POR, Coronado, or POP?

[holly1227]

We are planning our second trip to Disney this May! We stayed Polynesian last time but it's priced way too high for us this time. We are considering POP, POR or Coronado. All are priced about the same. We have 2 girls, ages 3 and almost 6. What resort do you think would be the best fit? Our biggest concern is transportation. We were spoiled by the monorail last time. We will be spending the most time at MK and Epcot. Thanks!!!

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

We have never stayed at POR or Coronado, but have looked at them... we have stayed at all the values. POP is the best out of all of them. DD, her friend and her cousins loved it. Now I understand you can easily get over to the new resort and walk around there. Now if you are looking for fancy hotels with amenities this is not the place. We really enjoyed it... but we are the type that gets up early, eat, parks all day, hit the pool, sleep and do it over again.

 

[SimplyGoofy]

The travel times to MK and EP are about the same from each of those resorts, give or take a few minutes. Generally, it takes about twenty minutes to reach either MK or EP (although your trip will likely be shorter--this is on the far end).

CSR and POR have the advantage of multiple bus stops--no matter where you are in the resort, you likely have a bus stop that's not too far away. There is only one stop for all buses at POP, in front of Classic Hall. POP also has a slight disadvantage as it's bus stops tend to be the farthest away at the parks (due to the fact it's a value resort).

Another thing to consider is whether or not you enjoy spending time at your resort--CSR and POR both have excellent pools, as well as many other activities (biking, fishing, and such). POP has multiple pools, but they lack the slides and fancy features of the moderate resorts. If you tend to be park commandos, this is not a concern.

Considering the age of your kids, however, POP or POR would probably be the most appealing--both are very well themed and have a lot to see. You'll enjoy any of them!

 

[FantasiaMagic]

If all three are priced the same I would prop stay at POR or CS. Since they are mods they have more amenities then values. I hear they both have great pools.

At POR you can walk over to it's sister hotel POFQ. You can also you their pool. THere is also a boat that goes to DTD from POR.

POR and CS also have queen beds in their rooms. POP only has doubles.

POP also has the advantage to walk over to AoA, which looks and sounds amazing!1

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We have stayed at all 3 of these.

We stayed at POP our first time on property. This was about 6 years back. We found the bus transportation was excellant & we never waited very long for a bus.

We decided to try a Moderate the following year & decided on POR. We loved the resort. The mansion area is beautiful & love the boat to DTD....this is a big perk as it is relaxing & such a pretty ride there. We also walked to POFQ ...was abit of a walk though.

We stayed 2 times at POR & each time had the same issue. We dislike the room decor of the bayou area & pay extra for a King room preferred area...but they put us in the bayous each time. They switched us to the mansions both times.. but we decided to try elsewhere the next year. And after staying moderate my DH wasn't interested in going back to a value. He likes the quietness & resort feeling of the moderates as we are a couple traveling w/o kiddos.

So we decided on CSR. We have now stayed here 2 times now & are booked for this coming December also.

We love CSR! Beautiful resort, pretty rooms, peaceful & great bus system. We book a King room & both time have had a room in the Casitas. This is close to a bus stop #2 & you get picked up first & dropped off first. It takes a few minutes to walk to the front area to fill your drink mugs...but walking around the lake is a great unwind time to me.

 

[dhorner233]

I am considering the same options for my trip this fall. I've stayed in PO FQ and Riverside and the Caribbean Beach. They were all very nice. I liked the Riverside the best because it is so close to the MK and doesn't have those creepy giant heads staring at you in the food court. The theme is more adult and we are 2 adults w/o kids.

We are thinking about the Coronado this time just so we can say we've hit all 4 moderate resorts. But, it is more expensive than the other 3.

I would like to bite the bullet and stay in a budget but, the resort is a big part of the experience for me.

 

[Mcert01]

I think you will find POP is cheaper than the moderates. It is pretty nice, and the transportation is better than the moderates because there is only one stop. However, the issue you will have, at least in my opinion, is that you will have to settle for full size beds. You can get queen sized at the moderates. For me, that is the tie breaker.

 

[dhorner233]

I know the Coronado is a conference center. How do you find the convention schedule? I'd hate to book and end up at a big convention.

