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

[jp'smommy]

We just got back tonight from 2 weeks at CSR and needless to say we're exhausted!!! As always, we loved our stay at CSR. Check in was very quick. I had requested Cabanas and ended up in Ranchos 7B. We really wanted a corner room on the third floor, but were not in a corner room. The woman checking us in called and said to head up to our room and someone else would call and see if we could be moved. When we got there, Stephanie called and she had found a corner room 2 rooms down from where we were. I then asked if there was a corner room facing the quiet pool. She was able to find one and we couldn't have been happier. We were in room 7783 which overlooked the quiet pool. It was about a 3 minute walk to the Dig Site and probably a 7 minute walk to the main building. I also went to the gym quite a few times and that was closer to a 10 minute walk. As someone else pointed out, while it is a big resort and does require some walking, that's all you do all day long at the park anyway, so what's the big deal.

My girls enjoyed the games at the Dig Site pool area in the afternoon. I don't remember these at any other moderates in past years, but maybe we just always missed them.

We went to Pepper Market once. We don't enjoy the set-up at all and only went once. I know that many are ok with it, but it's just not to our liking.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks for the review! I am glad you had a great time. How were the buses?

 

[CarolinaMomOf3boys]

I have been away from disney for almost 2 years now!
and have finally reserved for free dining. I have stayed at all the value resorts and Port Orleans....so this will be our first time at Coronado Springs!

 

[jenny105]

Just made the switch from POR to CSR for next year's trip. The pictures of the grounds and that amazing pool changed my mind. Too bad it's still soooo far away!

 

[Jen414]

Thanks for the review! I am glad you had a great time. How were the buses?

We had a car, so we only took the buses a few times. Each time we did, though, it pulled up almost as soon as we got there. Bus stop #4 is about 75 yards from Rancho 7B, so it was very convenient to walk to. The buses did seem a little crowded, but so were the parks. I would imagine as more and more schools start back, there will be more room on the buses as well as in the parks.

 

[lisam427]

I need so much help! I have lots of questions. I booked this on Sunday and I leave in one week from today!!

1. I recieved a packet from WDW with lugagge tags and vouchers but nothing for DME? SHould I have something from DME?

2. I have the magiacal memories package but there is nothing in my paperwork that is for the free memory book.

3. Are there any advatages to doing the on line check in?

4. If I want to stay in the cabanas do I just request the cabana's or do I specify a building? Which building do you suggest?


5. Does anyone want to help plan this trip? LOL I have not even had a chance to figure out what park on what day. It is just DH and I. We are thinking sleep in, hang at the pool and head to parks in late afternoon for dinner and rides. Two parrks hav late night EMH while we are there so will stay untill 1:00am. Is this a good plan? Trying to avoid the heat as much as I can.

Thanks so much

i cant give you much advice about the other stuff but if you check out easy wdw they have a crowd calendar that tells you what is the least crowded park is each day, during the time you are going. i use easywdw everytime i go to disney and have had great success. it is free. heres the link

www.easywdw.com

hope this helps.

 

[kerplop]

5. Does anyone want to help plan this trip? LOL I have not even had a chance to figure out what park on what day. It is just DH and I. We are thinking sleep in, hang at the pool and head to parks in late afternoon for dinner and rides. Two parrks hav late night EMH while we are there so will stay untill 1:00am. Is this a good plan? Trying to avoid the heat as much as I can.

Thanks so much

As a rule the later you get into the parks, the longer the lines and the less you can end up doing. The battle plan for most in the heat is to get there for rope drop and then take a break in the afternoon at the hottest part of the day. Swim, relax, nap, etc. then head back out to the park in the evening.

 

[KatMark]

I need so much help! I have lots of questions. I booked this on Sunday and I leave in one week from today!!

1. I recieved a packet from WDW with lugagge tags and vouchers but nothing for DME? SHould I have something from DME?

2. I have the magiacal memories package but there is nothing in my paperwork that is for the free memory book.

3. Are there any advatages to doing the on line check in?

4. If I want to stay in the cabanas do I just request the cabana's or do I specify a building? Which building do you suggest?


5. Does anyone want to help plan this trip? LOL I have not even had a chance to figure out what park on what day. It is just DH and I. We are thinking sleep in, hang at the pool and head to parks in late afternoon for dinner and rides. Two parrks hav late night EMH while we are there so will stay untill 1:00am. Is this a good plan? Trying to avoid the heat as much as I can.

