Just got back from my 1st trip to CSR. I LOVE this resort! On my last trip, I stayed at POFQ, and I didn't care for the room there at all. But I totally fell in love with CSR. You've all seen pictures of the grounds, I'm sure, and they're just as lovely in person.
I tried to check in online ahead of time, but kept getting an error message, so gave up on that. Luckily, I was at the front of the line from the bus that arrived, so I didn't wait long. I had faxed in my room request a few days early, and got almost everything I wanted--a renovated room in Casitas 4 with a water view. Unfortunately, it was on ground floor and it was pool view of the "quiet" pool (which wasn't so quiet). I had room 4111, right around the corner from the health club. It was also a connecting room, and I was very nervous about the noise. I was able to hear my neighbors as if they were in the same room with me. But fortunately, I learned a long time ago that the most valuable item to bring on any trip is earplugs. As soon as I got the earplugs in, I couldn't hear anything outside my room. I slept really well here. The beds are super comfy. I don't know if they are double or queen, because I have a king at home, and everything else is smaller. The decor of the renovated rooms is fabulous. I really felt like I was staying in a deluxe every time I was in my room. The water pressure in my room was great, there was always plenty of hot water, the room safe and fridge worked fine.
I didn't eat at the resort, except for some quick food like yogurt and bananas that I bought at Rix Cafe. I just thought the prices were too high, and I wasn't on the dining plan. For instance, on day 1, I bought a small fruit salad and a banana (for breakfast the next day) and the price was $9. Ridiculous. For breakfast, I just made oatmeal in my room and had a small yogurt and banana I bought at Rix Cafe and that was plenty for me. (The gelato at Rix, though, was totally worth it. For $2 something, I got a big scoop of it in a cup.)
I ordered a case of water delivered from Costco and it was there when I arrived. I had to go sign for it at the business center, which is down in the direction of the conference center. In addition to the cost of the water and shipping ($7 something) I had to pay CSR a $10 handling fee. But they delivered it to my room for me. It was still totally worth it--24 bottles would have cost me $60 in the parks. It lasted almost my entire stay. I only had to buy a couple of bottles in the park on the last day.
Bus stop #2 was right behind my building, which was very convenient. I only had 20 minute waits a couple of times, and only had to stand a couple of times. Usually, there was plenty of room. The big problem with the buses was that oftentimes, the signs were wrong! The bus sign would say Epcot, when it was really Animal Kingdom, or it would just say CSR and you'd have to ask where it was going. A couple of the drivers seemed frustrated by this, too; I take it it's a technical problem they have no control over. I recommend you always ask when you get on the bus to make sure it's the right bus.
All the staff members at CSR that I came into contact with were very friendly and helpful, with the exception of one young woman working at Rix Cafe; either she was having a bad day or really hated her job. But she was the exception. Because I had plenty of everything in the room for just me, and I'm neat and tidy, I only had housekeeping come into my room twice during my stay. Once while I was there, to take out the trash and give me fresh towels and once when I wasn't there. When I got back to my room, they had been there and left the door ajar. That was NOT cool with me. Nothing was missing, but anybody could have walked into my room. Also, when I first went to use the coffee pot in the room, I found an old soggy packet of coffee in there already. Yuck. I really liked the valet staff. I tried to tip one of the valets one night for calling me a cab--he refused the money, saying it was his job, and I should just go and enjoy myself. I was flabbergasted. I'm used to going to Vegas where everyone has their hand out for a tip.
The quiet pool was almost always very busy. Probably because it was too hot to walk all the way over to the Dig Site, plus the water was colder in the quiet pool than the Dig Site pool. One night, some kids were out at the pool at 10:30 screaming their heads off (playing marco polo). I was seconds away from calling security to complain when some guy leaned out of his room and yelled "Shut up!" It was quiet after that. (If you're reading this, dude, THANK YOU.)
I didn't mind seeing conventioneers because I was traveling alone and prefer being around other adults rather than kids anyway, but I was also lucky and had the nursing convention going on while I was there. They were all cool, not rowdy at all, and it was mostly women. Some of them brought their husbands. The only time it would have been a problem was at meal time (had I wanted to eat there). Every eating establishment was jam-packed during traditional lunch and dinner hours.
I really must put a plug in here for Rix Lounge. I stopped there one night for a drink and to check it out. If you're an adult at WDW, there are precious few adult-only nightspots on property. This is a good one. It totally reminded me of a Vegas-style lounge. Great decor, comfortable seating areas and a nice long bar, great drinks (try the chocolate mintini--it is YUMMY and goes down really easy before it kicks your butt about 10 minutes later), great music playing in the background, and even a couple of tvs to keep an eye on whatever big game happens to be playing. It was really dead the night I was there (just 5 of us), so I chatted up the staff about why. They said most of their business comes from the conventions at CSR, and the nursing convention just wasn't the bar crowd, I guess. LOL. I suggested they should beef up their marketing to other guests, but they said Disney doesn't allow them to market alcohol, and because they don't really have a theme (the way Jellyrolls has the pianos), it's difficult. Too bad, because I really loved it and would have spent more time there if there had been more people hanging there.