Coronado Springs Resort - New Unofficial FAQ Thread - November 2011

[somesong2sing]

we just switched out reservation from CBR to CSR. Did we do the right thing??

Im worried!!

I am a huge fan of CBR and have never stayed at the CSR!!

Help!!

I need some confidence!

 

[Mom2Stitch]

So excited that I just booked CSR with FD for 9/28-10/6.

This will be our 2nd stay there. Last year we booked a water view and were put in Casitas bldng 3-does that mean we received an upgrade?

I just thought it was a standard building and that 1 and 2 were preferred. I booked standard online this morning thinking that I would request building 3 again.

I am not really fussy over views, but I did love that building. The quiet pool was literally about 10 steps from our 1st floor room. The bus stop was great too. To uprade for 8 nights is about $250.00-which for me adds up to a lot of extras (namely ornaments and a few drinks) while I'm there.

I would love to hear from anyone who has stayed in Casitas 4 or 5 about their experience with walking distances to the main pool, bus stop 1, and El Centro.

Decisions, decisions....

 

[Mom2Stitch]

we just switched out reservation from CBR to CSR. Did we do the right thing??

Im worried!!

I am a huge fan of CBR and have never stayed at the CSR!!

Help!!

I need some confidence!

If you look in my signature you will notice that we are big Poly fans, many stays there over the years. Due to the economy and the way Disney has raised prices we tried CSR last year and fell in love

Here's why:

1. You really are getting a deluxe resort at a moderate price. Queen sized beds (a big deal to us), deluxe toiletries (not a big deal to some, but we like them), fridge in every room.

2. Beautiful grounds, so clean, so peaceful. In June, with a convention going on, there were times when we felt like the only ones there. Yes it is spread out, but for us we liked not feeling like elbow to elbow to the rest of the resort.

3. Pepper Market-counter service. Really it's a great deal on the dining plan.

4. Transportation-Best we ever had in 10+ years of going to WDW. Better than the Poly by a mile, even if you consider the monorail. Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus coming or going. And no sharing with other resorts-sweet!

5. The critters-loved all of the squirrels, ducks, and bunnies. Never got to see any gators or armadillos last trip, maybe next time.


I've never stayed at CBR, so I can't compare. I just don't think you'll be disappointed

 

[lzkirchner]

anyone? TIA

Hi Everyone, joining the board. We decided last week to take a trip in May to take advantage of spring offer. Had originally booked CBR but when they extended offer more rooms at CSR opened so we switched. So excited!! Couple of questions:

We won't spend very much time at pool so being close to it is not as important as closeness to bus stop and being able to sit if possible (small children.) We are early to rise early to sleep folks so also want to be in a quieter section if that's possible at Disney. We'd also like to be close to El Centro for dining and filling mugs. So, I'm thinking of Calistas. Would you pay for preferred if available or request Calista 4 or 5? Not sure how far they are from El Centro.

Also, if we dine at Pepper Market can we take our refillable mugs in with us? I know we get a beverage with our CS meal on dining plan. Thinking we could take our mugs and then use our beverage credit to get milks or juice for kids to have on days we eat breakfast in the room.

TIA and thanks for a wonderful thread!!

Lisa

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

anyone? TIA

Sorry your question hasn't been answered yet!

I'm not sure - we don't do the DDP or the refillable mugs. I think someone posted about getting a bottle of water at PM for dinner (since it is a la carte) but drinking from their mugs instead. I don't know how it would work at the buffet - I am guessing they would bring milk or juice in the same cups they use for fountain drinks, which you could probably bring back to your room. I don't think you would get juice in a bottle at the buffet, and I can't remember if the milk at PM is in cartons or comes in cups.

Anyone else know?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

we just switched out reservation from CBR to CSR. Did we do the right thing??

Im worried!!

I am a huge fan of CBR and have never stayed at the CSR!!

Help!!

I need some confidence!

We haven't stayed at CBR, but we do love CSR! What is it about CBR that you like so much? CSR has the cabanas section, which is more tropical with palm trees, hammocks, and a white sand beach. It is a large resort like CBR, so it tends to be quiet. The rooms are a little smaller at CSR, but the beds are bigger (queens instead of doubles). Bus service is excellent, and there are lots of food choices and a great pool/slide/playground/hot tub/volleyball court.

