Disney's Coronado Springs Pools (A Resorts Gal Guide)

Disney’s Coronado Springs is hands down our favorite moderate resort at Walt Disney World. This Southwest-themed resort offers stunning grounds and tons of amenities, including its pools. If you’re planning a stay or considering this resort as an option, you might want to know a little more about the resort’s pool areas. Coronado Springs has a unique feature pool that sits toward the center of the resort.

This area, known as The Dig Site, has a feature pool with a Mayan pyramid backdrop and a few other bells and whistles. Under pleasant weather, this pool can be bustling with guests. However, if you avoid busy pool areas, you’ll be happy to know the resort has three other pools spread out over its luscious landscape. These are all considered “quiet” pools and have nearby laundry facilities.

There’s no shortage of pool options at Coronado Springs. So pack your swimsuit (don’t forget the sunscreen) and get ready for a splashing good time during your Walt Disney World vacation! Let’s take a closer look at what to expect.

water spraying into the Lost City of Cibola Pool at Coronado Springs — The Feature Pool at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

The 4 Pools at Disney’s Coronado Springs

Coronado Springs has the following pools:

The Lost City of Cibola Pool is the resort’s feature pool. This tremendous pool is at The Dig Site.

Additionally, Coronado Springs has three leisure pools in the following villages:

Casitas
Ranchos
Cabanas

Gran Destino Tower does not have a pool. However, the tower is within short walking distance of the Cabanas quiet pool and The Dig Site, the resort’s feature pool area. Here is a map of the pools.

map that shows the location of the four pools at Coronado Springs Resort — Resorts Gal Guide Pool Map | Coronado Springs

The pool at the Casitas with a building in the background. — A Quiet Pool at Coronado Springs

Pool Details for Planning Your Vacation

During our last stay, the feature pool hours were posted from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. That visit was during the summer. However, on our visit in the winter, the pool hours at Coronado Springs were posted as 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.

So, the pool hours might vary slightly depending on what time of year you visit. They usually revert back to 10:00 p.m. after Labor Day and then return to 11:00 p.m. closing around Memorial Day. We always recommend that you check the pool hours during your visit. They are always posted on the pool gates and are subject to change.

a gate with a sign that says the pool is for guests of Coronado Springs only and lists the pool hours — Pool Gates at The Dig Site

Pool hours for the resort’s three leisure pools are usually between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Hours are typically posted toward the bottom of the pool rules signage. The quiet pools do not have a lifeguard on duty.

Posted Pool Rules at one of the quiet pools. — Posted Pool Rules

The Dig Site

We’ll start with The Dig Site, which sits toward the center of the resort, across the lake from El Centro (the lobby). The Dig Site is a large recreation area where you’ll find the following:

The Lost City of Cibola Pool
Jaguar Slide
The Ruins
Explorer’s Playground
Iguana Arcade
Siestas
The Ball Court
The Spa
Children’s Pool

a sign in front of the Dig Site with a map of the pool area — The Dig Site Pool Map

The Lost City of Cibola Pool

The Lost City of Cibola Pool is themed like a Mayan Ruins. It sits at the base of a 50-foot (50′) pyramid with a 123-foot (123′) waterslide called the Jaguar Slide. Here are a few photos of the pool at Coronado Springs.

blue water takes up most of the image with the faux Mayan pyrmaid in the backdrop — The Lost City of Cibola Pool | Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

a view of the pool looking back toward the front of the Dig Site — Pool View

lounge chairs around each side of the pool — Lounge chairs surround the pool in its entirety.

up close shot of the pyramid at the back of the pool with water flowing down the steps — The Coronado Springs Pool Pyramid

angle of the water feature with pyramid details — Pyramid Details

a water feature sprays water into the pool, it doubles as a pool shower — Water Spray Element

the length of the pool has steps that lead into it — Steps surround the entire edge of the pool.

The Lost City of Cibola Pool is approximately 4’9″ (four feet nine inches) at its deepest point. Complimentary life jackets and towels are provided at the pool, so there is no need to pack them in your luggage.

a stand with life jackets sitting next to a rock at the Coronado Springs Pool — Complimentary life jackets come in various sizes.

The Jaguar Slide

The feature pool at Coronado Springs has a water slide. It’s called the Jaguar Slide.

A few rules for the slide are posted at the entrance. Sliders should slide feet first, sitting or lying on their backs. The pool depth at the slide exit is 3’6″ (3 feet and 6 inches).

Posted rules for the Jaguar Slide at Coronado Springs

To reach the slide, you’ll first climb a raised area to the far side of the pyramid.

steps up to the side of the pyramid — Steps up the Jaguar Slide

Then, you’ll climb an additional staircase to access the slide. Parents, I wanted to point out that you cannot see this area well from the pool. So you might want to walk part of the way up with your child.

Show the number of steps up to the top of the water slide at Coronado Springs — Stairs

I walked to the top so you could get an idea of how far the slide is from the pool. After you descend this first set of stairs, an additional staircase on the right leads to the slide. You can see where the railings start in the photo below. If you look closely, you can also see where two people have made it up to the start of the slide.

steps leading down and then up again to the pool slide — Path to the Slide

Along the way, you might notice the jaguar perched over the slide.

the jaguar slide with a faux yellow jaguar waiting to pounce — The Jaguar is at the top of the slide!

