CBR or POR?

[SweetMissy]

Hubby and I are planning another trip to disneyworld and we've always stayed at a value. I said the next time we go, I want to stay at AOA but it's more than hubby wants to spend....waah! So we're looking into either CBR or POR. Can you give me your opinion if you stayed at either or both? We're having a hard time deciding which. We like the idea of POR having the 2 queens AND a pull down bed....that's a definite plus. Your thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Eoywin]

DH and I stayed at CBR and it was a great resort. Lovely, great bus service and quiet. I'd highly recommend it.

 

[KristiKat]

I liked POR better. It's not as big and I like the theming better. Had a great room location at both.

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[SnowWhite607]

We have stayed at CBR....if you stay there, get ready to walk, unless you pay extra for a preferred room. They have bus service to take you to the food court, for goodness sake! In June we stayed at the POFQ....LOVED it! Small enough to walk from the farthest room to the bus stop in 5 minutes. Close enough to walk to the POR if you want a bigger food court, etc. I thought the resort was well laid out and intimate, not over run with kids, not noisy. I loved POFQ so you may want to add that to your list of choices.

 

[Jaco5nc]

We stayed at CBR back in October. I was very concerned due to all the negative reviews it gets. It ended up being lovely however. I did have a few maintenance issues and was not thrilled with the double beds but the grounds are beautiful and peaceful. We really felt like we had the resort to ourselves. It is quite a hike to get around (there is an internal bus if you need it), however, I love to walk and it was so pretty I didn't mind at all. The pool area and slides are very, very nice. Well maintained and clean with many lifeguards. We enjoyed the outdoor movies too. The bus service to the parks was fantastic! We never waited more then 10 minutes. There are several stops around the resort though and that takes time. We really enjoyed our stay. We are headed to POP for a week in 27 days and I think I am really going to miss the lush grounds. I think the rooms will be pretty similar though. (CBR does have double sinks where POP does not)

 

[tzolkin]

Hubby and I are planning another trip to disneyworld and we've always stayed at a value. I said the next time we go, I want to stay at AOA but it's more than hubby wants to spend....waah! So we're looking into either CBR or POR. Can you give me your opinion if you stayed at either or both? We're having a hard time deciding which. We like the idea of POR having the 2 queens AND a pull down bed....that's a definite plus. Your thoughts? Thanks!

Just wanted to note that you would not be guaranteed one of these rooms at POR. Since they are the most budget-friendly option for families of 5, a smaller party may likely be given a room in another section since they don't need the murphy bed.

We have stayed at both CBR and POR. We were holding off on POR until last because honestly we didn't really find the theming all that appealing. We much preferred the theming of CSR and CBR. That said, we wound up enjoying POR more. In order of our personal preference: POR, CSR, and then CBR last.

I would really go with whatever you think you might like. CBR offers pirate rooms and POR has the royal rooms (for an additional cost). CBR also has the pirate themed pool that your kids may enjoy. Our two younger kids did the pirate cruise at POR and we also enjoyed talking the boat to DTD.


ETA: I just went back and saw the ages of your kids and that you are a family of 5 with a baby. If you think that you're going to go to Disney again, than I actually think I would recommend CSR instead even though I said it was my least favorite Moderate Resort. Two reasons: 1. There is a really nice water play area for younger kids that they do not have at POR and 2. Once your baby is over 3 you will only be able to stay at CSR if you pay for two rooms. You can stay at POR then. We took advantage of every max.4 occupancy location we could before we officially counted as a family of 5 and were more limited in our resort choices.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've stayed at both, and POR is heads and shoulders above CBR, in my opinion. While POR is big, CBR is huge! CBR has 7 bus stops compared to 4 at POR. As another poster pointed out CBR is so big they have an internal bus that will take you to the food court and gift shop. I don't mind a big resort , but CBR was tooo big.

POR is very well themed. It feels so peaceful that it is hard to believe you are so close to the parks! The food court is my favorite out of all of the Moderate resorts.

I think you should stay at POR.

 

[SweetMissy]

Ahhh you all have given me a lot to think about. We're planning for this April. I wasn't aware of the internal bus system! Don't know if I like that....meaning that the resorts are HUGE! We don't mind walking either but having to stop at various points while coming/going IN the resort could be a pain. And I thought the values were big, lol. It's such a hard decision! We also thought of maybe staying at ASM again because we really liked the theming. The mods seem so boring compared to the values. I'm sure they're nice and whatnot but are they worth the "few" extra dollars to stay there? I personally like the larger than life decor of the values. Fun pools are a big deal for us because of the kids and the mods seem somewhat boring...EXCEPT for the waterslides, which is a plus. Another thing that's turning us against the mods are the lack of food choices. There's a table service and quick service.....meaning there's not a lot of choices for the QS, I'm guessing because they want you to do the TS. But the queen beds at POR are calling our names, lol.

Is there enough room in the mods for a pack and play?

