Just can't decide: Riverside, French Quarter, Caribbean, or Coronado

[msuweather]

I know everyone has pros and cons for all the resorts. We have narrowed down that we want to stay at one of the moderate resorts (waited to late to try DVC rentals).

I've read various reviews and wanted to get some of y'all opinion.

We are leaning towards French Quarter, but does anyone have strong feelings one way or another.

The room will be for two adults.

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. The DIS boards are great!!!

Sincerely,
Tracy

 

[mickeynut1]

I know everyone has pros and cons for all the resorts. We have narrowed down that we want to stay at one of the moderate resorts (waited to late to try DVC rentals).

I've read various reviews and wanted to get some of y'all opinion.

We are leaning towards French Quarter, but does anyone have strong feelings one way or another.

The room will be for two adults.

Thanks in advance for all of your advise. The DIS boards are great!!!

Sincerely,
Tracy

We've only stayed at CBR and we loved everything about it. The atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing, each village has its own quiet pool (which we enjoyed, along with the main pool), the food court was great, and the buses were quick and efficient. Also, CBR is currently undergoing a refurb (with the double beds being replaced with queens), so depending on when you are going, you could get a new room. With that said, POR looks like a beautiful resort and would be my second choice after CBR.

 

[Mynamewastaken]

I would either pick POFQ or CB. I wanted to stay at CB this time but we went with a DVC rental

 

[CWdreamer]

Of the moderates, I have only stayed at POFQ, which we thought was great due to the boat to DTD and the one bus stop.

I know that POR is a favorite of many people, but when were were at POFQ, we were the first bus stop and sometimes, by the time the bus got to the last few stops at POR, it was full. Although it may have also been the time of day were were leaving for the parks.

I think CBR and CSR both look fabulous and I am trying to decide which one to stay at next year myself. I am leaning toward CSR for two reasons. 1) I like the themeing better and 2) because it is a convention resort and I read the other day that even though the resort may seem full, most of those people are not taking the busses to the parks. Not sure if the busses are really affected, but it did make me stop and think. The only reason I am still considering CBR is because the rooms are 340 sq. ft. as opposed to 316 sq. ft. at CSR and since we bring an air mattress with us, the extra space would be good.

Good luck on your choice!

 

[RJstanis]

We debated between 3 of those 4 for us too. I've never stayed at either but research and reviews had us go with POFQ. We are a family of 4 though.

I heard several times CBR while cool themed was more run down than most, so we crossed off that one this trip even though it was originally our first choice before research.

CSR I heard was the nicest (being more parallel to a nice Hilton like hotel), less themed, quietest, pretty grounds, but suited better for those without young children or as couples.

We chose POFQ bc it was less walking, more themed, one close bus stop, and we love the beignets. We have visited this resort several times for beignets, but never stayed.

This is just an abridged version of our pros and cons but maybe it could help. Like I said we have never stayed at any of these resorts so we shall see. We have stayed with our DVC friends at Old Key West and although spread out, was gorgeous and turned us into Disney people last summer.

 

[DaughteroftheKing]

We are staying at POR this November, it will be our fist time at a moderate and I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[andi100]

I have stayed at all four moderates and here's my unbiased opinion...

POFQ - loved it! Small with only one bus stop. Great atmosphere and kids loved the pool. Would stay again in a heartbeat if my kids were still small, but they aren't! So, although this would be our #1 resort with kids, CSR is our #1 resort for an adults only vacation.

POR - stayed with another family who had three children, so we needed the trundle bed (at the time). Too large for me. Next time I would request a preferred room so that I am closer to the food, bus, pool areas. This is a large resort with many bus stops. Probably third on my list of moderates.

CBR - first moderate that I ever stayed at. Nice atmosphere, but is getting rundown. That's why it's being refurbished and they are adding queen beds to catch up with the other moderates. Really nice resort, but wouldn't stay there until after the refurb. This would be fourth on my list of moderates at this time.

CSR - I have to say it's a tie between this one and POFQ, especially now that the kids are grown. I have stayed here three times and one of the best things about this resort, for us, was that we try to plan our trips when the conventioners aren't in town. We have the resort is practically all to ourselves. Depending upon where you want to stay, the business class king room would probably be the best room type for us as a couple. Great location, beautiful rooms and club lounge. For adults only, this is my preference and #1 moderate choice.

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong staying at any of the moderates.

Link for Conventions: It won't let me post the link. coronado dot forumotion dot com/t1242-csr-convention-list.com

 

[AlyssinWonderland]

I've stayed at 3 of the 4 and I will gladly admit that I love CBR and also like POR. My family and I usually pick to stay at CBR even though we could stay at a deluxe. We have a party of 3 and all of us are adults. I think the food court area at CBR is is just awesome, and I really enjoy the landscapes and all the quiet pools. The only exception to this is when they do the large cheerleader gathering this is one of the resorts a lot of them stay at. It was actually better than you'd think but the pools were crazy, and it kinda clogged up transportation a little. Other than that I've always had a A+ experience at CBR. Room location is key to this resort unless you want to wait for the inter-resort shuttle, so unless you like to walk I'd check out the map and make a request for the building that would best suit you. I'm particularly fond of the Jamaica location, but we stay at the Pirate Rooms in Trinidad South a lot.

