Pop or CBR?

[Betta301]

Looking for advice on how to choose between these 2 resorts... We are traveling with our DD4 who is going to turn to 5 during our stay, and my mother-in-law (early 80's), late Jan 2017 for 6 night/7day trip. Which one will be best fit for us between these 2?

This family trip is going to celebrate DD's 5 year birthday. We'll be staying 2 connecting or close rooms, and both of these 2 resorts have a lot of fans and their costs fit within our budget. I'd like to stay in mod resort as it'll be more conformable, queen instead of double beds, and more relaxing if we decide to spend some time at the resort after park. But the transportation at POP seems beat CBR, and transportation is a key factor to consider when you travel with the group of a large age difference. As we'll travel late Jan, it may be too cold to enjoy the pool.

With each's pros and cons, which one would you recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Kathy

 

[andyman8]

Two very good options to choose from!

It sounds like transportation is important to you. It's true that Pop's transport is quicker. For the most part (though I know it changes constantly, so if another poster knows more up to date info, please correct me), Pop has its own bus line traveling to each of the parks. Because it only has one stop, the trip is usually shorter. Although CBR also has its own line, on the other hand, it has multiple stops (one for each village), meaning that each ride, they'll be stops at other villages. I want to say there's a total of seven bus stops. Now, before you say that sounds like a lot, keep in mind that they're all mostly in a circle and go by pretty quickly. Also, and this I think is a big difference, your room will most likely be very near a bus stop (you can even put it in as a request that is one of the easier to get fulfilled). At Pop, unless you pay for a preferred room, it'll be a bit of a walk. It's definitely manageable, but with your mother-in-law, she might prefer a longer bus ride to a longer walk to/from the bus, especially at the end of a long day in the parks. Both resorts generally have comparable locations, so your ride time after you leave the resort will be similar to all the parks and Disney Springs.

Beyond that, CBR has the better amenities. Your daughter will love the pool, the rooms have just been renovated, and Shutters (the resort's infamous table-service restaurant) has been on the top of their game lately (very, very good experience there recently). I'd definitely pick it over Pop if the size and transportation aren't big enough drawbacks.

Another option I might suggest (I know it can be really annoying when you give someone an either/or and they throw an extra equation into the mix, so sorry) is CSR. While it's a tad more adult, the amenities (in my opinion) are superior to those of CBR, and it also is a bit smaller. The other plus side is that there's only four bus stops (again, it has dedicated bus service) within the resort, and each is a short walk from the rooms in that area. Just throwing that one in there. I know the pricing can be weird. Sometimes, it's way more expensive than CBR, but other times, it's cheaper, so check it out.

 

[dansdad]

Pop and CBR are right next to one another so the travel times to the parks are exactly the same, so I would disagree that the bus service is better at one over the other.

What you will get at CBR over Pop.

Double sinks
Ceiling fans
Coffee maker in room
Queen beds
Larger rooms
Multiple covered bus stops
Pool slides
Children's splash area
Hot tubs
Lusher grounds
Table service restaurant
Laid back relaxed atmosphere

Now its up to you to decide if the above amenities are worth the extra $$.

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

In my opinion...

We stayed at CBR once.

It was a one and done for us.

We didn't like bus service - it felt like it took upwards of 10 minutes just to leave CBR property and on top of that we prefer the vibe/Disney feel of Pop better.

 

[Betta301]

Thank you very much for all the above replies. They are all very helpful! Especially thank you to Andyman8 for your detailed comparison. Now I have a better picture of how the commute will be. CSR seems a really nice option too. Unfortunately it is not available during our visit due to renovation :-(.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Pop and CBR are right next to one another so the travel times to the parks are exactly the same, so I would disagree that the bus service is better at one over the other.

What you will get at CBR over Pop.

Double sinks
Ceiling fans
Coffee maker in room
Queen beds
Larger rooms
Multiple covered bus stops
Pool slides
Children's splash area
Hot tubs
Lusher grounds
Table service restaurant
Laid back relaxed atmosphere

Now its up to you to decide if the above amenities are worth the extra $$.

Bus service has nothing to do with location. Pop only has 1 bus stop, whereas CBR has several (5 or 6 I believe). The bus service at Pop is always going to be more efficient because you don't have to spend the time making multiple stops.

If you want to stay at a mod, I'd recommend POFQ. It is small, with only 1 bus stop, and very pretty and comfortable. I really enjoyed it the time I stayed there, and unfortunately I spent quite a bit of time in the room as I came down with a bad cold on that trip.

