Coronado Springs Resort -- New Unofficial FAQ Thread -- October 2010

[KatMark]

Just booked our return to CSR! I'm so excited- it seems like a long time away, but I'm sure it will be here before I know it. I booked a standard room, but I'd like to request Cabanas 8A- I hope that doesn't end up being "preferred". Does anyone know when preferred room info will be published? Thanks!

Probably not until January 1, but I keep trying to find out.

 

[aubriee]

Probably not until January 1, but I keep trying to find out.

I really wish they would go ahead and let us know. We are currently booked at POFQ for May, but only because I'm afraid all the Cabanas are going to be Preferred (along with Casistas 1, 2, and 3). That would leave only Casitas 4 and 5, plus all the Ranchos as Standard. I prefer the Cabana section. I am terrified of being stuck out in the Ranchos. I'll be solo at CSR in about two weeks (Dec 4th-12th) and am already nervous just thinking about it. I really, really hate the Ranchos, but at least now there is a 4 in 13 chance of getting where I really want to be and a 9 in 13 chance of at least not being in the Ranchos. I want in the Cabanas and I guess Casitas 1 or 3 would be OK too. But please God, don't let me get stuck in the Ranchos. I've been tempted to move my May POFQ reservation over to CSR, but won't make a decision until we know for sure which buildings are going to be preferred.

 

[Simba22]

I agree with snkymom. I think 99% of the time it is NOT food poisoning, but a reaction to a certain food/ingredient, the food being undercooked, sitting too long, etc. My husband got ill after eating at Whispering Canyon Cafe and I got sick after eating a burger at the Caribbean Beach food court. Most of the items at Pepper Market are cooked fresh. We have eaten there on average twice per visit and have never had an issue.

As for bed bugs, another "could be or could not be." However, since reading more and more stories of bed bugs at hotels around the world, I am VERY careful checking in at any hotel. I bring a small flashlight with me and, before bringing the luggage into the room, I lift up the comforter, blanket, etc., and check under those as well as checking the sheets and mattress very carefully. There have been reports of bed bugs at the values, at the moderates and I even read it for one or two deluxe resorts. Unfortunately, this is not something Disney can control so just check your bedding carefully.

I hope this eases your mind.

I agree with Kathy. Thankfully, I've never gotten sick (knock on wood) after eating at Disney, but my BF and my brother both got sick (on two different trips) after eating at Casey's. I think the heat, the fact that people are exhausted from all of the touring, being dehydrated, etc are all contributing factors to people getting ill while WDW. We ate at the Pepper Market almost every morning and one evening during our trip a few weeks ago and never had any problems.

I did check our bed for bed bugs and did not find any. So far, there are no reports of bed bugs being found at CSR at all (there is a website that lists hotels with previous bed bug reports but I can't think of the name of it now), but I checked anyway because you just never know. I will let you know, however, that several people, including myself, were mauled by mosquitos during our trip. That is actually what prompted me to check the bed!

 

[drummerwife]

Hi everybody! I have been lurking here for a couple of years. We have made many trips to WDW since '86. We stayed at CSR in Aug '10 (thanks to KatMark posts and pictures) with my DH and DS10 and had a great time. We will be back in Sep '11, and we can't wait!

 

[missmun52]

Thanks KatMark. I decided on CSR instead of the other mod's. I had our ressie booked for AKL for a moment but decided an extra $1000 was out of our budget. Seems like there is going to be a big convention during our stay though.

I realized the reason we cant get a standard room was because of the VMware convention. I can get a standard up till the day they are to check in but then if I try to book a room for the days they are there, nothing. And if I do length of stay only a water view is available, which Is what I got. Standard opens up again after they leave as well .

Seems like they have all the standard rooms all booked up.

 

[mrsxsparrow]

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful information on this thread! My family and I are booked at CSR for our very first trip to WDW over marathon weekend this January... so excited!

We requested Cabanas 8A or 8B to be close to a bus stop and the pool... hopefully these won't be preferred.

