CBR, PO, ASM or Pop? I'm a bit lost...

[Graycie25]

Sorry this is so long. I am truly beginning to see how wordy I can be when trying to explain to internet strangers

Hi all! I am not a new member, but it's been a while and I can't remember my login or password - OOPS! Anyway, you all helped me out on our last trip back in 2010, so I was hoping to get the same great help for our next trip. Obviously it's been a while since our last trip. At that time, it was me and my husband and my extended family. This time around, we have 2 boys who have never been. We were supposed to go this past Nov/Dec., but that got changed due to all the craziness going on and the pandemic. We are now planning for next Nov/Dec (the week after Thanksgiving).

We originally thought we'd stay at ASMovies. I have never stayed at a value resort. Growing up, I went to Disney a lot, but my grandparents lived nearby, so we never needed a hotel. Then I did the CP back in Fall of '98 (I just dated myself) and lived on property. My parents came to visit at the time and they stayed at CBR. Once I finished my stint in the CP, I didn't return to Disney until 2010, when my parents took all of us on an amazing trip and we stayed at Boardwalk in a 2 bedroom with a kitchen. It was amazing and being able to walk to Epcot and DHS was awesome!

This time around it's me, my husband and our 2 boys, both who have never been to Disney. We were planning on staying at ASMovies (and that's what is booked), because I am just not willing to shell out the money for a deluxe and I am of the opinion that we won't be in the room a lot, so it's not the most important part. However, in saying that, I do recognize that I have never been to Disney with kids. I actually have no idea how it'll be with kids and I have no idea if we are going to want to return to the room during the day for breaks. They will both be 9 if when we go and I honestly don't know how the trip will be with being at the parks all day or part of the day, etc.

Now that the Skyliner is open, we are thinking it might be great to have that as another mode of transportation and not just the buses (we are planning to fly and not renting a car - we did last time and we ended up returning it a few days into the trip because we just didn't use it). So now we are considering Pop, CBR (we love the idea of being at a resort with a hub) or staying at ASMovies.

We have family and friends joining us and my parents/mother-in-law are staying where we stay. Our friends are staying at Port Orleans, I believe. I have always wanted to stay at PO, but figure if we are going to upgrade to a moderate, then it should be to one that has more modes of transportation to the parks and not just the buses, which is where CBR comes in. I have read the reviews on CBR and know it's huge. We would try to get a room near the Skyliner and we don't really know how often we would go to the lobby/food court area. What area at CBR would be good for us? We want to be closer to the Skyliner hub, especially for coming back at night when we are tired. However, what are the chances we actually get a room near it? We were planning to pay for a prefered room at ASMovies, but don't know if we will at CBR.

What about Pop? It has a Skyliner station and we can then changeover to the other line at CBR if we need to, but isn't Pop huge, too? Pop is more than ASMovies, but not too much more and it might be worth it for the Skyliner access.

Please help! I am wanting to give my boys a great experience and I want to make it fun and as easy as possible for us all. I don't want to be sitting around waiting for buses all the time. I am willing to upgrade/pay more, but want to make sure we are doing so in order to get what's best for our family. Like I said, I would love to stay at PO, but since that does't give us more options of travel to the park (boats only go to Disney Springs, right?) then I just don't think I want to pay more for that. Does that make sense?

So do we switch to CBR (not necessarily pirate rooms, though on the outside that seems like a great idea, but I've read your reviews and it doesn't seem worth it) for the Skyliner hub, Pop or PO? Or do we stay at ASMovies because it's the least expensive and hotel rooms just don't seem like a top priority because I THINK we aren't going to be in them much? I would appreciate any help or suggestions you all may have.

Thank you!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I would definitely do either Pop or CBR over the All Stars. The Skyliner is truly fantastic! Pop is a great resort for younger kids with the fun theming. It is large, but even if you spring for a preferred room (putting you close to the main pool and food court) the rates are still reasonable. The refurbished rooms are really nice too.

