Pop or Caribbean?

[sbpuckett]

DH and I are going back and forth over which resort to book... I'm all for saving money where we can since we're also buying a house but DH keeps saying he wants to stay at a resort in the tier above Pop... Can someone please tell me the obvious differences between the values and mods (besides price)? We're going for Thanksgiving and rooms are available still yet in both...

Any and all help is appreciated

 

[gatorfreud]

The moderates are bigger than Pop... the things I found to like about a mod are: rental bikes and watercraft, POR/POFQ boat to DTD, CSR has some nice bars/lounges for adults, good food courts (although Pop's is good too), POR/POFQ carriage ride, water slides, hot tubs, fridge, TS restaurant on site... those are the differences that come to mind. I can't speak directly to CBR, but we have stayed at POR and CSR and LOVED them both!!! I am hoping for a Christmas CBR trip.... That said, I loved Pop also, and when I go back if I want to save some cash, I am happy to stay at Pop or All Stars. They all have something different to love and appreciate!

 

[Stacy's a freak]

The biggest difference that I see between the two is theming. One is very "in your face" Disney (POP) and one is more subtle (Carribean Beach). In order to decide, I would ask myself these questions:

1. How much time do I want to spend at my resort (non-room time)?
2. Do I want a sit-down restaurant or will a cafeteria-type eatery be ok?
3. Do I want to have a larger room or will a somewhat smaller room be fine?

If you think you will want to spend time at the resort checking out the scenery, having a leisurely sun fest at the pool, etc., CBR would be my suggestion.

If you just need a bed and a shower, go with POP and either save that money completely or spend it on other things at Disney.

For me, Carribean wouldn't be my top choice for a MOD, but POP WOULD be my first choice for a value. I really like POP when going on a commando-style vacation. When I plan to spend almost no time at the resort, I choose POP because it's a great bed & shower and the buses are much better than the other values. I also like Everything POP (the food/store area) and enjoy the quick food options there.

Bascially, POP is like a Super 8 with HUGE disney icons and the Mods (like CB) are like a mid-scale hotel with lush grounds.

 

[christa112]

I haven't stayed at the POP yet (going in Sept) but I have stayed at ASMo and CBR. I honestly don't think the Mod is worth the extra money. Like PP said the CBR is definately quieter. I honestly can say I don't think we saw other guests around our room at the CBR, but at the ASMo you saw other guests everywhere.

My family has opted back to Value because we have kids and they love the theme of the Value. We are a commando family and sleep and shower at our hotel that is it. When we stayed at the CBR did rent bikes and hang by the pool one day and it was fun, but not worth us going back.

We are hitting the water parks this time, so really no need for a pool with a waterslide.

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

[yecats]

As stated by others above, Pop has more of the kids cute theming with limited amentities. You will see a ton of families at Pop with long lines for buses and in general, IMHO, more noise. Mods are usually a bit more quite as the resort is spread out and rooms are larger than value rooms. In addition all mods have not only the food court but a sit down rest and bar. Mods have quiet pools as well as the main pool/slide/hot tub area (except POFQ which just has the one pool/slide area but they are allowed to use all sister resorts pools at PORS a short walk down the river). Each of the mods have unique factors but the best IMHO is CSR. I call CSR a deluxe lite resort as it has more amenities than the other mods: there is a completely different food court structure with a ton of food options not to mention the sitdown rest. and bar; the best and biggest mod pool and great waterslide on property; largest hot tub which is never packed; wonderful quiet pools in various areas; workout facility and spa/salon which no other mod has; hammocks to lay out by the beach or just hang out by the water; lastly, CSR is the only mod that has a full room service menu. I have personally used all of the amentities at CSR and can't complain. All mods have the same price for rooms and to me I like to get what I can out of it while I am there. I have to say that whenever I can I stay at a moderate.

 

[BamaFan121s]

Here are some points to consider, based on what I know and from my own experiences:

Moderates:
* Bigger rooms.
* Slightly bigger beds.
* More spread out--usually makes for an overall quiet experience, but a longer walk to the main pool/food court in some cases.
* Mods have 2 sinks and a changing area.
* They have waterslides and hot tubs.
* Their seems to be more to do at the resort itself--fishing, boat rentals, Pirate cruises for the kids, bike rentals, etc
* They have more than one bus stop, which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. You dont' have to walk far to get one, but you have more stops to make within the resort.
* The bus stops are shaded.
* Overall, we've experienced better bus service at moderates than at values.

Value:
* The resorts are more compact, meaning less walking, but possibly more noise.
* I have found the pools at the value resorts tend to be a bit noisier than those at mods...maybe due to their closer proximity to the rooms? A higher kid to parent ratio? Who knows.
* There is only 1 bus stop, which again could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.
* Don't recall about thd AS Resorts, but the Pop bus stops are not shaded.
* They are less expensive.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

My choice would be the CBR......in fact I will probably be there for Thanksgiving myself!! My last few trips to a value resort were not very relaxing - and hopefully I will be staying in a moderate or deluxe in the future.....now don't get me wrong the values are ok but I like the quieter more laid-back atmosphere of a moderate....Bamafan121S explained it very well.....

