Trip Report: Meet Charlie! (Day 2, Part 1 | December 2021)

 Buckle-in because this is going to be a long day and probably a long trip report.

Today we’re doing the Christmas After Hours Party, but first we have a day at Animal Kingdom planned. I woke-up at 7 AM to book our Lightning Lane and Fancy Ride (™) for the day. We got a Flight of Passage Fancy Ride (LL) at 12:05 and a Kilimanjaro Safaris LL for 11:50 AM. 

Instead of going back to sleep, I got up and around, drank my tea, and caught up on my notes for yesterday while watching YouTube videos. Then, I showered and finished getting ready. I left the room around 9:30.

A quick bus ride later, I was in Animal Kingdom. We were meeting by the Tree of Life so I headed that way. Devine was out. I almost didn’t see her, but saw people taking pictures. I texted my dad so they would know to look for her.

The Merry Menagerie was out which made me so happy. I didn’t get to see them on my last Christmas trip and have been sad about it since. Those puppets are so adorable and the puppeteers do a great job making them feel alive.

I thought I saw Breedlove from AllEars going into a store, but I didn’t want to chase after him. I watched the puppets while waiting for my parents.

We went into a store after they arrived so I could buy a penguin puppet. I had them take the tags off because he was going to be enjoying today with us. I named him Charlie and may have become obsessed with him on this trip.

Our plan was to have an early lunch so we headed to Pandora and Satu'li Canteen. On our way we saw a character flotilla so we stopped to wave at Chip, Dale, and Goofy.

I got the cheeseburger pod kid’s meal. You only get one pod, but I think it’s enough. I think the next time I go here I’m going to branch out and try out the bowl. We just ate slowly in the very empty restaurant.

Then, we went to Africa, because soon it would be time for our Safaris Lightning Lane. We saw another character flotilla. This time we saw Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto.

We also got a happy surprise in Africa because the drummers were out. They’re one of my favorite things in Africa because they have amazing energy. I’m so glad they're back.

It still wasn’t time for the safaris so we went through the Gorilla trail. Getting to the actual gorillas was hard, because people would just push through. This was better with the distancing and I would hope Disney could make it better. Obviously, people should just be respectful, but that’s probably never going to happen. We did get to see a hippo hanging out under the water.

Then we got in line for the Safaris with our Lightning Lane. After we scanned in I checked the Genie+ options and grabbed The Lion King show for 2 PM.

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