Need Help Deciding which Resort

[mlamanna1701]

CSR is probably the resort I got the best sleep in if that matters. The beds are very comfy

That's good to know. Have you ever stayed in the Garden Wing of the CR? Wondering whether the beds are comfortable and whether it is inconvenient as many people posted.

 

[MMS1125]

I haven't ever stayed at CR. I've always said it wasn't my type of resort but so many love it I might have to try it out sometime. I'd have to maybe stay at BLT though for 2 bathrooms. My family doesn't do well with just 1 room or 1 bathroom. (usually do 2 mod rooms when we go since there's 5 of us) Mama needs space

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

That's good to know. Have you ever stayed in the Garden Wing of the CR? Wondering whether the beds are comfortable and whether it is inconvenient as many people posted.

I have stayed in the Garden Wing of the CR, and it is where I most definitely recommend that you stay for this trip. You mentioned room size in your original post, and the Poly and the CR (probably because they were the original resorts) have some of the biggest rooms in all of Disney World. They are much bigger than Boardwalk, Yacht Club, or Beach Club, and they are much, MUCH bigger than CSR.

The Garden Wing rooms are identical to the Tower rooms at CR, so, price wise, it is a good deal. I found the Tower rooms more exciting, because of the monorail gliding in and out of the resort. But the Garden Wing rooms are every bit as gorgeous as the rooms in the Tower. Also, transportation to Epcot is a breeze because of the monorail. It is not quite as quick as staying in an Epcot area resort, but it is easy and painless.

If you can adjust your expectations on room size and transportation, the CSR is a beautiful resort, too. It's a great value for the money, but the rooms are smaller, and you must take a bus everywhere you go.

If you stay at the Contemporary, we loved the view of Bay Lake. It was as peaceful and serene as can be. The beds are very comfortable, and we found both the wing and tower to be convenient to just about everything.

 

[Tink415]

CR king room will cost more than double a moderate king room. IMHO the transportation to the Epcot area is a wash for these locations, just about the same whether by monorail or bus. To me, the location benefit of CR is walking to the MK and using the monorail to get back. Transportation anyplace else, meh, its ok, not wonderful.

A moderate room with a king bed should be plenty big enough for 2 people and in no way crowded. CSR has a slightly more upscale vibe than the other moderates and the rooms are a few $ more. The rooms and lobby area at POR have just been redone, the grounds are beautiful, the central resort area has a more homey family vibe than CSR. Just MHO. Food options at both resorts are great, Pepper Market isn't my favorite but Cafe Rix is great for something quick. .

I just remembered BWI has the garden suites with a king bed. Those rooms are about double the CR king room.

Have fun deciding! You'll get lots of different opinions. Any one of these resorts will be fine!

 

[Alabama Minnie]

We have stayed at BWI and had a king room. VERY nice. The double sinks were outside the tub/potty area.

My next choice would be to stay on the Boardwalk at the Dolphin/Swan. IMO they are nicer than the moderates we have stayed in. We have stayed at the Dolphin and have a king room booked for our Sept. trip. They have kings in ALL view levels.

We have also stayed at the CR (2 queens) in the garden wing (not deluxe room). The room was huge. The beds were very comfortable and the bath is huge (tub/sinks one area - potty seperate). We didn't find the garden wing that far to the tower either. We just don't care for the hotels theme.

We only requested a king room once before, at AllStar Music, and were disappointed to find that they are ALL handicapped. I think that is a chance you take when requesting them at the values, not sure about the moderates.

 

[kddisney502]

It is funny you should mention that. I came across the CR Garden Wing room categories earlieronly a short while before the reservation department was scheduled to close. I saw a king category and deluxe room (which comes with a king) and called WDW to inquire about these rooms. For some reason, they are both the same price, although the deluxe room is bigger. That confused me a bit. I may consider the garden wing if I decide not to pursue the DVC.

That is confusing. I'm not sure why. When we were booking we were quoted 2 different prices, but we were getting a room discount. So maybe the room discount could be applied to the regular room only and the deluxe was the regular price? Well I hope you get it worked out. Have a good trip

 

[Kona65]

My wife and I are planning a WDW vacation for December 2013 for 4 or 5 days. We are having such a hard time deciding which resort would be best. We have only been to WDW once and stayed at the Polynesian. We ended up booking the Honeymoon Room because my wife wanted to experience the Polynesian but I wanted a king-size bed. This room was the only least expensive room with a king-size bed.

We will be spending most of our time at Epcot (since we did not have much time our first visit to experience the countries) and the Boardwalk area. We will also probably visit Animal Kingdom for a day and part of one day at Hollywood Studios.

