Loved resort we stayed on first time, should we stay again?

[Zombie]

So we did an on-site Disney vacation last summer. We stayed at Coronado Springs at the end of August 2014 and had the 'free' DDP 'promo'.

We loved our stay. We actually enjoyed our trip so much we are planning on going back this summer -- either the last week of August again or the second week of September.

Our dilemma is if we should stick with what we know and stay at Coronado Springs again or if we should try something different? The alternative we are favouring is either POR or POFQ.

We are partially scared that we liked our trip so much last time that if we go back to CS and it's not as awesome or nice for whatever reason -- that we might be disappointed. But we're also concerned that if we go somewhere else we just might not like it as much as CS.

What we liked about Coronado Springs was ...
-We ended up in Casitas Building 4. It was a reasonably short walk to the main building, around the corner from the one quiet pool, directly across the parking lot from the first bus stop, and just across the corridor from the laundry room. For us ... that hit off all the things we wanted/needed. (We recognize that if we go to CS again we likely won't get as lucky).
-We liked that the resort was very quiet.
-We enjoyed the sit-down restaurant -- Maya Grill -- and we ate their twice without needing a reservation or having to wait to be seated.
-We didn't have any problems with the bus transport. The longest we waited for the bus was about 20 minutes but usually it was near instant. We never had any problems getting back to the resort and having to wait either. With being the first bus stop, we always had a seat as well -- which is something important to us (health issue in our party -- that's not visible in a way that people would give up a seat for the person because they are young and don't visibly look 'sick').
-We loved the quiet pool.

Things we didn't like about Coronado Springs ...
-The Pepper Market food court. We only ate there once and were glad it was on 'free' dining credits and not something directly paid for.
-Not a lot of visible Disney magic around the resort, which we kind of expected from what we'd read but we also expected a few more small touches here and there.
-LONG bus ride to DTD and Typhoon Lagoon -- as well as having to catch a bus from one of the parks and make a transfer to get back from Typhoon Lagoon.

So basically the things we disliked were pretty minimal and really not a big deal at all.

Now I know some people will likely argue that 'how much time do you really spend in your room anyways, anywhere on Disney is going to be nice'. But a couple things for consideration ... again, keeping in mind there's a health issue in our party.

-We did spend a lot of time on the resort property. We'd generally have a late start in the morning, enjoy the pool until around lunch, have some lunch and/or rest a bit and then head over to one of the parks from about mid afternoon until close. The only exceptions to this were Animal Kingdom, where we arrived at opening and Typhoon Lagoon, where we arrived about an hour after it opening.
-We really liked have a quiet pool that was truly quiet. We walked around and looked at the main pool but we did not use it and we likely won't this time either.
-We will not have a car and we'd want to be on a resort that has the fewest headaches for getting between sites.
-We will likely be getting the DDP -- whether it's 'free' or paid and that does mean that we will eat on resort since we do spend mornings (and some evenings) at the resort. So we'd like the food to be decent -- and we'd also like a resort food court that is a bit more aware and accommodating of dietary restrictions (again health issue in party). We didn't realize that the food at CS isn't Disney and we'd give them mixed reviews about how accommodating and available and knowledgable they were about certain things (part of the reason we only ate in the food court once).

Some other notes about our intentions for this trip ...
-We will likely do MK a bit differently this time. Last trip we went in the late-afternoon on a day with EMH in the night/evening. We found the park to be incredibly crowded at that point, which made it hard to navigate. Also, it got dark pretty soon after we were there which made it hard to just sort of explore and take it all in when there were such big crowds. The crowds definitely did thin out after Wishes and we were able to watch the EP and then enjoy a few of the rides during the EMH. But at that point we were so tired we didn't truly enjoy it and didn't stay for the entire period even though there was lots more we would've liked to see/do at MK. This time we will likely go on a morning that has the EMH and try to be there right at opening. We'd likely then leave the park around lunch and go back to the hotel for a swim and a rest and then depending on how we're feeling maybe go back for the fireworks, etc. in the evening.
-We will do at least one of the water parks. But we enjoyed TL so much (we'd gone intending to only be there 2-4 hours and ended up staying right until close), we might do both this time.
-We aren't sure which parks we will repeat. I'd like to go back to them all but others don't feel that need.
-We might want to do a day at US and/or IOA.
-We'd like to get to do the mini-putt one afternoon or evening. (We see that the MYW coupon and Water Parks and More Upgrade is only good until 4 p.m.!??).
-We will spend at least one morning at DTD. We prefer it during the day rather than in the evening.
-We would like to go to one of the dinner shows. We're currently favouring the one at Poly but have seen some reviews that say the one at Fort Wilderness is way better?
-We don't currently intend to get a Park Hopper pass. Health issue in the party means that going for the afternoon/evenings (or a day at Animal Kingdom) is enough. Basically when we leave a park -- we won't likely be going back that day, let alone to any other park. But we do sort of wish we could get a Park Hopper for one day so for example we could do Animal Kingdom and then go rest and then do the nighttime stuff at MK that night and the early-morning exploring/day-time stuff there another day.
-We aren't currently planning on getting the Water Parks and More because the "more" options just don't really apply to us especially when we already will have the MYW coupon book. But if we feel like we're going to do both Water Parks after we get there we might end up upgrading.