As much as I like Pop, if you can swing the upgrade to CBR I would definitely do it. The feel of the resort is so nice and laid back. The main pool is fantastic for your aged kids, with the slides and theming. I would NOT, however, recommend the pirate rooms. Although the theming is fun, the beds are fulls instead of queens and they are pretty far from the main pool and lobby. I would go for a standard room in Jamaica to be central to everything. Or a preferred room if you plan to have a lot of pool time.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Graycie25]

I would definitely do either Pop or CBR over the All Stars. The Skyliner is truly fantastic! Pop is a great resort for younger kids with the fun theming. It is large, but even if you spring for a preferred room (putting you close to the main pool and food court) the rates are still reasonable. The refurbished rooms are really nice too.

As much as I like Pop, if you can swing the upgrade to CBR I would definitely do it. The feel of the resort is so nice and laid back. The main pool is fantastic for your aged kids, with the slides and theming. I would NOT, however, recommend the pirate rooms. Although the theming is fun, the beds are fulls instead of queens and they are pretty far from the main pool and lobby. I would go for a standard room in Jamaica to be central to everything. Or a preferred room if you plan to have a lot of pool time.

Good luck with your decision!

Thank you for your advice and help! Yes, we are getting the impression that the Skyliner is a bit of a game changer If we do end up going for a preferred room at Pop would it be closer to just the food and main pool, or would it be close to the skyliner, too? I think we would prefer to be as close to the skyliner as possible - chances are we will have breakfast in our room and eat most meals in the parks or when we are at the hotel pool (which is close to the main building, right?).

Jamaica at CBR sounds awesome. We were looking at Aruba or Jamaica, I believe.

 

[Graycie25]

I would definitely do either Pop or CBR over the All Stars. The Skyliner is truly fantastic! Pop is a great resort for younger kids with the fun theming. It is large, but even if you spring for a preferred room (putting you close to the main pool and food court) the rates are still reasonable. The refurbished rooms are really nice too.

As much as I like Pop, if you can swing the upgrade to CBR I would definitely do it. The feel of the resort is so nice and laid back. The main pool is fantastic for your aged kids, with the slides and theming. I would NOT, however, recommend the pirate rooms. Although the theming is fun, the beds are fulls instead of queens and they are pretty far from the main pool and lobby. I would go for a standard room in Jamaica to be central to everything. Or a preferred room if you plan to have a lot of pool time.

Good luck with your decision!

Also - if we would like a room in the Jamaica section, do we need to pay for a preferred room to get the request or do we just put in the request and keep our fingers crossed? Thank you!

 

[nalacat]

We have stayed on property many times over the past 5 years (POR, AOA, Poly and BC). The biggest thing I hear from my kids is they enjoy a pool with a slide and a hot tub. They also loved playing sand volleyball and sitting on the beach at Poly. We always take an afternoon break so recreation options are important for us. Our next trip is tentatively booked for Christmas. We are trying CBR for the first time because it fit closest to my budget and offers the pool/beach combo my kids love along with the skyliner option.

 

[tstein12]

Also - if we would like a room in the Jamaica section, do we need to pay for a preferred room to get the request or do we just put in the request and keep our fingers crossed? Thank you!

Yes, there standard rooms in Jamaica section at CBR. The Touring Plans website has a map of each resort that shows the rooms and their categories - its worth taking a look so you can make a request as to which building you would like.

Personally, our family likes Pop better since it is smaller and easier to navigate. However, the pool at CBR is much better with water slides and zero entry (I think).

If you choose Pop, no need to spend extra dollars for a preferred room, we usually request one of the standard rooms 60's section or building 6 in the 70's section.

Also note that there is no projected opening date for the Port Orleans resorts by Disney yet.

 

[maltdizzy]

Also - if we would like a room in the Jamaica section, do we need to pay for a preferred room to get the request or do we just put in the request and keep our fingers crossed? Thank you!