While the slide is long and fast, it has no significant drops.

a view of the pool from the water slide platform at Coronado Springs — View of the Lost City of Cibola Pool from the Waterslide

Take a seat and wait until the light turns green. Then you’re off!

water slide entrance with red and green traffic ligths — Traffic lights tell guests when to wait and when to go!

When my son was younger, we stayed at Coronado Springs often. He always enjoyed this slide.

You can tell the slide isn’t too adventurous. But the speed will provide just the right amount of thrill.

a portion of the length of the slide — It’s the longest water slide at Walt Disney World’s Hotels!

The slide exit is at the far corner of the pool.

slide exit into the Coronado Springs Pool — Slide Exit

The Kiddie Pool at Coronado Springs

A kiddie pool is available at Coronado Springs. It is across the walkway from the area where the water slide exits to the pool and is separated from the larger pool area by a separately fenced gate.

Several lounge chairs surround the kiddie pool–a few are in the shade.

The Hot Tub at Coronado Springs

Coronado Springs is home to Walt Disney World’s largest hot tub, which can seat up to 22 guests!

the largest hot tub at Walt Disney World — The Dig Site Hot Tub

This hot tub area is also separately fenced. It’s located toward The Dig Site’s main entrance.

the hot tub with lounge chairs and a brick was surrounding it for privacy — Private Spa Area at Coronado Springs

Other Recreation

In addition to The Lost City of Cibola Pool, the Dig Site has plenty of other things to do besides swimming. It’s what we love most about the area. For instance, a sand volleyball court is available near the front corner of The Dig Site.

volleyball court with sand area — Volleyball Court

Several outdoor table games are available toward the back corner.

table games like Foosball, Ping Pong and more at Coronado Springs Pooll — Table Games at the Pool

An area called the Explorer’s Playground sits directly behind the pyramid.

a playground with rubber cork flooring — Explorer’s Playground | Coronado Springs

It’s divided into two spaces. One area is geared more toward toddlers. The other play area (in the photo below) is for older children.

a playground area with a jungle gym — Playground area for older children at Coronado Springs.

As you may already know, nearly all of Walt Disney World’s resorts have arcades. Iguana Arcade is the one at Coronado Springs.

the Iguana Arcade sits behind the game tables at the feature pool at Coronado Springs — Iguana Arcade

Here’s a look inside.

interior arcade with games and massage chairs — Games in the Arcade

Siestas

As far as dining goes, Siestas is the resort’s poolside bar with a secondary quick-service restaurant. Bar service is available on one end of the counter, while a separate window provides an area to order food.

The walk-up counter for the pool bar at Coronado Springs — Siestas Pool Bar at Coronado Springs

Here is a preview of the menu at Siestas on our last visit. As always, menus and prices can change. But this should provide an idea of the kind of food offered at the pool.

the menu at Siestas Pool Bar at Coronado Springs — Menu items and prices are subject to change. This photo provides an example of what to expect.

Quiet Pools at Disney’s Coronado Springs

In addition to The Lost City of Cibola Pool, Coronado Springs has three quiet pools between the villages. We’ll preview each of them below. Guests can use any of the quiet pools. However, using the pool in your village is likely most convenient.

Casitas Pool

The Casitas has a quiet pool toward the front of building 4. This resort section is closest to El Centro and the convention center. Many of the rooms here are preferred rooms.

Note that all the quiet pools at Coronado Springs have a maximum depth of 5′ (five feet). Like the feature pool, each quiet pool has life jackets.

an alternative view of the Casitas Pool at Coronado Springs — View of the Pool in the Casitas

Ranchos Pool

The next quiet pool is in the courtyard of Building 7B in the Ranchos section. This section sits between the Casitas and the Cabanas and is directly behind The Dig Site.

Each of the quiet pools at Coronado Springs has a laundry facility. So, if you need to do laundry, you might enjoy some time at the nearby quiet pool.

an alternate view of the Ranchos Pool — Pool View Ranchos Area of Coronado Springs

Cabanas Pool

Finally, the quiet pool at the Cabanas is in front of building 8C. The Cabanas section is between Ranchos and Gran Destino Tower and is exceptionally close to The Dig Site.

As mentioned earlier, Gran Destino Tower does not have a leisure pool. So, if you’re staying in the tower and would like to use a quiet pool, the Cabanas pool is the closest to your room.

Related: Gran Destino Tower Review

the Cabanas quiet pool has a lagoon shape — Cabanas Quiet Pool

extra photo of the feature pool at Coronado Springs

The Resorts Gal Spin on Disney’s Coronado Springs Pools

We have stayed at Coronado Springs more than any other moderate resort. Back in the day, it was a place we often called home. Those trips were almost always centered around time at the pool. We have received several room assignments in the Cabanas section that were only a few steps away from the pool. During those trips, we spent more time at the quiet pool than usual due to the convenience. However, we have spent a good deal of time at The Dig Site, too. Siestas, the pool bar, usually has several decent entree options. I love this pool area because it has other recreational activities available for children who might not want to spend all day in the pool My only complaint is that it’s often more crowded than probably any of us would like. But that’s how it is with nearly all the pools at Walt Disney World. At least The Dig Site has plenty of room for everyone to spread out!

Overall, Coronado Springs has excellent pool options with plenty of recreational activities. As a result, it ranks high on our list of the best resort pools at Disney World. Those planning a stay at Coronado Springs might enjoy our resort guide, which lists our coverage of the resort to date.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

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In the comments:

What are your thoughts on the pools at Coronado Springs? Do you prefer to hang out at a larger pool like The Dig Site area or one of the quiet pools?