Choosing which Disney World hotel to stay at can be a challenge there are so many fabulous options. I’m here with everything you need to know about Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to help with your decision.
Layout & Theme
Coronado Springs Resort is a moderate level resort located in the area between Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom parks.
The overall theming of Coronado Springs is a unique blend of Spanish, Mexican, and Southwest American decor and culture. Reminiscent of the Mexican and Texan Rivieras.
The resort is one of Disney’s convention resorts and has a complete convention center. As such the resort has amenities that you won’t find at other moderate level Disney World hotels, like a gym, spa, and a fine dining restaurant. You will also find lots and lots of work spaces. throughout the hotel designed for convention goers to be able to hop on their laptops and meet in small groups.
The hotel is quite large and has sprawling grounds with parking located throughout. The centerpiece of the grounds is a lovely lake, surrounded by all of the hotel buildings.
The majority of the resort consists of garden style hotel rooms. Two and three story buildings with open-air hallways. The buildings are clustered together creating many courtyards with beautiful landscaping, seating, fountains, and even some lawn games.
The garden style rooms are separated into three sections each with a different style. The Cabanas section has an ocean-side style complete with small sand beaches and hammocks. The Rancheros section has a desert theming of the American Southwest. The Casitas section is the largest of the three and is themed with a garden filled Mexican Riviera look.
The other room style here is found in the Grand Destino Tower. This hotel tower has a Spanish influence with theming elements from the Destino animated short which was created as a partnership between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. The tower is the most upscale area at this resort with elegant decor and a large open lobby. The tower houses the remaining hotel rooms at this resort.
Between the Casitas and Grand Destino Tower you will find El Centro which includes the convention center, most of the dining locations, and the gift shop. The Destino Tower and El Centro are connected by an interior walkway.
Transportation
The only transportation offered here is buses. There are four bus stops throughout the resort. One between the entrance of the tower and El Centro, and one in each garden section. This means you don’t have to walk too far to get to your bus as the overall resort is large. If you are staying in the tower the walk from the lobby elevator to the bus stop is very short and convenient. If you are staying in the Garden section some rooms are closer than others you could have a five minute walk from your hotel room to the bus stop.
Buses run from the hotel to all of the Disney World theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. Bus service from Disney Resort hotels begins 45 minutes prior to park opening and ends 1 hour prior to park closing. Return service to Disney Resort hotels ends 2 hours after park closing. Note that buses do not run between Disney hotels.
The buses run about every 15 – 30 minutes or so and you can track their estimated arrival time through both the My Disney Experience App and the arrival boards at each bus stop.
Check out my post all about Disney Transportation for more details on getting around Disney World.
https://4ears4eyesforthemagic.travel.blog/2020/03/04/getting-around-disney-world/
Rooms
The garden style rooms have the same interior styling no matter which of the three sections they are located in. These rooms have touches of the Three Caballeros and a southwestern look.
The standard rooms all have either two queen beds or one king bed. They include a smart TV, K-cup coffee maker, and mini fridge. These rooms all the vinyl flooring, lots of storage and plugs, including USB, and Disney’s signature split bathroom with a tub shower. The rooms are pretty basic but they are updated, functional, and stylish.
You can opt for a preferred location room which are those closest to El Centro. You can also choose different views. There are suites available as well.
Here is a look at all the garden room types:
- 2 Queen
- Standard View
- Water View
- Preferred Location
- 1 King
- Standard View
- Water View
- Preferred Location
- Suites
- Casitas – Executive Suite
- 1 Bedroom Suite – King
- Casitas – 1 Bedroom Suite
The tower rooms have a Spanish influence and touches from the Destino short. The rooms have very similar amenities to the those in the garden section. With lots of storage, a k-cup coffee maker, smart TV, and mini fridge. The bathrooms here are larger and have a shower only, no tub. These bathrooms are beautiful. The big difference here are the views. The tower rooms offer large windows overlooking Disney property. From some of the standard view rooms you can even see Spaceship Earth or other parts of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. These rooms have an upscale feel to them. Suites, and club level options are also available.
Here is a look at all the tower room types:
- 2 Queen
- Standard View
- Water View
- 1 King
- Standard View
- Water View
- Suites
- 1 Bedroom Suite
- Tower – Presidential Suite
- Club Level
- Standard View Club Access
For a closer look at the resort and room check out my video review of the resort.
Pools
The main pool at this resort is located at The Dig Site between the Cabanas and Rancho sections. The Lost City of Cibola pool is large and has an awesome pyramid feature, themed to Mayan ruins. The pool also has a water slide. The Dig Site also includes a kiddie pool and a hot tub.
The resort also has three quiet pools, one in each garden section. These pools don’t have any extra frills but allow for a quiet pool visit of for you to not have to walk the Dig Site if your room is located further away.
Fun!
There is plenty to do at Coronado Springs. In addition the pools there is also a large Mayan ruin themed playground, volleyball court, arcade, and lawn games at The Dig Site.
There are jogging trails throughout the resort, as well as two gyms one in the tower and one in the the Casitas section.
There is even a spa and salon at the Casitas Fitness Center. They offer massages, facials, haircuts, nail services, and even some Disney character inspired makeovers.
The resort also has activities like movie nights under the stars in the lawn behind Destino Tower, and campfire s’mores, crafting activities, a weekly fun run, and fitness classes. Some of these come with an extra cost and all are available on select days. Check the events schedule when you arrive at your hotel.
You can also rent fishing equipment and bikes to enjoy at the resort.
For your more practical needs there is a business center, laundry rooms and laundry services, ATMs, and other standard hotel services.
