CSR - Tell me I'm gonna like it...

[LandFan]

Let me preface this by saying we usually stay at Pop and have occasionally stayed at AKL - those are our two favorites. I'm kinda fussy - I like colorful theming - I'm a designer/art person, lol.

Ok so I just decided to upgrade to CSR because we were going to stay at Pop with free QS and upgrade to the basic dining plan anyway so it is only a difference of about $300 to stay at a moderate. I decided to take the hoppers off because when we stay somewhere new we tend to explore the resort more and stay at the parks a bit less so it is actually more like $180 difference now. Not bad:thumbsup:

For those that have been there, I have a few questions...

1) So - Tell me I'm gonna like it at least as much as Pop!

2) Oh - and I was kind of digging the Ranchos visually more than the casitas or the cabanas... How far is it from Rancho 7B (or Cabana 8A as a second choice) to the main building?

3) How is the bussing? I noticed there is a bus stop right by cabana 8A and Rancho 7b, is that the first pickup? Will we get on a nice empty bus? : ) Is it also the first drop off? That would be SWEET!

Any other info you can give would be helpful! It is just me and DH and maybe our close friend - all adults.

[Kairi_7378]

We stayed in building 6B during our last stay. This is supposed to be one of the "bad" locations, because it is "so far" from the main lobby. We did not have a problem with this distance, which is about a half a mile. During our trip, I walked to the main building and back almost every morning as the sun was rising. What a beautiful way to start the day! If you don't want to walk, you can utilize the park buses and get off at the main stop. The bus stop near us (#3, I believe) was the second pick up and drop off for the resort. We did not have any trouble with busses. We were very close to the main pool, and our room overlooked a quiet pool. I was heistant to take a room in that location but did because it was available at check in, and was glad. We enjoyed the landscaping in the Ranchos section.

We had some very good customer service at this resort. Check in was a breeze (didn't do on line check in) and our room was ready when we arrived at 9:00 in the morning. The CM's fussed over my son and husband who were celebrating birthdays on our trip... they even got balloons. I had to make a request for bed rails one morning during our stay, and the CM's were there within 10 minutes of our call. This was the same for bell services. The CMs in the gift shop and food service areas were nice as well.

The main part of the hotel rooms have been recently re-done. The one thing that we thought was odd was that the bathrooms were not completely overhauled like the sleeping areas were. The tile matched the previous theming in the rooms, and my DH thought that it looked dated. (This was the shower and toilet area, not the sink.)

I can't compare to Pop or AKL but we did have a wonderful stay here.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

You will love CSR! We were hard core POR people, but we're definitely won over by CSR. W were in Ranchos 7B and didn't find it far from anything. It is a bit of a walk to the main lobby but the landscaping is gorgeous and we saw tons of butterflies and birds on the way! It's just so peaceful and quiet!

We dont have kids and are shift workers with messed up sleep schedules, so the one thing we hate about Pop and POR is the early morning noise. There was none of that a CSR! We were able to sleep in everyday!

The buses are much better too- so much less crowded. In the Ranchos we were the 2nd or 3rd stop (sorry that I forget exactly!) and never had to wait for a second bus.

Being a convention resort there are a lot of little perks too. We loved going to the Ikon business centre and buying wifi service for $4 for 4 hours. There is a little bench outside the centre so it was easy to check our email everyday.

The only thing my DH didn't like was the Pepper Market. He resented paying a tip to eat at a "counter service" restaurant, so we ended up taking our food to-go and eating outside on the patio. It was lovely there and we would have eaten outside regardless. And the food was really good- big variety and huge portions. We quickly discovered that we could split the fajitas for lunch and save a counter service credit.

Oh- I should mention if you have a king bed room to ask for a bathroom with a tub. Otherwise you end up with a handicapped bathroom with a very wimpy shower head. I have long hair and I could not rinse my hair out properly. The bathtub shower was a thousand times better!!!

Have a great time! You won't regret your choice! :mickey:

[MrPeetrie]

You are going to LOVE IT! Great Resort. Great Dining Options. Great pool complex. Picturesque.

The Ranchos is the furthest section from the Main Lobby, but the walk is so beautiful, you won't mind it one bit.
http://www.intercot.com/resorts/disney/maps/default.asp

[Ms. Mode]

We stayed there this January and I loved it! It is such a unique place, very different from the other resorts. I hope you have a good time.

[c&d]

We loved CSR when we stayed there. We stayed in Casitas 3A. We really enjoyed walking around the resort at night, there are so many hidden little areas to see. It is beautiful and loved laying in the hammocks staring at the sky.

Bus service: by far the best we've had. They weren't crowded during the day and they don't share with any other resort and when you get to the parks they have some of the best spots (I"m guessing it's because it's a convention center).

Speaking of convention center, we only ran into them once. We were grabbing an early breakfast and they were all in Pepper Market getting food.

