Are you ready to learn some fun facts about Disney’s Pop Century Resort?!
Pop Century has a storied history and tons of interesting details added to its larger-than-life icons throughout the property. It’s a great place to stay for families and is often viewed as the best deal in terms of quality for the cost at Walt Disney World.
Whether you’re planning a stay or just seeking additional Disney knowledge to add to your impressive repertoire, you can discover more details about Pop Century below.
14 Pop Century Resort Facts:
Fact #1: Pop Century opened in December of 2003
The Pop Century Resort is themed after decades from the 1950s through the 1990s and first opened in December 2003!
Across the entire resort you will find big, in your face theming! This sort of design was successful at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, which opened in 1999.
Fact #2: Pop Century was originally planned to expand across Hourglass Lake
Disney had already laid out plans to continue expanding the resort across Hourglass Lake to offer more rooms for guests. They were going to include more decades called the “Legendary Years.”
Unfortunately, the construction was called off after the September 11th attacks as tourism came to a screeching halt.
Some buildings were already started and eventually became the Little Mermaid section of the Art of Animation Resort. You can find clues to this fact in lots of places.
First off, The Little Mermaid section is the only part of Art of Animation with outside room entry, the same as Pop Century.
The names of the lake between the resorts, Hourglass Lake, and the bridge connecting them, Generation Gap Bridge, both allude to this passage of time as well.
Fact #3: Hourglass Lake and the Generation Gap bridge connect Pop Century and Art of Animation
Speaking of the lake, the resort is located on the eastern side of Hourglass Lake. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is on the west side. A bridge connects both resorts, making it easy to traverse to the other side and explore!
The lake also features a 1.3-mile (2 km) jogging trail surrounding it, which serves as a great way to maintain a jogging routine or simply enjoy a sunset walk around the area.
Since Pop Century is one of the few resorts without a gym, this is the only way to get in your daily exercise (aside from, of course, logging miles in the theme parks).
Fact #4: Pop Century has direct access to Disney’s Skyliner
In the center of Hourglass Lake is the only floating Skyliner gondola stop.
The stop is shared by Pop Century and Art of Animation and connects directly to the hub station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. From there, you can access Hollywood Studios and Epcot, in addition to the Riviera resort.
Fact #5: There are lots of hidden Mickeys to find
There are a total of eight hidden Mickeys we could find across the resort, but there may be a lot more! These hidden images of Mickey Mouse can be found in the lobby areas, food court, and behind large poolside icons, so be sure to keep an eye out during your stay!
- Learn them all here –> 9 HIDDEN MICKEYS at Disney’s Pop Century
An easy one to find while you are checking into the resort is located in the children’s waiting area to the right of the TV. Just look carefully at the bubbles in the fish tank.
Fact #6: Pop Century’s Shadow Boxes
The lobby area (Classic Hall) features additional references to the time periods by offering a timeline of shadow boxes to view.
Kids nowadays might be interested in the Sega Dreamcast as one of the first video game consoles! No matter your age, it’s lots of fun to look back at later decades to how things used to be.
There are tons of neat details in the shadow boxes, so be sure to take your time exploring the details and pointing out your favorite items!
Fact #7: The Hustle and the Twist play daily in the lobby.
Pop Century takes its heritage seriously and plays these fun songs daily in the lobby area. Cast Members who aren’t actively helping someone are encouraged to get out and dance, and so are the guests!
The Hustle plays every day at 6:00 p.m.
While The Twist plays at 8:00 a.m.
Fact #8: The 50’s section features 10 bowling pins
If you visit the 1950s section of the resort, you can see large bowling pins enclosing the staircases at each of the three buildings. Since they all have three different staircase locations, that makes 9 total pins.
So where is the 10th?
It’s the shape of the pool itself! Look closely at the pool, and you can make out the bowling pin shape, in addition to its coloring at the neck!
