CSR - would have liked it but...

[dsw]

not to scare you Zachsmom, but i'm sure you will see stuff being taken down and tents still all over the place. I just looked up the actual dates of the convention and it runs from Feb 26th until March 1...but that just means that the vendors will start the clean up on the 2nd. Luckily for you, though, the convention attendees should be gone so I would bet the pools will be open as normal. Have a fun trip though!

[Tara]

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.

[dsw]

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!

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Originally Posted by gabzee

I am considering staying at CSR for the night of March 9 (until we switch resorts). Will this specific convention still be going on? I haven't made the reservation yet (spur of the moment trip). Should I consider a different moderate?

Originally Posted by sunsetbeachgal

I agree with those who said that of course when staying at CSR you should expect conventions and conventioneers, but when the activities and such take over the common areas and disrupt the vacations of others who have paid a pretty penny to stay there too, you have a right to complain. We are staying at CSR March 8-11, and I hope the remnants are gone by then!

Originally Posted by Zachsmom4

We check into CSR on March 4. I certainly hope most everything is cleaned up by then....I'm nervous now.

I think you will all be fine. The Grainger site lists the show from February 26-28, but I found the February 26-March 1 dates at a site that lists trade shows. At any rate, the people will be long gone, so there won't be any special events like pool closures. The Grainger show is the only convention at CSR that I have heard of that has tents set up on the grounds and shuts the pool one afternoon. I'm sure the set up crew will be anxious to get everything taken down, and it is much quicker to break down than to set up.

Originally Posted by Lisann

Here's my two cents on all of this.

I don't blame WDW for not 'informing' every guest that comes down the pike of each and every convention that will be going on. They have no obligation whatsoever to do this; in fact, it's really not any of our business.

However...

It sounds like this "convention" or trade show or dog-and-pony show was INCONVENIENCING every guest on the premises, as evidenced by the poster's description. THAT is what I find entirely unacceptable from WDW.

When you start ruining the OTHER guests' vacations/stays, then it's time to say "enough".

People who experience Pop Warner at the values each year say the same thing, and I agree with you. Unscheduled maintenance is one thing, but if Disney knows that amenities will not be available at a resort due to a private event, it seems that they would notify guests in advance and ask if they want to move. There are posts every year of people trying to escape the wildness of Pop Warner, and few people on the DIS who have experienced it (but not been a part of that group) seem willing to go through it again. Yet Pop Warner comes back year after year after year - Disney apparently makes a lot of money from them during a time that is historically a slower time.

At least I have never heard that the Grainger crowd is drunk and rowdy like the Pop Warner crowd, but it would be very frustrating to be told at the last minute that the pool would be closed for a private event or that parking lots wouldn't be available.

[TinkerwithDis]

Oh I would've had a sh1t fit if i saw that going on!!! I'm usually pretty easy going, but with something like that, i'd want to be moved. I paid a pretty penny for this vacay, no way im ok with my son not swimming when he wants to. Ridiculous.

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?

[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]

Originally Posted by TinkerwithDis

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]

Originally Posted by goofyintoronto

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]

Originally Posted by cigar95

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/Graing...t%20Agenda.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.