Thanks so much

DH and I (both in our 50's) have been traveling to Disney without our kids a lot lately (7 or 8 of our last ten trips...I can't even rememberf anymore). We go to the park when it first opens (either EMH's or rope drop) and then we head back to the resort around 1 p.m. for a nap/swim (mostly swimming); we then freshen up and head back to the parks or dinner at a resort and then the parks around 5:30 or 6 p.m. This works best for us with the heat/humidity in September.

 

[Cafeen]

I need so much help! I have lots of questions. I booked this on Sunday and I leave in one week from today!!

1. I recieved a packet from WDW with lugagge tags and vouchers but nothing for DME? SHould I have something from DME?

2. I have the magiacal memories package but there is nothing in my paperwork that is for the free memory book.

3. Are there any advatages to doing the on line check in?

4. If I want to stay in the cabanas do I just request the cabana's or do I specify a building? Which building do you suggest?


5. Does anyone want to help plan this trip? LOL I have not even had a chance to figure out what park on what day. It is just DH and I. We are thinking sleep in, hang at the pool and head to parks in late afternoon for dinner and rides. Two parrks hav late night EMH while we are there so will stay untill 1:00am. Is this a good plan? Trying to avoid the heat as much as I can.

Thanks so much

1. You should call DME. You may not get tags since you're so close, but you can just give them your bag check info from the Airlines and they'll take care of it for you. Alternatively, you can pick up the bags and take them on the bus yourself as well.
2. Don't know about this one, but I'd call and ask. It must get tied to your PhotoPass account somehow.
3. Shorter line at check-in. If you think you're going to be ok with what room they give you, it'll get you in and out quickly.
4. The more general the request, the easier they are to fill. So something like "Cabanas Section" would probably be best. Otherwise they may try and guess why you want a certain building and work to that (e.g. Cabanas 8A may get them thinking "Near the pool" and assign you into Ranchos 7 or something).
5. Mornings and evenings will be your best bet. They're still open late enough to take a break during the heat of the day (~noon to 5-6pm). If you feel like taking it easy on your trip, then your sleep in plan is certainly a good one. Do note that you'll be starting out during the peak hotness though! So plan plenty of indoor/AC attractions for this time-frame. If you have hoppers, check out easywdw as posted, if not, just head to whichever EMH park you're planning on those days, and use the easywdw guidelines for the others.

Enjoy

 

[aubriee]

Just did our online check in! Can't believe that the trip is just around the corner... I am SO unprepared for this trip. Too much going on with back to school, soccer practices, work, and everything else that makes us human.

I so need this vacation; don't really care what section or building we end up in. Hoping for either Ranchos 7B or Cabanas 8A, but will be happy no matter where we are.

Happy tripping to everyone who will be there soon!

~Kelly

I'll be there exactly two weeks from today! I'm not prepared either (guess I should start getting my stuff together this weekend, since I may have to work next weekend, depending on if another nurse can get someone else to work for her or not).

I too am soooo ready for this vacation. My job has been so high stress lately. I'm hoping for a first floor room somewhere in the Cabanas (preferably 8A), but will be bawling like a baby if I'm stuck in the Ranchos. Maybe because I live in Texas, but I really, really hate the look of the Ranchos and how far they are from the main building. I like the Casitas, adore the Cabanas, but HATE the Ranchos. However, even if I'm stuck in the Ranchos, I'll be at WDW so know I'll quickly get over any disappointment.

 

[TiggerAllie]

Parking/extra guest question:

We'll be at CSR in October. We will have a friend driving up to visit who will probably stay with us one night. If we already have a parking pass for our rental car, will we be able to get a second parking pass for our friend for 1 night? We don't have any dining plan or ticket stuff (stay on converted DVC pts). Do we need to add this person to the reservation for that night? (Do they need a KTTW card if we aren't doing EMH?) Does that cost more?

TIA!

 

[Lil Bo Peep]

We will be staying at Coronado for the first time on our next trip. We have always done Pop and we always decorate our window. We will be going the end of Sept 2012 and would like to put up some Halloween stuff and so on and would like to know if any of you have done this here?

