What's your favorite Moderate resort?

[Amy&Dan]

I think it speaks volumes that when you ask about a favorite resort on this board, you get EVERY resort back as an answer. It makes deciding where to book a real pain in the patootie, but I find it reassuring that any choice made will be a reasonably good one.

That's a good point! I have stayed at all four of them and love them all. I guess POR and CSR are my two favorites but since we are staying at CBR in just five weeks, its obvious that I love that one too!

For my family, our favorite moderate is usually the one we are staying at or have just returned from! We have enjoyed them all, and find each one has so much to offer and we find all four to be extremely well themed.

I will say that the only moderate we probably won't book again anytime soon is POFQ. Love the resort, its quaint and lovely and we love the food court. But the thing that didn't work as well for us is the size. We are the opposite of most, in that we prefer a spread out resort. We missed having quiet pools and even though you can use the pools over at POR, we just found that as much as we loved the resort, we probably will stick with the other three for now.

 

[Pink Mouse Ears]

We've done CSR and POFQ and would definitely choose CSR for the room. I really thought POFQ rooms needed some major renovation...maybe it was just my taste because I don't like the mis-matchy look of it, but I felt like our room in building 3 was pretty worn down. We liked the exterior overall, but they'd have to do a reno for us to stay there again.

We really liked the rooms at CSR. Their beds are queens and their bedding is much better than the other mods (a down comforter covered in a sheet like material versus those icky quilted comforters.) The only downside is that they only have one sink...but that didn't bother us. I also really like that there are actual sliding doors between the bedroom and bathroom (CBR and PO only have curtains...not very private and doesn't filter out the light very well.) The exterior atmosphere at CSR was great- the buildings are beautiful! We didn't go during a convention so I never felt like it was "business" oriented. The staff was excellent everywhere we went. We liked the Pepper Market- its the best deal for CS if you are on the dining plan, I think (if you aren't on the dining plan, its not that great due to higher prices and added 10% gratuity...we actually just took our food to go.) The only things I didn't like at CSR were the lack of a balcony (I know, this is just deluxes that have them...but I really missed it!) and the buses were iffy...but they had a CM at the last stop attempting to help with the buses each day.

 

[disneyfan55]

POR to me is great. Just got back from CBR. Was OK. I enjoyed Disney but I would not go to CBR again. Had the preferred room. The pool is its best part.
Why have a beach but can't go in the water? Very large. Not as beautiful as the pictures. But you will have fun at any of the resorts.

Just so you know, you can't go in the lake water at any WDW resort, not just CBR.

 

[Amy&Dan]

POR to me is great. Just got back from CBR. Was OK. I enjoyed Disney but I would not go to CBR again. Had the preferred room. The pool is its best part.
Why have a beach but can't go in the water? Very large. Not as beautiful as the pictures. But you will have fun at any of the resorts.

Just so you know, you can't go in the lake water at any WDW resort, not just CBR.

Yes, there is some parasite that can literally kill you if it gets inside your nose. It lives in freshwater in the shallower, warmer waters. So you can do water sports in the middle (where the water temps are colder) of the lake by the monorail resorts/MK but not swim in the shallow parts. There are signs near all the lakes at WDW not to swim in them.

 

[disneyfan55]

Yes, there is some parasite that can literally kill you if it gets inside your nose. It lives in freshwater in the shallower, warmer waters. So you can do water sports in the middle (where the water temps are colder) of the lake by the monorail resorts/MK but not swim in the shallow parts. There are signs near all the lakes at WDW not to swim in them.

Way back, they used to let you swim at Poly and CR (River Country, too) but swimming was stopped a whle back for the reason you state.

 

[aurorae]

Check the reviews.

The mods are rated as:

POFQ 9.04
POR 8.38
CSR 7.45
CBR 7.05 (the lowest rated of any WDW resort, lower than the values!)

I don't see the FW Cabins listed in the reviews, but they are also considered a moderate, although totally different than the 4 that everyone has commented on.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Of the moderates, we have only stayed at CSR, but we love it. We stay deluxe if not at CSR because the other moderates have double beds like the values, while CSR has queen beds like the deluxes.

For adults, CSR offers a great pool and slide (fun even for adults), a huge hot tub, a fitness center, room service, a spa, and salon. The bus service is the best of any WDW resort where we have stayed. The theming is very relaxing, the food at the Pepper Market is fresh and good, and the rooms were renovated in 2009 with new beds, new bedding, new furniture, new flat screen TVs, and sliding doors that separate the sink area from the room. The lake is very romantic at night, and you can swing on a hammock under the stars or sit near the fountains at the Casitas. If nightlife is more your thing, there is a nightclub that is adults only after 9 pm.

In four stays at CSR (both with and without kids), we have never found it to be corporate or un-Disney. It is understated - you won't be hit over the head with a giant Rubik's cube - but the service is unmistakeably Disney. We find it to be the best value at WDW by far.