If you are looking for something a little quieter and maybe more romantic POR is a very nice resort. The buildings are beautiful and the grounds are pretty. (Though, not nearly as vibrant as CBR.) The food court is ok. I don't like it nearly as much at CBR. Also, there are a lot less pools. But still, I would recommend this resort.

I've also stayed at POFQ. I did not enjoy my stay here. We had problems with the staff and had a rather frightening experience at the pool. This was probably 10 years ago though and I've read some pretty decent trip reports at this place since, so I'd be surprised if you had any sort of repeat of our experience. I'm not ready to try it out again yet, but probably will.

I've never stayed at CSR but I've only heard good things. I'm hoping we'll book to stay here soon! I've heard it's a very quiet resort and that the food court is good!

Good luck! Honestly I don't think you can go wrong with any of these resorts!

 

[nkereina]

As two adults, we like POR the best of the mods. We've stayed twice. The boat to DTD is great, food court options are plentiful and good, and even though the resort is large, it keeps people spread out so it feels almost empty all the time.

We visited POFQ and it has a city-type vibe which some people like. We weren't keen on that, but what I liked the least was how crowded it felt since it's so small. People are initially drawn to POFQ since it's so small, so it's often booked to capacity (which means its also often excluded from discounts). It has a relatively small food court, which was packed the two times we visited, and the one bus stop also was crowded. Just didn't do it for us.

We've stayed at CSR and had a good stay, but still preferred POR. We thought CSR trumped POR in the main pool and transportation, but didn't care for the food options/quality at all and also didn't care for the convention vibe. Eating breakfast along the lake next to suits on laptops and blackberries just reminded me of work at home too much.

Trying CBR for the first time this November. Only thing I'm apprehensive of is the 7 bus stops.

 

[msuweather]

I have stayed at all four moderates and here's my unbiased opinion...

POFQ - loved it! Small with only one bus stop. Great atmosphere and kids loved the pool. Would stay again in a heartbeat if my kids were still small, but they aren't! So, although this would be our #1 resort with kids, CSR is our #1 resort for an adults only vacation.

POR - stayed with another family who had three children, so we needed the trundle bed (at the time). Too large for me. Next time I would request a preferred room so that I am closer to the food, bus, pool areas. This is a large resort with many bus stops. Probably third on my list of moderates.

CBR - first moderate that I ever stayed at. Nice atmosphere, but is getting rundown. That's why it's being refurbished and they are adding queen beds to catch up with the other moderates. Really nice resort, but wouldn't stay there until after the refurb. This would be fourth on my list of moderates at this time.

CSR - I have to say it's a tie between this one and POFQ, especially now that the kids are grown. I have stayed here three times and one of the best things about this resort, for us, was that we try to plan our trips when the conventioners aren't in town. We have the resort is practically all to ourselves. Depending upon where you want to stay, the business class king room would probably be the best room type for us as a couple. Great location, beautiful rooms and club lounge. For adults only, this is my preference and #1 moderate choice.

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong staying at any of the moderates.

Andi - I was wondering how you find out when conventioners are in town? I noticed on another thread someone mentioned about a dentist convention at their hotel, is that listed somewhere online?

That doesn't really bother me all that much, just curious. I'm actually one of those but my convention is at the Dolphin later in the week. We are just hopping over there mid-week.

Thanks everyone that has responded so far. You guys have provided great feedback for us to consider.

 

[donnaf516]

We've stayed at 3 of the 4...POFQ is our favorite. POR - we didn't like the themeing of the AB section, just not for us. It's a swampy feel, not my thing. We were in bldg 14 so not too far out but the resort is so spread out you could really be out there. CBR - this would be my second choice for a mod. It's VERY big but we stayed in the Aruba section right over the bridge so it wasn't that bad. We loved the pool there. They are doing a refurb right now and adding queen beds and some rooms for 5. If we moved from the FQ, I'd probably give the CBR another shot. We've LOVE the FQ! With 2 kids it's no nice to not have to hike it back to your room after a long day in the parks. All the CM's we've interacted with have been friendly and helpful and we really liked the entertainment in the lounge. The boat to DTD is a nice perk too.

 

[techman20]

Traditionally I've stayed at POR the most, and stayed there at my last trip in March. I like the fact that the resort has a nice secluded feel, and the Magnolia rooms are fairly nice (love the landscaping). This resort has gotten significantly more busy than it used to be, so be warned the food court is almost always jumping and the bus waits (at least on my trip) were the longest of any of the resorts. At one point (at MK) they seemed to have diverted some other busses to handle the overflow.

Coronado and CBR are nice if you like the theming. Key thing with these two is the location of your room. I have some friends that hated Coronado because their room was on the far side of the lake, and they has a significant walk any time they wanted to refill mugs and whatnot. Both of these are very spread out resorts.