I've stayed at both, and I'd pick Pop every time. Both are big resorts, but Pop is situated in a more compact manner, while CBR is extremely spread out. I think the Pop theme would be more appealing to little kids.

Re: bus service

I've told this story many times on this board, but in case you haven't seen it. We were at Disney for the 24 hour day last year (2015). We were running a little late and got to the bus stop at 5:40. Imagine my surprise when I saw the huge crowd there. Well, some of the people had been waiting since 5! There had literally been no buses to take people to the park that day. And it was a special day! We just got in the car and drove instead. Later on, after our afternoon break, we thought we'd give the bus another try. We waited a couple of minutes, and a bus came, but it only let people off and wouldn't let anyone on. It was too crowded. We decided to just skip it and got in the car again. We only took the bus to DS from Pop, but it was just fine.

 

[maxiesmom]

Pop and CBR are right next to one another so the travel times to the parks are exactly the same, so I would disagree that the bus service is better at one over the other.

What you will get at CBR over Pop.

Double sinks
Ceiling fans
Coffee maker in room
Queen beds
Larger rooms
Multiple covered bus stops
Pool slides
Children's splash area
Hot tubs
Lusher grounds
Table service restaurant
Laid back relaxed atmosphere

Now its up to you to decide if the above amenities are worth the extra $$.

In my opinion...

We stayed at CBR once.

It was a one and done for us.

We didn't like bus service - it felt like it took upwards of 10 minutes just to leave CBR property and on top of that we prefer the vibe/Disney feel of Pop better.

Totally agree with this. The 7 stops at CBR were too many. Pops busing is much more efficient.

 

[dansdad]

Bus service has nothing to do with location. Pop only has 1 bus stop, whereas CBR has several (5 or 6 I believe). The bus service at Pop is always going to be more efficient because you don't have to spend the time making multiple stops.

This is why there are so many choices at WDW for just all types of people. We would rather spend that extra time sitting on an air conditioned bus than walking to the one bus stop in the Florida heat.

I think the Pop theme would be more appealing to little kids.

And actually in our family we have found that the Pop themed is more appealing to the adults in the party and the kids prefer the theme at CBR. Some of the icons at Pop do not resonate with the kids like the adults. Again, good thing there's choices.

Re: bus service

I've told this story many times on this board, but in case you haven't seen it. We were at Disney for the 24 hour day last year (2015). We were running a little late and got to the bus stop at 5:40. Imagine my surprise when I saw the huge crowd there. Well, some of the people had been waiting since 5! There had literally been no buses to take people to the park that day. And it was a special day! We just got in the car and drove instead. Later on, after our afternoon break, we thought we'd give the bus another try. We waited a couple of minutes, and a bus came, but it only let people off and wouldn't let anyone on. It was too crowded. We decided to just skip it and got in the car again. We only took the bus to DS from Pop, but it was just fine.

I think anyone that has spent any amount of time at WDW resorts will have at least one story like that. We have multiple from POR, POFQ, BWI, BC, Sports, Pop, and YC.

 

[Betta301]

Thank you very much for sharing that bus transportation experience with me. That's really helpful,and that's why I'd like to hear from you all who actually experienced in these resorts .

Kathy

Bus service has nothing to do with location. Pop only has 1 bus stop, whereas CBR has several (5 or 6 I believe). The bus service at Pop is always going to be more efficient because you don't have to spend the time making multiple stops.

If you want to stay at a mod, I'd recommend POFQ. It is small, with only 1 bus stop, and very pretty and comfortable. I really enjoyed it the time I stayed there, and unfortunately I spent quite a bit of time in the room as I came down with a bad cold on that trip.

I've stayed at both, and I'd pick Pop every time. Both are big resorts, but Pop is situated in a more compact manner, while CBR is extremely spread out. I think the Pop theme would be more appealing to little kids.

Re: bus service

I've told this story many times on this board, but in case you haven't seen it. We were at Disney for the 24 hour day last year (2015). We were running a little late and got to the bus stop at 5:40. Imagine my surprise when I saw the huge crowd there. Well, some of the people had been waiting since 5! There had literally been no buses to take people to the park that day. And it was a special day! We just got in the car and drove instead. Later on, after our afternoon break, we thought we'd give the bus another try. We waited a couple of minutes, and a bus came, but it only let people off and wouldn't let anyone on. It was too crowded. We decided to just skip it and got in the car again. We only took the bus to DS from Pop, but it was just fine.

