Can't decide!!!! Coronado springs OR French quarter!!

[hollypoast]

We have stayed at both (& will stay at each again). Our disclaimer: in general, we prefer larger resorts, cruise ships, etc.

Prefer CSR for:
- The grounds, gorgeous and expansive. Lots of walking & we love to walk.
- Restaurants, loved the variety at the Pepper Market.
- Rooms seemed larger and more modern.
- Feels more like a Deluxe than a Moderate
- Seems less crowded, because of spreading layout.

- Drawback - cheerleading conventions in Feb. - Teenagers loosely supervised. Survivable, but ugh...

I've heard the CSR busses are less crowded, due to so many 'conventionears'. We have been there at a convention, so I can't speak to that. I don't notice any difference between transportation at the two resorts, but we go in Feb.


POFQ is nice for:
- Great theming.
- Good evening/ nightlife, if you like that sort of thing (we don't).
- Generally quaint.

What are the dates for the Cheerleading groups?

 

[robynluvsdisney]

Thank you all for the pros and cons. We have stayed at POFQ and I was kind of bummed it was more (just a little) than CSR when we are going in November. I am excited about CSR now. It sounds like it is going to hit the spot. I have a new question if anyone can explain. We have 4 families of 4 going. One family really needed a suite for sleeping children. We are going at a slow time so if we can request a specific area what should we request to be as close together as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

[snorkelyn]

Please help me decide! I like both. Tell me what you like, what you dislike, what the perks, tips and tricks are of both please...

We currently have ressies for French quarter for 7 nights on the S,P,D deal. Coronado is $5 more per night, is it worth the $5 more per night or no?

Why would you choose one over the other? Does one have better transportation times, more frequency?

Which pool is better? Hot tubs are better? Which rooms are better? (Bigger? better locations for the Standard view rooms)

We are staying in the standard view no matter which resort we're at.

Does one have better snack, food, activity options?

I know French quarter has bon fires, I don't know much more.

If you absolutely dislike one resort, please don't just say "I can't stand XXXX , I'd never stay there." Because that does not help me. I need to know WHY. I need to hear the positives and negatives of both.

I like the looks of both. I like that French quarter is smaller...does that mean less walking to get to the dinning/activities/bus stops??? I think the pool LOOKs cooler at Coronado- but is it just the pictures that Disney has posted to make it look that cool???

Please help. Rooms are available at Coronado currently, and our current ressie is for French quarter. If I wait until the 8th (when the offer is available to the general public), the rooms may fill up pretty fast.

We just returned from an 11 day stay at CSR. I would not stay there again. I'll start with the PROS: Beautiful grounds, liked the door to separate bathroom vanity area, Pepper Market was an awesome CS- especially if you are on the dining plan (except for the automatic gratuity they add), great pool.

OK, the CONS, although few, outweighed the pros- so we won't be back. We booked a standard room. We ended up getting the furthest out room in the way-back 40! It was a 15 minute walk each way to the main building. If you have a refillable mug, it would NOT be worth the 30 minute round trip walk! And, you COULD refill at the pool- as long as you do it before 6pm when they close the pool bar/snack bar! It was convienient to a bus stop- but that was it! We have 3 young kids and found that we never enjoyed the amenities offered at the main building because our kids didn't have the energy to walk up there after a day at the parks. You *can* take a bus.....but you'll have to wait for it.

I requested cabanas when I booked the trip, but didn't get it.

Our next stay is booked at POR in a preferred building of Alligator Bayou. I would rather pay for that upgrade than get stuck with a terrible room location again.

Good luck with your decision. If you do decide on CSR, at least TRY to request a better location such as Cabanas- which seem to be central to the main pool, main building and a bus stop (although, everyone who got on at this stop had to stand since it was the 3rd stop)

 

[Shaden]

I was saying fast in the grand scheme of things. I wasn't trying to say it was a speed boat. Just that for a boat ride it was fast to me and comparable to a bus ride plus it let me off right in the center of DTD. Everything's relative.