I did not really want to spend too much for the hotel and looked into several moderate resorts. I ended up narrowing it down to Port Orleans and the Coronado Springs. After mentioning this to my wife, she thought it would be best to stay in the Epcot area and stay at either the Boardwalk Inn, Beach Club or the Yacht Club.

I have read so many reviews with both positive and negative comments about each resort and am concerned about some of the negative. For example, at the Boardwalk Inn, there were quite a bit of negative comments about the noise staying at the Boardwalk Inn because of the people and the performances on the boardwalk. I also saw some pictures of various rooms and found that bathroom to be small, with the toilet and bathtub so close. Is this standard with most resorts? My only experience with a bathroom was in the Honeymoon Room and there was quite a bit of space.

I am also concerned about not getting a king-size bed. I found some resorts charge more for a room with a king-size bed than a standard room with an option of two queen or one king. This makes me wonder that there might be a strong possibility that if I get a standard room with a preference of a king-size bed that I may not get it and be stuck with two queen beds. Has anyone had any experiences that the preference was not honored at check-in?

I eventually came accross the Deluxe Room in the Garden Wing of the Contemporary. I am just not sure whether I would want to spend so much money for this room (although this room type only has a king-size bed) and whether it is worth it. I am concerned that I would be wasting so much time travelling from the Garden Wing to the Epcot (since we will be spending most time there).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am sorry for the ramble. I have been researching the resorts for almost two weeks and am not any closer to making decision. There are so many pros and cons to each resort and I just cannot decide. I will probably need to make a decision very soon since the rooms will become available with the 499 day in advance policy.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

Stay at the BC, ask for a King size bed, with your room closest to Epcot.

 

[MinnieSummer]

The discount never applies to the Deluxe Room at CR. I've tried to get it before and it doesn't work. That being said, the rooms at CR are huge and, if space is the most important thing is your decision, then stay at CR. I honeslty think that taking a monorail to the ttc and changing to another monorail to get to Epcot is a pain. I have stayed at the BWI and BC and the location is great if you plan on spending time at Epcot. Being able to walk to your resort after Illuminations instead of walking to the front of the park in the huge crowd and then waiting in a ridiculously long line waiting for the monorail is a huge bonus. Getting anywhere else is a boat or bus. I have also stayed at CSR and have to tell you that I love this resort. The rooms aren't as big as the deluxe resorts but they are elegantly decorated. The grounds at night are beautiful for strolling. I personally have never had a complaint about the food court (there isn't one at BWI by the way) and we have had some of our best meals at Maya Grill (CSR's table service restaurant).

Bottom line is you can ask 100 people and you will get 75 different opinions. My advice is to figure out what is most important to you and your wife then pick the resort that offers that one thing best. And remember, you will be in WDW, in the parks most of the time, so you will have fun no matter what.

 

[mlamanna1701]

Thanks for all your advice. It is very helpful. I have a lot to consider.

 

[Singinglizzie]

If you are selecting based on price and want to stay onsite then CSR is your best bet. It has been nicknamed "Deluxe lite" for a reason. It has many amenities not found at the other moderates including a spa and work-out room. The dining choices there are slightly different too - since the Pepper Market which is a counter service has stations and is atypical to other Disney Resorts. If you go this route pay the extra to get a preferred room - although I don't know if there is such a category as king preferred? If your dates aren't already locked in, you might plan on going during a free dining period and that will also save you $$$. Regarding the naysayers - I would take them with a grain of salt. I can't fathom being unhappy with CSR especially considering the price and amenities compared to the deluxes. I thought it was as nice as the Poly! Many folks don't do advance research and consequently arrive to WDW unprepared then get frustrated that they didn't know about x or z. Sounds like you are doing what you need to do in advance to find out the ins and outs. I would also look into DVC points rentals, but if you decide to go this way - don't delay otherwise you will not get what you need. Also free dining (if that is of interest to you) is not available to DVC - but you certainly can pay for the dining plan if you want it. A DVC rental at the boardwalk, certainly could meet your needs. Lastly and as previously suggested, you might also consider a room at the Dolphin or the Swan. These properties are very nice and offer a great value. I would choose one of these, if I had no interest in WDW's dinning plan. The Dolphin is part of the Starwood resorts and you can accumulate points. They also offer promotionals that at times can be a great deal. You really have several great choices. Best of luck choosing.

