Which moderate, given these conditions?

[WDWVirgin]

I'm really leaning towards a moderate but I can't decide which one (have ASMo reserved now, but will reserve a moderate as well until we can decide for sure which we want). I'm hoping for opinions based on this:

We are a family of four (DH, DS 8, DD 6 and me). We are staying 7 nights (arrive/leave Sat or Wed). We plan on spending 5 full days at parks, one day off in the middle and DD day of arrival and/or departure. Kids love pools/slides but we will not be doing a water park since we live close to Wisconsin Dells and we can do the water park thing here. My son is one of the world's pickiest eaters.

We will be going with my mother (59) and father (68). My father has arthritis and his mobility is very limited. However, he is too stubborn/proud to use anything but his cane to get around. My mother may join us at the parks for a few days, but my father will probably just hang around the hotel. Neither are the "lounge around the pool" type, my father can't swim and is afraid of water. My son inherits his eating habits from his grandfather. My dad is a meat, potato, bread kind of eater.

Given these circumstances, I'm looking for recommendations for a moderate hotel (would consider Swan/Dolphin my mother and I are state employees) that would appeal to all of us (I'm more concerned about my dad not being bored out of his mind - but he won't do a lot of walking no matter where we are). A short reason behind your recommendation would also be appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. If it matters, we are going in early December (4 - 11 or 7 -14)

 

[Humpbacks1962]

Port Orleans dazzle kids with that awesome pool.

I am not sure about how it would serve your dad, however, but if he likes to just "sit and stare" at people moving around, the lobby and the areas in front of the store & restaurant please anyone.

Hope you'll get good advice,

Wanda

 

[mudder23boys]

i haven't stayed on site since the build-up of the boardwalk etc.....in the area of the beach club....but everything that i have read it seems that this area would offer a great deal to "do". Little shops to wander to, restaurants, etc...... i also remember that this area is a very short walk to the world showcase entrance of epcot which might be of interest to your parents/dad.

I have stayed at the beach club in the past and there are a variety of restaurants within reasonably easy walking distance. There are also a couple of places in that area where hamburgers and hot dogs are plentiful! If your son is like most fussy kids, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and tacos will be the order of the day.

Hope this helps!

 

[Buzz2001]

Please check out my CSR info page below.

I hope this helps with your decision.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[carli]

Much of Port Orleans is closed right now. All of one side (French Quarter) is closed and much of the other side (Riverside) is also closed. That might affect where you decide to stay. Since only a small group of rooms are open, chances are you'd be pretty close to everything. The other moderates are much more spread out.

 

[MJames41]

I would suggest renting points from a DVC member and staying at the Boardwalk or Wilderness Lodge. A preferred view studio there would be 104 points (if you get at $10 per point, that comes to $1,040 or $148.57 per night - and there is no tax). I've seen people get them for $8 per point (which would be $832 total; $118.86 per night) and we are paying $9 per point for our trip. Just a thought.

Now if you do stay with a moderate, really any of them would be fine - they are all very well themed. Just depends on what you are looking for in a theme.

 

[SalandJeff]

MJames41's suggestion is a good one. However, keep in mind you can't put that many people in one studio. So the cost would be higher. Between December 1-14, a standard view studio (if they're available) would be 85 points for the week, but you would need 2 studios.
You can check out the DVC Discussion Board and there's also a board for Rent/Trade points. There is a lot going on at the Boardwalk, so this sounds like a good choice for your father.

As far as the moderates are concerned, we love POR. There is a food court, so each person can choose what they want to eat. There's also a full service restaurant. There is an area to sit in the lobby, a shop, and you can also sit in the lounge area during the day. There are also benches located outside near the lobby for people watching. We've stayed at all the moderates, and I don't really think any of them would offer much more for your Dad (unless he wants to play in the arcade!). Even if he doesn't want to walk around in the parks, he may enjoy going to the Magic Kingdom. He can kind of sit on main street, go in the shops there or the restaurants - it's really beautiful and actually my favorite place in the world.

One more thing. When making your reservation, tell them you have someone in your party with a walking disability and that you want to be located as close to the lobby as possible. All the moderates are a walk to the main building/lobby. At POR, there is a building right near the entrance to the food court end of the main building.

We'll be there Dec. 7 - 14 at BWV. Have a great trip!

 

[Ityldu]

Being a state employee, you will probably get better, if not equal rates at Swan/Dolphin and I think that will suit your needs much better. First of all, the lobby's, pools and views are much more spectacular at the Dolphin then any of the moderates.

Plus, with easy access to BW, Epcot and MGM, even if your father doesn't join you, you will be much quicker getting back to him if you're staying at the Dolphin rather then having to take buses everywhere to get back to the resorts.

