What's good and what's bad at Coronado?

[kakn7294]

We're planning a trip in August and trying to decide (very soon!) where to stay. We'll definately be at a moderate, standard view, and have ruled out CB due to the construction at the main pool, plus we've stayed there twice already. My fave is POFQ but we've stayed there on our last 2 trips and the family wants somewhere new even though I'd gladly stay at POFQ again. DH and oldest DD are leaning towards CSR - I've never wanted to stay though, not being a fan of the pics I've seen of the decor. What are your opinions of CSR - both positive and negative? I know it's a large resort but the size doesn't bother me. Having the TS restaurant doesn't really matter much either. We usually spend most of our time at the parks anyway and a primary concern for us is how long it will take to get to the parks by bus and how long the waits will be for buses back to the resort at the end of the day vs. POFQ. Also, what's Pepper Market like and do you still pay the 10% gratuity for dine-in there? What about this convenience store that I hear about there - what's that like? Compare it to the little sections in the other resort gift shops where they sell food and personal items. I'd appreciate any comments you all have!

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

This is by far my favorite moderate resort. I have no bad points about CS only good. The Pepper Market is a cafeteria style restaurant with several selections....Italian, Chinese, Mexican, salads, sandwiches, etc. We always eat there several times during out trip.

The bus service is the best. We almost never wait more than 5-10 mins for a bus. The only time we've seen standing has been late at night leaving DD. It doesn't share a bus with any other resort so it's fast. It is a short walk to the bus stops too.

The convenience store is nice. They have several things to choose from. A good assortment of souvenirs, food and drink. We always pick up a gallon of water there. Also if you run out of toothpaste or something...they have it.

Well I hope this helps you with your planning.

I hope this helps.

[CrazyStudent]

Kathy, the bus service at CSR is very efficient. I didn't have to wait long and in early December I found myself having the buses mostly to myself regardless of the time of day. Actually, that was one of the more informative parts of my trip as I enjoyed the comments of the bus drivers, who gave me a behind-the-scenes view of how Disneyworld operates as they drove the routes.

Pepper Market is fun, has variety. I don't recall the gratuity but mostly ate at the Maya Grill or other resort restaurants such as Whispering Canyon. Only ate at Pepper Market once. It was fine, just not my favorite given the many options within 'The World'.

I loved the Maya Grill's ribs and had no problem finding a table to eat after about 7:30 PM, never needed a reservation in the two times I ate dinner there. The restaurant overlooks the lake and the view was lovely at night. Maya Grill is pretty laid back at that time of evening, a nice touch after a busy day. I think Maya Grill is one of the more underrated restaurants, but then again, I loved the ribs so much I didn't eat anything else there.

The whole resort is beautiful at night with the lighting, the ponds/lakes and the walkway. You can find gifts at the decent-sized convenience store, and there are grocery shelves at the Pepper Market where fruit, milk, bread, snacks, etc. may be purchased. And of course, the Pepper Market sells the refillable mugs which can be used at the CSR.

There's a game room for kids and the CSR has a small but nice workout room if you're not tired out from seeing the parks and Downtown Disney! I hope you have a great time wherever you decide to stay. I think the CSR would be a great choice and found the bus transportation very satisfactory. You should have no problems getting around and your wait times should not be long.

[Diznee4Me]

My family and I have stayed at the CSR our last six trips.

All I can do is echo the other posts - I can't think of a negative. Beautiful resort, excellent bus service, great food at both the Pepper Market and Maya Grill, and a awesome pool. CSR for us is

[LauraF]

I'm big fan of POFQ myself, but I really did enjoy my last trip to CSR in September. The decor is not as cheezy at it looks online and is worth walking around to look at. Since I'm an early riser, I would walk around the lagoon every morning during sunrise and enjoy all the sights - wildlife of all sorts, plants, mousekeeping coming into work, the lovely fountains and hidden little nooks between buildings with little sitting areas.

The longest bus ride is the one to MK - about 12-15 minutes. Epcot and MGM are really about 5 minutes (unless you get the bus that also goes to the waterparks) and AK is so close I hadn't even gotten comfortable and we were there.

Definitely, IMHO it's one of WDW's hidden hotel gems.

[buzz2001]

What's bad -

full size beds
it's a large resort so you will have to walk
one sink

What's good -

the pool
the slide
the hot tub
the transportation, quick rides to all the parks
the food choices
offers full menu room service
a spa
a fitness center
a salon
the three lounges/bars
it's a beautiful resort, especially at night

[Gator]

The bad stuff includes only one sink in the bathroom. That's all I can think of that I didn't like. It's really as large as Riverside or CBR, so walking is normal (unless compared to POFQ). I think the buildings and landscaping is better here then at CBR or FQ, and a toss up between here and Riverside. Bus service is great. Food is very good here. Pool is the best of the Moderates.

[kathiep]

Why not give it a try - you'll never know until you do.

You already stated that you don't spend too much time at the resort so what could possibly be so bad - you'll still be at Disney!

The resort grounds are gorgeous. Definately worth a walk around the lake at night.

The Pepper Market has terrific variety and quality of food.

The main pool area is great and there are also several very nice quiet pools.

[PetefromRI]

I hear from different people that the CSR just doesn't have the Disney "feel" to it.Is this true?My wife and I travel alone to Disney without little ones so I'm thinking that we won't mind that so much,plus it would be nice to stay at a moderate with a spa to get a leg massage after walking around all day.I'm sure that being a convention center the adults are partying alittle more than at other resorts but that's fine with us.

[pooh0601]

We just got back from CSR, as it was our 1st time every staying there.