 

[KatMark]

I know the Coronado is a conference center. How do you find the convention schedule? I'd hate to book and end up at a big convention.

Check the "unofficial CSR thread" (you can find sticky near top of this forum). The conventions are listed on page one...at least the ones we are aware of.

I've stayed ten times with a convention or two each time. They NEVER bothered us. However, I would never stay there in December again if the Pop Warner kids were going to be there...they were awful (as were their parents).

And to be totally honest, you couldn't pay me to stay at a value for more than one night....too loud and too busy for our vacation style

 

[I Love Pluto]

With 2 young ones - save yourself some $$ & stay at Pop. It has smaller rooms, but the resort itself is one of the happiest on Disney property. It is also easy to walk over the bridge to AoA - gaining yet another experience. Walking around AoA is worth the trip. It is colorful & wonderful - with a very "cute" feel.

The only thing you would miss in the room is a coffee pot. They do have refrigerators.

Try Pop. We really like it there!


POR & POFQ are on our favorites list. Both are great Mods. You can't go wrong with either one.


Coronado is beautiful - but very large. We stayed there several times. Our final stay was during a young businessmen/businesswomen's convention. You couldn't get near the pool or the hot tub in the evenings. The food court was extremely crowded with them also. They didn't really bother anyone, there were just so many conventioners that it didn't leave enough room for the rest of us!

Good luck in choosing. It is hard! Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Camno's Mama]

I'm surprised Pop is the same price...it should be cheaper by a few hundred dollars. My kids loved Pop at that age...and they would go back now in a heartbeat. And we stayed at AKL (rented DVC points)...they still would choose Pop. We are a family of five now though, and have to stay at POR instead. POR is so beautiful, but I would save the money and stay at Pop if I were you.

I thought the bus service from Pop was the best we experienced, by the way. It was simpler...the bus came to the bus stop and took you directly to the park. No second bus stop or third bus stop. They come often. We only waited a long time once to DTD. My guess is something was off that night.

 

[quandrea]

I would choose POP. I find it hard to believe that you can't get it cheaper than CS or PO. I just don't like the mods. I think they are overpriced given the product. I think for the extra money all you get is nicer landscaping and a somewhat better pool. We are DVCers, but I've stayed at values and mods before joining. If I had to go back, I'd skip the mods and go value.

I just finished helping friends book and I recommended POP. The extra money for a mod would have been a waste. The food court at pop is great, the pools are fun, check in and buses can't be beat. Use the money you save to take in the HDDR. Highlight of our last trip for my kids (3, 3, 8).

 

[maxiesmom]

I would go with CSR. We had great bus service when we stayed there last year. As it is a convention resort, the buses have fewer people heading to the parks on them. They tend to not be packed to the gills, as the buses at the other resorts can be.

CSR also feels more like a deluxe than the other resorts you mention. It is the only moderate with a fitness center. There are also some small things like the doors between the room and the sink area that make it feel a bit more upscale.

CSR also has a great pool area, if you family likes to swim. It has a neat theme, and a good sized pool slide.

 

[momofkids]

We have never stayed at CSR. Last trip we did 2 days at POP and then the rest of the vacation at POR. Our favorite parts of POP were the fireworks we could see just outside our room and the price. Honestly, there were tons of unsupervised kids running around everywhere. The food court was a disaster and the lines from the parks for the buses were long. POP seems to line up at the very end at all the parks. We actually had a longer walk from our room to the main building at POP. The staff was a little off as well.

We loved POR. My husband never wants to stay anywhere else. The CMs were awesome at POR. We stayed in a Royal Room so it was a pretty short walk to the main building. The room was much bigger at POR than at POP. It was very quiet and relaxing by our room as well. The quiet pool had very little traffic at POR. We also loved having the boat to DTD. We ate at the Earl of Sandwich for the first time. The buses also seemed much quicker at POR.

At POP, we really felt like we were on a budget. POR felt like having a real vacation. I guess it just depends on what is most important to you.

 

[polkadotminnie]

I have stayed at all three several times each. I prefer CSR but with kids your kids ages I would say POP.