Disney's Coronado Springs Resort (Disney Moderate Resort) Reviews and Ratings - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
PassPorter.com
Award-winning travel guidebooks
Thank you to our forum sponsor:

   guidebooks   |   news   |   podcasts   |   boards   |   blog   |   worksheets   |   photos   |   articles   |   updates   |   register   |   follow us on


Forums Closed
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.

So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.

Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.

And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.

We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm​. You made it all happen.

There are other changes as well.

Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:

We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.

It's time to move on and move forward.

PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.

But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.

So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.

And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.

That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!

If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.

So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

Go Back   PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums > PassPorter's Walt Disney World Resort (Florida) > Staying in Style: The Resorts/Hotels at Walt Disney World > Disney World Resort Hotel Reviews & Ratings
Register


Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.

To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.

If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.

Forum Sponsor: MouseEarVacations.com
Learn Why PassPorter Recommends This Sponsor
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-28-2008, 07:16 AM   #16
shanealaina
Community Rank: Traveler
 
shanealaina's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Louisiana
Concierge Level: 4
Posts: 433

Post Thanks / Like
We love it there. My husband loves the Peper Market, and the walk from our room to front wasn't bad since it had such a great view of the lagoon.
__________________

J.M.J.



My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsShane Alaina Winters DH ME DD19 DD13 DD13 DS12 DD8 DD4 DS 2 DD1 1985-offsite,1987-offsite,2002-contemporary,2003-offsite,2005-Pop Century,2006-Coronado Springs, 2007-CS, 2008 ASSports, 2010-ASMusic, 2012-ASMovies
shanealaina is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2008, 01:15 PM   #17
mommadjones
Community Rank: Jetsetter
 
mommadjones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Connecticut..Just under the Red Sox Nation...Go Bo Sox
Posts: 2,995

Post Thanks / Like
We enjoyed our stay at Coronado Springs. The Pepper Market is great. My DD loved the pool and water slide. My only problem was the distance to the main building. Other then that the CM and Mousekeeping were great!
__________________
-Amanda



My Countdown Counting down to:
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsOff Site 1986, June 2005 ASMovies, Aug. 2006 CSR, Dec. 2007 POR, Jan. 2009 POP, Aug. 2009 CBR, Jan 2010 POP,Sept 2010 SSR! POP&WL Aug 2011, POR Oct 2011

Last edited by mommadjones; 09-04-2008 at 01:19 PM..
mommadjones is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 09-16-2008, 02:14 PM   #18
KatMark
Community Rank: Traveler
 
KatMark's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Carol Stream, IL
Posts: 406

Post Thanks / Like
This is my second review of CSR and our seventh stay. And I have to give everything a 10 on this trip as it was spectacular. We were there celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we were upgraded to a suite, had flowers in our room, robes and turndown service every night. We ate twice at the Pepper Market and the food was terrific (although the portions are huge). In fact, for breakfast we wanted American Cheese omelets which they didn't have at the station, so the cook went looking for American cheese for us and found it and made our omelets. All of the CM's were terrific, mousekeeping was great and we just thoroughly enjoy walking around looking at this lovely resort. We saw ducks, rabbits, lots of lizards, frogs and the aligator in the Lake this trip. We'll be back for the bounce back free dining next year.
__________________


Headed "Home" for a Mini Trip -- 9/18 - 9/22 at CSR
My Previous TripsWDW 82-CR, 84-CR, 87-CR, 89-Poly, 90-Poly, 96-CR, 97-CSR, 98-CSR, 2000-ASS & CSR, 2003-CSR, 2004-Poly, 2006-CSR, 2007-CSR. 2008-CSR, 2009-CSR
KatMark is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2008, 11:52 AM   #19
Dreaming of DisneyWorld
Community Rank: Adventurer
 
Dreaming of DisneyWorld's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 769

Post Thanks / Like
CSR stay 09/27/08 to 10/04/08

We stayed at CSR for seven days. It was our first stay at CSR and our first moderate resort experience. The resort, itself, is very pretty. It is also very large. We walked between our room (Cabanas - 9A) and El Centro/Bus Stop 1. That was it. The carts around the resort will not pick you up if you have a stroller.

