POFQ or Coronado?

[daniellen94]

My husband and I have not been to Disney since we are both little. We are planning on going Dec 13-22 and hoping to get FD. I am debating between POFQ and Coronado. Since I havent' been in so long and I'm unfamiliar with each property, I was hoping to get some input. Which would you guys recommend. It will just be my husband and I.

I like the theme of Coronado and the rooms looks beautiful.

However I also like how POFQ is a smaller resort and has a boat to DTD. a

Any recommendations to Disney newbies?

Thanks!

 

[saskdw]

Do the extra amenities at CSR appeal to you? Fitness center, Spa, Salon, night club, largest hot tub on WDW property? If they do than the decision is easy.

 

[Alexsandra]

I stayed at both resorts recently and these are the comparisons:

Coronado Springs:
Good:
-very clean, modern bedroom with very comfortable beds and pillows
-doors to separate bathroom area from sleeping quarters
-beautiful main pool and outdoor playground for kids
-large hot tub
-more adult theme resort (if that is what your looking for)
-spa and gym
-Beautiful grounds and very nice water views (if you want to pay for that)
-Lots of food choices at food court
-Sit down restaurant MAya Grill (food is ok)

Bad:
-huge property (a lot of walking to get anywhere: not good when raining, scorching hot or after a long day at the parks)
-several bus stops 5 or 6 (so it takes a while for the bus to go around and pick everyone up and sometimes can lack seating on bus.)
-Pepper Market Food court where you have to serve yourself the food at food stations but waiter brings you drinks therefore you need to leave him a tip. Also it is very complicated system where they punch holes in a special card to add up your bill. When I asked how it worked the waiter seemed annoyed and explained it so quickly I didn't understand a thing.
-the preferred rooms I paid extra for didn't seem preferred at all. I was put in Casita 3. It was not that far from the main building (5 min.) but it was far from the bus stop (8-10 min.) and really far from the main pool (15 minutes). That might not seem far but when your walking in the rain or the hot and humid Florida sun with a baby, it is pretty far. Next time I would ask for a room next to a bus stop and a pool instead of paying extra for a preferred room.
-far from most parks compared to other resorts except AK

Port Orleans French Quarter
Good:
-Small property (very easy to get around in no time). Everything is no more than a five minute walk.
-Charming grounds in New Orleans style with small courtyards and cobble stone roads, and river
-Beautiful river views, if you want to pay for that (I got upgraded for free)
-One bus stop (sometimes but rarely picks up guest at POR but its first stop is POFQ so never have to worry about seating)
-Boat to DTD (really nice and worth it)
-Can use all amenities of POR (pool, restaurants, activities,etc.) Just a 15 min. walk away or can use boat to get there.
-Food court at POR is amazing: lots of choice and very good food at good price (worth walking over to eat)
-drinks by the pool are really good

Bad:
-Pool's theme is geared to young audience (big dragon waterslide)
-beds and pillows less comfortable than CSR but still ok.
-food court is small and limited choices (food is good)

SO overall I preferred POFQ to CSR but I still liked CSR. It depends what you are looking for. POFQ is more convenient and in my opinion more romantic than CSR. It also has a boat to DTD and access to its sister resort POR which really won me over. CSR has beautiful grounds, a beautiful main pool and access to a gym. It also has very comfy beds but it falls short on convenience.
You can check out more info and my pictures on my blog http://disneyplaning101.blogspot.ca/

Either one you'll pick you will have a great time.
Good luck

 

[N365PA]

Personally I would definitely take PoFQ. CSR is also a convention center so you get alot of non-disney folks hanging out at the bar / restaurant and I have found it takes away the magic for me.

Clint

 

[Alexsandra]

Oh I forgot to mention you can find more info about each resort on these sites.

For POFQ or POR
http://www.portorleans.org/

For CSR
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/csprings.htm

They explain each section, which room to request and you can see great pictures. That helped me make my decision.

 

[mamamary]

I stayed at both resorts recently and these are the comparisons:

Coronado Springs:
Good:
-very clean, modern bedroom with very comfortable beds and pillows
-doors to separate bathroom area from sleeping quarters
-beautiful main pool and outdoor playground for kids
-large hot tub
-more adult theme resort (if that is what your looking for)
-spa and gym
-Beautiful grounds and very nice water views (if you want to pay for that)
-Lots of food choices at food court
-Sit down restaurant MAya Grill (food is ok)

Bad:
-huge property (a lot of walking to get anywhere: not good when raining, scorching hot or after a long day at the parks)
-several bus stops 5 or 6 (so it takes a while for the bus to go around and pick everyone up and sometimes can lack seating on bus.)
-Pepper Market Food court where you have to serve yourself the food at food stations but waiter brings you drinks therefore you need to leave him a tip. Also it is very complicated system where they punch holes in a special card to add up your bill. When I asked how it worked the waiter seemed annoyed and explained it so quickly I didn't understand a thing.
-the preferred rooms I paid extra for didn't seem preferred at all. I was put in Casita 3. It was not that far from the main building (5 min.) but it was far from the bus stop (8-10 min.) and really far from the main pool (15 minutes). That might not seem far but when your walking in the rain or the hot and humid Florida sun with a baby, it is pretty far. Next time I would ask for a room next to a bus stop and a pool instead of paying extra for a preferred room.
-far from most parks compared to other resorts except AK

