CSR - would have liked it but...

[TinkerwithDis]

here is the CS convention info up til May....

March 2012
Mar 2 - 3, VSRA Car Show (Held at Speedway, CSR is host hotel)
Mar 4 - 9, Retail Executive Leadership and Family Business Program (RELP)
Mar 7 - 9, ENAP Trade Show
Mar 10 - 11, International All Star Dance Championships
Mar 13 - 15, FSC Payments Conference (may be canceled)
Mar 21 - 24, AFPPA 2012 Spring Conference
Mar 22 - 23, SRRC 2012 Spring Conference
Mar 25 - 28, Spring World 2012
Mar 26 - 29, Premier Enterprise Conference & Expo (not the headquarters)
Mar 27 - 30, ISPAmerica 2012 Symposium

April 2012
Apr 2 - 4, InfoSec World 2012 (Information Security)
Apr 4 - 7, 2012 American Spirit Pageant
Apr 22 - 25, SAS Global Forum 2012 (Swan & Dolphin are convention headquarters)
Apr 25 - 28, Nursing 2012 Symposium
Apr 27 - 29, USA Cheer Safety Symposium (for trainers and coaches)

May 2012
May 2 - 5, COSUGI Conference
May 16 - 19, NCNP (Nat'l Conference for Nurse Practitioners)
May 25 - 27, SheCon 2012
May 29 - Jun 1, International Muse Conference

I have the link to the CS website conferences, but for some reason i cannot post the link??? Message me if you want the link.

 

[Sandi]

We had a similar experience at our first, last and only stay at CSR. It wasn't nearly as bad as the OP's experience, but it completely turned us off from this resort. We've stayed at other WDW resorts that had conventions going on (BW, for example) and those seemed much more controlled and responsible than did the CSR convention.

The OP's warning is fair and I would have been mad, too.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Having said that, im staying at CS in August. I noticed the Tea Party (political group) are having a convention the week im there. Anyone hear anything about these folks?

Im also staying the same week as you! Im worried now. Anyone hear anything about the tea party convention? is it a big pain in the ###???

 

[avw1295]

Well, this is all very disturbing. I'm checking in on 3/3. I completely understand that CSR is a convention resort and have stayed there during various conventions. It has never been a problem. This does not sound like your every day convention. I do not feel that paying vacation guests should be inconvenienced to that extent without warning. I sure hope the "clean up" efforts are not too visible when we get there.

 

[mom2maggie]

Yeah, I'm checking in on March 4th - I hope that the cleanup doesn't take too much away from it! Are the tents everywhere? Will the parking lots be back to normal?

 

[cigar95]

Im also staying the same week as you! Im worried now. Anyone hear anything about the tea party convention? is it a big pain in the ###???

They're pretty well-behaved, and they clean up after themselves. As convention groups go, you should be in pretty good shape.

(I stayed at CSR at the same time as a Bridgestone Tire Sellers convention, and things were pretty harmless except that the smoking areas and the bar were packed around the clock.)

 

[goofyintoronto]

They're pretty well-behaved, and they clean up after themselves. As convention groups go, you should be in pretty good shape.

(I stayed at CSR at the same time as a Bridgestone Tire Sellers convention, and things were pretty harmless except that the smoking areas and the bar were packed around the clock.)

Oh nice! Thanks! im so relieved.

 

[browneyedgrl4282]

I would recommend contacting someone at Disney about this, especially the way the rep in CSR handled it.

 

[mom2maggie]

http://s15.a2zinc.net/clients/Grain...ploads/Supplier 2012 Orlando Event Agenda.pdf

Looks like the tradeshow isn't over until March 2.

 

[pigletto]

I am sorry to see this. We were at CSR one year ago and had the exact same problem!
The main pool was completely closed for days with no warning until we got there and saw it closed.
Every single inch of lawn space was covered with tables for the banquet and the evenings events broadcast across the lake. It was loud and completely overrun. We're talking thousands of conventioneers. It was a HUGE function and to see it is still happening with no warning to guests is disappointing.
I LOVE CSR. We stayed there for our honeymoon and I would absolutely go back. You will get a handful of people who were there at the same time who say that they barely noticed and it was no big deal. All I can think is that they managed to miss the times when the hotel was overrun and didn't want to swim.
This was the one and only time I have complained at Disney (or any hotel). To their credit they offered us waterpark passes but we already had them, so they comped a night for us.
The manager was nice and we had a pleasant conversation because I have no need to yell and scream or be obnoxious.. it's not like that helps and he didn't book the convention.
But it was a huge disappointment and I would never go back during this particular convention. If you save all year to get one week at Disney it would be a HUGE disappointment to your family.

 

[SusieBea]

Sorry to hear it was such an inconvenience. I agree that informing you ahead of time isn't their obligation, but I also understand how disruptive this all must have been.

For anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation (or just needing to have an issue addressed in general), I would recommend asking to speak to the RESORT manager. Maybe that's what you meant in your description, OP, but the front desk manager is not the same thing.

You know, I was reading a thread on another Dis Board earlier today about how the resorts send out letters to scheduled guests a few weeks before their arrival to notify them if the pools are undergoing refurbishments and telling them what other pool they may use. The example was if the Poly pool is closed, the guests may use the pools at the GF. This case at CS seems as if it could use that kind of treatment although the resort might have to provide transportation to the alternate resort if guests had no vehicles. I think this situation is unacceptable. They have taken away resort amenities for which guests have paid and were expecting. Not OK!

 

[pigletto]

You know, I was reading a thread on another Dis Board earlier today about how the resorts send out letters to scheduled guests a few weeks before their arrival to notify them if the pools are undergoing refurbishments and telling them what other pool they may use. The example was if the Poly pool is closed, the guests may use the pools at the GF. This case at CS seems as if it could use that kind of treatment although the resort might have to provide transportation to the alternate resort if guests had no vehicles. I think this situation is unacceptable. They have taken away resort amenities for which guests have paid and were expecting. Not OK!

Ironically, we received a letter about the pool at POP being closed for refurbishment, so we booked CSR for our first 3 days. Those were relax at the pool days before our package at the Poly began. So it was even more disappointing to spend more to still have no pool access.

Disney could let people know about this, they choose not too. It's not a privacy issue to say somewhere "At this time there will be a major convention taking over many areas of the resort". They choose not to, IMO, because they would lose the extra vacationer bookings. Not cool.

 

[bumbershoot]

Tara - we called the front desk and asked for the resort manager or general manager and this lady (front desk manager) was who we were connected to. after we went no where with her my husband went to the front desk and asked to speak to the highest manager on duty (much later in the day) and guess who we found ourselves speaking to again...the same lady. she said she was the only manager on duty (hard to believe) but my husband thinks that they just sent her out because she was a petite, younger lady...and who's gonna yell/get mad at a lady...and he couldn't!

You are VERY lucky that you actually got someone on the phone who was at the resort. When you call the "front desk" at a resort, you're sent to a call center. You always want to go to the front desk in person, when you have a problem.

No need to get mad, though; you can get help and compensation-of-a-sort without every getting *mad*. Just let them tell you what they think they should give you; takes a bit of time to get them to do it, but it works well for DH.

The front desk manager .... did say we could move resorts, but by then it would have just been more of a pain with 3 small children so we stayed where we were and just dealt with it for the rest of our stay.

Well, that's NOT the decision I would have made! When someone is offering what is truly the ONLY thing that could have helped you, take it! Pack stuff up (doesn't have to be neat and tidy), have the Bell Services people take it to the new resort, go about whatever your business is that day, and meet up with your luggage after official checkin time! Apart from the packing up when not expected, and either tipping the Bell people b/c it's not *their* fault, or stiffing them because it's not *your* fault either, once you're at the new resort and can use the pool and have peace, I bet it would have been worth it.

 

[skater]

If the pool will be closed, you should be notified, IMO. Last year, I changed resorts when I found out that the hot tubs at WL were closed (and I found that out on here after seeing a picture someone posted ). I would be very upset if our kids were excited about a pool day only to have the pool be closed. I don't know about other people, but we book our resort based a lot on the pool area - and we pay more money for it too.

 

[Kazzy1548]

We will be there this friday until the 8 th. We are crossing our fingers hoping the other conventions will be low key....

 

[klm7926]

Oh heck! We're checking in on the 3rd. I'm glad everyone will be gone and hopefully all pools will be open. But it still stinks to have to see all the tear down. I'm sorry for your yucky experience OP! I would've been very upset too!

 

[I Love Pluto]

We have stayed at CSR three times. All three times had very quiet convention activities and personnel. I guess we were lucky!

 

[maxiesmom]

We are checking in on the 7th. I'm really hoping most of the tents and things will be gone, as my sister will not be happy. She is already a bit stressed that I didn't book preferred rooms for us, I don't need something else to upset her. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[MindyDean]

That's awful. We went last July and hit one convention at the end of it and the beginnings of another. Just some business type people at lunch one day at Pepper Market and many at the outside bar at night. If I went and was told to move my car or be towed, I would be furious. Do you think they would really tow a guests' car? Bad publicity. Why in the world would they close the pool. That's ridiculous. All that being said, I'm going with hubby in May to a conference at CSR. I don't imagine they will have tents ect. set up. What is Grainger by the way????

 

[dsw]

Check in area

One of the many parking lots covered in heavy-duty tents, complete with generators and air conditioning...these had to take some major time to put up and I would assume some major time to take back down.

Anyone up for a game of parking lot basketball??

Closing down roads where ever they see fit

Forklifts whizzing through the parking lot where guests/kids walk from their room to their car

View from our room