Resort Review: Moderate Resorts

Moderate resorts are a bit more pricey than the value resorts, but if you can afford it, they're totally worth it. They are so much more beautiful than value resorts and the theming is really cool. These resorts are $200 to $300 a night depending on when you go and where you stay, with the more crowded times and nicer rooms costing more (yes you must pay for that “garden view” over the “standard view”). The resort has multiple buildings and in some they are spread out more and the buses loop around before heading to the main building and out to the parks. The main building is where the food, front desk, arcade, and gift shop are.

At each resort (with one exception) there is a table service restaurant along with a quick service restaurant and pool bar. Food at the restaurants tends to match the theme of the resort (think Caribbean food at Caribbean Beach and Mexican at Coronado Springs) plus more traditional food like sandwiches, pizza, and salads. Each also has at least one main pool with a water slide and most have a couple smaller, quieter pools. These resorts also have other recreational activities to do like renting bikes or boats and fishing, though each resort is different. The rooms are pretty much the same at each resort, two queen beds or one king, bathroom, two sinks outside the bathroom, fridge, TV, and a table. Rooms are slightly larger than the value resorts, but they still aren’t huge. Some rooms have a little extra magic with some added decorations like pirate theme and princess theme. Though the extra magic will cost you a little extra money.

The resorts in this category are: Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, and Coronado Springs.

Caribbean Beach

Caribbean Beach was the resort I stayed at the first time I ever visited Walt Disney World, but that was when I was four, so I don't remember much. As the name implies the theme here is the Caribbean, with colorful buildings and tropical plants. This is the largest resort on property with over 2,000 rooms spread over 200 acres in six “villages”: Barbados, Martinique, Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Jamaica, and Aruba. The buses go around the perimeter of the resort, so you can catch the bus and your nearest stop to avoid walking all the way to the main building for food and the main bus stop.

Caribbean Beach has rooms with pirate themes for some extra magic, but these rooms do cost more than the standard rooms. They are themed after the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with details from the movies worked into the decor along with beds shaped like pirate ships. All the rooms, whether pirate themed or not, have two queen beds or one king, a bathroom, two sinks, and a table and chairs.

The pool has two water slides and a zero-depth entry. The six other smaller pools (one in each village) don't have as much of a theme and don't have slides, but are much quieter. For other fun things to do around the resort, you can rent bikes, go on a fishing excursion, play volleyball, or just hangout in a hammock on one of the beaches that dot the shores of the lake.

Port Orleans Riverside

The story here is of a town in the South that sits on a bustling river that steamboats chug up and down. The main building with the front desk and restaurants is the river dock where shipments come and go, named Sassagoula Steamboat Company. The front desk looks like a ticket counter complete with destinations in gold lettering overhead. The quick service restaurant and gift shop are the mill area with crates of grain and other goods in the rafters. And the table service restaurant is the warehouse for the shipbuilder.

The buildings with the guest rooms tell the story of the houses on the bayou. Here you can live in a beautiful white mansion in the Magnolia Bend area and stroll through the formal gardens or stay in the rustic hideaways set in the swampy area of Alligator Bayou (but not a real swamp, don’t worry).

The rooms have the same setup regardless of the section, only the decor is different to match the theme of the area. Though in this section there are the princess themed rooms where Tiana from the Princess and the Frog entertains her princess friends. These rooms do cost extra.

Most of the recreational activities can be found at Ol’ Man Island in the center of the resort. There’s the main pool area with a water slide and down the path is the Fishin’ Hole where you can rent cane poles to catch some fish. The other spot to find stuff to do is just outside the main building on the river where you can rent bikes or surrey bikes (two- or four-person cart-like bikes). You can also go on fishing excursions that depart from this area. At night there are horse-drawn carriages that tour around the resort’s main pathways along the river. You can also catch the boat to Disney Springs here (it does stop at French Quarter first).

The buses are the main mode of transportation, taking you to the parks and Disney Springs. There is also water transportation which offers a peaceful boat ride to and from Disney Springs. There are three bus depots around the resort in addition to the stop at the main building, so if your room is on the opposite side of the resort, you can hop on or off the bus for less of a walk.

