Three options--Coronado, Riverside or AK?

[quandrea]

hoping for a three night getaway with my best friend this summer. Taking advantage of a room discount and the Canadian ticket offer.

Which would you choose? CSR is cheapest at $1006, Riverside is $1178 and AK is $1445. Air for CSR day will be $20 cheaper each.

 

[cheshirealliekat]

I have not stayed at AK yet, but it would be my first choice due to the theme. Otherwise I would choose POR over Coronado every time!

 

[Jaimie1911]

I'd choose AKL, it's just gorgeous and has the best restaurants. If you're looking to save a little I'd pick POR which is also beautiful and has the boat to DS. I'd skip Coronado this trip only due to the construction.

 

[Babsy]

AKL is a deluxe whereas the CSR and POR resorts are both moderates. The AKL has interior corridors, balconies, incredible theming, some of the best restaurants in WDW, gorgeous pools, animals, a lovely lobby in Jambo House, only 2 bus stops (one at Jambo and one at kidani) and very comfortable rooms. I would definitely choose AKL.

If you decide to save some $$ and stay at one of the moderates, I would choose POR right now in order to avoid the construction at CSR.

 

[Shanti]

Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[Aristo-cat]

AKL is the nicest of the three, but second to that I absolutely love CSR. We have a return trip planned here for Thanksgiving week. We even scored Thanksgiving dinner in Cindys Castle!
Have a fun time, the resorts are so much fun I often wish I had booked an extra day just to enjoy the resort.

 

[Aristo-cat]

AKL is a deluxe whereas the CSR and POR resorts are both moderates. The AKL has interior corridors, balconies, incredible theming, some of the best restaurants in WDW, gorgeous pools, animals, a lovely lobby in Jambo House, only 2 bus stops (one at Jambo and one at kidani) and very comfortable rooms. I would definitely choose AKL.

If you decide to save some $$ and stay at one of the moderates, I would choose POR right now in order to avoid the construction at CSR.

As far as construction goes, we stayed at both the CSR and at CBR April 26-May 3.
The CSR construction impact is minimal, located in one area and that is well concealed.
When we moved over to CBR the impact was very high due to the fact of the food court being renovated and the buffet being moved to a tent. It just was not magical.
CSR however was fantastic. So fantastic we booked a return.

 

[BigredNole]

Purely by resort, it would be AK, CSR, and then POR. Based on prices, CSR, AKL, and POR. I will never go to POR without a car. If I have a car, I will not stay onsite so that takes POR out permanently. I enjoy most of my time at the parks and not waiting for buses. POR was a bus wait vacation than a Disney vacation.

 

[Babsy]

As far as construction goes, we stayed at both the CSR and at CBR April 26-May 3.
The CSR construction impact is minimal, located in one area and that is well concealed.
When we moved over to CBR the impact was very high due to the fact of the food court being renovated and the buffet being moved to a tent. It just was not magical.
CSR however was fantastic. So fantastic we booked a return.

Yes, I agree that construction impact can be highly variable - minimal or huge. CSR does have a localized construction area and is big enough that it could have very little effect on staying there. Unfortunately, we have had a couple of experiences with construction that were a big problem for us, so we now stay away from "under Construction resorts' just to avoid any potential problems. Fortunately for us, there are enough options in WDW to always find a construction free place to stay. In this case, I would simply opt for POR, which is a lovely moderate.

However, I fully understand that CSR is a great option for others that are less impacted by construction than we are. "Different strokes' and all that!

Oh, and Congratulations on scoring Cindy's Castle for Thanksgiving!!! That will be awesome!

 

[quandrea]

Thanks everyone! This morning prices are down further. I'm thinking AKL. I love it there and the price difference Is only $100 now over the four days. I think I'll like it more in the heat.

 

[Jaimie1911]

For $100 over 4 days it's a no brainer! Enjoy AKL!

 

[Shellyred8]

For only $100 difference, I would go with AKL.
On a side note: we just got back from a stay at CSR and it was pretty good. This was our first stay there. The construction was well isolated, so we didn't hardly notice it. I also really liked the location in proximity to the parks. We were able to see the fireworks from HS from the balcony. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if the price was right. But at only $100 more for your stay, I would definitely go with AKL.

Have a great trip!!

 

[quandrea]

I'm going to book it. Can't reach my friend about it til June 24, but want to secure deal. She is teaching in the far north of Canada--no phone, no internet. Hope it all works out!