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

[KatMark]

Just back from 3 nights and 4 days at CSR! We had a wonderful time! The pools were opened later on Saturday and Sunday. They were opened from 8am til midnight. Life guards went off duty at 8pm.

We ate at the Pepper Market every day for dinner, and had gelato at Cafe Rix everyday as well! We were able to get a microwave from mousekeeping, so we were able to heat up left overs! We ate breakfast in our room, since we had the microwave.

Our safe was missing a key when we arrived, and getting a microwave was a bit tricky.

The room hair dryer was so much nicer than all the ones I've had in our rooms elsewhere on property!

Dodging golf carts was risky business at times. Some drove by way to fast.

We requested 8 a or b, or Casitas 4 or 5. We were assigned to 8A, room 8152, first floor. We loved the location! It was half way between the Dig Site and Bus stop 4. We spent many hours at the Dig site with our 6 year old! He loved the sand, but we made him stop after spending hours there after on Friday after check in. When I got his sandy clothing off him we found 5 sand fleas, and he was all bitten. So we forbade the sand after that. He still had a great time on the swings, the playground equipment, and fuseball table.

Our teenager, said that of all the Disney resorts he's stayed at, CSR and Pop are tie at #1 for him. For me, BC/SSR/CSR all tie for first! My husband really enjoyed it too. For ds6, this was his very favorite resort EVER!

The only inconvenience we ran into was the parking lot of 8A was half closed. There were barriers put up. When we checked out today, the entrance to 8 was closed and we had to exit through 9's area of the parking lot.

Welcome back (although I'm sure you'd rather still be at Disney). Sounds like your trip was a success overall and that is great to hear. Thanks for the info on the pool being open a little later and the lifeguard hours (that will help maxiesmom).

I noticed those sand fleas when we were there in September so I didn't lay in my hammock as much as I wanted to (I'm not sure what they can do about the sand fleas though). Hope your little one wasn't too itchy from the bites.

 

[tan1180]

This is my first post but I frequented this discussion board before our first trip to CSR. We had gotten the free dining plan when booking in a moderate resort and we chose CSR because of the queen size beds.
A couple things that I have noticed people asking or saying and I figured I would pass my experience on as well:
1. When we were there the pool lifeguards at the Dig Site worked until 8pm. This is also when they would close the slide. The pool remained open until midnight with no lifeguard on.
2. We had a convention there for the first few days of our trip. We were there from March 1-8, 2011. It was so much nicer when the convention was there. The convention had paid for additional carts to be on the premises to cart the convention people around the resort, yet they would always offer if we wanted a lify anywhere. We have three boys ages 6,4, and 2. Also after the convention left the restaurants and the buses got so much busier!!! It was amazing how busy it got in the matter of a few days.
3. Also we ate at the Maya Grill while we were there and I had the flank steak and my husband had the salmon and we were both more than satisfied with it. We thought it was really good and the service was good as well.
4. We stayed in Casitas 4 and thought that the location was perfect. We never felt that we were a long walk away from anything. The kids just enjoyed riding on the carts.
5. Also the bus transportation wasn't great until one day we waited almost an hour for a Hollywood Studios bus! I though that that was a little crazy but I do not believe it to be the hotels fault.
I will post more as I read on any other information that I may have.

 

[KatMark]

This is my first post but I frequented this discussion board before our first trip to CSR. We had gotten the free dining plan when booking in a moderate resort and we chose CSR because of the queen size beds.
A couple things that I have noticed people asking or saying and I figured I would pass my experience on as well:
1. When we were there the pool lifeguards at the Dig Site worked until 8pm. This is also when they would close the slide. The pool remained open until midnight with no lifeguard on.
2. We had a convention there for the first few days of our trip. We were there from March 1-8, 2011. It was so much nicer when the convention was there. The convention had paid for additional carts to be on the premises to cart the convention people around the resort, yet they would always offer if we wanted a lify anywhere. We have three boys ages 6,4, and 2. Also after the convention left the restaurants and the buses got so much busier!!! It was amazing how busy it got in the matter of a few days.
3. Also we ate at the Maya Grill while we were there and I had the flank steak and my husband had the salmon and we were both more than satisfied with it. We thought it was really good and the service was good as well.
4. We stayed in Casitas 4 and thought that the location was perfect. We never felt that we were a long walk away from anything. The kids just enjoyed riding on the carts.
5. Also the bus transportation wasn't great until one day we waited almost an hour for a Hollywood Studios bus! I though that that was a little crazy but I do not believe it to be the hotels fault.
I will post more as I read on any other information that I may have.