Port Orleans French Quarter
Good:
-Small property (very easy to get around in no time). Everything is no more than a five minute walk.
-Charming grounds in New Orleans style with small courtyards and cobble stone roads, and river
-Beautiful river views, if you want to pay for that (I got upgraded for free)
-One bus stop (sometimes but rarely picks up guest at POR but its first stop is POFQ so never have to worry about seating)
-Boat to DTD (really nice and worth it)
-Can use all amenities of POR (pool, restaurants, activities,etc.) Just a 15 min. walk away or can use boat to get there.
-Food court at POR is amazing: lots of choice and very good food at good price (worth walking over to eat)
-drinks by the pool are really good

Bad:
-Pool's theme is geared to young audience (big dragon waterslide)
-beds and pillows less comfortable than CSR but still ok.
-food court is small and limited choices (food is good)

SO overall I preferred POFQ to CSR but I still liked CSR. It depends what you are looking for. POFQ is more convenient and in my opinion more romantic than CSR. It also has a boat to DTD and access to its sister resort POR which really won me over. CSR has beautiful grounds, a beautiful main pool and access to a gym. It also has very comfy beds but it falls short on convenience.
You can check out more info and my pictures on my blog http://disneyplaning101.blogspot.ca/

Either one you'll pick you will have a great time.
Good luck

I'm pretty much going to agree with all that you have here. I feel that POFQ being so small made things much easier for my family.

 

[nkereina]

One thing we didn't like about POFQ was the smallness of it bc it felt more crowded, and we were there in September which is a slow time of year. The one bus stop got crowded and when a bus pulled up everyone gunned for it since there wasn't a formal line. We also found the food court to be small and crowded and we had to eat in the lounge area.

The boat to DTD is nice however they pick up POR first so sometimes seating can be limited. Boats run more frequently at night but it still takes a good 20-25 mins down the river to get there. It is better than the bus though.

The only negative for us at CSR is Pepper Market. We eat in the food court every morning so the concept there doesn't appeal to us. However the new buffet style for QS credit might warrant a try for us.

 

[theguda]

My last 2 stays at WDW were POFQ and CSR. I thought POFQ was barely better than the values...but I absolutely LOVED CSR.

 

[mugglebe]

My vote is for POFQ! I'm staying there for a second time in November!

 

[vettegirl]

My DH and I love CSR! It's like a deluxe light resort as it has the same tolietries as the deluxes, down comforters, and beautiful modern decor. Back in May that even upgraded us to Club Level, which the other Moderates don't have. We also love the Dig Site Pool, it is so much fun. We went by the POFQ resort to just check out the pool and felt it was sub par to our fav dig site pool. Good Luck with your choice!

 

[*Fantasia*]

Oooh.. difficult decision here. They are both beautiful resorts. I love POFQ because it is lovely and quaint. I've stayed here 3x and never felt crowded. I enjoy the boat ride to DD. I can also stroll along the river to POR to swim if we wanted to and have lunch or dinner there.

 

[aubriee]

I love both and have stayed at both multiple times, but would have to give the edge to CSR (despite my next trip being at POFQ--Hey I was at CSR in May and Dec, so wanted a change). Seriously I go to WDW several times a year and always pretty much stay at a moderate. CSR and POFQ I would rank as almost a tie for my favorite WDW resorts. You can't go wrong with either. We do prefer the pool, hot tub, slide, bus service, beds, and food court at CSR though, but love how small POFQ is and the boat to DTD.

 

[Winue]

We have stayed at both as well and prefer POFQ for the same reasons others outlined.

 

[Butterflygirl35]

I prefer CSR. Beds are more comfy which to me after a long day in the parks is top priority. Also CSR pool is more appealing to me. I like that it feels more empty after crowds in park and Dtd it is nice to have a peaceful place to retreat.

 

[maxiesmom]

I've stayed at both resorts multiple times, and they are both great! You can't go wrong with either resort, so just pick which one looks more appealing to you. Though if you and your hubby like to hang out by the pool, CSR has POFQ beat there, no question. The pool at CSR is much more adult friendly than the one at POFQ.

Also, CSR only has 4 bus stops, not 5 or 6. The 5th stop shown on some maps is for convention guests only, and the regular park buses do not stop at it.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I've stayed at both and hands down POFQ!!! My favorite resort I've stayed in so far!!