If anyone has any thoughts on if it's best to just stick with what you know or if it's better to try something else out, it'd be much appreciated. Any general thoughts on how to manage the trip is appreciated.

Though CS and one of the PO resorts are what we are favouring right now, we'd be willing to consider CBR and possibly POP too (though I stayed at All-Star Movies years and years and years ago and having now seen the difference between a value and a moderate I'm not sure I'd be swayed to POP.)

Any thoughts on if POR or POFQ might be a better choice for us would also be appreciated, if we do go that route.

And any general thoughts on if we should book now while there is the up to 30% off deal going on or if we should wait for Free Dining to be released would be appreciated too. I've seen several people indicate that DDP is rarely offered 'free' to bookings at either PO resort.

I'm torn about the dining. It sure makes things convenient and the food is good -- and in the sit-down restaurants Disney was GREAT at accommodating the dietary restrictions and health issues in our party while delivering very tasty and memorable meals. Made someone feel very special.

But we didn't even use all our 'free' dining credits. Now that we understand a bit more how to navigate a Disney vacation and how the DDP works, I think we might do better this time. But not sure.

I know in the 'free dining' promotion you are still paying for the DDP plan but since it didn't really 'feel' like we paid for it (or we could be blind to it) -- it didn't bother me so much that we didn't use all the credits.

But there's a real push to get the DDP again -- either way. I think I might struggle with going ahead with it if I book the 30% off deal and then add on the dining plan and we don't use all the credits.

So any thoughts on what's the better deal overall let me know ...

Another member in the party really likes/wants the 'all inclusive' feel that the dining plan gives and the number crunching to show how much food we'd have to eat per day to make it worth it if we're paying out of pocket instead of dining plan doesn't seem to be registering. It's still being perceived as inconvenient. And, I suppose it was nice to not have to thinking about the stick-shock at the sit-down restaurants when picking your entree. Quite honestly, we likely wouldn't have even gone into a sit-down/table-service restaurant if we hadn't had the DDP last time. But the table-service is much more accommodating and has more appealing options when dealing with dietary/health issues.

 

[nilla]

After our first stay at CSR, we stayed there on the next four trips. Absolutely love it, and we consider it a "second home". The pool is the best at the mods we stayed at, and better than Wilderness Lodge.

That said, we're trying out CBR this year. We'll certainly miss CSR.

I think Pepper Market was in a transition phase last year. We were disappointed as well, but LOVED it on previous trips. I think it's back to normal now, from what I've read.

We like POR and POFQ a lot (the latter more than the former), but neither can hold a candle to CSR, IMO. I know a lot of people would disagree.

I really don't think you can go wrong with the moderates, so it really comes down to (1) how much you loved CSR, and (2) how much you want to see something new.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think you should try another moderate......not POFQ though since there is no quiet pool or TS restaurant. I would suggest POR. Then you've also got the boat to DTD. If the free dining promotion does come out when you are going, and POR is not included, I would switch to CBR. At least they just had a room refurbishment.

 

[Zombie]

Thanks, Nilla.

It's good to know some people find something they like and stick with it too!

But I have a feeling that depending on the price/package we get, we might end up at one of the PO ones.

Seeing something new will be nice and it certainly looks nice and gets high reviews. But I'm nervous about it. I know it's one of the more popular resorts so I'm afraid it might feel rather busy and I've read that it's hard to get a table at Boatwrights without a reservation and I've seen some real horror stories about the crowding and wait times on the buses at POR.

Somehow on the maps POR looks MUCH bigger than CSR too. Though, I've read that CSR is larger.

My biggest concern is the buses and it looks like POR/POFQ are farther away from most of the parks and a longer ride than CSR too?

 

[Zombie]

Thanks, Disney Lover.

The boat to DTD from the PO resorts is definitely a selling point.

Is POFQ much of a walk to POR to use their amenities? Quiet pool and TS? On the map they look like they are connected and would just be a short walk. But good point about our area not having an immediate quiet pool. That'd be a big bummer likely.