Unless things have changed sine the Skyliner (and Riviera) opened, the preferred rooms are all in Martinique and Barbados, which offer the best access to the food court, lobby, and main pool. So you wouldn't want to request Preferred if you want Jaimaca or Aruba.

BTW, I think your reasoning is sound, I think PO is a better resort than CBR in some ways, but once you figure in transpoartion, I would rank it CBR, POP, PO, then AS.

 

[heresabe]

I am a Pop fan...but I am no so sure young folks would fully appreciate the theme. I could be very wrong.
I prefer not Standard rooms at Pop because they are further from the main activity (but not too far) yet closer to the Skyliner and the crossover to Art of Animation & Hourglass Lake.

The All Star Resorts may appeal to anyone with an interest in the theme but, as mentioned, bus service is the only transportation option and the 3 Resorts often share 1 bus.

 

[maltdizzy]

Also note that there is no projected opening date for the Port Orleans resorts by Disney yet.

Yep. I want to highlight this, since the Op's friends plan to be at PO.

 

[ctl]

Sorry this is so long. I am truly beginning to see how wordy I can be when trying to explain to internet strangers

Hi all! I am not a new member, but it's been a while and I can't remember my login or password - OOPS! Anyway, you all helped me out on our last trip back in 2010, so I was hoping to get the same great help for our next trip. Obviously it's been a while since our last trip. At that time, it was me and my husband and my extended family. This time around, we have 2 boys who have never been. We were supposed to go this past Nov/Dec., but that got changed due to all the craziness going on and the pandemic. We are now planning for next Nov/Dec (the week after Thanksgiving).

We originally thought we'd stay at ASMovies. I have never stayed at a value resort. Growing up, I went to Disney a lot, but my grandparents lived nearby, so we never needed a hotel. Then I did the CP back in Fall of '98 (I just dated myself) and lived on property. My parents came to visit at the time and they stayed at CBR. Once I finished my stint in the CP, I didn't return to Disney until 2010, when my parents took all of us on an amazing trip and we stayed at Boardwalk in a 2 bedroom with a kitchen. It was amazing and being able to walk to Epcot and DHS was awesome!

This time around it's me, my husband and our 2 boys, both who have never been to Disney. We were planning on staying at ASMovies (and that's what is booked), because I am just not willing to shell out the money for a deluxe and I am of the opinion that we won't be in the room a lot, so it's not the most important part. However, in saying that, I do recognize that I have never been to Disney with kids. I actually have no idea how it'll be with kids and I have no idea if we are going to want to return to the room during the day for breaks. They will both be 9 if when we go and I honestly don't know how the trip will be with being at the parks all day or part of the day, etc.

Now that the Skyliner is open, we are thinking it might be great to have that as another mode of transportation and not just the buses (we are planning to fly and not renting a car - we did last time and we ended up returning it a few days into the trip because we just didn't use it). So now we are considering Pop, CBR (we love the idea of being at a resort with a hub) or staying at ASMovies.

We have family and friends joining us and my parents/mother-in-law are staying where we stay. Our friends are staying at Port Orleans, I believe. I have always wanted to stay at PO, but figure if we are going to upgrade to a moderate, then it should be to one that has more modes of transportation to the parks and not just the buses, which is where CBR comes in. I have read the reviews on CBR and know it's huge. We would try to get a room near the Skyliner and we don't really know how often we would go to the lobby/food court area. What area at CBR would be good for us? We want to be closer to the Skyliner hub, especially for coming back at night when we are tired. However, what are the chances we actually get a room near it? We were planning to pay for a prefered room at ASMovies, but don't know if we will at CBR.

What about Pop? It has a Skyliner station and we can then changeover to the other line at CBR if we need to, but isn't Pop huge, too? Pop is more than ASMovies, but not too much more and it might be worth it for the Skyliner access.