Shopping
Located in El Centro the Panchito’s gift shop sells Coronado Springs themed merchandise as well as general Disney World souvenirs. They have a variety of items from t-shits and pins to charm bracelets and purses.
There is also a nice supply of snacks and treats, plus basic staples like bread, peanut butter, jelly, bagged breakfast pastries, milk, yogurt, and baby food. There are also bottled drinks including alcohol, and frozen treats including Mickey Bars. Don’t expect a grocery store but there are some options here.
They also sell toiletry staples and some over the country pharmacy items.
Food
There are a ton of dining option at Coronado Springs. This is one of the highlights of this resort.
El Centro:
Cafe Rix – This is a small coffee shop open in the mornings that has all your standard coffee and beverage offerings as well as pastries and some pre-made breakfast items.
Rix Sport Bar & Grill – This sit down location takes reservations but can have walk up availability. A classic sports bar in atmosphere and menu this is the place to go if you want to catch a game while on vacation.
El Mercado de Coronado – This location is a food court and offers a variety of pre packaged options like salads and basic sandwiches as well as hot made to order items. Such as burgers, nachos, flatbreads, meatball, and a kids menu. There are also breakfast options here in the mornings. Dessert is also here with ice cream, and bakery options. This is going to be the option open the earliest and latest. There is a large seating area here.
Maya Grill – This table service location takes reservations and they are highly recommended in advance. With a fun theme of ancient Mexico with a menu of Nuevo Latino cuisine. With options like quesadillas, adobo chicken, fajitas, and enchiladas.
During my stay at Coronado Springs I had dinner at Maya Grill. I enjoyed this restaurant greatly. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed my meal. Starting with chips and guacamole, the guacamole with strawberry pieces in it was really good. For an entree I had the plant-based chicken enchilada and it was delicious and so cheesy which is hard to do with plant-based cheese. My husband had the chicken fajitas and really enjoyed them as well. If you are staying at this resort I would highly suggest having a meal here.
Laguna Bar – This is a small outdoor bar right outside of El Centro on the water.
Destino Tower:
Barcelona Lounge – This lounge and coffee bar serves gourmet coffee for breakfast and in the evenings it serves a small menu of appetizers and a large selections of coffees and alcoholic beverages. The lounge is located on the bottom level of the beautiful lobby and is a lovely place to stop for a drink.
Toledo – Toledo is a signature dining restaurant. Which is Disney speak for fine dining. Located at the top of the Destino Tower the restaurant itself is lovely with a very open floor plan it even has an open kitchen element. The glasswork on the ceiling is beautiful. The huge windows everywhere allow stunning views of Disney Property. Depending on your seat you can see Spaceship Earth, Galaxies Edge, Tower of Terror, Blizzard Beach, Magic Kingdom fireworks, and other Orlando attractions. The menu here is Spanish inspired and the specialties are tapas, steak, and seafood. This is fine dining so keep that in mind here with with offerings and the pricing.
I enjoyed my dinner here the atmosphere was upscale and the views were fantastic, we even got to see Magic Kingdom fireworks in the distance. We got the rioja-braised chorizo which was good. The real star of the show was my entree the rioja-braised chicken. This was absolutely delicious and the portion size was large. My husband got the grouper and added shrimp. He enjoyed his meal as well but the portion size was smaller, though that is to be expected at this style of restaurant. Overall the food was very good and it was a nice experience.
This is the one location I would suggest you actually travel to Coronado Springs to try even if you are not staying there. That is if you are looking for a fine dinging experience.
Dahlia Lounge – Also located at the top of the Destino Tower right across from Toldeo this lounge offers a patio with fantastic views of Disney World. The elegant interior also offers a great relaxing option. The menu offers tapas and tons of drink options.
Resort Grounds:
Siestas Cantina – This dining location is the bar and grill at the Dig Site and main pool. With appetizers and classic pool food like burgers, salads, and chicken tenders. There are also tacos, nachos, and some other snacks. Plus cocktails including frozen cocktails.
The Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa Del Lago – This open air restaurant located right in the middle of the lake has great views of the water and the resort. It is a very chill and comfortable atmosphere. With a bar and lounge style couch seating as well as standard table seating. The menu is Spanish – American and includes a full bar. They have a menu of appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts. This is a great location for dinner or a late snack after a full day in the parks. No reservations here but you can join the virtual waitlist from your app.
During our stay at Coronado Springs we had dinner at Three Bridges one night after a long park day. We had the appetizers of guacamole, and roasted corn dip. The guacamole was good and the roasted corn dip was great. We got the the grilled chicken salad, and shrimp salad as an entree. The salads were good and a really nice healthier option after a day of park food. The vibe here was really nice here at the end of the day with lovely views of the grounds of the resort.
Recommendation / Review
Overall I love this hotel and had a fabulous experience during my time there. We stayed in the Destino Tower in a standard view king room. The room had plenty of space and the bathroom was huge and had a ton of storage. The view from the front of the tower was great we could see Spaceship Earth and some of the Harmonious fireworks both of which were awesome at night. The tower is absolutely the way to go here in my opinion. It has an elegant feel at a moderate price point. There are a ton or dining options here which is great. The presence of a gym was a big plus for my husband.
I would recommend this hotel most highly to couples. I think adult groups would find this a great option as well. Those looking for higher end amenities on a budget will find themselves at home here.
I would not recommend this hotel for families with small children. There is not a ton of theming for kids here and they likely would not appreciate many of the dinging options. Also if being near a theme park with faster transportation than a bus is a top priority this is not your best option.
As you can see Coronado Springs Resort has a lot to offer.
If you are interested in staying at Coronado Springs Resort or any other Disney resort contact me today for a free quote at katiev@themagicsyours.com.
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Katie - The Magic's Yours Travel 