 

[mlamanna1701]

Has anyone had any experience with an AP? I read that people were getting 40% off room rates. Is this at all resorts and all room categories? Would you need the pass to get the discount or can I get it when I get to WDW. I probably wouldn't be getting full benefits of the AP, as this will most likely be my only trip in the year, but if 40% off room the discount seems to outweigh the cost of the AP.

 

[spiceycat]

you have to go to the AP site to see the discounts. so you need a ap to get the discount.

unless you call them. they can give you a rate over the phone for an AP. now if you check in the hotel w/o this ap then you get to pay RACK rates for the room - much higher.

so you have determine if an annual pass is what you want.

 

[amberpi]

S&d will allow you to guarantee a king room. It's our favorite of all of wdw, and we've stayed at all the deluded except boardwalk, wl and akl as they aren't our thing. If you want monorail service we prefer cr.

Have a great trip!

 

[MinnieSummer]

S&d will allow you to guarantee a king room. It's our favorite of all of wdw, and we've stayed at all the deluded except boardwalk, wl and akl as they aren't our thing. If you want monorail service we prefer cr.

Have a great trip!

What is S&D? I cant' think of a WDW resort with those initials.

 

[MinnieSummer]

What is S&D? I cant' think of a WDW resort with those initials.

Nevermind. I realized after I sent it that it is Swan and Dolphin. I just never think of them as WDW resorts. Sorry

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nevermind. I realized after I sent it that it is Swan and Dolphin. I just never think of them as WDW resorts.

You don't know what you're missing then.

 

[MinnieSummer]

You don't know what you're missing then.

I stayed at the Dolphin once. It was the worst experience of my life. The bell hop took us to our room. We walked in and it smelled so bad that even he couldnt stay. He called the front desk and they sent us to another room that still had someone in it. The third room was filthy. The only other room open was overlooking an ugly roof. We took it because we had no choice. Then, in the walking from room to room, the bell hop had lost one of our bags -- it was the one that had my husbands meds in it. Of course we didn't realize it until an hour later when he went to take them. That turned into another fiasco with the front desk trying to locate the bellhop that took us around so he could retrace our steps and hopefully find it. Turns out it was in lost and found as a guest had picked it up and turned it in. That took three hours. In the mean time we missed our dinner reservation and the people we were supposed to meet up with. AND they never even offered to give us a discount on our room when we had paid for a great view. Will never stay there again.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I stayed at the Dolphin once. It was the worst experience of my life. The bell hop took us to our room. We walked in and it smelled so bad that even he couldnt stay. He called the front desk and they sent us to another room that still had someone in it. The third room was filthy. The only other room open was overlooking an ugly roof. We took it because we had no choice. Then, in the walking from room to room, the bell hop had lost one of our bags -- it was the one that had my husbands meds in it. Of course we didn't realize it until an hour later when he went to take them. That turned into another fiasco with the front desk trying to locate the bellhop that took us around so he could retrace our steps and hopefully find it. Turns out it was in lost and found as a guest had picked it up and turned it in. That took three hours. In the mean time we missed our dinner reservation and the people we were supposed to meet up with. AND they never even offered to give us a discount on our room when we had paid for a great view. Will never stay there again.

We've only had great stays there. Just goes to show how different everyone's experiences can be.

I think it's one of the best deals on property, so it's fine by me if less people like it!

 

[MinnieSummer]

Yep. Everyone has there own opinion based on their experience. I personally will never stay at GF again over Christmas but I know everyone looks at me crazy when I say that. It was all about my experience there. I also love CSR's food court but everyone looks at me like I'm crazy for that. Again, it's all about my experience. That's why I love it when people ask for suggestions on which resort to stay at. Everyone is going to have their own opinion and in the end, it gets sooooooo confusing. But I read every single suggestion hoping to get an idea for my next trip.

 

[mlamanna1701]

Yep. Everyone has there own opinion based on their experience. I personally will never stay at GF again over Christmas but I know everyone looks at me crazy when I say that. It was all about my experience there. I also love CSR's food court but everyone looks at me like I'm crazy for that. Again, it's all about my experience. That's why I love it when people ask for suggestions on which resort to stay at. Everyone is going to have their own opinion and in the end, it gets sooooooo confusing. But I read every single suggestion hoping to get an idea for my next trip.

I was (well probably am) totally confused about all the resorts and choices. My deciding factor came down to a king-size bed guarantee. A queen-size bed would just not do it. My wife prefers a king-size bed...probably because even with a king-size bed I still end up kicking her off the bed most nights It makes me laugh, but she doesn't find it a bit funny at all! There were only a few resorts that have a king-size room category and we decided on the CR - Garden Wing.