The *NEW* Coronado Springs FAQ Thread

[geenafeena]

I would love to know a little more about the pool area. I have a 3 year old and was wondering if you think the dig site is okay for a younger child. How is the kiddie pool? Do they have the big plastic fish in the kiddie pool still?

to be honest with you, i didn't really notice the kiddie pool, being i don't have any kids. i also didn't notice if there was a plastic fish. the slide is good for kids though. sorry i can't be of more help.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Thank you for the information, Mario! What a great website you have! The pictures are beautiful. Makes me feel like jetting off to CSR right now. : )

 

[Buzz2001]

Thank you for the information, Mario! What a great website you have! The pictures are beautiful. Makes me feel like jetting off to CSR right now. : )

You're welcome! I would like to be there too.

 

[PortieOwner]

Regarding the Pepper Market--the hostess gives you a table and then a server shows up to do the drink orders. I am not sure if you get free refills or not--but I suspect you do. I try to not drink too much soda/ice tea in the kind of heat and humidity we had last week. If you have the CSR mugs you would probably fill those yourself. I don't see the value of a CSR mug if you are on the dining plan--you get free drinks with every meal plus snack credits. We did buy a case of bottled water off-resort but didn't drink it all since the tap water quality at WDW is much improved.

We only did two sit-down meals at Pepper Market (an early breakfast and a late dinner), the rest were take out orders to eat back at the room. There is a 10 percent service charge for the server but it is probably worth it--the server not only brough drinks, straws, more silverware, a booster seat (they have the nicest booster seats there), and asked about more drinks and if we were doing okay. They also clean up after you. I don't think they hit you with the 10 percent if you have a take out order, although they might have hit us with the 10 percent charge since we were on the meal plan.

There was only one time when I felt the lines were a bit long. If they are long there are usually one or two stations with little line--the sandwich and salad station never had a line, nor did the kids food and the Italian station was always pretty fast. The grill and Mexican stations were the slowest, the grill because of popularity and the Mexican because they cook everything to order and there were never more than 2 people (sometimes 1) working the Mexican station.

I would probably avoid the place at the lunch hour (noon-1pm) and the dinner hour (6-7pm). That seems to be true of many other WDW resort restaurants--the lines can be bad right at dinner hour. We were mostly getting food after lunch hour and after dinner hour.

Their breakfast was okay. A lot of the breakfast food is pre-cooked but they to have made to order omletes which my wife really enjoyed. I got the scrambled eggs with bacon, hash browns, and a biscuit. The eggs were fine (with tobasco) and the hash browns were fine. The biscuit was the same as you get at every Disney venue (central bakery). Not that good considering we were in the South. Breakfast was pretty much more food than a single person can eat.

For lunch and dinner we almost always got some variation of Mexican food. This was always great. They provide a huge order of rice and beans with the main dish, and there is fresh salsa and corn relish and sour cream (all you can carry). One time I got the pizza, it was also great and baked to order, and more than a single person can eat at once. The cookies which we got for desserts were just great--huge M&M, chocolate chip, or Macadamia nut cookies.

Anyway I can understand that the Pepper Market is not everyone's cup of tea but it worked out well for us.

Portie

 

[Buzz2001]

to be honest with you, i didn't really notice the kiddie pool, being i don't have any kids. i also didn't notice if there was a plastic fish. the slide is good for kids though. sorry i can't be of more help.

Big fish are gone but I wish CSR management would replace them. I have written letters to try to get them to do 3 things...
1) Replace the fish
2) Replace the bus to the Boardwalk
3) Keep Siestas open later in the evening

 

[Buzz2001]

Regarding the Pepper Market--the hostess gives you a table and then a server shows up to do the drink orders. I am not sure if you get free refills or not--but I suspect you do. I try to not drink too much soda/ice tea in the kind of heat and humidity we had last week. If you have the CSR mugs you would probably fill those yourself. I don't see the value of a CSR mug if you are on the dining plan--you get free drinks with every meal plus snack credits. We did buy a case of bottled water off-resort but didn't drink it all since the tap water quality at WDW is much improved.

yes you get free refills and yes they will refill your refillable mugs.

We only did two sit-down meals at Pepper Market (an early breakfast and a late dinner), the rest were take out orders to eat back at the room. There is a 10 percent service charge for the server but it is probably worth it--the server not only brough drinks, straws, more silverware, a booster seat (they have the nicest booster seats there), and asked about more drinks and if we were doing okay. They also clean up after you. I don't think they hit you with the 10 percent if you have a take out order, although they might have hit us with the 10 percent charge since we were on the meal plan.

there are special tickets to use call the "TO GO" tickets. Ask for these if you want to eat outside or by the pool. No 10% charged on TO GO tickets.

 

[Buzz2001]

 

[INdisbound]

I would love to know a little more about the pool area. I have a 3 year old and was wondering if you think the dig site is okay for a younger child. How is the kiddie pool? Do they have the big plastic fish in the kiddie pool still?

My 3 year old loved the kiddie pool and the playground area. The kiddie pool has 5 or 6 fountains in the center that squirt up continuously. These were extremely fun to run through, sit upon, splash with, etc. The playground area is supposed to be for kids ages 2-6 (or so). There are 2 sandboxes, swings, a big slide and a typical jungle gym area. She loved both areas. Also, by the kiddie pool are seats that stay shaded for those times when you want to watch your child out of the hot Florida sun.