We appreciated not sharing our bus with other resorts. The four bus stops at CSR didn't bother us. We also liked that CSR is very centrally located and every park is a short ride away.

The food was average. We really did not like the service at Pepper Market. We preferred getting our food to take to our room, instead.

Our room was in a great location - two buildings from El Centro, next to a quiet pool and laundry facilities. The room itself needed some work, though. The door paint was full of chips. There was black mold growing at the top of the wallpaper all the way around the bathroom. Housekeeping didn't really clean much or give us clean towels/linens, but did make our beds every day. The overall feel of the room was "Super 8-ish".
__________________
10+ years of WDW trips
DVC members since 2008
My Countdown Counting down to: Halloween at Disneyland
My Previous TripsAKL 09/2006, WL 09/2007, CSR 10/2008, AKV 11/2009, VWL 03/2010, OKW 10/2010, AKV-K 2011, Vero Beach 2011, OKW - WDW Marathon 1/12, BLT/AKV 2012, AKV/DCL - Disney Dream/BLT January 2013, BWV & BLT 8/13, VGC & Disneyland Hotel 5/14, VWL 12/2014, AKV/DCL - Magic 12/2015, BLT/BWV 4/2016, OKW 10/2016, VGC 10/2017
Dreaming of DisneyWorld is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2008, 09:00 PM   #20
Wintersong
Community Rank: Passenger
 
Wintersong's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Tennessee
Concierge Level: 7
Posts: 28

Post Thanks / Like
2 thumbs up for the Coronado Springs

My DH and I just spent a week at the CSR (10/28/08 - 11/4/08) and really liked the resort. We will stay there again sometime, though we will probably try other resorts just to see waht they are like before we come back to CSR. Our room was in Casitas 5 with a view across the lake toward El Centro. I had a scooter rental and my DH loves to walk so we did not mind the distance from El Centro. In fact, we liked it because it was quiet and very relaxed.

Our only disappointment was that the topiary of the three caballeros has been removed temporarily so we did not get to see it. It is being redone, as all topiaries require every so often. Of course, I didn't find this out until I had spent several days looking for it everywhere. But the hunt was fun and I found many lovely fountains scattered throughout the Casitas area.

Our room was lovely and very clean. The mousekeeper did a very good job in our room and left us clean towels when we requested. We do like the idea of using the same towels for a few days to try to be at least a little green when on vacation, so we appreciated to note about how to re-use or request new towels that was in our bathroom.

Also we had fun in the Pepper Market and had some nice conversations with some of the cast members who worked there.
__________________
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsDLR July 1963, DLR July 1970, WDW New Year's Eve 1971, WDW July 1973, DLR July 1975, WDW August 1977, WDW (CR) August 78, DLR many times 1978-1980, WDW worked in CRO 1981 -1986, WDW February 1988, WDW February 1992, WDW March 2000, WDW (POP) November 2004, DCL (Magic) November 2007, WDW (CSR) October 2008, WDW (POP) March 2009. DCL (Dream) November 2011, WDW (POFQ) December 2011, WDW (CSR and POP) May, 2012, WDW (POP) November 2012, WDW (POR) and DCL (Fantasy) October 2013, WDW (AOA) and DCL (Fantasy) May 2015, WDW (POP) December 2016, DCL (Dream) March 2018, DLR May 2018

Last edited by Wintersong; 11-08-2008 at 09:35 PM.. Reason: adding more comments
Wintersong is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-08-2008, 09:52 PM   #21
MAKHayes-DisneyDiva
Community Rank: Adventurer
 
MAKHayes-DisneyDiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Ohio
Concierge Level: 2
Posts: 896

Post Thanks / Like
Not So Crazy About CSR

Maybe it's because I'm a deluxe girl, but CSR just didn't do it for us. Our room was in one of the best buildings, I think it was Cabanas 9B, but our room smelled funny. It felt damp, and I think someone had smoked in it. Mousekeeping did a fair job, but even though we left tips, we never got towel animals. The view was OK. I've never liked outside entrences to rooms. The pool was quite nice, but everything was a bit spread out for my taste. Check in was a nightmare. Pepper Market was just OK, and we had a negative experience at the Maya Grill.