 

[Lovetherodent]

At a mod you get
-more space (room and bathroom)
-quieter atmosphere
-different kind of theming
-better pool facilities
-more resort activities (water craft, bikes, etc.)
-sit down and quick service dining options

At a value you get
-savings (that's why they're called value)
-bold theming with huge icons

We stayed mod (just dh and I) and then went value. We found it cramped and noisy. I loved the food courts, but we decided that we'd be going mod for all future trips. (Ok, then the POFQ closed for rehab and we got moved to the Poly, so now we're hooked on deluxes.) Still, once the kids are gone and we don't need so much space, I'd love to return the CBR. There's just something about the tropical theming that makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

 

[sbpuckett]

OK, let me clarify a few things that might make our decision easier...

We are a family of 4 (DS7 and DS5), we spend very little time at the resort but I did consider maybe doing a bit of resort hopping if we have time, we are driving and more than likely not using bus services, we are venturing out to a water park one day (weather permitting) so a pool isn't too important, and we don't take breaks from the park at the room... we generally hit a couple of shows back to back to take a break... so with that in consideration... which would you do? I like what I've heard so far but DH needs a bit more info I think

 

[JennyDrake]

Having stayed at both several times:

CBR has wonderful, quiet pools with deep ends. It is possible to renjoy swimming without being swarmed by loud children.
CBR room are among the largest on property
CBR is very spread out and you could have a good hike to the food court
Pop's food court can be packed, swamped, swarmed and LOUD.
I've had excellent mousekeeping and customer service at both.
IMHO, Pop's food court has a better variety than CBR.
Both have very nice gift shops.
IMHO, CBR is the quietest resort.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one!

 

[kdepot]

If as you say you spend little time at the resort go POP. With the age of your kids it's probably best. The Mods were better for us as our kids were older and the did some of their own thing. That gave us time alone where the lounges and sit-down resturants were great. This trip is CSR our 30th Annv. and our kids are much older than yours we love POR and CBR.

 

[gk90]

OK, let me clarify a few things that might make our decision easier...

We are a family of 4 (DS7 and DS5), we spend very little time at the resort but I did consider maybe doing a bit of resort hopping if we have time, we are driving and more than likely not using bus services, we are venturing out to a water park one day (weather permitting) so a pool isn't too important, and we don't take breaks from the park at the room... we generally hit a couple of shows back to back to take a break... so with that in consideration... which would you do? I like what I've heard so far but DH needs a bit more info I think

Go with Pop! If you had said that you would be doing a non-park day, hanging around the resort pool, relaxing in the room or taking a walk around the grounds then I would say CBR. But everything you mention points to the fact that you won't get much out of the extra $$ that you would pay for the moderate.

 

[itsmebabygi]

The info you gave seems to fit perfectly with POP (a little bias maybe ). I think it can really break down that what you are paying for to stay in a mod is more relaxation, so you really have to decide how important that is.

 

[sbpuckett]

OK, would you say that all of the values are pretty much the same other than theming? We can save $150 staying at ASM vs. Pop... any opinions here?

 

[Stacy's a freak]

OK, would you say that all of the values are pretty much the same other than theming? We can save $150 staying at ASM vs. Pop... any opinions here?

I'm confused by this. I know that there is a slight difference in tax for one of the values but I thought that was POP. In any event, I can't believe that the slight tax difference would add up to this total of $150. Perhaps a AAA discount isn't available in one but is in the other (one might have already sold the allotment?). But whatever the deal...

I honestly prefer POP out of all of the values. I think it's just newer, nicer, and that is my preference (for what it's worth). I know that you don't plan to take WDW transportation, but I found that POP's transportation is much better/faster. Even with a car, I am a fan of taking WDW transportation ... if for no other reason than the high cost of fuel.

P.S. I just looked up the tax rates per the unofficial guide. The Allstars do have a 0.5% lower room tax rate than the other resorts as they are in a different county. So that can't be the reason for the vast price difference - FYI

 

[sbpuckett]

I'm confused by this. I know that there is a slight difference in tax for one of the values but I thought that was POP. In any event, I can't believe that the slight tax difference would add up to this total of $150. Perhaps a AAA discount isn't available in one but is in the other (one might have already sold the allotment?). But whatever the deal...

I honestly prefer POP out of all of the values. I think it's just newer, nicer, and that is my preference (for what it's worth). I know that you don't plan to take WDW transportation, but I found that POP's transportation is much better/faster. Even with a car, I am a fan of taking WDW transportation ... if for no other reason than the high cost of fuel.

P.S. I just looked up the tax rates per the unofficial guide. The Allstars do have a 0.5% lower room tax rate than the other resorts as they are in a different county. So that can't be the reason for the vast price difference - FYI

Sorry - should have said we booked overflow through Shades of Green DH is military.

Thanks to all who have posted... DH agreed to go with ASMusic and save the $150 b/c so many of you said that you preferred Mods for reasons that don't fit with our situation. Thanks so much for all the advice and help