We are planning a trip for Spring Break 2014 arriving 4/4. We stayed at CBR in 2009 and 2011 but we are considering staying somewhere else for a change. While we like the CBR for the price, but it is just so spread out. The pool area is nice but we only took advantage of it one day out each trip so that's not a selling point for us anymore. What would be the next step up? We are looking into Coronado Springs Resort because it is similarly priced and we like the fact that they have queen beds, although the rooms are a little smaller. Would this be a step up or down from CBR? What are the pros/cons of choosing CSR over CBR? On our last two trips there was 4 of us (myself, my wife, and my sons, now 9 and 7). This time we will have a new member in our party, our 2 year old daughter. She will sleep in a portable crib which is okay with both resorts. Just for curiosity, what would be the most affordable deluxe resort? It seems like an astronomical price jump from the moderates to the deluxes. How can they justify not having any middle ground between the two categories price-wise? Thanks.
CBR, CSR, POFQ, and POR are the middle ground, or "moderate" group, firmly in between the value level and deluxe... If being spread out is your least favorite feature of CBR, I don't think CSR is going to help - it too is spread out and if you don't get a room close to the main building, you are going to spend a lot of time walking or riding a bus around the lake. For a closer-together, more compact moderate you might want to look at POFQ - compared to the other three, it is smaller and more intimate. The lower end of the deluxe category includes WL and AKL. These are less expensive than the other six deluxes, in general. Another option if you'd like to try something on the deluxe level might be to look into renting DVC points and staying at a DVC resort. The added benefit, aside from price savings, is that you'd have a full kitchen and access to laundry (sometimes in your room itself), which can help with small kids especially. Renting points can save you a lot, and when I've done it in the past we've come out at about the same price as staying in a moderate but with the experience of staying at a deluxe (I usually book BWV or BCV or BLT when renting points).
We have stayed at CSR, CBR, & POFQ. They are all very similar with slight pros/cons to each. Our favorite has been POFQ because of the compact resort size and 1 bus stop (altho buses do sometimes go to POR as well which has 4 stops). CBR was our least favorite because of the number of bus stops and how spread out the resort it. Everyone has there favorites for different reasons, but if you are looking for smaller resort POFQ might be a good choice. You can also walk to POR and use their pool / food court. There is also a boat to DTD from POR/POFQ that is a nice option. Also, our kids were 7, 4 & 2 on our last trip in September.
I agree with the PPs. If being spread out is your biggest complaint about CBR, then CSR probably isn't the best option for you. While it is a lovely resort and we greatly enjoyed our stay last time, it is huge and very spread out. POFQ would be a much better option for you. POFQ is my favorite moderate. It is much smaller and more compact. It has the boat to DTD which is a nice alternative to the buses. There is only one bus stop at POFQ. The buses often stop at POR as well, but they usually pick up and drop off at POFQ first. I really enjoyed the Wilderness Lodge. WL and AKL are the least expensive deluxe hotels. Of the two, I'd recommend WL over AKL just because of the WL's proximity to the MK and the boat transportation to the MK. It felt more compact than the moderate hotels, and since it's all one building, you don't have to worry about having to walk outside to get to your room if it's raining.
I agree with PPs. I like POFQ and WL. In this situation I would say go to WL now because once your little one turns 3 you will have "outgrown" that resort. (Same w POFQ too but i would rather have the experience of WL over POFQ) I love WL, can't say enough good things about it. I love the fact that it is compact and all the hallways to the rooms are indoors, and the boat to the MK or Contemporary are great! There is so much to see there, just sitting in the amazing lobby!
I think the Wilderness Lodge would be worth a look, but also consider the Swan or Dolphin since the rates at those true deluxe resorts are sometimes less than the Disney moderates. All it takes is a phone call Swan/Dolphin to check (Disney will not give you the best rates for those resorts).
