Coronado Springs or Pop?

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello all! I am trying to decide if I want to go with CS or Pop. CS looks to be about $400 overall more than Pop and we are going 11/27-12/5. What is most important to me:

1. Decorative - between the two I am not sure which one is more decorated for the Holidays. It would be awesome to be surrounded by a great Holiday atmosphere.
2. Food options - I believe CS wins in this category.
3. Transportation to parks/DS - I believe Pop wins here with a dedicated bus line and the Gondolas. Not sure CS has a dedicated bus or shared?
4. Distance to room - Pop currently has no preferred rooms available for the magic package we have (some discount) and when we last stayed at Pop we were in the 50's section and literally in the last building in the back. After walking all day at the parks, that walk to the room is not fun LOL. Not sure what CS is like in this regard.
5. Stuff to do at resort - I know Pop has an arcade and massage chairs (we loved those). Wondering what stuff there is to do at CS if we had a few hours to kill?

I am currently assuming that the park hours are going to stay reduced during the Holidays, so we may be spending more time at the resort than our previous trip. Our previous trip we went to the parks at open, came back to Pop to nap, then back to the parks until close then back to Pop to go to bed. Would love to hear people's opinions about the resorts during holidays.
 

Wendy Pleakley

Well-Known Member
Food options - I believe CS wins in this category. Pop only has a food court. CS has several options including table service. It's the convention resort and amenities reflect this.

Transportation to parks/DS - Not sure CS has a dedicated bus or shared? CS does not share buses with any other resort. In the past I've found CS buses to be less crowded compared to other resorts, but that was before the tower opened.

Distance to room - CS has multiple bus stops around the resort. Your walk to your room at the end of day won't be an issue. You won't have to walk to the lobby to catch a bus to a theme park. You can hop on pretty much any bus if you don't want to walk to the lobby area (but it's a nice walk, I actually enjoy walking around that resort).
 

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Can I ask why you're limiting yourself to those two options? I would pick Caribbean Beach or Art of Animation over either of those two.
Really it's price. CBR was 3700 and when I even teased it to my wife she scoffed :) Art of Ani looks to be $100 cheaper than CS but not sure how I feel about the Little Mermaid theme. What did you value at Art of Ani over CS?

Not an experienced Disney traveler - have only stayed at Pop as an adult :)
 

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Based on your needs/likes I would go with CS. If you are just looking for a room to sleep in then go with Pop. We don't really care too much about the resort so we go to Pop or AllStars every time.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Really it's price. CBR was 3700 and when I even teased it to my wife she scoffed :) Art of Ani looks to be $100 cheaper than CS but not sure how I feel about the Little Mermaid theme. What did you value at Art of Ani over CS?

Not an experienced Disney traveler - have only stayed at Pop as an adult :)
I'm surprised at those prices. Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs are usually priced very similarly. Are you sure you're comparing the resorts with identical options (dining, tickets, etc.)?

I wouldn't put Art of Animation ahead of Coronado if it's only $100 difference. I would have expected AoA to be significantly cheaper.
 

Miss Bella

Well-Known Member
I'm a Coronado fan. The updated rooms are nice. They now have walk-in showers with glass doors and the rain type showerheads. You also have a gym and a hot tub. The rooms at Pop have also been updated and you have the Skyliner. Having stayed at Riviera last time I will say the sky liner is awesome, but I prefer the amenities Coronado offers. I don't envy you having to make that decision.

I've never stayed at CBR, but the rooms look like they need a refurb.
 

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm surprised at those prices. Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs are usually priced very similarly. Are you sure you're comparing the resorts with identical options (dining, tickets, etc.)?

I wouldn't put Art of Animation ahead of Coronado if it's only $100 difference. I would have expected AoA to be significantly cheaper.
Yeah here's a screenshot of the choices:
resorts.PNG

Hence my intrigue at CS over Pop if it was way more festive and more to do :)
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Yeah here's a screenshot of the choices:
View attachment 496186
Hence my intrigue at CS over Pop if it was way more festive and more to do :)
Click on Caribbean Beach and see what room type it's suggesting. If they're trying to put you in a Pirate room but they have some Standard rooms available, you might be able to get the price down.

If those are really the lowest available rates for each resort, Coronado wins IMO.
 

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Click on Caribbean Beach and see what room type it's suggesting. If they're trying to put you in a Pirate room but they have some Standard rooms available, you might be able to get the price down.

If those are really the lowest available rates for each resort, Coronado wins IMO.
You're right - it is a Pirate because there's no Standard rooms available for the package type I have (some small discount).
 

