Anyone else disappointed with CSR?

[lindsroc]

Stayed there once, didn't like it. It didn't feel "Disney" to me.

 

[karmacats]

We've stayed almost everywhere and this resort wins our prize as the least favorite by a mile. We hit all the most rude CM's ever in one place, longest walk to room and bus stop, room not the cleanest....oh, suffice to say we must have hit it all wrong and we know that can happen to one and never to another. However we did make a pact to not tempt fate again.

I'm with you! I really want to like the resort, but I just don't (except for the pool, which I love).

Our first stay way back in 1998 was ok - the resort was pretty new, and we were used to values/offsite, so we were pretty happy with it.

We stayed here again in 2011 for a short 3-night visit. Asked for a room in a quiet location; ended up next to the elevator. It seemed quiet enough when we checked in late at night so we didn't bother to move. The bottom of our bathtub was coated in black soot-like stuff; we thought maybe the cleaning folks had rinsed out a mop in there or something, so we just washed it down the drain and went to bed. Fast forward to the next morning. Woken up at 6 a.m. by everyone in our building passing by our room to get to the elevator, and then kept up by the constant ding-ding, ding-ding of the elevator opening. Go to shower to wake myself up, and the black soot is back. Hmmm, mysterious. We decide not to bother with a room change because we've only got 2 more nights, but ask mousekeeping to scrub the tub. Come back in the evening - more black. Finally crouch and look under the faucet area - it's full of black mold. Presumably the "soot" was mold spores. Next morning go to front desk and ask them to fix this while we're at the parks; get home hours later and it's still there. Go to front desk again, tell them we're going to pool for an hour and would like this fixed while we're gone because we need to shower after swimming; get back and mold is still there. Ended up using a lot of towels that week because we kept having to wash the tub ourselves. Also ended up with the least rest ever on a vacation thanks to our noisy location. On our way out, stopped by the front desk again to tell them our mold issue was never resolved and they promised to completely replace the faucet assembly for the next guests. I hope they did, because many people are sensitive to mold.

Decided to give CSR one more try last year, figuring the 2011 room was just a fluke. Checked in at 1 pm, was told mousekeeping was working on room and they would text us when ready. No problem; I know checkin is 3. By 3:30 still had not received a text. Stood in line forever to get to the checkin counter again to check on status of room. Told it's not ready. Now, how can that be when mousekeeping was working on it 2.5 hours ago? Then the snotty girl behind the desk proceeds to tell me how checkin is 5 and the rooms generally aren't ready until then, at which point i ask to speak to her manager and, voila, my room is suddenly ready. I normally love talking to CMs, but this checkin girl just had a chip on her shoulder as big as anything. Long story short, it turns out the room had been ready for 2 hours and we could have been resting from our 14 hour drive instead of dragging our exhausted behinds all over the resort while we waited. Our room was ok (they made a big deal about upgrading us to a room overlooking the lion fountain), but the location was really far away from an elevator and very inconvenient to both the main building and parking.

Also, just a little gripe, but I hate the door that separates the bathroom area from the main room. It's pretty, but it's already a very tight squeeze between the bed and the wall, and adding the door just makes it tighter. I wear size 8.5 women's shoes, not a particularly large size, and i have to turn my feet sideways to squish in there. Not very well-thought-out at all.

Anyway, after our horrible room the second visit and the horrible check-in service the third, we decided no more. We love POR, and that's our moderate of choice from now on.

 

[siestakey]

Stayed once, never again. POFQ is the best place ever!!

 

[E-P-C-O-T]

I almost feel bad saying this, but, we have tried it twice and sincerely tried to love CSR, but, it really isn't the resort for my family. Just so you have an idea DH, has had a convention there the past 2 years and will attend the convention in 2014 and except for 2012, we don't stay at CSR. He would rather drive to the convention, than walking to it. We don't like the food options, how far everything is (and I love to walk) or the convention feel of the hotel (and we have stayed there for a convention). For some reason we find the CMs to be less friendly and lacking the Disney magic that we always experience at other resorts.

 

[SammiL]

I appreciated how quiet the resort was, especially since I was doing a split stay and came directly from Pop. I also loved the rooms, pretty grounds, and the dig site. BUT, getting anywhere felt like a hike and I didn't care for the food. I ran into an issue with the squirrels like the OPs wife as well. They're obviously used to being fed/finding food around the pool and aren't afraid of people what so ever! They ran all over our towels and bags to try and snatch a fry.. Ended up catching one drinking our piña colada when we turned our backs! Overall, I enjoyed my stay at CSR but prob wouldn't choose to stay there again.

 

[T1gger]

It's a shame to hear of the less than magical experiences at CSR - we had a great holiday there and loved the resort and thankfully didn't have any of the problems some others have had (that black mold - ewww!!)

It was our first time at Disney so maybe not having anything else to compare it to made a difference but we thought the resort was beautiful - I think we were lucky with our room allocations - a corner room in a building about halfway between the main building and the dig pool.

