Coronado Springs Resort -- New Unofficial FAQ Thread -- October 2010

[lovethattink]

My DH and I will be going on a trip with my best friend and her boyfriend. We decided on CSR tonight. DH and I stayed there for our couples trip in February and we really enjoyed it. We had a room in Cabanas 9B. I had actually requested Casitas or Ranchos. I didn't want Cabanas. 9B was great though. It was a deluxe room with crown molding and a DVD player. A nice view from our room of a pond looking towards the entrance. We drove most of the time, but the buses were timely when we took them. We have a long wait for this trip, but I am going to surprise our kids with a trip the week before Christmas. My son likes POR so we will probably stay there for that trip. Two trips planned

Wow, you scored a DVD player! Congrats on 2 trips planned!

 

[Disneyfreak616]

I really love Casitas too and requested it on our reservation. I like the formal look with the fountains and the courtyards. It's beautiful! Can't wait!

 

[Julie521]

Hey everyone!! So happy for all of you getting so close to your day!! Still just over a year for my and the future hubby. Was trying to think of what might be a good stay for us. Honestly, I am not sure we are super concerned about it, but some thoughts from you veterans would be great. I am going to be 24 and my fiance will be 30 when we go. We are honeymooning, and will have our car since we are driving. SO i guess one of the main things would be a close parking lot. We will most likely use our car a lot, unless we are doing a night out for "adult" fun and might not want to drive home, or can't for that matter

Walking doesn't really matter when it comes to be directly near the pool. Do you think we even really need to request anything? For look, I don't think I really like the Ranchos, but the truth is in the end I am not sure it will matter a ton for us. We can walk around to the other areas anyways.

 

[aggordon2]

Hi everyone! this is a great thread, I am so glad that I found it!

We have only stayed on Disney property three times (this August will be the third) and all three times have been CSR. Our family loves it! We have stayed in the same room the last two times and I have requested the same room again. Cabanas 8A, Room 8100. We have have an autistic son and it is very comforting to him to have the same room. Hopefully they honour our request.

We think that CSR is the best!!

 

[KatMark]

Hey everyone!! So happy for all of you getting so close to your day!! Still just over a year for my and the future hubby. Was trying to think of what might be a good stay for us. Honestly, I am not sure we are super concerned about it, but some thoughts from you veterans would be great. I am going to be 24 and my fiance will be 30 when we go. We are honeymooning, and will have our car since we are driving. SO i guess one of the main things would be a close parking lot. We will most likely use our car a lot, unless we are doing a night out for "adult" fun and might not want to drive home, or can't for that matter

Walking doesn't really matter when it comes to be directly near the pool. Do you think we even really need to request anything? For look, I don't think I really like the Ranchos, but the truth is in the end I am not sure it will matter a ton for us. We can walk around to the other areas anyways.

No matter what section you are in, you will be pretty close to a parking lot. DH and I rent a car every trip and drive to all the parks and it has never been more than a minute or two walk to where we parked the car. For a honeymoon, I would pick Casitas 4 or 5 if I could....jsut because I love the courtyards with the fountains and DH and I enjoy sitting on a bench there when it is nighttime and just enjoying the tranquility of that area.

Be sure to have it noted on your reservation that you are celebrating your wedding and are on your honeymoon. They have been known to give a champagne voucher for two for honeymooners (it's not a guarantee, but I have read of them doing it many times.

Hi everyone! this is a great thread, I am so glad that I found it!

We have only stayed on Disney property three times (this August will be the third) and all three times have been CSR. Our family loves it! We have stayed in the same room the last two times and I have requested the same room again. Cabanas 8A, Room 8100. We have have an autistic son and it is very comforting to him to have the same room. Hopefully they honour our request.

We think that CSR is the best!!

Welcome to our little CSR thread here. We are delighted to have you. I'm glad you LOVE CSR as we do. I hope you get your request too.

I see you are a member of the DIS Dad group. Do you know my good friend, Tim (that's nice)?

 

[aubriee]

Hi everyone! this is a great thread, I am so glad that I found it!

We have only stayed on Disney property three times (this August will be the third) and all three times have been CSR. Our family loves it! We have stayed in the same room the last two times and I have requested the same room again. Cabanas 8A, Room 8100. We have have an autistic son and it is very comforting to him to have the same room. Hopefully they honour our request.

