Caribbean or Coronado

[boomar]

Need honest opinions please:

We have traveled to Disney several times but always stayed at POP Century. Our next visit will be with 5 adults instead of 4 (our kids at time of travel will be 17, 19 and guest traveling with us will be 20.) I have done some research and cannot decide between the Caribbean or Coronado. Please give me opinions on which one to stay at why you chose that place. Don't want to pay the deluxe resort prices and are satisfied with the moderate resort room sizes for the prices that are shown. Our travel time is always in December (not sure if this would factor in the opinions or not. We love to travel to Disney in December to see all the Christmas decorations etc..)
Thank you in advance for your opinions.

 

[aleh021]

I haven

Need honest opinions please:

We have traveled to Disney several times but always stayed at POP Century. Our next visit will be with 5 adults instead of 4 (our kids at time of travel will be 17, 19 and guest traveling with us will be 20.) I have done some research and cannot decide between the Caribbean or Coronado. Please give me opinions on which one to stay at why you chose that place. Don't want to pay the deluxe resort prices and are satisfied with the moderate resort room sizes for the prices that are shown. Our travel time is always in December (not sure if this would factor in the opinions or not. We love to travel to Disney in December to see all the Christmas decorations etc..)
Thank you in advance for your opinions.

I haven't stayed at Coronado before (but I have been looking at it to give it a try). But I have stayed at Caribbean Beach before and can say that I do not regret staying there at all!!

When I was planning my trip, at first I was extremely hesitant to stay there because of all the reviews I had been reading online and I started doubting my decision! But I stuck with Caribbean Beach because it was one of the few resorts left with any availability and the price fit the budget that time pretty good!

The rooms have been recently refurbished (the past year and a half or so) and I can say that they look amazing and you sorta forget you're in a moderate resort room because of the quality of the rooms in my opinion. Also, out of all the room sizes in the moderate resort category, Caribbean Beach has the largest rooms which is a plus for you since there will be 5 in your group!

The grounds are beautiful and well kept and the main pool is super cool & fun to look at too! Yes it is a large resort, and yes you will do some walking but you're in Disney World, you're going to be walking a ton any way .

As far as Christmas decorations go, I know Caribbean Beach doesn't have too much vs Coronado Springs that is more nicely decorated and with a good sized tree!

If you have any more questions ask away

 

[boomar]

I haven


I haven't stayed at Coronado before (but I have been looking at it to give it a try). But I have stayed at Caribbean Beach before and can say that I do not regret staying there at all!!

When I was planning my trip, at first I was extremely hesitant to stay there because of all the reviews I had been reading online and I started doubting my decision! But I stuck with Caribbean Beach because it was one of the few resorts left with any availability and the price fit the budget that time pretty good!

The rooms have been recently refurbished (the past year and a half or so) and I can say that they look amazing and you sorta forget you're in a moderate resort room because of the quality of the rooms in my opinion. Also, out of all the room sizes in the moderate resort category, Caribbean Beach has the largest rooms which is a plus for you since there will be 5 in your group!

The grounds are beautiful and well kept and the main pool is super cool & fun to look at too! Yes it is a large resort, and yes you will do some walking but you're in Disney World, you're going to be walking a ton any way .

As far as Christmas decorations go, I know Caribbean Beach doesn't have too much vs Coronado Springs that is more nicely decorated and with a good sized tree!

If you have any more questions ask away

Thank you very much for your opinion, I have seen some of the not so nice reviews as well.. Glad you enjoyed your stay. This was helpful

 

[Seia]

I've never stayed at CBR before, but my husband and I stayed at Coronado last October and LOVED it. The rooms were spacious and I loved the separator between the bathroom and the beds. It allowed me to shower early in the morning without waking my husband. The bus system took a little while to get used to as it has numbered stops within the property, but at least during our stay, it was one of the most efficient bus experiences we've had at Disney. The grounds are huge, and we were in one of the far buildings, so admittedly we didn't feel like going back to the lobby for mug refills or food/snacks very often. The resort is beautiful and quieter than a lot of Disney resorts -- which is a plus for us.

If we didn't own DVC now, I would choose to stay at Coronado regularly. However, I realize our preferences may differ from others as we're childfree and in our late twenties.

 

[boomar]

I've never stayed at CBR before, but my husband and I stayed at Coronado last October and LOVED it. The rooms were spacious and I loved the separator between the bathroom and the beds. It allowed me to shower early in the morning without waking my husband. The bus system took a little while to get used to as it has numbered stops within the property, but at least during our stay, it was one of the most efficient bus experiences we've had at Disney. The grounds are huge, and we were in one of the far buildings, so admittedly we didn't feel like going back to the lobby for mug refills or food/snacks very often. The resort is beautiful and quieter than a lot of Disney resorts -- which is a plus for us.

