Which Moderate should I choose?

[buzznina]

First; you cannot really go wrong with any of the Mods, we think they are a great fit for our family. I would just look at photos etc. of each resort and pick what your family thinks they would like the best.
Here is my DDs (12 & 7) ratings of the CSR, POFQ & POR We have been lucky enough to have stayed at each a good number of times.
Favorite resort: POFQ By far their favorite of the 3
Favorite slide: CSR and the spitting jaguar, followed by POR
Favorite pool: POR and POFQ they thought CSR was boring and liked how the PO pools "curved" around.

To our family, buses are buses, we have had great service and a few not so great times with buses at all 3 resorts. DW and I like POFQ with only 1 bus stop and the number of times we shared with POR were very few and even then POFQ was the 1st stop each way. We like having 2 sinks in the wash area vs 1 that CSR has, makes it much easier in morning when everyone is getting ready. We usually stay 9-10 nights so we will have 1-2 resort days and, for us, POR/POFQ has more family activities than CSR. Surrey bike rentals, family entertainment with yee haa Bob, carriage rides and a big plus the boat to DS.

Have a great time

 

[piglet1979]

We have stayed at CSR and POR. We likes the pool better at CSR for 2 reasons. The slide in our opinion was better and it is easier to see the whole pool. My husband and I are not much of swimmers so we watch the kids from the side of the pool. CSR is just more open. I liked the rooms better at CSR because it has sliding wood doors that separate the room from the bathroom area. Much better then a curtain. Also the buses were much better at CRS. It is also quieter too.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

A good thing about Caribbean Beach is that the pool has 2 water slides. Now, one is definitely larger than the other, but still, there are two. As others have said, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the moderate resorts. Personally, I'd probably choose Caribbean Beach for your family. The pool is truly excellent, which you said is a big priority. It is my opinion that the pool is better here than at POR or PORFQ. I'd choose Caribbean Beach over Coronado Springs because, even though the pool at CSR is good, I think that the overall theme at CBR is better. CBR also has the largest rooms of the moderates which is nice. I cannot really recommend the Pirate Rooms, though. We stayed in one in December and, while I'm glad we did it, I don't see it being repeated. The rooms seem smaller with the larger bed frames which is interesting considering those beds are doubles where the rest of the resort has queen beds.

Now, that said, Coronado Springs is a convention resort and Disney really takes care of those. While I wouldn't think any of the rooms would really be run-down, CSR is one that they definitely pay a lot of attention to and replace anything that is broken, stained, ripped, etc. very quickly. In other words, CSR is going to be very nice and the last one that I would ever think would look sloppy. They also have excellent dining options here.

POR and POFQ are nice in that you can use both pools. I think the POFQ pool is a bit nicer than POR, but prefer the rooms at POR. And, even though they are teenagers and might be a little too cool for it, the Royal Guest Rooms at POR are super nice.

So yeah, you really can't go wrong here with any of them, but I'l probably recommend Caribbean Beach, then Coronado Springs, then Port Orleans Riverside, and finally Port Orleans French Quarter.

 

[mdsouth]

To begin, I have stayed at three of the four mods - PORFQ, CSR and CBR. When we were staying at PORFQ we also swam in POR's pool since we could as POR/PORFQ has pool privledges.

I loved PORFQ for the size but for your family I think CSR would be the best fit first of all because of the main pool with the slide, plus there are also the quiet pools you can take advantage of too. CSR has the best pool and water slide for reasons others have already mentioned. But I know it is the longest slide and for me the best in that it was much easier to watch the kids go up the slide and slide down. You could easily watch them and not be worried they were out of your sight.

POR's slide setup is not the best for parents trying to give their kids a bit of independence but wanting to watch them. They are out of sight a lot of the time when they are walking up and standing in the slide line. CBR's slide is a bit better at being able to see them but it is not as long as CSR's.

When we were in CSR we stayed in the Cabanas and loved the location. It was a short pleasant walk across the bridge to the main pool and also close to the main lobby with the food court.

The queen beds and the sliding door between the beds and the sink/dressing area was nice in the mornings or late at night when the kids were in bed but I was up getting ready early. I could have the light on and with the door it kept the rest of the room dark for those sleeping and gave more of a sound barrier between the two areas over just a curtain.

