I go to WDW several times a year and have pretty much settled on the moderates as my resorts of choice but like to mix things up, so have stayed at all four moderates more than once in the last few years. I'd rank them:
#1. CSR-consistently has the best bus service on property, has the best playground, arcade, and main pool, longest pool slide, and biggest hot tub, love the bar right there at the pool where you can refill your mug and also order food (they have more food options than the other resorts's pool bars). If you are on the
DDP the Pepper Market is a great deal (CS buffet for breakfast and lunch). For dinner it is ala carte, but they have one of the best food courts on property. The TS is pretty good, plus they have Cafe Rix as a third food option (plus the area at the main pool where you can order some food for a fourth option). They are the only moderate that has that many food options. Their queen size beds are very comfortable. We love the beautiful fountains in the Casitas area and the white sand beaches and hammocks in the Cabanas. We are not fans of the Rancho section though. We love walking around the beautiful lake at night. CSR is the only moderate that has a health club/beauty salon/spa. Because it's a convention resort, it just feels a little more upscale, plus with conventioneers being in meetings all day, they leave the buses for us. They also have those wooden doors that slide closed between the sleeping area and sink area, which is nice for getting ready in the mornings. The only con is that they have only one sink, but then that gives you alot more counter space, so it just depends on how you look at it.
#2. POFQ-love how small and quaint this resort feels (no room is very far from anything), love the boat to DTD, enjoy Elliot Dyson's show in the lounge, it shares buses with PORS, but since it's the first stop going to the parks you will usually always pretty much get a seat in the mornings. Only con is they don't have a TS restaurant and their food court is just so so, plus their playground is really small. Also their pool and pool slide is very childish--good for small kids, but would be boring for older kids.
#3. PORS-love the look of the new remodeled rooms, love the boat to DTD, enjoy Ye Haw Bob's show in the lounge, love how peaceful and relaxing the resort feels, has one of the best food courts on property second only to the one at CSR.
#4. CBR-just not a big fan. It's a really pretty resort with it's white sand beaches, hammocks, and Carribean feel, but we've never had good luck with the housekeeping or the buses there. Plus once PORS finishes their refurb, CBR will be the only moderate that still has full size bed (we really prefer the queen beds). We do not care for their food court or TS restaurant and the main pool and hot tub have been packed everytime we've been there. They are just too small for that huge resort. Because the resort is built around the lake and the lake is bigger, CSR just feels alot bigger than the other moderates. It is the only resort that has it's own internal bus system just to move people around the resort. It has seven bus stops compared to the four at CSR and PORS and the one at POFQ. It is a very pretty resort though.
OT: I notice that you are going during the week of July 4th, which as you know is one of the busiest times of the year. I'd use early morning EMH and do everything I could early in the morning, then spend the afternoons enjoying the resort amenities, then utilize EMH at night. I'm afraid at that time of the year, any of the resorts (and so resort pools and food courts) are going to be crowded.
