Whats the BEST moderate resort, and why??

[DisneyLvr55]

We are thinking of switching from AoA to a moderate (well, I'm thinking about it, and I have to convince my husband...). What is your #1 favorite moderate, and why?


Pros and Cons

Best QS / Worst QS
Best pool / Worst pool
Biggest rooms / Smallest rooms
Nicest rooms / Ugliest rooms
Best ground layout / Worst ground layout
Best location / Worst location

And anything else you big Disney brained people can think of!!

 

[pooh2001]

POFQ WHY....
New Orleans/Mardi Gras feel, complete with larger then life carnival masks and trombone playing alligators, and the charm and romance of the French Quarter.
The French Quarter has free parking.
Refrigerator - yes keeps water bottle cold - in each room
Bus service runs on a regular schedule running every 10-15 minutes during busy seasons, and every 15-20 minutes during non-busy seasons. The bus stop is right out front the main lobby building
Address: 2201 Orleans Dr. Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000. The phone number is 1-407-934-5000.

Best QS - decent - TS next door - and lots to eat in DTD* *
open from 6:00am to about midnight

Best pool - nicey decoarted - can also use the POR pools next door
Jacuzzi located by the pool.

Biggest rooms - all the same size 314 sq ft - 2 queen beds, flat panel TV

Nicest rooms - rehabbed about 2 years ago - nice and clean

Best ground layout - lovely side walks, lots of bushes, flowers and fountains, shady places to sit

* *Best location - 1st or only bus stop, also boat to DTD - not very far from the parks

 

[OKW Lover]

Try the Swolphin. You can often find these hotels for the same price as any of the moderates.

Trying to pick between the moderates is like choosing your favorite child.

 

[crazy4wdw]

POFQ - because of its smaller size and being the first stop on the Port Orleans bus route.

 

[minnie mum]

I put down POFQ- we just finished a stay there last month and had a fabulous time at the resort. But it is killing me not to be able to give CBR my #1 vote. IF they had queen beds, I definitely would. We've stayed there several times and LOVE the ambiance of the place. So beautiful, serene and quiet strolling around the lake. I'm really hoping they do a major refurb before our next trip (which won't be for another 2-3 years, probably).

 

[wdwjeffc37]

We like Coronado Springs a lot. The bus service is some of the best. Travel times to all of the parks is good. MK being the furthest, about 25 minutes. Good bus stop locations at the parks. Fewer people going to and from the parks because a lot of the people staying there are there for conventions. The pool area is awesome. The quiet pools are good. Business class rooms have a no extra cost lounge for snacks and drinks. Good discounts available. Port Orleans French Quarter is very nice, but discounts are almost non-exsistent.

 

[Micca]

Another vote for CSR! The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are comfortable, we liked the convenience of parking close to the room.

 

[Cinderella94]

Caribbean Beach!! We love the tropical atmosphere.

 

[yaddakal]

Coronado ;-)

 

[nfrank]

We are thinking of switching from AoA to a moderate (well, I'm thinking about it, and I have to convince my husband...). What is your #1 favorite moderate, and why?


Pros and Cons

Best QS / Worst QS
Best pool / Worst pool
Biggest rooms / Smallest rooms
Nicest rooms / Ugliest rooms
Best ground layout / Worst ground layout
Best location / Worst location

And anything else you big Disney brained people can think of!!

Best QS / Worst QS:

Best: If you asked me a year ago, I'd say best QS would be CSR, since they used to do buffet breakfast and lunch at QS price! Now though.... I'd probably say POFQ.

Worst: Not sure.... I'd say they're mostly comparable, probably....

Best pool / Worst pool

Best: CSR--no question!

Worst: POFQ

Biggest rooms / Smallest rooms

Biggest: CSR

Smallest: CBR, I believe.... and they have the worst beds! Only doubles (compared to Queens at the other Mods!).

Nicest rooms / Ugliest rooms

Nicest: CSR! Have to love the wood divider between the sink/bathroom area and the room area! Plus, they have awesome beds and nice furnishings!

Ugliest: Personal preference.... but I think for me it's a tie between CBR and the Alligator Bayou rooms at POR.

Best ground layout / Worst ground layout

Best: POFQ.... Everything is so close!

Worst: CBR.... with CSR being second.... both are LARGE and SPREAD OUT.

Best location / Worst location

Best: POFQ/POR--just because you can take boast to DTD!

Worst: Personal preference--but for me it is probably CSR. It's closest to AK and furthest from everything else.... For me, AK park is a 1/2 day park. CBR may be close to HS (which is also a 1/2 day for me), but it is close to Epcot as well!

