Hi Kelcie,
Thank you for stopping by planDisney with your vacation planning question. How exciting, your upcoming vacation is just around the corner! Not only that, but your trip will be occurring during the final days of the
Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary Celebration. What great timing!
You are asking about which hotels are a part of
Walt Disney World's Good Neighbor Hotels collection, and yes I do see the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites - Waterpark listed as one of the current "Good Neighbor Hotels". These Good Neighbor Hotels offer AAA ratings, are located nearby, have a vacation planning desk with tickets and information, and offer transportation to Walt Disney World (fees may apply). However, an important distinction to note is that not all Good Neighbor Hotels offer
early theme park entry. At the time of this writing, it appears as if the hotel you are considering does not offer early theme park entry. Generally speaking, most of the Good Neighbor Hotels located in Disney Springs offer early theme park entry. Additionally, other Good Neighbor Hotels which are included in this offer are Shades of Green, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.
Kelcie, you asked a great question about whether
Disney's Pop Century Resort is kid friendly. There is no other way to put it than, "Yes!" In fact, Disney's Pop Century Resort is where my kids chose to stay recently when I gave them the choice of staying at any Value or Moderate Resort hotel collection. One of the biggest draws for my family was the
Disney Skyliner station located right at our Resort. I have stayed at all the
Walt Disney World Value Resort hotels and can tell you they all are kid-friendly and adult approved, too!
I have one little tidbit for you since you mentioned you are seeking early/late access to Magic Kingdom.
Early theme park access is available to all Disney Resort hotel Guests and select other hotels. This means if you choose a Disney Value Resort hotel, then as a Disney Resort hotel Guest, you will have 30 minute early access to the Walt Disney World theme parks every day as all Disney Resort hotel Guests have this offering. However,
Extended Theme Park Hours work a little differently. The Extended Theme Park Hours are features for Guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, as well as a few other select deluxe hotels listed in the previous link.
I hope this information helps you with your decision about lodging. If you have any further questions, please come back and visit us here at planDisney. We are always happy to help you plan your next Magical adventure.
See Ya Real Soon!
Brenda