The queens in a moderate are a godsend... especially in a family of four with two males over six feet tall

I do have a question though... I was planning to ship a box to the resort. I've heard that you should ship via UPS or FedEx, but that at CSR it would go to the business office and thus incur a fee. Can I send it via USPS instead and skip the fee?

 

[weber1188]

Had to come on and update my signature since it's my birthday! and to mention that we only have 34 days until we're back at the world for the first time since 2003!

 

[padisneylover]

I really wish they would go ahead and let us know. We are currently booked at POFQ for May, but only because I'm afraid all the Cabanas are going to be Preferred (along with Casistas 1, 2, and 3). That would leave only Casitas 4 and 5, plus all the Ranchos as Standard. I prefer the Cabana section. I am terrified of being stuck out in the Ranchos. I'll be solo at CSR in about two weeks (Dec 4th-12th) and am already nervous just thinking about it. I really, really hate the Ranchos, but at least now there is a 4 in 13 chance of getting where I really want to be and a 9 in 13 chance of at least not being in the Ranchos. I want in the Cabanas and I guess Casitas 1 or 3 would be OK too. But please God, don't let me get stuck in the Ranchos. I've been tempted to move my May POFQ reservation over to CSR, but won't make a decision until we know for sure which buildings are going to be preferred.

Hope to see you there Aubriee. This will be my first stay at CSR and I am solo as well. Arriving Nov 24th and leaving on the 12th as well.

 

[TinkerBrie]

Last January I won a radio contest - free Disney World trip for 4!! It's been a loooong process (when you win these contests Disney books everything for you, you provide a list of preferable dates, which type of resort you want and the names/ages of your guests - they do everything else) but today I finally got all of the final paperwork for our trip in the mail!!! We leave early, early (which is what I wanted) on January 13th and come home the 19th. We are staying at CSR We asked them to add 2 nights to our package that we'd pay for (the trip was originally 4 days/5 nights) and they got us a discounted rate of $110 for those extra nights! PLUS my prize comes with a $500 gift card

Now that I know when we are going I am even more excited!!!!! I just had to share my joy

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!!!!!!!
We will be there at the same time!!!! Maybe we'll see you!! Wear your lime green Mickey head, and I'll wear mine!!!!!

 

[Renwoman]

First off. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! For all the time and effort that went into compiling this much information on CSR. It is so wonderful to see all of you sharing your experience and wisdom!

My DH and I are going to be going to WDW for our first time for both of us on our honeymoon. We booked CSR a while back though the travel agent didn't recommend it because of all the convention guests and tried to book us in a Port Orleans resort. I've been a bit worried about our choice, but after reading this thread I feel soooo much better! . After reading this whole thread I don't feel nervous but prepared and armed with a wealth of knowledge from people "in the know". I believe we picked the BEST moderate resort for us!

We are going to be at CSR December 15th to the 22nd. I just realized today that is a little less than 4 weeks away!

Thank you so much again! Wishes to all of you that your next Disney vacation is the best one you've ever had.

 

[tinacaplan]

First off. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! For all the time and effort that went into compiling this much information on CSR. It is so wonderful to see all of you sharing your experience and wisdom!

My DH and I are going to be going to WDW for our first time for both of us on our honeymoon. We booked CSR a while back though the travel agent didn't recommend it because of all the convention guests and tried to book us in a Port Orleans resort. I've been a bit worried about our choice, but after reading this thread I feel soooo much better! . After reading this whole thread I don't feel nervous but prepared and armed with a wealth of knowledge from people "in the know". I believe we picked the BEST moderate resort for us!

We are going to be at CSR December 15th to the 22nd. I just realized today that is a little less than 4 weeks away!

Thank you so much again! Wishes to all of you that your next Disney vacation is the best one you've ever had.

First of all, congratulations on the wedding and Disneymoon. How romantic! I so wish my husband and I had gone to Disney for ours. Secondly, I have to shout-out Kathy (Katmark) again for putting together what is, IMHO, the best, most comprehensive, friendliest resort thread on the Dis.

