Coronado Springs Resort - New Unofficial FAQ Thread - November 2011

[Gibbygirl]

Booked for this summer Silly question maybe, but wondering about the bedspreads/duvets. Some pictures show a tan/gold runner others show an aqua runner. Wondering the difference. Are they a different color in each section? If so, anybody know what color each section is? Really like the aqua one, not the tan one so much. Obviously not a deal breaker, just a preference

 

[RobertLC]

Robert .... looks like we'll be at CSR at the same time!!
.

Cool!

 

[RobertLC]

So I can't remember if someone has posted pics of the new coffee maker or not. These are borrowed from the Yacht & Beach Club thread but this is the the exact same coffee maker we had in our room at CSR for our 4-13 March stay. I don't remember if there was tea in our room, but the coffee selection is the same.

Thanks for the photos!

We'll go ahead and bring a small pack of pods of coffee my wife likes and if we have one of these in our room, we're set.

 

[charliesmom86]

I think the aqua ones are all regular rooms and tan ones are in junior suites. I think.

 

[tkme4ard]

how much extra do you pay for the premium rooms? are they closer to the buses? or does it make sense to not pay the extra price and stay where ever and just drive /park? we'll have our own van since we're driving down

ETA this is what I'm talking about (quoting from page one)

The rooms are located in three different themed areas of the Coronado. You can request a specific area when booking but there is no guarantee you'll get your request. Also, as of January 1, 2011, you will be able to pay for a "preferred room" at the Coronado. Preferred buildings are casitas 1, 2 and 3

 

[PolyAddict]

and which ones are decent?

TIA!!

 

[andieb0602]

and which ones are decent?

TIA!!

The machine looks like it's a "Cuisinart Double Coffee Pod Brewer WCM11". The information I've found says it takes "standard coffee pods". Descriptive, right? You should be able to find them at Target or Wal-Mart but I would suggest Bed, Bath and Beyond if you have one near you for a better selection of more gourmet coffees.

 

[Ilivetogo]

I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this ... I hate coffee! Instead, I'll have to worry about how far my walk will be to get a Diet Coke.

.

 

[suemom2kay]

1. We booked through AAA. Is it still possible to do the online check-in? Also, can I put in a location request or do I have to have my TA do it?
Thank you!

Aubriee did a great job answering your questions, I just have one thing to add. Have your TA add the room requests as Aubriee said.... However, if you have room requests your better off not using Online Checkin. Online Checkin is meant for a fast track checkin. Also, being your first time, regular checkin will spend more time going over your packet with you. Online checkin they kind of just hand it to you...

HTH. Have a great belated Honeymoon. Glad you are healthy enough for a WDW trip!

 

[KatMark]

Booked for this summer Silly question maybe, but wondering about the bedspreads/duvets. Some pictures show a tan/gold runner others show an aqua runner. Wondering the difference. Are they a different color in each section? If so, anybody know what color each section is? Really like the aqua one, not the tan one so much. Obviously not a deal breaker, just a preference

As a previous poster stated, I am pretty sure that the "tan runners" are in the Suites and perhaps the rooms in the Club Level section (Cabanas 9B).

how much extra do you pay for the premium rooms? are they closer to the buses? or does it make sense to not pay the extra price and stay where ever and just drive /park? we'll have our own van since we're driving down

ETA this is what I'm talking about (quoting from page one)

The rooms are located in three different themed areas of the Coronado. You can request a specific area when booking but there is no guarantee you'll get your request. Also, as of January 1, 2011, you will be able to pay for a "preferred room" at the Coronado. Preferred buildings are casitas 1, 2 and 3

Unless you want to be close to the main building (registration, gift shop, restaurants), I would not pay for a preferred room. Although the CSR is a large resort, I do not think it is as large as some people make it out to be. We usually stay in Casitas 4 or 5, and it takes me (at the age of 50+) about five minutes to walk to the main building and about seven to eight minutes to walk to the main pool (it only takes longer if I stop to take a trillion pictures).

I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this ... I hate coffee! Instead, I'll have to worry about how far my walk will be to get a Diet Coke.

.

I almost spit out my coffee when I read that.

 

[andieb0602]

I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this ... I hate coffee! Instead, I'll have to worry about how far my walk will be to get a Diet Coke.

.

Me too! I'll be making the trek for my beloved Coke Zero, though. It's also a great excuse for me to get a few minutes by myself. This is, of course, assuming that I'm not the last one to get ready every. single. day. I now understand why my mom was the one still in her pajamas despite the car being packed and everyone else being ready to go when we went on vacation.

 

[onnawufei]

Hi hi! We're staying at CSR for the first time this year, and while I admit I'm a little intimidated by the size, I'm looking forward to something new.

I do have a question that I haven't seen answered yet. Sorry if it was and I missed it. Last year Port Orleans had a board where you could do pin trading in the gift shop, does CSR have one of those? I'm painfully shy so I thought the board was awesome. It also meant I didn't have to make my husband do pin trading for me.