We found the bus situation at CSR to be good. There were two bus stops near our room and it did not take long for the bus to make its round around the resort before heading to the parks.

My son loved the cheesburger he had at the little food bar right at the pool. We enjoyed grabbing a bite to eat (quick service price) and sitting out by the pool to eat. We also liked Pepper Market and the variety of food you could get. A good steak dinner with a baked potato or the fajitas for a counter service price!

Best pool and slide is at Coronado. We have always had great bus service here too except for the occasional service hiccup now and then that all resorts can get. They have 4 stops around the resort and share with no other resorts. No area is very far from a bus stop. At the parks we have found the CSR bus stops to be very convenient compared to other moderates pick up/drop off locations, but those can vary when they re-do the bus areas at the parks so it can change.

The Pepper Market has more made to order food than the other counter service places we have tried, a tad more expensive though. Rix grab-n-go has decent a.m. and p.m. selections and snacks, even the Siesta pool bar has decent, but limited, food choices. Two table service restaurants here also, Maya Grill is perfect for upscale Tex-Mex, though again it's a little pricey. Their "for two" platters would be enough for most families of four though. The second one, Las Venetas, seems more geared to the convention center people.

CSR is starting a hard goods rehab this month, but will close one building at a time for the work, it will not impact other buildings or areas. All rooms have queen beds. You might see conventioneers around the resort at times, but they tend to be in meetings all day so don't impact the pool or park busses much. Can see them mostly in the restaurants and bars in the evenings. CSR is our favorite resort!

DD and I did a mother-daughter trip when she was 9, stayed at CSR. She LOVED the pool and slide, still talks about it. She's 19 now.

DH and I stayed at CSR for my birthday trip this past summer, his first time there. He loved it - great ambiance, beautiful grounds, good buses.

At this point, we'd have to find a MUCH cheaper rate to consider another moderate over CSR.

My family sounds a lot like yours. We must have queen beds and the kids must have an amazing pool. They also like pool time just as much as the parks and sometimes even more.

We've done CBR twice. We loved it both times. We never had an issue with transportation. We never waited more than 5 minutes except for once when the wait was about 15 minutes. The kids LOVED the pool. We did midday breaks by the pool and even one rest day by the pool. We were in Jamaica both times with a very short 3 minute walk to OPR. We enjoyed the QS options.

I will say I want to try CSR. I think my kids would also love that pool.

We have stayed at CSR and POR. We likes the pool better at CSR for 2 reasons. The slide in our opinion was better and it is easier to see the whole pool. My husband and I are not much of swimmers so we watch the kids from the side of the pool. CSR is just more open. I liked the rooms better at CSR because it has sliding wood doors that separate the room from the bathroom area. Much better then a curtain. Also the buses were much better at CRS. It is also quieter too.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Actually POR has 4 bus stops. There's a North, South, East and West depot.

You are right...that's what I get posting before coffee

 

[dansdad]

You are right...that's what I get posting before coffee

 

[Tonberry]

Thanks for everyone's help!
We booked CSR last night!

 

[katt789]

POFQ is over all, everything including price included, my favorite resort on Disney property
-Doesn't share busses, and only has 1 stop for the resort, none of that circling around before/after picking you up and taking longer/super full busses
-Great food court
-Added bonus: can use the food court & pool over at Riverside at ease
-Wonderfully themed
-Comfy beds, nice rooms, larger size (though we were in a corner room so that might've effected it)

 

[revdon64]

TBH, I haven't stayed at any of the others, but love FQ. Small resort so everything is close. Pool is fun without being overcrowded. Boat to Springs. Dedicated bus service. And beignets!

 

[mickey2minnie1]

Based on the importance of pool, do not do FQ. It is too small and simple. The slide is short. They will be bored quickly.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Thanks for everyone's help!
We booked CSR last night!

Great! Not one I have stayed at, but have heard great things about the pool

 

[mdsouth]

Thanks for everyone's help!
We booked CSR last night!

Cool! It will be a great choice for your family - your kids will love the pool area! And their is a nice playground with swings, etc. right by the pool too. Have fun! and when your trip is over come back to this thread to share how you like it!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

We love CSR. It has the most and highest-level amenities of all the moderates. Three bars/lounges with long hours (a poolside bar with a food menu, a lakeside kiosk with seating, and a full-blown inside lounge), a large food court with long hours, two table-service restaurants, a huge and amazing pyramid pool, an easily accessible front desk/central services building (El Centro), and dedicated bus service on a fast, four-stop loop. POFQ has few amenities. POR has lounge entertainment, but a poolside bar with poor hours and no food. Both PO resorts share bus service. CBR is ridiculously huge and has the worst bus service of all the moderates, and a front desk in a satellite building that you can't easily walk to.

