A Resorts Gal Review of Disney’s Coronado Springs

If you’re looking for a resort that stands out as a clear winner regarding price, value, and other amenities, it might be time to consider Disney’s Coronado Springs. Before we started the site, we frequented Coronado Springs because it always offered so much bang for our buck. Back then, we were returning guests who squeezed in five to six trips to Walt Disney World a year.

Coronado Springs often made the most sense for our budget. Plus, we enjoy hanging out at The Dig Site and taking leisurely sunset walks around the lake. However, with so much coverage of the other resorts, it had been some time since our last stay. So for this review, we’re taking a fresh look at Coronado Springs and what the resort has to offer. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

Coronado Springs Resort is a moderate resort near Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is not a deluxe resort. However, its counterpart, Gran Destino Tower, is similar to a deluxe hotel. Originally, the resort was spread out around a lake, and each section of buildings was considered a village. Back then, you would have to walk the parameters of the lake to get around. Depending on your room location, it might have been a reasonable hike to get to the lobby, pool, or dining.

However, during the resort’s last major refurbishment, things changed for the better. Multiple bridges were built over the lake, so guests can now walk directly across them for quicker access to their destination. An interior access hotel, Gran Destino Tower, was also added to the property. Therefore, when you book a stay at Coronado Springs, you’ll end up in one of the villages, or you can book Gran Destino Tower separately.

Gran Destino Tower has amenities similar to those at a higher-end hotel. We have a separate review of the Hotel that discusses its specifics. Additionally, we’ve returned since that stay and have a review of the Chronos Club, the club level at Gran Destino. For this review, we’ll focus solely on the original Coronado Springs Resort. However, we will include the amenities at Gran Destino Tower, like dining and lounge areas, that you can take advantage of during your stay.

Coronado Springs is inspired by Spanish, Mexican, and American Southwest cultures. With so many influences, the resort offers one of the most gorgeous and unique settings in central Florida. You’ll feel like you crossed the border to Mexico instead of just getting off a plane in Orlando.

Coronado Springs is substantial in size. It’s comprised of three villages with room accommodations and several other areas, including a tremendous convention center. Lago Dorado, the lake, sits in the center of Coronado Springs, offering stunning views of the property from all vantage points.

Below is a photo of the main bridge from El Centro (the resort’s lobby) that leads to the center of the lake. Two additional bridges meet in the center, forming three bridges altogether. As you might tell from the photo, the straight-away greatly reduces walking time at the resort.

It’s important to note that the resort’s layout is more convenient than before. Additionally, each village has a bus stop, so you don’t have to trek across the resort to get to the bus stop. You can also take a bus from your village to the front of the resort if desired.

Villages at Coronado Springs

Here is a list of the villages that house room accommodations at Disney’s Coronado Springs.

• Casitas 
• Ranchos
• Cabanas

Other destinations across the resort include;

• Coronado Springs Convention Center
• The Dig Site
• El Centro
• Gran Destino Tower

Each village has its pros and cons. For example, most of the Casitas sections are considered preferred locations. Preferred rooms are an upgrade because they are the closest to El Centro. Additionally, the Casitas are nearest the convention center. Therefore, the crowd in this section might be more business-class guests mixed in with families. 

I wouldn’t consider the convention center a huge concern. But Coronado Springs does have a tremendous convention center that stays reasonably booked throughout the year. During our last trip, a massive group of guests visited the resort for a youth karate convention. One thing we noticed is that you might encounter more guests in line for food, especially around dinnertime, when events let out for the day.

Here are a few photos of the Casitas section of the resort.

Ranchos sits directly behind The Dig Site and is the furthest away from El Centro. However, this area has some of the most beautiful landscaping of the different villages.

Lastly, the Cabanas sit directly between Gran Destino Tower and The Dig Site. This is my favorite village of the resort because of its location. However, it is the smallest village and probably the most plain.

El Centro, the resort’s main lobby, is home to multiple dining locations, a gift shop, and a formal check-in area. A beautiful fountain sits right inside the entrance. 

We enjoy walking through this area and taking in the mosaic tile ceiling.

The entire area is gorgeous.