CSR has upgraded toiletries compared to CBR, a fitness center, nightclub, room service and small spa.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[Mom2Stitch]

anyone? TIA

Not sure if it has changed since last June, but we were able to take our mugs to PM and have them filled and we would take our milk with us to the room for the next morning. IIRC it was bottled milk. You could also fill your mugs at Cafe Rix.

I have the same question you have about getting a preferred room. I was in Casitas 3 last year and it was really nice. At the same time we could do so much with the money saved by not booking preferred.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I would stick with preferred--all the way! We stayed at CSR in preferred back in October and loved the location. We were in a ground floor corner room in Casitas 3 looking toward the lagoon but in the back of a "u" shaped building area. Loved location for these reasons:

--Easy walk to El Centro for dining and gift shop. We often needed to pick up something at the gift shop like packages sent from the parks.

--Great proximity between El Centro bus stop and Casitas bus stop. Nice, scenic walk to the stop too! Casitas bus stop was wonderful. buses were usually empty when we got on in the morning and buses were very frequent. As luck would have it, one morning we waited about 10 minutes for a bus to AK(longest wait of the trip BTW). My DD10 started to complain about her tummy hurting and of course--hers meds were in the room. I literally saw the bus coming thru the far gate. I left Dh with the girls to get on the bus and I sprang into action. Fast walking and a few jogs back to the room, grabbed her meds, and made it to the bus stop at El Centro about 30 seconds before the AK bus with my family came rolling in. I hopped on the bus and we traveled together to AK--amazing!

--Although it is a hike to the main pool area, we only went there once a day. When you are at the pool, you have everything there you need. Towels, bathrooms, food, and drink. Love the pool here. Also--the Casitas quiet pool is very nice AND adjacent to the spa/fitness center for bathroom breaks. There are also pool towels here because of the spa

--The atmosphere in Casitas is just beautiful. We walked thru Ranchos and Cabanas and they were nice but could not compare to the beautiful architecture(sp?), fountains, and landscaping in Casitas.

--If it rains, you can wind thru the room walkways and get to the covered walkway to El Centro. We did this on a few rainy occasions.

You and your family will be gauranteed to be in one of 3 buildings in very close proximity. Without this, you could be VERY spreadout between Ranchos, Casitas and Cabanas. Have fun

Thank you for this! I was worried that maybe I was spending extra money when I shouldn't but you've really put all my worries to rest! And I love the details you talked about - thank you!

If you look in my signature you will notice that we are big Poly fans, many stays there over the years. Due to the economy and the way Disney has raised prices we tried CSR last year and fell in love

Here's why:

1. You really are getting a deluxe resort at a moderate price. Queen sized beds (a big deal to us), deluxe toiletries (not a big deal to some, but we like them), fridge in every room.

2. Beautiful grounds, so clean, so peaceful. In June, with a convention going on, there were times when we felt like the only ones there. Yes it is spread out, but for us we liked not feeling like elbow to elbow to the rest of the resort.

3. Pepper Market-counter service. Really it's a great deal on the dining plan.

4. Transportation-Best we ever had in 10+ years of going to WDW. Better than the Poly by a mile, even if you consider the monorail. Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus coming or going. And no sharing with other resorts-sweet!

5. The critters-loved all of the squirrels, ducks, and bunnies. Never got to see any gators or armadillos last trip, maybe next time.


I've never stayed at CBR, so I can't compare. I just don't think you'll be disappointed

I know you were responding to someone else but I am so glad you wrote this. I am a Poly addict myself but this trip is with my extended family so we wanted everyone to be able to afford it so we went with a moderate. I am so excited to try a new resort but it's also scary trying something new. You made me feel much better about our decision to stay here, thanks!!

 

[somesong2sing]

If you look in my signature you will notice that we are big Poly fans, many stays there over the years. Due to the economy and the way Disney has raised prices we tried CSR last year and fell in love

Here's why:

1. You really are getting a deluxe resort at a moderate price. Queen sized beds (a big deal to us), deluxe toiletries (not a big deal to some, but we like them), fridge in every room.

