Walt Disney World has introduced a slew of resort refurbishments and different development initiatives at Walt Disney World for 2025 & 2026. One of the crucial notable of those updates is to the visitor rooms at Pop Century Resort, which had been “not too long ago” reimagined however are by some means already due for an additional refresh. This shares dates, particulars, and our commentary in regards to the probably scope, scale, and impacts of the work.
As urged above, that is the primary of some initiatives that had been simply introduced, with Port Orleans and Wilderness Lodge additionally receiving comparable bulletins about initiatives within the pipeline. (Extra on these very quickly in separate posts.) These most likely will not be the one resort renovations on the horizon, both–simply those which have begin dates in early 2025. Keep watch over our Walt Disney World Lodge Building Tracker for additional updates.
The previous couple of years have thrown a monkey wrench into Walt Disney World resort refresh timelines, with a number of resort refurbishments being delayed because of the closure and the pent-up demand in its aftermath. The excellent news is that this hasn’t been as unhealthy on the resort aspect as with DVC properties, so Walt Disney World gained’t be spending the following few years taking part in catch-up, however between a couple of postponed initiatives and the chance of larger-scale reimaginings and new development, there’s probably quite a bit on the horizon.
Let’s begin with the official announcement from Walt Disney World in regards to the Pop Century room redo:
From late March 2025 to mid-February 2026, visitor rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Resort will bear refurbishment. Whereas all resort facilities will stay obtainable, it’s possible you’ll discover development throughout daytime hours.
For these preserving rating at residence, the “new” rooms at Pop Century debuted in 2017. So not precisely new, therefore the air quotes. They nonetheless really feel recently-redone to me. And within the grand scheme of issues, these rooms had been “not too long ago” redone relative to Walt Disney World’s opening 50-plus years in the past or the daybreak of recorded civilization. As I become older, it appears time is flying by, however I additionally blame the COVID closure…it’s warped my sense of what’s previous vs. new. Anyway.
It’s a near-certainty that the Pop Century visitor room refurbishment might be a smaller scale refresh reasonably than a top-to-bottom reimagining. You’ve most likely seen the time period “comfortable items” refurbishment. This usually means updating furnishings, together with however not restricted to wall coverings, flooring, linens, decor, and a few furnishings.
The definition of a comfortable items refurbishment is a bit nebulous, and has meant extra formidable initiatives in recent times for some resorts. Some resorts have acquired comfortable items refurbishments in the previous couple of years that included set up of the brand new pull-down beds. Others have swapped out virtually the entire furnishings and furnishings, giving completely new seems to be to the rooms.
In some instances, the outcomes had been virtually unrecognizable as in comparison with what was there earlier than. Nicely, inside motive. They had been resort rooms each earlier than and after, and did retain a few of the fixtures and beds. Nonetheless, much more than you’d anticipate for a comfortable items refurbishment.
Others have merely refreshed the decor and infused extra persona into the rooms by including character artwork, extra coloration, and little particulars. These rooms would very a lot be recognizable in a earlier than vs. after comparability, however had been nonetheless incremental enhancements.
For my part, that’s the one commonality–that nearly the entire room refurbishment initiatives within the final a number of years have improved upon their predecessors. Not all of them have been good (removed from it), however they’ve been upgrades for probably the most half. Followers would possibly disagree with this, however we’re usually viewing these adjustments via the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia.
What’s attention-grabbing about Disney’s Pop Century Resort is that the 2017 reimagining was one of many very first ‘trendy’ technology of resort room designs. Previous to this, I’d argue that Walt Disney World room redos had been heading within the incorrect route with overly generic and homogenized kinds and no useful enhancements to in any other case justify the tasteless designs.
Pop Century’s redone rooms provided huge enhancements to make them contemporary and useful, with a bunch of intelligent space-saving design options added. Whereas the footprint remains to be the identical, the ensuing rooms really feel a lot bigger. There’s extra storage, one of many beds folds up into the wall to disclose a desk, and way more.
For probably the most half, the brand new structure has been uncontroversial with Walt Disney World followers. The design enhancements have been so well-received amongst company that the very same structure was subsequently adopted in any respect three of the All Stars. A number of managers on the Worth Resorts, have indicated to us that visitor suggestions has been virtually unanimously constructive.
As such, I might not anticipate Walt Disney World to mess with the structure of the rooms at Pop Century. Between this being a comfortable items refurbishment and visitor response being constructive, I’d must think about that Disney will take a “don’t repair what isn’t damaged” method to the structure of the rooms. In all chance, the structure of the circa 2025-2026 Pop Century rooms will mainly be what you see right here.
The type is a very totally different story. If I had a nickel for each fan who described the 2017 Pop Century rooms as bland, boring, sterile, hospital-like, antiseptic, naked, or dystopian…I’d have at the very least $5. Which isn’t some huge cash, but it surely’s however a whole lot of nickels.
Whereas I personally assume a few of these phrases are a bit overly-dramatic (dystopian…actually?!) and likewise require severe sentimentality in direction of the previous rooms, I get the angle. The present rooms do have a whole lot of white. They’re kinda like mid-mid-century trendy, which is to say that they’re a half-measure for precise mid-century trendy design. They might use extra pops of coloration, one other piece of artwork or two, and barely extra stylized furnishings. Suffice to say, they’re no Cabana Bay Seaside Resort at Common Orlando.
On condition that, there’s room for additional incremental enhancements with the 2025-2026 Disney’s Pop Century Resort room refurbishment. I’d warning in opposition to anticipating any sweeping adjustments, however extra coloration and different adjustments to deal with visitor quibbles with these being bland and boring is definitely inside motive. Portray the wall behind the tv crimson or mild blue would alone do wonders. That is what different comfortable items refurbishments have accomplished, so there’s definitely precedent for it.