Coronado Springs Convention Center is located in a hallway off El Centro. This area is to itself for the most part. But if you like to explore, you might take a walk through the corridors. You might be surprised.

Since Coronado Springs is a Disney-owned and operated hotel, guests enjoy several benefits. One of those benefits is early theme park entry, which allows resort guests to visit the theme parks 30 minutes early each day. This means you can access the parks before any guests who are visiting from off-property.

Early theme park entry applies to every park for every day of your vacation. Buses at the resort will begin running approximately one hour before the early theme park entry time begins. Coronado Springs guests will also have access to Disney’s bus service to and from the resorts to the parks and Disney Springs, so you won’t have to worry about driving anywhere during your vacation.

We have a separate article with an extensive list of Walt Disney World Resort benefits. Some resort categories differ in their offerings.

Coronado Springs Room Types

Coronado Springs has a wide range of room options. Below are the different room categories:

• Preferred Room
• Water View Room (King)
• Preferred Room (King)
• Standard View
• Water View
• One-Bedroom Suite (King)
• King Bed (Standard)
• Casitas One-Bedroom Suite
• Casitas Executive Suite

Additionally, the following rooms are available in the Tower:

• Tower Standard View
• Tower Standard View (King)
• Tower Water View
• Tower Water View (King)

These are club-level rooms and suites:

• Tower Deluxe Suite (Club)
• Tower One-Bedroom Suite (Club)
• Tower Presidential Suite (Club)
• Tower Standard View (Club)

Those looking for the most budget-friendly option will want to stick with a standard view. Anything else is considered an upgrade and will cost more. Preferred rooms at Coronado Springs are located in buildings one, two, or three of the Casitas. If you reserve a preferred room, you’ll be within close proximity to El Centro, dining, shopping, and transportation. However, preferred rooms are not close to The Dig Site. But a pleasant quiet pool is nestled in the center of the Casitas.

Another extra some might consider is upgrading to a king-size bed. For whatever reason, these rooms cost more, and they are few and far between. So, if a king-size bed is important, you might consider paying extra. 

Additionally, upgrading to a water-view room is an option. A water view room offers a view of a pool or a lake. While I consider upgrading room views when staying at a deluxe, I wouldn’t at a moderate resort unless it were Gran Destino. First, none of the rooms at Coronado Springs have balconies. Secondly, each room has exterior access. This means there is an overhang and a walkway outside your room. Therefore, other guests will walk past your window when walking back and forth to their rooms. 

In my opinion, a room view upgrade is not worth the price. We rarely open the curtains in an exterior access hotel room. I know I don’t want others staring into my room when they walk by, and you probably don’t either. 

Now, we did enjoy our room view upgrade at Gran Destino, and you can see why. While this room didn’t have a balcony, the view was stunning, and there wasn’t the possibility of anyone walking directly outside the window. It was particularly gorgeous at sunset.

As for the other rooms listed above, they vary. Some suites will accommodate a larger number of guests at a higher price. If you are part of a larger party, you might want to browse our overview of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts for other options. These resorts have amenities like kitchenettes and sleep five or more guests, depending on the suite.

Those who want to feel pampered during their stay might consider club level. Chronos Club is located at Disney’s Gran Destino Tower. Chronos Club is a private lounge that club-level guests can access throughout the day. Club lounges offer items like a continental breakfast, snacks, beverages, appetizers, and desserts in the evening. If you would like to compare, we have a review of the King Kamehameha Club at Disney’s Polynesian. All of the club levels at Disney World have pretty much the same setup. However, some of the food options will vary between each one. 

We stayed in a standard guest room in the Cabanas section of the resort, which can accommodate up to four guests.

Our room had two queen-size beds, a nightstand, and several outlets.

A desk doubled as a dresser with a built-in beverage cooler on one end. Other amenities included a coffee maker, disposable cups, and an ice bucket. Plenty of outlets and USB ports were built into the countertop.

As far as guest bathrooms in a hotel room go, I don’t think you could ask for more. A pocket door separates the toilet and shower area.