If we didn't own DVC now, I would choose to stay at Coronado regularly. However, I realize our preferences may differ from others as we're childfree and in our late twenties.

Thank you- a few more questions, 1. What section is the closest to the building with the snacks 2. where are the buses located to get to the parks, we are driving as we have in the past, so this time around instead of waiting for buses we might drive to the parks, beats waiting for buses I guess. We have seen on some threads that people who drive to Disney actually drive to the parks instead of waiting for buses. We have heard parking is free at parks for people that stay at the onsite resorts. Thank you for you help

 

[boomar]

I haven


I haven't stayed at Coronado before (but I have been looking at it to give it a try). But I have stayed at Caribbean Beach before and can say that I do not regret staying there at all!!

When I was planning my trip, at first I was extremely hesitant to stay there because of all the reviews I had been reading online and I started doubting my decision! But I stuck with Caribbean Beach because it was one of the few resorts left with any availability and the price fit the budget that time pretty good!

The rooms have been recently refurbished (the past year and a half or so) and I can say that they look amazing and you sorta forget you're in a moderate resort room because of the quality of the rooms in my opinion. Also, out of all the room sizes in the moderate resort category, Caribbean Beach has the largest rooms which is a plus for you since there will be 5 in your group!

The grounds are beautiful and well kept and the main pool is super cool & fun to look at too! Yes it is a large resort, and yes you will do some walking but you're in Disney World, you're going to be walking a ton any way .

As far as Christmas decorations go, I know Caribbean Beach doesn't have too much vs Coronado Springs that is more nicely decorated and with a good sized tree!

If you have any more questions ask away

I actually do have a few more questions if you do not mind helping out: 1 what would be the closest section to the main building with snacks souvenirs. 2 what section would be the closest to the bus stops that take you to the parks, this is not as important as #1 due to we are driving to Disney and this time around we will try driving to parks instead of taking buses to the parks. 3. Is there a good restaurant or one that we can get counter service meals. Thank you

 

[Seia]

Thank you- a few more questions, 1. What section is the closest to the building with the snacks 2. where are the buses located to get to the parks, we are driving as we have in the past, so this time around instead of waiting for buses we might drive to the parks, beats waiting for buses I guess. We have seen on some threads that people who drive to Disney actually drive to the parks instead of waiting for buses. We have heard parking is free at parks for people that stay at the onsite resorts. Thank you for you help

To be closest to the main building, building 1 of the casitas or some of the cabana rooms would probably be best. There are bus stops spread out across the resort. It would probably be most helpful to look at the map here.

The main building has a counter service style cafeteria as well as a sit-down restaurant. We only ate quick service there, but it was good. Decent variety.

 

[nkereina]

I'm assuming you will be getting two rooms? If not, CBR has standard rooms that hold 5 but the murphy bed for the 5th person will be too small for the ages you've listed. At CSR, only the junior suites can hold 5.

Of the two resorts, we think CBR has a better food court and better food options in general. CSR's dining options are operated by a third party so you'll find variations in offerings, quality, operating hours, etc than other food courts at WDW. Aside from that, we prefer CSR. CSR has a more adult vibe, better main pool, and better bus service in our experience. CSR has fewer bus stops to get through, and the buses can be less crowded if there is a large convention staying at CSR the same time as you. CBR is also much larger than CSR, which was a negative for us as well.

At CSR, we had requested Casitas to be closer to Bus Stop 2 which is the first for pick up and drop off. This request couldn't be granted because a convention was occupying most of Casitas, so we were placed in Cabanas 9A. The location was great, but we were closest to the last bus stop for pick ups and drop offs. The Ranchos section was the nicest aesthetically IMO, but too far removed from the food court area.

 

[Babsy]

So, with 5 adults, are you planning to book two rooms? I am not sure that you can put 5 adults in a single moderate resort room. If it is possible, I believe that it is only possible at CBR (unless yo are booking some kind of a deluxe room or a suite?). I would be looking at two rooms even if it were allowed because it would be VERY close quarters with 5 adults in one of those rooms. Plus you would only have one bathroom. Just saying'.

If you have thought of that already and know how you can accommodate all of you, then the resort that I would choose with the age of your party members would be the CSR. the CSR is a great, more adult themed resort. It has a fitness centre, beauty salon, spa, huge hot tub, lots of dining options and bars, a business class option that includes breakfast and some beverages/snaacks, a great pool, lovely themed resort with three differently themed areas, hammocks by the water and good bus service. We love CSR for an adults only trip in particular. it is very romantic and feels very deluxe for a moderate resort.

