AoA or Pop Century?

tetera

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 13, 2017
Hi all, I originally posted something like this on the "Resorts" board but I would love to get input from other families with children with special needs.

We booked at the AoA because my older son is a huge Cars fan. However, he saw a photo of the "Computer Pool" at Pop Century and is now obsessed with the idea of going there, even though he and his younger sibling and are also well aware of the pools at AoA.

He knows that we can walk back and forth between the two resorts, but that we cannot "pool hop."

He has special needs (some of which include overlaps with ASD) and I wonder if he's fixating on this...I don't want it to be an issue one way or the other. I mean, I think most people would want to use the pools at AoA, but if the Computer Pool is "the pool" for him and we can still see all of the characters out front and take pictures and such, maybe AoA isn't the way to go.

Should we switch to Pop Century instead? We would definitely save money, and, honestly, I don't even know how much time we spend in the pools (we're going in the winter, kids aren't really strong swimmers, and we plan to spend most of our time in the parks).

(I guess I was just totally caught off guard that any kid, even mine ;), would choose PC over AoA).
 
Oh, and due to a variety of reasons, it's looking like we are going to have to change this to NEXT winter instead, which means POP should be finished with its refurbishments, so he would still get the Murphy bed he is psyched about.

That being said, bonus question: does anyone know if you can add Disney's bedrails to a Murphy bed?
 
tell him AOA pool is one of ( if not) the biggest pool in Disney world hotels and they play music un the water.

yes you can walk but it is a pretty fair walk depending on there you are staying at pop
 
I think you can get bed rails! I'd go with your gut feeling. I loved our stays at Pop! Sorry you have to put off the trip, but if the new layout works for you then I'd do Pop for sure.

The food court offers a good variety, something I honestly miss at the deluxe resorts (one reason among many that I am not a fan so much any longer, although I'm open of course).

I think you'd love Pop!
 
I would stay at Pop Century. Seems like a win-win to me. Saving money and giving your son something that will make him very happy (logical or not, that's what he wants.) Since the other kids don't really care either way, I'd totally let him have this. He has enough challenges in is life, and faces many more. Sometimes it's just the little things...
 
I prefer Pop Century. In fact I have reservations for Pop for BOTH of the trips planned below. When I checked for a possible May trip, AOA was more expensive than all four of the Moderates and the only so-called value available. I just can't imagine choosing to stay there.
 
Thank you all so much for your input! I think we are pretty much settled on Pop now, but have any of you had children with sensory issues swim in the Big Blue Pool? If so, how did they react?
 


We stayed in a Cars Suite at AoA - and loved it. Our bedroom and living room windows looked out on the rotating sign for Cozy Cones. The only problem with Pop is that the rooms are really small, and you could all be tripping over each other. Still it is probably half the price to stay in a room there as opposed to a suite at AoA. But I get where you are with the fixation, though as my DD has Asbergers. She's a lot better now she's an adult, but it could be pretty fraught when she was young.
 
Ok, so since Pop has been doing the refurbishments and will have the Murphy bed by the time we go we have gone ahead and booked there. (It was well under half the price of AoA.) Thank you all so much for your input. Kids are really excited and understand that we can walk across the bridge to AoA or drive there (we are used to driving to other resorts to eat at Chef Mickey's, Ohana, Sanaa, etc.)
I have explained that we won't be able to swim in other pools, but I had to do that when we were at the other resorts to eat at their places so hopefully that won't be an issue. Now my biggest issue is explaining that the famous tie-dye cheesecake is off-limits. (First world problems!) Older son can't understand why Disney uses artificial colors in their food. (We live near Wegmans, bless them, where their bakery uses only natural plant-based food coloring and still gets amazingly vivid colors.)

I genuinely wonder whether or not we will end up swimming in the pools at all. My youngest is terrified of water and super sensitive to the sounds and splashing (he has fewer special needs, but does also have SPD), and it's not like we don't have enough other things to do. For safety reasons I'm going to request that we DON'T stay in the 90's section and older son is totally cool with that. He wants to stay in the 50's section (totally cool with me)! And since we are going on a Disney Cruise afterwards they always have the Nemo's Reef Splash Zone (youngest is often ok with splash zone type places) so I can remind them of that, too.

Not to mention, after all of the recent announcements, I've told my husband we will have to be planning for a trip in 2021 or 2022. It will be a shorter trip then (with probably no cruise attached) so maybe we can do the Cars Suite on that trip (guessing the price on Pop will be going up anyway and they'll both look like chump change after that Star Wars hotel goes up, which is undoubtedly where the kids will want to stay then; start saving as soon as we get back from the next trip)!

Oh, and I called, and WDW said that the bedrails will work on the Murphy beds. Phew! :)

Thank you all so much for your help with making this decision, it's not easy! I know no matter what, though, we won't be disappointed. (Heck, I should remember that we stayed in a Super 8 when we went to Disneyland (last minute trip) and had one of the most magical nights of our family's lives going to Radiator Springs at night at California Adventure the next night; and my husband and I went to Venice the first night of our honeymoon. On par with the same level of magic. Amazing how your children and Disney bring a different type of magic into your lives.)
 
