I'm really stuck ... CBR or POP?

[Barb0307]

We stayed at CBR years ago and I don't remember loving it. This was at least 15 years ago, long before the sky liner. I've never stayed at POP (or a value for that matter), but I am willing to try it. It seems to get a lot of hype.

Pros to CBR: Sky liner; next to Riviera (great dining); chose room in Aruba, which I think it a good choice; beachy feel (I think)
Cons to CBR: large resort size; long bus rides and lots of bus stops; pool closed during our trip (January); heard not all rooms have been updated but idk; $549 more than POP.

Pros to POP: Sky liner; next to AoA; seems fun and very "Disney"; $549 cheaper than CBR
Cons to POP: A lot of kids (mine are 17 and 23; Im not opposed to kids, just saying, it might be a lot of chaos); value resort (never stayed value, but I'm guessing the accommodations and amenities are a little "watered down;" not sure of bed quality; room looks kinda outdated and mehh from pictures I've seen; resort on the juvenile side (not saying this is bad, just switch for us).

Please help me out ...

 

[scrappinginontario]

Unless you have a car I would recommend Pop 100%. The reason for the car is that CBR is huge and can be quite a walk to transportation.

I will say I'm biased and Pop is our home away from home. Not sure how old the pictures are that you're seeing as all resort rooms were refurbished in 2017/2018. Information about Pop can be found in this thread. The posts and information on page 1 is current.

I will say, if you're looking for anything more than just your average pool for swimming, Pop does not have slides or hot tubs.

Hope this helps!

Spoiler

STAY AT POP!!!

 

[Gehrig1B]

CBR wins... with Riviera next door it's like staying at a Deluxe with moderate pricing. We eat, drink, and enjoy the Riviera amenities (except pool of course) more than CBRs. And if you know what you are doing you can manipulate where you are staying on the property so Skyliner and bus transportation are very near.

 

[CynBeth]

We have never stayed at Pop. We were at CBR for Thanksgiving Week a few years ago in a preferred room and really liked it. We were close to the food court and after breakfast from the bus stop there took the internal bus to the Skyliner on the days we went to Epcot and HS. We went to the same stop for the buses to MK and AK and they were fine.

 

[lanejudy]

We've stayed at both and like both. I'd base the decision on how you plan to structure your time. Parks open-to-close every day? Save money and stay at POP. If you (or the teens) will want some fun pool time, stay at CBR.


Oops! I just realized you mentioned the CBR pool will be closed when you are there. There will still be the "quiet" pools but those aren't anything special.

 

[HopperFan]

We stayed at CBR years ago and I don't remember loving it. This was at least 15 years ago, long before the sky liner. I've never stayed at POP (or a value for that matter), but I am willing to try it. It seems to get a lot of hype.

Pros to CBR: Sky liner; next to Riviera (great dining); chose room in Aruba, which I think it a good choice; beachy feel (I think)
Cons to CBR: large resort size; long bus rides and lots of bus stops; pool closed during our trip (January); heard not all rooms have been updated but idk; $549 more than POP.

Pros to POP: Sky liner; next to AoA; seems fun and very "Disney"; $549 cheaper than CBR
Cons to POP: A lot of kids (mine are 17 and 23; Im not opposed to kids, just saying, it might be a lot of chaos); value resort (never stayed value, but I'm guessing the accommodations and amenities are a little "watered down;" not sure of bed quality; room looks kinda outdated and mehh from pictures I've seen; resort on the juvenile side (not saying this is bad, just switch for us).

Please help me out ...

Stayed both, just visited CBR to eat at Sebastians.

CBR ~ has SkyLiner ... but how far might you end up from it. We were supposed to SkyLine to our dinner from Epcot but storm closed it. We drove. SO HAPPY we drove since we saw station was very far from the main hub. Plus is Sebastians was very good and has a TS - a plus. But it's only a short ride from POP if interested. You say you are going during pool closure so it's amenity is now no better than POP but yet you'll be paying extra for it ... I know you say Riviera is there but it's not like you can use amenities there and POP has easy access to it as well. No plus there.