CBR is wonderful as well, but we enjoy it more when travelling with young children. It has a somewhat more family oriented atmosphere, in our opinion.

Both are great choices, though and we would stay happily in either of these again. I would recommend staying in a preferred building, if the budget allows, for the added convenience.

Good luck!

 

[GaryDis]

CBR is also much larger than CBR

Nah, they're exactly the same size . CSR, on the other hand - I'm not sure about.

 

[nkereina]

Nah, they're exactly the same size . CSR, on the other hand - I'm not sure about.

LOL! Good catch! Editing now! haha. So many acronyms, my fingers just take over!

 

[NJPluto]

I just got back from my 2nd very brief stay at Coronado for a girl's trip to F&W. I loved it! I booked a Preferred location, which is Casitas 1, 2 or 3. This year I was in Bldg 1 and last year, I was in Bldg 3. While 1 is closer to El Centro (lobby, restaurants, shops), 3 is closer to the bus stop. I guess if I had to choose, I'd say request Bldg 3 given the proximity to the bus but Bldg 1 isn't that much further. I thought the room had signs of wear and tear (nothing significant) but it was very clean. The bed was comfy. As large as the resort is, I expected it to be very loud and bustling but I didn't see anyone when I got back to my room at 10pm. It was very quiet! I walked the grounds the next day and thought the main pool was a bit far from Casitas but it was do-able. Bus service was incredible the day we were there. We missed an Epcot bus but another came not 10 minutes later. There was one waiting when we left Epcot. The grounds were beautiful. I went for a stroll the next morning and was again surprised at how quiet and uncrowded it seemed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend CSR!

 

[BigAlsGal]

I'd choose CBR! I've stayed at both and prefer the newly refurbished rooms.

 

[linzjane88]

My vote is for Coronado! I don't know why but we just liked that resort better. We stayed there 2014 and Caribbean 2015 (just got back). I felt like the main food/checkin area at CSR is so big and grand compared to CBR --obviously because CBR has them in two separate locations. But it seemed like there was at least some overflow space for the massive amount of bodies during peak times of day at CSR. I also like the teal colors in the bedroom VS the oranges at CBR. We walked in and my husbands first comment was "ooh! straight from the 70's!". I had to remind him that we were in one of the most recently renovated moderates .

I think Bonnet Creek beats them both in our book though. We are debating whether or not to go back in September with free dining and try Port Orleans (booked a bounceback) or just go with a relaxing Bonnet Creek trip.

 

[Olaf63]

I'd go with CSR. It is smaller than CBR. And CSR only has 4 bus stops vs 7 at CBR.

 

[to be tink]

We stayed at CBR last March for a long weekend. I loved it! The grounds are very beautiful. We had a preferred room that put us near the pool and food area. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I was far away from those areas. I'm not a big fan of the buses but found that they weren't too bad at CBR. Coming back late was usually the worst.
I haven't stayed at CBR yet but we will be there for 3 days during our split stay in February. I am very excited! My only other experience at a moderate was French Quarter at PQ. I didn't like it at all. The food court wasn't very good and the bus service was lacking. Good luck with your decision!

 

[GaryDis]

We stayed at CBR last March

I haven't stayed at CBR

The CSR -> CBR typo is obviously contagious. Better stay away from both resorts, or your ability to type without typos will be gone forever.

 

[jacksgirl]

We stayed at CSR - business class two years ago, and absolutely loved it! BC costs very little more than a standard room, and it's a great location. And it's nice to have a light breakfast in the morning, and snacks and beer/wine in the evenings. That being said, we will be staying at CBR in three weeks because we have five people this time. We've never stayed there before, but I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[AzzySpazbourne]

Between the 2, have only stayed at CSR.. twice. Initially booked a CBR for our last trip, but quickly changed to CSR (only a $20 difference). We love CSR, love the atmosphere, love how central it is to get to any other parks, and love the fact that it's a conference resort (Pool and restaurants have been not crowded at all when a conference is going on... since they're all attending the conference).

Also, I didn't notice if they offer in other resorts, but CSR offers half-day tickets/passes for later entry into the parks at their concierge. Not that this helped us out at all (cheaper just to add a day with a 3 or 4+ day ticket), but might for others (if you have a 1 or 2 day ticket).

 

[brinkley07]

We stayed in CSR for one night last week in business class. After having the concierge screw up our magic bands, visiting the food court, and staying the one night we would not go back there. The rooms were mediocre, the food horrible, and the layout of the resort wasn't great. Having stayed at CBR years ago I would chose that resort over CSR any day. In full disclosure we now stay at AKL and were forced due to the storms in SC to extend the one night taking the one room we could get which was CSR.