Hit Me With Some Csr Info.!

[mickeystoontown]

We are avid fans of the Caribbean Beach Resort and never thought we would consider a stay at any other resort. But....we are now thinking about booking a stay at the CBR in June, 2008.

I've looked at the information posted by Buzz and it looks like a place we would enjoy.

I have some specific questions but would love for you Disboard members to add more information too.

1) Buses: How efficient are the buses? I have read that two of the sections share a bus stop. Does this make them super busy?

2) Which location should we request?: We really enjoyed the beaches at the CBR. I see that there are sections of beach at the CSR. Where are they located and how far is the walk to the food court?

What is your favorite section of the CSR?

3) Food court: At the CBR, you simply walked to the stations, ordered your food and took it to a main cashier. You seated yourself. In the mornings, I like to walk to the food court, pick up a light breakfast and take it back to the room. It seems like the food court at the CSR would take more time. Is this true?

4) Pools: The main pool looks really cool at the CSR. How busy are the quiet pools?

Any information and/or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Lisa

 

[hockeybabe]

I'll offer some of my opinions:

1) Buses were great. There were only 4 stops, which I liked, and the last stop is at the main building, which I also liked. They don't share a bus with any other resort, another huge plus. And being a convention resort, the buses never seemed full going to the parks, and we only had to wait for a second bus once after EMH at MGM.

2) If you like the beach atmosphere, you might try for the Cabanas. We requested and stayed in this section. The beaches are combed every day, and have huge double-wide hammocks to relax in. Cabana 8B was right next to a quiet pool, which was always quiet. It was less than a 5 minute walk to El Centro, and about the same to the dig site pool.

There really isn't a food court. You get a ticket at the entrance of the restaurant and walk around and get what you want to and they stamp your ticket with each thing you get, and you pay after you eat. It was a great deal on the meal plan, a little pricey IMO if you weren't. There is a little convenience-type shop right outside the restaurant if you just want to pick up fruit or baked goods or stuff like that.

4) When I was there, the quiet pools were very quiet. Never saw anyone in the one near us, day or night. There is a rinse shower there which came in really handy when our DS would be covered in sand from his walk from the dig site pool to the room

We just loved CSR. The resort was apparently full, but you would never know it. We never ran into any conventioners, but I don't think that would affect us much. We loved the central air and ceiling fans, much quieter than the units in other mod and value rooms.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Come on....there's got to be more than one person who can give their opinions. I really need some help!

 

[Schucraig]

We have stayed at both and CSR is our favorite!

1. The busses at CSR are the best!
2. Cabanas have the beach and hammocks and are close to the pool and PM.
3. PM has great food! As far as extra time, you still have stations you check out after you are done dining. You can also take food to go.
4. The pool is awsome, never too busy when we went. The quiet pools are never busy.
We love CSR! Good luck!

 

[jenjenmouse]

I am here now and love this place. It is true .... the place is sold out but you'd never know it. It is very quiet and surreal.. I love the Pepper Market and my DD (10) says it is her favorite of all restaurants in WDW! Busses are great. I love the look and feel of our room
Jen

 

[ktink]

We stayed at CSR in 2005 and it was fabulous! The kids LOVED the Dig Site as well as myself and DH. The PM was great, IMO. The busses were the best, the longest wait we had was catching a bus leaving TL and we had to wait maybe 20 mins.

We stayed in the Cabana section and really enjoyed the tropical beachy feel. One night we had dinner at Maya Grill and walked back to the room. We stopped off at one of the hammocks in the sand and were laying there and DH spotted some fireworks. I'm assuming they were from Illuminations but I'm really not sure.

I have a friend that recently returned from CSR. They normally stay at BC but have a DD that is going into Pre Med so they decided to cut costs. They had a wonderful stay and said they will stay there again.

 

[teamagic]

We have stayed at POR, PORFQ, CSR, and recently POP. While at the POP, my dd asked if we could go over to the PM to eat. We all loved the food and the how easy it was to get food. I know that the PM has a bad rap with some, but I can't understand it. It is so much easier to go and get the food you want and have them stamp a ticket - then pay for the food when you are done eating. I don't understand how others would rather stand in a line to pay for their food (trying to juggle the food and kids) only to find out that you didn't get something that the kids wanted and have to go and stand in the line again to pay for the food. When we were at the POP, the lines at the food court was longer than most attraction lines. I joked with dh that they needed to have a fast pass system and dh responded - The Pepper Market.

