Animal Kingdom vs Coronado?

[bellatheball]

We're traveling with three kids under 7 in October for Halloween at Disney. We have stayed at Kidani in the past and thought about doing something different this time. I keep coming back to it though. We're also considering Coronado (apples and oranges I know) because it looks updated in most rooms and is more reasonably priced.

I loved AK because it transports you to a different place. We'd love to have that experience again. Even though CS is a better value, I don't really want to feel like I'm in a regular hotel. We're totally open to options.


Any thoughts? Feedback? Tips? Thanks.

 

[B-Ride]

It really depends if saving money is important to you.

AKL is a bit out of the way but CSR is not a whole lot better.

If money is an issue stay at CSR, if it isn't stay at the Polynesian.

Yes, I know that wasn't the question, but with 3 kids under 7 nothing beats the monorail to MK.

 

[LizAgna]

My family much prefers CS over AKL. We have not stayed at Kidani though. We like the decor of CS much better than AKL.

If all of your children are over 3 you will need 3 rooms or a suite at CS though.

 

[rosiep]

I found CSR to be rather staid and not geared towards children. Since I am only ever traveling with another adult I really like this resort....but not over AKL. The kid in me loves AKL. If you are looking for a moderate that is fun I'd go with CBR or POFQ....loved both these resorts but POFQ is honestly my favorite. Simply a beautiful, managable, FUN place to be.

 

[karic19]

I've stayed at both and honestly, I felt like CSR was not very child friendly. Although there is the dig site (pool/arcade/playground) it is a bit out of the way. Also, the pepper market was NOT child friendly when I was there. They were actually very rude.

AKL is a tad pricey but there are things going on ALL day for the kids. I know everyone says you are not there to be at the hotel, but you want a nice place to come home to.

 

[wide receiver]

We have stayed at both and I would say go for AKV if money is not an issue. CRS does feel more like a hotel/motel. I get the feeling of being transported to another place at AKV also. Our last trip we stayed at WL because we thought we should try something different. We LOVED WL! We had the same feeling of being transported to another place. Our hearts belong to both AKV and WL!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

That's a tough call for me. We have stayed most frequently at CSR, and my kids love it more than AKL. I'm surprised by the posts from people who have found CSR not to be child friendly - my kids both love the pool, the slide, the playground, the wildlife, the hammocks, the coloring pages at the food court, etc. CSR shows movies at the pool at night, has a campfire with smores in the evening, has a pool opening ceremony for kids, and the CMs play games at the pool all day long. Both of my kids would pick CSR over AKL, although they love to see the animals and DD12 loves Boma.

We haven't stayed at Kidani - we stayed club level at Jambo. The positives - great cast members, amazing theming, wonderful restaurants, the animals, the Kidani pool, the savannah view balcony, the lounge. The negatives - the beds were uncomfortable, the bus service was the worst of any Disney resort we've stayed at, it was very dark (as in someone reading the paper in the club lounge with a flashlight ) and the room felt smaller than CSR because the furniture was so big. AKL rooms are a bit bigger (340 sq. feet vs. 314 sq. feet), but the entry hall and the large furniture made it feel smaller. I like the room setup better at CSR - there are sliding wooden doors that separate the vanity from the room, so I could get up, turn on lights, shower and dry my hair without waking anyone. The vanity in the AKL rooms was around a half wall from the beds, so the room brightened when you turned the vanity light on, so I couldn't get ready without the kids protesting.

If you are considering a 1 BR at Kidani, I'd go for that for the kitchen, washer and dryer and second bathroom. If you are considering a studio, I'd stay at CSR - a studio gives you one queen bed and a pullout. Studios have a microwave, but you can request a microwave at CSR for no charge. If you are considering a room at Jambo, it's a toss-up for me - I liked some things better at CSR and some better at AKL. If you are planning to spend a lot of time at the resort, AKL offers great activities for kids. If you plan to spend most of your time at the parks and come back for an afternoon swim break, I'd pick CSR.

Edited:

I found the thread I posted when we got back from AKL that compared the two resorts (at least for our family). It is specific to Jambo, so some of the observations might not apply to Kidani. Hope it helps!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2380960&highlight=csr+akl

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

You are deciding between my two favorite resorts! Both are great. Here are some things to consider:

• The one-bedroom at Kidani has a washer/dryer that is worth its wait in gold. Plus, it has a full kitchen and lots of extra room over CSR. If you are thinking of staying in a studio at Kidani, then the room size is not that big of a difference.
• Kidani has a children's activity center and lots of activites for the family during the day (i.e., make a food wreath for the giraffes, etc.)
• CSR has an amazing pool and slide. If you choose this resort, ask for a room as close to the pool as possible. It is not considered a preferred location, so you do not have to pay more. Also, you can have your mugs refilled at the pool and the hamburgers there are really good. I prefer staying closer to the main pool than the lobby and restaurants, and it is less expensive. The pool area has a great playground and game room, too.
• I travel to Disney with my daughter who is seven years old. She loves both resorts. Both have a Disney feel to us. The theming at both resorts is wonderful. I do feel transported to another world at CSR. Walking around the lake at night, swimming in the pool, sitting at the outdoor bar on the lake and having a drink--it feels very much like I imagine visiting Mexico might feel.
• I agree with another poster. I would choose the one-bedroom at Kidani over CSR, but I would choose CSR over the studio at Kidani (mostly just to try something new and save a little money).

Have a great stay no matter where you land. Let us know what you decide!