 

[Nancyg56]

Best pool and slide is at Coronado. We have always had great bus service here too except for the occasional service hiccup now and then that all resorts can get. They have 4 stops around the resort and share with no other resorts. No area is very far from a bus stop. At the parks we have found the CSR bus stops to be very convenient compared to other moderates pick up/drop off locations, but those can vary when they re-do the bus areas at the parks so it can change.

The Pepper Market has more made to order food than the other counter service places we have tried, a tad more expensive though. Rix grab-n-go has decent a.m. and p.m. selections and snacks, even the Siesta pool bar has decent, but limited, food choices. Two table service restaurants here also, Maya Grill is perfect for upscale Tex-Mex, though again it's a little pricey. Their "for two" platters would be enough for most families of four though. The second one, Las Venetas, seems more geared to the convention center people.

CSR is starting a hard goods rehab this month, but will close one building at a time for the work, it will not impact other buildings or areas. All rooms have queen beds. You might see conventioneers around the resort at times, but they tend to be in meetings all day so don't impact the pool or park busses much. Can see them mostly in the restaurants and bars in the evenings. CSR is our favorite resort!

For the OP, I agree, CSR woudl be the best bet. ALl of the amenities you discuss sell it.

Thanks for everyone's help!
We booked CSR last night!

I think that you will not regret the decision. Now, I am going to toss one more consideration into your decisions. Have you thought about Business Class? I was too cheap to book it right away, and when I reconsidered, The option was no longer available. Believe me, at CSR you cannot pay for what they do not have! LOL!

I think it was about $50 more per night, but as discounts are offered, I believe that CSR generally comes in lower than CBR or POR, so adding BC may be a wash. FOr that money you have a preferred building and access to their lounge with light breakfast, snacks and beverages. I htink beer and sangria for the adults. Depending on your family dinign habits, this may actually be a savings.

 

[maxiesmom]

Based on the importance of pool, do not do FQ. It is too small and simple. The slide is short. They will be bored quickly.

They have added a cool kids play area at POFQ. So the pool area is no longer quite so boring.

 

[grannyminnie]

Let me ask you "experts" about CSR for my sister and me. We would be using the buses, and would be going in January, so no pool is required. I might even be interested in the added business class. Someone mentioned it might be discounted as well? I had been considering POFQ due to the size of it. Now I'm thinking I should check into CSR.

 

[mdsouth]

Let me ask you "experts" about CSR for my sister and me. We would be using the buses, and would be going in January, so no pool is required. I might even be interested in the added business class. Someone mentioned it might be discounted as well? I had been considering POFQ due to the size of it. Now I'm thinking I should check into CSR.

I liked both PORFQ and CSR. The best choice depends on how much time you plan to spend at the resort and if you would like to have several different food options at the resort or are fine with just the basic food court option. If you want lots of choices for eating at the resort, CSR is the one for you.

Do either you or your sister have mobility issues? If so, the size of PORFQ over CSR might be a better option for the two of you.

 

[grannyminnie]

I liked both PORFQ and CSR. The best choice depends on how much time you plan to spend at the resort and if you would like to have several different food options at the resort or are fine with just the basic food court option. If you want lots of choices for eating at the resort, CSR is the one for you.

Do either you or your sister have mobility issues? If so, the size of PORFQ over CSR might be a better option for the two of you.

No mobility problems, but I appreciate the comments about food choices. It's all about the food! lol

 

[The Yodeling Cowgirl]

I have stayed at CBR and most resently at PORS. CBR was fine, but we really enjoyed the theming of PORS. While we loved the resort, food court and pool at PORS, the bus service really turned my husband off. With a little one, waitng 30 minutes to board buses being cramed in like sardines was not fun. We are thinking a swtiching our next trip to POFQ just for the smaller resport, and hopefully better bus service.

 

[Barbara76]

My kids LOVED the slide at CSR, and my husband and I love the resort as a whole, it is very relaxing and peaceful!