Thank you for this information which I am sure will be extremely helpful to others.

We LOVE Casitas 4; it (along with Casitas 5) are our all-time favorite locations.

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks everyone for posting all of the info on the pool hours. This is helping me feel more happy with the decision to book CSR.

Thanks for the info about the sand fleas too. I never would have thought of them being a problem. Good to know about them ahead of time.

 

[999ghostslover]

This is my first post but I frequented this discussion board before our first trip to CSR. We had gotten the free dining plan when booking in a moderate resort and we chose CSR because of the queen size beds.
A couple things that I have noticed people asking or saying and I figured I would pass my experience on as well:
1. When we were there the pool lifeguards at the Dig Site worked until 8pm. This is also when they would close the slide. The pool remained open until midnight with no lifeguard on.
2. We had a convention there for the first few days of our trip. We were there from March 1-8, 2011. It was so much nicer when the convention was there. The convention had paid for additional carts to be on the premises to cart the convention people around the resort, yet they would always offer if we wanted a lify anywhere. We have three boys ages 6,4, and 2. Also after the convention left the restaurants and the buses got so much busier!!! It was amazing how busy it got in the matter of a few days.
3. Also we ate at the Maya Grill while we were there and I had the flank steak and my husband had the salmon and we were both more than satisfied with it. We thought it was really good and the service was good as well.
4. We stayed in Casitas 4 and thought that the location was perfect. We never felt that we were a long walk away from anything. The kids just enjoyed riding on the carts.
5. Also the bus transportation wasn't great until one day we waited almost an hour for a Hollywood Studios bus! I though that that was a little crazy but I do not believe it to be the hotels fault.
I will post more as I read on any other information that I may have.

Glad to know the slide closes at 8. I need to let the kiddos know so we don't have a major melt down. We have an awesome slide at our YMCA and when they close the slide and we show up my kids are not happy! Managed expectations is how we roll!

 

[saskdw]

I'm thinking about requesting Casita's 4 next time we stay there. I use the fitness club which is right there along with being close to the best bus stop and closer to the food area than than we were last time. Initially we were thinking of a preferred room next time to be close to the food, but I think a room over looking the Casitas 4 quiet pool might be the way to go, assuming they fill the request.

 

[lovethattink]

I'm thinking about requesting Casita's 4 next time we stay there. I use the fitness club which is right there along with being close to the best bus stop and closer to the food area than than we were last time. Initially we were thinking of a preferred room next time to be close to the food, but I think a room over looking the Casitas 4 quiet pool might be the way to go, assuming they fill the request.

Being the first stop would have come in handy this weekend. We were going to take the bus to MK. We got to bus stop 4 and we were the only ones there. Waited 25 minutes for the MK bus. Within those 25 minutes the bus stop really filled us. When the MK bus came, it passed right by us. It was completely full and couldn't stop for us!! Instead of waiting for another bus, we took our car. It took us about 45 minutes from CSR to get to TTC then into the MK. As we were heading to our lunch ADR we saw a family that had been at the bus stop with us. It took them 2 hours total to get into MK because of waiting for the CSR bus!!

 

[5terre]

Reading everyone's reports makes me want to be back there! Can't believe we've been home for two weeks now.

We stayed in 8b and walked the El Centro every morning, and just wanted to say the golf carts never offered to drive us anywhere. They whizzed by us every time without stopping, even at 6:30am during Grainger when we were dragging all our suitcases.