Our stay was in March of 2007, so maybe things are better now.
__________________
My Previous TripsWDW March 2006 at YC; WDW March 2007 at CSR and DD Hilton; WDW June 2009 at BWV and Marriott's Grande Vista; WDW January 2013 at BWV WDW Half Marathon; DL/DCA January 2010.
MAKHayes-DisneyDiva is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2008, 11:21 AM   #22
frodesen
Community Rank: Tourist
 
frodesen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Celebration, Florida
Posts: 15

Post Thanks / Like
Thumbs up A piece of Colonial Mexico

I think the magic in Coronado Springs is divided between the serenity of the Southwest during Colonial Mexico, and the virtual water park at the dig site. The resort isn't as well advertised as others because 3/4 of the guests are convention guests. That DOES leave a lot of the leisure facilities open to people who are visiting just for fun.

Walk through the gardens of the Casitas at night for a romantic stroll.

Rix is the only nightclub in a Disney resort!

Coronado has a 24 hour fitness center free for guests and an adjacent spa and full salon run by the same group as the GF spa at a much lower price.

And, of course, the CM's (like me) are fantastic
__________________


Livin the dream in Celebration
If I don't know an answer, I will find it! So feel free to ask!!!
My Previous TripsDisneyland 4 times since 1958. WDW resort stays (30) every year from 1996-2006, DCL 2003, WDW parks are now weekly visits. POR (DL), CBR, POP, ASSP, YC, CSR, AKL, WL, S&D, CH, .....worked at YC, BW, CSR

Last edited by frodesen; 11-21-2008 at 11:23 AM..
frodesen is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2009, 10:11 PM   #23
gardengirl628
Community Rank: Trekker
 
gardengirl628's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: MA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 1,524

Post Thanks / Like
love csr!!!

stayed here in June of 2006. We loved everything about the resort. The pool, the rooms, the theme. Interactions with all CM's were positive experiences. The Pepper Market has a great selection and we ate probably 3 or 4 meals there. We ate breakfast once at the Maya Grill and were pleasantly surprised with their buffet. It wasn't Chef Mickey's or Boma's level, but it was a decent buffet. And the place was not that busy, so servers were very attentive. We stayed in casitas 3 and found it to be a perfect spot. Many people complain about how spread out the resort is. We think that is one of the great things about it. We had lots of fun walking around,looking for wildlife and different kinds of flowers that they have growing there. and the pool is great. honestly, i think we could have never left the resort and my dd would have been happy as a clam. she must have gone down the slide one hundred times! Also, bus service was fabulous. We never waited more than 10 minutes anywhere for a bus.
We booked a trip for November 2009. First we booked WL....then I changed my mind and decided to go with BC (mainly because oftheir pool)....then Ijust changed again. Guess where to (back to CSR!!) My dh says if it's not broke-don't fix it. We loved it; it's less expensive,allowing us to spend $$ in other areas that we wouldn't have been able to (like deluxe dining). And, again, we loved it!
__________________
My Countdown Counting down to: 1st time at Poly
We're there!!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsOffsite 1977, 1984- Dixie Landings November 1998- Coronado Springs June 2006- AKL November 2009- BWV/Western Magic/BLT February 2011- Beach Club Villas July 2011- BLT/3 Day Dream October 2012- HHI April 2013- BWV August 2013- SSR August 2014 And DL too many times to count!
gardengirl628 is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 03-13-2009, 07:33 AM   #24
buzz2001
Community Rank: Adventurer
 
buzz2001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bristol, CT
Posts: 933

Post Thanks / Like
Just back!

I just returned from CSR in Feb 2009 and had another fantastic trip to CSR! We had a renovated room in Cabana 9b and it was spectacular. The views of the beach area, the location of the building, and the staff at the resort were all outstanding.

The prices at the Pepper Market were a bit high but if you are on the DDP or QSDP, you will love it. I was disappointed to learn that the wet burrito and taco salad were no longer served but overall, the food is still awesome.

The main pool was terrific but the weather was a bit on the chilly side to fully enjoy it.

