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

[Claire&TheBoys]

I'm bumping this up for you since I didn't see it answered. We have only done the DDP once and it was at Beach Club, so I can't answer your question definitively. I think people have reported not being charged the 10% if they are on the DDP, but I'm not sure if that means the server doesn't get anything. Can anyone who has been there recently on the DDP answer for the OP?

We were there in May and I know we left a gratuity on the table in cash. I want to say (but can't remember 100% sure) that it was printed on the menu or service card that the service charge was not included and maybe our server pointed it out to us. I just don't remember. The CM was really helpful, though, as our oldest (then very close to 9) was unhappy about choosing a child's menu option and she told us to let him have the adult entree and the cashier wouldn't care, that the CS credits were all the same. I think our tip was only about $4, so in the grand scheme of things, not enough to make a difference in our expenses. I always figure that if it doesn't make a difference to me then why not tip them? The extra $4 could buy a gallon of milk on the way home for the CM's child.

We're staying at CSR the week before Easter 2012 and I have a few questions for you CSR experts.

1. I originally thought I would request Cabanas 8A to be near the Dig Site. We stayed there a few years ago and it was great to be so close to the pool. But given the week we will be there I'm expecting big crowds and crowded buses. So I'm thinking I should request Casitas 4 or 5 to be at bus stop 2 (the first stop) but still near the Dig Site. I don't care about being close to El Centro or Pepper Market as we won't be going there much. What do you all think? Is it pretty easy to get to the Dig Site from Casitas 4 or 5? If I request Casitas 5, will we still be close to bus stop 2?

2. Do all of the rooms generally look like the photos on the first page (in terms of decor/bed coverings, etc.) or is that just a certain section?

All the rooms have that bedding and that furniture. There could be small differences in wall decor or something, but it looks just like the photo.

Thanks for the bump, StitchandPooh'sMom! Yeah, I would like to know if the 10% service charge is included in a DDP CS credit. I bought the QS plan during our upcoming stay, and it would be helpful to know that.

Thank you, too, rrbar for your report on your stay. It's great to know that cooked oatmeal is available for a snack credit. I love the stuff, but rarely make it because I'm the only person in my house who will eat it. Will be nice to enjoy on vacation.

And thanks to lovethattink for posting the beautiful photos! You've gotten me psyched, LTT! Question for you--I see the room number you had clearly and wonder if the numbering system at CSR is the same Pop, where the first digit is the building number, the second digit is the floor you're on, and the third and fourth represent the room number. Is that true?

Essentially, yes. For Casitas 1-5, yes. For the Ranchos and Cabanas, which have two buildings with the same number designation (i.e., Ranchos 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B, Cabanas 8A and 8B, 9A and 9B), the first digit is the same as the building number, the second number designates the floor number, but it's not exactly linear. Like our room that was Ranchos 7B, #7541, we weren't on the 5th floor, we were on the 1st floor of Ranchos 7B. #71xx-#73xx are in Ranchos 7A and the numbering picks up in 7B with #75xx. It's more complicated. I had no idea we were on the 1st floor until we got to the building and started looking at the room numbers!

Hope that makes some sense!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks, Clare & the Boys, for answering. I think I understand the room numbering--in theory anyhow. Might be different when I try to navigate around the resort, LOL. So like in the Cabanas (which I believe have two floors), it would be #81xx and #82xx for Cabanas 8A, 1st and 2nd floor, then #83xx and #84xx for Cabanas 8B, then #85xx and #86xx for 9A, and so forth. Correct?

Another question for the pros--in '99, at Panchitos, you could buy a 6 pack of Budweiser at slight discount from buying the bottles of beer individually. Does anyone know if they still do this?

 

[PanFan01]