2. Beautiful grounds, so clean, so peaceful. In June, with a convention going on, there were times when we felt like the only ones there. Yes it is spread out, but for us we liked not feeling like elbow to elbow to the rest of the resort.

3. Pepper Market-counter service. Really it's a great deal on the dining plan.

4. Transportation-Best we ever had in 10+ years of going to WDW. Better than the Poly by a mile, even if you consider the monorail. Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus coming or going. And no sharing with other resorts-sweet!

5. The critters-loved all of the squirrels, ducks, and bunnies. Never got to see any gators or armadillos last trip, maybe next time.


I've never stayed at CBR, so I can't compare. I just don't think you'll be disappointed

THANK YOU!!

I really apprecaite your input! We have always wanted to do the Poly, but with costs and the desire to stay longer, we have chosen other places. Those things you highlighted are the ones that we would consider our priority too!!

I have heard pepper market is like the CS from CBR which is our favorite!!

Thanks again!1

We have a waterview room so hoping to get a good room !!

 

[somesong2sing]

We haven't stayed at CBR, but we do love CSR! What is it about CBR that you like so much? CSR has the cabanas section, which is more tropical with palm trees, hammocks, and a white sand beach. It is a large resort like CBR, so it tends to be quiet. The rooms are a little smaller at CSR, but the beds are bigger (queens instead of doubles). Bus service is excellent, and there are lots of food choices and a great pool/slide/playground/hot tub/volleyball court.

CSR has upgraded toiletries compared to CBR, a fitness center, nightclub, room service and small spa.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

Thank you!!
We love that the resort is spread out and does not have the feeling of being cramped. At the value resorts it had my anxiety up a little bit with all the craziness going on. Maybe it was all the large decorations... It was calming to have buildings done in nice colors, even though I am personally not a fan of peach!! lol

We also loved the Old Port Royale’s Market and Grab and Go! The food was delicious and the kids had plenty of options, any time of day. The Grab and Go was packed with a huge variety of snacks that I haven't seen at the value resorts.

We all loved the pool It was kept up and clean, a section for smaller children that fenced off next door to the main pool, and it has never felt packed. We have always been in May and June which can be busy months. I will say there were no pool towels available and never any there, but we bring our own towel, just for sanitary reasons.

The CS was great!! Our rooms were always maintained and anything we needed we got in a timely fashion. At the Value resorts we have stayed at, we have had toilets overflow, toothbrushes found in the toilet when we checked in, people banging on our doors throughout the night thinking it was entertaining, and really stinky. I may be a bit of a snob when it comes to where i sleep, but it is called vacation, so I expect to get something pretyy decent.

Lastly, we loved that the transporation system was fast and efficient.

The fact that they have upgraded toiletries is fabulous!! I think its great to have all those items there and nice ones provided for you. It saves on time and additional packing that could end up expolding in your suitcase(even if its packed in a large freezer back to prevent it!) I might add that happened to us before!!

It will be great to have a fitness center to use, but with the ids, im not sure that we can utilize it because they are too young to be alone. We will definitley be walking the ground for excersize in the morning, etc. We like to stay in shape and stay active!

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

we just switched out reservation from CBR to CSR. Did we do the right thing??

Im worried!!

I am a huge fan of CBR and have never stayed at the CSR!!

Help!!

I need some confidence!

I don't think you will be disappointed. We have stayed at CSR three times and our next trip in about 45 days is back at CSR. I think the food options are better at CSR.

 

[hulk51382]

we just switched out reservation from CBR to CSR. Did we do the right thing??

Im worried!!

I am a huge fan of CBR and have never stayed at the CSR!!

Help!!

I need some confidence!

We are in the same boat as you. We stayed at CBR last year and loved it, but decided to try CSR this year. We really liked the pools at CBR, but thought the bus service wasn't very good. Hopefully we both made good decisions by going with CSR.