The transportation is still the best! Never waited more than 10 mins for a bus and the rides to all the parks were quick. CSR has a great location and access to the main WDW roads to get around.
buzz2001 is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2009, 07:46 PM   #25
ShellingConnie
Community Rank: Jetsetter
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Georgia
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 2,065

Post Thanks / Like
Thumbs up Quick March 09 weekend trip

We only stayed at CSR for 2 nights so we didn’t get to fully enjoy the resort. It’s just too spread out to walk around after a day in the parks.

We checked in after midnight on Friday, March 13th. The CM I worked with was very nice and I think she was relieved I didn't try to get my room changed.

We loved our room in Ranchos 7B. It was the perfect size for 4 of us and we enjoyed the décor. It was fairly close to the Dig Site Pool which was what I’d requested.

It turned out to be a hike to the Pepper Market for breakfast the next morning but the walk was nice with the theming. The Pepper Market was as expensive as everyone says for those not on the DDP. Since we weren’t, I cringed at the prices. We like a big breakfast on vacation to get us going. The first morning breakfast was good, the scrambled eggs were cooked well, the bacon warm and crisp and service was fast.
The second morning was not good. Service was slow, the scrambled eggs were runny and the bacon was cold. DS13 said the cherry Danish he ate was stale (but he ate it anyway silly boy). We chose not to get the refillable mug because we were not staying for long. We didn't try the Rix Cafe.

The different bus stops throughout the resort didn’t bother us. Ours was bus stop 4 and it gave us a chance to rest our feet after the parks before walking to our room.

The Dig Site Pool was fabulous. We spent 3 hours our first afternoon there while taking a break from the parks. The kids thought it was the best pool ever with the slide and the pyramid. I enjoyed the pool bar.

The carts zipping around got kind of annoying. I had to pull DD9 out of the way of one that barely slowed down when the Driver realized she was in the way. I really didn't like those things.

Overall, we enjoyed the resort and would like to stay there again. DH really liked the theming. We would plan on having some breakfast items in the room to eat a couple of mornings instead of going to the Pepper Market every morning and plan on extra pool time to take advantage of the great pool.
__________________
Me, DH, DS19 and DD15



My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips6 Trips Offsite, Jun05 ASMo, July 07 RPR for SW and US, Sept08 CR, Nov08 Pop, Mar09 CSR,Apr09 CBR, May09 POR Solo Trip, Jun09 WL, May10 POFQ and HRH, Dec10 BWI Solo Trip, Feb11 WL, May11 AKL Solo, Sep11 POFQ Solo Trip, May12 POR solo, Jun13 ASMu, May14 AoA and AKL, Disneyland Jun11

Last edited by ShellingConnie; 03-22-2009 at 07:50 PM..
ShellingConnie is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 03-29-2009, 09:15 PM   #26
Jciambor
Community Rank: Traveler
 
Jciambor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New York State
Posts: 334

Post Thanks / Like
Post Cornado Springs Resort

Affordability meets quality. The Cornado Springs Resort is the best moderate hotel because the excellent quality does not match the reasonable price. This hotel is comparable to alot of the Deluxe hotels. Infact it might as well be dubbed as a deluxe hotel in disguise. We visited their ten years ago and our memory of it has not slipped away a truly memorable experience. The pool has a beautiful theme with several amenities along with the rooms, suites and prestigous Maya Grill with some of the best quality of mexican cuisine.

The overall theme of the resort is paradise the magic is in the resort because of the detailed decor, home away from home atmosphere and the affordibility and accessability. Really its considered no better than alot of the other deluxe resorts there I would disagree, plus this is much more accesible and affordable. Best hotel on a budget.
__________________
A famous Passporter once said "couldn't we just sleep through every day that does not include visiting Florida?"
My Previous TripsSummer 1993 New York City, Summer 1995 Toronto, July 1998 Disney Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, July 2002 Hershey Park, June 2003 Cedar Point, July 2004 Bush Gardens Virginia, June - July 2005 Disney Disney's Port Orleans Resort, June - July 2007 Washington D.C. May 2008 Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, June 2008 Universal Studios Hard Rock Hotel, August 2009 Disney Coronado Springs

Last edited by Jciambor; 11-08-2009 at 09:35 PM..
Jciambor is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2009, 01:17 PM   #27
jillyjillm
Community Rank: Visitor
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 4

