DH and I just returned from CSR last night and I wanted to provide a report of our experience!
First things first, this was our second trip to CSR. Our first time there was in December 2017, when the construction was still fairly new. We had a refurbished room in Ranchos and had no issues with construction during our prior visit. Although it didn't really impact us in any way, I felt that the construction was
much more prominent on this visit. Certain areas around El Centro were closed off, we continually saw construction equipment and staff moving about the resort, the lake was not pleasant to look at with the construction of the waterfront restaurant, etc. It didn't bother us, but had I been a first time visitor, I would have been really turned off by all of that. Certainly, the construction is keeping pricing low.
We arrived at CSR around 10:30 am on Sunday. We had not gotten a room ready text but decided to try our luck at the front desk anyway. They said they had a room in mind for us but since it wasn't ready, they would change it. We ended up in Casitas 5, which I was happy about. All I requested was a refurbished room, but I really wanted to try out the Casitas area since we had been in Ranchos last time (nothing wrong at all with Ranchos - I really liked that area - just wanted to see something different). We headed on our way with our luggage all the way to the other side of the resort. We arrived at our room, scanned a Magic Band, and opened the door ... to find that it clearly had not been touched by housekeeping! There was trash everywhere. My DH commented that our trip was not off to a good start. I didn't want to go all the way back to the front of the resort with our luggage and was frustrated. I decided to open up my Disney app and call the "front desk." I explained the situation to someone who was likely in a call center, and to my surprise, almost immediately two housekeepers arrived to survey the situation. They didn't seem to be able to do much, but a manager came over about two minutes later. I was impressed by how quickly help arrived. The manager resolved the issue pretty quickly by giving us the room next door, changing over the info in our account/Magic Bands, etc. He was going to offer us FastPasses for our trouble, but since this was a resort-only stay, he ended up crediting $50 to our account. We were super happy about that - it ended up paying for our lunch at D-Luxe Burger and all of the snacks/beverages we had at Typhoon Lagoon! We saw the same manager constantly during our stay, and he remembered our names and checked in with us about how our stay was going. It felt very personal. We were satisfied with our care!
I enjoyed the theming of the Casitas area quite a lot, especially at night with all of the pretty fountains and lighting. Casitas 5 was pretty close to Bus Stop 2. We didn't have issues with wi-fi. It was really quiet in our area - I didn't hear our neighbors at all. In fact, I'm not sure we had any...? Casitas 5 was also quite close to a quiet pool, which was pretty basic but fine for a quick swim. My DH preferred the quiet pool as it was exactly that - quiet. I, on the other hand, definitely prefer the Dig Site pool. I love the Mayan ruins and the counter service pool bar. It was too bad that the slide was closed our entire stay - I totally would have used it! Pro tip: if you go in the summer, make sure to keep your sandals easily accessible - the concrete is honestly like lava. At one point, I got out of the pool and walked over to get a towel, and I swear, I legitimately burned my feet! They were uncomfortable for at least a few hours afterward.
Buses were great at CSR. We were only in a full bus once (heading to Disney Springs on Monday evening). There were a couple times we had the bus completely to ourselves! I think having the bus times on the
MDE app is amazing. However, remember that times can change quickly. We had to run for the bus a few times because we thought we had a few more minutes, but the bus came earlier than quoted on the app. Make sure to give yourself some leeway! Another note about bussing: I thought transferring buses from Disney Springs to Typhoon Lagoon was going to be a huge hassle, but it wasn't - at ALL. At Disney Springs, there pretty much is a bus sitting there waiting to go to TL all the time. I'm glad we didn't Uber it.
We were in the room once when they came by for a security check. I was napping at the time, so my DH answered the door and said it was a bad time. Unfortunately, it woke me up. I really wish Disney wasn't doing these.
All in all, it was a relaxing visit. The renovations are going to be amazing once finished (however, I feel that the tower really won't fit the theming), and I hope it won't mean that prices will go up to a near-deluxe level! We really love CSR and feel it is underrated.