Also, I didn't complain about the walk in any way. I simply stated that it was one of the longer walks to a food court that I've dealt with and estimated around what I thought it was. Also, I never complained that CSR was "too big". I simply stated that it was "huge", especially compared to the FQ. And as far as the people go I stated that if you are there with a convention it "could" get annoying. I apologize that you read what I wrote in a negative way as I was only stating my opinions and observations.

Oh my, no need to apologize, though yes I did read your post in a negative tone, I think mine came across in a harsh tone as well

I think it was the Caps and Bolding of the word "huge" when describing CSR that made me read it in the negative tone.

Yea like I said the boat is nice, we were there for almost 2 weeks in may, and after a couple trips on the boat started taking the bus, we actually found it to be much faster, but, maybe not as nice

Hey, nothing wrong with opinions or observations, sorry if I came off as harsh sounding, didn't mean to.

 

[Shaden]

We ended up getting the furthest out room in the way-back 40! It was a 15 minute walk each way to the main building. If you have a refillable mug, it would NOT be worth the 30 minute round trip walk! And, you COULD refill at the pool- as long as you do it before 6pm when they close the pool bar/snack bar!

This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts. There is no 15 min walk at CSR, unless you have an issue which makes you walk slower. The FARTHEST walk possible is 640 Meters to the main building.

That means that at an Average walking speed of 5km/hour (this is not fast, it is a normal average walk, no effort to rush) it would take 8 mins or less to walk to the main building from the farthest point at CSR. Meaning your round trip would be 16 mins or less ... what you estimated for a one way trip, or roughly half the length. Still not a short trip, but its really not near as big a deal breaker as 30 mins ... And yes the pool and pool bar is right there until it closes.


CSR is beautiful, and while its big, from the vast majority of rooms your walk will be 5 mins or less, and the longest, well that's above.

 

[ready123go]

What are the dates for the Cheerleading groups?

There are various Cheer & Dance competitions from the end of January to mid-March or so. I found a list, but the dates are both 2013 & 2014, so I'm not sure if the list is accurate or not. ESPN WWS

National HS Cheerleading Competition (NHSCC) for 2014 will be Feb 8-9. And, yep, we'll be right in the midst of it. This year it won't be so rough for us, we are staying at BCV, a deluxe instead of value or moderate. We have encountered larger groups at both vals & mods, but not so much at the deluxes. It's also a leisure trip. We don't have to get up before the chickens for 6:00am meetings, so loud teenagers at midnight won't be as disruptive.

Having said all that - those kids are cute & sweet...and so darn peppy!

 

[Tink0812]

My family has stayed at POFQ on a couple occasions. We love it because we tend to spend our evenings at DTD and having the convenience of the boat is wonderful. My mom and I also love to shop too so we spend pretty much any down time there. The theming holds a special place in my heart because several years ago I did Hurricane Katrina relief in New Orleans and the only place in the city left undamaged was the French Quarter and the resort just reminds me of how beautiful it was. We also enjoy the rooms because they resemble the size of deluxe rooms. There are five in my family so we always brought along an air mattress which there was plenty of room for without tripping over it. The food court has plenty of different choices and seems well organized and we never once had troubles with the buses. The grounds are very pretty and it's nice to be able to walk around both FQ and RS early in the morning. The pool is nice too but we never really spend time there (we would rather hit up the water parks). With all of that being said, I am staying at CSR for the first time next week so I will let everyone know what I think of it, especially in comparison.

 

[snorkelyn]

This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts. There is no 15 min walk at CSR, unless you have an issue which makes you walk slower. The FARTHEST walk possible is 640 Meters to the main building.

That means that at an Average walking speed of 5km/hour (this is not fast, it is a normal average walk, no effort to rush) it would take 8 mins or less to walk to the main building from the farthest point at CSR. Meaning your round trip would be 16 mins or less ... what you estimated for a one way trip, or roughly half the length. Still not a short trip, but its really not near as big a deal breaker as 30 mins ... And yes the pool and pool bar is right there until it closes.


CSR is beautiful, and while its big, from the vast majority of rooms your walk will be 5 mins or less, and the longest, well that's above.