 

[MrRomance]

Hubby and I are planning another trip to disneyworld and we've always stayed at a value. I said the next time we go, I want to stay at AOA but it's more than hubby wants to spend....waah! So we're looking into either CBR or POR. Can you give me your opinion if you stayed at either or both? We're having a hard time deciding which. We like the idea of POR having the 2 queens AND a pull down bed....that's a definite plus. Your thoughts? Thanks!

I've stayed at both. CBR in 2008 and POR last year. My personal opinion is CBR is better.

POR is nice, no complaints, food court is good, very attractive and pretty to look at. I can't say I didn't like and I can't really say what it was about CBR that I preferred, but I just liked CBR more.

 

[tzolkin]

Ahhh you all have given me a lot to think about. We're planning for this April. I wasn't aware of the internal bus system! Don't know if I like that....meaning that the resorts are HUGE! We don't mind walking either but having to stop at various points while coming/going IN the resort could be a pain. And I thought the values were big, lol. It's such a hard decision! We also thought of maybe staying at ASM again because we really liked the theming. The mods seem so boring compared to the values. I'm sure they're nice and whatnot but are they worth the "few" extra dollars to stay there? I personally like the larger than life decor of the values. Fun pools are a big deal for us because of the kids and the mods seem somewhat boring...EXCEPT for the waterslides, which is a plus. Another thing that's turning us against the mods are the lack of food choices. There's a table service and quick service.....meaning there's not a lot of choices for the QS, I'm guessing because they want you to do the TS. But the queen beds at POR are calling our names, lol.

Is there enough room in the mods for a pack and play?

To answer some of your questions:

The moderates are much bigger than the values (we've only stayed at Pop for comparison). However, we have never used the bus to get around the resort. We were able to easily walk everywhere. One plus is that there are bus stops around the resort (as opposed to the central bus stops at the values), so you don't usually have to walk far to catch a bus to the parks.

There are just as many food choices. The food courts at the mods are bigger than the one at Pop and there are stations with different types of food. The prices are the same as quick service at the values and parks. We have never done any of the TS at the mod resorts.

There is definitely enough room for a pack and play. The rooms are basically the same layout as the values but a few extra square feet. We have had a pack and play plus two strollers at both resort levels with no issues.

As far as whether it's worth the extra money...

After we stayed at our first moderate (split stay 1 week at Pop, then moved over to CSR) DH said he would never go back to the values. Even though we had great experiences and enjoyed our two previous stays at Pop, there's just a different "feel" at the moderates. I really think that's what you're paying the difference for. It's just a more relaxed atmosphere and a slower pace where you just want to have a drink and enjoy the resort.

If that doesn't appeal to you, if you're always on the go and enjoy the people bustling about, or if you're going to spend all the hours you're not sleeping at the parks the price difference may not be worth it to you. It really just depends on what you're looking for and your family's personality.

 

[Ariel on Land]

We've stayed at CBR twice and really enjoy it. I love the grounds-- even though there is a lot of walking, I find it peaceful and relaxing. There's a great kiddie playground that was new when we were there last in 2010. The pool is awesome for little ones. And the rooms are the largest mods - we easily fit two pack n plays when our twins were 2. The biggest drawback though, is definitely the buses. If you are going to rely on bus service, then that could be a problem (possibly... you never know...) but we end up preferring to drive anyways, so it doesn't matter.

ETA-- we also ate at Shutters last time we were there, and it was actually one of our better meals of the trip. Don't remember what we had, but the food was really good. I remember the twins ate really well, and it wasn't crowded so we got excellent service, too. It was a very peaceful meal!

 

[SweetMissy]

To answer some of your questions:

The moderates are much bigger than the values (we've only stayed at Pop for comparison). However, we have never used the bus to get around the resort. We were able to easily walk everywhere. One plus is that there are bus stops around the resort (as opposed to the central bus stops at the values), so you don't usually have to walk far to catch a bus to the parks.

Oh ok, I wasn't aware of this. I thought there were various stops but just 1 main one for the buses going to the parks. Well that sounds a little better then.

There are just as many food choices. The food courts at the mods are bigger than the one at Pop and there are stations with different types of food. The prices are the same as quick service at the values and parks. We have never done any of the TS at the mod resorts.

I was looking at the menus comparing the value to the mods and it seems like there's less food choices at the mods, maybe the menus aren't 100% accurate? I had just assumed it was because they have the TS. It's not that big of a deal anyway because the only meal we eat at the resort is breakfast.

There is definitely enough room for a pack and play. The rooms are basically the same layout as the values but a few extra square feet. We have had a pack and play plus two strollers at both resort levels with no issues.

Good to know, thank you!

As far as whether it's worth the extra money...

After we stayed at our first moderate (split stay 1 week at Pop, then moved over to CSR) DH said he would never go back to the values. Even though we had great experiences and enjoyed our two previous stays at Pop, there's just a different "feel" at the moderates. I really think that's what you're paying the difference for. It's just a more relaxed atmosphere and a slower pace where you just want to have a drink and enjoy the resort.

If that doesn't appeal to you, if you're always on the go and enjoy the people bustling about, or if you're going to spend all the hours you're not sleeping at the parks the price difference may not be worth it to you. It really just depends on what you're looking for and your family's personality.