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
I have only stayed at CS one time. We loved it! The buses were never a problem. We were in Cabana #3, and found it to be very nice. However, we stay at a smaller resort now due to health reasons. If not, we would stay at POR (I know it is not open) or CS.
 

dmw

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
We've stayed at CSR once (pre-tower) near Christmas and Pop multiple times, including last year near Christmas. Pop is one of our favorite resorts. You've stayed at Pop so you know the dining limitations. CSR definitely has more to offer for food options.

The pool at CSR has a slide and very cool theming, plus there are a couple of quiet pools. The "beach" area at CSR is nice (although blocked from the water as are all resorts near water), plus you can walk around (and across) the lagoon. A plus for CSR is the on-site gym, although I did not have time to use it. I'm a triathlete and I enjoy running during vacations. I found the trail at Pop/AoA better for running. The trail at CSR is pretty around the lagoon, but has some sharp turns and also goes along a heavy traffic area at the front of the resort.

CSR Christmas decor was very nice before the tower opened, and I would imagine it still is very nice. Nothing about the Pop Christmas decor really stood out to me.

While CSR is a large resort, there are multiple bus stops so I think the walk to your room is less at CSR after a day in the parks, especially compared to some of the outer buildings at Pop. If just going from your room to the lobby/shopping/food, it can be a long walk at both CSR and Pop, depending on the room location.

The skyliner is an awesome alternative at Pop for HS. We also took the skyliner to Epcot, but found that the transit time was quite a bit longer than driving, and longer than it used to be on the bus. CSR is definitely a longer bus ride to DS and MK, but so close to AK.

For only $400 more, it would be a tough choice. We really liked CSR and for the right price, it would be nice to enjoy the slightly larger rooms and extra dining options.
 

NelleBelle

Well-Known Member
We really enjoyed our stay at CS (stayed before the refurb, had a room way in the back, and still really liked it). They didn't have Destino built then but we did like the resort. The pool was lovely and not crowded (although it was a bit of a walk back to our room). We've never stayed at Pop or CBR. I can only guess at the higher price for CBR being that it has the skyliner and the pirate rooms. From what I've heard, it's huge resort. From what I've read, pirate rooms are in the Trinidad section and appear to be close to the Skyliner (but fairly far from other main amenities, FWIW). Here's map that shows the location to the Skyliner...
1599590668976.png
 

Mickey5150

Well-Known Member
Pop may have fewer dining options than CS but the Skyliner gives you access to CBR, Riviera and all of the Epcot resorts without having to spend half the day on bus transfers. Resort alone CS definitely has more to do but the Skyliner really does open up more possibilities for Pop.
 

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Pop may have fewer dining options than CS but the Skyliner gives you access to CBR, Riviera and all of the Epcot resorts without having to spend half the day on bus transfers. Resort alone CS definitely has more to do but the Skyliner really does open up more possibilities for Pop.
Thank you! The wife and I went back and forth quite a few times on this and decided to stay at Pop and do as you say - use the Skyliner to resort hop :) Also, while she is from the southwest, I am not particularly a huge fan of the theme and considering it won't really be pool weather, could care less for that. Although it is 2020, maybe it will be 95 in December :)
 

dmw

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Pop may have fewer dining options than CS but the Skyliner gives you access to CBR, Riviera and all of the Epcot resorts without having to spend half the day on bus transfers. Resort alone CS definitely has more to do but the Skyliner really does open up more possibilities for Pop.
that is an excellent point - transportation to the connected resorts!
 

Hcalvert

Well-Known Member
I booked CS for Christmas under a passholder rate. I haven't stayed in anything but DVC villas for years, but will take a room at a mod at a cheap price. The values were not much cheaper, so a no-brainer for me. My son likes the pool at CS and the grounds are beautiful. I have never stayed at a value, so I cannot speak to that.
 

The4mousekeeters

Well-Known Member
I would just keep in mind, if the All Star resorts are still closed, Pop will be busier. We found this to be true last weekend and bus lines were longer. It would take multiple, multiple buses each time due to distancing and capacity. Not a big negative, but just a heads up so you’re not surprised if Pop is more bustling than you thought it would be. Skyliner is great though, and we loved that option when it worked out for us. Have a great trip!!!!!!
 

Schweino

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I would just keep in mind, if the All Star resorts are still closed, Pop will be busier. We found this to be true last weekend and bus lines were longer. It would take multiple, multiple buses each time due to distancing and capacity. Not a big negative, but just a heads up so you’re not surprised if Pop is more bustling than you thought it would be. Skyliner is great though, and we loved that option when it worked out for us. Have a great trip!!!!!!
Great call out. Thank you!
 

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