Please help! I am wanting to give my boys a great experience and I want to make it fun and as easy as possible for us all. I don't want to be sitting around waiting for buses all the time. I am willing to upgrade/pay more, but want to make sure we are doing so in order to get what's best for our family. Like I said, I would love to stay at PO, but since that does't give us more options of travel to the park (boats only go to Disney Springs, right?) then I just don't think I want to pay more for that. Does that make sense?

So do we switch to CBR (not necessarily pirate rooms, though on the outside that seems like a great idea, but I've read your reviews and it doesn't seem worth it) for the Skyliner hub, Pop or PO? Or do we stay at ASMovies because it's the least expensive and hotel rooms just don't seem like a top priority because I THINK we aren't going to be in them much? I would appreciate any help or suggestions you all may have.

Thank you!

Have you considered renting points from DVC and seeing if you could get a DVC room for around the same price as a moderate, or try Priceline? I recently stayed in CBR in a pirate room for 1 night (checked in to DVC the next day Boardwalk) and honestly although your boys would love the room, the beds are not comfortable for adults and CBR is looking a bit tired. If you are set on All Stars, we have stayed many, many times with our kids at all of them. The Movies is definitely the best themed, outdoor areas are also really well themed and the kids loved it. The rooms just aren't incredibly big. We used a car to get around because after the first day we got super fed up with waiting for buses, because of social distancing it can take a very long time waiting in line. So maybe an Epcot walkable resort might be a thought? The skyliner was fine, but as WDW gets busier the wait may grow for that too. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Graycie25]

Yep. I want to highlight this, since the Op's friends plan to be at PO.

Thank you for reminding me. I forgot that she has since switched her room to one at the Beach or Yacht Club on her reservation since PO is still closed. We definitely can't swing that, though I would would love to. When we stayed at Boardwalk, being within walking distance to DHS and Epcot really was amazing!

 

[tstein12]

Thank you for reminding me. I forgot that she has since switched her room to one at the Beach or Yacht Club on her reservation since PO is still closed. We definitely can't swing that, though I would would love to. When we stayed at Boardwalk, being within walking distance to DHS and Epcot really was amazing!

You might also want to check out Swan and Dolphin since they are within walking distance to Epcot & HS, as well as have a lot of dining options. They are comparable in price with CBR (especially with an AAA or other discount). We've been staying at the Swan/Dolphin lately since you can't beat the price and location.

 

[Graycie25]

Have you considered renting points from DVC and seeing if you could get a DVC room for around the same price as a moderate, or try Priceline? I recently stayed in CBR in a pirate room for 1 night (checked in to DVC the next day Boardwalk) and honestly although your boys would love the room, the beds are not comfortable for adults and CBR is looking a bit tired. If you are set on All Stars, we have stayed many, many times with our kids at all of them. The Movies is definitely the best themed, outdoor areas are also really well themed and the kids loved it. The rooms just aren't incredibly big. We used a car to get around because after the first day we got super fed up with waiting for buses, because of social distancing it can take a very long time waiting in line. So maybe an Epcot walkable resort might be a thought? The skyliner was fine, but as WDW gets busier the wait may grow for that too. Good luck with whatever you choose.

No, I haven't actually. I am not sure why, but I feel like even renting points would be out of our budget. We were planning on doing the meal plan, so we wouldn't have needed the kitchen, but now who knows if/when that will come back. Renting a 2 bedroom and sharing with my MIL (mother-in-law) might be a good way to keep costs down, but I don't know if want to share a room with her. I love her, but we all need our own space, her included! I know it's a 2-bedroom, but still...

Like I said, I just assumed DVC would be out of our range.

 

[nkereina]

Also - if we would like a room in the Jamaica section, do we need to pay for a preferred room to get the request or do we just put in the request and keep our fingers crossed? Thank you!

There are no preferred rooms in Jamaica. You would only be able to request Jamaica, but I would suggest requesting "near Skyliner" if that's the main reason you want to stay there, so that the room assigner knows what you're getting at. Alternatively, the Aruba section is just as close to the Skyliner station at Riviera. That would be a nonstop ride to Epcot, but you would have to transfer lines at the CBR hub to go to DHS.

