Walt Disney Global has introduced a slew of lodge refurbishments and different building initiatives at Walt Disney Global for 2025 & 2026. One of the notable of those updates is to the visitor rooms at Pop Century Lodge, which have been “these days” reimagined however are someway already due for every other refresh. This stocks dates, main points, and our statement in regards to the most probably scope, scale, and affects of the paintings.
As advised above, that is the primary of a couple of initiatives that have been simply introduced, with Port Orleans and Desolate tract Hotel additionally receiving an identical announcements about initiatives within the pipeline. (Extra on the ones very quickly in separate posts.) Those most likely don’t seem to be the one lodge renovations at the horizon, both–simply those that experience get started dates in early 2025. Regulate our Walt Disney Global Resort Building Tracker for additional updates.
The previous couple of years have thrown a monkey wrench into Walt Disney Global lodge refresh timelines, with a number of lodge refurbishments being behind schedule because of the closure and the pent-up call for in its aftermath. The excellent news is this hasn’t been as unhealthy at the lodge aspect as with DVC houses, so Walt Disney Global 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 building, there’s most probably so much at the horizon.
Let’s get started with the professional announcement from Walt Disney Global in regards to the Pop Century room redo:
From overdue March 2025 to mid-February 2026, visitor rooms at Disney’s Pop Century Lodge will go through refurbishment. Whilst all lodge facilities will stay to be had, chances are you’ll realize building all the way through daylight hours.
For the ones conserving rating at house, the “new” rooms at Pop Century debuted in 2017. So no longer precisely new, therefore the air quotes. They nonetheless really feel recently-redone to me. And within the grand scheme of items, those rooms have been “these days” redone relative to Walt Disney Global’s opening 50-plus years in the past or the daybreak of recorded civilization. As I am getting older, it kind of feels time is flying by means of, however I additionally blame the COVID closure…it’s warped my sense of what’s outdated vs. new. Anyway.
It’s a near-certainty that the Pop Century visitor room refurbishment will probably be a smaller scale refresh relatively than a top-to-bottom reimagining. You’ve most likely noticed the time period “comfortable items” refurbishment. This generally method updating furniture, together with however no longer restricted to wall coverings, floor, linens, decor, and a few furnishings.
The definition of a comfortable items refurbishment is slightly nebulous, and has intended extra formidable initiatives lately for some inns. Some inns have obtained comfortable items refurbishments in the previous few years that incorporated set up of the brand new pull-down beds. Others have swapped out virtually the entire furniture and furnishings, giving utterly new seems to be to the rooms.
In some circumstances, the effects have been virtually unrecognizable as in comparison to what was once there prior to. Smartly, is reasonably. They have been lodge rooms each prior to and after, and did retain probably the most fixtures and beds. Nonetheless, much more than you’d be expecting for a comfortable items refurbishment.
Others have merely refreshed the decor and infused extra persona into the rooms by means of including personality artwork, extra colour, and little main points. Those rooms would very a lot be recognizable in a prior to vs. after comparability, however have been nonetheless incremental enhancements.
Personally, that’s the only commonality–that almost the entire room refurbishment initiatives within the final a number of years have stepped forward upon their predecessors. Now not they all had been easiest (a ways from it), however they’ve been upgrades for essentially the most phase. Fanatics may disagree with this, however we’re steadily viewing those adjustments during the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia.
What’s fascinating about Disney’s Pop Century Lodge is that the 2017 reimagining was once some of the first actual ‘fashionable’ technology of lodge room designs. Previous to this, I’d argue that Walt Disney Global room redos have been heading within the improper course with overly generic and homogenized types and no purposeful enhancements to in a different way justify the tasteless designs.
Pop Century’s redone rooms introduced huge enhancements to lead them to contemporary and purposeful, with a number of artful space-saving design options added. Whilst the footprint continues to be the similar, the ensuing rooms really feel a lot greater. There’s extra garage, some of the beds folds up into the wall to expose a desk, and a lot more.
