Coronado Springs vs Wilderness Lodge

[gtlonghorn]

I'm planning a trip the 1st week of March with my wife and 3 yr old boy and debating between CSR (Moderate) and WL (Deluxe). Any opinion is welcomed; to the extent you can touch on the following, I would greatly appreciate it:

Pool (size/kid friendly)

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants)

Room (size/cleanliness)

Better Transportation (to parks)

Overall (Taking into account that the WL is $500 more (for total 5 night stay), where would you stay?)

Thanks in advance.

 

[bab31]

I really enjoyed CSR, ...

$500 is a lot of change. The busses are not shared at CSR, We enjoyed the Maya grill. The Pepper Market was good, probably as good as other counter restaurants ( if not better) Our room was nice... I have not been at WL but CSR was very peacefull after day at the mouse.

Read my report, just click on the link in my sig.

 

[Buzz2001]

CSR! Check out my CSR website below for pics and info.

That said, WL is a deluxe and CSR is a mod so you have to expect that there are differences between the two. Double beds vs queens, exterior hallways vs interior, etc...

 

[Lilolvr]

Pool (size/kid friendly) - CSR, includes a playground, food, hot tub, kiddie pool and lounge.

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants) - CSR has great choices in the Pepper Market, Siestas, Rix, Maya Grill.

Room (size/cleanliness) - Both will be cleaned by mousekeeping by WL has larger rooms and beds.

Better Transportation (to parks) - CSR has better bus service because it does not have to share with another resort and is centrally located. WL has the boat to MK but shares bus service.

Overall (Taking into account that the WL is $500 more (for total 5 night stay), where would you stay?) - CSR would be my choice because i could do alot more with the extra $500.00.

Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[becky1960]

I guess I have to put my 2cents in. We have stayed at both and as everybody says CSR is really nice. WL is still my first pick, its not as spread out as Csr and it has two nice sitdown restuarants and Rolling Forks (food court). It also has nice boat ride to MK and Fort Wilderness.
My boy when he was 2 1/2 enjoyed the pool at WL, Csr is nice too. I would look at some pictures of both and study a little more, its a hard choice or you could split your stay and enjoy both, I know we hate to move but it might be worth it to see both.

 

[robinb]

First of all ...

Welcome to the DIS!!!
​

I have stayed at both resorts . They are both great, but I would lean toward saving $500 and staying at CSR.

Pool (size/kid friendly): I would say CSR. Honestly, your 3-year old won't care about much other than getting wet. Pool slides don't matter at that age. Zero-depth entry pools are great, but neither resort has one. The kiddie pool at CSR is very nice and the playground is the best on Disney property, IMO. The pool will be interesting enough for you and your wife

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants): CSR for the food court, WL for sit down restaurants. CSR has a full-blown food court, the Pepper Market. I happened to love it when we stayed there and we have even visited it when we stayed at other resorts! It's really good and a bargain if you're on the Disney Dining Plan. CSR also has a sit-down restaurant called the Maya Grill. I have not eaten there, but I have heard good things about it. The WL has the Roaring Forks Grill which is more like a counter service restaurant. The choices are more limited than at the Pepper Market ... mostly burgers and things like that. The sit-down restaurants are both good. A lot of people rave about Artist Point, their high-end restaurant. The Whispering Canyon Café has very good food and is quite fun.

Room (size/cleanliness): WL rooms are bigger by about 40 square feet and will have queen sized beds, CSR will have double sized beds. Both will be equally clean.

Better Transportation (to parks): I say the nod goes to CSR on this one. CSR is central to almost all the parks. Epcot and MGM are a very short drive away, the MK is almost as close and AK is far away from everyone except the AK-area resorts (All Stars, Animal Kingdom Lodge). The WL does have a boat launch to the Magic Kingdom which is nice, but I think the central location of CSR wins out overall.

Overall (Taking into account that the WL is $500 more (for total 5 night stay), where would you stay?): CSR!

 

[Stinky_Pete]

My take:

Pool (size/kid friendly) - I don't have kids, but the ones I've seen at the WL seem to be having a grand time at the pool. No playground though, so if that's important then CSR would win that one.

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants) - As was pointed out, WL has a snack bar whereas CSR (and other moderates) have a "food court." I personally don't like the food court at CSR though others rave about it. But I will say that in my numerous stays at WL I have eaten at Roaring Fork only 1 -2 times during a week-long stay. I am either eating in the parks or at TS places in the WL or other resorts.

