Coronado Springs Resort - New Unofficial FAQ Thread - November 2012

[IMGONNABE40!]

Thanks for the great info here!


I have booked a stay for the week after Thanksgiving.

For breakfast I like to get a bagel and be able to toast it myself. Sometimes I like it with peanut butter, sometimes with scrambled eggs. During my recent stay at CBR, I was able to have this each morning. The food-court sold a side of scrambled eggs and I didn't have to order a big platter just to get the eggs. ( I had my own p-butter).

Will I be able to do this at CSR? I am not really sure how Pepper Market works in this regard, or whether there is another place I can go that is a bit more self service.

Thanks!

 

[Koh1977]

Has anyone stayed at POR or CBR and CSR before? Why is CSR a better choice for a moderate?

 

[JohnO]

Has anyone stayed at POR or CBR and CSR before? Why is CSR a better choice for a moderate?

We've stayed at CSR and POR. They're really close but I prefer CSR. The buses are definitely better at CSR. Food court better at POR, rooms are nicer at CSR. I really have few complaints about either place, if I had to make a split second decision between the two, I choose CSR.

I would gladly stay at either resort, they are by far the best two moderates.

 

[delilah18]

where is the elevators located in cabanas 9 b? also do you get upgraded tolietries staying business level? thanks

 

[delilah18]

Anyone

 

[annmarieda]

All of the pictures I've seen of the rooms just have a desk in them instead of a table with two chairs, like in most other rooms. Are there ANY rooms with tables or do all of them have desks? I really like the look of Coronado Springs, but since we would be eating breakfast some in the room and will have 5 and 6 year old kids, I don't know how eating cereal would go without a table for both of them to sit at. I hate for that to be a reason why we don't choose this resort, but I think it may be. I would love it if it were just DH and I, but I don't know if the room would work for my family. Has anyone else missed not having a table for meals in the room?

I really loved the overall feel of CSR.... but for small kids... yeah it would not be my first choice. The lack of table is just a start to my reasons why.

 

[kellymarch]

Just came home from Coronado Springs if anyone has questions. We were there for the Princess Half Marathon.
Liked the resort and our room (Ranchitos 6110) was nice. Clean room, great mouse keeping and super fun waterside. Bus service was not the best but the resort was very crowded.
My only complaint is about the food court. I don't have anything good to say about it. The service was extremely slow, the food was terrible, and because we were a party of six we were charged an 18% tip on our bill. Our server brought us drinks one time. We ate two meals there and then drove over to the All Star Sports for the rest of our meals.

Not really impressed with Pepper Market (here now) either. Although on the Dining Plan, our "bill" comes with an 18% and a 20% option for tipping. That seems crazy for a food court where you basically do all the leg work going from station to station (for self & kids). The staff are friendly but not forthcoming with information. We are just a family of 4, so not a large group.

 

[Buddy18]

Its only a recommended tip and that is on all the WDW restaurant receipts.

 

[KatMark]

We've not had "young kids" with us at CSR since they made the changes. I have read numerous posts in TR's and reviews that the adults had the kids sit on the floor and use the ottomans as their tables for their breakfast. We actually prefer the desk over the table, but then we are two older adults with no youngsters anymore.

 

[annmarieda]

Just came home from Coronado Springs if anyone has questions. We were there for the Princess Half Marathon.
Liked the resort and our room (Ranchitos 6110) was nice. Clean room, great mouse keeping and super fun waterside. Bus service was not the best but the resort was very crowded.
My only complaint is about the food court. I don't have anything good to say about it. The service was extremely slow, the food was terrible, and because we were a party of six we were charged an 18% tip on our bill. Our server brought us drinks one time. We ate two meals there and then drove over to the All Star Sports for the rest of our meals.

AWE!!! I am super jealous. Our mousekeeping was horrid. We had a broken towel rod the entire stay...so I guess the gal doing our room just thought we didn't need towels. With no towels, then I guess we didn't need to shower either, right? So no toiletries. We had to grab both towels and toiletries off of her cart daily. One day... she was in our room "cleaning" and was in for about 30 minutes while we waited outside at the pool (we were in Cabanas, right near the pool) I am not sure why she was in our room so long or what she "did" I drew a note on the mirror... "when was I last washed" I wonder how long it will be there. It was there days after I put it there. Oh...and garbage can liners are apparently a guests responsibility to put in the can now. And... if you wonder if tipping or lack there of was a factor. I tipped almost the entire trip. (for what? I am not sure) I ended up not for the last couple nights... I just didn't see the point any more... I guess she did make the beds....

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Coronado fans... Do you think you would prefer it to the swan and dolphin? I have never been to Coronado but the pictures of the resort look lovely.