Sorry I'm driving you nuts Shaden! But I disagree with you. Allears says the walk from El Centro to Ranchos is .46 miles. I bet that doesn't include walking from the back of the building to the front. And walking through El Centro to wherever within the building that you are going. After a long day at the parks... it can seem very long! After 11 days of this, my family didn't like it. OP asked for opinions, and I am just sharing mine.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I like CSR over POFQ. I personally dont care for the smallness of POFQ at all. i'd rather have a bigger resort with more options. The only thing i like about POFQ is the boat to DTD. However, my absolute fave resort is POR. But thats another story.

What I love about CSR:

- the pool, to me, is nicer than POFQ.
- love that there's a sand volleyball court
- I love that there's QS at the pool (with mug refills!)
- my son loved the arcade at the pool...and ping pong!
- the BEST bus service EVER! never waited more than 5 min, never had to stand. That includes boarding after wishes!
- we had a standard room and stayed at cabanas. AMAZING location. Right across the pool and bus stop!

 

[LONES]

This is the kind of stuff that drives me nuts. There is no 15 min walk at CSR, unless you have an issue which makes you walk slower. The FARTHEST walk possible is 640 Meters to the main building.

That means that at an Average walking speed of 5km/hour (this is not fast, it is a normal average walk, no effort to rush) it would take 8 mins or less to walk to the main building from the farthest point at CSR. Meaning your round trip would be 16 mins or less ... what you estimated for a one way trip, or roughly half the length. Still not a short trip, but its really not near as big a deal breaker as 30 mins ... And yes the pool and pool bar is right there until it closes.


CSR is beautiful, and while its big, from the vast majority of rooms your walk will be 5 mins or less, and the longest, well that's above.

I still think it's valid for people to give their experiences with the walk. I travel with my huband, 2 kids, and my parents. My youngest daughter is tiny, and slow as molasses. I would guess she takes 4 steps to my every one step. That 8 minute walk would be closer to 15 minutes with her along with me. The other option is to pick her up and carry her. Now my 8 minute leisurely stroll through a beautiful resort isn't looking so good.

My dad is pushing 70, and walks with a cane. I know I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that 8 minute walk would be closer to 25 minutes for him. Even though the average person posting might be exagerating when they say it was a 15 minute walk.... I at least know it was bad enough that they remember it as a drawback. I also know that for my situation.... it would not be tolerable.

We just booked a trip for January. We booked the 1st day of the Disney Visa offer, and could have had our pick of most anywhere. My Dad decided on French Quarter, because as he said, "Even if we have the worst luck on the planet with our room location, I should be able to handle it".

 

[Shaden]

I still think it's valid for people to give their experiences with the walk. I travel with my huband, 2 kids, and my parents. My youngest daughter is tiny, and slow as molasses. I would guess she takes 4 steps to my every one step. That 8 minute walk would be closer to 15 minutes with her along with me. The other option is to pick her up and carry her. Now my 8 minute leisurely stroll through a beautiful resort isn't looking so good.

My dad is pushing 70, and walks with a cane. I know I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that 8 minute walk would be closer to 25 minutes for him. Even though the average person posting might be exagerating when they say it was a 15 minute walk.... I at least know it was bad enough that they remember it as a drawback. I also know that for my situation.... it would not be tolerable.

We just booked a trip for January. We booked the 1st day of the Disney Visa offer, and could have had our pick of most anywhere. My Dad decided on French Quarter, because as he said, "Even if we have the worst luck on the planet with our room location, I should be able to handle it".

Oh no doubt there are reasons people walk slower, as I noted in my post, that unless you have an issue which causes you to walk slowly, this just isn't true.

And that's the exact problem. If I say to you, its a 15 min walk each way, and then you read that and think, wow, with my Daughter or Father with me, that's going to be a 30 min walk each way. We have gone from what is, in actuality for the average person an 8 min walk max, to a 15 min walk, now to a 30 min walk in each direction.

People are welcome to share their experiences, that's what the OP asked for, but people constantly exaggerate things, and misrepresent them, particularly walking distances in resorts, and this does not help people asking for information.

And yes, at POFQ the longest walk is around (or just under) 350 Meters and the vast majority are shorter.

