Making the leap to Moderate Resorts -- Advice

[Mike K]

Hey guys, my wife and I are already looking ahead to next year for our next WDW visit. We're planning to arrive Memorial Day weekend and stay until the following weekend. While we have always stayed at value resorts (All-Star Movies and Art of Animation), we're finally preparing to make the upgrade to the moderates. As of right now we're looking at Caribbean Beach resort which we think looks quite nice and is in Epcot's area which is another bonus. If any of you guys could provide some pros/cons for Caribbean Beach or other suggestions regarding the other moderate resorts, we'd really appreciate the feedback! Thanks in advace!

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

Congrats on the big change! I highly recommend researching and considering Coronado Springs, especially if it's just you and your wife. I'll let @Buzz2001 take it from here.

 

[Mike K]

Congrats on the big change! I highly recommend researching and considering Coronado Springs, especially if it's just you and your wife. I'll let @Buzz2001 take it from here.

Thanks so much! We were very much intrigued with Coronado Springs so far too so we'll really have to look into both. Looking forward to more input from others. Thanks again for your help @DisneyPrincess5

 

[MaxsDad]

I have stayed at all of the mods. CBR is our least favorite. Reasons of the top of my head: rooms, layout, food choices, landscaping.

Between CSR and the PO's, I am torn. I like all three a lot and would recommend any of three.

 

[Mike K]

I have stayed at all of the mods. CBR is our least favorite. Reasons of the top of my head: rooms, layout, food choices, landscaping.

Between CSR and the PO's, I am torn. I like all three a lot and would recommend any of three.

Thanks @MaxsDad! Regarding, the PO's, would you recommend any one side over another? The Riverside looks really beautiful.

 

[bcalltimandanna]

I think POFQ would be best for a couple

 

[Mike K]

I think POFQ would be best for a couple

Honestly at this point, it's looking more and more likely that we'll be staying at POFQ. Based on comments here and our own research, it just seems like the ideal fit for our first moderate.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Love cbr!! It's beautiful and makes me feel like I'm in a tropical paradise !

 

[KLeigh]

POFQ is my home resort, and I absolutely love it. It's small, quiet, and the boat to DTD/DS is such a relaxing ride. Riverside is just a quick walk (or boat ride) away if you want to check it out during your stay.

Due to its small size, it's on the quieter side at night and is such a great place to relax after a busy day in the parks. If you're looking for a great snack, be sure to order some beignets from the food court!

 

[MaxsDad]

Thanks @MaxsDad! Regarding, the PO's, would you recommend any one side over another? The Riverside looks really beautiful.

FQ is smaller, therefore is easier to navigate and will have fewer guest demand on resources. I think the QS food court has better options. It's theme is consistent and well executed.

Riverside has a varied theme, bayou and plantation. Both are well executed. It is larger but does not seem crowded like the all stars may have to you. I like the pool here better. The QS food is good.

One side over the other? French Quarter for theme, quiet, romance. Either way. I recommend Boatwrights's food. And BTW, PO has great Epcot access as well!

We went Memorial week for years. Good time to go.

 

[DisneyGigi]

Congrats on the big change! I highly recommend researching and considering Coronado Springs, especially if it's just you and your wife. I'll let @Buzz2001 take it from here.

I have to agree. We stayed at Coronado last year, our first time at a moderate and we loved it so much we are returning in a few days! @Buzz2001 was very helpful to us in making the decision to stay there last trip. It is a beautiful resort. Highly recommend it.

 

[Mike K]

Thanks to everyone for offering their advice on this. While staying at WDW, my wife and I have always tended to stay at values just to save a few bucks although, we've stayed with friends at the Beach and Yacht Club as well as the Grand California during our last visit to Disneyland in May so we've luckily experienced both ends of the spectrum. That said, the time has come for a nice change in Orlando and based on everything we've gathered from you folks, POFQ looks like it will be our go to this upcoming trip. @DisneyShe we'll definitely keep Coronado Springs in mind for the future as a few other people shared their positive thoughts on it. Thanks again for everyone's quick responses and first hand opinion, we really appreciate it!

