moderate wdw hotels

[nee]

:cool
I have stayed at ASMo twice now and love the atmosphere of the place I am going again at easter.
Next time we visit, me and DD 9 yrs, I would like to stay one week at ASMo and one week at a moderate resort in WDW. So could anyone give any advice about the best resort to choose

 

[PistolPete]

POFQ is small with no full service restaurant. Has excellent bus service.

POR is large with a full service restaurant and average bus service.

CSR is large with a great pool, excellent bus service, but the food court is a concern with many and the restaurant is tough to get into without PS. Conventions make the place seem really crowded of really empty...depends if the conventioneers are in meetings or in the Pepper Market.

CBR is redone, bus service is excellent, the food court is new (don't have any experience with it), and the property is bright and cheerful. I would have liked to have seen more exterior lighting. But it really is a popular place for families.

 

[Kristentheangel]

My vote is for the CBR!! I can't wait to see the new OPR!! Good luck in your decision..

 

[elemusing]

I have stayed at all the moderates except for what used to be Dixie Landings, which is now Port Orleans.

The bus service is the BEST IMHO at Coronado Sp. We found NO WAIT at the Maya Grille there even though we made PS's just in case. And the Pepper Market is a bit difficult to understand, but it was good food. My only complaint was that it is VERY SPREAD OUT. We were in Casitas 2 which is very convenient to the first bus stop and the main house where the restaurants are, but VERY far from the main pool. It was like a 7 minute hike over there. There was a quiet pool closer, but I have a little one who needed to use the kiddie play area. BTW, the water in the kiddie play area is FREEZING COLD. It is not heated. The bus service at CS is fantastic. The best I have found.

POFQ was fun and the hottub is GREAT! It is on the other side of the laundry house from the pool, which means that there aren't alot of kids hopping in and out of it. The slide there is also cool. We ate breakfast one morning at the full service rest. again with no wait and it was excellent. You can also take a water taxi to DD from here which was nice. The bus service was Ok, but not as good as the others.

CBR is our favorite. The bus service is pretty good, the pool is fun and it has the best kiddie pool too. (large and deep enough to sit in with little fountains coming out on the side.) The hottub here is over to the side adjacent to the pool, very close to the water slide and kids hop in and out all day. Makes it hard to relax in. The food court is the best out of the mods and has yummy food. We also like to rest. here. I hear they may be redoing the system here like the one a CS, so that will be a bummer if it is true. (you get a card and go get what you want and they stamp it - the wait service is terrible and they are the ones who take and refill your sodas, etc and you have an automatic 10% gratuity added on when you leave.)

CBR is not nearly as spread out as CS, but some do complain that it is spread out.

I have also stayed at ASMU and have vowed never again if I can possibly afford a moderate in the future. The food court is not as good, the bus service was always a forever wait and there are too many parties with teens who are loud (like cheerleaders and bands.)

Angie

 

[MichaelH]

CBR is our favorite. It has a great pool and the food court has lots of choices. We have always had a great time at CBR.

 

[safetymom]

We have stayed at all the moderates but POFQ. Our favorite is CBR and our least favorite is CSR.

I love the theming at CBR and POR. I have pictures of CBR on my web site. Just follow the link below.

I didn't like that they have a mandatory charge when eating in the Pepper Market at CSR.

The food court at POR was great and we stayed in Alligator Bayou which was great also.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the moderates.

 

[daannzzz]

As you can see it all depends on what theme you like best. I have stayed at all 4 and I like CSR and CBR a tiny hair more than POR with POFQ at the bottom. You will read all sorts of reviews that say each one is the best and each one is the worst and they would never go back. I suggest researching numerous sites on the internet for pictures and descriptions and then pick the one with the theme and amenities that you think you and your kid will like the best.

 

[Planogirl]

All of the moderates are very similar (except Port Orleans FQ is smaller) and if I were you, I would base most of my decision on location and theme. We like Port Orleans Riverside the best because of the theming and we've also stayed in CBR and CSR. I wouldn't turn any of them down though!

 

[mm6mm6]

CSR was built after CBR using the same room designs so that is the same except for the decorations. They are set up about the same. We stayed at the CBR last June '02 (for pics, click here: http://community.webtv.net/sktracy ) and just loved everything about it. The lake was gorgeous and the white sand beaches with the hammocks were great. Parrot Cay island is neat and you can watch the Epcot fireworks from there if so inclined. We are staying at the CSR in August '03 just to change for the sake of change and to try something new.

 

[kdibattista]

Here's a vote for POFQ!!!! Did not like CBR and I hear POR neads renovation.

 

[DeeP]

I have stayed in all the moderates many times and they are all nice. They all have their own distinct atmosphere, pros and cons. CSR has the advantage of having their own health club, hair salon, the newest resort and very quick bus service.
CBR has notieably larger rooms and they are all newly furbished and look very nice.
POFQ is the smallest resort so less walking, good hot tub but pool is really for the younger set.
PO--old Dixie is a very pretty resort that is peaceful and quiet it has a nice pool and great entertainment in the lounge.
Just pick which atmosphere/theming you like the best. They are all nice.