 

[snorkelyn]

Oh no doubt there are reasons people walk slower, as I noted in my post, that unless you have an issue which causes you to walk slowly, this just isn't true.

And that's the exact problem. If I say to you, its a 15 min walk each way, and then you read that and think, wow, with my Daughter or Father with me, that's going to be a 30 min walk each way. We have gone from what is, in actuality for the average person an 8 min walk max, to a 15 min walk, now to a 30 min walk in each direction.

People are welcome to share their experiences, that's what the OP asked for, but people constantly exaggerate things, and misrepresent them, particularly walking distances in resorts, and this does not help people asking for information.

And yes, at POFQ the longest walk is around (or just under) 350 Meters and the vast majority are shorter.

wow. Shaden..i I am feeling a bit defensive as you continue to insist that I am exaggerating. Perhaps you are exaggerating in the opposite direction! Perhaps you are a speed walker? My room was half a mile from the main building (I mapped it on google maps so we could put this to rest), and it was NOT an 8 minute walk as you insist it must have been. There were other people on the paths to contend with, passing golf carts, etc. We are a healthy, fit family of 5 (kids aged 9,7 and 5) Maybe if it were the only walking I had to do on a WDW trip, I wouldn't have minded, but It was a hike with 3 tired children at the end of a day. My opinion (as well as many others all over the internet) is that the rooms can be quite far from the main building. This is the most common complaint about this resort.

What we both agree on is that CSR is a beautiful resort. But please stop calling me out on my experience! It was a LONG WALK!

 

[Shaden]

wow. Shaden..i I am feeling a bit defensive as you continue to insist that I am exaggerating. Perhaps you are exaggerating in the opposite direction! Perhaps you are a speed walker? My room was half a mile from the main building (I mapped it on google maps so we could put this to rest), and it was NOT an 8 minute walk as you insist it must have been. There were other people on the paths to contend with, passing golf carts, etc. We are a healthy, fit family of 5 (kids aged 9,7 and 5) Maybe if it were the only walking I had to do on a WDW trip, I wouldn't have minded, but It was a hike with 3 tired children at the end of a day. My opinion (as well as many others all over the internet) is that the rooms can be quite far from the main building. This is the most common complaint about this resort.

What we both agree on is that CSR is a beautiful resort. But please stop calling me out on my experience! It was a LONG WALK!

No need to feel defensive, but yes, unless you are transparent with limitations, ie tired kids slowing you down, or give a distance (slightly less than .5 miles) you are exaggerating when you say its a 15 minute walk.

If the average walking speed is around 3 mph (slightly more) and you are saying its 15 mins that would suggest that its 0.75 miles when in actuality its according to all ears 0.46 ? and according to my measures on google Earth, even slightly shorter than that, assuming you were at the farthest room from el centro.

So your estimate, while accurate in your experience, without pointing out the restrictions on your speed, suggests the distance is almost double what it actually is.

That's like saying it takes 25 mins to walk from the buses at epcot until you get in the park, but not mentioning the lines you had to wait in at bag check and then turnstiles ...

Its your experience, no doubt that's how you remember it, but I can't see that it helps someone to provide unclear or misleading information about the distances across the resort.

And yes, you are right, the walking is the most common complaint about CSR, POR, CBR, AoA LM, etc etc, and quite often the distances are greatly exaggerated. A PP estimated that it "could" take up to 10 mins to walk from your room to el centro, you are saying 15, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone say 20 mins (I have seen this on POR threads), its just not accurate unless you explain why it took -you- so long, it doesn't give a proper estimate of the size of the resort or the experience of guests there, IMO. And for me, that's frustrating. When I was on these boards for the first time, I was told all kinds of terrible things about the walk at POR, and I didn't have any personal experience to second guess them with. I know it can be very confusing to get conflicting reports. After the fact I now know that POR.org actually has posted the longest and shortest distances between any two points on the resort, and its there for a reason.

Its not a shot at you, so please don't take it as such, its just me and my desire to provide as accurate of details as possible to people. You were just trying to help, I am just trying to help.

 

[pooh2001]

We are torn between the 2 also - but as long as you avoid the Rancho's at CSR, you will be fine.