I've read that CBR is REALLY big. What's it like in terms of the bus service and wait times and crowding?

 

[Disneylover99]

Thanks, Disney Lover.

The boat to DTD from the PO resorts is definitely a selling point.

Is POFQ much of a walk to POR to use their amenities? Quiet pool and TS? On the map they look like they are connected and would just be a short walk. But good point about our area not having an immediate quiet pool. That'd be a big bummer likely.

I've read that CBR is REALLY big. What's it like in terms of the bus service and wait times and crowding?

POFQ is actually our favourite mod. because it's so small, followed by POR. I have not tried CSR or CBR because the size scares me away, and I really dislike making multiple bus stops around any resort. I think CBR has the most stops.

You can walk between POR and POFQ. It's maybe a 10-15 minute walk depending on pace. We go in August so I find the walk too hot. You can also take the boat between the resorts, which is a nice option.

I think POFQ/POR are pretty close to HS and Epcot, so probably a shorter bus ride then from CSR.

 

[Babsy]

HI!

Well, I would try something new, but I love to explore new resorts! I vascillate among the moderates as to which is my favourite, but I think it just might be CSR (or POR). It is a difficult call. In actual fact POFQ is my least favourite moderate. The small size is nice, I suppose, but I actually like walking around El Dorado at CSR for fun, so.... I guess I like large moderates. LOL

POFQ has only one small, uninspired pool (IMO). I much prefer the pools at all the other mods. Also, the dining at POFQ is only the one food court with giant Mardi Gras style heads hanging from the ceiling. A bit creepy!

POR has lovely grounds, 4 bus stops (which I like because it means that everyone is close to a bus stop), nice quiet pools and a good food court. There is Boatwrights as a TS, but we weren't really impressed with the food there. Staying in a princess room is a bit pricey for the slightly nicer theming in the room, but it also guarantees a stay in the mansion section in either Oak Manor or Parterre Place. Oak manor is my fav place to stay in POR. Get a pool view and you will be near the bridge. I wish that they had made Magnolia and Acadia the princess themed mansions. Then I would still be able to book Oak manor at the lower price! Oh, well! There is always the preferred rooms in AB, that are quite convenient!

CBR has a great tropical island atmosphere. Get a preferred room here, if you can. This resort felt bigger to me somehow. Lots of nice quiet pools, good food court and nicely done feature pool. If you go standard room here, we really liked jamaica. Some people find it too far a walk over the bridge though.

They are all lovely in their own way and I would stay at any of them again. Based upon discounts the order that I would book would be CSR, POR, CBR, POFQ. If I had been at CSR recently, I would put POR first. I think....or maybe CBR. It's a tough choice!

Good luck!

 

[LaidBackDad]

I would say you really should try another resort. I think you're missing out if you don't. You may really love The Seas with Nemo & Friends; but, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try Under the Sea Journey of The Little Mermaid. If you stay in another resort, chances are you will find you still prefer CSR; but, each resort has so many positive aspects of their own I'm sure you will still find the resort enjoyable even though you might find yourself missing CSR. Plus who knows, you may even find you like the new resort better; but, you will never know until you try. We stayed at CBR on our first visit and loved it. Our next trip splurged a little (but got a good deal and didn't pay that much more) and stayed at AKL. We loved it even more and it almost made the entire trip to WDW seem like a completely different experience. I say go for it and try all WDW has to offer.

 

[tstottle]

Hi! We stayed at POR last time, liked it a lot, but wanted to try something new this time so we are trying CSR. We like the idea of seeing new Disney theming (I realize it's not cartooned theme, I mean just the general theming) a lot. To me, part of that vacation-y feel is seeing and trying new things. I analyzed a lot for a while then realized that we will be happy at any Disney resort, really, so I'm not worried about not liking it as much. POR was fine for our family, the grounds were lush, we could never get into Boatwright's but we didn't have an ADR and didn't care much. Most people on these boards LOVE POR and rank it first, so I really don't think you can go wrong!

As for Dining Plan, I have only done it once years ago when it was relatively new, and it was INCONVENIENT. Checking out took forever as they sorted through our family of five trays and figured it all out. I am sure it is more efficient now, and that would be at Counter Service only, but it was a huge inconvenience at the register. So much so that a few times we asked them if we could go back and exchange our food for hot food because it was cold by the time we paid (that sounds ridiculous but it's true, and we are not a picky family). But if the "all inclusiveness" of it adds to your "vacation-y feel", then go for it! Especially if you enjoy table service restaurants.

