moderate resort choice? any tips?

[mikewdw]

i know this has probably been asked a thousand times but any tips, ideas, etc. that will help us narrow down our choice for resort stay in june? we have been to
po french
as sp
pop
bc
wl
akl
so any help would be nice.
wife wants coronado springs but i lean towards carribean beach or riverside.
pro's and cons for each please.
party- me, wife, 1 1/2 yr old and sister in law.
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[eeyore0062]

CSR is a convention resort, which means that you may have a very busy food court in the morning when conventioneers are getting ready for their conferences and at night when the conferences are over. The biggest drawback for us is that the rooms only have one sink, which with 3 adults, could be a bit inconvenient. The pool is nice and large with a very nice slide. The Cabanas section is very nice and quite beautiful. They are also very convenient to both the main building (closest building is 9B) and the themed pool (closest building is 8A). Most of those who are there for conventions are located near the convention hall in the Casitas.

The Caribbean Beach Resort is very spread out, and the only drawback we saw was the fact that the check in was located across the property from the food court and restaurant. The pool is nice, though not as big as that at the CSR. Rooms at Martinique are very convenient to the food court/main pool building, but we prefer those in Jamaica, which is across the bridge from the food court, etc... about a 5 minute walk. This is usually the 1st bus stop, so you can usually get a seat on the bus, and you will be the 1st dropped off. If you don't relish walking too far to the food court, do not request Barbados or Trinidad South. The beach is quite beautiful and the hammocks are very relaxing. You can usually see the high fireworks from Illuminations at night from the Beach. The entire resort has been refurbished within the past 3 years, with very nice results. The rooms are also the largest of all of the moderate resorts.

Port Orleans Riverside is one of my favorite, so I might get a little biased here. We love the theming and the relaxing atmosphere. We also love that we have the use of 2 themed pools, the boats to DTD, 2 food courts and a butterfly garden located behind Arcadian House. Our favorite buildings are Alligator Bayou, bldg 14 or Parterre Place in Magnolia Bend, both of which are extremely close to the main building and bus stop, but still have the feeling of being in either Bayou country, with its rustic charm, or the old south, with its plantations. We also love the live entertainment in the resort lounge 4 nights a week. We think, of the resorts that rely on bus service, that the Port Orleans resorts have some of the best, no matter which park you want to frequent.

Whichever you decide, I hope you have a great vacation, and we can't wait to hear which resort your picked!

 

[MiJo]

We have stayed at CSR (Ranchos section), POR (AB and Magnolia Bend) and POFQ. I would have to say, and it's a difficult choice, we prefer POFQ.
When we stayed at POR in '99, we took the boat to DTD and passed POFQ. We didn't really care for it. Then, in 2003, we stayed there and really enjoyed it. It's small, nicely themed and offers the boat to DTD. The spa is secluded from the pool, which is nice for adults. The drawback to POFQ is that there is no full service restaurant, only a food court.
POR is also very nice and one of our favorites. After staying in both sections, we prefer the AB over the mansions but both sections are nice. We really enjoy walking around the paths in the AB. The drawback to POR is its size; it is pretty spread out. An added plus is Bob "The Piano Man" Jackson, who performs in the River Roost Lounge Wednesday thru SUnday evenings!
It is about a 10 minute walk from POR to POFQ and the boat travels between the two.
CSR is also very nice, but again, it is very spread out. When we were there in 2000 it had a bus that ran to the BW. We enjoyed the food court at CSR much more than those at the other Moderates.
So, it pretty much depends on what you consider important: Theme, food, resort size, etc. They are all nice, which makes this a difficult choice. Have fun deciding.

 

[Cookie Princess]

We have stayed at POR and CBR. We will not go back to CBR. It was just too spread out, and I didn't feel much Disney magic here. The buses were very slow. POR is great. The mansions were lovely to stay in. The foodcourt was faster, the buses arrived faster and the slide on the pool was a big hit with DS and DH!

 

[Buzz2001]

Check out my CSR website for pics, links and info on CSR. Good luck deciding!

 

[arizonacolbys]

We're trying to decide the same thing! Before I did any research on the Mods, we were thinking that CBR would be our 1st choice followed by CSR, then POR. As much as everyone seems to like it, POFQ just really isn't our taste - so, it's not really on our list.

After looking at a lot of info (including Buzz's sight above) - CSR is now our 1st choice. I've always loved the southwest - New Mexico used to be one of my favorite stops on vacations with the family. I think the architecture at CSR looks beautiful & we love the look of the food court - lots of great options that some of the other food courts don't have (more Mexican style food.)

POR is now our 2nd choice - I love the idea of the boat to DTD. I think the AB section may be a similar feel to WL - which is my favorite resort, at least theme-wise. It'd also be nice to check out both pools & I think this is actually the smallest of the Mods - meaning less walking to everything after long days in the parks.

CBR has moved into 3rd place. The numerous bus stops concerns us, as does its massive size. I don't like that the buildings closest to the food court cost more per night (preferred rooms) - & I don't believe any of the other mods do this. It seems like everything we originally liked about CBR can also be found at the other 2 mods we're interested in.

