Seeking Moderate Wisdom Please

[bkfree]

Ok, here's the scenario.
Family-Me, DH, son (9) and daughter(8).

We are deluxe resorters and The Yacht Club our usual resort of choice, mostly due to the location.
We are planning our next trip in May 08 and are leaning toward staying at a Moderate for the first time and by doing this we can really extend our days.
I have narrowed it down to Coronada Springs, Carribean Beach adn PO French Quarter.
OK, you Disneyphiles who have stayed at ALL THREE of these, tell me which is your favorite and your least favorite and why.
I know that we could stay at the Swan and use my teacher's discount but we are not willing to lose out on ME and Disney Dining-I don't think.
We fly down and do it carless.
Anyway, offer me your seeds of wisdom.
Also a ground floor vs upper level pros and cons.Thanks:mickey::thumbsup:

[DisFan01]

We've stayed at all three of these. :mickey:

3rd Favorite--
Port Orleans FQ: We liked FQ mainly because of the nice designs and such. However, the room we got was not in great condition. We've only stayed there once, so I don't know if all the rooms are like that or not.

2nd Favorite--
Coranado Springs: Overall, very nice resort. We've stayed there more than PO-FQ, however we think that FQ might be a bit bigger, but we aren't sure. Nice rooms, better than PO- French Quarter.

Our Favorite--
Carribean Beach: Another very nice resort that is our favorite. If I was picking between these three, I would pick this one... but that's just my opinion. You can get a room near the 'beach', and it is very relaxing to walk along it in the morning. Last buildins are far from the lobby, though.

Hope that helps! :thumbsup:

PS: Not that it matters, but we like PO- Riverside better than FQ.

[BronxTigger]

I'm cheating a bit here...I've only STAYED at 2 of the 3, but I've visited POFQ twice during the day. On my next trip I plan to try POFQ.

Anyways....

Coronado Springs...I spent this past weekend there. The resort is beautiful. The best thing going for it in my opinion is the pool area. It has the longest slide of the moderates and I think possibly the biggest pool. It is about 3x the size of CBR's pool. (note: CBR's main pool will be closed for most of 2008, but the village pools will be open). I didn't eat at the food court, but it is large and I've heard it's one of the better ones. The theming is beautiful at this resort but it is not my personal favorite. It is prettier in person than the photos you may find online. The rooms also only have one sink, but like the other moderates there is a curtain between the sink area and the main room area. This resort has elevators...we were on the 3rd floor of the Ranchos. This resort is very large and there is no path across the lake like at CBR.

Caribbean Beach...this one is my favorite! The rooms are 26 square feet bigger than the other moderates, and if you get a corner room there are 2 windows. This resort is very large but I find it nice because, especially after being in crowded parks, the resort does not feel crowded because everyone is nicely spaced out. I stayed here in August of this year and loved the feel and theming of the place. It's very relaxing to walk around the grounds and lay in the hammocks. The main pool here is small and the slide is short, but they will be upgrading this soon. Each village has a quiet pool. The gift shop here is quite large and so is the food court. One of the downsides here is the bus stops are usually far away at the parks, and they stop a lot on their way around the resort (7 times). This resort has no elevators. I was on the first floor of Aruba 53.

Port Orleans French Quarter....this is the one on your list I have not stayed overnight, so I can't give as much detail. The pool and slide here are bigger and longer than at CBR but smaller and shorter than CSR. The theming at this resort is beautiful and there is boat transportation to DTD, which breaks up the bus monotony. This resort does share buses sometimes with POR, so while there is only one stop at POFQ, it may stop 4 times at POR before going to the parks. The great thing about POFQ is how compact it is. Everything is near to the food court, pool, gift shop, and bus stop. And the beignets are great!

I have photos of CBR on my home page (click my name) and I should be adding my CSR photos soon and the ones from my POFQ day visit.

[garymacd]

French Quarter is, by far, our favourite. It is small, quaint and very well themed. I just posted some of the benefits of the resort and amenities on a thread called "POFQ First Time". (think that is what it was called)

We have never stayed at Coronado Springs, so I can't comment on it.

Caribbean Beach would be our last choice. For us, it was just TOO DARN BIG! Beautiful, but BIG! Unless you get a preferred room, you almost need a bus to take you anywhere in the resort. Great food court with a large selection. Wel themed, especially the pool area, but BIG!

Hey, anywhere you stay, it will still be Disney!

[offwego]

FQ

Pro's smallest of the resorts in the mod group for guests that will be using the food court, pool etc quite a bit.
theme is lovely (if you like that look)
Boat to DTD is nice
Beignets! (donuts)
Cons
Shared buses with PORS (however this often means more buses are sent)

CBR
Pros
Two story buildings can mean less walk ups
Colourful theme is attractive
Non swim beach has hammocks etc that are quite nice
Cons
It's big..location (which aside from paying for it really can't be controlled for sure) can mean your walking a ways to the food court and the lobby area is in a sep. building from that if you need to do anything there that can be a challenge

I've not stayed at CS but would of the three pick POFQ...and that's just mostly for the boat ride I'll admit!

[emerzmom]

I have stayed at CBR and POFQ several times but never at CS...so 2 out of 3.
I like POFQ best. It is small, quaint, and has a relaxed atmosphere (nice after a busy day in the parks). I also really like that you can ride a boat to DDD. CBR is nice but too big. Just my 2 cents here...