Glad we missed the sandbox! DD6 loved the pool so much that we didn't even use the playground, except when we first arrived and she didn't have her bathing suit on yet. Once she did, there was no looking back. I wanna be back, I wanna be back!!!

 

[nathanyell]

We are arriving on Saturday morning! I checked the reservation online and saw that we are already upgraded to waterview from standard

Guess I should not hope for anything more but I requested 9a or 9b. So fingers crossed!

Now to get through the next 4 days.

Brian

 

[lovethattink]

Welcome back (although I'm sure you'd rather still be at Disney). Sounds like your trip was a success overall and that is great to hear. Thanks for the info on the pool being open a little later and the lifeguard hours (that will help maxiesmom).

I noticed those sand fleas when we were there in September so I didn't lay in my hammock as much as I wanted to (I'm not sure what they can do about the sand fleas though). Hope your little one wasn't too itchy from the bites.

He had about 12 bites around his wasteband. I brought hydrocortisone cream with us so he was not too itchy.

 

[KatMark]

We are arriving on Saturday morning! I checked the reservation online and saw that we are already upgraded to waterview from standard

Guess I should not hope for anything more but I requested 9a or 9b. So fingers crossed!

Now to get through the next 4 days.

Brian

Brian, can't believe your trip is almost here...that sure went fast.

We had a great waterview from 9A...hope you are as lucky.

 

[ilmomof2]

After reading so many of the posts on this thread and others, I'm starting to wonder if I should change our reservation from a preferred room to a standard? If I'd prefer to stay in Cabanas 8A or Casitas 5, or something close to the dig site and Bus Stop #2, isn't that out of the "preferred" section?

If I downgrade the room preference, maybe we can stay a day longer. ;-)

How far in advance should I request a specific room/section?

Thanks!

 

[Gypsybear]

Y'all are making me want to be there NOW...and we're not scheduled until LATE September...

That being said, how are the crowds around the resort and the parks? We're planning on MNSSHP one evening (once they post the dates...lol)...

 

[cjsm&d]

After reading so many of the posts on this thread and others, I'm starting to wonder if I should change our reservation from a preferred room to a standard? If I'd prefer to stay in Cabanas 8A or Casitas 5, or something close to the dig site and Bus Stop #2, isn't that out of the "preferred" section?

If I downgrade the room preference, maybe we can stay a day longer. ;-)

How far in advance should I request a specific room/section?

Thanks!

Or switch from preferred to water view, and request those.

 

[KatMark]

Y'all are making me want to be there NOW...and we're not scheduled until LATE September...

That being said, how are the crowds around the resort and the parks? We're planning on MNSSHP one evening (once they post the dates...lol)...

This is the time we've gone the last two years and will be doing so this year (we'll be at the CSR September 25 - 28...leaving the morning of the 29th). We plan to go to the MNSSHP on that Tuesday (the 27th). We love the crowds at this time of the year...very manageable.

 

[lovethattink]

I started my trip report, not very far yet, but posted a few pics of CSR already. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=40334126#post40334126

 

[shuckn]

I started my trip report, not very far yet, but posted a few pics of CSR already. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=40334126#post40334126

I saw in your trip report that you got a microwave delivered to the room...how much extra did this end up costing you? I would love to do so, seeing as I ALWAYS have left overs, but I don't want to end up paying a ridiculous amount of money!

 

[KatMark]

I saw in your trip report that you got a microwave delivered to the room...how much extra did this end up costing you? I would love to do so, seeing as I ALWAYS have left overs, but I don't want to end up paying a ridiculous amount of money!

Microwaves are avaiable FREE on a first come, first serve basis.

 

[shpdem]

we are going on our trip on august 20th for 6 nights and i was wanting to see what the crowds are typically like in that time frame.

 

[shuckn]

Microwaves are avaiable FREE on a first come, first serve basis.

That makes me so excited! Now I'm just hoping there will still be one available when we arrive!