Solo trip - A brief stay at CSR with a stop at AKL (with pics!)
- Thread starter JanetMom
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JanetMom
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Definitely try the Margarita!
I have some better pictures from my last night that I'll share in a future post.
TinkLoverSam
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Thank you for your beautiful pictures I'll be staying at CSR on the honeymoon portion of my Disney wedding/honeymoon trip and your pictures have convinced me that we will have a lovely time during our down time at the resort.
JanetMom
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Today was the beginning of why I was at CSR a seminar on managing intranets. This was a very small seminar (only 8 attendees) so they could have held it anywhere, but Im very glad they chose CSR!
I received my wake-up call and was ready to go right on time. I knew they were serving breakfast so I headed to the conference centre around 8:00 a.m. The breakfast was amazing a full selection of juices, pastries and enough hot food for a major meal. There is a minimum food charge so with such a small group we always had lots of food and it was all really good. To add to the excess, most of the attendees did not read the email that said we would get breakfast so only a couple of us showed up for that meal. I was able to enjoy a calm breakfast and get some good one-on-one discussion with the instructor.
Three things to note for those attending a conference at CSR:
Most important bring a sweater! The air conditioning was on high and although it was hot outside it was freezing in the conference rooms
Be prepared to pay for computer/internet access. I didnt want to drag my laptop around so I just used the business centre computers to check my work email. The cost is $6 for 10 minutes, or it is cheaper if you buy a larger package. They do not give any time away for free. I paid $6 the first day to try it out and then I bought a larger package (I think it was $20 for 100 minutes) which I used for the rest of my stay. You can use the minutes anytime so it is best to buy the larger package. As for wireless they have that locked down too. You can get wireless access for the hallways of the conference centre for one price and you have to pay another price for the wireless access in the conference rooms
The conference centre food is amazing! All of our meals and snacks were so good and so plentiful. You will not go hungry at a CSR conference! Everyone was commenting on how much better the food was than anything else they ate at the resort.
Our session was scheduled until 5:00 p.m. and at the end of the day the instructor asked who wanted to go out for dinner. Surprisingly only two of us stepped up. A couple of people were going to the MK and the rest wanted to work during the evening hours. I was eager to go out for dinner as it was more one-on-one time with the instructor. The three of us decided to head to Raglan Road and agreed to meet at 7:00 p.m. That gave me some time to walk around the resort and go alligator hunting (without success) and take some more pictures.
I saw lots of these guys around the resort.
They look neat when they puff out the red area under their chin.
I saw lots of birds.
The view from the bridge where I stopped to do some alligator hunting.
I stopped at the pool and sat on the edge for a bit.
I was just walking the resort on the way to my dinner meeting so I couldnt go swimming, but I could take a moment to dip my feet in the water.
More great nature shots
There are lots of fish in the lake
View of the Cabanas
The beach by the Cabanas
I watched some cardinals for a bit.
The Cabanas quiet pool.
The sun lowering in the sky.
And then it was off to meet my dinner mates. We had to wait for the bus and watched 6 buses come and go before the DTD bus showed up. It took 1 hour from the time we arrived at the bus stop until we arrived at DTD.
Our supper at Raglan Road was wonderful. We did not have an ADR but they were able to seat us immediately on the patio. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed our dinner. After dinner we did some shopping (love the stuff at Little Miss Matched) and wandered around for a bit, and then headed back to the resort.
Tomorrow more business and some time to myself!
I received my wake-up call and was ready to go right on time. I knew they were serving breakfast so I headed to the conference centre around 8:00 a.m. The breakfast was amazing a full selection of juices, pastries and enough hot food for a major meal. There is a minimum food charge so with such a small group we always had lots of food and it was all really good. To add to the excess, most of the attendees did not read the email that said we would get breakfast so only a couple of us showed up for that meal. I was able to enjoy a calm breakfast and get some good one-on-one discussion with the instructor.
