POR or Coronado

[HANDYMOM]

We just looooove POR and the food court, but with 4 kids (two families) aged 10-13, the pool and slide just doesn't grab them like CSR might.

Any opinions?

We are only there for 4 park days with no hopping in September (hot!) so we're thinking we will have some downtime to actually relax and enjoy the resort. I'm a little worried about Pepper Market and if the grounds are as relaxing and lush as POR..

 

[Missing_the_Mouse]

I'll be watching this thread closely.

I'm debating between POR and CSR for our next trip in November.

We stayed at POFQ in September and we really liked it, but we want to try something new!

 

[adi1138]

We just looooove POR and the food court, but with 4 kids (two families) aged 10-13, the pool and slide just doesn't grab them like CSR might.

Any opinions?

We are only there for 4 park days with no hopping in September (hot!) so we're thinking we will have some downtime to actually relax and enjoy the resort. I'm a little worried about Pepper Market and if the grounds are as relaxing and lush as POR..

I was just at Coronado in September and loved it! I've stayed at POR too and while it is very nice too, I definitely preferred Coronado. The grounds at Coronado are so beautiful - gorgeous flowers, palm tress, white sand beaches, etc. It definitely felt more tropical and more lush than POR, and just as relaxing.

And if you are planning to spend a lot of time at the resort with older kids, Coronado would be great. The pool is fabulous! I spent one whole day just relaxing by the pool, getting drinks and food from the pool bar, and having a wonderful time. It's definitely a great pool, better than the deluxe pools I've been too!

As for Pepper Market, everyone gives it a bad rap, but I had no problem with it. A large variety of food and a really bright, lively dining area. And haven't they switched over to a buffet system now? So that fixes the problem of the ordering system that seemed to cause some people problems. And there is a also a great little quick-stop place, Cafe Rix, to grab food if you just want something quick like a sandwich or a snack.

Both resorts are lovely and I'm sure you would have a blast at either! In my opinion, I would suggest trying something new and going with Coronado! All the Disney resorts are special in their own way and it's so much fun to try new ones.

 

[dburg30]

They say you never forget your first love... Well, that's CSR then. Our first 3 trips were all at CSR and LOVED the place from the first day. The only reason we dont stay there now is we went DVC We even take a bus to CSR just to check out the place and sometimes eat there. We always liked peppers market. A bit pricier then some places, but really liked it.

 

[HANDYMOM]

I was just at Coronado in September and loved it! I've stayed at POR too and while it is very nice too, I definitely preferred Coronado. The grounds at Coronado are so beautiful - gorgeous flowers, palm tress, white sand beaches, etc. It definitely felt more tropical and more lush than POR, and just as relaxing.

And if you are planning to spend a lot of time at the resort with older kids, Coronado would be great. The pool is fabulous! I spent one whole day just relaxing by the pool, getting drinks and food from the pool bar, and having a wonderful time. It's definitely a great pool, better than the deluxe pools I've been too!

As for Pepper Market, everyone gives it a bad rap, but I had no problem with it. A large variety of food and a really bright, lively dining area. And haven't they switched over to a buffet system now? So that fixes the problem of the ordering system that seemed to cause some people problems. And there is a also a great little quick-stop place, Cafe Rix, to grab food if you just want something quick like a sandwich or a snack.

Both resorts are lovely and I'm sure you would have a blast at either! In my opinion, I would suggest trying something new and going with Coronado! All the Disney resorts are special in their own way and it's so much fun to try new ones.

Thanks so much for your response. I think I am going to take your advice!

 

[adi1138]

Thanks so much for your response. I think I am going to take your advice!

You're very welcome! I would definitely suggest stopping by the very friendly CSR thread here - it has tons of great info and photos and some very helpful folks! They were a great help to me when planning my trip.

 

[polkadotminnie]

My girls ages 9-15 have stayed at both resorts more than once. CSR wins hands down. They like the pool area and slide a lot better than POR. We have never eaten at PM even though we have stayed at CSR three times. We always have a car so we go elsewhere to eat.

 

[buzznina]

You will not be disappointed at CSR and yes their pool slide is better with the "Spitting Leopard", as my DD calls it Our fav are the PO resorts but we have always enjoyed staying at CSR, plus we like trying different resorts. We like the Casitas section for it's looks with the fountains and we like the Cabanas section for its central locastion. Have a great trip.

