Continuing our quest to keep trying new things, and hearing that it had been newly refurbished, Miss H and I booked a standard room at POP! Century Resort.
We arrived fresh off of the Magical Express, late at night, and were greeted by a very helpful cast member who directed us towards the main desk (the app had given us 3 room assignments, so we didn't know which one was actually ours!). The lobby was bright and airy with an enormous Christmas tree standing in front of the Everything POP(the gift shop & quick service retaurant).
The cast member, Hanna, was wonderful and took the time to bond with my daughter when she was upset that the pool closed earlier than the website indicated. In fact, Hanna even arranged for a little pixie dust for my Miss H later in the trip! Don't worry, we made sure to recognize her for her super awesome helpfulness!
As we headed to our room in the 90's section, we passed a number of larger than life cultural icons. All of which Miss H, thoroughly enjoyed.
The paths were well lit and clearly marked, even though it turns out we took the long way around to get to our room... But once we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the small but bright and clean room.
The room had hardwood (laminate) floors with a queen size bed and a table to sit and eat at if you bring your own food, or order in a pizza! But lo and behold, the table is actually a queen size murphy bed in disguise, allowing you to comfortably sleep 4 in the room. Each bed had 2 USB plugs as well as regular outlets on each side of the bed.
On the wall opposite the bed was a long modern dresser with plenty of storage and the TV mounted over it. There was also a small unit with some storage, a coffee maker, and built in mini fridge.
The bathroom was beautifully done and very modern in white tile and granite. The toiletries were in multi use pumps attached to the wall of the shower, hand soap was replaced daily and there is no lotion given out at value level resorts. One important note to those who have small children: there is NO tub, just a shower, so keep that in mind if you have little ones who are afraid of the shower. There is also a very small closet, so be aware of that when you choose which clothes you bring!
On our resort morning, Miss H and I spent some time exploring. We started with breakfast at Everything POP and found it to be a great value (Miss H and I shared), it tasted great too! We did end up eating there again for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised at how attentive they were to my food sensitivity questions. When I asked if anything in the salad bar contained MSG (it doesn't), the Cast Member working the counter went and got the chef who spoke to me at length about my concerns. It was a really wonderful experience for a quick service restaurant.
After breakfast, we headed to the Hippy Dippy Pool for some sun and relaxation. The pool was clean, with lots of towels, and well staffed by lifeguards. We even got to see them spot test the lifeguards when another cast member fell in and 'drowned'! No worries though, the guards passed with flying colors... but I did have to explain to Miss H that everyone was actually fine. They also hosted a really fun pool party for all of the kids to participate in.
All in all, I would recommend POP! Century as a fantastic hotel to stay in, and with rooms starting at $128 a night, the price can't be beat!