We think that CSR is the best!!

Wow! You were lucky. I too love the Cabana section with Cabanas 8A being my favorite. I'll be there in Sept and again Nov/Dec and am also hoping for a first floor room in Cabanas 8A (or anywhere in the Cabanas for the matter). With Casitas 1, 2, and 3 now being preferred, I hope our odds may be better. I always request Cabanas 8A but have been in Casitas 1, Casitas 2, Cabanas 9B (twice), Cabanas 9A, and Cabanas 8A. As long as I don't get stuck in the Ranchos, I'll be happy though.

 

[aprilp]

I am going to WDW the first week of December 2011 and it was originally going to be me and my BFF....when I go with her we usually stay at POP because its the cheapest and we like it the best of all the values. BUT, I just found out she may not be able to go anymore due to money issues. Which would be a really bad thing EXCEPT for the fact that my parents (who went with me in 2009) have decided that they really want to go back. So if she ends up not being able to go this year, they have already said they will go with me.

That being said, in 2009 we stayed at CSR for the first time and absolutely LOVED it. I was quite surprised at that, mainly because we aren't into the southwestern/desert/mexico/mayan look, etc. In fact, we only chose it because it had recently been redone with new queen beds and my mom said there was NO WAY she was sleeping with my dad (who flops around like a giant fish when sleeping) in a double bed. Lol! Anyway, in the early 90s, which was the last time they had gone, we stayed at POR. I was looking around the other day thinking that maybe we should stay at POR because dad would just LOVE that there was a boat going to DTD and he would be taking it all the time (he just loves boat and train rides, its quite funny). But I looked at the pics of the grounds and well, they just didnt do anything for me! I dont know if it was because it just reminded me of the old days, back when WDW was not really my thing because we only knew to go to one park and we didnt know what we were doing and thus it held no good memories for me, or what. And THEN I looked at my CSR photos I had downloaded from this thread onto my computer in 2009 when I wanted to sell my parents on the resort (hope that was ok, ya'll had some great photos) and I was like, ahhhh! So pretty! I fell in love all over again with the fountains and the color of the casitas buildings and the greenery and the check-in building.....I don't think I'm going to ever be able to stay at different moderate ever again.

P.S. Just as an aside, I have also stayed at CBR (I think it was early 2000's with my friend's family) and it didn't really do anything for me either. Go figure! I guess I am officially a CSR gal! So thanks to all of you who have posted pictures and told about the resort over the years, especially KatMark who started this thread which I first found mid-2009, because if it hadn't been for ya'll I never would have given CSR a chance!!!!

 

[snykymom]

I am going to WDW the first week of December 2011 and it was originally going to be me and my BFF....when I go with her we usually stay at POP because its the cheapest and we like it the best of all the values. BUT, I just found out she may not be able to go anymore due to money issues. Which would be a really bad thing EXCEPT for the fact that my parents (who went with me in 2009) have decided that they really want to go back. So if she ends up not being able to go this year, they have already said they will go with me.

That being said, in 2009 we stayed at CSR for the first time and absolutely LOVED it. I was quite surprised at that, mainly because we aren't into the southwestern/desert/mexico/mayan look, etc. In fact, we only chose it because it had recently been redone with new queen beds and my mom said there was NO WAY she was sleeping with my dad (who flops around like a giant fish when sleeping) in a double bed. Lol! Anyway, in the early 90s, which was the last time they had gone, we stayed at POR. I was looking around the other day thinking that maybe we should stay at POR because dad would just LOVE that there was a boat going to DTD and he would be taking it all the time (he just loves boat and train rides, its quite funny). But I looked at the pics of the grounds and well, they just didnt do anything for me! I dont know if it was because it just reminded me of the old days, back when WDW was not really my thing because we only knew to go to one park and we didnt know what we were doing and thus it held no good memories for me, or what. And THEN I looked at my CSR photos I had downloaded from this thread onto my computer in 2009 when I wanted to sell my parents on the resort (hope that was ok, ya'll had some great photos) and I was like, ahhhh! So pretty! I fell in love all over again with the fountains and the color of the casitas buildings and the greenery and the check-in building.....I don't think I'm going to ever be able to stay at different moderate ever again.

