Walt Disney World General
Topic: Jul 15 Pop Goes the Decades!

#	Author	Message
11	Labuda Fri 7/16/2004 6:33a	http://allearsnet.com/menu/men u_shut.htm Latest menu posted there is from June of this year. Kids' dinner menu (same month) is at http://allearsnet.com/menu/men u_shutk.htm
12	LindsayC Fri 7/16/2004 7:40a	Hi Labuda, Thanks for the comments about the article and the pics. FYI - The camera (apart from a couple of digital cam shots) used was a Nikon F70 SLR
13	Daddy Servo Fri 7/16/2004 7:58a	Orleans, once at Coronado Springs... the rest of our dozens of trips since 1998 have been at an All-Star), The Value Resorts aren't going to set the world on fire with their accommodations or their cuisine. That's not their intention either. As Doobie said, the purpose of the Value Resorts is to provide a low-cost option on property so guests will stay there instead of I-Drive. These same guests also tend to view the resort as little more than a place to shower and sleep when they're not out enjoying the other sights and sounds WDW has to offer. The line of thought here is obvious -- when you sleep on property, you (and your money) are far more likely to STAY on property. One can argue the merits of this until we're blue in the face. I will say this about the whole concept of the Value Resorts -- it has allowed us to come to WDW much more often than we could have afforded to otherwise. We visit the other resorts for dining options/events (love the Wilderness Lodge, btw), but unless there's a really good AP holder special going we can't afford to stay there. It's all about the Benjamins -- or in our case, the Andrews and the Alexanders. Now, on to Pop Century... In a nutshell: a few problems, but overall a HUGE improvement over the All-Stars. I like the overall theme and the enormous icons/figures (and yes, I cracked wise about the giant 8-tracks too). The feeling of being in a giant foosball game is not something you get every day. I also like the variety of choices you get from the food court. There's far more than just 'burgers and pizza' on the menu here, which I'm sure is a lesson they learned from All-Star. I also like the fact that the food court and the gift shop have merged into the same giant space; you don't feel closed in when visiting either area. The sounds from the food court also help liven up the gift shop (always felt quiet and claustrophobic in the All-Star ones). The rooms are, not surprisingly, very similar to the ones at the All-Stars, though I think the decor is a vast improvement and much more Disney than before. For instance, each room has a photo collage of Disney memorabilia from the decade featured on the building. My main point of contention with the design is, yes, the food court. I have to agree that the idea of carpet in an area in which thousands of feet will trample through is a bad one and requires more maintance than is feasible to accomplish on a nightly basis. Put down tile or laminate and a simple mopping can work wonders. There's also simply TOO MANY TABLES in the food court -- it's far too difficult to maneuver yourself around the tables like Theseus on his date with the Minotaur loaded down with a tray full of hot food. I know that the PC management want to pack people in and accommodate as many people as possible, but that's still too many @#$*% tables there. My other main contention is with the pool design. If you're out in the parks in the morning and then come back to the resort for a quick dip in the pool to cool off, the last thing you want is to bake out in the afternoon sun. The pools at PC remind me of the barren plazas of Future World before the giant canopy was installed. Put some shade out there, people. Please. Hmmm... that I think covers my comments at the moment.
14	Daddy Servo Fri 7/16/2004 8:04a	Okay, I don't know how it happened, but apparently the LP monster digested the first part of my post. I was saying that I have stayed overnight twice at Pop Century, once at Port Orleans, once at Beach Club, once at Dolphin, and once at Coronado Springs... the rest of our dozens of trips since Christmas 1998 have been at one of the All-Star resorts. Carry on... :)
15	RoadTrip Fri 7/16/2004 8:14a	<<There should be a place where someone who does not want to deal with a Food Court, server your self setup and a slightly more diverse selection is available.>> I think we can all agree that Disney goes to great lengths to extract every dollar from its guests that they can. If there were really a market for table service restaurants at the value resorts, don't you think they would have put them in? Personally, I don't think the typical All Star/Pop Century guest is looking to spend $10 per person on breakfast, $15 on lunch and $20 on dinner. If they had that much in their vacation budget they would probably be staying at a moderate. Even at the moderates the sit down restaurants sit half empty while the food courts are mobbed. I've stayed at the All Stars several times and enjoyed them. They are great for times when we decide on the spur of the moment to head down to WDW for an unplanned, unbudgeted vacation. Since we usually have annual passes, the existence of the All Stars makes impromptu trips a real possibility. If you want better dining facilities, book at the moderates.
16	Daddy Servo Fri 7/16/2004 11:18a	That's what we do. One of the first things we do when we check in is decide where we're going to have dinner and make our reservations ("okay, which day are we going to Whispering Canyon/Cape May/Biergarten/etc."). Sure, the food court at PC/All-Star ____ may not have the save diversity of fare as the moderates, but when all you're looking for is a basic meal after a day in the parks (or before) it's adequate for the task. Again, the Value resorts are really more designed for people who spend the majority of their time out in the parks. If you're going to spend much time in your room/at the resort itself, then it reallly is worth the extra money to upgrade to a more upscale place.
17	rasvar Fri 7/16/2004 11:54a	"I think we can all agree that Disney goes to great lengths to extract every dollar from its guests that they can. If there were really a market for table service restaurants at the value resorts, don't you think they would have put them in?" Actually, no. This is a fact of the business. The profit margin of a sit down restuarant is lower then any other option available on property. They know people will eat at the food court if they have to. It is not like there is not demand for these restuarants. Just about every one available on prperty ends up with a waiting line or priority seating. They just aren't as profitable.
18	RoadTrip Fri 7/16/2004 12:16p	<<Just about every one available on prperty ends up with a waiting line or priority seating.>> In my experience that statement is true at the Deluxes, but definitely NOT true at the moderates. I can't think of a time when I wasn't able to walk right in to a moderate table service restaurant without priority seating. There would be even less demand at the value resorts.
19	rasvar Fri 7/16/2004 12:31p	I have run into waits at the moderates. Usually at breakfast though. Occasionally at dinner. It si not as often. Of course, most of the times I have found the food courts at the moderates dead for lunch and dinner too. Breakfast is the big times at those. I don't stay at the Value resorts because of the food offerings. So I know they are not aimed at me. Truthfully, it does not matter to me if they do have them. I will continue to stay at only moderates and above. Assuming Disney continues to offer them. I think the moderates suffer everytime a new value resort opens. I fear that the moderates will be gone in a decade. Then you will be left with the lows and the highs and nothing in the middle.
20	rasvar Fri 7/16/2004 12:40p	I have run into waits at the moderates. Usually at breakfast though. Occasionally at dinner. It si not as often. Of course, most of the times I have found the food courts at the moderates dead for lunch and dinner too. Breakfast is the big times at those. I don't stay at the Value resorts because of the food offerings. So I know they are not aimed at me. Truthfully, it does not matter to me if they do have them. I will continue to stay at only moderates and above. Assuming Disney continues to offer them. I think the moderates suffer everytime a new value resort opens. I fear that the moderates will be gone in a decade. Then you will be left with the lows and the highs and nothing in the middle.

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