I want to thank everyone here who helped my stay at CSR be a special one! I returned on Saturday from a 6-night stay at CSR, my first (but not last!) stay at this lovely resort.
I checked in at about 9:00 AM and even though I requested a non-smoking Cabanas room, I was placed in Casitas 5. I had sprained my ankle the week before and the swelling was down to only twice the normal size. I asked if they could put me someplace closer and a room in Cabanas 9B magically appeared. The CM warned me: "It will be a parking lot view!" at which point I said, "That's OK. I only paid for a standard view anyway." I expected just that: a parking lot view, but received a nice view of the pond with the road to the front gate on the other side. The road was so far away I didn't even notice it the first couple of days! The room was on the second floor, but I could hobble up the stairs or take the elevator easily. I was only a few minutes from El Centro and the Dig Site. The parking lot and Bus Stop #1 were even closer. It was a very nice location ... but I know now that the golf-cart shuttles are soooo frequent (no more than 10 minutes along the inside path) that Casitas 5 would have been better for my ankle! I would have taken the cart everywhere and ridden in comfort instead of walking. A cart usually passed me on any walk to El Centro or the Dig Site and the drivers were always very friendly. They frequently stopped to ask if we (or others) needed a ride.
I loved the scenery of the resort, especially the beach and hammocks of the Cabanas section. I am still not wild about the Ranchos, but I think I will ask for the Casitas next time. My DH says he likes the theming of POFQ better because he likes the little New Orleans streets between the buildings. I think he would like the citified theme of the Casitas over the laid back Cabanas.
My DH and her cousin loved the Dig Site pool. They loved the slide and the squirting Mayan god and there were plenty of long steps that my niece liked to play near. She was afraid of the deep water (even with a yellow PFD vest) but there was enough "shallow" water for her. My DD is a fish and shallow or deep doesn't make a difference. I liked the hot tub which was quite large, but with smaller congregational areas for a more private feeling. I also liked sitting in the waterfall
. The volleyball pit was cool ... I wish my ankle felt better so I could start a pick-up game of sand volleyball. Oh well.
We ate at the Pepper Market quite a bit. I guess I am one of those people who likes it, although I thought the prices were a bit high even at Disney standards and the service just so-so. We were on the
free dining plan, so it really didn't matter! We were hungry, so we ate. We had the grilled tuna more than once and it was excellent each time. Really just as good as a comparable meal at a Table Service restaurant. I loved the cilantro/lime/garlic sauce. My DH also had the steak (very good) and I had the pizza (big enough for 2 people). The only minus is they were stingy about the meal plan and the "desserts", but that has been addressed here before. We would pick up a muffin at lunch or dinner for our dessert and bring it back to the room for the next morning's breakfast. Speaking of breakfast ... I found it to be disappointing. The scrambled eggs were rubbery and the bacon/sausage was greasy. The breakfast skillet (with yesterday's bacon/sausage mixed into the yucky eggs) was the worst. I should have returned it for something edible, but we were in a hurry to hit the road. And the Pepper Market is no where to be if you're in a hurry. The good news is that the CMs make all your food to order. The bad news is that it can take a loonnnnngggg time. The beverage service, in the meantime, was just OK. I had to get my own refills and trays were cleared from our table only half the time. I can understand where people object to tipping 10% for such inattentive and lax service.
The bus service was exceptional. We rarely waited for the bus (even though the bus stop at MGM is so far away!) and once we were on, it whisked us away without sitting forever. The resort was also centrally located to all the parks, with no park more than 10 minutes away by car. The key-card system for entering the resort by car was a total PITA. It never worked for me the first time and I even had to ask for the gate to be opened once by a sarcastic CM.
All-in-all ... it was a great stay and I will definitely return to CSR sometime. I love POFQ, but I also liked CSR for the hustle and bustle of a large resort. I have stayed at all Deluxes except the YC and the GF. In many ways is really did remind me of a Deluxe resort. Except for the exterior hallways and the double beds, everything else felt very "Deluxe" to me. Great resort!
Thanks again for everyone who posted on this thread!
Just joining the thread! I switched my Dec. ressie from POFQ to CSR due to Pop Warner week. I was a little hesitant to change to such a large resort, but after browsing around here and Buzz2001's site (great job BTW!) I'm really excited to be staying there! 
, and the busses don't run early enough, so I know I'll have to take a cab. Buzz, I'll bet in your wealth of info, you have a way to get an estimate for me? 
Buzz Just have to aask the man who knows everything (or perhaps in this case) Mrs. Buzz 