Three things to note for those attending a conference at CSR:
Most important bring a sweater! The air conditioning was on high and although it was hot outside it was freezing in the conference rooms
Be prepared to pay for computer/internet access. I didnt want to drag my laptop around so I just used the business centre computers to check my work email. The cost is $6 for 10 minutes, or it is cheaper if you buy a larger package. They do not give any time away for free. I paid $6 the first day to try it out and then I bought a larger package (I think it was $20 for 100 minutes) which I used for the rest of my stay. You can use the minutes anytime so it is best to buy the larger package. As for wireless they have that locked down too. You can get wireless access for the hallways of the conference centre for one price and you have to pay another price for the wireless access in the conference rooms
The conference centre food is amazing! All of our meals and snacks were so good and so plentiful. You will not go hungry at a CSR conference! Everyone was commenting on how much better the food was than anything else they ate at the resort.
Our session was scheduled until 5:00 p.m. and at the end of the day the instructor asked who wanted to go out for dinner. Surprisingly only two of us stepped up. A couple of people were going to the MK and the rest wanted to work during the evening hours. I was eager to go out for dinner as it was more one-on-one time with the instructor. The three of us decided to head to Raglan Road and agreed to meet at 7:00 p.m. That gave me some time to walk around the resort and go alligator hunting (without success) and take some more pictures.
I saw lots of these guys around the resort.
They look neat when they puff out the red area under their chin.
I saw lots of birds.
The view from the bridge where I stopped to do some alligator hunting.
I stopped at the pool and sat on the edge for a bit.
I was just walking the resort on the way to my dinner meeting so I couldnt go swimming, but I could take a moment to dip my feet in the water.
More great nature shots
There are lots of fish in the lake
View of the Cabanas
The beach by the Cabanas
I watched some cardinals for a bit.
The Cabanas quiet pool.
The sun lowering in the sky.
And then it was off to meet my dinner mates. We had to wait for the bus and watched 6 buses come and go before the DTD bus showed up. It took 1 hour from the time we arrived at the bus stop until we arrived at DTD.
Our supper at Raglan Road was wonderful. We did not have an ADR but they were able to seat us immediately on the patio. It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed our dinner. After dinner we did some shopping (love the stuff at Little Miss Matched) and wandered around for a bit, and then headed back to the resort.
Tomorrow more business and some time to myself!
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
Janet, I will definitely give the margarita a try. I love your pictures -- they are simply beautiful. That is the one complaint about the CSR (and several other resorts) -- the buses to DTD. You wait forever. This is one of the reasons we drive everywhere...don't have to worrya bout the buses.
KathyRN137
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- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
Ah, there's nothing like finding a mug that's the exact shape and size you love! And if it's Disney, that's all the better!
Your pix are gorgeous...how relaxing to have some time wandering around your resort, just exploring!
Kathy
Your pix are gorgeous...how relaxing to have some time wandering around your resort, just exploring!
Kathy
Love your latest update with pics. It is proving to me that you can have fun being there by yourself. I guess I am so used to experiencing Disney through my childrens' eyes that it will be quite interesting to actually be seeing it through my own for the first time in a long time.
JanetMom
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- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
The best day!
Today was my big day. The seminar only went until Noon and then I had an entire afternoon and evening to do what I wanted. The other seminar attendees were leaving immediately to catch flights but due to the flight schedule from Orlando to Toronto, it was easiest for me to wait for the next day to fly out. I was thrilled to have nothing to stop me from enjoying Disney.
The morning began with another amazing breakfast and when our seminar ended there were box lunches prepared for everyone to take away. I picked up my lunch, made a quick stop at the business centre to use up my computer minutes with one last check of my work email and I went back to my room to change. The box lunch was perfect for my plans. It contained a sandwich, apple and drink that were yummy for a pool side lunch, as well as a packaged cookie and some chips that were great for the plane ride home the next day.
So I changed into a swim suit, put on my sunscreen and packed up my book, sunglasses and box lunch and headed to the pool! On my way I continued on my quest to see an alligator. I did see more of the little lizards, including this one on the top of the map, but sadly no alligator.
Even on this super hot day without any rain clouds in sight, there was still plenty of room around the pool. I stayed at the pool for a couple of hours until I had finished my book.
After swimming I took the long way back to my room to try to spot an alligator. I admired these beautiful flowers.
And I spotted this nice duck, but no alligator.
