn't a huge issue. A full size bed or a queen is enough. I'm more worried about how clean things are and/or if atmosphere is going to be stressful or depressing. (like I had read some reviews about Pop not always being the most clean and pizza boxes laying around on the grounds, but I also realize you can probably find reviews like that for any hotel on the planet, so I wasn't sure if that was just one-off and not the norm)

That said, I from what you guys are saying...I think my calculus is going to be
1. If Pop is way cheaper than a moderate (like $500 or $1000 less) then I'll probably do that.
2. If Pop is priced fairly close-ish to POFQ or Coronado (with a preferred location) then I may do those because it sounds like they'd be more pleasant. I'm leery of doing Coronado without a preferred location because of what I've read and heard about the resort size since I won't have a car.
3. If the stars align and I can get Pop cheap enough and Royal Pacific at Universal cheap enough for a 2 or 3 night stay then I may try and do a pop/royal pacific split. But, that would probably be a stretch. I'm trying to keep my all in under $3K so I think I would need a VERY good deal at Pop to swing it. lol

At any rate, thanks you guys for the help!
 
I guess my option 4...I had kind of mentally ruled out DVC because I had been hoping to use a travel agent (not connected to DIS). But, the exchanges I've had so far with a travel agent have been pretty disappointing so far and I haven't given them money yet (which makes me think it may not bode well for after I give them money since this is theoretically a best foot forward)...so that may come back on the table depending on how things go. I had kept listening to these podcasts where they said to use a travel agent if it's your first time because they'd have all this great, nuanced, customized advice and so far their answers to questions have been terse and not super informative. So...I dunno...If that doesn't improve then I may give up on that idea and look at Boardwalk or Bay Lake DVC if I can get it cheap enough.
 
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I've never rented DVC points, but I've heard good things. I'd just be mindful of who I went through since I don't know that one has much recourse if something goes wrong with it.
 
Yeah, if I do the DVC point thing, I think I'd do through one of the websites and do travel insurance and stuff. I am a tad leery. I wanted the travel agent thing to work out, but I'm hesitant to try it again if it's wasting people's time. I just...if I'm being made to feel like asking questions about 3 hotels and choosing between two possible agendas is a burden, then the idea of working out how to navigate 72 rides across 4 parks over 8 days with someone who's already been paid sounds demoralizing. (sorry...off topic....bad day)

But, walking distance to parks... realistically, I'm probably going to wind up picking from my original 3 options and doing it myself. haha. I'm starting to get excited about the trip!
 
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I definitely would NOT use a travel agent. If you want more help than these boards - buy one of the Disney travel books on the market. I recommend physically going to the bookstore so you can browse them before you buy. Now if you are a AAA member - if you purchase your tickets through them - you can save a few dollars. It's not a ton - so we don't always bother - but it's some. You can link those to your MDE account - so that's all good. But I think folks need to make their ADR's and FPs themselves - not the travel agent.

DVC rentals aren't for nervous folks. The cheapest way to get them is through the Rent/Trade board here - but then you need to have trust. There are 2 or 3 brokers - and all have good reputations - but if you want to plan far in advance - the rates aren't that competitive, just fair. I've rented both ways - broker and on the board - and had totally great customer service both ways. But - frankly - I'm normally too lazy to deal with it.
 

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