You do realize that the reason it is cheaper to stay at Pop Century is that you've gone from a suite to a single room? So you're down a bathroom, and the kitchenette space. You lose the table in both places when you use the murphy bed (which is why we are pissed they are doing this at Pop) but at least in a suite you have more space.
 
@tetera - remember that when you "call Disney" about the bed rails working on the Murphy beds... you were talking to a call center, where the Cast Member you spoke to may - or may not - have ever been to WDW as a Guest, let alone worked there.

Additionally, when you are at WDW, in your Resort room (regardless of which Resort you are staying at), if you pick up the room phone and call the "front desk" you are - again - reaching a call center. The one exception to this (I was told by a manager at Fort Wilderness last year) is the Cabins at Fort Wilderness do have a CM onsite that answers the phones all night, overnight.

So, what I am telling you is this - please don't be surprised or unhappy if you get there, and the bed rails don't work on the Murphy beds. Until we hear directly from another Guest that has stayed there, and has had those rails in use... I would plan more carefully. Just have a backup plan in place if the bed rails aren't available or won't work; can you roll up blankets, and tuck them under the fitted sheet to create a barrier, etc. (Typical folding or "hotel style" bed rails require the compression from the mattress above, and a certain amount of "give" from the box spring below to hold them in place, and so may not work on a Murphy bed, which is a mattress on a hard surface)

I'm *not* trying to mess up your plans - just trying to set a realistic expectation.
 
You do realize that the reason it is cheaper to stay at Pop Century is that you've gone from a suite to a single room? So you're down a bathroom, and the kitchenette space. You lose the table in both places when you use the murphy bed (which is why we are pissed they are doing this at Pop) but at least in a suite you have more space.
Yes, I am well aware of this. We were planning on staying at AoA last time we were there because it was our anniversary, and our kids wouldn't sleep in the same room as each other, let alone with us. Now they are better sleepers, and we aren't going over our anniversary anymore. (We stayed at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort; it was wonderful!). We're good with just the one bathroom, especially for safety reasons. Speaking of safety reasons, that was the biggest reason for us to stay at Pop in the first place; I don't want my child running off to try to get into the pool he wanted to swim in because we didn't stay at that resort. Yes, it's "boring" compared to a pool like the "Big Blue Pool," but his brain is wired differently. I'd rather keep him alive than have a bit more space. Like I said, maybe we will try again in the future; God willing this won't be our last WDW trip. Also, he is incredibly excited about the Murphy bed. And yes, I am aware AoA has those, too.

@tetera - remember that when you "call Disney" about the bed rails working on the Murphy beds... you were talking to a call center, where the Cast Member you spoke to may - or may not - have ever been to WDW as a Guest, let alone worked there.

Additionally, when you are at WDW, in your Resort room (regardless of which Resort you are staying at), if you pick up the room phone and call the "front desk" you are - again - reaching a call center. The one exception to this (I was told by a manager at Fort Wilderness last year) is the Cabins at Fort Wilderness do have a CM onsite that answers the phones all night, overnight.

So, what I am telling you is this - please don't be surprised or unhappy if you get there, and the bed rails don't work on the Murphy beds. Until we hear directly from another Guest that has stayed there, and has had those rails in use... I would plan more carefully. Just have a backup plan in place if the bed rails aren't available or won't work; can you roll up blankets, and tuck them under the fitted sheet to create a barrier, etc. (Typical folding or "hotel style" bed rails require the compression from the mattress above, and a certain amount of "give" from the box spring below to hold them in place, and so may not work on a Murphy bed, which is a mattress on a hard surface)

I'm *not* trying to mess up your plans - just trying to set a realistic expectation.

I see what you're saying and I appreciate that. I spoke with people at Mousekeeping and at the front desk at AoA last year (since we had to cancel last minute on that trip) but we always bring foam "bedrails" with us everywhere just in case. We usually don't have to use them because we bring our own pillows with us so we use the spare pillows instead. But that's good advice in case someone else reads this. Better safe than sorry!
 
Yes, I am well aware of this. We were planning on staying at AoA last time we were there because it was our anniversary, and our kids wouldn't sleep in the same room as each other, let alone with us. Now they are better sleepers, and we aren't going over our anniversary anymore. (We stayed at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort; it was wonderful!). We're good with just the one bathroom, especially for safety reasons. Speaking of safety reasons, that was the biggest reason for us to stay at Pop in the first place; I don't want my child running off to try to get into the pool he wanted to swim in because we didn't stay at that resort. Yes, it's "boring" compared to a pool like the "Big Blue Pool," but his brain is wired differently. I'd rather keep him alive than have a bit more space. Like I said, maybe we will try again in the future; God willing this won't be our last WDW trip. Also, he is incredibly excited about the Murphy bed. And yes, I am aware AoA has those, too.

I believe AoA has the keyed gates at their pools, FYI, so they are a bit safer than Pop's, as long as you can keep the magic bands away from your son. Pop's pools are gated, but not locked, so please keep that in mind too. And the computer pool closes early, as well - like 8 PM I think? At least that's what the front desk told us last week. Actually, we didn't go to either the bowling pin or computer pool, so I'm not sure they have fences around them? Just something else to keep in mind. And the last time we did use the computer pool, there was no shade anywhere.
 

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