For essentially the most phase, the brand new format has been uncontroversial with Walt Disney Global lovers. The design enhancements had been so well-received amongst visitors that the very same format was once due to this fact followed in any respect 3 of the All Stars. More than one managers on the Price Accommodations, have indicated to us that visitor comments has been virtually unanimously certain.
As such, I’d no longer be expecting Walt Disney Global to debris with the format of the rooms at Pop Century. Between this being a comfortable items refurbishment and visitor reaction being certain, I’d need to consider that Disney will take a “don’t repair what isn’t damaged” option to the format of the rooms. In all chance, the format of the circa 2025-2026 Pop Century rooms will principally be what you spot right here.
The manner is a wholly other tale. If I had a nickel for each fan who described the 2017 Pop Century rooms as bland, dull, sterile, hospital-like, antiseptic, naked, or dystopian…I’d have a minimum of $5. Which isn’t some huge cash, but it surely’s however numerous nickels.
Whilst I individually suppose a few of the ones phrases are slightly overly-dramatic (dystopian…in reality?!) and in addition require severe sentimentality in opposition to the outdated rooms, I am getting the standpoint. The present rooms do have numerous white. They’re kinda like mid-mid-century fashionable, which is to mention that they’re a half-measure for exact mid-century fashionable design. They might use extra pops of colour, every other piece of artwork or two, and fairly extra stylized furnishings. Suffice to mention, they’re no Cabana Bay Seaside Lodge at Common Orlando.
For the reason that, there’s room for additional incremental enhancements with the 2025-2026 Disney’s Pop Century Lodge room refurbishment. I’d warning in opposition to anticipating any sweeping adjustments, however extra colour and different adjustments to deal with visitor quibbles with those being bland and dull is no doubt is reasonably. Portray the wall at the back of the tv pink or gentle blue would by myself do wonders. That is what different comfortable items refurbishments have finished, so there’s no doubt precedent for it.
With that stated, that precedent isn’t on the Price Accommodations, so mood expectancies accordingly. It’s conceivable that Walt Disney Global gained’t need to make the Price Lodge rooms “too great” as a way of differentiating the tiers. Past that, it’s possible that Disney gained’t do the rest that will increase regimen repairs or repairs prices. In case you have grandiose concepts of elaborate decor that gained’t deal with put on and tear, chances are you’ll need to abandon the ones.
Talking of which, it’s fully conceivable that’s what this comfortable items refurbishment is all about–giving the rooms a contemporary coat of paint, solving peculiar put on and tear, and restoring the rooms to their 2017 look. It’s fully conceivable that there aren’t any aesthetic adjustments in any respect. That the present rooms are already well-received, and do a gorgeous just right activity of dealing with visitor use and abuse.
Those rooms do a perfect activity of concealing put on and tear–there are different inns with redone rooms which can be a number of years more moderen however already glance worse! Disney did a just right activity of opting for sturdy fabrics, and of the final dozen Price Lodge rooms I’ve stayed in, just one has regarded worse for put on. (With that stated, I’ve been staying at All Celebrity Sports activities greater than anyplace else, and the ones are a number of years more moderen than Pop Century.)
From a realistic standpoint, it’s most probably that the 2025-2026 visitor room challenge at Pop Century will probably be finished building-by-building. That is lovely same old, and has intended that Walt Disney Global takes a whole constructing out of the room stock, overhauls it suddenly, after which reopens that constructing.
That is finished to attenuate the development have an effect on. This manner, nobody is getting caught in a room proper subsequent to 1 that’s beneath energetic building. It’s just right for visitors and in addition for Disney, as they don’t need to handle the inevitable proceedings and relocating visitors. It’s fully conceivable that you must keep at Pop Century subsequent yr and no longer even understand there’s building taking place if the constructing being redone is at the different aspect of the lodge.
With that stated, there were occasions after they do a couple of constructions at a time and take rooms in a type of offline and convey them again on-line in two stages. Even on this situation, you would possibly not realize the paintings within the different 1/2 of the constructing until you’re staying at the aspect on the subject of the development. However you additionally may! We’ve had reviews from some readers who have been on the subject of rooms being labored on and may see or listen it all the way through the daylight hours.