Additionally, a second set of pocket doors separates the vanity area from the rest of the room. Other amenities included a make-up mirror, toiletries, a hair dryer, an in-room safe, an iron, and an ironing board. We have a separate Coronado Springs Resort Standard Room Tour that provides a photo and video tour of the room if you want more details.

Recreation

Coronado Springs is home to a vast recreation area called The Dig Site. It’s going to be a hard pool area to beat when comparing hotels.

Coronado Spring’s Dig Site has something for everyone, from a giant pool to all types of recreation.

Coronado Springs feature pool is known as The Lost City of Cibola Pool. This pool area is so extraordinary that we include it in our list of the best pools at Walt Disney World.

It has a 123-foot-long Jaguar water slide.

Here is a view of the pool from the pyramid.

Additionally, Coronado Springs has the largest pool hot tub at Walt Disney World. This massive hot tub can seat up to 22 guests.

A kiddie pool sits in a separately fenced area near the pool.

In addition to the pool, a few other recreational options are available. For instance, a large sand volleyball court sits near the front of the area.

To the pyramid’s far side is a sizable playground with rubber flooring.

Explorer’s Playground is one of the best play areas at Walt Disney World. It has sections for older and younger children. Across from Explorer’s playground, you will find Iguana Arcade.

A few outdoor game tables are set up in front of the arcade.

Having numerous activities available in one place is a huge benefit of this area. Children and adults alike can enjoy the pool. And if someone doesn’t want to swim, there are other things to do. Additionally, The Dig Site has a substantial restroom with a separate changing area. This is a great space to utilize on check-in or check-out days when your room is unavailable.

Siestas, the resort’s pool bar, doubles as a quick service. It’s an excellent place to grab a meal by the pool. Aside from the resort’s feature pool, the three villages each have a leisure pool. Below is a look at the quiet pool in the Casitas.

Ranchos has a pleasant leisure pool.

And here is the quiet pool at the Cabanas section.

Related: The Pools at Disney’s Coronado Springs

Coronado Springs has a jogging trail for those who like to get a run or two while on vacation. Signage indicating the path is posted at the resort.

Related: Jogging Trails at Disney World

One evening, a while back, I ran out by the parking lot area after dark. While I’m sure it was probably safe, it did feel a little more isolated than I would have liked. So now, when I jog here, I stay in the interior circle around the lake and run through some of the villages. If you prefer a strength or other cardio workout, Coronado Springs offers two gyms. First, there’s La Vida Spa and Fitness Center, located in the resort’s Casitas section.

This gym is entirely adequate, with plenty of equipment for various workouts.

Coronado Springs’s other fitness center is located inside Gran Destino Tower. I walked over and used this gym during my last stay at the Cabanas.

Guests staying at the resort have access to either of the hotel gyms.

Related: Resorts with Gyms at Disney World

Also, Coronado Springs has a laundry room located near each quiet pool. So, if you need to do a load of laundry, you might enjoy a little time at the pool simultaneously.

Related: Laundry Facilities at Disney’s Coronado Springs

Dining

Coronado Springs has an impressive number of restaurants. First, El Mercado de Coronado is Coronado Spring’s primary counter-service dining location. El Mercado serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Formerly called Pepper Market, this counter service location has unfortunately gone downhill in recent years. I was giving El Mercado the benefit of the doubt for a while. However, on my most recent stay, I noticed they were still serving items that were not freshly prepared. So, instead of walking up to a station and ordering something, you grab hot or cold items from various cases.

When the resort was refurbished a few years ago, this entire area was completely redone, and the food offerings were satisfactory. But now you’ve got chicken fingers and fries that have been sitting under a heat lamp for no telling how long. Some other stations include Mexican food like nachos, American fare like burgers, and Italian, which always involves pizza.

As far as El Mercado goes, they have a kids’ meal at every station. Pre-made salads and sandwiches are available in the cooler. A variety of drinks are available in the cases.

Oh, and that fantastic bakery case that used to be in El Mercado is gone. Instead, you have a few convenience store racks of items that are arguably not freshly baked.

El Mercado also has a refillable beverage station. You can refill Rapid Fill mugs here or at the pool.

Since Coronado Springs is such a huge resort, El Mercado has a tremendous dining room.