 

[loveswdw]

Well, we have stayed at POFQ twice and once at CSR. While we absolutely positively LOVE everything at POFQ we were not enthused with CSR at all. CSR is beautiful but we didn't care for our room in the Casitas, we didn't like the food court and the bus service was the worst of any of our trips to Disney.

POFQ is wonderfully small and you become spoiled! Then you go to a huge resort like CSR and my gosh!--- the walking, walking, walking!! And we stayed in the section of the resort closest to the food court! I don't know what we would've done if we had stayed in one of the other sections!

Our next stay we are going to try for a deluxe resort but I have a hard time justifying the extra expense! Though, after looking at mm6mm6's photo album I'm thinking about trying CBR!! The resort looks really nice!!

Good luck in your decision--its a tough one!!

loveswdw

 

[cassie]

I.ve stayed at both POR & CBR. If you want sun & beach, CBR is the one. If you like shade and a rustic atmosphere, POR Alligator Bayou is the choice for me. POR has a boat to DTD that I just love. CBR is very open & sunny. The theme is carribean & reggae music entertains the pool area. I love it.

 

[momofpunkinboo]

Hi all! This is my very first post. Hopefully one of many, many, many. I have been reading the posts for almost a year now.

My question is . . . I am leaving for Disney in 20 days and will be staying at CBR. Does anyone have a copy of the menu for the new food court there yet?

Thanks for your help!!

 

[cinmell]

I have stayed at the CBR a few times and have loved it each time. The theming is great and the setup is nice. There are activities like biking/boats, a main pool and pools in each island, nice walkways, and hammocks on the beaches to sit and relax. We also like Old Port Royale because there was somthing for everybody.

 

[eeyore0062]

We loved PO-FQ. It was quiet, quaint, and everything is within a very easy walk. The pool was very nice, and you can also take the water taxi to PO-R and use the themed pool there, as well. We never had to wait for a bus, and there is only one stop, and it is always the 1st on, and 1st off.. so you will get a seat on the way to the parks, and don't have to wait too long to get off of the bus after the parks. The food court is newly redone, and the selections were great!

We haven't stayed in PO-R since it was DXL in 1998. At that time we really loved it. We liked the Alligator Bayou section the best. The pool is very nice, as was the food court. I have heard that the rooms are in need of refurbishment, so if something like that will bother you, you might consider another resort.

We liked CBR, and it boasts of the most recent refurbishments. The rooms were completed in late 2001, and they just redid the food court and shop area in December. We thought that the grounds were lovely, if a bit spread out. Make sure to request a room near the food court and main pool, if that is an issue for you. The pool was nice, if a bit small, but the quiet pools were the best!

CSR is probably the least attractive to us. It is spread out, and the pool is not near the main building. It is also a convention resort, so yes, there may be more amenities, but there is also more of a chance of you getting bumped elsewhere if they need the rooms. It also can adversely affect crowds in the food court and dining room. Oh, and the food court charges a 10% surcharge when dining there, unlike the rest, and isn't run by Disney.

The pool is quite nice, however, and has the best slide in WDW. We have also heard good things about the bus transporation here.

Whatever you decide, have a great time!

 

[Kennesaw Tom]

I have stayed twice at POR its a very nice resort... and very quiet since its surrounded on three sides by golfcourses. The music and entertainment there are also pleasant and relaxing. I really like the selection of food at the food court but other family members that I have gone to Disney with have found the food court at POR to be very limited. Alligator Byou is nice but very easy to get lost in ( I did and I'm an adult ). I have also stayed in Magnolia Bend very nice... but I found the air conditioner units to be very loud ( they have central air conditioning and the cooling fans are on the first floor, I was staying on the second floor ). I will be going back to WDW in May and I am thinking of staying at either CBR or CSR just for a change.

 

[franw]

CBR without a doubt. In fact, we liked it better than some of the luxury resorts. Terrific place if you have kids. The grounds are beautiful and very inviting. It is usually sold out yet never seems like it is crowded. The rooms (non-parking lot side) are very quiet. It is also very close to MGM and the Boardwalk.
Downtown Disney is only a five minute drive if you have a car with you. We have always had good luck with the bus service. Food Court isn't bad and a decent variety. All of the rooms have been renovated and are tropical, light and airy. It is about as close to the Poly as you can get without the monorail (and the added expense). Have fun wherever you stay!

 

[nee]

Thanks for all the advice
I will try CBR next time, I only hope they do not start doing waiter service at the food court, you really only expect that in a resuarant

 

[Dallas_Lady]

As you see, everyone has a varying opinion about the moderates...

It is my opinion that the service/amenities are going to be about the same at each one. Some people commented that POR's bus service wasn't great, I thought it was excellent. I think it comes down to what theme you think you'll like the best. Look at some pictures. www.wdwfun.com has lots of good ones.

Two things I think are notable differences, CSR only has 1 sink in the room, the others have two, which is good for mutliple teeth brushing . POR/POFQ have an evening boat to DD