Once back in my room I changed and set off for my evening adventure. On our March trip we managed to eat at least one meal at all of the deluxe resorts except for Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I decided this was my opportunity to go check it out.
I only waited about 2 minutes for a bus to the Animal Kingdom Park and then I had to wait about 15 minutes for a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resort is only a short ride from the park but because the bus stops at Kidani and then the main lodge there are plenty of twists and turns along the route.
My family loves Wilderness Lodge so I wanted to see how similar the AKL would feel. It seemed a bit more intimate, but the similarities are obvious. The seating areas are so inviting.
The lobby fireplace
The sunset room that overlooks one of the animal areas
Im not sure exactly what this was, but it is a very impressive piece of art and I was instantly drawn to it
Looking back towards the entrance
Looking down towards Boma. I was planning to eat at Boma but after all the twists and turns on the bus I wasnt feeling that great. I didnt have an ADR but they said I could be seated within an hour. I would have been willing to wait, but it was quite crowded and it seemed a waste to spend the $32 for the Boma meal, when my stomach was a bit upset, so I decided to pass on that idea.
I did some more exploring by taking the elevator up to the 5th floor and took this picture looking down into the lobby.
I also wandered down the hall and took this shot looking out over the pool area.
My next stop was to go check out the pool area.
This resort is so beautiful. I really love it. Tomorrow Ill share the pictures I took outside the lodge.
Today was my big day. The seminar only went until Noon and then I had an entire afternoon and evening to do what I wanted. The other seminar attendees were leaving immediately to catch flights but due to the flight schedule from Orlando to Toronto, it was easiest for me to wait for the next day to fly out. I was thrilled to have nothing to stop me from enjoying Disney.
The morning began with another amazing breakfast and when our seminar ended there were box lunches prepared for everyone to take away. I picked up my lunch, made a quick stop at the business centre to use up my computer minutes with one last check of my work email and I went back to my room to change. The box lunch was perfect for my plans. It contained a sandwich, apple and drink that were yummy for a pool side lunch, as well as a packaged cookie and some chips that were great for the plane ride home the next day.
So I changed into a swim suit, put on my sunscreen and packed up my book, sunglasses and box lunch and headed to the pool! On my way I continued on my quest to see an alligator. I did see more of the little lizards, including this one on the top of the map, but sadly no alligator.
Even on this super hot day without any rain clouds in sight, there was still plenty of room around the pool. I stayed at the pool for a couple of hours until I had finished my book.
After swimming I took the long way back to my room to try to spot an alligator. I admired these beautiful flowers.
And I spotted this nice duck, but no alligator.
Once back in my room I changed and set off for my evening adventure. On our March trip we managed to eat at least one meal at all of the deluxe resorts except for Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I decided this was my opportunity to go check it out.
I only waited about 2 minutes for a bus to the Animal Kingdom Park and then I had to wait about 15 minutes for a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The resort is only a short ride from the park but because the bus stops at Kidani and then the main lodge there are plenty of twists and turns along the route.
My family loves Wilderness Lodge so I wanted to see how similar the AKL would feel. It seemed a bit more intimate, but the similarities are obvious. The seating areas are so inviting.
The lobby fireplace
The sunset room that overlooks one of the animal areas
Im not sure exactly what this was, but it is a very impressive piece of art and I was instantly drawn to it
Looking back towards the entrance
Looking down towards Boma. I was planning to eat at Boma but after all the twists and turns on the bus I wasnt feeling that great. I didnt have an ADR but they said I could be seated within an hour. I would have been willing to wait, but it was quite crowded and it seemed a waste to spend the $32 for the Boma meal, when my stomach was a bit upset, so I decided to pass on that idea.
I did some more exploring by taking the elevator up to the 5th floor and took this picture looking down into the lobby.
I also wandered down the hall and took this shot looking out over the pool area.
My next stop was to go check out the pool area.
This resort is so beautiful. I really love it. Tomorrow Ill share the pictures I took outside the lodge.
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
Im not sure exactly what this was, but it is a very impressive piece of art and I was instantly drawn to it
Would you believe... its actually a ceremonial head dress!
So sorry your tummy troubles kept you from enjoying Boma.
