On my recent trip to Disney World we ended up staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Before deciding on that resort I did a lot of research! Since it was our first trip to Disney World I knew I wanted to try out a Moderate level resort since our expectations of Disney were pretty high having stayed at Aulani, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
So, here’s my honest review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Disney World. From the food, pools, play area, and even the newly renovated rooms, I share my experience on it all. Find out if this is the place for your next Disney World vacation!
First things first, we visited in late August, and they were still undergoing construction (I’ll share more on that below) but overall the resort was pretty quiet. When I was doing research I read several reviews of people saying this is not a family friendly resort. I couldn’t disagree more! Yes, this resort has a convention center and tends to house several business conventions, but we didn’t have any issues. I will say I called before I booked to find out if a convention was being hosted during our stay, and there wasn’t.
But, convention or not, guests there on business tend to be using the amenities we weren’t as a family. So I really don’t see any issues. If anything it’s a plus, since if most guests are there for work, you wouldn’t expect them to be at the Dig Site pool.
So, here’s my review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Disney World.
The Grounds
The resort is HUGE! I was told this is one of the biggest resorts at Disney World, and I can definitely see that. It had 5 bus stops around the grounds and when we checked in they suggested using the bus to get to different parts of the resort. We ultimately didn’t do this option, and just figured out the fastest walking route to the main lobby since we wanted to avoid as much as possible breaking down our double stroller.
From our room it took about 10 minutes to walk to the lobby where all the restaurants, gift shop, and other amenities were located. After the first day we enjoyed the walk, as the trails were beautifully landscaped and we got to walk across several bridges over the lake.
Amentites & Lobby
The main building and lobby hosts the registration, gift shop, convention center, most of the restaurants, and much more. We found ourselves here everyday since most mornings we would grab a quick breakfast and any other necessities like water in the gift shop. If you can I would request to stay as close as possible to this area.
The Rooms
The rooms were currently in the process of renovation, but we were told they were on the final stretch and only booking the renovated rooms. So, our room was like brand new! The new rooms are modern with rustic grey laminate flooring in a herringbone pattern, grey barn doors separating the bathroom, a large granite countertop, a Keurig machine, and surprisingly tons of storage.
I personally loved all the counter space since it allowed me to prepare bottles, snacks, and everything else needed for a day in the parks with 3 kids.
Below are pics from Disney’s website, I never had a chance to take pics of the room before my little ones made a mess! But, our room looked exactly like below.
Restaurants
Almost all the restaurants were open when we visited except the Laguna Bar. The Pepper Market food court or now called the El Mercado de Coronado was open but under renovation.
We ate at Pepper Market several days and liked the affordability and options. We also dined at the Rix Sports Bar & Grill and the Siestas Cantina, both were okay. We never had a chance to dine at Maya Grill, but I really wanted to try it out since it was a higher end restaurant. Overall, I thought you had plenty of options and with the addition of the 2 new restaurants in 2019 I think it will be even better.
The Dig Site Pool
The Dig Site was definitely a favorite spot for us. We tried to visit the pool every other day of our vacation since it had so much to offer. There are several small pools located throughout the property but the Dig Site Pool was by far the best. It had a large open pool where you could see the 50ft Mayan Pyramid waterfall. Then it had a waterside which my girls loved! It also had a children’s pool, which we ended up hanging out by since my 2 year old loved it. I do wish they had a splash pad instead of the children’s pool, but I was just thankful they had something. They also had a fire pit, Jacuzzi, volleyball court, and an arcade.
The pool was never crowded during our stay, and since we grabbed seats in the children’s pool area (which is separated by a gate to the main pool) we always had plenty of options to sit.
Explorer’s Playground
The playground is adjacent to the pool and part of the Dig Site. It sits behind the Siestas Cantina and the arcade. I really liked that they had this option since it gave my girls a change to run around with no crowds. They even had misters going during the day to keep things cool.
Construction
Finally, the construction. In all honesty it didn’t bother us at all. They only made noise during the day and our room was far enough away we never even heard anything. The only time we heard anything was when we walked by the new tower. The restaurant construction on the water was very quiet as well. Overall, as long as the restaurants & pool are open I say the construction doesn’t matter. Plus, you figure you really aren’t at the resort that much anyways.
Overall, we had a great time and really enjoyed our stay at Coronado Springs. We did visit both Deluxe and Value resorts to compare and are happy with our decision to stay at a Moderate resort. I will say, if you’re a SoCal resident like me, when you compare to the Disneyland resorts the Moderate level resort is comparative to the Disneyland Hotel. Then the Deluxe resorts are comparative to Aulani and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Of course, next time we hope to stay at a Deluxe, even if it’s just a couple nights. But in the end we had a great time!
So, do you think this is the place for your next Disney World vacation?
Enjoy!
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