 

[Kwaschitz]

Oh, how I love CSR! The Pepper Market has recently changed a bit (so I've read), but has ALWAYS been great and they're very accommodating of personal requests. The Maya Grill is wonderful! The main pool is fantastic, the grounds are so peaceful...the fountains and courtyards scattered between buildings... In fact, my family are always saying "It's a resort you'd go to just of it's own merit even if it wasn't part of the WDW resort." The fact that there are buses to the parks is just gravy!

 

[DizDaD7]

Let me first start out by saying, you have it narrowed to 2 of my fav's. The only other place I would stay at if I wasn't concerned about $$, would be the Poly. You can't go wrong with either, but I'll break it down on both from my point of view...Bear with me ..LoL

Let it be known that both times I went to these were during Jersey weeks in Nov.

CSR- Resort Grounds: The theming here is really nice. All 3 areas are unique to its section and very well maintained. A nice walk around the whole resort is roughly 15-20 minutes or so.

POR- Resort Grounds: The theming here is also very nice. Just a little different. Southern feel. Both gorgeous grounds though. I'd say just a tad longer to walk around the grounds, but a pleasant stroll again.

CSR- Rooms: Stayed in Casitas 4 which had renovated rooms & was a perfect location. Queen Size beds too.

POR- Rooms: Stayed in Magnolia Mansions. Also Beautifully redone, w/ queen size beds as well.

CSR- Pool The main Pool is awesome. Really nice slide. Plenty of lifeguards on duty. Never Ever,ever crowded. I think the most amount of people there while we stayed was maybe 20. The quieter pools are very nice too.

POR- Pool: This Pool Is very nice as well. Slide is just a tad smaller than CSR but equally nice. the pool always had plenty of people around , but never felt like overcrowded. You always had plenty of chaise loungers to sit at. a lot more kids it seemed too. quieter pools were just that very quiet..

CSR- Food Court: aka. pepper market. I know not many people like the idea of being escorted to you seat, but literally u wait maybe 5 secs, honestly. Never is it packed, the market itself has a nice array of food too. A small gratuity ( maybe $5 ) should cover your server.

POR- Food Court: Although the food selections here are awesome, the way it's set up is like the values. And yes the seating area is bigger, It was always busy, no matter what time of day. Mornings are Chaotic though. Worse lines here than the darn parks...LoL

CSR- Bus Service: The best hands down: Although there are multiple stops, It seems most people grab it at the main one, to go to the parks. Never di we wait for more than 1 bus which were sooo frequent. NEVER did we have to come close to standing either, Going to the parks or returning..

POR- Bus Service: This one was just Eh. Imho. At least heading out to the parks in the morning. I think we waited for an extra bus 3 days going to parks. Coming back from DTD we waited for 3 buses, & forget coming back from Fantasmic. That was like 7 buses... But when we do return, the west stop ( i think) was very close to our mansion, which was nice.
Also POR, Has the Boat ride to DTD, which is a pleasant ride & convenient.

I didn't eat at either of the 2 TS restaurants here, but have heard very good things about both. Also POFQ, & CBR IMHO don't compare to these.

My suggestion, ( although its a hard one ) would probably got to CSR. It's a convention hotel , so it's never too crowded.

Either one you pick I'm sure you won't be disappointed.. Have a fun time choosing and once again...Sorry for Rambling here. LoL

 

[judaloo]

Thank you so much for all the info! We stayed at POR last time and have booked CSR for 5/27-6/2. I'm excited to try something new. I appreciate the info on the food court as that was really a downside when we stayed at POR. I would often go without my husband but with two of our children and the wait times were horrible! I also thought the busses at park closing were less than ideal. With five though, we were limited to POR. Unfortunately, we are divorcing and I will be taking my 3 kids by myself for this trip. I am; however, rejoicing in my resort options with a party of four (Not to make light, but I'm looking on the bright side).

 

[DizDaD7]

Sorry to hear bout the di vorce I'm sure you'll have a great time. It's just a lil less in your face Disney like some of the others, but a beautiful resort. And with just u and the 3 lil ones it'll be great . They'll love the main pool area. Especially the dig site and big Chess board, and arcade.. Have fun

 

[TuneTownMagic]

Hi there! I've stayed at both CSR and Port Orleans Riverside and I would say they were both great experiences! Lovely resorts and both had great food courts in my experience. I think Coronado may have the convention area for business-related visits, but I did not notice any difference between CSR and other resorts I've stayed at concerning that aspect. The gift shop at CSR is adorable too!!