Walt Disney World’s Pop Century has completed a year-long refurbishment that includes remodeled rooms, a lobby refresh and updates to common spaces. Already a fan favorite among many loyal Disney World fans, the refresh livens up the hotel and make it more modern. In this post, we’ll share the details and photos Disney released about the Pop Century remodel before adding our own commentary.

Celebrate the Decades with New Lobby Details

Pop Century’s lobby has been brightened up! Not that the space was ever dim. There is less florescent light though and now the space is more colorful, showcasing blues and colorful seating. The whole area looks more modern to me.

New touches include vibrant floor-to-ceiling artwork inspired by pop culture from the 1950s-1990s and larger-than-life illustrations of Disney’s Fab Five. The decades come alive through bold patterns and graphics like the TV wall, a collection of vintage-style television frames that creates a delightfully retro backdrop.

The refresh also made the space work better for guests. To create more room to relax while waiting to check in or head out, the teams behind the magic reconfigured part of the lobby and added more seating, including communal tables that give guests more places to sit, recharge or get a little work done.

“One of our biggest goals was making the lobby feel brighter, more vibrant and more functional for Guests,” said Luis Sanchez, project manager on the Facility Asset Management team. “We looked at everything from the lighting to the seating layout so the space feels more open and comfortable — and supports the look and feel Disney Imagineers envisioned.”

While the design grabs your attention, the welcome is what makes it feel like Disney. Whether you’re ready to start your vacation or figuring out where to go next, cast members are right there to help you settle in, answer quick questions, and make arrival feel effortless.

Cool Off at Petals Pool Bar

Petals Pool Bar has always been a bright spot at the Hippy Dippy Pool, and newly refreshed finishes make it the perfect pit stop for a mid-day break between splashes. Up close, tile details add texture and color behind the bar, and clear digital menu boards make ordering simple.

The space also received refreshed finishes and thoughtful updates that make ordering easier and the overall experience more comfortable for both guests and cast members.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a great pool day without the people who keep it running smoothly. Cast members bring the friendly, upbeat service that makes Petals Pool Bar a fan-favorite, offering quick recommendations and helpful answers so you can stay in vacation mode.

Recharge With Refreshed Rooms

After a full day of fun, the refreshed rooms offer a bright and comfy space to kick back and relax.

Disney Imagineers brought Pop Century’s playful, decade-inspired style into the refreshed rooms through a brighter palette and layered textures — with warm, wood-toned flooring and a geometric inset area with pops of blue, gray, green, and orange, and soft sky-blue accents near the bed wall and bathroom.

Refreshed curtains and patterned upholstery add extra personality, with subtle touches — including Hidden Mickeys in the chair fabric — that keep the space feeling unmistakably Disney while still clean, comfortable, and functional.

The enhancements to the lobby, Petals Pool Bar, and rooms shine alongside earlier updates at Everything POP Shopping & Dining, including refreshed dining and shopping spaces and a new coffee shop for fueling up before you head to your next adventure.

Commentary

I’m really encouraged by the photos shared here! We haven’t stayed in Pop Century since last summer and liked the work that was being done then. The new look lobby has especially caught my eye in these photos. The busy blue patterns still feel like Pop Century but look significantly better (again, just in photos) than the previous lobby.

These colorful, but not as over-the-top, designs are repeated throughout the hotel. I really like the colors added to the room, making Pop Century’s accommodations stand out from the more generic design we’ve seen recently at WDW. From the photos, there seems to be a cohesion in all of the design.

Seeing Disney specifically mention work spaces in the hotel matches what we’ve been seeing in the more recently renovated resorts. Coronado Springs and the Riviera both feature plenty of work spaces and I’m happy that a value resort is taking practical steps to add similar spots. We realize that we fit into a fairly niche group where both Melissa and I are working on almost every trip we take to Disney World, but I have noticed that work spaces in hotels are always fairly busy. Adding more of them makes sense.

If this refresh is actually the upgrade that it appears to be, it will be interesting to see what that does to Pop Century’s pricing. The hotel is generally the fourth cheapest of the Walt Disney World hotels, more than the All-Stars but less than all of the others. I think it will stay there in the pecking order but a night here might creep up to the $200/night range regularly.

I already preferred Pop Century to Art of Animation and I think this refresh will only strengthen that. Of course, some of that preference comes from Pop being a better value. With a strong location and a strong redesign, will Pop Century creep into the moderate-lite price level that Art of Animation sits in? We’ll be keeping our eyes on the changing rates over the next year.

Those are tomorrow’s worries. For now, it appears that Pop Century is becoming even better. We’re eager to go check out the changes to the hotel and how all of them work together.

What do you think of Pop Century’s new look? Let us know your thoughts or questions below in the comments! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide for help! Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages. You can do both of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!