Room (size/cleanliness) - WL (and AKL) have the smallest rooms of the deluxe resorts, but they are still larger than the rooms at CSR. You didn't ask, but additional things to note about the room differences:

• WL rooms have two sinks in the bathroom area. Makes getting ready in the morning a little easier, plus more counter space.
• WL rooms have balconies! For me this is a major advantage. To be able to relax outside with a beverage after returning from the parks is wonderful. At CSR I felt very "closed in" when I was in our room. At WL I can open the balcony door for fresh air, wherease at CSR I would have to prop open my room door with a chair and people would walk by...not quite as magical of a vacation for me.

Better Transportation (to parks) - Some people complain about the bus service at WL - I usually drive to parks other than MK so I don't know so much about the bus service. However, there is a boat from a dock at the WL directly to the MK. It is a much more magical trip, especially with a young child. Also, many WDW visitors with young children often say they spend most of their time in MK - what about you?

Although you didn't mention it, I will add another plus for me of the WL - the boat to the CR. There I can dine at any of their restaurants (Chef Mickey's, CA Grill, etc.), or hop the monorail to visit the other monorail resorts. Transportation from CSR to other resorts is via bus, with a change of buses thrown in...not quite so magical. This is one reason that even though WL and AKL are very similar I have no interest in AKL.

Overall (Taking into account that the WL is $500 more (for total 5 night stay), where would you stay?) - I had this choice and chose WL!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My vote is for the Wilderness Lodge based on their location and because I have previously stayed there.

 

[Lilolvr]

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants) - As was pointed out, WL has a snack bar whereas CSR (and other moderates) have a "food court." I personally don't like the food court at CSR though others rave about it. But I will say that in my numerous stays at WL I have eaten at Roaring Fork only 1 -2 times during a week-long stay. I am either eating in the parks or at TS places in the WL or other resorts.

Don't forget to add in the new Rix Cafe & Lounge which opened yesterday. You can get food there as well. Looks like a decent menu. Maya Grill, Pepper Market, Siestas, and the Rix Cafe are all available.

Here are some pictures posted by a fellow DIS'er.

OK here we go with the pics. Yes they are not the best but at least give you an idea of what it looks like. The new cafe is next to the gift shop and La Tienda is now boarded up.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

yea but.........at CSR can you walk outside of your room door and sit in a rocker and enjoy the most beautiful WDW lobby ever and listen to music of the WL..........BUT NO!!!

 

[cara loves the poly]

I have never stayed at either, but have done a little research, I would choose Wilderness Lodge. Everything is under one roof, balconies, larger rooms, room service, bigger bathroom area.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I'm planning a trip the 1st week of March with my wife and 3 yr old boy and debating between CSR (Moderate) and WL (Deluxe). Any opinion is welcomed; to the extent you can touch on the following, I would greatly appreciate it:

Pool (size/kid friendly)

Food options (both food court and sit down restaurants)

Room (size/cleanliness)

Better Transportation (to parks)

Overall (Taking into account that the WL is $500 more (for total 5 night stay), where would you stay?)

Thanks in advance.

My DH and I have stayed at both and our visit to CS was with a 3 year old.

Between the 2 I enjoyed the WL much more.
It has fewer rooms and I loved the lodge feel.

Room are bigger at WL with 2 queen beds and the balcony was a nice extra space.

Pools - CS would win here, but I like the gardens and grounds of WL better.

The boat ride to Magic Kingdom is a lot of fun for kids, my cousin went when he was 2 and loved the boat ride.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

We have stayed at both, and WL remains our favorite resort.

The lobby, theme, and grounds are breathtaking. Your little boy won't notice, but you will!

One other negative about CSR -- it is a convention hotel. The atmosphere in the main building/restaurants/lobby at CSR is very different if you are mingling with convention attendees. You can have huge crowds of people who are not on vacation. In my opinion, it taints the "magic."

 

[pigby]

I had exactly the same dilemma when choosing resorts for next year, except as we are going for a longer stay, WL was coming out much more. WL is my all time favorite resort so far though, for all the reasons people have mentioned, but we have gone for CSR to try somewhere new. Of course I will only be in a position to compare the two after August next year.

If you can afford to stay at WL, I would do it as I don't think you can go wrong. The balcony at WL is nice and our woods view room had a view of Wishes, but I was bitten by insects everytime I went out there, so watched a couple of times from the room. No-one has mentioned the Electrical Water Pageant which you can watch from the beach at around 9pm - it is one of my favorite things to do. We also walked over to Fort Wilderness for the campfire movie (took the boat back) - another family favorite.

This year we are trying Hoop-de -Doo for the first time.