P.S. Just as an aside, I have also stayed at CBR (I think it was early 2000's with my friend's family) and it didn't really do anything for me either. Go figure! I guess I am officially a CSR gal! So thanks to all of you who have posted pictures and told about the resort over the years, especially KatMark who started this thread which I first found mid-2009, because if it hadn't been for ya'll I never would have given CSR a chance!!!!

If your dad really loves trains, then book the Steam Train Tour at MK for him! My dh loves trains, and he had a blast on the tour. You get to see the roundhouse, see how the trains are started, ride the train around, learn a lot of history - and because it starts even before any ADRs, you see the Magic Kingdom TOTALLY EMPTY!

 

[aprilp]

If your dad really loves trains, then book the Steam Train Tour at MK for him! My dh loves trains, and he had a blast on the tour. You get to see the roundhouse, see how the trains are started, ride the train around, learn a lot of history - and because it starts even before any ADRs, you see the Magic Kingdom TOTALLY EMPTY!

Oh good idea! Thanks!!

 

[quirty30]

Hi - what a great thread. Makes me even more excited to be staying there soon. We will be at CSR over Labor Day weekend and I'm a bit confused about a room request. It's just me and my 2 kids, DS13 and DD10. My biggest concern is that I have some issues with my legs and I would like to be fairly close to a bus stop and the main pool. Am I correct in assuming that if you are far from El Centro that you can hop on a bus to get there?

I really like the looks of the Casitas the best, followed by the Cabanas and then the Ranchos. But I think the top floor at the Casitas might do me in after a long park day. Oddly enough, I don't like ground floor rooms at all (just kind of a quirk I have.) So I'm thinking to request a top floor room in one of the Casitas, but which one? I'm more than willing to pay for a preferred location if its warranted and can help me limit the amount of walking for me at the resort.

Would appreciate any recommendations you CSR experts might have!!!

 

[Cafeen]

Hi - what a great thread. Makes me even more excited to be staying there soon. We will be at CSR over Labor Day weekend and I'm a bit confused about a room request. It's just me and my 2 kids, DS13 and DD10. My biggest concern is that I have some issues with my legs and I would like to be fairly close to a bus stop and the main pool. Am I correct in assuming that if you are far from El Centro that you can hop on a bus to get there?

Yes, you can hop onto any park bus (excluding DtD) and ride it to El Centro. The park buses pick up in order of #2 (Casitas) > #3 (Ranchos) > #4 (Cabanas) > #1 (El Centro). DtD picks up in order of #1 > #2 > #3 > #4. They do this specifically to enable them to be used as an internal shuttle of sorts.

I really like the looks of the Casitas the best, followed by the Cabanas and then the Ranchos. But I think the top floor at the Casitas might do me in after a long park day. Oddly enough, I don't like ground floor rooms at all (just kind of a quirk I have.) So I'm thinking to request a top floor room in one of the Casitas, but which one? I'm more than willing to pay for a preferred location if its warranted and can help me limit the amount of walking for me at the resort.

Would appreciate any recommendations you CSR experts might have!!!

All of the buildings have elevators, so if you get that tired/sore/whatever, the actual floor (other than group) isn't going to matter that much. Of course, getting to an elevator may add extra walking, both times that I've been there it was right on the way to the room from the bus stop though (once in Cabanas 9A, once in Casitas 4).

As a note, the preferred rooms are in Casitas 1-3, which are close to El Centro, but not so much the main pool. You're pretty much going to have to pick one or the other, as with the way the resort it laid out, it's impossible to be right next to both. That's not to say that some aren't bad (like Cabanas 8A is pretty short to both), but the closer you get to one, the further you get from the other.

 

[snykymom]

Hi - what a great thread. Makes me even more excited to be staying there soon. We will be at CSR over Labor Day weekend and I'm a bit confused about a room request. It's just me and my 2 kids, DS13 and DD10. My biggest concern is that I have some issues with my legs and I would like to be fairly close to a bus stop and the main pool. Am I correct in assuming that if you are far from El Centro that you can hop on a bus to get there?

I really like the looks of the Casitas the best, followed by the Cabanas and then the Ranchos. But I think the top floor at the Casitas might do me in after a long park day. Oddly enough, I don't like ground floor rooms at all (just kind of a quirk I have.) So I'm thinking to request a top floor room in one of the Casitas, but which one? I'm more than willing to pay for a preferred location if its warranted and can help me limit the amount of walking for me at the resort.