The grounds of CSR is very beautiful and the bus service was wonderful. We didn't have to wait for mulitple buses like POR and POP. CSR doesn't share a bus with another resort and alot of the convention goers do not go to the park everyday. THe quiet pools are quiet and the other pool is fantastic. Go and give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

We only stayed there once and this is our sincere opinion:

It's worth doing at least once! We were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed our stay. We went into it knowing that the grounds were very spread out, and that the food court system was different and that it was a convention hotel.

The buses ran great. We wanted "the beach" theme as well and requested cabanas but got cassitas 1. All in all though it was a great location - close to food court, buses, store, etc. We didn't try the quiet pool but the main pool was large and not overcrowded. Our children did not like the pool slide as there is a part where water is dumped onto your head which made them close their eyes and then they couldn't see and then they hit water blindly and this was not at all to their liking. Other than that, it was a nice resort.

If I could pick where I would go again though (if I had 100% choice) I would pick POFQ or POR in the mod range. JMHO.

Still, if you are looking for something different, then go for it. If you do it once, like we did, you may find you like it! And if you don't, you won't have to go back again - it's worth a shot as it's truly a beautiful resort.

HTH!

P.S. We LOVED Pepper Market!!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

I just booked our second stay at CSR today for free dining!

We picked it for a return visit because we loved the resort. The buses were hardly ever crowded - we stayed in the Cabanas and caught the bus at the main stop in front of the main building. It was the last stop on pick-up and the first stop for drop-off so we spent the least amount of time on the bus as possible. We loved our location and I requested Cabanas again for our trip in Sept.

We did not go to any of the pools on our last visit so I can't comment on them.

We loved Pepper Market. We found it to be reasonable for breakfast - about $20 or so (in 2003) for 3 of us. We got the refillable mugs for dh and myself, filled them for breakfast, then topped them off and took then with us to the Parks. When we came back to our room for an afternoon rest, we'd refill them again and sometimes again before retiring for the night.

I think you'll like it!

 

[mickeystoontown]

bump

 

[danj1997]

We are returning for our third Thanksgiving stay. We absolutely love it.
We stay in the Cabana's. We love the food court, the pools, and all
the other activities like biking and boating. We have stayed at many of the moderate resorts and this is our favorite.

 

[Crazy Kanga]

We have been to both CSR and CBR. We went to CSR first then a few years later tried CBR. My friends are huge CBR fans and I was so looking forward to it, but we really did not enjoy it. The main pool and stuff was so far away. We were put in Barbados after requesting Jamaica. We also felt the resort showed a lot morer wear and tear and the bus service was terrible compared to our experiences at CSR. We finally gave up and just used our car after several bad experiences. I think you will LOVE CSR!

 

[pixistix]

We stayed at CSR last August. It was a nice resort, but I doubt I'd go back.
Bus service was fine. Our room was on the 4th floor and not anywhere near an elevator so walking up all those steps at the end of the day got old quick.
I can't understand why the main pool is so far away from the rooms! That was a big let down. And the biggest issue: the food court. The food was great, but their process was a total pain. We were on the dining plan and one day something was ok as a snack credit and the next day it wasn't. And it wasn't just us, there were other families experiencing the same problem at the same time! My biggest complaint about the food court is not being able to get in before 7 a.m. for a cup of coffee!

 

[mickeystoontown]

We stayed at CSR last August. It was a nice resort, but I doubt I'd go back.
Bus service was fine. Our room was on the 4th floor and not anywhere near an elevator so walking up all those steps at the end of the day got old quick.
I can't understand why the main pool is so far away from the rooms! That was a big let down. And the biggest issue: the food court. The food was great, but their process was a total pain. We were on the dining plan and one day something was ok as a snack credit and the next day it wasn't. And it wasn't just us, there were other families experiencing the same problem at the same time! My biggest complaint about the food court is not being able to get in before 7 a.m. for a cup of coffee!