Main building at Port Orleans Riverside

Port Orleans French Quarter

Just down the river are the picturesque streets of French Quarter, modeled after New Orleans’ French Quarter. Amongst the mansard roofs are perfect courtyards with trickling fountains and sprawling lawns. The main building, the Mint, with its iron framing and glass walls, houses the front desk (made to look like a bank), the gift shop, and the quick service restaurant and lounge. The food court, Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, is made to look like the storage area for the Mardi Gras parade floats. The rooms have an elegant look to them with the same swirling lines pattern that matches the “wrought iron” that adorns the buildings.

There is a water play area along with the pool, with Mardi Gras theming. There is only one pool at this resort, but you can easily walk or take the boat to Riverside to swim as well. There isn’t much else to do at this resort, mostly because this resort is technically combined with Riverside so the two share amenities.

The resort has the same modes of transportations as its sister, bus and boat. Though the buses are separate most of the time, when it’s not busy they might combine both Port Orleans resorts on one bus. The boat is always combined, so it stops at both resorts on the way to and from Disney Springs.

If I had to choose a favorite resort that I have stayed at so far, it would be Port Orleans French Quarter. I just love the atmosphere here and how beautiful it is. It’s so pleasant to just stroll around the resort and check out the gardens and see the different styles of buildings. It is also a smaller resort, meaning it’s quieter and doesn’t have multiple bus stops. If you're looking for a resort in the moderate category I would highly recommend one of the Port Orleans resorts. They are beautiful and fairly quiet, have good food and somewhat smaller than other resorts. There's also the peaceful boat ride down the Sassagoula River to Disney Springs.

Building at Port Orleans French Quarter

Coronado Springs

This is the last resort in the moderate category and is currently undergoing a massive expansion. The theme here is a Spanish colonial Mexico with colorful designs adorning the buildings and a Mayan temple themed pool. It is also the only convention center on Disney property, so you will see people walking around in business clothes (not magical). There are three areas around Lago Dorado, each with different building styles and its own pool. The Casitas section is close to the convention center and has the least Disney feel. This area has plazas around the buildings and fountains. Ranchos is the farthest away from the main building and its buildings are made to look like pueblos. This area has a more rustic and woodsy feel. The Cabanas section represents Mexico’s coast and has a pleasant beach area complete with hammocks under the palms.

The rooms look more like normal hotel rooms rather than themed getaways. They don't have the same magical feel that other resorts have. In addition to the standard four-person rooms, Coronado Springs also has suite options that are a bit larger but still sleep four. These are in the Casitas section and catered to those staying for a conference.

The resort has the typical quick service food court, but also has two places with grab-and-go snacks and meals. If you’re looking for table service, there’s actually two at this resort, one more upscale the other. Coronado Springs also has two lounges, one on the lake and one more upscale.

The main pool area, the Dig Site, features a 46-foot tall Mayan pyramid that houses the slide. There is also a sand volleyball court next to the pool. Three other smaller pools are hidden in between buildings of the different sections, though these don't really have much of a theme. You can also find hammocks scattered throughout the resort, most on the sandy beaches that line the lake. But beware these beaches are not for swimming, gators lounge around on the banks so don't get too close. Coronado Springs also has a 24-hour health club near the Casitas pool. The resort also has an arcade, a playground, and bike rentals.

The resort is large enough for there to be a loop around the perimeter that the buses travel before they get to the main building and then leave for the parks.

I have stayed at Coronado Springs and I thought it was an okay resort. The way the buildings are decorated reminded me of the value resorts because it isn't the nicest thing to look at. Though I did enjoy the beaches and hammocks. It does have a different feel when you're walking around because of the convention center. Seeing people all dressed up for work and talking on the phone all the time takes away from the magic a little.

One of the beaches at Coronado Springs

The moderate resorts in my opinion are great because they have great amenities, but aren't as expensive as the deluxe resorts. There's plenty to do around the resort should you decide to spend some time out of the parks. Unlike the value resorts, moderate resorts have a definite story to tell. So if you're looking for things to do around the resort, great theming, at a reasonable price, the moderate resorts are the way to go.