Speaking of good CLs, finally getting around to organizing my pics from GDT from a few weeks ago. This was our first time at CSR (had only ever driven past) and frankly I didn't know much about the overall resort prior to arrival. I had glanced at posts about GDT CL but hadn't really 'studied' what to expect, somewhat on purpose.
A few random thoughts/opinions, in no particular order:
In the world of Disney CL, this place gets a ton of high marks.
I thought CSR was a breathtakingly beautiful resort. While large in size, it's easily manageable/walk-able with tons of options for eating, waterfront dining, rooftop dining, outdoor dining, bars, lounges, etc. Pick your mood/preference and they have an option that will fit. I'd gladly stay here with or without kids.
GDT feels a lot like the WDW Four Seasons, but without the Four Seasons price.
CL at GDT is a bit like Disney CL on steroids. But like everywhere, there are some things about the experience that are way above-standard relative to typical Disney CL, and some things that were just average/so-so.
Perhaps the most impressive part of GDT CL was the CMs. There were almost always many CMs around, many manager types as well... incredibly engaging with a consistent "at your service" attitude, arguably more so than we've experienced at any other CL. I would come back here for the CMs alone, which I think is probably telling.
We didn't encounter any greeters upon arrival, only a very, very long check-in line at the front desk. I searched around for someone official looking and told them we were checking in CL, and he quickly whisked us up to the lounge on the 15th floor where he checked us in with his ipad. The lounge does not have traditional CM desks, only a stand-up stand with one computer right by the door - so you do your check-in business at a lounge table. This was uneventful when we checked-in as it was mid-day and no one was around. I was in the lounge another time eating breakfast and someone was checking in at the table next to me. I thought it was just a bit awkward to be handling check-in/payment business in such close proximity/earshot, but there's really no other option given there are no CM desks. Sort of like GF SL with the CM desk right in the middle of the lounge. Pretty minor observation though.
Pretty similar to other CLs, we had times where there were very few people in the lounge, and times when it was somewhat crowded. The lounge is quite large with a variety of seating options - tables, couches, chairs, etc. It's nice to have a lounge that was actually built as a lounge and not renovated to be one. It's a gorgeous space.
Unfortunately I didn't get many food pics. Our stay was rather short (3 nights) and the food service areas don't lend themselves to snapping pics when people are around. For as light/bright as the lounge is during the day, it's a touch on the dark side when the sun goes down.
Breakfast was the real star of the show in my opinion. Minnie Waffles, bacon, eggs, typical continental type items, etc. Tons of options.
Afternoon snacks were just that - some basic nibblers. Some veggies, dips, chips, goldfish, etc.
I would like to give evening apps another shot. We were there for the W&D weekend races so were somewhat cautious with what we were eating. Meaning, the mussels they had out one evening (that looked very good) just weren't in the cards for us.
I am hoping this was an anomaly, but for the two nights we were there for evening apps, nothing was labeled. Some of the dishes aren't exactly obvious what they are, so labels would have been nice. I thought I had seen food pics with labels, so maybe this was just something odd on our nights??
Overall evening apps felt less abundant than some other places, but two nights isn't really a fair sample size, so I think my final conclusion is I'd like another stay to get a better feel for things. But my first impression was that app selections are truly best for a light bite / glass of wine before heading to real dinner plans. There’s a lot more room/serving space in the lounge than what was being fully utilized for evening apps.
I did not notice any evening apps geared towards children (nuggets, PBJ, etc) - it's like BWI CL in this regard.
Desserts did not seem to be as unique/abundant as some of the pics I saw originally, but again, may just have been the night.
We enjoyed the various candies/chocolates in jars out in the lounge all day. Also granola bars.
I've stayed at both YC CL and WL CL for other races and both left out "provisions" overnight for runners. Nothing here at GDT, which surprised me a bit.
Being on a high floor, the lounge offers great views towards DHS and Epcot. Pic doesn't do it justice, but the view of the top mountains/spires of SWGE is great.
Not a bad welcome to the Chronos Club.
Afternoon snacks.
Wine and bubbly out all day, self-service.
6 varieties of wine.
The fridge is stocked all day (ETA, I think starting mid day). Beer includes:
Funky Buddah
Bud Light
Mic Ultra
Daura (new to me, delicious)
Maeloc (?) hard cider (from Spain)
I-4 IPA
Stella (out below)
Other options included, Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke (out below), Sprite, Fanta, Ginger Ale, Tonic Water, Gold Peak tea, Minute Maid lemonade (out below), Pellegrino, apple juice.
I am not sure if it was due to runners (which there seemed to be a lot of staying there) staying well-hydrated in the lounge, but they were consistently out of bottled water in the lounge over the weekend - roughly 70% of the time. When stocked it was either Dasani or SmartWater. When they were out, there was sometimes a water jug in the lounge and sometimes not. It was a bit odd. ??
Post race enjoyment.
Many tables in the lounge are set with real cloth napkins and silverware.
My one pic of anything evening app related.
Will your family spend a lot of time in the pools? Is a nice feature pool, slide, or the ability to rent a cabana important to you? Some resorts (CR, looking at you) don't have as popular or desirable of pool areas, though again, this is personal preference- if I recall, 
Quality, quantity, type. Will you rely mostly on CL for your food, or will you supplement with ADRs? Is your family more adventurous with cuisine, or do they prefer more mainstream options? Do you like African-themed food (AKL), sushi and lettuce wraps (Poly), cobblers and stews (WL), more seafood (BWI), etc.? This is an oversimplification of each of those CL's offerings, but you get the picture. My kids are picky eaters, so we need a larger variety of more tame foods, with some slightly more elevated options for the parents.
We love being on the monorail loop, though that could change as our kids get older (or it may not!). Do you want to be able to walk to MK or EP/HS? Do you prefer a monorail resort? Are you okay with buses or Minnie Vans/ Uber for those resorts that are more remote (ie. AKL)?
Can we see the fireworks from the lounge, or at least the grounds of the resort? We far prefer this to fighting the crowds in the park.
