Can you tell me the differences between the Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Dixie Landings and Port Orleans resorts at Disney World?
All the resorts you listed fall into the mid-priced category of Disney World resorts, meaning that, depending upon the season, they range from $139-$215 per night. In my opinion, the moderate resorts offer the best value in on-site lodging. You get all the perks of staying on Disney property--early entry to the parks, use of the transportation system, room charging privileges--at about half the cost of the luxury hotels. The bonus over the budget hotels is that the mid-priced resorts offer more amenities--all of the mid-priced hotels have a food court, a bar with live entertainment and a full-service restaurant. Other perks? Elaborately-themed pools with slides and Jacuzzis, as well as private lakes with watercrafts for rent and bike and surrey rentals.
The differences between the four are primarily location and theme:
CARIBBEAN BEACH: A calypso-tinged tropical island.
The original mid-priced resort is located near Epcot and has a private lake with white-sand beaches. Each section of this 2,112-room resort is painted a different tropical color and named after a different Caribbean island. Parrot Cay, a man-made island with a playground and small aviary, is fun as well. Each "island" has its own small private pool and the large central pool has a pirate theme.
PORT ORLEANS - RIVERSIDE: Down-home Old South hospitality.
Dixie Landings has a steamboat-shaped lobby, general stores run by gingham-clad girls in braids and "Ol' Man Island," a swimming hole that Huck Finn would have loved. Fishing is also offered for a minimal fee. The Cajun munchies and Dixieland music at the bar make it a fun place to stop in the afternoon. A nice extra is direct water-taxi service to nearby Downtown Disney via the Sassagoula Steamboat, which runs every fifteen minutes from 4pm to 11pm with the last boat coming back to the Riverside resort at 11:30pm. For earlier in the day, there's a water -taxi shuttle available that goes to the Port Orleans French Quarter Resort then on to Downtown Disney. This shuttle runs approximately every half hour from 11am to 4pm.
PORT ORLEANS - FRENCH QUARTER: A lively New Orleans party.
Jazz plays all day long at Port Orleans where the manicured garden, wrought-iron railings and streets with names like Rue d'Baga, make you feel as if you've been transported to the heart of the French Quarter. The pool, with its enormous sea-serpent water slide and trombone-wielding gators, is a special treat, and Port Orleans shares water-taxi service to Downtown Disney with its sister resort, Dixie Landings.
CORONADO SPRINGS: A colorful Mexican fiesta.
Located near the Animal Kingdom, Disney's newest mid-priced resort is also the only one with convention facilities. As you'd expect, the mood is a little more adult; there's a workout room, more lounges and a full-service restaurant, Maya Grille, which is quite elegant. Coronado Springs still has plenty for the kids, namely a dramatic pool area, called the Dig Site, which is built around an imposing Mayan temple and features the zesty Jaguar slide as well as a themed-playground.
I like all four of these resorts, but my pick is Port Orleans. The reason is size--with around 1,000 rooms, it is less than half the size of the other mid-priced resorts, which means you're apt to be closer to the pool, food court and bus depot than if you were staying at one of the truly sprawling properties. Plus, that pool slide is really awesome.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Originally published in November 2000.
Updated March 2006
