Coronado Springs or Carribean Beach?

[leeseem]

We will be going to WDW in Dec05. Already have been to Port Orleans (loved it) and now want to try another moderate. Coronado or Carribean is the question? Traveling will be my husband and son (will be 13mos.), grandmother and two aunts. Thanks for advice!

 

[Glasgow]

Since you're travelling with some older folks, mobility may be an issue. Caribbean Beach is a bit larger and requires more walking I think, while Coronado Springs is a little more intimate as far as size goes. I don't think you can go wrong with either one, however, as both have nice rooms and fine restaurants.

The theming is quite different as well. I think it comes down to the overall size of the place (CBR being larger and requiring more walking) and which theme you prefer.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I have stayed at both hotels and do like them both, but Carribean Beach holds a special place in my heart. (I rode out Hurricane Charlie there). I would suggest you stay at Carribean Beach just because it's very kid friendly. There's a children's meal served at Old Port Royale in a sandbox and shovel. It's a great place and very upbeat. Plus, the food court at OPR is really nice. I never ate at the Coronado, but I will tell you that there is a 10% gratuity (spelling...sorry!) at their food court area. It's up to you, but my vote for you is Carribean Beach! Have a great trip!

TheDisneyGirl02

 

[CHI-HAWKS 65]

I have also stayed at both resorts. I find the Caribbean Beach a much more enjoyable resort. The Coronado has a large amount of convention traffic that, in my opinion, changes the feel of the resort. A large percentage of guests are working and are not necessarily there to feel the Disney experience. The convention population also impacts the food court as well. The CBR has a much more entertaining atmosphere and it's little things like that makes a Disney vacation even more magical. All in all you can't go wrong with either, but for me the Caribbean Beach resort wins over the Coronado Springs resort every time. I wish you a wonderful vacation!

 

[tracyandalex]

i have never stayed at CB, but i want to . i have however stayed at CS and my advice is to not stay there. don't get me wrong, i loved my stay there, but with a young child and some eldery folk the resort is way too spread out. while on vacation with my parents, i wanted to go to the lobby for a snack, so i hopped on the bus (yes you have to take a bus to go from one part of the resort to another - there are 3 stops). well i either got on the wrong bus or there were way more stops on the hotel bus than i thought cause that bus did not go to the lobby, tht bus went to BB :lol: :brick: . about 45min later when i returned to the room, my mom was ready to call security, she thought i got lost. i guess i sorta did. anyway, the resort is beautiful, but a little hard to navigate!!!

 

[EchoOfOphelia]

I've stayed at both and I LOVE Carribean Beach. Its themed very cute, every area has a different color scheme (look at pictures online at disney.com or on the picture area of wdwmagic), and each group of rooms has its own bus stop, which is very nice. The only thing is that if you want to go to gift shops, the main pool, or the restaurants/food areas, you do have to walk to Port Royale, which depending on which group of rooms you stay at, could be a walk for ya. If you stay there, I'd take a look at the map and at least stay at one close to the main area.

Coronado Springs was just okay, nothing to rave about.

 

[MKCP 1985]

I've stayed at both and love Coronado Springs. Its theming is just as awesome as Caribbean Beach. The Mayan ruins pool and the jaguar waterslide are great. The key difference may be getting a room close to the bus stop and main building as the walking at either resort can be overwhelming. Pay the extra for the preferred location - you won't regret it. At the end of the day, both are very good resorts.

 

[Wannabe Walt]

I've stayed at Caribbean Beach (2001) and it was amazing! I've seen Coronado Springs, but never stayed there. I LOVED CB very much! I'm probably staying there again this December (yippee! :lol: ). If I remember correctly, or if it has been taken away, there was one or two bus(es) that served only as a resort shuttle (took you from your "island" to other "islands", to Old Port Royale, or to the *forgetting the real name* lobby building (Common House or Customs House maybe?). This could help you out if you are planning on moving around the resort a lot. The walk from Barbados the OPR was quite a hike, but since the scenery was SO beautiful (even at night) it was worth it! (and the food was really good too...especially the Personal Pan Pizzas). Hope this helps!

 

[Superstretch]

We have stayed at both, and much prefer the coronado springs to the CB. It feels for upscale to me. The lobby is much more impressive as is the pool...especially the slide (if you are into that).

Also, I don't know why this thread is in the rumors section...

 

[1disneydood]

I enjoyed my stay at CS. As did my 10 yr. old boy. My wife, well she's never satisfied (as in resorts). Try to get in a building in the front.