My husband and I went to CSR last February for an anniversary trip (number five). I chose the resort because I thought the newly rehabbed rooms are beautiful. Then, everything I read on-line just reaffirmed my choice. And I was right! It is really, incredibly beautiful. The Dig Site pool is amazing and the hot tub is HUGE!

Personally, I think the convention guests are a blessing in disguise. Yes, it might be weird to see folks walking around in business casual, but we didn't have much interaction with them. As a result, the resort has a slightly more adult feel that some of the others we visited. Don't know if you'll be using the bus system, but the busses at CSR were consistently great all week. No long waits, we never stood, etc. I think that has to do with the fact that so many of CSR's guests aren't going to the parks all that often. And it is nice that CSR doesn't share their busses with any other resort!

Have a wonderful time. I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip.

 

[Dawson'sMom]

We are now 29 days away from our Christmas trip!!!!! We will be staying at CSR 12/17-12/23. I would like to fax in our room request. When do I need to fax it in? Hoping to get Casitas 4 - ground floor - close to bus stop.

Thanks!!!

 

[C&OsMommy]

Only two weeks away!!!! I am so excited to stay at CSR this time...while we loved POR, it is fun to try out other resorts!!

Still trying to figure out the whole Pepper Market/Dining Plan/Gratuity thing. I did really like the POR food court, so hopefully we will like this one too.

So, if we go down for breakfast and get a side of sausage and an OJ for the kids to split, will we have to pay gratuity??

 

[marivaid]

Still trying to figure out the whole Pepper Market/Dining Plan/Gratuity thing.

If you get your food "to go", you don't have to pay gratuity. If a server sits you and brings your food to you - doesn't matter what it is - you'll have to pay the 10% charge.

 

[cherylsmike]

I have been racking my brain to deciede what room requests I would like to make. I don't want to be too specific and ruin any chance at a King bed upgrade (we would be happy either way but since we arent taking the kids a King bed would be a nice plus). I am a light sleeper (even on Ambien CR), so a quiet room is important. I don't need a water view, but I really don't want a parking lot view either. I want to be in the Ranchos, but DH is concerned about being that far away from the main building. Requesting Ranchos or Casitas was my compromise. This is what I came up with...

A quiet room, non-parking lot view, Ranchos or Casitas

Of course no request is guaranteed, but does this seem reasonable without being too constrictive? Can I even request a non-parking lot view if I am not paying to upgrade the view?

And since this would be the only place I can find people that understand...I have a whine. We had originally booked POP, but since it's a romantic trip I wanted to try CSR. The extra cost was prohibitive since when I originally decided to swith CSR had no standard view rooms available with Free Dining. Finally, after about two weeks of trying I was able to book CSR with Standard View. I was so proud of myself. The next day and for several weeks after that there were no Standard View rooms available. I was thinking very highly of myself and pleased with my Disney planning powers. However, in the last couple weeks the Standards are available again. The are there everytime I look. I guess maybe they released some rooms that were to be used for a convention or maybe just added more rooms onto the Free Dining offer. Either way I feel deflated. My feeling of triumph has been ripped away. Yep...that sounds just as bad as I thought it would. Thanks for letting me whine. Back to happy thoughts of DH and I strolling through CSR...

 

[KatMark]

Hi everybody! I have been lurking here for a couple of years. We have made many trips to WDW since '86. We stayed at CSR in Aug '10 (thanks to KatMark posts and pictures) with my DH and DS10 and had a great time. We will be back in Sep '11, and we can't wait!

Glad to hear you are going back.

Thanks KatMark. I decided on CSR instead of the other mod's. I had our ressie booked for AKL for a moment but decided an extra $1000 was out of our budget. Seems like there is going to be a big convention during our stay though.

I realized the reason we cant get a standard room was because of the VMware convention. I can get a standard up till the day they are to check in but then if I try to book a room for the days they are there, nothing. And if I do length of stay only a water view is available, which Is what I got. Standard opens up again after they leave as well .

