I've lived near Disney World for almost eight years, so I'm always keeping up with the latest food trends at the parks.
16.05.2024 - 16:39 / insider.com
Disney World is famously busy around the holidays and spring break, which can make it difficult to find a hotel room on the property.
When my family of four went to Disney World for the holidays one year, everything was so booked we had to stay in three different resorts.
We spent one night in a room at Pop Century (a value resort), three nights in a one-bedroom villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge (a deluxe resort), and four nights in a one-bedroom villa at Wilderness Lodge (a deluxe resort). We've done split stays at Disney World in the past, but this was the first time we stayed at three different hotels on a single visit.
We initially planned a four-day stay at Wilderness Lodge and ended up adding on three days at Animal Kingdom Lodge because of changing flight schedules. We then added the first night at Pop Century because we ended up having to fly in a day early.
Our standard room with one queen bed and one Murphy bed at Pop Century was $305 for one night, which isn't exactly cheap, especially for a value resort. At less busy times of the year, rooms are typically in the $200 dollar range or lower.
But booking the extra night at the hotel ended up saving us more than changing our airfare would have cost.
It's unfair to compare a value resort like Pop Century to villas at deluxe resorts, but Pop Century was my least favorite of the three.
That doesn't mean I didn't like staying there though. The room was clean with generic Disney theming and the layout worked for us. My kids also really enjoyed the bold, splashy theming across the resort.
It's conveniently located on the Skyliner route (Disney's free gondola-style transportation) and has a pool that's great for relaxing after a long day at the parks.
If you're watching your budget and don't need a lot of amenities, Pop Century is a fun choice.
This wasn't my first time staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge, and I'd happily stay in either again. The one-bedroom villas at deluxe resorts cost about $900 a night on average.
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I've lived near Disney World for almost eight years, so I'm always keeping up with the latest food trends at the parks.
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