 

[audrey13]

I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered (I did read the first few pages but not all 51!). Does Panchito's have milk to purchase in larger than a single serving size (for example, half gallon) that could be kept in the room fridge? How late are they open? We will be checking in around 11:00 pm (or later) next Thursday and I'd love to be able to buy milk for my daughter for the next day when we check in to save us a trek back to El Centro in the morning.

Thanks!

 

[wendiloveswalt]

We stayed 3-3 through 3-10. I will start with the cons so that I can end with the pros. Con: Bell Services. We had driven 12 hours with 2 young kids and a woman who's 6 months preggo (me) so we were TIRED. We had a lot of stuff and really wanted help with it (or at least a cart to use). We were told to go to our room and someone would meet us there. After 45 minutes of waiting and a dinner reservation to get to we gave up and decided to try again later in the evening. Well, 10:30 p.m. rolled around and we called again. We were told someone would be by shortly. No one ever came so we unloaded it all ourselves at midnight. The party we were traveling with flew and used ME. They didn't get their luggage until 1 am. Needless to say, we didn't make it to RD the next day CON: Dining locations on property. The food was good, but the resort simply does not have restaurants large enough to support the amount of guests. Cafe Rix was mass chaos in the morning. There were always long lines and people filling their mugs had to push through the crowd to get to the drink station. It was not a good way to start the day. We're prepared to stand in lines at the parks, but would like our resort to be our chill zone where we can relax. PM's buffet was great, but there was always a line to be seated. I guess if you get there right when they open it might be better. The Laguna Bar also had problems. It wasn't an issue for me because I couldn't drink (preggo), but my hubbie wanted to have a couple drinks one evening by the lake and there were so many conventioners that he had to wait 30 mins to get one beer. They only had 1 bartender during a peak time! Also, the bartender at the pool bar was rude - not the Disney attitude at all. CON: Preferred room, REALLY? We paid for a preferred room to be close to El Centro. I can see where Casitas 1 and 3 are preferred, but charging for building 2 is quite a stretch. It was certainly walkable, but still took a while (and I'm a quick walker,even pregnant). We did NOT get our money's worth for this upgrade. CON: I guess I should have put this under the dining comments that I already made, but I forgot. The snack bar at the pool was also lacking in the service area. I went to get my mug refilled and stood there while members of management were milling around writing down what supplies need to be ordered and talking to the girl who was supposed to be waiting on guests. She finally came to the window, but filled my mug with the wrong thing and then disappeared again. I couldn't believe how much I was ignored. CON: Bus service. The only day that we committed to making it to RD we got to our stop at 7:45 for an opening at 9. There were 2 AK buses, 2 epcot buses and a HS bus that stopped before we got an MK bus. That was at 8:15. We did make it to RD,but only with minutes to spare. Most mornings were a little better than that, but at night they were so packed and uncomfortable and we had to wait at least 20 mins every time.

Ok, so now that I've bummed you out a little, I will end on a high note with my Pros. PRO: Overall beauty of the resort. It was maintained and decorated with the same attention to detail and poshness as that of a deluxe resort. All of the facilities were very clean and kept up. PRO: Mousekeeping. Our Mousekeeper did a fantastic job all week. Several times she made special scenes on the bed with our kids' toys. One was a boat made out of towels with Donald and Jake as captains and named it S.S. Disney. This was so special. She always responded to requests for more shampoo or coffee (you do need to request these though, I think it's a policy not to automatically refill). PRO: The dig site. The theming, water slide and playground were all beautiful; even better than some deluxe resorts. The DJ added a great atmosphere to the already fun pool area. The free life vests were a definite plus too. PRO: The rooms. The room was very spacious. The seperate vanity area was a great idea. The beds were big and comfy. We liked our room here much better than our room at WL. PRO: Food. The food at PM was great. The pastries and egg sandwiches at Cafe Rix were good. The food at the pool snack bar was also very good.

Overall, I would give CSR a C+. Beautiful resort who's services need to be expanded to accommodate its occupancy. Would I stay here again? Maybe, when my kids are older and if the price is right. **My advice to families with young children: Even if you have to wait a little longer to save up money, stay on the MR or at a resort that has direct access to at least one park. The bus experience is really hard at night with a stroller and sleeping kids (especially if it's standing room only).**

 

[KatMark]

I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered (I did read the first few pages but not all 51!). Does Panchito's have milk to purchase in larger than a single serving size (for example, half gallon) that could be kept in the room fridge? How late are they open? We will be checking in around 11:00 pm (or later) next Thursday and I'd love to be able to buy milk for my daughter for the next day when we check in to save us a trek back to El Centro in the morning.

Thanks!

On the first page is a photo, but I can't tell if the milk comes like the orange juice or not. I do know that Panchitos closes somewhere between 10 and 11 p.m.