[bkfree]

So far you have given me some great things to think about:thumbsup:
CB- great food court and larger rooms
resort size doesn't bother us:mickey:

FQ- Boat ride to DDD, which I hadn't thought about is a good point:number1:
smaller resort is more intimate

So far is seems as CB and FQ are the top two contenders....:thumbsup:
Anyone else have any thoughts?:confused:

[crazypoohbear]

One thing to consider is that PORS has the trundle beds. With having a boy and girl they might want have their own bed! With my two boys I always make them switch out taking turns with the "real" bed.

[Marker]

I too fall short of the desired qualifications for this question as I have never (yet) stayed at CS.

As for the others, CBR was nice, but I much preferred POFQ. I love the theming, to me I just like the feel better than I did CBR. Also the additional mode of transportation (the boat to DTD) was an nice option. I'm often an early riser, and the "feel" of meandering the streets or the French Quarter early in the morning was very soothing.

My favorite however is POR. It has my favorite theme feel. Lots of green space, and footpaths with bridges over the river. Even the look of the MIll House and the boat docks just feels good to me. I love the layout with the neighborhood "quiet" pool, with the big pool and water slide on Ol' Man Island. Or you can grab (rent) a fishing pole and do a little fishin'. For me it is a very scenic and relaxing place. This is definitely my favorite of the moderates.

[kathiep]

Ok, I've stayed at CS & CBR and visited POFQ.

Here are some thoughts:

as another poster mentioned, the main pool at CBR will be closed during your stay. Don't know if this is important to you or not but this could be a big factor to some. The village pools might end up being very crowded.

I would have to recommend CS. Here's why:

you said size doesn't matter. CS is a gorgeous resort to walk around. Especially a walk around the lake at night. The view is just beautiful.

The main pool is really big and wonderfully themed.

Out of the 3, the food court at CS can't be beat. They have a much larger selection of food. It isn't simply burgers or pizza. They have a pasta station, a mexican station, a chinese station and more. The fajitas were made fresh in front of you while you waited. I loved the set up of it as well, once I got used to it. Unlike CBR and POFQ, they seat you before you get your food. I hated going to CBR's food court and juggling my tray with all it's food, trying to keep my kids close and then paying for the food all at once.

At CS - they seat you and each guest gets a ticket. You are then free to roam and choose whatever food you like. The servers stamp your card with your choices. You then sit and relax while you eat. You turn in your card as you leave and then pay for your meal.

A lot of people are concerned about the conventions going on at CS. We found this to be a plus. The pool was less crowded during the day. We've also heard that the busses are far less crowded than at the other resorts.

[c&d]

I'm another cheater, I've only stayed at POFQ and CSR.

CSR is definitely my favorite mod. I love the size of the resort, it doesn't feel as crowded. The main pool was huge and never overcrowded and the real lap pool as a quiet pool was a bonus. The spa and health club make if feel a little more deluxe than the other mods. The different themes throughout the resort were also very nice and it was very pretty to walk around at night. The buses were never really crowded.

POFQ, I have to say I was disappointed in it. I guess we're not New Orleans types. The resort grounds were very pretty but I felt we were always trying to around someone.

The biggest drawback was the food court. We found very little that we liked there.

[MNNHFLTX]

I haven't stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter, but I have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and the other two moderates you are considering. I would recommend Coronado Springs and Port Orleans. Coronado Springs is a beautiful resort with a fantastic pool area (and a huge hot tub!) The food court has a lot of variety too, with something for everyone. We found transportation to be quick and easy too and the buses did not seem as crowded as other resort buses. Port Orleans French Quarter would also be a good choice, as kids love the dragon-slide at the main pool and if you want a change of pace, you can always take a stroll over to use the pool at the sister resort (Port Orleans Riverside). As someone mentioned earlier, the boat transportation to Downtown Disney is a nice perk too.

I liked the Caribbean Beach Resort, but it is my least favorite out of all the moderates. One thing in particular that I didn't like about it was that the Customs House building (where you check in and where the Magical Express buses drop off and pick-up) is in a totally separate area from the Old Port Royale restaurant and food court. You have to catch the resort shuttle or have a lengthy walk to travel between the two, if necessary, something we found very inconvenient on the day we checked out.

[Lessie]

I have stayed at all 3 several times and my favorite is definitely Coronado Springs, in the casitas section.

I will say that Coronado is HUGE. I have stayed in the ranchos section in the back before and really didn’t enjoy it. It rained the entire trip and we were just too far away from the main building, so I would steer clear of the rooms on the back side of the resort.

You have definitely gotten some good advice above, but I’m sure you will be happy with whichever resort you choose! :mickey:

[Tink's Mom]

My favorite of the moderates is Coranado Springs. I just love the theme. The pool is also the best in my opinion. They have games by the pool each day, and our DD's loved breaking the pinata. The lake is especially beautiful at night, and very nice for a romantic walk. I also feel this resort has more of a deluxe feel to it than the other mods.

Next would be POR, POFQ, and last CBR. CBR is last because I feel it is in desperate need of refurbishing.

I know of a website with extensive photos of all of the resorts. The photos include all areas such as rooms, pools, buildings, etc. If you PM me, I will be happy to give you the website. I am sure that where ever you choose it will be magical. Have a great trip!

[bkfree]

OK, I am going back and rechecking Riverside and Coronada Springs.
You guys made some great points about them.

Trundle bed isn't really important. Daughter and I usually end up sleeping together and Dad and son for some reason when we stay at hotels.
Probably because the boys tend to go to sleep earlier than us girls.

My son has some sensory issues when it comes to eating, so a larger variety in food options is a must and CS sound good on that point.

Humm, I don't know how I ever planned our trips before Intercot.......