We stayed at CBR in October and loved it. It was our second time there. The Skyliner is a very unique feature, and it makes it hard for us to stay anywhere that's not a Skyliner resort now. We've stayed at AOA in the past and during "normal times", the Skyliner transfer is not an issue. But in the current environment, coming from Pop/AOA in the mornings may make for a double wait. With limited park hours, people tend to line up for the Skyliner at Pop/AOA quite early. When those people arrive at the Skyliner hub at CBR, they're typically sent to the back of the line - behind CBR guests, and potentially incoming Riviera guests as well. This is really only a consideration for DHS if you're wanting to go at park opening, so not a huge deal, but it gives the edge to CBR right now for me.

 

[Marionnette]

No, I haven't actually. I am not sure why, but I feel like even renting points would be out of our budget. We were planning on doing the meal plan, so we wouldn't have needed the kitchen, but now who knows if/when that will come back. Renting a 2 bedroom and sharing with my MIL (mother-in-law) might be a good way to keep costs down, but I don't know if want to share a room with her. I love her, but we all need our own space, her included! I know it's a 2-bedroom, but still...

Like I said, I just assumed DVC would be out of our range.

A studio at that time of year might be as affordable as a Moderate Resort, but once you get to the level of 1 or more bedrooms it’s more a matter of the extra amenities than it is about saving money. A full kitchen and laundry can help but a 1BR villa is more than twice the cost of a studio and a 2BR villa is just under 3X the cost of a studio. If all you want is a studio, I suggest looking into it now. The first couple of weeks in December are the most in-demand weeks for DVC members. Studios are the first to book up.

 

[pwdebbie]

There is a trip report that I am following by Mickeystoontown called Mask Up Buttercup. She and her husband stayed at CBR over Thanksgiving and she gives some great info about the resort. You might want to check it out. https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...5-day-trip-like-no-other-updated-2-2.3821793/

 

[maltdizzy]

Thank you for reminding me. I forgot that she has since switched her room to one at the Beach or Yacht Club on her reservation since PO is still closed. We definitely can't swing that, though I would would love to. When we stayed at Boardwalk, being within walking distance to DHS and Epcot really was amazing!

That would definitely be a vote for a Skyliner hotel. If you catch the Skyliner at Riviera (near Aruba), you are one Skyliner trip from the the Epcot station beside Yacht/Beach Club.

 

[VandVsmama]

We stayed at Pop Century last week. We paid for a preferred room over a standard one because we didn't want to end up with a 7-8 minute walk just to the main building.

It was totally worth it. We ended up near the very end of Bldg 1 literally 1-2 min from the bus stop where MDE drops people off. The walk from the room to the Skyliner was short as well. My DH liked it enough that we've switched our summer trip from ASMovies to Pop.

That being said, you can still have a great time at ASMovies. ASMovies has all of the same resort activities to do as Pop Century does.

For us, personally, we don't want to bother with CBR because the resort is way too spread out.

 

[bakerworld]

PO is the first bus stop on and off - which is nice - that said you're still on it for a bit. Skyliner advice - avoid rush hours - don't even try to use it when it opens at 9a - the rest of the day is fine until the parks close and then walk for the bus.

 

[Disney_escape]

We have stayed at most every hotel on property, CBR would be the pick for what you have described. The standard rooms can be close to both Skyliner stops, since you aren't real interested in the Lobby you could request to be in the building by the Riviera skyliner stop- real close, but It would be a bit of a walk to the pool. I hear all the reviews about CBR walking, but my family has never mentioned it.
One plus with my two boys is the CBR has a twin murphy bed (so sleeps 5 technically). My teen boys prefer CBR now over Contemporary or Poly (if we aren't staying DVC) because of skyliner to Hollywood & Epcot.
I have stayed at Pop and wasn't disappointed but wasn't real impressed, worth the extra $30 for CBR. Pop rooms are smaller as well.