Guests who stay at Walt Disney World’s Pop Century or Art of Animation Resorts may notice the many similarities between the two resorts. While they each have distinct theming and separate operations, they go together in more ways than one.
The resemblance is not coincidental. In fact, the histories of Pop Century and Art of Animation have been entwined together from the start. Here are a few facts about the two resorts you may not already know.
1. Pop Century was originally planned with two distinct sections
While Pop Century currently includes buildings for the 50s, 60, 70s, 80s and 90s, the original resort concept featured an additional area. This section would house the 1900s, 1910s, 20s, 30s and 40s buildings.
The original idea included two distinct areas, which were separated by a large bridge (called the “Generation Gap”). The section we know and love was termed the “Classic Years,” while the older decades would be the “Legendary Years.”
2. The grand opening of the Classic Years was delayed after 9/11
Image: Dave Fischer, Flickr (license)
Disney never issued an official statement explaining the reason for the delay, but it was most likely caused by the decline in tourism after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. A new, larger value resort wasn’t necessary at this time. In fact, sections of existing resorts were essentially shut down until tourism began to pick back up. Though the Classic Years section was set to open in 2001, the resort wasn’t officially open for business until 2003.
3. Buildings, utilities and parking lots for the Legendary Years were fully constructed
Image: Dave Fischer, Flickr (license)
The Legendary Years section wasn’t just a concept. Work was started on the area, and some rooms, parking lots and utility lines were fully completed—including decorations.
The second section of the resort was originally set to open in 2003, but the date was pushed back indefinitely.
4. The Legendary Years were abandoned for nearly 10 years
Image: Dave Fischer, Flickr (license)
Without a completion date announced, the unfinished Legendary Years sat in disrepair for nearly ten years. The parking lot was eventually used as overflow space for the ESPN Club, but the buildings and utility setups were eyesores for guests staying at the finished Pop Century resort.
The bridge that was once set to connect the two areas essentially led to nowhere, and guests who strolled across it were met with landscaping and overgrown brush.
5. The abandoned areas affected some critics’ reviews
Though the resort was popular with guests from the beginning, critics didn’t always agree. Many thought the view of an unfinished section was unprofessional and off-putting to guests. Others thought the larger-than-life toys and retro theming was garish and not in keeping with the classic resorts Walt Disney designed himself.
All-in-all, though, Pop Century was immensely popular, and critics’ opinions didn’t sway guests from making reservations at the unique resort. Even with this success, though, the Legendary Years section still sat unfinished, with no plans for a future until 2006.
6. The idea for Art of Animation was first used at All-Star Music as a test run
Though Disney assured news outlets that the Legendary Years would be finished one day, the company seemed to lack a plan until years later. Guests were noticing a lack of options for larger families at Walt Disney World. It’s difficult for an average family to rent multiple rooms when they have too many children to fit in a standard one. As a result, Disney decided to test the idea of family suites at the All-Star Music resort.
The suites were a hit with Disney guests, so the company announced that the new Pop Century section would consist of family suites only. Though the announcement was made in 2006, however, the plans were put on hold until 2010, and the section was subsequently rebranded as the Art of Animation resort.
7. Disney used old Pop Century buildings for the new Art of Animation resort
The original Legendary Years buildings were converted into new construction for Art of Animation. The Legendary Hall was revamped as the Animation Hall, and the 1940s building now houses the Little Mermaid rooms.
Guests may notice that Little Mermaid rooms are different from other areas at the resort. For one, the building features exterior corridors, while others have a hallway. Also, this is the only building that has standard rooms. Because the rooms and corridors were already constructed, Disney left the building as-is, with the exception of décor and a few upgrades. Other rooms at AoA were built as suites with interior hallways, however.
8. To date, Art of Animation is the only Walt Disney World resort built for larger families
Standard rooms abound at Walt Disney World resorts, and several resorts have large suites available, as well. However, Art of Animation is the only one built with families of five or more in mind.
It’s one of the more popular resort ideas at Walt Disney World, so a similar plan may already be in the works, though Disney hasn’t announced anything so far. For now, at least, Art of Animation is the most popular place to stay if you want to keep your family together without paying for extra rooms or deluxe amenities.
9. The name for Art of Animation was borrowed from a traveling attraction, which ran from 1960 to 1966.
The Art of Animation was a publicity attraction for “Sleeping Beauty.” It showcased the history and development of animated drawings over the years. It was located in Tomorrowland at Disneyland for a while, then toured the United States before ending in Japan and Europe.
Developers decided to use the name for the new resort at Walt Disney World, too, since the focus of the resort was the history of Disney’s animation.
10. Disney has never confirmed why the Legendary Years idea was scrapped
While no one knows for sure why the original concept for the area was scrapped, there are many speculative theories. Some believe the events of 9/11 caused its demise, while others think the idea simply became outdated after the original delay. After all, many young adults with families of their own weren’t alive in the 70s, much less the 20s or 30s. This generation grew up with films like The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, so it makes perfect business sense to redesign the resort with these movies in mind.
Whatever the reason, both Pop Century and Art of Animation remain hugely popular resorts for Disney World guests. They each have unique appeal, and families on a budget appreciate the pricing. Unfortunately, the mystery of the abandoned Legendary Years will probably never be solved.