Thanks for your response.

I really am concerned about the way the food court is operated. At the CBR, it ran so smoothly. They also all American type food choices which is more up our alley. The food court at the CBR also opened very early. I would hit it early before everybody was up and about. It would seem like a 7:00 a.m. opening would mean more crowds.

I see that you said the process was a pain. Do you mean just differentiating the foods on the dining plan and the foods that weren't on the plan? Or were you talking about the whole process of getting a ticket, going to the food station, being seated, etc. etc.? It seems like such a hassle.

We did something similar at the CBR but it was so efficient. They also had a "grab n go" section where you didn't have to wait in line. You, literally, just grabbed a sandwich, a salad, a slice of pie, a drink and went to the register. No tickets, no ticket stamping, no waiting to be seated, etc.

Did you walk around the resort any? I am wondering what your thouhts were on the different sections. If we do stay there, I don't know what section to choose.

Thanks again, Lisa

 

[safetymom]

I have stayed at CSR twice. We didn't care for it. I like the fact at CBR that the main pool is next to the food court. I also didn't care for the mandatory 10% tip for eating in the food court.

I also felt like we did more walking at CSR than we ever did at CBR. We once had a room overlooking a quiet pool at CSR. It was not very quiet when they were still yelling and screaming and it was past midnight. I was there on a business trip and the next day we moved to a hotel off property because the boss didn't care at all for CSR.

 

[pixistix]

Thanks for your response.

I really am concerned about the way the food court is operated. At the CBR, it ran so smoothly. They also all American type food choices which is more up our alley. The food court at the CBR also opened very early. I would hit it early before everybody was up and about. It would seem like a 7:00 a.m. opening would mean more crowds.

I see that you said the process was a pain. Do you mean just differentiating the foods on the dining plan and the foods that weren't on the plan? Or were you talking about the whole process of getting a ticket, going to the food station, being seated, etc. etc.? It seems like such a hassle.

We did something similar at the CBR but it was so efficient. They also had a "grab n go" section where you didn't have to wait in line. You, literally, just grabbed a sandwich, a salad, a slice of pie, a drink and went to the register. No tickets, no ticket stamping, no waiting to be seated, etc.

Did you walk around the resort any? I am wondering what your thouhts were on the different sections. If we do stay there, I don't know what section to choose.

Thanks again, Lisa

Both differentiating what foods were and weren't on the dining plan and the whole get a ticket thing was a pain. Made us not want to eat at the food court and several mornings we went and ate when we got to the parks.
I completely prefer the cafeteria style food courts where you get a tray, get what you want then pay.
We did walk around the resort. It is a really nice resort. We were pretty close to the bus stop but we didn't use the main pool mainly because it was too far to walk to it and there was a quiet pool near our room. We stayed in the Casitas area and again, the grounds of this resort are very nice. I've now stayed at all the moderates except CBR and my favorite is still Port Orleans Riverside. Beautiful resort and you can't beat the southern charm! Boat to DTD is great too!
Good luck deciding!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We are avid fans of the Caribbean Beach Resort and never thought we would consider a stay at any other resort. But....we are now thinking about booking a stay at the CBR in June, 2008.

I've looked at the information posted by Buzz and it looks like a place we would enjoy.

I have some specific questions but would love for you Disboard members to add more information too.

1) Buses: How efficient are the buses? I have read that two of the sections share a bus stop. Does this make them super busy?

2) Which location should we request?: We really enjoyed the beaches at the CBR. I see that there are sections of beach at the CSR. Where are they located and how far is the walk to the food court?

What is your favorite section of the CSR?

3) Food court: At the CBR, you simply walked to the stations, ordered your food and took it to a main cashier. You seated yourself. In the mornings, I like to walk to the food court, pick up a light breakfast and take it back to the room. It seems like the food court at the CSR would take more time. Is this true?

4) Pools: The main pool looks really cool at the CSR. How busy are the quiet pools?

Any information and/or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Lisa

DS7 and I stayed at CSR last week. We got a suprise upgrade upon checking into Pop Century. My experiences...