With that mentioned, that precedent shouldn’t be on the Worth Resorts, so mood expectations accordingly. It’s attainable that Walt Disney World gained’t need to make the Worth Resort rooms “too good” as a method of differentiating the tiers. Past that, it’s possible that Disney gained’t do something that will increase routine upkeep or maintenance prices. When you have grandiose concepts of elaborate decor that gained’t deal with put on and tear, you would possibly need to abandon these.
Talking of which, it’s solely attainable that’s what this comfortable items refurbishment is all about–giving the rooms a contemporary coat of paint, fixing odd put on and tear, and restoring the rooms to their 2017 look. It’s solely attainable that there aren’t any aesthetic adjustments in any respect. That the present rooms are already well-received, and do a fairly good job of dealing with visitor use and abuse.
These rooms do a terrific job of concealing put on and tear–there are different resorts with redone rooms which can be a number of years newer however already look worse! Disney did a superb job of selecting sturdy supplies, and of the final dozen Worth Resort rooms I’ve stayed in, just one has regarded worse for put on. (With that mentioned, I’ve been staying at All Star Sports activities greater than anyplace else, and people are a number of years newer than Pop Century.)
From a sensible perspective, it’s probably that the 2025-2026 visitor room challenge at Pop Century might be accomplished building-by-building. That is fairly commonplace, and has meant that Walt Disney World takes a whole constructing out of the room stock, overhauls it suddenly, after which reopens that constructing.
That is accomplished to reduce the development affect. This fashion, nobody is getting caught in a room proper subsequent to at least one that’s underneath energetic development. It’s good for company and likewise for Disney, as they don’t must take care of the inevitable complaints and relocating company. It’s solely attainable that you could possibly keep at Pop Century subsequent yr and never even understand there’s development occurring if the constructing being redone is on the opposite aspect of the resort.
With that mentioned, there have been instances once they do a number of buildings at a time and take rooms in a kind of offline and produce them again on-line in two phases. Even on this state of affairs, it’s possible you’ll not discover the work within the different half of the constructing except you’re staying on the aspect near the development. However you additionally would possibly! We’ve had studies from some readers who had been near rooms being labored on and will see or hear it throughout the daytime hours.
As a basic matter, although, development affect of this challenge needs to be minimal. Pop Century having clusters of outlying buildings makes any such challenge much less impactful than it’d be at lots of the different resorts. As soon as the challenge begins, we’ll even have progress updates as to which buildings are being renovated, so you may make room requests accordingly.
We’ll do that each so you understand which buildings to keep away from to avoid development, and what to request to extend your odds of getting a brand new room. As large followers of Pop, we’ll attempt to rating one one of many first redone rooms right here in late Could or early June–seems like the right place to remain for Disney Starlight Night time Parade’s debut season!
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Lastly, maybe the largest wrinkle to the Pop Century challenge is what was not introduced: Skyliner downtime.
A number of months in the past, we gave readers a ‘heads up’ that the Skyliner gondolas had been probably in Winter 2025. This was premised on two issues. First, that the Skyliner has had annual downtime for preventative upkeep each January since 2021. That is each single yr after its one-year anniversary, and is probably going a contractual stipulation with Doppelmayr, its producer. Second, Walt Disney World didn’t announce the Skyliner closure till late October final yr, leaving company scrambling to alter their reservations.
Though it’s solely a pair weeks later now than when the refurbishment was introduced final yr, it however looks as if a Skyliner closure might be not within the playing cards for Winter 2025. It might be odd to announce this room refurbishment challenge however not point out the Skyliner on the similar time. Walt Disney World probably acquired a whole lot of complaints in regards to the last-minute discover, and likewise, winter has grow to be busier than many different instances of yr.
Maybe Disney labored out a take care of Doppelmayr to delay the refurbishment till the late summer season low season, which is slower and when the Skyliner is extra vulnerable to downtime, anyway. That’s simply our guess at this level. It’s additionally attainable the winter Skyliner closure announcement remains to be coming, and it’s two separate groups making these refurbishment bulletins–a easy case of 1 hand not realizing what the opposite is doing.
In the end, we’re wanting ahead to the room refurbishment at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. My private view is that this has low upside and draw back, and gained’t be a revolutionary redesign just like the prior Pop room reimagining and even the ‘Beneath the Sea’ rooms at Caribbean Seaside.
In all chance, that is simply going to be a easy comfortable items refurbishment. The bones of the room are already good and don’t have to be addressed, so that they most likely gained’t. Therefore the minimal upside. However, there’s room for aesthetic enchancment, and making the rooms have a bit extra persona and pops of coloration. Current precedent at different resorts means that the type will probably enhance at the very least barely, however we wouldn’t anticipate something revolutionary. Therefore the minimal draw back.
To every their very own, however that’s ok for us–once more, don’t repair what isn’t damaged. Pop Century doesn’t “want” enhancements to almost the identical diploma as different resorts and already punches effectively above its weight. There’s a motive why it’s so excessive up our Rankings of All Walt Disney World Resorts from Greatest to Worst!
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Your Ideas
Are you a fan of Pop Century’s “not too long ago” reimagined rooms or did you like the “previous” type? What main adjustments or incremental enhancements would you prefer to see made throughout the 2025-2026 comfortable items refurbishment? Would a couple of pops of coloration and items of artwork be ok for you, or does Disney want to return to the drafting board and completely redo these rooms once more? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