AKL is just so gorgeous, isn't it?But I still love all your CSR pix.
Glad you were able to get a nice chunk of resort time!Kathy
JanetMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
Time to check out the animals
Next up was a tour of the outside of the lodge and I found my way to Mara for supper. Mara was great maybe the best counter service I have seen at a resort. I had the African stew which was sooo yummy!
Back to the outside tour
I was hoping that at AKL you can see a few animals, and I wasnt disappointed. As I walked by the pool I say a lookout spot so I went to check it out and only about 2 metres from the pool are the flamingos.
Their colour is so nice.
Then I leaned over this wall and there were giraffes right there. When I turned this way, I saw the pool
And when I looked this way I saw the giraffes!
On the way to Mara I took a peek at the pool bar.
As you come out of the back of the lobby there is this wonderful fire pit and seating area. One of the wonderful things about AKL is that you can find these beautiful rocking chairs all over the place.
There are two round patios, just off the lobby, with rocking chairs to get a better view of the savannah.
There were lots of pelicans
And these guys
And some zebras
And a zoo keeper to answer questions
Another great viewing area
I took some time to go back inside to explore the lodge. They did such an amazing job of designing this building. Each hallway offers several spots for viewing the animals. It would be such a great place to relax the day away.
Once I covered the resort to my satisfaction it was time to head back to CSR. I just missed the AK park bus, so I decided to take whatever came next. It was only a few minutes until a Hollywood Studios bus arrived so I hopped aboard and used HS as my transfer point back to HS.
Next up my last evening at CSR.
Next up was a tour of the outside of the lodge and I found my way to Mara for supper. Mara was great maybe the best counter service I have seen at a resort. I had the African stew which was sooo yummy!
Back to the outside tour
I was hoping that at AKL you can see a few animals, and I wasnt disappointed. As I walked by the pool I say a lookout spot so I went to check it out and only about 2 metres from the pool are the flamingos.
Their colour is so nice.
Then I leaned over this wall and there were giraffes right there. When I turned this way, I saw the pool
And when I looked this way I saw the giraffes!
On the way to Mara I took a peek at the pool bar.
As you come out of the back of the lobby there is this wonderful fire pit and seating area. One of the wonderful things about AKL is that you can find these beautiful rocking chairs all over the place.
There are two round patios, just off the lobby, with rocking chairs to get a better view of the savannah.
There were lots of pelicans
And these guys
And some zebras
And a zoo keeper to answer questions
Another great viewing area
I took some time to go back inside to explore the lodge. They did such an amazing job of designing this building. Each hallway offers several spots for viewing the animals. It would be such a great place to relax the day away.
Once I covered the resort to my satisfaction it was time to head back to CSR. I just missed the AK park bus, so I decided to take whatever came next. It was only a few minutes until a Hollywood Studios bus arrived so I hopped aboard and used HS as my transfer point back to HS.
Next up my last evening at CSR.
KathyRN137
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 7,882
KatMark
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2007
- Messages
- 42,443
I am in complete agreement!
Kathy
Me too!
We've stayed at four Disney resorts (Poly, CR, All-StarSPorts and CSR); we have two more we really want to try -- the AKL (savannah view only) and the Beach Club.
JanetMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
Me too!
We've stayed at four Disney resorts (Poly, CR, All-StarSPorts and CSR); we have two more we really want to try -- the AKL (savannah view only) and the Beach Club.
Ooh, I want to try the Beach Club too!
JanetMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
Time to get back to this report.
Back at CSR I took some time to do one last look around and take some night time pictures. I knew it would be too dark to spot an alligator so I sought out some of the Casitas fountains and stopped by the Laguna Bar for one last margarita.
The lobby fountain at night
View from the Laguna Bar at sunset
Looking towards the Cabanas
Another favourite
Looking back towards El Centro
A few pictures of the Casitas gardens and fountains
And then it was off to bed. The next morning I needed to be at the ME by 9:30 a.m., so I took my time getting up, packed and then headed over to the Pepper Market for some breakfast. Some of the breakfast food looked great, other items were less great. The French Toast is $9 and they just pull it out of big pan that was made well before and is just being kept warm. For $9 I think it would be nicer to be made fresh. I decided to get some oatmeal which I love and the Pepper Market version did not disappoint. My oatmeal was delicious.