Seems like they have all the standard rooms all booked up.

Keep checking...they may release some of those rooms closer to the date.

Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful information on this thread! My family and I are booked at CSR for our very first trip to WDW over marathon weekend this January... so excited!

We requested Cabanas 8A or 8B to be close to a bus stop and the pool... hopefully these won't be preferred.

The queens in a moderate are a godsend... especially in a family of four with two males over six feet tall

I do have a question though... I was planning to ship a box to the resort. I've heard that you should ship via UPS or FedEx, but that at CSR it would go to the business office and thus incur a fee. Can I send it via USPS instead and skip the fee?

I can't remember which way you can ship it without a charge. Let me try to find out and get back to you. I think USPS is okay...but I'll try to confirm.

Had to come on and update my signature since it's my birthday! and to mention that we only have 34 days until we're back at the world for the first time since 2003!

Happy Birthday!!!!

First off. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! For all the time and effort that went into compiling this much information on CSR. It is so wonderful to see all of you sharing your experience and wisdom!

My DH and I are going to be going to WDW for our first time for both of us on our honeymoon. We booked CSR a while back though the travel agent didn't recommend it because of all the convention guests and tried to book us in a Port Orleans resort. I've been a bit worried about our choice, but after reading this thread I feel soooo much better! . After reading this whole thread I don't feel nervous but prepared and armed with a wealth of knowledge from people "in the know". I believe we picked the BEST moderate resort for us!

We are going to be at CSR December 15th to the 22nd. I just realized today that is a little less than 4 weeks away!

Thank you so much again! Wishes to all of you that your next Disney vacation is the best one you've ever had.

We've stayed nine times and never really notice the convention guests. We may see them with their "badges" on first thing in the a.m. or having a drink at night, but they have never bothered us. They actually look sad that we are having fun and they are working. I think CSR is a great spot for a honeymoon (and be sure you tell them you are there for it...you might get a free champagne drink at the bar.

First of all, congratulations on the wedding and Disneymoon. How romantic! I so wish my husband and I had gone to Disney for ours. Secondly, I have to shout-out Kathy (Katmark) again for putting together what is, IMHO, the best, most comprehensive, friendliest resort thread on the Dis.

My husband and I went to CSR last February for an anniversary trip (number five). I chose the resort because I thought the newly rehabbed rooms are beautiful. Then, everything I read on-line just reaffirmed my choice. And I was right! It is really, incredibly beautiful. The Dig Site pool is amazing and the hot tub is HUGE!

Personally, I think the convention guests are a blessing in disguise. Yes, it might be weird to see folks walking around in business casual, but we didn't have much interaction with them. As a result, the resort has a slightly more adult feel that some of the others we visited. Don't know if you'll be using the bus system, but the busses at CSR were consistently great all week. No long waits, we never stood, etc. I think that has to do with the fact that so many of CSR's guests aren't going to the parks all that often. And it is nice that CSR doesn't share their busses with any other resort!

Have a wonderful time. I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip.

Tina, you are too kind. Thank you for the compliment.

We are now 29 days away from our Christmas trip!!!!! We will be staying at CSR 12/17-12/23. I would like to fax in our room request. When do I need to fax it in? Hoping to get Casitas 4 - ground floor - close to bus stop.

Thanks!!!

I always fax five days before our trip.

Only two weeks away!!!! I am so excited to stay at CSR this time...while we loved POR, it is fun to try out other resorts!!

Still trying to figure out the whole Pepper Market/Dining Plan/Gratuity thing. I did really like the POR food court, so hopefully we will like this one too.

So, if we go down for breakfast and get a side of sausage and an OJ for the kids to split, will we have to pay gratuity??

We love the food court at POR as well; but we also love the Pepper Market at the CSR; you'll find it different, but with many wonderful things.