 

[diznyfanatic]

Can someone tell me how the Pepper Market works if you are on the Dining Plan? Thanks!

 

[vanyel]

We used the Pepper Market on the Dining Plan. It's considered CS which worked out great for breakfast. For breakfast, you could get one of the platters with a drink. The platters were big: potatoes, omelet w/muffin or biscuit, skillet with eggs, cheese, sausage and bacon, potatoes & muffin or biscuit, waffle w/fruit toppings (some of the examples).

Lunch or dinner: Meals were large: we had bourbon chicken w/vegatable and rice or noodles, cookie, and a drink. There were lots of other choices, including salads, burgers etc. The desserts on the plan were only the cookies and the muffins.

You told them when you came in that your were on the plan - actually they asked us, then they very clearly told you what you could get. We were encouraged to get as much as we were entitled too (bigger tips!).

When you check out, it's used just like any other plan. The clerk takes your ticket, adds up your meal, then swipes your card and deducts from your CS credits.

Easy!

 

[diznyfanatic]

Thanks so much for the helpful information!

 

[Joyous99]

Did the dining plan take care of the 10% gratuity or did you have to pay that out of pocket since it was counter service? Just wondering-THANKS!

 

[hockeybabe]

Just got back from our 9/28 - 10/3 trip staying at CSR ...we loved it! It was beautiful! After reading the few bad reviews of the resort, even though there were plenty of good reviews, I was still a little nervous about our choice, but I am so glad we tried it! Our only other WDW resort experience was Wilderness Lodge, and loved it, so I was also nervous about the difference between the deluxe and moderate, but CSR was very comperable! The biggest differences in the rooms is the double beds instead of queens, and the single sink, which worked out better for us, since I use a lot of counter space

The grounds were very extensive, but we enjoyed the walk, everything is so beautiful! I had envisioned long, tedious walks streatching for miles, but I've walked farther getting to my car parked at a Walmart We requested Cabanas bldg. 9B, but got 8B, which was fine. There was a laundry outside the bldg., and a quiet pool, but we swam in the Dig Site pool. And what a pool! We all loved the slide, and the pool was huge so it never felt crowded. Filled up our refillable mugs at Siestas, which smelled great though we didn't eat there.

We ate at Pepper Market twice, once a quick take-out meal me and DH shared, and then for lunch on our last day. After reading many bad reviews on the DIS, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was good, especially since we were on the dining plan. I can see how people might not be pleased if they were paying out of pocket; the rib-eye steak I had was good, but not $18.99 good, but it was well worth the dining plan price. And you can have any non-alcoholic drink on the plan, including strawberry or pina coloda smoothies! Yes, the dessert menu is limited on the plan, but I think that is because alot of their desserts are not counter-service style desserts; that is, they are bigger, or fresher, with real fruits, etc.. The muffins or cookies they offer on the plan are huge though, and that is if you can even manage to eat them after the large portions of the main course choices.

The room itself was in my opinion, spacious. I remember reading someone's question about an areobed, and I'm not sure that one would fit between the beds, but definately between the bed and the entry area. It was great to have a fridge in the room, as well as ironing board, iron and coffee maker. Our shower had a handicap bar and bench, and we were on the second floor. Mousekeeping did fine, and learned to leave the comforters on the floor when they saw we kept them off all of the time We left a small tip each day in envelopes the kids decorated before we left, and they left us a "God bless" note on our last day.

Overall, and awsome trip, and would definately stay there again. And I am still depressed about being home, and the 26 months that stand between us and our next trip to WDW. I'd be happy to answer any questions!

And a special thank you to Buzz, who first inspired me to stay there over a year ago with his website, and all the advice he has given here on the DIS. All I can say is, YOU WERE RIGHT!!!!

 

[Cindy B]

Did the dining plan take care of the 10% gratuity or did you have to pay that out of pocket since it was counter service? Just wondering-THANKS!

Yes it does!

 

[CBear]

I asked about this a few days ago, but I don't think I got any responses. (If I missed it I'm sorry!)

Do all the rooms at CSR have a fridge? It would be nice to come back to the room at the end of the night to enjoy a nice cold glass of wine or a beer.

 

[jjan]

I asked about this a few days ago, but I don't think I got any responses. (If I missed it I'm sorry!)

Do all the rooms at CSR have a fridge? It would be nice to come back to the room at the end of the night to enjoy a nice cold glass of wine or a beer.

I believe that all Moderate resorts have them, so yes you would also

 

[vanyel]

There is a fridge in the room though we quickly discovered that it doesn't get as cold as a home fridge does. We called housekeeping the first day because we had turned the fridge up to try to get it cooler. They had to change ours out at 10 pm at night because it had frozen in the back. We were told that they were more like "electric coolers" and that if you turned them to get cooler, they would freeze up.

The fridges were fine for drinks but I wouldn't say they were ice cold.

Isn't it great that the 10% gratuity is covered under the dining plan!

 

[PortieOwner]

All the rooms have fridges and ours was pretty cold. It froze our bagels and cream cheese solid (they were on the top shelf). Drinks got pretty cold too.

Portie

 

[Joyous99]

Thanks for the dining plan info! Sounds like the dining plan would be a great deal here!

 

[diznyfanatic]

Thanks to all for all the great info about the Dining Plan and the room amenities!