I took my oatmeal to go so that I could enjoy my last moments at a table by the lake. The oatmeal was too hot so I decided to let it cool a bit and stood up to take another picture of the beautiful view.
And then I looked down and saw this!
Finally, my wishes came true and in my last moments at CSR I go to see an alligator! It made me laugh that after spending three days walking around the lake, over and over, trying to spot one, this guy was just sitting in the lake beside me waiting to be noticed.
I also enjoyed watching this bird who would spend long moments swimming under water looking for food and then would pop up for a quick breath and go right back under.
My last breakfast was beautiful and relaxing.
My final thoughts about CSR are that it is a gorgeous resort and I would be happy to stay there anytime. That said, I think for our next trip we will spend more and stay at one of the boardwalk resorts. One of our main reasons for choosing a Disney vacation is that it is so easy. We love that they pick us up from the airport and are ready to take us wherever we want to go. While the buses were okay at CSR they still take so much time and I think we will always prefer a resort that is a walk or boat ride away from one of the parks.
If you are fine with all the buses, or have a car, I would highly recommend a trip to Coronado Springs. The views are gorgeous, the rooms are comfortable and the pool area is good fun.
Back at CSR I took some time to do one last look around and take some night time pictures. I knew it would be too dark to spot an alligator so I sought out some of the Casitas fountains and stopped by the Laguna Bar for one last margarita.
The lobby fountain at night
View from the Laguna Bar at sunset
Looking towards the Cabanas
Another favourite
Looking back towards El Centro
A few pictures of the Casitas gardens and fountains
And then it was off to bed. The next morning I needed to be at the ME by 9:30 a.m., so I took my time getting up, packed and then headed over to the Pepper Market for some breakfast. Some of the breakfast food looked great, other items were less great. The French Toast is $9 and they just pull it out of big pan that was made well before and is just being kept warm. For $9 I think it would be nicer to be made fresh. I decided to get some oatmeal which I love and the Pepper Market version did not disappoint. My oatmeal was delicious.
I took my oatmeal to go so that I could enjoy my last moments at a table by the lake. The oatmeal was too hot so I decided to let it cool a bit and stood up to take another picture of the beautiful view.
And then I looked down and saw this!
Finally, my wishes came true and in my last moments at CSR I go to see an alligator! It made me laugh that after spending three days walking around the lake, over and over, trying to spot one, this guy was just sitting in the lake beside me waiting to be noticed.
I also enjoyed watching this bird who would spend long moments swimming under water looking for food and then would pop up for a quick breath and go right back under.
My last breakfast was beautiful and relaxing.
My final thoughts about CSR are that it is a gorgeous resort and I would be happy to stay there anytime. That said, I think for our next trip we will spend more and stay at one of the boardwalk resorts. One of our main reasons for choosing a Disney vacation is that it is so easy. We love that they pick us up from the airport and are ready to take us wherever we want to go. While the buses were okay at CSR they still take so much time and I think we will always prefer a resort that is a walk or boat ride away from one of the parks.
If you are fine with all the buses, or have a car, I would highly recommend a trip to Coronado Springs. The views are gorgeous, the rooms are comfortable and the pool area is good fun.
JanetMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
Thank you both for reading.
It is fun to do a trip report but sad when it ends. It is almost like having the trip end all over again.
We are thinking of taking our next Disney trip in 2013, but that seems like an awfully long time from now. I may have to find a way to move that date up.
It is fun to do a trip report but sad when it ends. It is almost like having the trip end all over again.
We are thinking of taking our next Disney trip in 2013, but that seems like an awfully long time from now. I may have to find a way to move that date up.
JanetMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,857
The camera is a Nikon Coolpix P5100. It is just a tiny thing, but it does take great pictures. We've had a number of digital cameras and I love this one best. It is easy to use, takes great pictures and it fits easily into the side pocket of my favourite Disney purse!
I've used a Pentax and Kodak in the past and the Nikon is far superior. My husband just bought a Nikon Coolpix P100 - it isn't as small as the P5100 but it also takes great pics.
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