Coronado Springs is home to a few table-service restaurants. Maya Grill offers Mexican cuisine. Their menu lists tacos, tortilla soup, enchiladas, and other Mexican-inspired dishes.

Rix Sports Bar and Grill is a popular table service restaurant and lounge. I stopped in during this stay to see what all the fuss was about.

It turned out to be delicious. I had a colossal turkey sandwich. It was so huge that I had half of it for lunch and enjoyed the other half in my room for dinner later that evening.

When I asked my server if they had coffee, she offered to prepare me a specialty cup. I went with a cappuccino.

Related: Coffee Lovers Guide to Disney’s Coronado Springs

Cafe Rix, similar to El Mercado, underwent a complete makeover. Unfortunately, the last few times I’ve visited, they’ve either been closed or had hardly anything available.

In the past, they had pastries, sweets, coffee, and a gelato case.

Laguna Bar is another option for beverages at Coronado Springs. It sits directly outside the back of El Centro.

This entire area is a gorgeous place to enjoy a meal or a drink when the weather is an agreeable temperature.

You might especially enjoy dinner around sunset hour.

Siestas Cantina is the pool bar at The Dig Site.

Three Bridges Bar and Grill (Villa Del Lago) is another casual table service restaurant. It sits in the middle of the lake where the three bridges meet.

Here is a photo of their menu.

Toledo, Tapas, Steak, and Seafood is a table service restaurant located on the top floor of Gran Destino. We enjoyed a delicious meal here when they first opened.

Across the foyer from Toledo is Dahlia Lounge. They offer small plates, cocktails, and a variety of beverages.

We had an order of chicken wings one evening during our stay.

Lastly, the Barcelona Lounge is located on the ground level of Gran Destino Tower. It doubles as a coffee bar during the morning.

Overall, Coronado Springs has a number of restaurants. However, it is rather unfortunate that the quick service options have become more of a miss than a hit. Hopefully, those options will improve.

Transportation

For most, Coronado Springs’s lack of transportation options is a negative factor. However, it is nice to have Disney’s bus transportation available.

Here are the destinations you can visit via the bus service:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Animal Kingdom
• Disney Springs
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Blizzard Beach

*To visit Disney’s water parks, you must take a transfer bus. It will take you to one location, and then you’ll transfer to another bus to get to the water park.

As we touched on earlier, each village has a bus stop, which is relatively easy to locate. Coronado Springs buses run a dedicated route. In most cases, they’ll stop at bus stops two, three, and four before heading to El Centro.

Additionally, if you don’t want to walk to El Centro, you can always take one of the buses to the lobby. Just ask the bus driver to make sure they will stop at the lobby on the way out.

Related: Transportation Options at Disney’s Coronado Springs

Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries

Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries is the resort’s gift shop at Disney’s Coronado Springs. It sits directly behind the fountain at the resort’s front entrance.

Inside, you’ll find anything from resort-branded merchandise to fun Disney-themed apparel.

You should be able to find almost anything you need.

Toward the back of the store, pantry items and other staples are available.

A refrigerated case is available with anything from bottled water to milk and soda.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has many more positives than negatives. I will admit I feel ambivalent about the resort’s quick service. It’s just too hit or miss, and even with all the improvements over the years, it doesn’t compare to the former Pepper’s Market that we used to enjoy.

As far as Coronado Springs goes, the main distinctions between it and a deluxe resort are the lack of an additional transportation option and the fact that the rooms are spread out in villages. However, the price is significantly less than that of the higher-end hotels, so there’s that. For those who are budget-conscious and concerned about the lack of amenities at the value resorts, Coronado Springs is an excellent option. Just remember, if you stay here, there’s plenty to do. So you’ll want to plan a resort day.

I hope you enjoyed this Coronado Springs Resort Review. This resort will always be my favorite of Disney’s moderate resort hotels.

For other moderate resort reviews, you might enjoy the following:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Review
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort Review
• Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Review
• Disney’s Gran Destino Tower Review

Or you might like our entire guide to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

In the Comments

What are your thoughts on Disney’s Coronado Springs? Did you find this review helpful? Do you have any questions about staying here?