We didnt find the walk to the main building bad - in fact it was really nice as it was so beautiful and I loved that the Pepper Market (at the time) was a buffet on the QDSP

We did toy with going back but I always worry it isn't as good second time round so are going elsewhere but have lovely memories of CSR and I hope they address the issues people are having as it is a gorgeous resort.

(and yes there is music playing - they have speakers in the bushes along the paths beside the main building)

 

[maxiesmom]

.

Also, just a little gripe, but I hate the door that separates the bathroom area from the main room. It's pretty, but it's already a very tight squeeze between the bed and the wall, and adding the door just makes it tighter. I wear size 8.5 women's shoes, not a particularly large size, and i have to turn my feet sideways to squish in there. Not very well-thought-out at all.

Really? Those doors are one of my favorite things about the rooms at CSR! I wish they would put them in all of the resorts! They make it much easier to get ready in the morning without waking up the rest of the family.

I wear a size 9 or 9 1/2 shoe, and had no trouble getting into the sink area. And the door is built into the wall, so I'm not sure why it was giving you trouble. I think the side next to the wall by the bed is always a bit snug, the door doesn't really have anything to do with it.

 

[Jack&Ryan'smom]

We were just there 9/2- 9/7 for the first time . We usually stay at POR but wanted to try some place different this trip. I liked it but didn't live it. We loved the pool & the rooms. We loved how quiet the resort was. We did not like the food choices . Pepper mart was awful! Hated the whole set up. I would rather have a large food court that had more hours of operation.
The squirrels were a huge problem as others have mentioned! They were fearless. They climbed on tables and were on lounge chairs.
Staff was very nice. No problems with them.
Think we will stick with POR on any future trips.

 

[E&As Mom]

can't wait to go back in September 2015 (gosh, that seems SO far away)!

It's true that the Disney theming is probably a little more subdued, but I'm okay with that, since we see it so much at every park, store, and most restaurants. Our family enjoys the spread out feel of the resort, only because it makes it seem a little more quiet after long busy days at the parks. The multiple bus stops don't bother us, but mainly that's probably because we have requested (and stayed) in Ranchos bulding 7B, which is very close to bus station #4; that is the 3rd stop for the park buses, so only 1 left after we catch the bus. I personally love the doors that separate the bathroom area from the room, as it affords me the opportunity to get ready for the day, having a little privacy while letting my DDs and DH sleep in a little while longer. The area between the bed and the wall... well, DH and I usually take the bed by the door. We used the quiet pool probably as much as the main pool this trip. Love the main pool theming, the nightly campfires with s'mores, and the movies by the pool in the evenings. I know that a lot of other resorts probably do this too, but it sure is nice. The grounds are beautiful to us, and the resort is incredible lit up at night. We enjoyed strolling the grounds in the evening just to take it all in.

I would agree that the Pepper Market isn't much to write home about as far as quality goes. The tipping aspect doesn't bother me; the wait staff has always been very attentive to us and friendly the few times we have eaten there.

I guess my point is that it's great that there are so many choices @ WDW as far as resorts go, sizewise, theming, and price. There is something out there for everyone!

OP, I hope your DH is feeling better!

 

[gogo]

We really like CSR. We've stayed quite a few times. The resort is large but so are many of the resorts. One of the things I enjoy about CSR is the diverse theming. I love how the different sections are all so different. When at Disney I like to get up early and walk around the lake.

I did feel that the marketplace was packed in the morning for breakfast. It is a small location. And, our toilet didn't flush in the a.m. I had to call maintenance. But, I can see this happening anywhere. Some of the negatives I've read are possible at all the resorts. I'm not sure how it only applies to CSR.

As far as the squirrels being fearless, its probably because of people feeding them. That can be true at any of the resorts. I don't think aggressive squirrels are only at CSR.

CSR feels more adult oriented which for some it a positive experience. I know a lot of people like POFQ. I like it but felt the pool was more geared toward young kids. Anyhow, I think anyone considering CSR should try it.

 

[SGMCO]

We are at CSR now. We have stayed here 4 or 5 years in a row and always loved it until this year. The CMs were arguing in front of us in a foreign language as we checked in. There was a problem with our room so we moved to another building (no big deal, we hadn't unpacked yet) and it benefited us -- we went from Casistas 1 to Cabanas 9b. We ate at the Pepper Market twice and both times they were under staffed and food trays were not refilled. I even got the manger once because there was a girl trying to run 3 stations! He said he would get someone to help her but he did not. Our room is dusty and has major cob webs. Staff is not friendly. Not one person here has told me to "have a magical day."
It makes me sad. We used to love this place.

Was the resort busy with conventioners? I was just thinking about trying it again. Stayed there several years ago.

 

[daizieduck]

CSR is my second favorite moderate resort. POR is my first. This year will be our 4th time staying at CSR. I actually like that it is a convention center resort because it seems to me it's more quiet since it's occupied by a lot of business people who are in meetings most of the day. We rarely (maybe once) have had a CM who wasn't friendly or efficient. A lot of people don't like having a hostess and server but honestly, the Pepper Market is less of a food court than the quick service options at the other moderate resorts. And I love the four bus stops vs. 8 or 9 at CBR (too many stops before getting on the road to the parks) and/or having to share the bus (too crowded) the way POFQ and POR have to.