 

[DCLbrideSept2009]

DH and I stayed at CSR on our honeymoon in September 2009. I didn't love it or hate it, DH really didn't care for it at all. We stayed at Kidani in March 2010, our first DVC stay. LOVE Kidani!!!! Definitely comparing apples to oranges, though. But if I had the choice between Kidani and CSR and money wasn't an issue, I'd definitely do Kidani. Of course, you could consider a different DVC resort? We also love Boardwalk and Old Key West, both totally different resorts and we love them for totally different reasons.

 

[bellatheball]

Thanks for all of the great replies. It's so helpful. Please keep your thoughts coming! I have to book by tomorrow so any and all feedback is welcome.

 

[wide receiver]

That's a tough call for me. We have stayed most frequently at CSR, and my kids love it more than AKL. I'm surprised by the posts from people who have found CSR not to be child friendly - my kids both love the pool, the slide, the playground, the wildlife, the hammocks, the coloring pages at the food court, etc. CSR shows movies at the pool at night, has a campfire with smores in the evening, has a pool opening ceremony for kids, and the CMs play games at the pool all day long. Both of my kids would pick CSR over AKL, although they love to see the animals and DD12 loves Boma.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2380960&highlight=csr+akl

We stayed at Kidani and WL last trip (Summer 2011) and noticed they were playing games at the pool at both hotels. WL was having camp fire with smores and outside movies at night (I don't remember if Kidani was, maybe not because of the animals?) I asked a cast member if this was something they always have done at WL and they said no they had tried it at a few hotels and found good response from guest. They are now having movies, camp fires and pool games at many properties. The Cast member I spoke to lead me to believe it would be more likely at the deluxe hotels…..but I am thrilled to hear they have also started doing so at the Mod's! Way to go Disney! It felt more like a resort….rather than just a place to sleep with no soul!

 

[Millie12591]

I'm not sure why a poster would say that CSR is as much out of the way as the AKL. It's probably one of the most centrally located resorts on property.

It was probably the best bus trips from the resort I had ever been on, time wise. Nothing took over 15-20 mins tops to get to anything from the resort! WE LOVED IT!!
I can't imagine any other resort being more centrally located other than the Yacht and Beach Club resorts and or the Swolphin. Just sayin.

As for the differences, I too didn't think my kids would like the CSR theming after staying at POP, there is so much Disney theming for the kids at POP. I had the youngest child look at the CSR site and the pictures and she hands down agreeded to going there. The fact that the pool looked like it did and how pretty it was was a total sell to her. And she was 9 at the time.

The CSR resort is very pretty, and the theming is pretty amazing. I liked staying in the Cabanas for location, it's not as pretty as the Casita's but it's also not a prefered location so you don't have to pay more and it's located near the main Dig Site pool, and very close to the bus stop. Major plus in my book!! We stayed in the 8A building and facing the Ranchos section, loved, loved, loved it there. Like I said, so close to the pool but not close enough to hear the pool and very close to the third bus stop, which meant there would still be room for people on the bus and it wouldn't have but one more stop to go (if it wasn't full by then) before leaving the resort to get to the parks. Usually it was full by the time you left the third bus stop, which meant no stopping at the last bus stop.

I think you'll like it there, the rooms are roomy and they are very pretty and not as dark as AKL. See if you can get a corner room if possible, more natural light coming in.

 

[tinacaplan]

I have to agree with PPs about CSR. I've not stayed at AKL yet and really want to someday. I think it would be a great resort if I didn't want to do as much at that parks and was looking for a slower pace so I could really enjoy myself.

On the other hand, I've stayed at CSR three times, twice with a three-four year old. Here are the main reasons we love CSR:

1. Bus service -- even during one of the busiest weeks of the year (Pres. Week) it was excellent. Never waited very long and buses were never very crowded, something I think is actually a benefit of CSR being a convention resort.

2. The pool -- one of the best and very child friendly. Activities and a really awesome playground, too.

3. The rooms -- they have the white cotton bed linens that I love. I feel like they're cleaner and definitely more modern. I love the style of CSR's rooms and that's why I chose it in the first place.

That said, mod rooms are a lot smaller than those in deluxes and I do think there is a difference between staying deluxe ans staying at a mod. And value is really an individual preference, as is savings. For me, if I can stay at a deluxe for only another $500 or so, I'd go to deluxe.

 

[anjalee6]

For our kids alone, we like AKv better. The pools are awesome with great splash areas and slides. The kids loved the kids club at Jambo and the activity center at Kidani. We love the animal viewing areas and doing the activities around the resort. CSR was a little more spread out then we liked for traveling with our kids.

 

[Cappy81]

I was trying to decide between the two also, I originally booked our fall trip at CSR but decided to switch to AKL.

 

[elaw]

Animal Kingdom for sure. Lot of attractions, slides and adventures. It is actually divided into 7 parts

• Oasis
• Discovery Island® area
• Camp Minnie-Mickey
• Africa
• Rafiki's Planet Watch® area
• Asia
• Dinoland, U.S.A.® area

Every part is treat fro children

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to the AKL/AKV and not the park

 

[mommytocalliesue]

We were booked at CSR...which we've stayed at...and then recently switched to AKL....now I'm having doubts! I'm worried about the dark rooms and the lack of the wooden doors that close off the vanity from the rooms. That was so nice during naps, in the morning etc...while the kids slept....I could shower and get ready and not wake them! May switch back to CSR!!