As you can see, all of the mods have their fans. It really comes down to the theming that appeals to you and the amenities that matter. POFQ and POR offer the boat to DTD, which is very nice, but for us, queen beds and new rooms (and the pool if the kids are with us) are more important.

 

[larryz]

Hi,

We've never stayed at a Disney Moderate Resort. So, what's your favorite and why? It's just me and DH, so we don't have to take kids into consideration for this trip.

Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Pink Mouse Ears]

Wilderness Lodge.

Wildnerness Lodge is deluxe...

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

Either side of PO. My family stayed at CSR, as the refurbishment was under way, and didn't care for it. As a PP stated, something was lacking at the resort.

 

[Sofia's Dad]

Just so you know, you can't go in the lake water at any WDW resort, not just CBR.

Yes I realize that. Im not really trying to stop anyone from going to any particular resort. Its just that I just got back from a great and fun trip from Disney World and stayed at the CBR. The Theme wasn't for me. Nothing against it. When I think of the Caribbean i think of the beach and the water. That wasn't the case here. Although i know you can not really swim in a man made lake with very still water, it just loses that idea of beach and water at the Caribbean. But I also realize we are all different and have a resort that fits our needs, and Disney sure can make your stay a fantastic one no matter where you stay.

 

[Alabama Minnie]

Have stayed at FQ and CSR. We prefer CSR. The rooms are really nice. Our room at FQ was kinda "beat-up" but I understand they are doing a refurb.

We have also stayed at the Dolphin and it is like a deluxe IMO. You can get rates alot of the time there as cheap or cheaper than the mods. You are also closer to Epcot and DHS than any of the mods. They just don't do the dining plan or magical express. They have Disney transportation. Just another option.

 

[rie'smom]

Of the moderates, we have only stayed at CSR, but we love it. We stay deluxe if not at CSR because the other moderates have double beds like the values, while CSR has queen beds like the deluxes.

For adults, CSR offers a great pool and slide (fun even for adults), a huge hot tub, a fitness center, room service, a spa, and salon. The bus service is the best of any WDW resort where we have stayed. The theming is very relaxing, the food at the Pepper Market is fresh and good, and the rooms were renovated in 2009 with new beds, new bedding, new furniture, new flat screen TVs, and sliding doors that separate the sink area from the room. The lake is very romantic at night, and you can swing on a hammock under the stars or sit near the fountains at the Casitas. If nightlife is more your thing, there is a nightclub that is adults only after 9 pm.

In four stays at CSR (both with and without kids), we have never found it to be corporate or un-Disney. It is understated - you won't be hit over the head with a giant Rubik's cube - but the service is unmistakeably Disney. We find it to be the best value at WDW by far.

As you can see, all of the mods have their fans. It really comes down to the theming that appeals to you and the amenities that matter. POFQ and POR offer the boat to DTD, which is very nice, but for us, queen beds and new rooms (and the pool if the kids are with us) are more important.

I agree with these points. After going to WDW since 1973 and having stayed at many resorts, CSR is the only mod for us.

Have stayed at FQ and CSR. We prefer CSR. The rooms are really nice. Our room at FQ was kinda "beat-up" but I understand they are doing a refurb.

We have also stayed at the Dolphin and it is like a deluxe IMO. You can get rates alot of the time there as cheap or cheaper than the mods. You are also closer to Epcot and DHS than any of the mods. They just don't do the dining plan or magical express. They have Disney transportation. Just another option.

We think the Dolphin in nicer than the WDW deluxe resorts. There are more restaurants and the food is lots better, IMO, plus it's much cheaper than the Epcot resorts.

 

[Csaks]

Disneyfanfour,

Good luck getting a consensus on which mod to stay at . I find everyone loves their favorite for various reasons, all of them good.

We have stayed at POR (AB section) and CSR (Cabana's) and prefer POR. They are both huge resorts but POR didn't feel that way. The buses were better at CSR and once you get the hang of the Pepper Market it is really a good food court. But for us there is something about POR that gets us coming back, maybe it's the boat ride to Downtown Disney or the Carriage ride or just the atmosphere.

Whichever you choose I'm sure you will have a great time.

 

[aurorae]

Wildnerness Lodge is deluxe...

yup.

Although the cabins are considered a moderate.

And I hear Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge are sort of a category all to themselves, something in between moderate and deluxe. A mod + or a deluxe -, I guess due to location. All the other deluxes are on monorail or in walking distance of a Park.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

We stayed at CSR and loved it. The rooms were nice, theming was nice, castmembers and mousekeepers were great, pool was great, bus service was great - all around a wonderful experience. We'd stay there again, but for a variety of reasons (one of which is that there isn't any FD space for our dates), we're staying at POFQ this time. We were between POFQ and CBR but chose POFQ because of the smaller size and the boat to Downtown Disney. I'm a bit nervous about the rooms and full beds, but it'll be nice to check out another resort.