 

[Robbi]

Really? Those doors are one of my favorite things about the rooms at CSR! I wish they would put them in all of the resorts! They make it much easier to get ready in the morning without waking up the rest of the family.

I wear a size 9 or 9 1/2 shoe, and had no trouble getting into the sink area. And the door is built into the wall, so I'm not sure why it was giving you trouble. I think the side next to the wall by the bed is always a bit snug, the door doesn't really have anything to do with it.

The doors are a favorite of mine as well. Privacy is important to me even if my room mate is my DH. I have never brushed my teeth in front of him at home, why would I want to do that on vacation?

 

[jrsharp21]

- Conventions. I wouldn't mind being there with a convention, but for vacationers it can be a little weird. They could do a little more to separate convention business from vacation business, as in cater the conventions and not have them use Pepper Market for their meals.

Both visits at CSR for me were at a convention. The conventions normally do have catered lunches, but people like myself, like to get away from the convention crowd and have some personal time. I ate lunch at Pepper Market each day at my convention instead of eating at the catered lunch. Plus, also you will have vendors there taking their clients or potential clients to lunch.

 

[Robbi]

Both visits at CSR for me were at a convention. The conventions normally do have catered lunches, but people like myself, like to get away from the convention crowd and have some personal time. I ate lunch at Pepper Market each day at my convention instead of eating at the catered lunch. Plus, also you will have vendors there taking their clients or potential clients to lunch.

Conventioneers don't bother me. We've seen more of them at GF and YC than we've seen at CSR. The only odd things is seeing people walk around with name tags that don't look like this:

 

[karmacats]

Really? Those doors are one of my favorite things about the rooms at CSR! I wish they would put them in all of the resorts! They make it much easier to get ready in the morning without waking up the rest of the family.

I wear a size 9 or 9 1/2 shoe, and had no trouble getting into the sink area. And the door is built into the wall, so I'm not sure why it was giving you trouble. I think the side next to the wall by the bed is always a bit snug, the door doesn't really have anything to do with it.

I know - so many people love them and prefer them over the curtains. I do think they are really pretty, and I totally get the privacy/quiet factor. But they just make that area between the bed and the wall that much tighter. Sorry if I wasn't clear about where I felt it was a bit "squishy" - getting into the sink area isn't an issue. but squeezing past the door to get into the side of the bed nearest the wall is, as you pointed out, always tight, and the door just makes it that much tighter. In the two rooms we've stayed in over the past couple of years, the door was not built into the wall - it was on a track that made it slide over the wall next to the bed when it's open, which lessened the space to walk on that side of the bed.

Like I said, a very small gripe. It wouldn't stop us from staying there again if we had had better experiences with the staff and cleanliness of the rooms.

 

[Minnesota!]

I gave this place three tries. Three strikes it is out. Horrid issues every time. Rude front desk, etc. unless it is cheaper then a value I won't waste my money again

Gave the place two tries. After the first try I said never again, and after the second try I meant it!

That being said, any experience is what you make it. Focus on the good things, and have fun!

I know - so many people love them and prefer them over the curtains. I do think they are really pretty, and I totally get the privacy/quiet factor. But they just make that area between the bed and the wall that much tighter. Sorry if I wasn't clear about where I felt it was a bit "squishy" - getting into the sink area isn't an issue. but squeezing past the door to get into the side of the bed nearest the wall is, as you pointed out, always tight, and the door just makes it that much tighter. In the two rooms we've stayed in over the past couple of years, the door was not built into the wall - it was on a track that made it slide over the wall next to the bed when it's open, which lessened the space to walk on that side of the bed.

Like I said, a very small gripe. It wouldn't stop us from staying there again if we had had better experiences with the staff and cleanliness of the rooms.

Our rooms had them overlapping the wall, too, instead of into the walls..

We have given CSR 2 chances and both times it was a failure. Nice pool area, pretty grounds at night. But way way WAY too many issues - busses being one of the biggest.

We will not be returning..

 

[GSUJillybean]

I really loved pepper market. I ate way too much on the last trip.

 

[DanInMN]

After 35 years in Corporate America I can't stand the thought of staying at a convention hotel while on vacation. Seeing the droids talking smart, maneuvering, manipulating, back stabbing... noooooo! Leave Dilbert back at the office.

 

[maxiesmom]

After 35 years in Corporate America I can't stand the thought of staying at a convention hotel while on vacation. Seeing the droids talking smart, maneuvering, manipulating, back stabbing... noooooo! Leave Dilbert back at the office.

I've stayed at CSR twice, and I have never seen Dilbert walking around. A few guys in suits and tuxes, yes. But I've never seen anyone who appeared to be doing business while walking around the resort.

CSR being a convention resort is a great thing! It means you get a fitness center at a moderate resort. It also means you get buses that are not as packed with park goers as you have at the other resorts. It also means that taxis are always waiting for a fare at the front of the resort.