Help me decide on a moderate

[SunnyDey]

We (me, DH, and DD age 2) are staying at the Swan & Dolphin for a conference the week of November 13th-18th. We just decided to head to Disney early (November 11-13th), so DH can get in some park time with us before his conference starts. The Swan & Dolphin is sold out for those two nights. I have a discount code, so I was looking at the moderates. I have stayed at CBR twice (DH once), but we have not been to POR or CSR. We really liked CBR, but are thinking about trying someplace new this time.

If you had the choice which moderate would you pick?

Here's our itinerary for those days if it makes a difference:

Friday: Arrive at 2:20, check in, and then visit DD in the evening

Saturday: MK, maybe take a break for the toddler to nap/swim, then
depending on toddler's mood maybe go back to MK for the MSEP

Sunday: AK; reservations at Garden Grove at the S&D at 6:30.

Thanks!

 

[nancyjvanwyk]

My husband and I really enjoy the Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[wdwrich]

POR and CSR are our top two favorite moderates, with CBR our least favorite. You'll probably get a range of reccomendations, but any of the WDW moderate resorts will probably be fine. Perhaps choose based on the theming that most appeals to you?

 

[SunnyDey]

Between POR and CSR, is one more toddler friendly than the other?

 

[wdwrich]

Tough choice, but maybe for a toddler the dig site play area at CSR might be the deciding factor.

 

[LJSquishy]

All of the resorts are kid-friendly, some more so than others. I would say CSR has the most subtle decor and theming. I like to describe it as "just a touch of Disney". For me, that's perfect, but I don't have children. If you think your daughter would get a kick out of the theming in a resort, I would suggest you consider one of the other Moderates, or even a Value resort. I definitely would not recommend POFQ though, even though it's not one you listed. Apparently there are scary masks everywhere! If your child is too young to get much out of the resort theming, I would definitely do CSR. The Dig Site is really neat and has lots of little things for them to do...and enough upscale decor to make adults feel relaxed and not like they are living in a child's room!

CSR has a reputation of having among the best bus service, so that may be something for you to consider since you may be making multiple trips to/from your resort each day with your toddler. There are also several dining options at CSR in case unexpectedly you need to or decide to stay at the resort one evening.

CSR has many of the amenities of a Deluxe resort, such as room service, upgraded toiletries, large hot tub, fitness center, salon/spa services, etc. I'm not sure if any of that intrigues you or not, but I wanted to throw that out there.

If you really enjoyed your stay at CBR there is nothing wrong with staying there again since you know exactly what to expect. I think all of the resorts are wonderful in their own way, it just depends on what factors matter the most to you in selecting a resort for your family. Good luck!

 

[ncc1701]

Since DD is in your plans if you go to POR you can take the boat rather than a bus.It is one of the perks of POR/POFQ.
You can also walk over to POFQ and use their pool

 

[vettegirl]

We love the CSR. The dig site pool is one of the best on property, the rooms have a nice modern theme, and the lush grounds are amazing! Also the bus service has always been excellent.

 

[*love*2*shop]

we leave in 19 days for CBR but are having second thoughts about changing to CSR- we are 2 adults only.

We have never stayed at Either...HELP......

Rachel

 

[minnie mum]

we leave in 19 days for CBR but are having second thoughts about changing to CSR- we are 2 adults only.

We have never stayed at Either...HELP......

Rachel

We just returned from another visit and stayed at CBR. We're 2 adults only as well. We saw many couples without kids at the resort, so don't worry on that account. We actually love the resort because of how peaceful and quiet it seems, even when they're full. Not sure why you're having second thoughts, but we won't hesitate to stay there again.

ETA: To the OP: if you want to try something new, then I say go for it. Both resorts are great and I think are equally kid friendly. As a PP stated: pick the theming that appeals to you most, then relax and just enjoy.

 

[MomToPirate&Princess]

I was just planning on searching for Moderate resort opinions myself so your question hit at just the right time to help me out too. Planning a trip for myself and 3 college friends for a girls weekend. Each of us have always stayed Values in the past with our kids. This will be our 1st Disney trip with no kids for each of us.

 

[wdwnut61]

My vote is for POFQ

Our favorite moderate for so many reasons

1.Compact very easy to navigate
2.Rooms have just been refurbished with queen beds and flat screen TV's
3.Great pool and slide
4.Boat to DTD
5.Bus transporation is good

You mentioned going to DTD either POFQ or POR have a boat to DTD. Again we prefer POFQ because it's smaller and everything is close.

Good luck with with your decision and have a great trip
We'll be there next month only 43 more days

 

[momimouse27]

Unless you have a specific reason you don't want POFQ over POR, I would suggest POFQ. I absolutely love it for the ambiance, the convenience and the pool.

We have not stayed at CBR, and really want to, but have stayed at CSR. Although it was a beautiful place, very peaceful and serene, my kids called it boring. They didn't like the lack of theming. Also, I wasn't fond of the long walk that we had to make to get up to the main building.

So, my suggestion would be POFQ or POR first, and the CBR(but only because I haven't stayed there myself )

 

[SunnyDey]

Just thought I would let you all know that we ended up deciding on POR. (For those that mentioned POFQ, it was already sold out for those days, so that is why I didn't list it as an option). We are really excited! I really like the look of the resort, and the boat to DTD is a big plus for us with a toddler who loves boat rides. It will be fun to try someplace new. And we just found out we are going back in September 2012 with DH's parents for DD's 3rd birthday. So, we will probably do a little resort hopping this time to get ideas for the next Disney trip.

 

[*love*2*shop]

we just did switch from CBR to CSR- hope I made the right decision....we leave in 18 days..we have a KING BED /Preferred room.

 

[rusty4]

Just thought I would let you all know that we ended up deciding on POR. (For those that mentioned POFQ, it was already sold out for those days, so that is why I didn't list it as an option). We are really excited! I really like the look of the resort, and the boat to DTD is a big plus for us with a toddler who loves boat rides. It will be fun to try someplace new. And we just found out we are going back in September 2012 with DH's parents for DD's 3rd birthday. So, we will probably do a little resort hopping this time to get ideas for the next Disney trip.

You will love POR. We also resort hope on trips. It is fun to take a break away from the parks. Staying at the Dolphin you will have the 3 Epcot resorts to check out while your DH is working. DS and I travel with DH and we usually do the resort hopping on his work days. Have fun!

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

It sounds wonderul! We love POR.

Here's a thought...we pack our luggage so that we have bags dedicated to different resorts. That way we don't have to touch it. Matter of fact, if we drive...we don't even get the other resort's luggage out of the car.

It makes things so much easier.

 

[wdwnut61]

Just thought I would let you all know that we ended up deciding on POR. (For those that mentioned POFQ, it was already sold out for those days, so that is why I didn't list it as an option). We are really excited! I really like the look of the resort, and the boat to DTD is a big plus for us with a toddler who loves boat rides. It will be fun to try someplace new. And we just found out we are going back in September 2012 with DH's parents for DD's 3rd birthday. So, we will probably do a little resort hopping this time to get ideas for the next Disney trip.

That's great you will love the boat to DTD and you can still visit POFQ and use the pool since they are sister resorts.