Trip Report: Dinner at the Plaza (Day 1, Part 3 | December 2021)

 We went to the Plaza and checked in for our reservation about 20 minutes early. We were called around 3:50. Our table was very close to the door so there was a lot of traffic, but it was fine. And it probably would be an amazing table during fireworks.

I ordered the Plaza fries as an appetizer to share. The sour cream said it was spicy so we asked for it on the side since dad doesn’t like spice. There was no heat to it at all. For our meals, dad and I got the monte cristo with green beans instead of fries. I don’t remember what my stepmom got. The monte cristo was very good.

As we ate, we talked about our plans for tomorrow. It was going to be a long day.

They decided to call it a night after dinner. I stayed in the park to ride Splash Mountain with my LL. It was a walk-on. My boat ended up having 3 kids on the left side and all us adults were on the right. We were a little worried how that would impact the splash distribution. The boy in front of me said he would protect his mom. It was adorable.

I looked for a LL at Buzz, but it was an hour away so I started to make my way out. I checked out the Emporium. I picked up a couple of pins, but nothing else really caught my eye. A Cast Member asked me to show my bag to another CM because they had talked about it earlier. Happy to help!

Instead of going to Pop, I took a bus to Riviera. I wanted to look for the Riviera Loungefly and would prefer to take it back to my room instead of carrying around all day later in the trip. A bus was waiting, but had some issues. We left after 5-10 minutes. 

Sadly, there was no bag. So, I took the Skyliner to Caribbean Beach and transferred to the Pop Century Skyliner. I found my room and my bags were waiting for me. I was in the 50s section and Lady was in front of my building. My room was in the back near the parking lot. 

I filmed a room tour and started unpacking. I stopped to eat a snack and call my mom. I also Facetimed my dad to show him my room and see his. 

Then, I finished unpacking and went to bed around 9:30. I set my alarm for 7 AM to book Lightning Lanes.

Steps Walked: 13,736

Highlight: The kid protecting his mom on Splash Mountain

Pop Century Resort

 In December 2021, I stayed at Pop Century for the first time. Well, technically, I spent one night there in 2007, but I don’t count that. It’s a very popular Value resort and is one of the more expensive ones especially now that it has the Skyliner. I’ve stayed at the All Star Resorts multiple times and I’ve always been happy there. So, I’ve never seen the point in paying extra for another value resort. But I went for it this trip.

Now that I’m home I wanted to talk about the resort, room, and my experience. I never ate at the food court so I have no commentary on that. But below are my thoughts and opinions.

The Rooms

The rooms at Pop Century are standard for a Disney Value resort. They’ve also been refurbished so there’s no carpet and they have a pull-down instead of a second bed. I’m a huge fan of the pulldown beds. It’s especially nice as someone who is often in a room by myself and doesn’t need the extra bed.

Overall, the room felt very clean and bright. Disney has pulled back on the over-the-top theming, but you still know it’s a room on Disney property. The bathroom vanity area is great. It has a ton of storage and counter space. You can sleep four here, but if it was four adults you might feel cramped. It’s particularly noticeable when the second bed is down. Now, let’s talk about amenities and comfort. I love the beds. They are just perfect for me. It’s the goldilocks of beds-not too firm and not too soft. I’m less of the pillows. They’re very squishy. Like they completely engulf my head. There was also no shortage of them. Part of that is there being two beds and me being only one person, but it’s still a lot. I liked it because I’m used to sleeping with my cat next to me. So, I just cocooned myself in pillows to try and simulate that.

Transportation

One of the selling points of Pop Century is the transportation.

Like the All Star Resorts, it does have buses. They go from the front of the resort to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks. I find the buses run fairly often. One downside is that the bus stops have no shade. There are some benches under a cover, but someone else in your party would still have to wait in line. 

Pop also shares a Skyliner with Art of Animation. This will take you to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You do have to transfer at the Carribean Beach resort which can add to your travel time-especially in the early morning. I find it to be a beautiful and relaxing ride with nice views.

My Final Thoughts

I’m glad I finally stayed at Pop Century. It lived up to the hype and the Skyliner is a nice addition. Although I don’t think the Skyliner justifies the price increase from the All Stars. When it comes to Value Resorts, I’ll probably stick with the All Stars-especially if I’m staying in the room alone.

Thanks for reading!

Holly