Coronado Springs VS. Caribbean Beach

[ashleykev]

Hi,
My family is going to be at Disney the week of Jan. 1st. We are trying to decide between CSR and CBR. Here are some things we are looking for:
We are a group of 11 with 5 kids who are 7 yrs and younger.
We have been staying at the All Star Resorts in years past and are looking to upgrade, mostly because of the far walks.
We are taking a day off in the middle of the week for pool time.
We will probably be eating at the resort for CS meals a few times.
We will be eating at other resorts (CR, Boardwalk) and will be relying on Disney transportation to get from our resort to the meal. (CR meal is a breakfast)

Looking at these factors, do you have recommendations for helping us choose?

Thanks!

 

[SuzieN]

If you're looking to upgrade because of far walks then you've picked the 2 worst mods to consider! They are the largest, most spread out 2! If you want a smaller resort I'd reccommend POFQ as it is the smallest mod. It gets great reviews too! You should read reviews on all the mods before you make your decision. Also, have you checked for availability at CSR and CBR? I booked last month for February and I couldn't get into CSR. We booked at POFQ instead. Never stayed there before but stayed at POR a few times and loved it! Both of the Port Orleans resorts have a wonderful boat ride to Downtown Disney!

 

[Guzzi]

Well, ive been there and done that In 2005, on our first trip to Disney we stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort. In 2006 we stayed at Coronado Springs

Carribean Springs:
We stayed in a preferred room, which put us building # 26 Martinque. That building is next door to Port Royale and very close to a bus stop. We all (my wife, daughter and son) thought the resort was very pretty.
FOOD We all thought the counter service meals were fine. The sit down resturant was small but the food was very good. The main pool was nice, the slide was fun and managble for smaller kids.
The bus service to the parks seemed fine although as luck would have it almost every morning we just missed the bus we were trying to get! (not the resorts fault) we caught the next bus and the bus trips were fine.

All in all we enjoyed our stay at CBR and when I convinced my wife we should return to Disney in 06 I had originally voted to return to that resort. my wife and kids had other ideas they decided we should try somthing different. So we went on the Disney Web site and looked at the other moderate resorts and picked Coronado Springs mainly because my daughter (12 at the time) voted for the big slide at the main pool there. (its like 123' long)

Coronado Springs:
We stayed in Casitas #1, which is right next door to the Convention Center (CC) where the Pepper Market (Counter Service) and Maya Grill (sit down resturant) are located as well as a bus stop. Coronado did not have the preferred room option when we made our reservations so we requested Casistas 1 or Cabanas 9B which are both centrally located to the CC. I would vote for Casistas # 1 since you can walk from your building to the CC protected from the rain almost the entire walk, including getting the the bus stop (this was important as we go in the summer w/ T Storms) We are planning a third trip to the world next summer and my wife would like to stay at Coronado again.
FOOD The Counter Service(CS) food is GREAT Coronado is one of Disney's convention hotels so their CS food caters to business travelers and as a result of that there were many more choices for counter service meals than at CBR. (pasta bar, grill for steaks and burgers, mexican food bar, etc) We were on the Disney Dining Plan and thought the food we had at the Pepper Market was awsome. Maya Grill was big and the food there was good. The main themed pool at the resort was much bigger than CBR and the slide was really cool. We only went once but had a great time there. My son 6 at the time loved to slide too! and the let him wear a life jacket, which made my wife happy The water is shallower at the base of this slide than at CBR's slide
The bus service seemed a little better at this resort too. I have read here and other sites that it has the best bus service at the world, I dont have much to compare to, but we seemed much luckier in the morings catching our buses. The bus trips were also very fast.
While we were there, at the bus stop one morning, my wife chatted with a women who was a guest at the hotel and seemed to have stayed at many of the Disney Resorts, I heard her say to my wife that she was not happy at CSR because it didn't have that "disney feel". Im not sure what she ment but thought I should tell you since I heard her say it.

 

[Buzz2001]

My family is going to be at Disney the week of Jan. 1st. The pool at CBR will be close for a rehab during the first six months of 2008.

We are a group of 11 with 5 kids who are 7 yrs and younger. Your kids will love the main pool area which includes a playground, an arcade and kiddie pool.

We have been staying at the All Star Resorts in years past and are looking to upgrade, mostly because of the far walks. CSR has 4 bus stops, one in each village so you won't have to walk after a day at the parks but you may have to walk to the main building if you are in the rancho village. The main pool is in the middle of the resort.

We are taking a day off in the middle of the week for pool time. CSR has the best pool of all the mods.

We will probably be eating at the resort for CS meals a few times. CSR has the best food court of all the mods but it is run differently than other food courts. You get a ticket when you walk in, you are seated by a hostess, you are served your drinks and a 10% gratuity is added to the bill.

We will be eating at other resorts (CR, Boardwalk) and will be relying on Disney transportation to get from our resort to the meal. (CR meal is a breakfast) You will have to take a bus to the nearest park and transfer to bus, boat or monorail.

Looking at these factors, do you have recommendations for helping us choose? Check out my CSr website below for pics and info on CSR.

 

[Pamjr]

I just came from visiting both (did not stay there just walked around). They were busy, busy, busy. The check in counter at CS must have had 100 people in line, no exageration. If you stay there during a convention do they have separate check in for regulars (for lack a better label)?