As a basic topic, despite the fact that, building have an effect on of this challenge must be minimum. Pop Century having clusters of outlying constructions makes this sort of challenge much less impactful than it’d be at lots of the different inns. As soon as the challenge begins, we’ll even have growth updates as to which constructions are being renovated, so you’ll make room requests accordingly.
We’ll do that each so you already know which constructions to keep away from to avoid building, and what to request to extend your odds of having a brand new room. As massive lovers of Pop, we’ll attempt to rating one some of the first redone rooms right here in overdue Might or early June–feels like the easiest position to stick for Disney Starlight Evening Parade’s debut season!
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After all, in all probability the largest wrinkle to the Pop Century challenge is what was once no longer introduced: Skyliner downtime.
A couple of months in the past, we gave readers a ‘heads up’ that the Skyliner gondolas have been most probably in Wintry weather 2025. This was once premised on two issues. First, that the Skyliner has had annual downtime for preventative repairs each January since 2021. That is each unmarried yr after its one-year anniversary, and is most probably a contractual stipulation with Doppelmayr, its producer. 2d, Walt Disney Global didn’t announce the Skyliner closure till overdue October final yr, leaving visitors scrambling to modify their reservations.
Even supposing it’s just a couple weeks later now than when the refurbishment was once introduced final yr, it however turns out like a Skyliner closure may not be within the playing cards for Wintry weather 2025. It could be abnormal to announce this room refurbishment challenge however no longer point out the Skyliner on the similar time. Walt Disney Global most probably obtained numerous proceedings in regards to the last-minute realize, and in addition, iciness has change into busier than many different occasions of yr.
In all probability Disney labored out a handle Doppelmayr to lengthen the refurbishment till the overdue summer season low season, which is slower and when the Skyliner is extra susceptible to downtime, anyway. That’s simply our wager at this level. It’s additionally conceivable the iciness Skyliner closure announcement continues to be coming, and it’s two separate groups making those refurbishment bulletins–a easy case of 1 hand no longer realizing what the opposite is doing.
In the long run, we’re having a look ahead to the room refurbishment at Disney’s Pop Century Lodge. My private view is this has low upside and drawback, and gained’t be a innovative 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 just right and don’t want to be addressed, so that they most likely gained’t. Therefore the minimum upside. However, there’s room for cultured growth, and making the rooms have slightly extra persona and pops of colour. Fresh precedent at different inns means that the way will most probably give a boost to a minimum of fairly, however we wouldn’t be expecting the rest innovative. Therefore the minimum drawback.
To every their very own, however that’s just right sufficient for us–once more, don’t repair what isn’t damaged. Pop Century does no longer “want” enhancements to almost the similar stage as different inns and already punches nicely above its weight. There’s a reason it’s so prime up our Scores of All Walt Disney Global Accommodations from Perfect to Worst!
Making plans a Walt Disney Global travel? Should you’re fascinated about finding out extra about lodges, our Walt Disney Global Inns Critiques web page is a great position to start out. For the place to devour, check out our Walt Disney Global Eating place Critiques web page. If you wish to lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind you must get, learn our Pointers for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel have a look at unconventional belongings you must take in your travel. When you arrive on the parks, our Walt Disney Global “Journey Guides” are nice for figuring out what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of those subjects and so a lot more, the most efficient position to start out is our complete Walt Disney Global Go back and forth Making plans Information to profit from your enjoy!
Your Ideas
Are you partial to Pop Century’s “these days” reimagined rooms or did you favor the “outdated” taste? What main adjustments or incremental enhancements do you want to look made all the way through the 2025-2026 comfortable items refurbishment? Would a couple of pops of colour and items of artwork be just right sufficient for you, or does Disney want to return to the strategy planning stage and utterly redo those rooms once more? Any questions we will be able to permit you to resolution? Listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas beneath within the feedback!