 

[Babsy]

Hi! We stayed at POR last time, liked it a lot, but wanted to try something new this time so we are trying CSR. We like the idea of seeing new Disney theming (I realize it's not cartooned theme, I mean just the general theming) a lot. To me, part of that vacation-y feel is seeing and trying new things. I analyzed a lot for a while then realized that we will be happy at any Disney resort, really, so I'm not worried about not liking it as much. POR was fine for our family, the grounds were lush, we could never get into Boatwright's but we didn't have an ADR and didn't care much. Most people on these boards LOVE POR and rank it first, so I really don't think you can go wrong!

As for Dining Plan, I have only done it once years ago when it was relatively new, and it was INCONVENIENT. Checking out took forever as they sorted through our family of five trays and figured it all out. I am sure it is more efficient now, and that would be at Counter Service only, but it was a huge inconvenience at the register. So much so that a few times we asked them if we could go back and exchange our food for hot food because it was cold by the time we paid (that sounds ridiculous but it's true, and we are not a picky family). But if the "all inclusiveness" of it adds to your "vacation-y feel", then go for it! Especially if you enjoy table service restaurants.

I agree! the DP is not for us either. It has resulted in higher prices at the restaurants and difficult to get ADR's. Plus, every time we do the math, it would cost us significantly more than our RO discount and paying OOP. I don't understand why anyone would pay more money and have to worry about using these credits up by the end of the trip? Or eating more food than normal to get their money's worth?

One of life's mysteries. I guess that having it all paid up front just feels better to some people, even if it does cost more.

 

[WEDWDW]

I say go ahead and try POR-it is gorgeous!

Then,if you find out you miss CSR badly,you will know to stick with it from now on.

A HUGE bonus for staying at POR while travel to DTD by bus or car is so difficult is that you can walk right out of your room and straight to the Sassagoula River Cruise for a relaxing ride to DTD!

 

[Flynnismine]

I vote for trying something new. We stayed at POP last trip. This time we are doing a split stay between BLT and POR. I loved POP but am VERY excited to try some new resorts, especially POR.

 

[RustManFan]

I vote for sticking with what you loved the first go-round. Happy to pop in other resorts to check them out, visit shops, have a meal, etc. without the financial commitment of a new place.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Try something new, while they are all different, they are all the same. By that I mean that generally, the amenities at the deluxes are close to the same, as are the proximity to the parks, the size of the rooms, the dining options, etc. The same goes for the moderates and the values. The biggest difference is the theme, each resort is supposed to offer unique locale and offerings. I've found good reasons why I like one moderate over another, but it varies depending on people on the trip and what we are hoping to accomplish that trip. For example, if I'm planning on going to Food and Wine and am staying deluxe, I'm going to pick an Epcot resort and not the GF. If I want to have lots of options for things to do at night, and am staying moderate, I'm going to stay at POR so I can go to Disney Springs. If I want a hang out at the resort and relax vacation, probably CBR. But I know this because I've tried so many of them.

Tom

 

[nkereina]

I'm a huge proponent of trying new resorts every time. We know Disney quality and that you won't be booking the Bates Motel, so it's pretty safe to check out a different one. If the theme or resort ends up not appealing to you, then it's onto the next!

FWIW, your pros and cons of CSR sound a lot like ours. We liked being near the first bus stop and had a good bus experience in general. Also loved the Dig Site pool. But we hated Pepper Market and since we went to eat resort QS quite a bit, this was a big negative for us. We've also stayed at POR twice, which I would recommend. IMO, POR has the best food court on property. The resort also feels smaller and less daunting to navigate. Only POR negative for us is that we don't care much for the main pool area.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

If POR is included in the free dining, you might like to give it a shot. If not, I'd recommend sticking with CSR.

 

[Goofy'slady]

CSR is our "home" resort especially for my 16yr old daughter. For some reason I think she likes the idea of it being on Disney's property without all of the character fuss that is throughout so many of the value resorts. I think she feels like it's appropriate for the parks and whatnot but when she comes back to the resort she likes to feel like she's being transported to another place and she loves how friendly the staff has been over the years and for her CSR does all of that. My 9 yr old LOVES the main pool as well as the quiet pools. They really can't be beat as far as we're concerned. We too have eaten at the TS restaurant and loved it! It's relaxing and having not to travel far to get there is heaven. The buses are a BIG reason I keep going back to CSR. I usually request a particular building so that we are the first ones to board the buses and the first ones to be dropped off at the end of the night. Such a bonus for mum's tired feet after all of the walking we do each day.

