Caribbean v All Star Movies

[cazzie]

We are thinking now of staying a week onsite at either the Caribbean Beach resort (hubbys choice) or All Star Movies and then a week on the I Drive. I was wondering about the CBR whether it was worth the extra (me being a tight wad). Alan is not so keen on the All Star resorts and I was wondering does anyone have any advice on the difference between the two resorts? The other option could be Coronado Springs but I am not so sure on this one.


Thanks

 

[Laurafoster]

I havent stayed in the CBR or ASM but if your going at a busy time it is worth remembering that the coronado springs is the only moderate resort with a convention centre - this can make it really buy. When we went there they had a convention on and we had to fight to get on a bus!

 

[AlanUK]

Can only give advice on CBR

We enjoyed our stay there, it was our first trip in 2000. We stayed in the Martinique building which was close to the main pool and food court. Each 'village' has its own quiet pool.

Have you checked out the info and video tour HERE for CBR and HERE for All Star Movies.

HTH

 

[cazzie]

Thanks for your feedback the more I look the more I don't know what I want. Part of me is thinking it is only somewhere to rest your head. I know it was a lot easier when we were going to stay on the I drive for 2 weeks.

 

[safetymom]

CBR is a beautiful resort. You will feel like you have escaped from the world when you stay there. I have lots of information and pictures of CBR. If you have any questions about CBR I suggest asking them in the FAQ II thread listed below.

 

[cazzie]

CBR is a beautiful resort. You will feel like you have escaped from the world when you stay there. I have lots of information and pictures of CBR. If you have any questions about CBR I suggest asking them in the FAQ II thread listed below.

Thanks for the info I will have a look, I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the accommodation section.

 

[Hilary]

We've stayed in CBR and ASMovies - and enjoyed them both

CBR was out very first taste of a Disney resort and it spurred us on to always wanting to stay on-site to do the Disney parks in future (we stay off-site to do the non-Disney things). So, when we booked ASMo, we expected to notice that we'd 'downgraded' from a moderate to a value resort. In fact, we loved it just as much as CBR, but for different reasons.

CBR has slightly more luxurious furnishings and fittings in very slightly larger rooms, a slightly less 'cafeteria style' dining area, more exotic vegetation and landscaping, quiet pools as well as the themed main pool, and generally feels more removed from the hustle and bustle of the parks than AS.

AS has great Disney theming (very much in-your-face ), a good food-court and shop, good pools and transportation, as well as the same on-site perks as all on-site resorts, whatever their price range. It can feel noisy and busy and is more obviously child-centered than CBR.

I would certainly be happy to stay in AS again, and I'd probably only opt to pay a bit more and stay in CBR if I knew I was going to enjoy some time around the resort, and not just be sleeping there

 

[cazzie]

Thanks Hilary, at the moment it is throwing a coin in the air time. We have looked at so many hotels, contemplated staying at LBV or Kissimmee but not having any transport we are worried that we would be isolated so Alan has agreed to stay onsite for a week. I think that we have confused ourselves by giving ourselves too many options.

Although we will still go to Disney the 2nd week we plan to maybe have a dolphin swim and go to SW the second week (oh and shop of course).

 

[mushumadness]

we stayed at cb a year ago and really didnt like it, t didnt feel very disney at all and the staff were awfull

we really liked all star movies the year before and would go again, #

we just stayed at pop and its the best of the ones we have stayed at

 

[cazzie]

Thats interesting Anna as we have just been watching the DVD from Disney and Alan reckoned POP looked really good which amazed me as I thought he would hate the look of it. Can I ask what was the worst bit of staying at CBR for you?

From another angle hubby is very much a plain eater (we both are really) and I am now thinking that the food at either AS or POP would probably be more to his taste.

 

[paulh]

i would say pop is a good place to stay,its not as big and spralling as the all star resorts and has the best bits from the all stars ie theaming and food court better.We have stayed at nearly all disney resorts only not been monarail resorts and wouldent hesitate staying at pop .were staying there aug for 2 weeks.Our fave mod resort is coranardo springs think thats better than CB
Palh

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Cazzie,

Well I have stayed at both and I pretty much agree with what Hilary has said 100%.

