Pop vs. Coronado. Which would you choose?

[ForeverJ]

We’re currently booked at Pop for next week. We’ve been looking to (possibly) upgrade and a standard room at Coronado (Non-tower) is only ~138 more than what we’re currently paying for POP.

Here are some things we’re considering.

1) Skyliner - we’ve never used it before, but many rave about it so we figured it’d be worth it.

2) We have a toddler (under 2) traveling with us so transportation is important.

3) we have a toddler who naps in the afternoon so noise level is a factor.

4) POP also has a walkway to AoA so more food options.

5) Coronado has better quality food?

Basically, we cannot decide whether we should make the switch. The money is negligable at this point, so we really would prefer something that fits our needs the best.

If you were in our shoes, which would you choose?

 

[hotblooded]

I was offered a free "upgrade" to the tower at Coronado and still chose to stay at Pop Century. Skyliner to 2 parks >>> taking the bus. It's so easy to take a break in the afternoon, just get a room that faces the parking lot or lake for less noise.

 

[snikki]

I would upgrade. We recently stayed at CSR (non tower) and it’s a lovely resort. The pool complex is great, so many food and drink options and the resort is so pretty. We had a great time and never waited long for any buses.

I doubt we will ever stay at a skyliner resort. When the skyliner goes down the lines for the buses can get crazy. I’ve also heard reports of people walking all the way to the back of Epcot only to find out the skyliner is down and have to trek back to the front to catch a bus. That would irritate the crap out of me.

 

[mort1331]

Skyliner so much easier with a stroller then busses

 

[Princess Merida]

I agree with @hotblooded. I wouldn’t take a free upgrade to Coranado from any of the values. It's a huge resort and you could end up with long outdoor walks after the extra bus stops. Also, as far as food options I much prefer Pop’s food court. The Coranado food court did not impress and Rix is the worst meal I’ve ever had on property. What Coranado does have going for it is Three Bridges. That place is amazing, but not enough for me to ever stay there again.

 

[Ronaldo17]

Pop, skyliner, smaller resort and access to AoA food court.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Pop for sure. Skyliner, atmosphere, cost. Pop!

 

[Disneylover99]

I like CSR, but unless I’m staying in the tower, it’s too big for me.
I’d pick Pop, and I’m not a fan of the Skyliner.

 

[shaluminati]

I've only stayed at Pop, not Coronado. But, with a stroller, the skyline is invaluable. Being able to just stroll right into the transportation was a game changer for us.

 

[MidnightMeeko]

CSR is very pretty and Ranchos is my favorite section for theme, but if you are not in the tower it can be a long walk to everything. The buses can be full before they get to the tower stop and the food (even the food court) is a lot more expensive than any other moderate resort. There is also no mobile ordering if that makes a difference. I don't like the heights part of the Skyliner, but if it doesn't bother you then it's a better and faster way to travel.

CSR can be very quiet, especially in the back sections. However, I would not recommend walking between the tower and the back sections at night. The lighting is almost nonexistent at some points when the path is between the lake and the wooded area, which just seems like a terrible setup. I love the Disney moderates and I really like parts of CSR, but after my last stay there I'm finding it harder to defend.

 

[Hubalorian]

Deleted

 

[loves to dive]

I'd go CSR but I'm not a fan of the sky liner so would pay extra to not be in a resort on it. Depending on the time of year you are there, weather can play a big factor on if it's running or not. When it's not running, they aren't very organized in how they inform you it's down. CSR is my favorite moderate resort. I have no problems with the distance to any of the buildings and I'm an oldish woman. I don't have a young one so the stroller thing isn't something I can address. I can tell you my son has already taken his now 2 year old to WDW twice and stayed at Dolphin once (mama paid) and All Star Music the second time. He has no issues with folding the stroller but does have issues with heights and claustrophobia.

 

[Olaf63]

Coronado doesn’t have elevators, so if you end up on the 2nd or 3rd floor, this could make getting a napping child up the steps a headache you may not want to deal with

CSR has elevators in each building. Not sure where you got that info

 

[Lisann]

All things aside, I would choose Coronado just because it's pretty....LOL

 

[Willow1213]

We absolutely love Coronado, but only if we have a car. Pop wins 100% for the skyliner if I am flying in and relying on Disney transport.

 

[Melissa622]

Now that I've stayed at skyliner resorts a few times, I honestly don't think I'll ever stay at a non-skyliner resort again. That's how convenient I think it is. Not having to make the long walk all the way to the front of Epcot for the buses after a long day is so worth it.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

POP all day, just easy especially with littles.

 

[glocon]

We’ve stayed at both, I prefer CSR.
Now we did stay in GDT, but I walked the whole resort and it is beautiful.

All the differently themed neighborhoods are so different and pretty with fun little landscaping designs.

The bridges over the “lake” help make the walk shorter between the different areas and the tower and dining or the pool.

There are more dining options there so that is a plus. I want to try Three Bridges Lounge for dinner on our next visit.
Also, you can see fireworks from the rooftop bar patio- Dahlia Lounge.

But Pop has a better bus system with how it keeps people lined up, so there is that.
We liked the pop food court and Petals pool bar.

 

[bioprof]

We have stayed at both. I think the answer depends on what is most important to someone. We have stayed at Pop many, many times, but we have only stayed at Coronado once. Coronado is a beautiful resort (especially during the holidays), but it's huge and the bus system isn't great. We found that there are multiple stops at Coronado, so you may need to wait until the next bus arrives to be able to catch one. If you plan to drive to the parks, this may not impact you. The QS options were good at Coronado, but not any better than Pop. We are going in summer and Pop (standard room) is only $10 less than Coronado for our travel dates. We still decided on Pop. The Skyliner is a huge plus for Pop, and the bus system is way more efficient than at Coronado. We also like the theming. I think for us, if we were planning to stay AT the resort a lot, we may choose Coronado - the pool is pretty cool there. But for most trips, it's Pop for us because of the better transportation options.

 

[kylenne]

Now that I've stayed at skyliner resorts a few times, I honestly don't think I'll ever stay at a non-skyliner resort again. That's how convenient I think it is. Not having to make the long walk all the way to the front of Epcot for the buses after a long day is so worth it.

You may still need to do that when it goes down for weather, which it will during the summer storm season. But maybe they'll send you to a Crescent Lake resort for a bus. There's no set procedure for it, which is the problem, as is the lack of communication. Don't get me wrong, the Skyliner's a fantastic mode of transportation when it's working, but when it's not...lol. Having seen an absolute clown show back in 2019 when it had been down for hours at the end of the night on a Saturday during F&W, and lesser fiascos literally every time I've been to Epcot in the summer since it came online, I would never stay at a Skyliner resort. Not until Disney gets it together and has some kind of standardized contingency plan for Skyliner resort guests.

Re: the OP I thought about Pop once or twice but ended up booking CSR instead. By every metric besides transportation and price it's a better resort imo.