Point three, even if Dad will only walk a little, he could probably get to the BW and people/view watch there while he waits for you to come back from the parks. You could also spend a lot of time during the evening on the BW and dad could be in close proximity.

Would dad do the Surrey bikes? That would be another way to include him in the action around the Dolphin.

You just can't compare a moderate resort to the Dolphin/Swan which are truly deluxe resorts. I think everyone in your group will appreciate the difference in ammenities.

I have a 7 & 4YO and the Grotto pool is their favorite.

PS - your dad might surprise you. My mother is also very limited in her mobility, but refused to use a wheelchair due to embarassment. For whatever reason, she was happy to use one at Disney. I believe my dad was able to get one for free, but don't quote me on that.

 

[mom5417]

we have stayed at cbr and think this might be nice for your group. They have a food court and a sit down restuarant. The food court serves large dinners of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and also spaghetti and meatballs etc. We actually split 2 dinners for 4 of us so we all have room for a desert. The lake is very nice and there is plenty of action to watch the people and the birds. If you stay in Martinque you will be close to the food court. From here you can see some of epcots fireworks in the evening. They have the surrey bikes here also so you could pedal Dad around the grounds and also take him on a boat ride.The parks have a limited number of motorized scoter type vechicles for rent. Not quite a wheel chair. They also have old time cars that take you to the end of main street. He could enjoy the sights of main street and the castle as well. And there are plenty of spots you can view the parade from in these areas. He could feel useful by reserving a spot for your family while you enjoy the nearby attractions. December is a wonderful time to go to enjoy all the holiday offerings. You could also use a wheel chair for short periods of time to escort him to the monrail which will take him right up three hotels.

 

[SeaSpray]

In case you'd like to see some pictures of Caribbean Beach, click on the link below. I took some pictures of the pool area and grounds when I was there a couple weeks ago!

 

[WDWVirgin]

Thanks to all for your responses so far. I know from reading these boards that everyone has there own like/dislike opinions about each of the resorts. I'm hoping to get them all, given our situation, and try to make the best choice (with the help of my mother).

Ityldu - I was hoping my dad would join us using either a wheelchair or renting an ECV (it is the "embarassing" factor for him) and his response was that my mom should go without him (stubborn German!!! ).

Oh, the final thing I forgot to mention is that they (Mom and Dad) would really prefer a King size bed (both Pooh-size). I don't know that this limits my choices, but I thought I'd throw it out for consideration.

Keep the opinions coming, I'm gathering valuable information--thanks!

 

[Buckleybunch]

I would say my choices would be -
CBR or Swan/Dolphin.

My father sounds a lot like yours. However, I think he would enjoy the CBR. There is nice courtyards that he could sit and watch people. Then the beach area is nice to sit and relax- and there isn't a lot of kids on the beach. He could sit and watch the birds. The coloring in itself is cheery!

I have never stayed at the Swan - however, I think that would be nice since it has the view! ( an a lot more dinning choices at EPCOT).

 

[wld]

I have never stayed at the Swan/dolphin but will be over NYE thanks to the nurses rate. We picked here in large part because of the price, but we also plan to kick back at the hotel a bit more and think this looks like a great place to do it, along with being within walking distance to Epcot and MGM.

After saying that, in early Dec 2000 we went to the CBR with 11 people including my mom and dad, both mid 60's. My mom has arthritis, but for this trip it was doing pretty well. My dad didn't have any physical problems but he was not interested in going to WDW at all. Well......once we got him to the parks we couldn't get him away, but even more suprising, (my dad is usually the first one ready to go home) on the last morning as they were waking up my dad said to my mom "see if the hotel has room for us to stay another week". He went on to say he had done enough at the parks but wouldn't mind spending a week just lounging around the hotel. Guess he felt he could find enough to do.
A couple of years ago my mom's arthritis was bad enough that she couldn't walk far at all. Everyone (including her 7 grandkids) were going to the zoo for the lights before Christmas. She was "embarrassed" to be seen in a wheelchair, but even less willing to be left behind. The wheelchair looked more like a regular chair and after the grandkids took turns "nascar driving" her she was laughing too much to be embarrassed. Either that or she was more embarrassed about the way her grandkids act!! Anyway we all enjoyed the visit. Of course I know that the zoo is different then WDW, but here's to your dad, like mine in a different way, changing his mind.
By the way, early Dec is a fabulous time to be at the World!!

 

[rreynolds]

Just got back from POR and Coronado. STAY AWAY FROM POR until they get their ducks in a row. Disorganized and DIRTY during my stay. I transferred to Coronado where things were clean and running smoothly.