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Port Orlens French Quarter is my fav
Riverside is amazing, little bigger
Coronado is pretty nice. Convention center which can be a draw back for me
Caribbean I am just not a fan of

 

[matt9112]

Thanks @MaxsDad! Regarding, the PO's, would you recommend any one side over another? The Riverside looks really beautiful.

riverside for sure

 

[matt9112]

Hey guys, my wife and I are already looking ahead to next year for our next WDW visit. We're planning to arrive Memorial Day weekend and stay until the following weekend. While we have always stayed at value resorts (All-Star Movies and Art of Animation), we're finally preparing to make the upgrade to the moderates. As of right now we're looking at Caribbean Beach resort which we think looks quite nice and is in Epcot's area which is another bonus. If any of you guys could provide some pros/cons for Caribbean Beach or other suggestions regarding the other moderate resorts, we'd really appreciate the feedback! Thanks in advace!

at the end of the day they are all great the only one i have no stayed at to any degree is Coronado. we did CBR last trip and it was amazingly well themed and those hammocks where balling. the only con is how massive the place is (invest in preferred room)
the pool area is also a standout i would put it above POFQ or PORS anyday.

 

[emcclay]

Coronado. I have recommended this resort for lots of friends. It has a more relaxed feel and it is certainly one of the most beautiful resorts on property.

 

[Tinkerbella16]

Love the moderate resorts! They are beautiful all around, without breaking the bank too hard and going Deluxe. I have stayed at all 4 mods and POR is my absolute favorite. The grounds are relaxing, gorgeous and the boats to DTD are an added bonus. Even though it is considered the DTD area, the resort is a great location.. bus to MK is surprisingly shorter. The food court in the best we have been on property and be have been to all the values also. I think all the mods are beautiful, I just get that "disney bubble" feeling so much more at Riverside.

 

[Mike K]

I think we're all but settled on Port Orleans French Quarter. Thank you all again! The added insight into the other resorts was also most helpful as the moderates clearly offer great accommodations so we look forward to testing the waters with future visits. Onward to May

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Just throwing this out there since cost has been an issue for us as well (heck never mind the value resorts, we started out at the Red Roof Inn years ago LOL.) We always check the "see all special offers" page on the Disney World "Place To Stay" page. Now, generally more offers are available to us because we are Florida residents and annual passholders, but we only see maybe a 5% difference between those offers and offers made to the general public.

We figure eventually we'll stay at all of the moderates, so we base which one to pick on which one has the best sale price when we book. And you can keep checking back and get different prices. For example, we were watching Carribbean Beach resort in the $140 range, and then one day it was reduced to $119, so that's when we booked. We didn't look at a different offer, the price just went down.

The last time we stayed at CBR it was $115, Coronado was in the $120 range, and Port Orleans Riverside was our first moderate splurge at $148 or so. Typically POFQ comes up significantly higher priced than POR. But recently I discovered Orbitz for Disney booking. And to my surprise, their prices varied a lot from the WDW prices - sometimes more, sometimes less. In this case, they had POFQ for $119, and the WDW site had it for over $150. And when you sign up for Orbitz' little free club thingy, you get a $25 credit code the next day. So we had a choice of CBR for $119 via WDW vs. POFQ for $119 via Orbitz, and we decided to go with CBR because we had the most fun there of the three (and I loved a particular pork sandwich in the food court.) The only thing is when you book Orbitz, you can't add DDP (which we never use.) Also, you get points back from Orbitz that you can use towards your next stay. I think we're going to try it for our next booking. I've never seen POFQ that low before.

We have no kids, so we also appreciated the more adult feel of Coronado (and even used the gym.) We liked POR as well. But for whatever reason, we had the best time at CBR so far.

Have a great time at POFQ!

 

[Mike K]

@Tony the Tigger Thanks so much for the great advice! We'll definitely keep our eyes peeled in case a deal that's too good to resist pops up. As many have said before, once you upgrade to moderates, there's no looking back which will be exciting for us with our future WDW visits. I suppose the hardest thing to deal with the next few years will be the avalanche of construction walls up at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Obviously, the wait will be more than worth it for a Star Wars junkie like myself but, boy they can be eye sores. Having just recently visited Disneyland (my second visit, my wife's first), we were in our paradise there with the Grand California's accommodations, the added convenience of no buses and the overall laid back atmosphere of the parks. That said, Orlando is typically our go-to location and we can't wait to experience it in an upgraded resort.