 

[nfrank]

Despite it's location problem and layout issues..... I LOVE CSR! I wish they'd bring back the old style for Pepper Market again! :'( But of the Moderates, I like it best! In the meantime, I'll just take my ressie at the Poly as showing how bitter I am at the Pepper Market change! XD

 

[boundfordisney]

cbr although this is the only moderate we have stayed at , and thats because we loved it so much our 1st stay that whenever we stay at moderates I just cant seem to stray from cbr to another! Love it there so much in fact even after staying at the poly, yacht club and okw its still my number 1 choice in resort!

 

[Mousemom]

Our family loves POFQ. We have stayed here at least 6x. We love the size, location, food court, pool, and the boat to DD is a great feature for a moderate. Our rooms have always been close to the food court, pool, laundry and a quick walk to the parking lot. Just thinking about this resort while typing makes me sad that we have not stayed here for a couple years. Our next visit will be to Art of Animation. Excited to try this new resort but if we could stay at POFQ for the same price we would switch. POFQ grounds are beautiful, the resort tends to be more quiet and layed back. The walk over to POR to use there pool, food court, and sit down restaurant is nice. It is just a short walk along the river. They have wonderful in the food court and it never seems to busy. Maybe we eat at odd times but we love to get our food and sit outside to eat. My vote is for POFQ!

 

[dis_guy]

cbr although this is the only moderate we have stayed at , and thats because we loved it so much our 1st stay that whenever we stay at moderates I just cant seem to stray from cbr to another! Love it there so much in fact even after staying at the poly, yacht club and okw its still my number 1 choice in resort!

Pretty much our story too. In fact when discussing our next trip I asked where DW wanted to stay. Her response? "Why ask? You know where."

 

[Yellosno]

I would go with POFQ. I llove the marti grah theme. Its the smallest in size so there is not much of a walk to any of the buildings. Food court had a good variety of food, and some good resort exclusive items.

 

[ols386]

I think POFQ is the best moderate. It is the smallest of all the resorts, is centrally located, has a somewhat small but nice food court, during the times I've stayed there, it's always been quiet, has boat transportation to DTD, and recently refurbished (course the other mods have been refurbished too).

 

[Disneymommyof4]

Caribbean Beach!! We love the tropical atmosphere.

My favorite moderate as well !

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

We are thinking of switching from AoA to a moderate (well, I'm thinking about it, and I have to convince my husband...). What is your #1 favorite moderate, and why?

As far as mods go, we've stayed at CSR, POR and POFQ. Our fave is POFQ. It's small size makes everything - pool, dining (and mug-refilling), bus stops, and ferry to DTD- within a VERY close walking distance. Bus service to the parks was EXCELLENT. Food Court had really good offerings and was rarely crowded - and we go in early AUGUST. It's a very quiet, peaceful resort. And it gets picked up and dropped off BEFORE POR guests on the buses.

Pros and Cons

Best QS / Worst QS
Love POR and POFQ QS. Absolutely HATED CSR's QS (the food was fine, but the set up was confusing as was using the QSDP - it's food court is run by an outside company, not Disney)

Best pool / Worst pool
Love CSRs Dig Site pool area (except that it's takes forever to walk there.) POR and POFQ pools are fine - nothing overly spectacular. POR pool was always jam-packed and we could rarely find a chair. POFQ pool was a lot less busy.

Biggest rooms / Smallest rooms
For mods, I'd say that all the rooms were the same size
Nicest rooms / Ugliest rooms
CSR room was fine. POR (Alligator Bayou) was cute (they've since been refurbed, so they're probably even nicer,) and we just liked the feeling/decor of POFQ the best.

Best ground layout / Worst ground layout
To us, worst layout was CSR - just too sprawling. POR, while huge, doesn't feel huge when trying to navigate it. It's grounds are lovely. POFQ, since it's such a small resort, has the best ground layout. All the buildings are really pretty close to all the amenities.

Best location / Worst location
I don't really have an opinion on this one - CSR does have its own buses, so they don't share pickup with another resort. POFQ gets picked up and dropped off before POR.

And anything else you big Disney brained people can think of!!
CSR is a convention resort. We just didn't care for that feeling - it just felt like a hotel rather than Disney. Just our opinion!

My answers are all in red above!

 

[Kae]

CBR has the biggest room not by much but they are bigger, but they have doubles not queen beds. And I think they are only 2 stories so no elevators.

We have stay at POFQ & CSR both kidless trips. CSR hands down the best bus service. POFQ nice because of the size & the boat to DTD.

If I had to choose a mod for our next trip CBR would be out because of no queen beds, bummer because I would like to stay there. We would pick POR.

Kae

 

[MAYNARDS99]

I voted CSR because of the queen beds that are super comfortable. We love the landscaping in the Ranchos area too. It just does not look like Florida.

I like Alligator Bayou building 39 over at POR. Close in parking without any lot views, quiet pool, easy walk over to the main pool and front desk. The other half did not enjoy the decor. Too much like home?