Pool at Coronado is much larger and has a much better water slide. My 8 year old daughter said the POR water slide was for babies. She loved the slide at CSR . There is a large pool bar and snack shop ( burgers/wings/hot dogs etc. as well as an arcade and sundries shop. Hot tub is very large ( 24 people ) as opposed to the small one at POR ( 7 people )

Food court is a hundred times better than POR although it is setup to have waiters assist and this requires tipping. In my opinion it is well worth it for the superior food and cleanliness.

Many more food choiced and CSR.

I asked the front desk at both resorts to be placed near the main building and was accomodated at CSR but not POR where we had to walk 15 minutes to both Food Court and Pool. ( My reservation by the way was made 8 months in advance!) POR, While very nicely themed, has windy walkways which can be confusing to older family members and children. During my stay, these walkways were littered with cigarrette buts and trash. CSR is one big circle around a lake and the grounds were very clean. If you are in one of the first three casitas your father should not have a problem. Also they have little golf cart style buggy's that circle the resort all the time.

My children ages 16,14, and 8 unanimously agreed that they preferred CSR to POR.

In fairness, Riverside had been partially closed prior to my stay and several buildings were reopened to accomodate presidents weekend visitors. The resort was understaffed and very disorganized. It is possible that their situation has improved but I would be very careful. Since there are only 4 in your party, you have the option of all three moderates.

Have a great trip.

 

[NancyIL]

I've never stayed at a moderate resort, but I have stayed at the Dolphin. The location is wonderful...so close to Epcot and MGM via boat or on foot. If you stay at a moderate resort, you'll take a bus everywhere.

 

[DeeP]

My Dad is like yours and he joins us at WDW a lot. He rarely goes to the parks and enjoys spending time at the resorts. He always finds someone to talk to, something to see and just enjoys sitting and relaxing. His favorite resorts(and he has been to almost all of them) are BWV his first choice and then CSR. If you can get a government rate at Swan/Dolphin I would go for that, I am sure your Dad will find plenty to do in this area. CSR is very nice but I think an Epcot resort will offer your Dad more things to see, people to meet, etc. BTW, my Dad does not like POR at all, he (as another poster stated) gets very confused and lost with the winding pathways and just does not care for the atmosphere.

 

[jwwi]

I have stayed at both CBR and POR, twice. I like the moderates, and agree with the other replies that your father may enjoy the parks, if you can just get him to go. Sorry that I can not comment on Dolphin. If you do chose a moderate, let them know that you will need a king, we are paying the extra $16 so that we can be assured that we will have one when my DH and I go this April. I also requested a water view, they said that they could not promise both. I think I have read that the king rooms connect to a double, which may be important if you want rooms close to one another or adjoining.
The grounds at the CBR and POR are beautiful. We stayed at POR 4/2001 and I found it very clean. We were there the weekend after Easter, and so you can imagine the number of guests that had been there in the weeks before us. We spent a day just at the pools, while the main pool was very crowded, we shared the smaller pool with only one or two other families at a time. It was wonderful
You may have also read that the rooms at the CBR are larger than the rooms at the other moderates. I think 340sq.ft vs 315. I am looking forward to our trip in April and also look forward to seeing the renovations at the CBR.

 

[tampafan]

I would suggest either Caribbean Beach or the Swan. Caribbean Beach is spread out, but it also has an internal bus that will pick you up and drive you to the main building. It is also close to Downtown Disney and Boardwalk. The Swan is also very nice and is close to Boardwalk, Epcot, and MGM. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[Bashful2]

Everyone's tastes are different so please take what I say with a grain of salt.

We just got back from POR last Monday and loved it. We stayed in the Mansions sections which, I think, had just recently opened back up. Our room was very clean, the grounds were beautiful and the CM's (for the most part) were great. The bus service was really good. It was nice not having to share a bus with any other resort so there was always sitting room. Plus, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. The food court was just okay, much better for breakfast than for dinner. Our room was fairly close to the main building (about a 2-3 minute walk), but we did have to go over a wooden bridge which might cause your father a problem if he's using an ECV.

In November, we stayed at CSR and didn't like it at all. It just didn't seemed cold and not very Disney too us. Everything was clean, but we didn't like the decor. The food court food was ok, but we were not impressed with the 10% tip they add on to your bill. Only one time during our trip did a CM do anything that warranted a tip. It does have nice wide sidewalks though that would make it easy for ECV transportation.

 

[eddiewells]

Try asking your dad which one he would like best Just ask him if he would like a beach theme better (CBR), southern atmosphere (POR), or spanish southwest (CSR). Something I used on my parents was just printing off a few pictures of each resort and letting them pick. You might have already tried this, but I hope I've been some help.