 

[KatMark]

We stayed 3-3 through 3-10. I will start with the cons so that I can end with the pros. Con: Bell Services. We had driven 12 hours with 2 young kids and a woman who's 6 months preggo (me) so we were TIRED. We had a lot of stuff and really wanted help with it (or at least a cart to use). We were told to go to our room and someone would meet us there. After 45 minutes of waiting and a dinner reservation to get to we gave up and decided to try again later in the evening. Well, 10:30 p.m. rolled around and we called again. We were told someone would be by shortly. No one ever came so we unloaded it all ourselves at midnight. The party we were traveling with flew and used ME. They didn't get their luggage until 1 am. Needless to say, we didn't make it to RD the next day CON: Dining locations on property. The food was good, but the resort simply does not have restaurants large enough to support the amount of guests. Cafe Rix was mass chaos in the morning. There were always long lines and people filling their mugs had to push through the crowd to get to the drink station. It was not a good way to start the day. We're prepared to stand in lines at the parks, but would like our resort to be our chill zone where we can relax. PM's buffet was great, but there was always a line to be seated. I guess if you get there right when they open it might be better. The Laguna Bar also had problems. It wasn't an issue for me because I couldn't drink (preggo), but my hubbie wanted to have a couple drinks one evening by the lake and there were so many conventioners that he had to wait 30 mins to get one beer. They only had 1 bartender during a peak time! Also, the bartender at the pool bar was rude - not the Disney attitude at all. CON: Preferred room, REALLY? We paid for a preferred room to be close to El Centro. I can see where Casitas 1 and 3 are preferred, but charging for building 2 is quite a stretch. It was certainly walkable, but still took a while (and I'm a quick walker,even pregnant). We did NOT get our money's worth for this upgrade. CON: I guess I should have put this under the dining comments that I already made, but I forgot. The snack bar at the pool was also lacking in the service area. I went to get my mug refilled and stood there while members of management were milling around writing down what supplies need to be ordered and talking to the girl who was supposed to be waiting on guests. She finally came to the window, but filled my mug with the wrong thing and then disappeared again. I couldn't believe how much I was ignored. CON: Bus service. The only day that we committed to making it to RD we got to our stop at 7:45 for an opening at 9. There were 2 AK buses, 2 epcot buses and a HS bus that stopped before we got an MK bus. That was at 8:15. We did make it to RD,but only with minutes to spare. Most mornings were a little better than that, but at night they were so packed and uncomfortable and we had to wait at least 20 mins every time.

Ok, so now that I've bummed you out a little, I will end on a high note with my Pros. PRO: Overall beauty of the resort. It was maintained and decorated with the same attention to detail and poshness as that of a deluxe resort. All of the facilities were very clean and kept up. PRO: Mousekeeping. Our Mousekeeper did a fantastic job all week. Several times she made special scenes on the bed with our kids' toys. One was a boat made out of towels with Donald and Jake as captains and named it S.S. Disney. This was so special. She always responded to requests for more shampoo or coffee (you do need to request these though, I think it's a policy not to automatically refill). PRO: The dig site. The theming, water slide and playground were all beautiful; even better than some deluxe resorts. The DJ added a great atmosphere to the already fun pool area. The free life vests were a definite plus too. PRO: The rooms. The room was very spacious. The seperate vanity area was a great idea. The beds were big and comfy. We liked our room here much better than our room at WL. PRO: Food. The food at PM was great. The pastries and egg sandwiches at Cafe Rix were good. The food at the pool snack bar was also very good.

Overall, I would give CSR a C+. Beautiful resort who's services need to be expanded to accommodate its occupancy. Would I stay here again? Maybe, when my kids are older and if the price is right. **My advice to families with young children: Even if you have to wait a little longer to save up money, stay on the MR or at a resort that has direct access to at least one park. The bus experience is really hard at night with a stroller and sleeping kids (especially if it's standing room only).**

Thanks for the review. I'm sorry you hit such crowds at Cafe Rix. I have to admit I've never had that problem, but could be the time of year we go. Sorry the buses were not so good for you; that is most unusual for CSR as they are usually one of the best as far as bus service.

I'm glad you enjoyed the beautiful resort and the pool, though.

 

[EpcotBill]

... CON: Bus service. The only day that we committed to making it to RD we got to our stop at 7:45 for an opening at 9. There were 2 AK buses, 2 epcot buses and a HS bus that stopped before we got an MK bus. That was at 8:15. We did make it to RD,but only with minutes to spare. Most mornings were a little better than that, but at night they were so packed and uncomfortable and we had to wait at least 20 mins every time...

I know someone who was there the exact same dates as you. Their only complaint was the buses. They said when leaving MK at closing they watched multiple buses go by for other resorts before one came for CSR. The wait was over 40 minutes and the bus was packed to the gills. Same problem in the morning. They waited well over 20 minutes every day. Apparently it was a bad week for CSR buses.

 

[MaddieC]

What are the crowds like around August 15 at cs?

 

[saskdw]

I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered (I did read the first few pages but not all 51!). Does Panchito's have milk to purchase in larger than a single serving size (for example, half gallon) that could be kept in the room fridge? How late are they open? We will be checking in around 11:00 pm (or later) next Thursday and I'd love to be able to buy milk for my daughter for the next day when we check in to save us a trek back to El Centro in the morning.

Thanks!

Yes, they have the 1/2 gallon milks. They fit nicely in the fridge doors.

 

[saskdw]

Hi hi! We're staying at CSR for the first time this year, and while I admit I'm a little intimidated by the size, I'm looking forward to something new.

The size is greatly exaggerated IMO, don't worry about it.