I have same question.

 

[Koh1977]

Annmarieda - did you say anything at the front desk? Other reasons why you wouldn't recommend CSR for families with small kids?

 

[annmarieda]

Annmarieda - did you say anything at the front desk? Other reasons why you wouldn't recommend CSR for families with small kids?

We did not. Everything else about our stay was perfect...and it was a fairly short trip that was fairly busy and taking time out for it just didn't occur to me.

The other reasons I would not recommend CSR for families with small kids...

The room itself is not as "fun". It is a very nice room...very tasteful and pretty. Yet... it is not themed heavily (IMHO) It reminds me of a standard room in any hotel. (the grounds I consider to be heavily themed)

The walk to the main building can be a bit of a walk.

It is a convention hotel so there are business people around. This to me added to the "regular hotel" feel. Not that the convention guests were ever the least bit in my way or inhibited my disney vacation... but just their presence made it seem a bit more "grown up"

adding again to the "grown up" atmosphere is how many lounges or bars are on site. Not that anyone from the bar or the bar itself impacted my trip with my child... but as I said... it just added yet more of a grown up feel.

 

[RachelTori]

Coronado fans... Do you think you would prefer it to the swan and dolphin? I have never been to Coronado but the pictures of the resort look lovely.

I have same question.

Apples and oranges. It depends what's important to you and your family. Both are convention hotels, but CSR wins out for theming. However, the location of S&D is hard to beat and although S&D themselves are not awash in Disney theming......... all you have to do is look out your window!

Fantasmick, I saw your post on the Swan/Dolphin thread. S&D charge a $14/night + tax mandatory Resort Fee. If you have a vehicle, add $15 or $16/night + tax parking fee.

CSR is Disney-owned so you get Magical Express, Extra Magic Hours, room charging at the parks and resorts, and can do the Dining Plan.

Swan (Westin) and Dolphin (Sheraton) are not owned by Disney so no Magical Express, charging at parks and resorts (other than at S&D) and no Dining Plan. You DO get Extra Magic Hours.

CSR has Queen beds as does Swan. Dolphin has doubles. (Both resorts offer King.) Room size is pretty equivalent - although for bathrooms, IMHO, CSR is best; Swan is next; and Dolphin comes in last with the smallest bathroom.

HTHs!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Re: preference over Swan/Dolphin. (Could not quickly locate the post to quote.)

On this last trip, we spent an afternoon visiting other resorts, including the Swan and Dolphin while we waited for our mini-golf tee time. My sister and I both agreed that we would not enjoy staying at the Swan or Dolphin because of the general un-Disney feel of the hotel. Yes, you can look out the window and see Epcot, but for me, the "feel" of the resort is in the little things: the music playing in the lobby, the lack of outside interference and the Disney touches that are everywhere. In the S/D lobbies, there were TVs, pop music blaring and newspapers laying about. At the CSR, the lobby has light sounds of latino music and a fountain. There was an escalator in the Dolphin, I think? Just felt so industrial to me, like it could be anywhere. We don't feel like that at CSR. The theming is so interwoven into the fabric of the resort. I love my "Disney bubble" where I'm free from news channels, newspapers and the outside world. I felt the same way when we stayed at Shades of Green - it just didn't have the immersion factor we prefer.

 

[Koh1977]

Anybody at CSR now? I'd love to read a trip report!

 

[annmarieda]

Anybody at CSR now? I'd love to read a trip report!

I got back last week and so I should be starting one up very soon

 

[SharonZ]

I was there last week and seeing business people attending conventions did not alter my opinion of the hotel. This was my third stay at CSR, first in business class, and it being a convention hotel was a bonus for me - less people on the buses during the day. I prefer the toned down theming at CSR - to each his own.

 

[Koh1977]

I was there last week and seeing business people attending conventions did not alter my opinion of the hotel. This was my third stay at CSR, first in business class, and it being a convention hotel was a bonus for me - less people on the buses during the day. I prefer the toned down theming at CSR - to each his own.

How was business class? Did you use the lounge much? I would hate to pay the extra and then not even be around to grab drinks or whatnot before it closed.

 

[SharonZ]

How was business class? Did you use the lounge much? I would hate to pay the extra and then not even be around to grab drinks or whatnot before it closed.

For me, the location alone was worth the price difference. It's a scaled down version of concierge, with limited offerings and although some people think it's a meal replacement - it definitely is not. It's open from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. If you are commando park people that arrive at rope drop and stay for the fireworks at EPCOT, then it's probably not a good idea with the limited hours and no afternoon access. I didn't make it there every day, and didn't ask to take food or beverages back to the room with me - it's very nice and accomodating, although it's very small and the staff members were very pleasant.