Our visit was from August 27th - September 3rd. We arrived at 9:30 am and I was surprised to find out that our room was all ready for us. We had requested building 7B, second floor and received 7A, first floor. I am so glad I didn't try to get it changed to building 7B, because we absolutely loved where we were placed. We were about a 2 minute walk to bus stop #3, about 1 minute walk to our car, a 2 minute walk to the laundry and quiet pool, a 4 minute walk to the Dig Site pool and only about a 9 minute walk to El Centro. It was extremely quiet and peaceful in back where we were. Our room was always cleaned very well and very timely. We would come back to our room every day, one day as early as noon, and our room was always clean. The busses were amazing. My DH timed our bus waits at the resort and the parks and the longest we waited was 18 minutes (and that was for the third bus that had come at a park closing). At the resort the longest we waited was 7 minutes and the busses were never full since we were the second stop. The proximity of this resort to parks is wonderful. It is a very short drive to three out of the four parks. We also loved how the resort bus stop at the parks was always the first one you come to (except for AK, but still a short walk). I have absolutely nothing bad what so ever to say about this resort. My two DS said this is the only place they want to stay from now on. I know when I make our next reservation it will be at this resort and I will be requesting building 7A. I know that not too many people like this location, but we loved it.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Thanks, Clare & the Boys, for answering. I think I understand the room numbering--in theory anyhow. Might be different when I try to navigate around the resort, LOL. So like in the Cabanas (which I believe have two floors), it would be #81xx and #82xx for Cabanas 8A, 1st and 2nd floor, then #83xx and #84xx for Cabanas 8B, then #85xx and #86xx for 9A, and so forth. Correct?

Another question for the pros--in '99, at Panchitos, you could buy a 6 pack of Budweiser at slight discount from buying the bottles of beer individually. Does anyone know if they still do this?

Almost!! The "B" building always starts with x5xx for some reason, so according to my map, Cabanas 8A is rooms 8100-8257, Cabanas 8B is rooms 8500-8683. Cabanas 9A is rooms 9100-9283 and Cabanas 9B is rooms 9500-9657. The 9A and 9B buildings have rooms that start with 9, since they are "building 9."

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks, Claire.

About the 10% service surcharge--like you, I don't have a problem tipping someone who's served us. What I want to know is if the cashier adds 10% to your check, then asks for it when you pay with your KTTW card.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Thanks, Claire.

About the 10% service surcharge--like you, I don't have a problem tipping someone who's served us. What I want to know is if the cashier adds 10% to your check, then asks for it when you pay with your KTTW card.

Sorry, didn't see the original question. We were on the DDP, so we had to pay it separately. I think it is added at the checkout if you're paying OOP.

 

[lovethattink]

Sorry, didn't see the original question. We were on the DDP, so we had to pay it separately. I think it is added at the checkout if you're paying OOP.

I don't know about the DDP, but we paid OOP and it was added at the register unless our ticket was stamped "To Go".

 

[lovethattink]

I just posted a whole bunch of pics of CSR. Need to scroll down a few posts and then you'll see them. Both day and night time pics of the resort.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2679280&page=58

 

[crostorfer]

Thank you so much for posting those pictures! I am so excited, we're at 19 days now. This thread is so wonderful, there are others out there like me who might have never considered the CSR because of the "convention" designation. Had I never looked at this, I would never have known that it's so much more!

 

[Pixiedust34]

Hello!

I'm doing some tentative planning for 2013. The kids and I spent 9 night at CSR in 2010 and LOVED it! We even met Kathy and Mark at the Dig Site. We stayed at POFQ last month and loved that, too.

Last month, we took dh to CSR for dinner at Pepper Market and to walk around the resort since he's never seen it. He was impressed, and is considering staying there in 2013. He would use the gym, and he likes the atmosphere of the whole resort. Dh is a teacher, and I'm hoping that value season will start in early August in 2013 plus perhaps maybe we'll get lucky with FD or a nice discount. FD would be great--we'd even enjoy the quick service plan which is what we had at POFQ with a pin code.

I read somewhere that CSR and CR were experiementing with free wifi hot spots in common areas. Is this a true rumor? I hope it is.

 

[KEPE]

WOOO HOOOO, trip is paid, flights are linked for DME, room requested (Casista's 4) I am sooooo excited!!! Hoping to get my mickey package in the next few weeks. But it all feels real now

Lovethattink, thanks for all the pics. They were great. Although seeing you in front of Casista's 5 and looking at El Centro allllllll the way across the water I started to second guess my room choice.

 

[lovethattink]

Thank you so much for posting those pictures! I am so excited, we're at 19 days now. This thread is so wonderful, there are others out there like me who might have never considered the CSR because of the "convention" designation. Had I never looked at this, I would never have known that it's so much more!

You're welcome. I had fun walking around taking them. But they aren't the whoel resort. I never made it over to the Cabanas or the Ranchos this trip.

We had one convention during a stay years ago that made us lose our love for CSR. I'm so glad they refurbished with queen size beds that drew us back to CSR in March.