POP ~ I don't know what you mean about lot of kids ... CBR is one of the most popular resorts for big families because of the extra bunk rooms. When we were there and storm stopped the pool and area around it was swarming with young kids. We've stayed at POP about 30+ times and we are all adults. We enjoy that it is really the more adult and find there seems to be less young families. I think they like AoA or AllStars better. No way there is more than CBR.

If you are park centric then I say SAVE that money and use it for more table service dining or treats or shopping. Now that my kids are adult ages and values all have queen beds, they say save the money and lets eat better or do some extra event stuff.

 

[frannn]

Never stayed at CBR but a few times at POP. Chose CSR over POP for $300 more in May for the amenities, view, nicer room. It was definitely a different kind of vacation. Spent more time at the resort but definitely a lot more walking from our room to dining, etc, and more time to get to the parks when taking the bus. Looking forward to visiting the POP again in Oct for less resort & more park time. Really depends on if you will spend the time to enjoy the amenities and room you are paying more for. Plus, add in the extra time it will take to get to the parks you are using the bus for.

 

[rosiebean]

I would not stay at Pop with older kids unless you’re rope drop to close types. The room was small for me and my two preteens (they weren’t fans of the pool either, they were slide fans…not so much now that they’re teens). Bus service at all resorts is pretty equal overall, both are on the skyliner, so when looking at them, room size plus a more luxurious landscape plus more food options at CBR wins for my family.

 

[architectonic]

I would go with POP.

 

[supernova]

Not really up to us, right? More about what your budget can swing comfortably.

 

[ezma]

We have stayed at both . And reading all the post it does get confusing. Like the last post said it does depend on your budget. I know you did not mention this resort, but have you priced out the Swan or Dolphin? Been to Disney many many times but we have only stay at the Dolphin once. Was it a nice resort ..yes it was... but it didnt have the "Disney touch".. was the price right... heck YES!!! We had a wonderful view of Epcot and the fireworks at night for half the price of a Disney deluxe resort. Just a thought. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Barb0307]

Not really up to us, right? More about what your budget can swing comfortably.

Responses like this aren't helpful. It's a community board. Thanks anyway.

 

[supernova]

Responses like this aren't helpful. It's a community board. Thanks anyway.

I'm always confused by people who try to get pointless discussions going over a something like this. Again, it's not up to anyone else here to tell you what your budget allows when it comes to a hotel room. Actually, it sounds like you've already made up your mind on the value resort. And for all we know, you've already booked it.

 

[loislane]

We just stayed at Pop in May with our 18-year-old and it does get a bit tight in the room with 3 adults. But it is nice that you can put the murphy bed up and have a little more space - if the person sleeping in it is an early riser.

 

[Skippyboo]

What about different moderates or is Skyliner access a must? The Gran Destino Tower at Coronado is super nice and French Quarter resorts have boat access to DS.

 

[rstevens333]

Pop is fun and they did a great job improving the rooms. You can still go for a Riviera pizza run on the Skyliner. I was surprised recently to find that they had a bunch of unlisted proper meal entrees in the food court that were not in the app. (Meatloaf, chicken, stir fry, etc.)

 

[loislane]

Pop is fun and they did a great job improving the rooms. You can still go for a Riviera pizza run on the Skyliner. I was surprised recently to find that they had a bunch of unlisted proper meal entrees in the food court that were not in the app. (Meatloaf, chicken, stir fry, etc.)

In my opinion, the best food options at Pop are NOT in the app. So frustrating!

 

[BoomerSooner10]

In my opinion, the best food options at Pop are NOT in the app. So frustrating!

What food options are you referring to? Staying at Pop in September. Thank you

 

[loislane]

What food options are you referring to? Staying at Pop in September. Thank you

The mobile order menu does not include the full menu of items offered. So, if you go to the actual food court and look at the menus at the different stations, you'll see more offerings there. Pop has some pretty yummy meals like the pot roast and the turkey. We skip mobile ordering there unless we want something we know is on the mobile order menu.

 

[maverik85]

I have stayed at both and agree with a lot of your pros and cons. Pop is definitely a step up from the All Stars but still a value resort. Overall I'd say it depends on how much you plan to use your room/resort amenities versus time off resort at parks, Disney Springs, etc. If you just want the hotel for a spot to sleep and maybe a little pool time, I'd go Pop. But if you plan to relax at your resort a bit and explore it to actually use what they offer, then I'd probably go with CBR.