Things I liked at CBR:

Staff were wonderful.
Really liked the food court -it was great for a snack but was more pleasant an environment than ASMo
Lovely pool, plenty of seats
Really nice shop and central area (Old Port Royale - OPR) with a super courtyard and pool bar. It was heavenly sat in this area in the eveneing with a cocktail, watchoing the sun set.
Beautiful lake, beaches - very nice to stroll around.

What I liked less about CBR:

The resort was massive. I would not have liked to be in one of the further away islands personally as the walk to OPR would have been quite long.

Having said that I loved All Star Movies too.

If you are not going to be in the room much I would probably go for the less expensive option (depending on how much more / less it is, of course)

Coronado is meant to be the most "deluxe" of all the Disney moderates - though I have not stayed there myself so I can't compare

 

[mushumadness]

Hiya

The things we didnt like at cbr were mainly the rooms being very worn and alot of the time not clean (i cut my leg on the bed as it had metal hanging off it and the stain from the blood was on the bed for tfour days before I demanded the sheets changed, they just didnt change them) plus there just wasnt a warm disney feel to the place at all. It took us two hours to check in as the staff said our rooms (that had been booked a year) had been given to someone else because we hadnt arrived that morning (i explained we had been flying nine hours and couldnt possibly have been there early lol) then they moved us on the second day as someone had pre booked our rooms, which I never understood how it was possible.

Now we just got back from pop a week ago, the rooms were very clean, the staff were great and everything just seemed so disney!! we will stay there everytime we want to stay on site, the food court wasnt too busy and there was alot of seats, plus the pools were very clean, manned at all times. definatly the best of the valur and moderates.

 

[cazzie]

Thanks I will have to think hard about CBR as I personally think it is a lot per night for a room but POP which Alan liked on the Dvd is looking like it could be an option.

 

[FloridaSam]

Hi Cazzie,

We spent most of Christmas morning discussing the same dilemma! (That Virgin Christmas Day discount helped!)

We were all set on Caribbean Beach but as we're going for 3 weeks the difference in costs meant we could visit Discovery Cove again (We had said that it was once in a lifetime but now I think its once in a visit!). So we have booked to go back to Pop.

We spent three weeks in Pop this Easter. The rooms were nice and clean. The kids loved the theming and pools. Its not to everyones taste but as we only sleep there I'd rather spend an extra week out there and go to Discovery Cove on the savings.

Whichever you decide I'm sure you're have a lovely time.

Sam xx

 

[Amyrlin]

I would advise staying on international drive first and then moving to Disney (rather than disney and then ID), as Disney, wherever you stay, is more magical and that way the holiday just gets better.

 

[cazzie]

After lots of discussion we have now narrowed it down to either 2 weeks at Pop Century or maybe 2 weeks at the Holiday Inn. So much for the CBR and ASM, I never would have thought deciding where to stay could be so much hassle.

 

[disneyholic family]

though we've stayed at lots of disney resorts, we've never stayed at either of those...
however we have stayed at both the All Star Sports and the All Star Music, as well as at POR, which like CBR is a moderate resort.

Personally I'd be happy to stay at any WDW resort. We've enjoyed our stays at each and every resort. If money is really an issue, and if there is a significant difference between the two resorts you're considering, then i'd go with the less expensive one.
As for me, I would go back to the All Star resorts in a second.
In fact, this past August, when it was just my daughter and me, I had planned on going to the Pop Century or one of the All Stars. But when i called to make reservations, i was offered a rate of $124/night at the WL and i just couldn't refuse that offer. But otherwise we would have stayed at one of the values.

 

[Amyrlin]

How about 1 week at each?

 

[disneyholic family]

After lots of discussion we have now narrowed it down to either 2 weeks at Pop Century or maybe 2 weeks at the Holiday Inn. So much for the CBR and ASM, I never would have thought deciding where to stay could be so much hassle.

why Pop Century instead of the ASM?
I visited the Pop Century when we were at WDW in August. The food court there seemed far noisier than the food courts at the two All Stars we've stayed at.

as for onsite vs off, for us there's no contest. We much prefer onsite.