My only complaint was the lack of acknowledgment at the Pepper Market. We'd walk up to a stall to order, and stand there and nobody would acknowledge our presence. It wasn't just us. There was one woman who was irate that she was ignored every time she went to order a burger. It was so bad for her. When the cm did take her order, he got my fries ready (I ordered after her) before he even put her burger on the grill.

Only one meal at the PM did it flow nicely where staff was friendly and attentive. Probably had something to do with the manager who was watching everybody working.

WOOO HOOOO, trip is paid, flights are linked for DME, room requested (Casista's 4) I am sooooo excited!!! Hoping to get my mickey package in the next few weeks. But it all feels real now

Lovethattink, thanks for all the pics. They were great. Although seeing you in front of Casista's 5 and looking at El Centro allllllll the way across the water I started to second guess my room choice.

Congrats on a trip PIF!! You're welcome. No matter which building you are in, you will be alllll the way across from something. It is a very spread out resort, but that is part of its charm!

We stayed in the Cabanas in March, the Casitas in August, I would really like Ranchos 7B in October!!

 

[KEPE]

Thanks Lovethattink. I picked Casistas 4 since it was close to the gym, a good bus stop and I thought not far from El Centro. don't plan on spending much time at the Dig site or the main pool (maybe one morning). I guess we'll see.....

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks Lovethattink. I picked Casistas 4 since it was close to the gym, a good bus stop and I thought not far from El Centro. don't plan on spending much time at the Dig site or the main pool (maybe one morning). I guess we'll see.....

It felt to me like we walked close to the same distance to El Centro from Casitas 5 as we did from Cabanas 8A in March. I haven't looked at Katmark's distances chart but my guess would be that Cabanas 9B is closer to El Centro than Casitas 4 or 5.

 

[mmullena70]

I just posted a whole bunch of pics of CSR. Need to scroll down a few posts and then you'll see them. Both day and night time pics of the resort.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2679280&page=58

Thanks for posting all those pics! I really liked the night time photos.

I do have a question about the Dig Site pool. You said that winter hours were in effect and your son was disappointed about not going on the jaguar slide. Is the slide closed for winter hours? Or it is only certain times of the day?

 

[lovethattink]

Thanks for posting all those pics! I really liked the night time photos.

I do have a question about the Dig Site pool. You said that winter hours were in effect and your son was disappointed about not going on the jaguar slide. Is the slide closed for winter hours? Or it is only certain times of the day?

On Sunday Aug 28th, the lifeguards went off duty at 8pm. The water slide, the squirting tiki, and the pyramid water were all turned off until the opening ceremony on Mon Aug 29th at 10am. People were permitted to swim until midnight.

 

[mmullena70]

On Sunday Aug 28th, the lifeguards went off duty at 8pm. The water slide, the squirting tiki, and the pyramid water were all turned off until the opening ceremony on Mon Aug 29th at 10am. People were permitted to swim until midnight.

Okay, gotcha! For a minute, I panicked, thinking the slide was closed for the entire season! We're going in Feb, and my kids are really looking forward to the slide, weather permitting.

 

[jp'smommy]

Now that I am getting close to time to leave I wanted to ask about on-line check in....How is it? Does anyone find it any quicker? Should I just wait and do regular check in? We plan on getting there at around 4. Thanks!
I am so excited about staying here!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

So glad to be back on this thread! I had us booked for June, then cancelled realizing we needed to book a value in case a discount didnt' come out but then over the weekend noticed that free dining in March covers my kids' spring break. So we decided to switch gears and go then with a sure thing discount, not to mention less heat than in June. So now we are booked at CSR again, safe and sound with free dining. And only six months to go!

Probably our last trip with ds before he joins the Marines and I want it to be special. The last time we stayed at CSR he was 11. I can't tell what he's more excited about, the resort or all that food he'll get to eat!

 

[lovethattink]

Now that I am getting close to time to leave I wanted to ask about on-line check in....How is it? Does anyone find it any quicker? Should I just wait and do regular check in? We plan on getting there at around 4. Thanks!
I am so excited about staying here!!

August 26th was the first time that online check-in did not work well for me. I waited much longer than the people who did not do online check-in. In fact, once the other line was empty, a cm from that side came over to online check-in and brought me to her area.

Every stay besides this one, has worked out great! Just gave my name, got my packet, and was on my way.