Pop Century or CBR?

[JEakins]

Hello all. I'm new to Disney planning as I haven't been since I was 6 (never stayed on property) and am now 31. If I'm giving too much info please excuse me, I also haven't used a forum in years.

We are going to be in Florida for a family reunion at the start of May and were originally planning to stay off resort in Daytona Beach. My grandmother used a bunch of her points so hotel and car were free for all of us. My wife and I are planning 3 days at Disney vs. everyone else only doing 1 and with our early breakfast reservations and long days at the park we decided to stay on property for the 2 nights.

We're not looking to spend a lot of money as we won't be in the rooms or at the resort much so we narrowed it down to Pop and CBR because during our stay it's only a difference of $75. Both resorts seem nice and were having difficulty choosing. Transportation time is one of our biggest questions between the 2. Any help is appreciated!

 

[rosysubmarine]

Hi, welcome!

One of the big issues right now is that CBR is under MAJOR construction. Their restaurant is a tent, gift shop is a pop-up, construction walls everywhere. There's actually a great Dreams Unlimited Travel video talking about all of it:

Since you haven't been to Disney in a long time (and have never stayed on property), I would personally recommend Pop. Caribbean Beach Resort is a moderate, but with its construction I just don't think it would be as magical- even if you don't plan on spending much time at the resort.

As far as transportation goes, both Pop and CBR use bus transportation to all of the parks. I'm not sure if there's a difference in travel time between the two resorts.

I hope that helps a bit!

 

[JEakins]

Thanks for the quick response! The restaurant isn't too big of a deal breaker for us. We have adr's for breakfast already and weren't planning to be at the resort for dinner anyways.

Thanks for sharing the video, I will check it out immediately. The last video update I saw it looked like Jamaica and Trinidad weren't directly affected but I know a lot will change in the coming months.

I do agree on the magical feel. Even though we're not there long I'm hoping I can convince my wife we should look further into DVC or at least more frequent trips lol

 

[tams0375]

I have to give a shout out for CBR. Even though they are under construction. We loved our stay there and enjoyed the relaxed air after the frantic energy of the parks. It wasn't under construction when we were there but I know you can request specific room numbers so with some extra planning you could find a nice quiet room. Another thing to mention is each island has it's own pool and ours (Aruba) was almost always empty. As for transportation, it's hit or miss, from what I can see, everywhere. It's really best to just be patient with the bus system no matter where you stay.

 

[NJlauren]

I have never stayed at CBR, but we didn’t stay at the pop 2 years ago and frankly loved it. We usually stay deluxe and the room was tight, but for a a quick trip where we didn’t spend a lot of time at the resort I loved it!

It’s one of the only resorts that doesn’t share buses and only has one bus stop, the food court was great, and the staff and other guest were fabulous!

I’ve been talking about how the room renovations look amazing so much my husband knows I want another stay there!

However with the way we tour, a trip longer then 2/3 nights doesn’t work for us at the pop. But our next really short stay will be at the pop and I can’t wait!

 

[JEakins]

Thanks for all of the advice! We ended up booking at Pop and called to request a renovated room in either 80s or 90s buildings. Getting more excited now that everything is booked!

 

[tams0375]

Thanks for all of the advice! We ended up booking at Pop and called to request a renovated room in either 80s or 90s buildings. Getting more excited now that everything is booked!

Have a fun and safe trip!

 

[blackmamba10000]

Have fun! You will love Pop! It’s one of my favorite Disney resorts! The refurbished rooms are super nice as well!