We also like Pepper Market there was enough choice for everyone.

The main pool was nice and never really crowded during the day. The quiet pool was nice and it had lane lines so I could swim laps.

I think you'll enjoy your stay there.

[LandFan]

Thanks sooo much for all of your info - it was nicely detailed and really made me feel more comfortable with my decision for the fall. :thumbsup:

[darthmacho]

For those that have been there, I have a few questions...

1) So - Tell me I'm gonna like it at least as much as Pop!

2) Oh - and I was kind of digging the Ranchos visually more than the casitas or the cabanas... How far is it from Rancho 7B (or Cabana 8A as a second choice) to the main building?

3) How is the bussing? I noticed there is a bus stop right by cabana 8A and Rancho 7b, is that the first pickup? Will we get on a nice empty bus? : ) Is it also the first drop off? That would be SWEET!

Any other info you can give would be helpful! It is just me and DH and maybe our close friend - all adults.

1. I can't answer that for sure, because I can't be absolutely sure of your tastes. Let me just say that CSR is colorful, beautiful, and inspiring both day and night.

2.Ranchos was a bit further than the other sections to the main building, but it was gorgeously themed. We stayed in Cabanas with a water view and loved the location. Honestly, I don't see why distance matters unless you are impaired in some way because a slightly longer walk will invite you to explore the resort more, and this is a wonderful resort to explore. That being said, all three themed sections are nice in a different way.

3. Unsure about busses because we had a car that trip, but there are certainly enough stops that you will be in good shape.

I'd recommend at least one meal at Maya Grill.

CSR is a wonderful WDW resort!

[TIGGER17179]

Are the Rancho's better than the preferred rooms?

[LVT]

After years of POP we tried CSR and I really enjoyed it. We were in Casitas # by Bus stop #2 which is the 1st pickup.

1. landscaping around the water is lovely
2. Covered bus stops, with benches and water fountains
3. Nice pools
4. We liked Pepper Market, too

[MrPeetrie]

I have to be honest. I have stayed at all four moderates and I LOVE all four moderates pretty equally. There is something about each one that makes me miss it when I'm not there.

And, for me, the Pepper Market is my favorite "twist" on the food courts of the four moderates. I feel pretty confident thinking you will enjoy yourself if you stay here.

[laprana]

I stayed at CSR last October and loved it! The whole resort has a really nice atmosphere to it. We were in Ranchos 6A and I thought I would be disappointed with that location, but it ended up being great! The theming is really neat and it's nice and quiet back there. I walked to the main building several times and it wasn't bad at all. In fact, I really enjoyed it because it was a nice peaceful 10 minute walk (at most) through the beautiful grounds of the resort. The rooms were really nice, also. We didn't use the buses, so I can't comment on those. But every single cast member I encountered at CSR was friendly and helpful. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again! :thumbsup:

[luvdiznee]

We arrived on a rainy cool dark late night. We had to make our way to our room that was all the way to the back of the resort area. They didn't have anyone available to "shuttle" us from the lobby to our room area. Then the next day we were in the gift shop and rather than being checked out, the 3 girls there are busy conversing. So we just walked out. The food at Pepper Market was cold. Not sure if it was because it was another late night for us. Cold and old.

(Yes all reported)

But for us, will never stay there again.

[MushuGrl]

1) I cannot tell you that because I adore POP! On our last trip we upgraded to CSR, though, and I was glad we did. The resort is gorgeous, even more so at night. Several times we walked to the Main Building for no reason other than to get out, walk, and look. (Even after a full day of walking at the park!)

2) We were in Ranchos (though I can't remember what section) - it was maybe a five-ten minute or so walk, but we found many different routes to actually get there and enjoyed the walk so much. As someone else mentioned, it was also very quiet.

3) We never waited over ten minutes for a bus (except for one morning we were up extra early for a tour and it took twenty. But we were at the bus stop at 7 a.m.)

Actually our ONLY complaint about CSR is this - we're hit and run type people when it comes to food. The pizza/nugget/cheeseburger theme that most people don't like about quick service, we love. Its total comfort food. We love that at POP we can come in from the parks, grab a simple supper before we hit the hay. We didn't get that feeling at CSR. Pepper Market, though the food was good, was a little too fussy for us as we're just used to POP's food court. We aren't big breakfast eaters either - there is a little spot in there that you can grab your coffee and a bagel or cinnamon roll without fussing with Pepper Market, so that worked out well. That is the ONLY complaint we had. We'd definitely stay again (this coming from a hard-core POP lover.0

[badkitty]

FYI... The quick service location has been expanded and there is a wider variety of foods available including chessebuger and pizza. (I was there in January 2012.)

I really enjoy CSR but the trek to your room with luggage can be long. Be sure to seek out assistance if needed.

From my experience, the bus service is the best on property.