CBR vs POP

[tweetie]

I have a question. Me and DH are planning a trip for September and was wondering if CBR is worth the 600 more for 7 nights? I have been reading a lot on the boards and both resorts have mixed reviews. We are traveling without children and will spend some time at the resort but we will also be in the parks and are taking 1 day to go to Universal.

 

[dansdad]

What you will get at CBR over Pop:

Bigger room
Ability to book a king bed (only a request at Pop)
Queen beds
Ceiling fans
Coffee maker in room
Double sinks
Hot tubs
Pool slides
Table service restaurant
Multiple covered bus stops
Lusher grounds
Laid back relaxed atmosphere

Now it's up to you to decide if the added amenities are worth the extra $.

You can't go wrong with either but CBR is our favorite Moderate and 2nd favorite in all of WDW.

 

[kwdw]

PP has a thorough response.

For me when we travel as a couple - it's either cheap and basic - or nicer which usually means renting DVC points. Pop - we can't share a double bed and get any sleep. So - if we do a value - we do spend our sleeping time in separate beds. That's okay with us - it's not like it's separate rooms and they are just a footstep apart. We don't spend much time at the resort. I do really miss the coffeemaker when at a value - so I usually pack one in my suitcase and bring it with me! We also never seem to use the table service resort at the moderates - so - that addition is no bonus for us. We tend to eat table service either at the parks or at signatures. We do miss the pool slide at the moderates/deluxes, though. when staying at a value.

For me - if I'm in a let's go frequently" mode - it's the value so we can make multiple trips. Right now - I'm in the "wait for a while" mode - and plan to book our next trip at a DVC 1 bedroom.....

 

[Dis703]

What you will get at CBR over Pop:

Bigger room
Ability to book a king bed (only a request at Pop)
Queen beds
Ceiling fans
Coffee maker in room
Double sinks
Hot tubs
Pool slides
Table service restaurant
Multiple covered bus stops
Lusher grounds
Laid back relaxed atmosphere

Now it's up to you to decide if the added amenities are worth the extra $.

You can't go wrong with either but CBR is our favorite Moderate and 2nd favorite in all of WDW.

Add to this list really quiet rooms. I never heard anyone around us at CBR, while at Pop I heard every toilet flush and various other noises above and beside us.

I'm guessing discounts haven't been released yet for September so that $600 difference might come down a little too.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Really it comes down to how long you are staying - pop rooms are very small if you are bringing a lot of stuff. How much are you going to be in hotel? - if just sleeping the whole hotel doesn't matter - are double beds OK? We strongly prefer moderate to value but if we don't have the extra money - value it is! If I get a good deal and have the money we upgrade. Longer trips are easier in a bigger room especially if we will be spending more time at the hotel. Bottom line is if I have the extra cash or not. That is always the deciding factor for me.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I haven't stayed at POP or any value but I can say on our last stay we paid about $500 more than a value to stay at CBR and I did not regret it. It's a gorgeous resort. Rooms are very large especially with just two people, the beds are very comfy, the hot tubs are a nice bonus after a long day of walking or just to relax in midday. The resort is incredible quiet, it was fully booked when we were there and yet I barely saw or heard another person. Oh and the ceiling fan is a nice perk, rooms can get stale and having that little bit of movement helps me sleep.

 

[daisyduck123]

I compare POP to my local mall on a Friday night (and I will NEVER, EVER again go to the mall on a Friday night).

I would go with the upgrade to CBR. You mentioned that you want to spend some time at the resort. IMO, staying at POP, there's not really anything to do there that would warrant having a resort day. CBR, on the other hand, is much more relaxing and warrants a resort day.

 

[ellie05]

This is just a personal choice. Does the theming of each appeal to you? I normally would say money is worth it but we are not big fans of either pop or CBR honestly I don't think would pay $600 more to stay at CBR and I would be looking to see if there were other choices. Some people on these boards love pop

 

[dpswift]

We stayed at CBR last Nov. Wished I was at POP the whole time. I would save the money towards another trip or to do an extra on the trip.

 

[augusta1]

I have stayed at both. CBR in 2011 and POP every year since. CBR was beautiful but food court just so so and the beds small. Just didn't feel like it was worth the extra money.
POP the rooms are small and beds are small but my kids love the theming and the food court is great plus the busses are good. This year I'm considering CBR again since they refurbished it and the beds are queens, ceiling fans, pool slides, jacuzzi and the theme is beautiful. Still not sure. if I was traveling without children I would lean to CBR but if I needed to save some money I would go with POP

 

[loves to dive]

dansdad laid out the differences pretty well and his point of is it worth it to you pretty much says it all. I would add that the values tend to be a bit noisy and more busy and crowded to me. If I had the money, I'd go with CBR, I've tried two different values and won't be staying at any of them again, even though I'm on a mission to stay at every resort on property.

 

[Under the Library]

We stayed at CBR for an 8 night stay & at Pop in Jan for a 3 night stay. We are going back to Pop in May with our last night at WL.

My boys 11 & 10 loved Pop, we aren't really the family that hangs at the resort much, & we are on somewhat of a budget. All those factors combined made our decision. I personally don't care where I am. We stayed at CBR because my parents went on that long stay with us and that's what they wanted. It was nice. The PP description above is totally accurate.

So make a list of both and what you like, with how your family travels and go from there! You'll have a good time no matter which one you choose I'm sure.

 

[manicstreet]

I love Caribbean beach and its worth the extra cash if you can afford it. If the $600 extra causes you to skimp on other things then stay at pop. If money is not an issue go for the upgrade.

 

[wdw4rfam]

dansdad laid out the differences pretty well and his point of is it worth it to you pretty much says it all. I would add that the values tend to be a bit noisy and more busy and crowded to me. If I had the money, I'd go with CBR, I've tried two different values and won't be staying at any of them again, even though I'm on a mission to stay at every resort on property.

Agree completely. Good Thing I tried all the values I wanted before I tried moderate, because I will never go back now. To me, it's a huge difference in our trips, and I'd probably skip a year before going back to value.
This would be easy for me because CBR was our favorite moderate and POP was our least favorite value.