We really have no complaints as far as the values go. The food court can get kind of busy/crazy but we just expect it. We're leaning more towards the mods because we've done the values and want to try something different. Price wise it's not that much more because of the spring discount, so I THINK we're going to do that. Still stuck on which one though, lol. Today we got a code for free dining but unfortunately it's not when we plan on going.....HOPEFULLY it'll get extended.

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[SweetMissy]

We've stayed at CBR twice and really enjoy it. I love the grounds-- even though there is a lot of walking, I find it peaceful and relaxing. There's a great kiddie playground that was new when we were there last in 2010. The pool is awesome for little ones. And the rooms are the largest mods - we easily fit two pack n plays when our twins were 2. The biggest drawback though, is definitely the buses. If you are going to rely on bus service, then that could be a problem (possibly... you never know...) but we end up preferring to drive anyways, so it doesn't matter.

ETA-- we also ate at Shutters last time we were there, and it was actually one of our better meals of the trip. Don't remember what we had, but the food was really good. I remember the twins ate really well, and it wasn't crowded so we got excellent service, too. It was a very peaceful meal!

Yes it's hard because both resorts look very pretty. I'm really feeling POR though because of the queen beds, lol. But I like the pirate theme rooms and the pirate themed pool at CBR. Maybe we should show the kids videos on both and let them decide....since this is more for them anyway, lol.

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes it's hard because both resorts look very pretty. I'm really feeling POR though because of the queen beds, lol. But I like the pirate theme rooms and the pirate themed pool at CBR. Maybe we should show the kids videos on both and let them decide....since this is more for them anyway, lol.

A little word of warning: The Pirate themed rooms at CBR are all in one section of the resort. Trinidad South. There is no way to be in a Pirate room and be close to the food court. And the food court is kind of behind you, so if you take the internal shuttle you will have to go all the way around the resort.

And if it matters, Trinidad South is usually one of the last stops on the way to the parks. A plus as you don't have to ride all the way around the resort. A negative if you want to have a seat on the bus.

 

[scooffer]

A little word of warning: The Pirate themed rooms at CBR are all in one section of the resort. Trinidad South. There is no way to be in a Pirate room and be close to the food court. And the food court is kind of behind you, so if you take the internal shuttle you will have to go all the way around the resort.

And if it matters, Trinidad South is usually one of the last stops on the way to the parks. A plus as you don't have to ride all the way around the resort. A negative if you want to have a seat on the bus.

Thank you for this piece of information! IF we go in April this year, we are booked in WL (my DH's dream place to stay). I was thinking of switching to CBR for the pirate theme room. We stayed at POFQ last year and LOVED the compact size of the resort... we had to sit on the bus for all the Riverside stops and were in awe of the size, and said it was way too big for our family. So, with the knowledge of the pirate rooms far out from the main eating area... thats a deal breaker for us.

Thanks much, saved me some brain space on thinking that one over!

 

[SweetMissy]

Thank you for this piece of information! IF we go in April this year, we are booked in WL (my DH's dream place to stay). I was thinking of switching to CBR for the pirate theme room. We stayed at POFQ last year and LOVED the compact size of the resort... we had to sit on the bus for all the Riverside stops and were in awe of the size, and said it was way too big for our family. So, with the knowledge of the pirate rooms far out from the main eating area... thats a deal breaker for us.

Thanks much, saved me some brain space on thinking that one over!

Yes...you all have given good advice. I THINK we're going with POR. Maybe try CBR next time.

 

[ampc3]

LOVE LOVE LOVE POR... been there a few times (even back when it was Dixie Landings)

my kids lOVED the waterslide and pool area... I don't know if it still works but in my siggy is my old TR that has some pictures of the pool...

Have fun!!!!

oh and the Food court in POR I thought was great they have or at least had, some awesome magic bar dessert that was delish!!!!

 

[SweetMissy]

LOVE LOVE LOVE POR... been there a few times (even back when it was Dixie Landings)

my kids lOVED the waterslide and pool area... I don't know if it still works but in my siggy is my old TR that has some pictures of the pool...

Have fun!!!!

oh and the Food court in POR I thought was great they have or at least had, some awesome magic bar dessert that was delish!!!!

I checked out your pics, thank you. Looks like the kids loved the pool and your kids are adorable! We drove down the year before last and it was so exciting when we finally saw that sign! Our drive was a bit longer coming from NY...never do it again, lol.

 

[ampc3]

Aww thanks... that trip was soo long ago!! They are all so much bigger now and we added two more lol... so unfortunately for us we have to stay offsite now

I can see why you wouldn't want to drive from NYC again... that would be far!

Have a great trip!

 

[SweetMissy]

Aww thanks... that trip was soo long ago!! They are all so much bigger now and we added two more lol... so unfortunately for us we have to stay offsite now

Awww saw that in your siggy, definitely makes things more interesting. You could still stay on site, just get 2 rooms.

I can see why you wouldn't want to drive from NYC again... that would be far!

Have a great trip!

No, not from NYC, about 3-4 hours north....so even longer, lol. Always on the hunt for good airfare deals!

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