We didn't really care for the Pepper Market too much. They have their own "special" mug which is different than all of the other resorts, which doesn't really make much sense. So if you purchase a Year of a Million Dreams Mug, you wouldn't be able to use it there which was disappointing. We prefer the more traditional counter service places for breakfast. The Pepper Market might be a good idea for lunch and dinner for those who do not want a table service location.

But overall the resort was very nice, we picked it because of its location and the fact it has a "central air" and not a window unit. We did not care for the loud rowdy crowds that typically are at a value resort, and were looking for something a little less expensive than a deluxe this time around, as we were just there in Dec. and will be there again in April.

POFQ is a resort we enjoyed a lot too, but we didn't want to stay their because of the type of A/C unit they have compared to CSR.

We stayed in Cabanas 9B which was a GREAT location in regards to the main lobby/restaurants, as well as its close proximity to a bus stop. It also was not a far walk at all to the pool/playground area(Dig Site).

I would definently stay there again when we are looking for a moderate resort to stay at.

[Crow]

its my fav mod
it is big. i liked Pepper Mkt. yes 10% gratuity added on. if on DDP you can use a CS credit & get a steak. I have the refillable mug from there. btw, you are supposed to buy a mug at each resort for your stays, not to use at others.
buses not too bad. did have to wait last time for a bit once.
the landscaping is nice. there is a new nighttime place opening so Ill have to check it out

[BigRedDad]

It has been a long time since I was there, but I loved the resort. It is big, but I recall not walking too much. The always had someone nearby with the cart that would give you rides. It was extremely convenient, the pool is great, the mini-lake is nice with the marina, nice beach to walk on, great pool bar. If a discount comes out for Mods at the beginning of April, I will switch to CSR in a minute.

[c&d]

We were down in August 06 and loved it. It wasn't crowded until Labor Day weekend when there was a big convention there and even then it never felt really crowded. Yes, there was the one day we decided to eat at noon, big mistake. Other than that, the convention being there was never a problem.

I loved Pepper Market, we could all find something we liked to eat.

The main pool was never crowded when we were there. I also liked the fact that it had a real lap pool to swim in. It also has a spa and workout room.

The buses were also never crowded and it had the prime parking spot at MK. The first spot on the right, a short walk to the park and it felt even shorter after a long day. I've often wondered if because it is a "convention hotel" if Disney actually has better bus service at the hotel. You want to keep the customer coming back.

It is also a beautiful resort to walk around at night, all the "hidden" fountains in the Casitas section lit up at night.

I say give it a try.

[ktflisa]

Our stay there was for 7 nights in 2003. DH and I both loved it. (Special promotion - pay for 4 nights get 7... sigh. THAT won't happen again) The room was nice, the pool area really nice - the hammacks around the lake... and the food court awesome! Our only "bad" was the walk to the main hall etc. After 4 days of Disney feet, halfway through the trip, our legs were screaming! But not bad enough to not stay there again.

And they have a spa on site! Great massage

[JPL]

I have the refillable mug from there. btw, you are supposed to buy a mug at each resort for your stays, not to use at others.

This is not entirely true if you switch resorts mid stay your mug is still good at your next resort except for CSR. I asked during my recent stay where I had to switch from OKW to CSR and I was told it's good for the length of your current stay even at a different resort. I arrived at CSR and was not able to use my mug which really devalued the purchase since it was a short stay this time around.

As for CSR the resort is Ok I am not a big fan since I had a terrible experience there in 2003 but needed to spend a night there this past January and everything was fine guess 03 was just bad timing. The convention crowd can take away from the Disney feel to an extent and depending on your timing the food court can be extremely crowded with people from the coneventions. It's still wierd being dressed in shorts and a t-shirt heading to the parks and seeing being in business suits heading to a meeting.

[CrazyStudent]

I hear from different people that the CSR just doesn't have the Disney "feel" to it.Is this true?My wife and I travel alone to Disney without little ones so I'm thinking that we won't mind that so much,plus it would be nice to stay at a moderate with a spa to get a leg massage after walking around all day.I'm sure that being a convention center the adults are partying alittle more than at other resorts but that's fine with us.

I was there on business, Pete and the 'Disney feel' means different things to different people. To me, there's nothing more 'Disney' than friendly folks and being made to feel welcome and the folks at the CSR were very friendly and helpful, from the concierge to the server at the Maya Grill. So for me at least, the CSR didn't feel 'non-Disney' to me.

After dinner, which can sometimes get busy at the Pepper Market, the resort is pretty peaceful and even when the Pepper Market was crowded, the Maya Grill wasn't and that was how I got started on the Maya Grill, didn't want to wait for Pepper Market's crowd to go down. I'm glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed the Maya Grill.

If you want a place to relax after a busy day at the parks, CSR is a very good place to unwind and settle down from the activities of the day.

[PetefromRI]

Thanks CrazyStudent,It sounds like the CS may just be the ticket.We may try it in September but I'm still shooting for the Poly.George W.'s economic recovery check should make that possible!

[buzz2001]

The Pepper Market is not operated by WDW so that is why they have there own mug.

[daparish]

Kathy,
Scott and I stayed there our first trip in 2000 and really liked it. We ate very often at the Pepper Market (never breakfast). A friend of mine went last year and hated it. She always stays at POFQ and wanted something different. She ended up switching resorts the second night of her stay.

[kakn7294]

Thanks for all the replies. You guys have convinced me to give it a try, especially for my family. If I hate it, it's only for 8 nights of my life and I never have to stay there again and who knows, I might end up really liking it. After all, I never wanted to stay at POFQ either and now I love it!