Post Thanks / Like
I am considering the CS for a Sept stay. Which rooms do you recommend are the best location and best for ""Bus to Park" times. Does the "Convention" aspect of the resort get in the way of the experience for non conventioniers? Thanks- JJ
jillyjillm is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 05-23-2009, 09:15 PM   #28
Jciambor
Community Rank: Traveler
 
Jciambor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New York State
Posts: 334

Post Thanks / Like
Well I only went to Coronado once in July of 1998. Though I can still answer you some questions based on that experience. I've also done much research on the resort in recent years as well. With the location closest to the busing I would suggest the Cabana's. They are right next to the lobby restaurants, and bus stop. You can even look at the map of the resort here Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Map - wdwinfo.com.

As for the business people how often and how many of them come depends on what time of the year you go, its seasonal. Even when there are a lot of business people staying at the resort its still hard to pick them out from the crowd. Fact of the matter is its just like any other Disney resort experience when it comes down to it, personally in my case better than many of the other resorts.
__________________
A famous Passporter once said "couldn't we just sleep through every day that does not include visiting Florida?"
My Previous TripsSummer 1993 New York City, Summer 1995 Toronto, July 1998 Disney Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, July 2002 Hershey Park, June 2003 Cedar Point, July 2004 Bush Gardens Virginia, June - July 2005 Disney Disney's Port Orleans Resort, June - July 2007 Washington D.C. May 2008 Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, June 2008 Universal Studios Hard Rock Hotel, August 2009 Disney Coronado Springs

Last edited by Jciambor; 05-23-2009 at 09:24 PM..
Jciambor is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2009, 06:58 PM   #29
mmsportsmom
Community Rank: Traveler
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: St. Joseph, MO
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 380

Post Thanks / Like
We loved the theming of the resort, it is beautiful. The renovated rooms feel very deluxe as do the grounds. The queen beds were so nice as were the wooden doors to the sink/baathroom area. We were in Casitas 5 so it was a long walk to el centro, but we were at the first bus stop (even though it is #2) so we were the first to be picked up and the first to be dropped off. My mom was in an ECV and the old buses had trouble with their lift at this bus stop, maybe because it isnt completely flat the lift front would not unfold. The new buses did not have any problem they have a ramp that folds out. But we really loved the fountains and foliage here, was just beautiful. I thought the quesadillas at Pepper Market were yummy as were the deserts. They did not charge us a gratuity as I had read and I believe there was a sign somewhere but it didnt show up on our receipt. I would recommend this resort, is a great value for a moderate resort.
__________________
MMSPORTSMOM
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsAKL Nov 01, POP CENTURY Nov 04, offsite Aug 08, CSR June 09, BWV January 2013, POFQ Aug 17, off-site Oct 2018
mmsportsmom is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2009, 09:25 AM   #30
Principessa_di_Fata
Community Rank: Navigator
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: TN
Posts: 6,206

Post Thanks / Like
Smile

We stayed in Feb 2009 for 7 nights, and absolutely LOVED this resort. We plan on coming back, once we've stayed at all of the resorts on our list!

It's absolutely lovely here! It's the cost of a moderate, but in a lot of ways it feels like a deluxe. The queen beds, the flat panel tv's, the expansive room service menu (compared to just pizza delivery elsewhere)...

The Service
When we checked in, we got a renovated room (at a time when only some of the rooms were renovated). We were there for two nights when the toilet got stopped up (it wasn't our fault, honest!) and they had to move us to a different room because this toilet had to be removed so they could fix it. The move could have been a real hassle, especially because there was a communication error between the night shift and the morning shift, but they were wonderful about it! Very accommodating. The maintenance lady even gave DD a set of four rubber character figurines! Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald! What a special treat!

We had no other issues the rest of our trip. Every CM we encountered was lovely - and that's hard to say - even at WDW!

The Grounds
The grounds were immaculate, and just beautifully done. Every day, at every point of the day, we always saw SOMEONE out and about, tidying up a flower bed, raking, putting down mulch, planting, or just picking up trash.

