On a gorgeous afternoon in February, I stopped by Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort. My mission was to sample one of the new treats celebrating the 70th anniversary of Cinderella. The Pop Century bakery team had come up with a new cupcake for the occasion, and, being a sucker for all things sweet, I knew it had to be tried for that week’s Saturday Snacks article. All in the name of research, right?
I thought that perhaps you’d like to take a virtual trip with me as I walked from Art of Animation over to Pop Century. If you’ve never made the trip, it’s a quick 5-7 minute walk from one resort to the other, and the Disney Skyliner station that the two resorts share sits on the water of Hourglass Lake right in the middle of the two.
I parked at Art of Animation and made my way through the lobby and out the back door that leads to the Big Blue Pool. If you’ve never had the chance to stop by Art of Animation, if you get an extra pocket of time on your next trip, please do. Landscape of Flavors (the food court) is fantastic, and the theming of the resort is top notch.
As the name implies, the buildings and grounds are an homage to the animation process. There are colorful brushstrokes, sketchpads, artist’s tools, and Disney animated characters everywhere you turn.
As you walk around the outside of the pool, you’ll soon find yourself at Hourglass Lake. Originally, the two resorts were designed and constructed to be one larger resort, with what eventually became Art of Animation representing the earlier decades of the 20th century.
The sight of the Skyliner gondolas gliding over the water and into the station is one to behold. I loved stopping for a minute to watch them.
The theming of Pop Century celebrates the decades of the mid and late 20th century. The fun, larger-than-life Disney and pop culture icons immediately set a tone of light-hearted whimsy.
The Hippy Dippy Pool (the main pool) was closed for refurbishment in February, but the kiddie pool was up and running.
I made my way to Classic Hall (the lobby main building), and entered through the door in the back, just off of the main pool area.
The main wall in Classic Hall features a timeline of the decades covered at the resort. Memorabilia of all sorts can be found in the shadow boxes, and you’re sure to recognize a toy or two that you might’ve had as a kid. Be sure to leave a little time during your visit to the resort to look at the displays.
Everything POP is a combination food court and gift shop, and is located right off of the lobby.
The Everything POP gift shop is wonderful. Over the years, I’ve found that I can count on this location to have the merchandise item that I’m trying to hunt down when other locations might not. The store is always spotless, and the cast members are incredibly helpful.
The food court has something for everyone. It’s not necessarily cutting-edge like Landscape of Flavors might be, but it’s good. And the sweet treats are quite yummy.
Have you stayed at Pop Century or Art of Animation? If so, what did you think? If not, is staying at one of the two (or both!) on your wish list? Please let me know in the comments section below.
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Deni loves all things Disney, and, in 2013, moved to the Magic from Maryland. Walt Disney World is her happy place, and she loves getting to share it with others. Deni and her husband of almost 26 years have 2 grown children. Her favorite WDW snack? A Mickey Bar, of course. Is there any other?!