 

[KrazeeK120]

This is why there are so many choices at WDW for just all types of people. We would rather spend that extra time sitting on an air conditioned bus than walking to the one bus stop in the Florida heat.

Florida heat? In January? I've been to Disney twice in January and I think the warmest it ever got was 73. Some mornings it was in the 40s. Could it get warmer than that? Sure. But I doubt this is really a factor for OP. When I stayed at Pop, I was in the furthest building of the 50's section, and I think it was only about 10 minutes' walk anyway. The point I was trying to make is that "bus service" between the 2 resorts is not the same.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Another thing about the CBR buses...7 stops IS a lot, no doubt...BUT it is more common for them to be running two buses, and splitting the resort, so three or four stops each.

I feel the trade off on the buses to get the rest of the upgrades (queen beds!!!!) is an easy call.

 

[dansdad]

Florida heat? In January? I've been to Disney twice in January and I think the warmest it ever got was 73. Some mornings it was in the 40s. Could it get warmer than that? Sure. But I doubt this is really a factor for OP. When I stayed at Pop, I was in the furthest building of the 50's section, and I think it was only about 10 minutes' walk anyway. The point I was trying to make is that "bus service" between the 2 resorts is not the same.

We agree that the bus service is different between the 2. I disagree that one is better than the other though.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I think anyone that has spent any amount of time at WDW resorts will have at least one story like that. We have multiple from POR, POFQ, BWI, BC, Sports, Pop, and YC.

Personally, I hadn't experienced being at a bus stop for rope drop where no buses had come to the resort at all that morning. I'm sorry you've run into this issue so many times! I've now totally sworn off Disney buses and will use my own car. I'd had some not-so-great experiences before that, but not coming at all for rope drop was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I was glad we had a rental...I have no idea how much longer those people waited at the bus stop.

 

[dansdad]

Personally, I hadn't experienced being at a bus stop for rope drop where no buses had come to the resort at all that morning. I'm sorry you've run into this issue so many times! I've now totally sworn off Disney buses and will use my own car. I'd had some not-so-great experiences before that, but not coming at all for rope drop was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I was glad we had a rental...I have no idea how much longer those people waited at the bus stop.

Yes it happens. WDW does an excellent job moving so many people around, but alas they are not perfect. We still much prefer the busses to driving. We look at it as another attraction. We have met so many cool and interesting people from all over the world that way.

 

[Disneylover99]

If bus transportation is a big factor in your decision, I would definitely recommend Pop.

 

[mickeygirl78]

I've stayed at both resorts multiple times and I think the advantages of CBR definitely win out. The only plus I give to Pop is the one bus stop. The busses at CBR though have never been bad. Having a covered stop at CBR is really nice, especially when it's raining. I've been at Pop before and standing out in the rain for 20 minutes waiting for a bus is terrible. It doesn't take that long for busses to make their way around the resort, and as others have said you are always close to a bus stop which is a plus.

The table service, Shutters, at CBR is really good. That is a nice plus if you want a sit down meal one night.

I'd recommend CBR.

 

[crazylady]

We like CBR better. I'd rather be on the bus a little longer and have a shorter walk to my room. We were there in the spring and the remodeled rooms look and feel fresh. Love the queen beds.

 

[Mickeycrocs]

I can't speak for pop but I don't recomend CBR with a little one and your 80 year old family member. The amount of walking is crazy.

 

[dansdad]

I can't speak for pop but I don't recomend CBR with a little one and your 80 year old family member. The amount of walking is crazy.

Unless booked in a Pirate Themed room, there is no more walking at CBR than Pop.

 

[Doug S]

Pop is great for buses. Can be a bit of a hike to the bus stop, but worth it since there's only one stop. CBR is very beautiful and the quiet pools are much more intimate than Pop's. I absolutely love the food court at CBR. Feels like an indoor market. Feature pool (one with the slide) is consistently ranked the best of the moderate pools.

If you're fairly sure you're going to spend a reasonable amount of time at your resort, go with CBR. There are very few places in Pop to get away from it all. The giant figures will always be looming in the back. Pop's rooms are also very cramped and have 2 double beds unless you luck out with a king room (only 39 of them do). Most of CBR's now have 2 queens, except for the Pirate rooms which are 2 fulls.