Would appreciate any recommendations you CSR experts might have!!!

1) Don't worry about the top floor - all the buildings at CSR except Casitas 2 have elevators.

2) Casitas 1, 2 and 3 are preferred. Casitas 1 is the closest to El Centro and bus stop 1. If you're far from El Centro, yes, you can hop on any park bus and get off there - stop 1 is the last stop on the way to the parks. Just don't get on the DTD bus; it stops at El Centro first.

3) If you're not concerned about being close to the pool, a preferred room might do it for you.

 

[quirty30]

Thanks so much Cafeen & Snykymom. I don't know why, but I didn't realize there were elevators in the buildings. That will help tremendously. Now that you have shared more info with me, I know its most important for us to be close to the Dig Site (for the kids) and a bus stop (for me.) If I can hop on a park bus to get to El Centro that's great - no worries about being close if I can get a bus.

So I'm thinking anything in Casitas 8 or 9, top floor, would work pretty well - I try not to be too specific with room requests so I can give them some leeway. Don't want to say Casita 8A and end up in the Ranchos because nothing is available in Casita 8A. Does that seem like it would be a good request?

 

[Cafeen]

Sounds good to me.

 

[rrbar]

I requested a ground floor as I am renting a scooter for my husband and thought that would give us less obstacles. Anyway, I also asked for Casita 4. In the info I just received from Disney as our trip is now 30 days out and we received the ME express info, etc, it says ground floor but doesn't mention the Casita request. Do you think it is on the reservation or did they forget that part? Can I request both a ground floor as well as a specific casita? I requested Casita 4 on the phone to be on the first bus stop and the kids can just walk to the pool.

 

[Mickman0_3]

1) Don't worry about the top floor - all the buildings at CSR except Casitas 2 have elevators.

casita 2 has an elevator, it just doesn't go to the 4th floor.

 

[snykymom]

Thanks so much Cafeen & Snykymom. I don't know why, but I didn't realize there were elevators in the buildings. That will help tremendously. Now that you have shared more info with me, I know its most important for us to be close to the Dig Site (for the kids) and a bus stop (for me.) If I can hop on a park bus to get to El Centro that's great - no worries about being close if I can get a bus.

So I'm thinking anything in Casitas 8 or 9, top floor, would work pretty well - I try not to be too specific with room requests so I can give them some leeway. Don't want to say Casita 8A and end up in the Ranchos because nothing is available in Casita 8A. Does that seem like it would be a good request?

I think you mean Cabanas 8 or 9. Casitas are 1,2,3,4,5; Cabanas are 8 and 9.

Oh, and remember that you can jump on any park bus to get TO El Centro, but can only use a DTD bus to get BACK to your room from El Centro.

 

[quirty30]

I think you mean Cabanas 8 or 9. Casitas are 1,2,3,4,5; Cabanas are 8 and 9.

Oh, and remember that you can jump on any park bus to get TO El Centro, but can only use a DTD bus to get BACK to your room from El Centro.

Oops - yes Cabanas 8 or 9. And I understand how the buses work - we've stayed at AKV Kidani & SSR before and it's the same kind of system there. I don't think we'll need to visit El Centro that ofter, so as long as I can hop on bus to get there, I'm not worried about being close to it. Better to be close to the Dig Site & bus stop.

Thanks again!

 

[TTAfanatic]

I know these questions are usually frowned upon, but do you think they will do anything special for my honeymoon in October, like upgrade wise? I understand my best bet is to just ask when we arrive. I put it down as our honeymoon when I made our reservation. If I do get upgraded from a King Preferred, is a suite out of the picture?

 

[KatMark]

I know these questions are usually frowned upon, but do you think they will do anything special for my honeymoon in October, like upgrade wise? I understand my best bet is to just ask when we arrive. I put it down as our honeymoon when I made our reservation. If I do get upgraded from a King Preferred, is a suite out of the picture?

There is always a chance. We were upgraded to a junior suite for our 25th wedding anniversary. We did not ask for it; we were totally surprised when we walked in our room and saw it.

However, it does not happen often, so I would not go in expecting it. And, I think to ask when you check in if there were an upgrade available, they would assume you will pay for it and the junior suites are very expensive.