Also ask yourself - do you need to go to DTD ? Do you want to use a pool or hot tub while in WDW ? Do you eat at the resort ?
Are there conventions at CSR while you are there and what kind?
May HS grads stay at CSR - normally the Rancho section.

Buses are about the same for either resort and rooms are similar.

Our family views:

We have a pool at home - and on our 10 day trips to WDW, we used the pool twice - so for us the pool is a take it or leave it.

Eating at the resort - we eat breakfast in our room (milk from the gift shop, cereal and granola bars we pack with us).
I would say the rest of our meals are in the parks or at Deluxe resorts.

DTD - some trips we never made it there, other trips we went once.

So if the only deciding factor is the walk to the bus stop - either resort is fine. CSR has 4 bus stops - one for each section.

 

[Babsy]

I have stayed at both. I prefer CSR over POFQ.

What I like about CSR:
-The grounds are gorgeous and the resort is beautiful. Love walking around the resort and the Southwest theme. Beautiful lobby area.
-Love the variety of food choices...Pepper Market plus a quick service area, bar, table service, great food at the pool too.
-The pool is my favorite on property.....large and lots of seating. The hot tub is the largest on Disney property and MUCH nicer than the one at POFQ.
-Multiple Bus stops and the resort does not share buses.
-Has the feel of a Deluxe.
-Nice playground area, they also do bonfire, s'mores, and outdoor movies.

What I like about POFQ:
-Rooms are nice...recently remodeled.
-The boat to DTD.
-Selections at food court.
-Small grounds are great if you are there when it is cooler...less walking.

I would choose CSR mainly for the pool, the transportation, hot tub, and variety of food choices. Both resorts are nice. I doubt you would dislike either. The boat to DTD is wonderful....if you spend a lot of time there, POFQ would be a great choice. That being said, I think CSR is worth the extra $5 a night.

We are debating between CSR and VWL for our next trip.

That pretty much sums up how we feel too. POFQ is great, but CSR is just a little bit nicer theme wise and the pool is way better!! It is definitely worth the extra $5 IMO.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

I was thinking about staying at Coronado for my January stay. I love the beach theme!! And there's hammocks you can lay on!
French Quarter seems to be more popular thoughh..

 

[Babsy]

Thank you all for the pros and cons. We have stayed at POFQ and I was kind of bummed it was more (just a little) than CSR when we are going in November. I am excited about CSR now. It sounds like it is going to hit the spot. I have a new question if anyone can explain. We have 4 families of 4 going. One family really needed a suite for sleeping children. We are going at a slow time so if we can request a specific area what should we request to be as close together as possible. Thanks in advance.

Make a request on your reservation to have your rooms as close together as possible. Unfortunately, trying to stay close together is just a request with Disney and may not work out. There are no guarantees. One thing that you could do, is pay extra for the business class rooms in cabanas 9B. then you would all be in the same building (9B) and have the best location in CSR, plus some snacks etc in the lounge. As far as I know there are no suites in CSR, but then I have never tried for one so I am not sure about that. If someone needs a suite perhaps AoA might work where you can book suites at a fair price (for WDW) and there are some standard rooms in the little mermaid section for others that might not want a suite. Another option for suites is ASMu

If you want standard rooms in CSR:
The cabanas or the casitas are the closest sections to the main building, the ranchos are the furthest walk. For standard rooms we usually request casitas 4 because I like the look of the area best and we find it convenient to everything without being too far a walk. Bus stop 2 is just behind it, there is a quiet pool nearby, and the main pool isn't far. Another standard room building that we like is Cabanas 8B which is near bus stop 4 and quite close to the main pool. There are also hammocks on the beach nearby, if you like those.

Good luck!!

 

[Shaden]

I was thinking about staying at Coronado for my January stay. I love the beach theme!! And there's hammocks you can lay on!
French Quarter seems to be more popular thoughh..

Like I said earlier, these boards in particular really do have a huge POR and FQ following, other places not so much.

I have stayed at POR and CSR and Love them both.

Hammocks are AWESOME !!!! Especially with a bottle of wine