1) Buses: I thought the bus service was excellent to and from the parks. Our longest wait was about 20 minutes one evening as were headed out to a park. At the parks, the CSR bus stalls are very close to the turnstiles. Those few saved steps sure were nice at times. Also, it seemed like avery quick trip to each park (except MK of course) once we left the resort.

2) Location: We stayed in Ranchos 7B. I liked the proximity to the main pool. It was a short walk to bus stop #4, and a loooong walk to the food court. There was a nice beach area in front of the Cabanas bldgs.

3) We did not use the food court.

4) The Dig Site is as fine a pool as I've ever been in at WDW. I hardly imagine that a deluxe pool is much nicer.

Also, like other mods, CSR is nicely landscaped. The room was clean. Timing of maid service was a bit unpredictable, but I can't really list that as a problem.

The one bad thing that will forever keep me from staying at CSR again was the repeated horribly inefficient service I received from front desk and concierge CMs. I posted the details elsewhere so won't repeat them here. I'm sure thousands of guests stay and enjoy CSR without a hitch, but for me the terrible service (an inability to resolve my issue) is a dealbreaker. I won't ever be staying there again.

 

[Buzz2001]

1) Buses: How efficient are the buses? I have read that two of the sections share a bus stop. Each village has their own bus stop and there is one at the main building. Bus stop #2 is first, then 3, 4, and 1 for park buses. For DtD and park exit buses, the order is 1, 2, 3, and 4. Does this make them super busy? Because CSR is a convention resort, my experience has been that the buses and pool are less crowded during the day.

2) Which location should we request?: We really enjoyed the beaches at the CBR. I see that there are sections of beach at the CSR. Where are they located and how far is the walk to the food court? The beaches and hammocks are in the cabana section which is really close to CBR theming.

Here are some good building choices.

Cabana 9b is close to bus stop 1 and the main building with a short walk to the Dig Site (main pool) over the wooden bridge. Most convenient location and most preferred.

Cabana 8a is close to the Dig Site (and playground) and bus stop 4 with a short walk to the main building. (Closest to the Pool)

Cabana 8b and 9a are in between the 2 above. 9a has a quiet pool.

Ranchos 7b has a quiet pool, is close to the Dig Site and bus stop 4 with a bit longer walk to the main building. 7b is behind cabana 8a.

Casita 3 has great courtyard and fountain views but you will have to walk or ride the internal shuttle to get to the pool.

Casita 5 has some nice fountain and lake views and is close to the Dig Site but farther from the main building.

What is your favorite section of the CSR? The cabanas because they are close to everything.

3) Food court: At the CBR, you simply walked to the stations, ordered your food and took it to a main cashier. You seat yourself. In the mornings, I like to walk to the food court, pick up a light breakfast and take it back to the room. It seems like the food court at the CSR would take more time. Is this true? As you enter, they will hand you a ticket. Ask for a "TO GO" ticket, get your items and head to the cash register to pay and you're on your way. No 10% added for TO GO items.

4) Pools: The main pool looks really cool at the CSR. How busy are the quiet pools? My experience has been they are usually very empty. The casita quiet pool gets most of the action because it is by the spa and fitness center.

 

[TXYankee]

I don't know when you are going, but if you like to enjoy a "adult beverage" the lounge will be under rehab.

"Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Francisco's - 4/16 - 10/12 - Being expanded to include the Jumping Beans Arcade space - When open it will be a bar, lounge and cafe (La Tienda convenience store will be relocated as part of this refurbishment)
Panchito's Gift Shop - 5/28 - 6/29 - Will remain open while undergoing modifications"

Does anyone know if another bar is on site?

 

[Buzz2001]

I don't know when you are going, but if you like to enjoy a "adult beverage" the lounge will be under rehab.

"Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Francisco's - 4/16 - 10/12 - Being expanded to include the Jumping Beans Arcade space - When open it will be a bar, lounge and cafe (La Tienda convenience store will be relocated as part of this refurbishment)
Panchito's Gift Shop - 5/28 - 6/29 - Will remain open while undergoing modifications"

Does anyone know if another bar is on site?

There is Seitas by the pool and a new lounge that just opened on the promenade called Laguna.

Outdoor bar at night on the lake with entertainment.