We still haven't made a final decision, but know that we'll be happy anywhere at WDW & we can always go back & try the ones we didn't choose. I would recommend that you try to pick a resort based on your family's tastes. I think the theming of the resort can make the biggest difference. There are just some resorts that don't appeal to us - even if others rave about them, I'm not sure we'd enjoy our stay there. Good luck in your decision!

 

[safetymom]

People say that CBR is spread out but found it was longer walking around CSR.

CBR was refurbished at the end of 2002. We like the theming of CBR better than CSR but liked the pool at CSR. I didn't like all the little kids in the hot tub though with no parents around.

Also be wary if you get a pool view of a quiet pool at CSR. The people were still yelling and screaming at midnight. We never had that problem at the other moderates.
I have also stayed at POR and liked that resort also. My kids prefer CBR so that is where we go now.

CBR is also great for watching the Illuminations fireworks at night. Sitting in a hammock on the beach watching and listening to the music is great.

CBR does have 2 preferred villages costing extra if you want to be very near the food court and main pool.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the moderates. You will have a great time.

 

[pw2pp]

We are at CBR right now and we love it!

The room is nice and big -- We brought a Queen sized airbed and it fits just fine after moving the table over a little.
There is lots of storage space (shelves, hooks, etc....)
We get 6 BIG towels each day (plus the smaller towels).
The grounds/landscaping are beautiful.
Try to get either a "preferred building" ($15 exra per night) or Jamaica bldg (short distance to everything).

 

[mikewdw]

thanks for the info.
keep the tips coming.
i really have a lot to think about now.
mikewdw

 

[leighe]

DH and I loved CBR. The only Disney resort I had ever stayed in prior to that trip was the Poly and I definitely wasn't disappointed by CBR. We loved the decor, theming. landscaping. I did think the main pool was a little crowded (we were there the 2nd or 3rd week in July) but we mainly stayed in the quiet pool and only saw another person in it twice! We were in Trinidad North (which is a preferred location now) and were very close to the food court and main pool. We loved the resort because we felt so private and quiet. It was really quieter than some of the deluxe resorts I have stayed in. Also, CBR has the largest rooms of any moderate.

That said, I think you'll have a great time at any moderate resort. We are going to stay at POR over spring break because my DH loves Mark Twain and the room in AB seem to have a "Tom Sawyer" feel to them. I've also been intersted in CSR because of the pool.


Have fun!

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

CBR has the largest rooms???...wait I thought all of the moderate rooms were the same size all 314 sq. ft...everwhere I have read says that. Does anyone know about this?

 

[leighe]

CBR's rooms measure 340 sq. ft. DH and I had a king bed and a corner room so our room felt huge! However, people say that this is the same square footage as AKL and WL and our room at AKL felt bigger - but I think that might have been because AKL has interior corridors so the bathrooms are set up a little differently - if that makes any sense.

 

[MickeyMouth]

We loved POR. It is a very relaxing resort . With a nice pool too!

 

[Gabrielle]

CBR Pros: Caribbean music, sandy beaches with hammocks, great view of Illuminations from the Martinique beach, big rooms, good food court, lots of quiet pools.

CBR Cons: Very large; worth it to pay the extra $ for the preferred room (or a room in Jamaica). Small main pool with small slide, no live entertainment (but nice pool bar).

POR Pros: boat to DTD; carriage rides; live entertainment (Bob) on some nights

POR Cons: none that I can think of

POR-FQ Pros: small, not much walking; fun pool for little ones; whimsical atmosphere, jazz music

POR-FQ Cons: sit-down restaurant, marina and bikes are all at POR Riverside which can feel like a long walk from the FQ.

CSR Pros: fitness club on premises, great pool slide; large hot tub; large pool; especially beautiful at night with its city side and its beach side; prettiest check-in area.

CSR Cons: very spread out-lots of walking; slow food service

 

[ufgator]

We've (DH and I; no kids yet) stayed at all the moderates and I don't think there is a bad moderate. It's just what theme, location and amenities you want. Other posts have mentioned pros and cons. CSR and CBR are big. POR is bigger than POFQ but it doesn't seem as big as CSR and CBR to me. CBR has good size rooms and good food court and pool bar. First time I stayed at CSR, it was great and quiet, but last time it was extremely noisy. I don't like CSR's food court - more expensive than others and not that great to me; plus, waited awhile for it. POFQ and POR have boat to DTD, which is nice, and have just been redone. I think POFQ is only one without sit down restaurant. POR main pool always full of kids and really oriented towards them; not good for just adults. I personally love POFQ and POR the best because I love the themes and the atmosphere. Best mousekeeping at POR (even better than any of the deluxes I've stayed at). Haven't seen redone rooms at POFQ, but I loved the redone ones at POR and the mattresses were great. I live by the beach in South Florida so CBR is not that different for me (never had a bad stay there though), and I don't prefer desert theme so wouldn't always pick CSR. Everyone likes different things though. Good luck deciding.

 

[anb163]

I say riverside. I love that hotel. It is my favorite of the moderates I have stayed at. I think it has a wonderful atmosphere. That is where I would like to stay this year but I think we are going to do a value since it is cheaper and it means we can stay longer.

 

[jtovey56]

We loved POR. Stayed in building #14. It was close to everything. Lots of shade & beautiful grounds. The BEST.
Jim