I have been racking my brain to deciede what room requests I would like to make. I don't want to be too specific and ruin any chance at a King bed upgrade (we would be happy either way but since we arent taking the kids a King bed would be a nice plus). I am a light sleeper (even on Ambien CR), so a quiet room is important. I don't need a water view, but I really don't want a parking lot view either. I want to be in the Ranchos, but DH is concerned about being that far away from the main building. Requesting Ranchos or Casitas was my compromise. This is what I came up with...

A quiet room, non-parking lot view, Ranchos or Casitas

Of course no request is guaranteed, but does this seem reasonable without being too constrictive? Can I even request a non-parking lot view if I am not paying to upgrade the view?

And since this would be the only place I can find people that understand...I have a whine. We had originally booked POP, but since it's a romantic trip I wanted to try CSR. The extra cost was prohibitive since when I originally decided to swith CSR had no standard view rooms available with Free Dining. Finally, after about two weeks of trying I was able to book CSR with Standard View. I was so proud of myself. The next day and for several weeks after that there were no Standard View rooms available. I was thinking very highly of myself and pleased with my Disney planning powers. However, in the last couple weeks the Standards are available again. The are there everytime I look. I guess maybe they released some rooms that were to be used for a convention or maybe just added more rooms onto the Free Dining offer. Either way I feel deflated. My feeling of triumph has been ripped away. Yep...that sounds just as bad as I thought it would. Thanks for letting me whine. Back to happy thoughts of DH and I strolling through CSR...

You can whine whenever you want. It happens to the best of us.

We have stayed in Casitas 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Cabanas 8A and 9A. We have NEVER had a noisy room. I think you will be fine anywhere (the Ranchos is the only section we've not stayed in).
And here's hoping you get that "King" bed upgrade.

 

[aubriee]

Hope to see you there Aubriee. This will be my first stay at CSR and I am solo as well. Arriving Nov 24th and leaving on the 12th as well.

Maybe so! Wow your's is a long trip. I'd love to do that, but my supervisor would have a stroke if I put in for that much time at once. I go to WDW several times a year but only for 9-10 days at a time. I said my trip is Dec 4th-12th and it is, but actually I'm doing a split stay. I'll be at CSR Dec 4th-9th, then at YC Dec 9th-12th. I'm doing the DxDDP for both stays so am doing alot of Signature restaurants (and doing Le Cellier twice). I'm also going over to Universal for at least one (maybe two days). Can't wait! I love WDW at Christmas!

 

[aubriee]

I have been racking my brain to deciede what room requests I would like to make. This is what I came up with...

A quiet room, non-parking lot view, Ranchos or Casitas

Of course no request is guaranteed, but does this seem reasonable without being too constrictive? Can I even request a non-parking lot view if I am not paying to upgrade the view?

And since this would be the only place I can find people that understand...I have a whine. Thanks for letting me whine.

Requests are just that requests. There is no guarantee we'll get them, but we can ask for anything we want. At CSR my requests are always simple--first floor somewhere in the Cabanas. I too don't like a parking lot view, but for some reason never mention that when booking a room at CSR. As far as whining, whine away. It's no secret on here that just before every trip I start whining: I hate the look of the Ranchos, (as well as how far they are from the main building). Just before every trip I work myself up and get myself tied in knots with my fear of being placed out there. I know if I was ever actually placed out there, I'd be fine and maybe I just need to request a room in the Ranchos to get over my paranoia, but it seems every trip I get panicky about this time just thinking about it. Regardless of where I'm at, I know I'll have a good trip. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to not make any requests and then embrace whichever area they assign me to.

Anyway congratualtions and have a great trip and here's hoping you get the area you want and hopefully the king room upgrade too.

 

[marivaid]

The first time they put us in the Ranchos, I freaked !!! I thought our vacation was going to be ruined. But it was 8pm on New Year's Eve when we checked in, and there just wasn't any other area they could put us in.
Turned out to be our favorite location, now we request it.

 

[C&OsMommy]

If you get your food "to go", you don't have to pay gratuity. If a server sits you and brings your food to you - doesn't matter what it is - you'll have to pay the 10% charge.

So if you get it "to go" where can you sit???