FQ vs CS Tower

[Schweino]

Subject says it all We have stayed at FQ before and we really enjoyed it. There was really a few things in particular which focus around it's small size:

• The walk from the bus stop to a standard room in the far corner of the resort is not far - like a 5 or 6 minute walk if that.
• The beignet's are awesome!
• The walk to the hot tub/pool is like 2-3 minutes. Super convenient.

We are looking at our bounceback offers for next December and we are leaning towards FQ, but Tower at CS is about $60 bucks more give or take per night. I do personally enjoy a 'nicer' looking room so Tower wins, but is there anything else I should consider given that one of our favorite perks of FQ is limited walking to get to places? What's the bus situation like to drop off at the Tower vs all the other stops around CS?

 

[Tuvalu]

All resort rooms at FQ will be completely refurbished by next December (and they are very nice!)

While rooms in Gran Destino Tower are also very nice, they are starting to show a little and tear after 5+ years. Views are great if you are on a higher floor. There are more dining options at CSR than FQ, and the feature pool is the best moderate pool on property IMO.

That said, CSR is a huge resort. There are 4 bus stops, with the Tower being last being picked up and dropped off (despite being Bus Stop #1!) In the morning buses often arrive full (or close to full) so you may have to stand.

If you like the intimacy of FQ, CSR may feel overwhelming. However it can be fun to try a new resort.

Having just stayed at both resorts, I’d return to FQ.

 

[Schweino]

All resort rooms at FQ will be completely refurbished by next December (and they are very nice!)

While rooms in Gran Destino Tower are also very nice, they are starting to show a little and tear after 5+ years. Views are great if you are on a higher floor. There are more dining options at CSR than FQ, and the feature pool is the best moderate pool on property IMO.

That said, CSR is a huge resort. There are 4 bus stops, with the Tower being last being picked up and dropped off (despite being Bus Stop #1!) In the morning buses often arrive full (or close to full) so you may have to stand.

If you like the intimacy of FQ, CSR may feel overwhelming. However it can be fun to try a new resort.

Having just stayed at both resorts, I’d return to FQ.

Thanks @Tuvalu - that is disappointing about the bus stops. We just got back from BC and we were annoyed (first world problems) about sharing with Yacht and sometimes BW. We knew that going in, but initially we didnt think we'd mind. A full day at parks changed our minds lol. I know sometimes FQ shares with RS as well. I just booked with FQ and look forward in seeing the refurbs in person!

Sidenote - is WDW getting rid of bath tubs?

 

[Tuvalu]

Sidenote - is WDW getting rid of bath tubs?

I can’t say for sure. I did ask at the Front Desk of FQ and got three different answers as the CMs discussed amongst themselves.

Regarding the FQ refurbished rooms:
One said showers were ONLY in accessible rooms. (We had a shower and weren’t in an accessible room.)
Another said showers were ONLY in King rooms. (We were in a room with two queens.)
The last one said showers were ONLY in corner rooms. (We did not have a corner room.)

When I asked if the tub/shower unit (currently in unrefurbished rooms) would be in some NEW rooms, the three of them gave me the deer-in-headlights look.

 

[mf1972]

Thanks @Tuvalu - that is disappointing about the bus stops. We just got back from BC and we were annoyed (first world problems) about sharing with Yacht and sometimes BW. We knew that going in, but initially we didnt think we'd mind. A full day at parks changed our minds lol. I know sometimes FQ shares with RS as well. I just booked with FQ and look forward in seeing the refurbs in person!

Sidenote - is WDW getting rid of bath tubs?

i wish they would ditch the tubs. currently at YC & i always worry i’m going to slip & crack my head open.

 

[Schweino]

i wish they would ditch the tubs. currently at YC & i always worry i’m going to slip & crack my head open.

I could understand that. My wife loves to soak with some bath salt stuff she uses after a full park day.

 

[UNCgolf]

i wish they would ditch the tubs. currently at YC & i always worry i’m going to slip & crack my head open.

With the number of families with small kids, I don't know why they'd get rid of tubs -- most people give their young kids baths, not showers.

I'd much rather have a walk-in shower, but that doesn't seem to align with Disney's main target audience.

 

[jprieur]

I can’t say for sure. I did ask at the Front Desk of FQ and got three different answers as the CMs discussed amongst themselves.

Regarding the FQ refurbished rooms:
One said showers were ONLY in accessible rooms. (We had a shower and weren’t in an accessible room.)
Another said showers were ONLY in King rooms. (We were in a room with two queens.)
The last one said showers were ONLY in corner rooms. (We did not have a corner room.)

When I asked if the tub/shower unit (currently in unrefurbished rooms) would be in some NEW rooms, the three of them gave me the deer-in-headlights look.

We were recently in BLDG 1, renovated room, standard view queen 3rd floor (so not a corner - pretty sure all corner rooms are king anyway) and we had a walk in shower (no tub combo). We were right near some ADA rooms (thought it strange to have those on the 3rd floor), but ours was standard.