 

[Buzz2001]

One other negative about CSR -- it is a convention hotel. The atmosphere in the main building/restaurants/lobby at CSR is very different if you are mingling with convention attendees. You can have huge crowds of people who are not on vacation. In my opinion, it taints the "magic."

Begin a convention resort also works in your favor because it keeps the pool and buses less crowded because those guests are busy working in the convention center. Plus you get perks of a deluxe at mod prices. CSR has a spa, fitness center, salon, live entertainment and more. So it all depends how you look at it. Seeing people working just makes me appreciate my vacation that much more.

 

[Vickie46]

There is nothing like the WL.....

 

[Skroops]

I have had wonderful stays at both of these resorts. Both are beautiful! A couple of things I really enjoyed about the WL are the valet parking and the balcony. With a 3yr old (which we had last year), it is really nice to have a space to hang out during nap time. I didn't notice the room size difference at all. Our 3 yr old really enjoyed the boat ride to the MK, and we were able to see the electrical parade from our room which was fun.
IMHO, you'll have a magical stay at either resort. If you feel like spending the extra money, you'll enjoy the WL. If you are returning to WDW soon, I'd say keep your money and enjoy CSR. If you aren't returning any time soon, I'd say do it up!!

 

[JJ&JSMOM]

I've never stayed at either resort but have considered them an option and I've done lots of research on both. Personally I would choose WL. As others have written already - bigger rooms, close to MK, boat service to MK & CR, close to FW if you wanted to do HDDR/visit petting zoo & horses, 2 full service restaurants, room service (CSR has limited room service-the only moderate that does except for pizza delivery), everything is under one roof & just the theming itself - awesome. CSR has a southwestern theme - so I guess it depends on your own personal taste as far as theming goes.

The one thing that I was a little iffy on was the bus transportation at the WL - seems to be a few complaints. But every resort has had complaints on the buses. People posted complaints on the Poly's bus service prior to our trip in October and I was worried. The buses were awesome - no complaints at all. CSR has direct bus service to the parks and I haven't read many complaints. My sister stayed at CSR for her honeymoon and loved it. She liked the PM but thought it was confusing at first but once she got the hang of it she was fine. The new RIX Cafe looks very interesting.

I personally would pick WL if we could fit - it seems so warm and comfortable. Our family would love to stay there but we are a family of 5 and would have to have a deluxe room which is pricey. So I don't think we'll be staying there anytime soon. As far as the $500 goes - my personal opinion is your spending thousands to go there whats $500? But it is a good amount - you'll have to decide on your own whether its worth it or not - its subjective really. Good luck w/your decision. No matter where you choose - you'll be at Disney. I'd just list your priorities and needs and see which resort fits them. Thats how we picked the Poly. Have fun planning.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I have stayed at both resorts and here is my 2 cents worth.

WL overall resort is very pretty. No real difference in room size between the two. WL did have a nice balcony overlooking the electric parade but we paid extra for this. The room itself I prefer WL

Transportation. CSR wins hands down. WL tranportation was just terrible IMO. You share a bus with Ft. Wilderness and truely I felt this to be a major drawlback of the resort. CSR does not share buses.

Pool. I found these both to be dead even.

Food court. CSR wins for me. I think they probably have one of the best food courts on property. We have even returned to eat there when staying at another resort.

The Wilderness Lodge is very pretty but CSR wins in most categories you listed. I would probably save the money and go with CSR. I know I am probably in the minority on this one. I just was not wowed with WL like I was with AKL or BWI.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We did stay at CSR, once, just because of a super rate to just try it. Did not care for the resort, too large, long walks across parking lots to bus stations, long walk form lobby to room. Again, the long walks to everywhere, the pool too. We always stayed deluxe before that trip and did not like the outside doors to open air landings, we prefer inside halls, Pepper Market was novel but a pain and paying a tip for someone to get our drinks when I did all the leg work for my meals is stupid. As I said, we tried it once, not going back.

On the other hand, WL, probably our favorite resort based on location, themeing and price. We like being in the MK area with the lakes, we like the boat to the MK, also the boat to FW. Others have said the buses are terrible, to us they are all about equal, we've stayed at the Poly, CR, GF, Y&B, AKL and even Pop, They arrive at about the same time other than a snafu here and there at all of them. We haven't had a major problem at WL, this will be our 6th stay at WL this coming January ,was just there past September so you see where our heart is. Pool is great, 2 hot tubs, great slide, food court has some good meals and the TS is second to none. Best buffets are just across the pond at FW and at night the resort is as serene as can be, great for a night time walk, with the EWP, refreshing dip in the pool or a few drinks around the pool evenings.