 

[CaptainMichael]

I would love to stay at Coronado Springs. The theming is different from what I am used to. The only problem is distance. It is only close to Disney's Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach. Everything else is a drive.

 

[MinnieSummer]

Coronado Springs -- is absolutely my families favorite moderate resort and we have stayed at them all many times but always go back to CSR. It doesn't feel like a moderate except that it is spread out like the other moderates. The theming is incredible. Buildings 1 through 5 have beautiful water fountains and topiary and are simply breathtaking at night. They are also extremely close to the main building and the bus stops and a short walk to the main pool. They are also close to the salon, spa, fitness center and a quiet pool. The Food court has the largest variety of food styles of any of the moderate food courts and yes there is a 10% gratuity tacked on when you pay but -- you are seated and drink orders are taken. You don't have to get your drinks and carry them on a full tray to your table with kids running around (how many times has your drink spilled and the food on your tray been soaked). You don't have to bus your own table and you don't have to look for a place to sit with a full tray. As far as the convention crowd goes. I was there when the Childrens Miracle Network convention was going on. THere were celebrities and people everywhere. I honestly did not notice that they made the resort any less magical. The resort has a huge ballroom and meeting facility and most of the time they were in there. It was no big deal. The pool is the best moderate pool as far as size and theming (it is bigger than some of the deluxe resort pools) The children's pool is great also. For the adults there is a large hot tub that sits off to the side of the pool in a provate area but not secluded. The playground is also great fun in comparison to the other moderates. The drawback is the distance from some of the rooms to the main building but that drawback exists in all of the moderates and you can falg down a golf cart driver to take you were you need to go. I've always been able to get one with no problem. Basically I think everyone in your family will enjoy this resort from baby to grandparent. Go, Have fun, and remember wherever you stay you'll have a blasst.


Sorry this is so long but I am passionate about CSR.

 

[slappy magoo]

A Devil's Advocate thought or two...

1: CSR is supposedly geared towards convention-goers. I'm sure there are plenty of family-friendly things to do there, but there might be more kids at CBR. How much of a big deal that is depends on if your kid is outgoing and likes to play with others, AND if you prefer fewer kids running around. Which is not to say CSR won't have any children, but I'd suspect there might be more at CBR.

2: If any of the adults in your family have an exercise regimen they try to stay faithful to, CSR is the only moderate resort with a gym.

 

[bhg469]

my main reason for loving CS is the busses, i have never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for my bus for anywhere there and i have never had to stand on a bus because it was too crowded. when i stayed at csr it was alot more hectic i get enough of that at the parks hotel = :snore: parks = :sohappy:

 

[Tenny317]

This was my families deliema too...we have stayed at caribbean beach and never coronado...But we decided to try coronado for the first time...it looks really beautiful there!!i think either decision will be good!

 

[awallaceunc]

I've stayed at both. PO-Riverside is my favorite moderate resort, but between these two, I definitely recommend Caribbean.

Coronado is really pretty outside and in the lobby and it has a very cool restaurant, but as others have said there's a lot of convention buzz going on. I also thought the resort as a whole feel just a little below the normal Disney standard, especially the rooms. It just didn't feel as magical for some reason. To be fair, though, I stayed there when it had JUST opened, so it's possible they've made improvements since then.

It's been a long time since I've stayed at Caribbean (I've been there twice), but I have a lot of fond memories of it. There's some great theming there, and it feels Disney-esque, even if you aren't going to see a lot of characters or anything. But again, it's been a long time so I don't know what kind of condition it's in these days. I'd like to go back sometime.

If mobility is an issue, you can mention it to the CM when you make your reservation and request a room near the bus stop or the lobby (or maybe both), and arrive early!

-Aaron

 

[Goofy4WDW]

I can't give a honest reply, bacause I haven't stayed at Carribean Beach, only visited. I've stayed at Coronado Springs twice (last time two weeks ago). Obviously, since it was my second stay at CS, I enjoyed it. Just observations from my visit to CB, but it does probably have more of a relaxed feel than Coronado. I'm sure, as others mentioned, it's probably because of the convention center. Both places are large and spread out. Shortly after making our reservations, we faxed the resort, and asked for a room near the front, because of a recent surgery. When we checked in, we discovered that they obliged. Our room was just a short walk (under a covered walkway) from the Maya Grill. I'd have to say Coronado has a better food selection. The 10% surcharge at Pepper Market is a little aggrivating, but you can always get your order "to go", and eat outside near the water. There is NO surcharge if you do that. I really don't think you can go wrong either place you stay.

Oh BTW, this is my first post.