I have been tempted to try POFQ but every time I ask my girls if they want to try something new they say no! They are creatures of habit. Our trip is in mid-August (10-19) and we have a few down days with time to do one of our favorite FREE activities...exploring other resorts. Dining at resorts is another great way of being able to experience a sliver of the resort and better see if during your next trip if you want to switch and try something new.

Whatever you decide I think you'll be in good hands, after all you're in Disney. Enjoy!

 

[Ladcassidy]

If CSR is comfortable for your family, by all means stay there again. My family has just booked our fourth trip in three years to the Wilderness Lodge. For now, WL fits our needs because of its easy access to the Magic Kingdom, which we visit almost every day of our trip with a 7-year-old princess, and its almost-moderate prices. I suspect that as my daughter gets older, we will branch out and try some of the Epcot area resorts. Until then, we will return to the place that we know so well. It's reassuring to know in advance of our vacation that we will be able to navigate the resort like pros!

 

[Zombie]

Thanks for all the input everyone. It's much appreciated. It gives me a lot of good thoughts and advice to think about and share with the other decision-maker.

I think I'd be comfortable skipping the DDP -- but the mental block of the other party about paying out of pocket might be a deciding factor. I might have to up my skills at presenting the math of it and/or dedicate myself to entirely managing the OOP payments while on vacation. If we get it 'free' I won't likely argue the point too much (though I'm still not sure it works out to much of a savings) but I'm really not sure about paying for the dining plan at all.

We did use basically all our TS credits last time, if memory serves me right and all our snack credits. But we had a whole lot of QS credits left.

We didn't use ADR at all. I guess we lucked out with the times and places we did eat and never had a problem getting a table ... Rainforest Cafe at AK, T-REX Cafe at DTD, Maya Grill at CSR (twice) and breakfast at Las Ventanas at CSR (I know some people will baulk that we 'wasted' a TS credit for a breakfast on resort -- but let me tell you their peppercorn bacon was worth it! Based on that we actually likely had 1 TS each left. I imagine we had nearly all of our QS credits left. I can only think of three occasions we used it. I guess we were getting too involved in the parks at the time to grab dinner and we found the QS foods sort of unappealing given that we were there at the end of August for historic record highs. Even Disney employees who had been working there for decades or had lived in Florida all their lives were telling us that it was unbelievable. So anything more than something cold and light in our stomachs seemed pretty unappealing a lot of the time. Sure wish you could switch in two or three QS for a TS or a TS for a Water Park Ticket or downgrade QS to a couple snacks. (When we were leaving, the morning of when we stopped to pick up something for the plane, the woman at the till did let us use or QS credits for 'snacks' and did some sort of calulcation for how many snacks we could get with what we had left. It was some sort of ridiculous amount, though, and we didn't want to have to declare and drag that much food through customs when we got home so we just got a few items for the plane and a sandwich for in the airport while waiting.)

But I'd definitely be upset if we paid for DDP and then didn't do ADR and had trouble finding a place to eat and missed out on using the credits when we get there. We found the ADR too hard for our family. With the health issue it's really hard to plan our days that in advance. We really have to go with the flow and do what everyone is able to manage. And head on back to the resort when it's clear it's time to go. So having a dining reservation just doesn't make a lot of sense for us. We didn't even really know which park we were going to be in until about the night before we'd make a decision -- though not necessarily when we'd go over. The day we went to Hollywood Studios we had thought we weren't going to go to a park at all that day and then decided in the early afternoon to go over to it in the evening. So we're pretty ... spur of the moment. A lot of it being out of necessity for our situation.

I know it's not the command and conquer style with extensive touring plans and/or possibly not the best use of a Disney Vacation in terms of 'time management' vs. cost. But it's what worked for us to be able to have the experience and it was such a positive experience it's clearly something we'd like to attempt again. We MIGHT be a bit more organized this time. But we're still going to have limitations and constraints to work within. But what family doesn't in their own ways, right?

Has anyone who stayed at POR experienced the awful bus delays and jammed packed buses that I've seen people complaining about? Really ... the buses are one of my biggest concerns. I figure the food we can figure out. There's always DTD and we'll have the grocery delivery service delivery edibles to our room for worse case scenarios and breakfasts as well.

 

[Hi Pluto]

I would start by comparing prices between the resorts based on the current summer discount. A lot of the rooms for that offer are already gone, so check for what's left. I wouldn't wait to see if a free dining plan is offered because you would probably save about the same amount with the summer discount. Of course, you could always add the discount later.

Also, sounds like you should skip the DDP if you had leftover credits last time. You could always put money on gift cards and pay for dining that way, or use your magic bands and pay it down with the gift cards or cash/credit each day at the front desk.

~Cari~