A lot of people say the resort is far too large, and there's too much walking. I disagree wholeheartedly. If you're in the Ranchos it's probably about an 8 minute walk to the main building. It took us 5 from the Cabanas, with a 3 year old that had to stop and smell the roses. 3 if it was just me. And what a lovely walk it is! It took a little over 20 minutes for DD and myself to meander around the entire lake. I can't suggest enough that you take a walk around the entire lake and soak in the atmosphere and theming of each section. Talk about gorgeous!

The Rooms
Those rooms... wow. The renovated ones are beautifully styled, and we just LOVED those beds! And the tv... we scheduled time into our vacation to watch Lost (I never miss an episode, live) and watching it on that huge tv was so fun!

Our mousekeeper left us a towel critter once, but the room was always well-kept. We're neatniks anyway, so we tend to pick up after ourselves, but I never noticed any trace of debris left behind or a dirty bathroom (my pet peeve).

There were two adults and one preschooler and we never felt even remotely crowded. I was impressed by all of the storage space, too. That's hard to come by!

The Food
This is the one thing I wasn't a fan of, honestly. The food itself at the food court was fine, but I did feel it was slightly overpriced, even for the quality you get (though yes, the quality is better than the average food court). I also didn't like having to pay an automatic gratuity to someone that just got my drink once, when I could have walked over and gotten it myself.

I did like the food, but just was not excited about the format. Ah well, it wasn't that bad, we did eat there twice, lol.

We ordered room service one evening for a late dinner - got the tuna sandwiches. It was really reasonably priced (for room service, lol) and they were delicious! It was so great to be able to order FOOD instead of just being stuck with the pizza option.

The Gift Shop
Well... lol. I spent quite a bit of money in this store, soooo I guess I kinda liked it! There seemed to be a little of everything. The selection was more than fine.

Transportation
Loved those little golf carts that you could hitch a ride on (we never did). DD would wave at every one of them, and they all waved back, which made her day! I can see how they can be very convenient - and they're always running, so you shouldn't have any issues catching one.

The buses were fine. We rarely had to wait long for one. I don't LOVE the bus system anywhere at WDW because I'm an "instant gratification" kind of girl, but I really had no complaints about the buses. They were timely and it didn't take long to hit all of the bus stops at the resort.

All told, I really loved this resort. We didn't use the pool, because it was so bitter cold for most of our trip, so I can't comment much on it, but it was AWESOMELY themed!!! Totally cool looking!

Definitely would recommend this for anyone!
__________________
Melanie
Come read my current trip report: http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ml#post4508836

http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/signaturepics/sigpic13079_16.gif
My Countdown Counting down to: My 40th Birthday Celebration
Cruisin'!!!
My Previous TripsMay 2016 - RCCL Baltic Cruise * Dec 2015 - Carnival Dream Caribbean Cruise (My 40th) * Mar 2015 - EPCOT Day * Nov 2014 - Carnival Elation Caribbean Cruise (Mom's 75th) * Feb 2014 - CBR / Disney Dream Bahamas Cruise (Meri's 8th) * June 2013 - Disneyland Paris * May 2013 - Disney Magic Transatlantic Cruise * Oct 2012 - Disneyland * Sept 2012 - Port Orleans Riverside (Royal Room) * Feb 2012 - Boardwalk Villas / Animal Kingdom Villas (Kidani Village) (Crissy's Bachelorette) * Oct 2011 - Port Orleans Riverside / Bonnet Creek * Feb 2011 - Caribbean Beach Resort (Pirate Room) / Animal Kingdom Lodge (Meri's 5th) * Nov 2009 - Port Orleans French Quarter (Mom's 70th) * Feb 2009 - Coronado Springs (Meri's 3rd) * Feb 2008 - Port Orleans Riverside (Meri's 2nd) * Sept 2006 - Boardwalk Inn * Prior to 2006 - Too many visits to count...
Principessa_di_Fata is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Reply




Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Thank you to our forum sponsor:













Please login or register to hide these ads -- it's free and easy!

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:44 AM.

-->

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like v3.4.0 Patch Level 1 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
(c) 1998-2017 PassPorter Travel Press/MediaMarx, Inc.
Celebrating 19 Years of Making Dreams Come True
Ad Management plugin by RedTyger