The room refurb is honestly a massive upgrade from before. We usually stay either yacht or FQ, and I can honestly say with the refurb the quality between the 2 are pretty close. Of course you loose some sq ft and a few other touches; but for a moderate the new rooms are easily deluxe lite. I am talking room only, not overall amenities/location.

Besides resort size, we always pick FQ for the bus service. Its very centrally located (except for AK) and will only share service with riverside during slow season and non peak times (AK & HS only). We stayed at Coronado once before the tower was built, I dont like multi bus stop resorts and I think the rooms now are comparable.

 

[Buzz2001]

The tower has 4 separate stops by destination. If buses fill up , they send other buses to the tower. In all our trips, no issues with buses. The tower is close to the main pool as well. The resort has many lounges and restaurants to choose from too. No tubs in the tower though.

 

[ToInfinity]

We stayed at FQ in October in a renovated room, building 2. We were the first to stay in that room, because that building opened back up the day we checked it. We LOVED it. Our room was on the first floor, non-accessible, and had a tub/shower combo.

 

[Schweino]

We stayed at FQ in October in a renovated room, building 2. We were the first to stay in that room, because that building opened back up the day we checked it. We LOVED it. Our room was on the first floor, non-accessible, and had a tub/shower combo.

Hmmm - that's interesting. So it makes me wonder if you will now need to 'request' a tub room? NGL this is a really weird approach from Disney lol.

 

[ToInfinity]

Hmmm - that's interesting. So it makes me wonder if you will now need to 'request' a tub room? NGL this is a really weird approach from Disney lol.

We didn’t request a tub room, that’s just what we got. We would have preferred the shower, actually!

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Subject says it all We have stayed at FQ before and we really enjoyed it. There was really a few things in particular which focus around it's small size:

• The walk from the bus stop to a standard room in the far corner of the resort is not far - like a 5 or 6 minute walk if that.
• The beignet's are awesome!
• The walk to the hot tub/pool is like 2-3 minutes. Super convenient.

We are looking at our bounceback offers for next December and we are leaning towards FQ, but Tower at CS is about $60 bucks more give or take per night. I do personally enjoy a 'nicer' looking room so Tower wins, but is there anything else I should consider given that one of our favorite perks of FQ is limited walking to get to places? What's the bus situation like to drop off at the Tower vs all the other stops around CS?

I imagine you've already booked your bounceback by now, but we have really enjoyed the Tower. My most recent FQ stay was......probably around 2018 or so- so a bit dated.

The rooms at FQ have long been really nice. When last I stayed there, the pool seemed a bit small.

When I stayed at CSR Tower I had my own car. That's usually my choice for getting around WDW. If you have your own transportation, then the location of the Tower is great, especially for HS. FQ, with a car, is rather close to MK and DS, but a bit further to everything else.

One big thing we enjoyed about CSR was staying club level. The lounge is really pretty, and the staff is excellent! the rest of the dining option were less appealing to us, but that is also one reason we haven't returned to FQ. We just weren't into the food options there. The lounge has gorgeous views, and is a fabulous place to eat and relax.

If you have the DDP, then CL might be a bit of a double dip. In the CL, you get breakfast, all day beverages, real dishware, plus the option of evening appetizers, and 8pm-10pm desserts. In the morning the quick breakfast offerings of the lounge are a BIG bonus if you are trying to get to the parks. Also, they have one of the new latte/espresso machines.

The CSR pool is also one of my favorites. The walk to the pool from the tower is not too bad. While you would have no need to walk the full resort, walking the full resort is a bit of a walk. The theming of the rooms is also really nice. I love the layout.

One option you might wish to consider is a split stay, where you stay most of the trip at one place, but then check out the other hotel for just 1 night. Another option, esp if you rebooked FQ, would be to visit the Tower, maybe have a meal or an adult beverage. Though I might add, part of why we chose the Club floor is because it was the most appealing dining option. I like having strong coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt for breakfast.

 

[Schweino]

One option you might wish to consider is a split stay, where you stay most of the trip at one place, but then check out the other hotel for just 1 night. Another option, esp if you rebooked FQ, would be to visit the Tower, maybe have a meal or an adult beverage. Though I might add, part of why we chose the Club floor is because it was the most appealing dining option. I like having strong coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt for breakfast.

Probably an unpopular opinion but we really aren't fans of split stays. We prefer to stay in one spot and not have to move around. We did ultimately pick FQ as we do love the small size of the resort. We really aren't pool people - we are hot tub people. While CS has the biggest hot tub, during our last stay at FQ all but 1 time we were the only ones in the hot tub. That's nice.

FQ and RS are definitely weak with food options all together, but we generally would move to a deluxe to eat dinners anyways. We are going to keep FQ and we may ultimately bump up to a deluxe depending on what Disney does for discounts next year (and how my investments play out ). With Epic opening, I am guessing Disney does free dining w/ hopper.

 

[krissybear2003]

We have stayed at both, but we stayed in the casitas at Coronado and we loved them, it is a little walk to the main building but it was nice to walk around the resort. We stopped and hung out in the hammocks for a bit! Coronado is one of our favorites now!