Fact #9: The jogging trail around the lake contains decade trivia
Pop Century Resort is filled with info from the past, and the 1.3-mile (2 km) trail around Hourglass Lake is no exception. There is trivia every few years that tells you what was happening at that time.
This can include inventions, popular icons, and what was previously considered a massive federal deficit. Interesting, huh?
Fact #10: Pop Century is the LARGEST Disney Resort!
Believe it or not, when it comes to the amount of rooms, Pop Century is the biggest resort at Disney World. It has over 2,800 rooms spread out over 10 buildings.
The resort is always alive, with people coming and going. The addition of the Skyliner has made staying at Pop Century Resort even more popular than it was prior.
Fact #11: The Tie Dye Cheesecake
Perhaps the most iconic part of Pop Century Resort is not the massive icons in each decade – it’s the food!
Specifically, the tie-dye cheesecake, which is available in the refrigerators inside the food court, is a favorite of many guests since it’s a unique and fun way to celebrate the resort theme.
I recommend grabbing one as you get back from a long day at the theme parks!
Fact #12: The Big Wheel shows Disney’s attention to detail
Disney is known for its incredible theming, but this little fact is one of my favorites. On the oversized Big Wheel in the 1990s section, you can actually see the weight load of the massive tricycle.
The recommended child weight is a whopping 877 pounds!
Disney paid attention and scaled up the weight limit just like they did for the size! You can only see this detail by heading up the stairs to at least the second floor in building 10, since the Big Wheel is too large to view from the ground.
Fact #13: Pop Century has its own Twister game
Remember Twister, the game where you are given a color and body part and have to twist yourself into a knot to touch the correct areas?
You can play to your heart’s content at Pop Century since there is a soft floor and spinner located in the 1990s section of the resort!
Fact #14: Roast Marshmallows every night for free
This is a fun activity that is perfect for the whole family.
If you want to participate, look for the campfire location near Surfer Goofy from 6:30–7:30 pm. (7 days a week).
- Times are subject to change, so please verify with a Cast Member upon arrival at the resort.
Fact #15: Giant statues are found everywhere!
If you wander around Pop Century, you will see some huge statues of characters from iconic Disney animated movies.
For example, here is Roger Rabbitt.
Mowgli and Baloo from the Jungle Book.
Hidden under the trees in the shade is Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head!
Fact #16: Pop Century has life-size foosball
In the 1970’s section of Pop Century, you can pretend you are playing in a giant game of foosball!
Fact #17: Pop Century has THREE pools
One fact most people love about Pop Century is the pools!
Pool #1: The Hippy Dippy Pool
The Hippy Dippy Pool is the LARGEST pool at Pop Century at 235,000 gallons! Because of its size and central location in the resort, it is the busiest and most popular of the three pools.
The pool is located in the 1960s section of Pop Century and is themed after this decade. On the sides of the buildings, you will see flower decorations everywhere, along with lots of giant people dancing. And if you were to look at the pool from above, you would see it is shaped like a giant flower! Check it out below:
Pool #2: The Bowling Pool
You will find the Bowling Pool at the far north end of Pop Century Resort by the 1950s buildings.
As you probably guessed by the name, the pool and the entire area are themed after bowling! For example, you will find pin decorations located around the pool deck.
But my favorite part about this pool is if you look at it from above, it’s shaped like a bowling pin! Even lines run down the pool deck to mimic the bowling alley.
Pool #3: The Computer Pool
You will find the smaller Computer Pool at the far south end of Pop Century between the 1980s and 1990s buildings. As such, the pool and entire area are themed after these time periods.
As the pool’s name suggests, it is uniquely shaped and resembles a computer monitor. If you could view the pool from above, you would see a large square!
That’s all the facts we have about Disney’s Pop Century Resort! Pop Century is a blast to the past, so it’s a great spot to stay to pass on information and stories with your kids.
Do you know any fun facts about Disney’s Pop Century Resort?
If we missed any of your favorite fun facts, please let us know below. In addition, if you have any questions, feel free to ask, and we will try to answer! 🙂