I haven't stayed at FQ yet, we're planning it for the next trip. I was here a lot on our last trip - the pace is more laid back because there are less people, it's a quick walk to POR if you want the amenities and the bus lines are almost always small. When the resort shares a bus with POR, its usually the first to drop off.

 

[Papa48]

we've stayed at CS, CB and PNOR and prefer Coronado Springs -- i do a SLOW start in the morning and the food court experiences at CB and PNOR leave much to be desired for those of us who need breakfast before we'r firing on all thrusters. the Pepper Market is an excellent breakfast choice while the others just are too frantic first thing in the AM. transportation seems a bit more direct, but that can vary from year to year.

 

[Itinkso]

I have stayed at all except for CS. My DD has stayed at all 4 and she prefers CBR. I liked POFQ because it was easy to get to the parking lot and to the bus. Both of my DDs, college-age at the time, didn't like the Mardi Gras decor at POFQ... they thought it was too creepy.

 

[LeeLee'sMom]

We have stayed at POFQ, CBR, CSR and trying POR this August. Of the ones I have tried fav: CSR, CBR then POFQ. Our DD8 liked all of them with CSR high on her list..loved the pool and slide the best at this resort. I loved the quietness and theming. We had conventioners there and there were barely noticeable. I think in our family I was the only one who noticed them when I took my early morning walk for coffee. Bus service was great too. POFQ was quaint and nice...but can't really put my finger on why it was not higher on our list....wasn't bad just wasn't our fav. Hoping POR is all I hear it can be..love the look of it and we are staying in the Royal Room for our princess..let's see if it can surpass CSR for us.

 

[Shaden]

There is a very strong contingent of POFQ lovers on this board, who highlight the smallness of the resort, and the busses.

The busses are a fair point, but I actually dislike POFQ because it is so small, it is tight and almost claustrophobic ... the rooms are stacked higher than more moderates, and they are packed pretty tight, just not my cup of tea.

The mardi gras Clowns and alligators don't really do it for me either, and I think the pool is sub-par compared to most of the other resorts.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

There is a very strong contingent of POFQ lovers on this board, who highlight the smallness of the resort, and the busses. The busses are a fair point, but I actually dislike POFQ because it is so small, it is tight and almost claustrophobic ... the rooms are stacked higher than more moderates, and they are packed pretty tight, just not my cup of tea. The mardi gras Clowns and alligators don't really do it for me either, and I think the pool is sub-par compared to most of the other resorts.

I'm right there with you. We tried POFQ last December as we couldn't get a room at POR. Just not my cup of tea at all. We love POR AB rooms- preferred. So much to do at the resort & the boat to DTD is a must do each trip.

 

[alyssa18o6]

My fiance and I are taking our honeymoon to Disney in June 2015. We decided to stay at a mod resort. Our first choice was CSR, then upon researching we decided it just wasn't for us. Then we decided on POR and we dead set. Then I found out about the CBR renovation and decided on CBR because I loved the look of the room. I made a pros and cons list and decided the only thing I liked about CBR was brand new renovated rooms, that was about it. So we decided for sure that POR was for us. I like that we can take the boat to DTD just to kind of slow down and relax. Yeah we could take the bus, but the boat just sounds so much more fun. The resort it self just looked so much more relaxing, and we enjoy taking nightly walks and figured the resort was just perfect for that. Over all for us it just seemed perfect. I never gave any thought into POFQ, while I like that the resort is smaller the theme just wasn't for me.

 

[mevelandry]

We loved POFQ but the reason why my husband and I prefer other resorts is because POFQ is not exotic enough for us (the trees looks almost the same as what we have in Canada minus the pines) ... We want to feel like we are "in the south"!

That is why we prefer Polynesian/Animal Kingdom Lodge/Coronado Springs and we booked Caribbean Beach for our next trip.


We also thought the spa was a bit on the small side and so was the pool.

Coronado Springs had big spas and our favorite pool so far.

 

[HopperFan]

POFQ is the only one I haven't stayed at but have eaten there, walked all over the grounds as we have stayed at POR many times. I love the real New Orleans, so what is stopping me? I have this nagging thing that there is no table service there, not that I always use them, but it brings a level of expected service to the resort. If all you offer is a food court, it seems you have devalued the service. The atmosphere never oozes moderate to me. It's just never seemed to be worth the rates they charge. I know that folks with kids love it there because it is smaller and a smaller footprint - and I certainly think the pool is very much geared for the very young, at 5 and 9 my kids totally dissed me reserving there for our next trip because it had "a baby pool". The strange part about the resort is walking around you can feel the vibe of the real French Quarter. They did a great job with the iron work, cobblestone walks, squares with gardens and details. It feels very adult. During the day it is quiet and peaceful, which is great, so my instinct is at night there will be beads and music ... not true I know and maybe I sound crazy ...... the resort is small with a pool and food court great for kids ....but it has a theme that is very adult and yet no sit down restaurant. Also if you google images of the room decor, boring, the only color is the purple comforters.

Will I ever stay there? YES! I love the theme. I am waiting for a room rehab or a bargain - and they don't offer many discounts. My suggestion is decide what is most important to YOUR trip and be sure the resort fulfills your expectations.