See Before and After Updates at Disney's Pop Century Resort (Lobby and More)

Disney’s Pop Century recently underwent a significant remodel, so I thought we’d take a look at a few before-and-after photos of the resort’s lobby and more! It’s no secret that Disney’s Pop Century is near the top of our rankings for best resort at Disney World. For years, the resort has set the tone as family-friendly, affordable, and convenient. With updated rooms, a new lobby, and a food court, the resort will likely stay on top for years to come.

I don’t know about you, but I think a before-and-after look is a good way to decide whether you like the updates. I’ll be candid. I like the updates and think they bring a guest’s arrival experience into the 2020s. That said, I always enjoyed browsing the various lobby shadow boxes, and I wish they’d found a way to incorporate them. (But I’m not a big complainer, so we’ll just leave it at that.) Let’s take a look!

an overall view of the lobby at Pop Century before the updates

You may remember that when we visited Pop Century last August, most of the lobby was behind curtains. Previously, the lobby’s feature wall was set up like a timeline. The top featured a border that resembled a measuring tape. Instead of measurements, every few spaces offered a year. Underneath the various years, guests could find shadowboxes that were filled with memorabilia from that time.

shadowboxes line the walls of Pop Century's lobby in a before look

Here are a few more photos, if you would like to reminisce a little more. You can select any of these for a larger view.

lobby reception desk before — Pop Century Lobby Before

guests waiting in the lobby before the remodel — Pop Century Lobby Before

A few months back, I stopped by Pop Century to check out some of the resort’s merchandise. At that time, I found the lobby partially finished. So I took a few photos of the updates. Here is the children’s corner that sits toward the lobby’s main entrance. It turned out super cute. If you look closely, you’ll notice the television is surrounded by painted televisions featuring familiar favorites.

a blue feature wall with painted television scenes featuring classic Disney cartoons

This area has several ottomans where kids could relax and watch a few cartoons.

a children's area featuring stools or kids to watch television

We saw a few other fun references in the main lobby, including this “Neato” sign.

a work station for guests visiting Pop Century with photo props

a sign that says Neato at Pop Century lobby

Again, the lobby wasn’t finished on our visit, but we did get a chance to see the Donald Duck-themed wall.

a blue feature wall with yellow and pink accents and Donald Duck

Since then, Disney has shared a few photo updates of the lobby. Look closely, and you’ll see that Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto all have feature wall areas.

the after look of Pop Century's lobby — ©Disney

Here’s a closer look at Goofy, who’s looking pretty groovy.

Groovy Goofy theme wall Pop Century lobby — ©Disney

We’ve updated this article to add a few more photos we’ve taken since the work was completed.

Minnie Mouse Pop Century Lobby feature wall

Daisy Duck new feature wall Pop Century lobby

Petals Pool Bar Before and After Updates

Disney also shared that Petals Pool Bar had received some updates. Here’s a before look from our photo files.

Petals Pool Bar updates at Pop Century — Petals Pool Bar Before Refresh (©ResortsGal)

Now, we have the after look. As you can see, the Petals pool bar was completely repainted.

the new tile around the bar area at Pop Century and new paint — Petals Pool Bar After Refresh (©Disney)

A closer look reveals that electronic menu boards were added along with new barstools.

closeup of new electronic menus — Petals Pool Bar Close-up Electronic Menu Boards Added (©Disney)

Pop Century Rooms Before and After Updates

Next, we’ll have a quick before-and-after look at the rooms at Pop Century. I want to caution readers that the updates are subtle. In fact, if you’ve stayed at Pop Century in recent years, you might not even notice them. The rooms at Pop Century were originally redone around 2017 or so to bring them to this modern style. Since then, the All-Star Resorts have all followed suit with a similar layout. Here is our before photo that was taken during a stay in 2023.

a before look at the Pop Century rooms — Pop Century Room Before Refresh (©ResortsGal)

Here is a new image provided by Disney. You might notice the walls are painted a light blue or green.

Pop Century Room Refresh After 2026 (©Disney)

Here is another angle from that previous stay with the pull-down bed in the up position.

Pop Century Room Before Refresh (©ResortsGal)

Now we have the after version, which shows updated chair fabric and a floor pattern under the bed area.

Pop Century Resort Refresh After (©Disney)

Overall, the updates to Disney’s Pop Century Resort have been positive, and we think most fans and regular visitors will welcome them. I hope you enjoyed this before-and-after look! For more on the resorts, see our Disney World Resorts page. Check back soon with Resorts Gal for more resort updates and reviews!