 

[Sheaboys]

I should have read this thread before booking our trip. We are doing 2 rooms at CBR, but had a quote for CSR for only $100 more for 2 rooms. It is with the free dining plan...augh, should I change? Keep in mind, I just changed from Movies to CBR.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

anyone? TIA

Yes, you should be able to take your mugs into PM and also get a bottled drink as part of your meal.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Rienchen]

I should have read this thread before booking our trip. We are doing 2 rooms at CBR, but had a quote for CSR for only $100 more for 2 rooms. It is with the free dining plan...augh, should I change? Keep in mind, I just changed from Movies to CBR.

only $100 extra and you get free dining? Sounds like a great deal to me

 

[Tallent]

Two years ago we stayed at CBR and liked it. I really liked the pool area, and our room was wonderful. Check in was easy although I didn't like having to go to another blding for check in/out. I didn't care for the food court or gift store. The following year (last year) I would have stayed at CBR again (loved the steel drum music!) but my kids surprisingly didn't want to. We stayed at CSR instead and my kids (and I) LOVED it! I actually would have wanted to try POR this coming year just cuz I like to try new resorts but my kids really wanted CSR again so that's where we're staying. I really liked CSR's pepper market and their gift shop--bus service wasn't great but no worse/better than CBR. One thing I love was the pool slide emptied into shallow-ish water so my non-strong swimmer learned to love going down the pool slide (in a life jacket but still)--he loved not going into 4 feet of water like at CBR.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I'm so excited - only 20 more days to go!! I have a quick question about online check-in. We are traveling with my folks and have two rooms booked at CSR. Our reservations are linked as traveling together and we have requested connecting rooms. Will doing online check-in improve our chances of actually getting conecting rooms, or should we just wait until we get to the resort? My folks will be checking in first at about 11AM, if that makes a difference. TIA!

I don't know that online check-in makes any difference. Last year we were traveling with my cousin and her son and had linked reservations. I opted NOT to do online check-in so that we could check in together and make sure that our rooms were near each other, and hopefully be moved if not. When we checked in, we had been assigned connecting rooms in the Ranchos (although I'd requested Cabanas). The CM got on the phone with the room assigner and those were the only 2 connecting rooms available for check-in that day, so we kept them. They turned out to be great rooms, poolside to the Ranchos quiet pool (which I guess is a small upgrade since we'd just paid for standard rooms).

Then, in November we were traveling with my sister and BIL, and again, our reservations were linked, and we did online check-in and our rooms were connecting (this was at Pop).

So, having had "linked" reservations twice and doing online check-in once and counter check-in once, we were given connecting rooms both times. I think I'd go ahead and do the online check-in as it really is pretty quick and easy.

Have a fabulous vacation!

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Thank you for this! I was worried that maybe I was spending extra money when I shouldn't but you've really put all my worries to rest! And I love the details you talked about - thank you!



I know you were responding to someone else but I am so glad you wrote this. I am a Poly addict myself but this trip is with my extended family so we wanted everyone to be able to afford it so we went with a moderate. I am so excited to try a new resort but it's also scary trying something new. You made me feel much better about our decision to stay here, thanks!!

I too am a Poly addict. Our last stay was on free dining AND a budget so that is why we chose CSR. It is a beautiful resort. Rooms were very nice. We actually think CSR has the best pool on property. We liked it better than SAB and the pools at CR and Poly. It is HUGE, has a great waterslide, really nice bathrooms, and we love being able to eat and drink right there at the pool. Siestas was delish. The mojito was very refreshing...athough not my all time fav which is the pina colava at Poly(sipping it on the beach looking at the castle and listening to the boats and train whistles)

Anyhoo.....DH and I would definitely consider staying here again if it was just the two of us. Would not do it again with the girls as DD10 has lots of food allergies and we ran in to trouble here the last few days of the trip. Language barrier is a real issue. We do not have another Disney trip planned in the near future but we already decided as a family that our last trip to WDW before oldest goes to college will be back to our beloved Poly.

One of these days I will pull up some of my pics from the CSR trip in October and get them posted. There are so many picturesque locales around the Casitas for family photos. It is a must! And--there are always helpful CMs and CSR guests that are willing--even offering--to take the pics for you so that noone is left out.

 

[MusicMouse]

Thank you Claire!

 

[sunny_stace]

What do you all mean by upgraded toiletries being featured at CSR? Isn't it the same
H20 stuff? That's what I got at POR in the fall and CBR the year before that. Is it something different? I'm very curious now!