At CB it was nearly as crowded. It was interesting though that they had FOUR people working the cruise desk and not one person in line to speak to them. We went over and chatted awhile since we are considering a cruise next year.

Anyway, I'll eventually stay at both resorts because our plan is to stay everywhere at least once but I really liked POFQ atmosphere much better.

Just my opinion. Understand I love WDW so the comments are more my preference and not a knock on anything at the world.

Pam

 

[FloFlo71]

Hi, are there any restrictions on the menus for the pepper market or maya grill if you are on DDP? Also are there plenty of choices for DDP snacks? Could we have cereal & milk for breakfast at CS as a snack option like we could at POP? Thanks.

 

[Buzz2001]

ps - CBR's main pool will be close from Jan - June 2008

 

[EMcCool419]

On another subject relating to this post I was wondering why My family can not ever seem to get into coronado even if we try to reserve 6 to 8 months ahead of time. We have stayed at POFQ,PC, and now we are about to stay at CBR because we could'nt get into coronado!

 

[Micca]

Never stayed at CBR, but we love CSR. The area is beautiful, the rooms are just fine (nothing fancy), the food court is a little different, Maya grill has a decent breakfast buffet, and the gift shop is one of the best at any WDW resort. We don't use the pool, but it looks very cool.

As for walking, you'll do a lot of it at WDW. Seems like wherever you save a few steps, you make up for it in another way. Have fun

 

[kylara]

On another subject relating to this post I was wondering why My family can not ever seem to get into coronado even if we try to reserve 6 to 8 months ahead of time. We have stayed at POFQ,PC, and now we are about to stay at CBR because we could'nt get into coronado!

Just a suggestion, if you are unable to get into CSR, make a reservation at another mod and then just keep trying, specially 30 days out. Since CSR is a conference hotel, often big blocks of rooms are put aside for the conventions, but if you call around the 30 day mark, often the unreserved rooms on the block go back into the system (these dates could vary by the conference). Chances are if you still can't get a reservation, they have a big conference taking up the rooms.

 

[highland3]

On another subject relating to this post I was wondering why My family can not ever seem to get into coronado even if we try to reserve 6 to 8 months ahead of time. We have stayed at POFQ,PC, and now we are about to stay at CBR because we could'nt get into coronado!

That's strange. I just booked us in there for the first week of March '08 with no issues. Do you book with a TA, online or by phone?

 

[EMcCool419]

That's strange. I just booked us in there for the first week of March '08 with no issues. Do you book with a TA, online or by phone?

We try by phone or online!

 

[SuzieN]

I tried to book CSR last month through my AAA TA and it was completely reserved for a convention. Very dissappointing since my 11yo son chose this resort and we researched the heck out of it and were really excited to try it. We are going with POFQ instead and now I'm just as excited to try this one! I will not be trying to get into CSR before our trip because it would probably drive my hubby crazy!

 

[Buzz2001]

Just a suggestion, if you are unable to get into CSR, make a reservation at another mod and then just keep trying, specially 30 days out. Since CSR is a conference hotel, often big blocks of rooms are put aside for the conventions, but if you call around the 30 day mark, often the unreserved rooms on the block go back into the system (these dates could vary by the conference). Chances are if you still can't get a reservation, they have a big conference taking up the rooms.

Exactly! Plus other guests just change their plans too.

 

[HopperFan]

Hands down CSR

 

[huey578]

CSR all the way!! You will not be sorry. Trust me.

 

[jdd]

Sorry to confuse the issue, but my vote is for CBR.

We stayed at CSR in Nov 2005, and my husband said he would never return because of the food court. In our opinion, it is a very confusing setup - you have to get a card which you carry from station to station (which are scattered all around - couldn't figure them out). The CM at the stations stamps your card with what you bought. You then sit down and a CM brings your drinks - are you supposed to tip this person for bringing drinks you could have gotten yourself?? We did, but grudgingly. Then, if you just go back for drink refills, do you get them yourself or wait for a CM to get them??? Also, I could not let my ten year old get his own food (which we've done at the values) because we couldn't see him - due to the scattered stations. Anyway, way too confusing for us. And we really didn't like the food that much either.

Now, this is all personal opinion, because I know many people love Pepper Market, but also many don't like it at all.

CBR's theme is much more appealing to me personally, also. It is tropical and seems cooler somehow than the desert feel of CSR.

Finally, the rooms are bigger at CBR - not much, about 30 square feet - but with five of us (one under 3) we really appreciated the additional room. Oh, and we got towel animals 3 times at CBR, never at CSR (minor point, but still a point...)

 

[Lilolvr]

Definitely CSR!!

 

[lilyv]

CBR without a doubt. We had a miserable CSR stay due to the resort deliberately booking a singing camp into guest rooms, and happily allowing them to use those guest rooms as rehearsal halls, rather than providing an appropriate venue for their very loud all day rehearsals. (They even had the resorts blessing to put advertisements in the window of the resort rooms about their "camp".)

If I ever stay as CSR again, it would have to be at a phenomenal rate. Otherwise, for us, it's any mod but CSR. They aren't particularly interested in the individual, it's the group, all the way.

CSR photographs well at night, but my experience in the daytime was miserable.

 

[BeastlyKingdom]

You can't go wrong with CSR!! It has a great pool and better food than CBR. CBR is much larger and way to spread out. It is also the oldest of all the mods.