 

[Cafeen]

Parking/extra guest question:

We'll be at CSR in October. We will have a friend driving up to visit who will probably stay with us one night. If we already have a parking pass for our rental car, will we be able to get a second parking pass for our friend for 1 night? We don't have any dining plan or ticket stuff (stay on converted DVC pts). Do we need to add this person to the reservation for that night? (Do they need a KTTW card if we aren't doing EMH?) Does that cost more?

TIA!

I don't know if it costs extra money for an additional pass, but if you put them on the reservation, I'd think it wouldn't. However, there is an additional adult charge for adults (over 18, over 2 in the room). This charge is about $15 per night per adult. It also depends on who you have in your room already, as there are occupancy limits.

 

[westgrove]

Official booked into CSR from May 11th-25th 2012 for my first ever WDW holiday!


Just me and DH. I've requested a room anywhere in Cabanas, TBH I'll be happy anywhere but I thought Casitas seems v. popular so is unlikely - and Ranchos does not appeal to me as much aesthetically or as it's furthest away - so maybe if I just ask for anywhere in Cabanas I'll get it?! We'll see. My thinking was to try to put in a room request but an 'unfussy' one.

Now just an 8month count down- not sure how I'll manage!

 

[aubriee]

We will be staying at Coronado for the first time on our next trip. We have always done Pop and we always decorate our window. We will be going the end of Sept 2012 and would like to put up some Halloween stuff and so on and would like to know if any of you have done this here?

I have some cute Disney Halloween window clings that I bought on ebay several years ago and also some cute Christmas ones. I always decorate the windows with them, but bring a little travel size spray bottle filled with windex to clean up any prints/smudges they might leave. I always make sure the windows are cleaner when I leave than they were when I arrived.

Just me and DH. I've requested a room anywhere in Cabanas, TBH I'll be happy anywhere but I thought Casitas seems v. popular so is unlikely - and Ranchos does not appeal to me as much aesthetically or as it's furthest away - so maybe if I just ask for anywhere in Cabanas I'll get it?! We'll see. My thinking was to try to put in a room request but an 'unfussy' one.

That's me! At CSR I pretty much always request first floor somewhere in the Cabanas, but preferably Building 8A. I figure with four buildings to choose from, I'll have a better chance. I'm afraid that with Casitas 1, 2, and 3 now being preferred that more people may be stuck out in the Ranchos, which is the one area I really don't want. However, I think most people probably request Cabanas 8A and know that we can't all get it. Someone has to be assigned to the Ranchos. For people who like that area, it's probably the easiest to get. It's the only area I've never stayed in, but I have walked around over there several times and still don't care for it. However, I'd rather be in the Ranchos at CSR than here in Texas working. Only three more days until I can do online check in. So excited!

 

[TiggerAllie]

We have a "water view" room booked. How is that related to the new "preferred" rooms? I'm debating requesting either Casitas or Cabanas near the quiet pool, but I'm not sure what having a "water view" reservation will push us towards.

 

[Sara1Babe]

We will be staying at Coronado for the first time on our next trip. We have always done Pop and we always decorate our window. We will be going the end of Sept 2012 and would like to put up some Halloween stuff and so on and would like to know if any of you have done this here?

To answer your question, I'm not sure if window decorating is "done" at CSR but I sure as heck will be decorating our window come Oct. I have it designed on paper and am keeping a watchful eye out when I go shopping for things that would work perfectly in our window. Woot Woot

 

[Lil Bo Peep]

Thanks ladies, we don't go until next year so I have time gather what I would like to decorate the window with.

 

[KatMark]

We have a "water view" room booked. How is that related to the new "preferred" rooms? I'm debating requesting either Casitas or Cabanas near the quiet pool, but I'm not sure what having a "water view" reservation will push us towards.

Casitas 4 would be the specific one you want to request if you want to be by the quiet pool there or Cabanas 9A would be good for that quiet pool.

A waterview can be a quiet pool, the lake, a fountain, etc.

 

[hinodis]

What is the difference between a preferred room and a water view room?

 

[Robin K]

We decorated our windows last year at CSR.
We used Mickey Heads from Home Depot to make garland and I printed some MNSSHP themed designs from the DIS design boards. We liked it because it made finding our room easier...
It is just something that we started doing our first night at the resort and it has become a tradition with us....BTW...we are two adult-like people no children...
Happy decorating!!