 

[Zachsmom4]

I stayed at both resorts recently and these are the comparisons:

Coronado Springs:
Good:
-very clean, modern bedroom with very comfortable beds and pillows
-doors to separate bathroom area from sleeping quarters
-beautiful main pool and outdoor playground for kids
-large hot tub
-more adult theme resort (if that is what your looking for)
-spa and gym
-Beautiful grounds and very nice water views (if you want to pay for that)
-Lots of food choices at food court
-Sit down restaurant MAya Grill (food is ok)

Bad:
-huge property (a lot of walking to get anywhere: not good when raining, scorching hot or after a long day at the parks)
-several bus stops 5 or 6 (so it takes a while for the bus to go around and pick everyone up and sometimes can lack seating on bus.)
-Pepper Market Food court where you have to serve yourself the food at food stations but waiter brings you drinks therefore you need to leave him a tip. Also it is very complicated system where they punch holes in a special card to add up your bill. When I asked how it worked the waiter seemed annoyed and explained it so quickly I didn't understand a thing.
-the preferred rooms I paid extra for didn't seem preferred at all. I was put in Casita 3. It was not that far from the main building (5 min.) but it was far from the bus stop (8-10 min.) and really far from the main pool (15 minutes). That might not seem far but when your walking in the rain or the hot and humid Florida sun with a baby, it is pretty far. Next time I would ask for a room next to a bus stop and a pool instead of paying extra for a preferred room.
-far from most parks compared to other resorts except AK

Port Orleans French Quarter
Good:
-Small property (very easy to get around in no time). Everything is no more than a five minute walk.
-Charming grounds in New Orleans style with small courtyards and cobble stone roads, and river
-Beautiful river views, if you want to pay for that (I got upgraded for free)
-One bus stop (sometimes but rarely picks up guest at POR but its first stop is POFQ so never have to worry about seating)
-Boat to DTD (really nice and worth it)
-Can use all amenities of POR (pool, restaurants, activities,etc.) Just a 15 min. walk away or can use boat to get there.
-Food court at POR is amazing: lots of choice and very good food at good price (worth walking over to eat)
-drinks by the pool are really good

Bad:
-Pool's theme is geared to young audience (big dragon waterslide)
-beds and pillows less comfortable than CSR but still ok.
-food court is small and limited choices (food is good)

SO overall I preferred POFQ to CSR but I still liked CSR. It depends what you are looking for. POFQ is more convenient and in my opinion more romantic than CSR. It also has a boat to DTD and access to its sister resort POR which really won me over. CSR has beautiful grounds, a beautiful main pool and access to a gym. It also has very comfy beds but it falls short on convenience.
You can check out more info and my pictures on my blog http://disneyplaning101.blogspot.ca/

Either one you'll pick you will have a great time.
Good luck

I agree with this post!!!!

We were in Castitas 2, fourth floor, right next to Castitas 3. HATED IT. We requested Cabanas 8a, but nothing was available. The resort was full per the CM due to spring break. Even though we were "upgraded" to preferred, I did not think it was an upgrade.

Needless to say, we won't be back unless we are guaranteed Cabanas.

Loved POFQ. Loved the compact feel of the resort and loved the boat to DTD.

 

[KatMark]

We have only stayed at the Coronado. We've stayed nine times and will be back December 6 - 10 for my hubby's surprise 60th birthday trip. We have visited POFQ and it is a nice resort, but not just for us (no quiet pools, didn't care for the food court and the theme just doesn't appeal to us).

Although the CSR is a convention resort (as is the Contemporary, the Yacht & Beach Club, etc.), it often keeps the buses less full, as well as the pool. We love everything about the CSR and have yet to have a bad stay.

 

[UpstateMick]

Stayed at POFQ last February. Hated it. If you are relying on busses, forget it. Bus service was downright awful. It was being refurbed as well. I didn't get the hype at all...we have stayed at CB and Coronado and would go back to either one in a heartbeat over POFQ. Oh, and the boat to downtown...good luck standing in line and watching Riverside guests float by while you wait and wait and wait...and if it's windy out, no boat! The pool is cool for kids, but even my 7 year old didnt like FQ. It's small, but always feels crowded. I don't get the positive food court reviews...it's a warehouse with creepy Marti Gras decorations and giant heads! No ambience whatsoever. And the food was "eh" as well. We go to The World every February and stay at a moderate...we will never, ever, ever, never, ever, go back to POFQ! I vote Coronado...not one bad thing to say about our stays there! I'm still kicking myself for listening to my travel agent who wanted me to give FQ a shot. Ugh! Carribean Beach - February 2013! Stay away from FQ! You have ben warned!

 

[UpstateMick]

Personally I would definitely take PoFQ. CSR is also a convention center so you get alot of non-disney folks hanging out at the bar / restaurant and I have found it takes away the magic for me.

Clint

The only place you see these folks is in the main building once in a while. It has never detracted from our trip. In fact, busses are less crowded and pool is always a joy because of quiet pools that are there as well. POFQ pool is like a "free teenager" pool day...it was packed with kids everyday we were there. Also, FQ had cheerleaders and Brazillian groups...many, many 14-17 year olds everywhere you look! In 3 past trips to Coronado, we have never have seen a large group of teens there.

It really is based on preference and experience. We may have just hit FQ at a bad time, but based on our experience, we have never had issues at Coronado or CB, but I know people have issues with both.

Request Cabanas at Coronado and go for it.