Why We’re Not Returning to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

by The WDW Lists
Posted On August 2, 2021

We finally stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort after hearing so much about it on blogs, YouTube, and allllll the places.

To be honest, it was the cheapest room available for a last minute stay in the peak of summer vacation in July! I wasn’t entirely disappointed that we were booked for an absolutely beautiful hotel.

If you’re considering booking Coronado or have a stay already planned, read on for some helpful tips, harsh realities, and pleasant surprises!

If you’re looking for more information about Disney’s Coronado Springs, check out our article about it here!

As a quick note, these are just our experiences and opinions. We are very much a go-with-the-flow family, so we didn’t let any inconveniences mentioned below ruin our trip, but I believe they’re worth mentioning!

*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you.

Who went? When did we go?

We always seem to get the travel bug after the beginning of the year and at the end of the summer. This year, we booked a “last-minute” trip to Disney’s Coronado Springs using a 25% room discount promotion at the end of July 2021.

It was actually the least expensive room on property (without a split-stay) that ran us about $270 per night with the discount. We stayed on the ground floor of the Casitas section, building one, in a preferred room.

Our family consists of mom, dad, and two kids- a 6- and 8-year old. We didn’t feel out of place with our kids in a somewhat swanky hotel, but I can confirm the rumors and opinions that Coronado Springs is marketed towards adults or professionals attending onsite conferences.

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The Schedule

We usually fly in early to capture an extra park day on arrival day, but this time we flew in later in an effort to make this a more leisurely, “restful” vacation.

Those who have done Disney would agree that you could usually use a vacation once you get home from a Disney vacation.

In an effort to keep the trip low-key, we only booked two park days with an unscheduled rest day in between the two parks. We kicked around the resort for most of the morning (more on that later!), and visited Disney Springs later for dinner and some back to school shopping.

We actually returned to the airport to stay at the Hyatt Regency our last night to avoid the morning scramble to the Magical Express in the morning. Two thumbs, way up, on this decision.

Finding the Lobby & Bell Services

We arrived on a Monday afternoon by Magical Express. We weren’t staying at the Grand Destino Tower, which is booked differently than the outlying buildings. It was odd because there was no designation for how to get to a lobby serving the outer buildings. Nor were there directions to our assigned room via the app.

I can’t be the only human that encountered the disconnect between Coronado Springs and Grand Destino Tower.

In fact, we headed straight to bell services to retrieve a rented stroller and found that almost the entire population of our Magical Express had queued behind us at bell services before realizing that 1. We were not checking in, and 2. They did not have business at bell services that day.

Without stringing you along further, the lobby of Grand Destino Tower serves both the tower and the outlying buildings that skirt along Lago Dorado, the centrally-located lake at Coronado Springs Resort.

The lobby is absolutely breathtaking.

I should also mention that the service desks are to the right when you enter, and are largely unmarked. The queue to meet with a representative is also unmarked, but if anyone is loitering in front of the desks, you just stand a respectable distance away, and a representative will retrieve you shortly.

The cast members were remarkably kind. If a guest isn’t staying in the tower, the cast members are faced with challenges of both a sprawling resort and wonky corridors to verbally navigate to puzzled guests.

Maybe it was my blank stare, but I was promptly offered a map, for which I was eternally grateful.

Layout of the Hotel

If you’ve never visited Disney World, or anywhere in Florida, in July, you’ll find yourself at the mercy of the weather. After noon, you’ll see gray clouds roll in that dump rainfall anywhere from 30 minutes to hours at a time.

We arrived during one of such downpours that lasted into the evening. It was actually lovely to watch the rain fall over the lake and drip from the plants.

The challenge of navigating Coronado Springs during a downpour is that covered walkways are at a premium, especially with a suitcase and a double stroller. We found that the ability to cut through fountained courtyards on a sunny day was far preferable, but it didn’t cut much time from our commute to the main buildings.

From the lobby area, we took an elevator down to a lower level, through a hallway, down a long corridor, across an entryway, down another long hallway where most of the restaurants are located, outside and around a corner, and down a covered walkway. Once we arrived at the Casitas series of buildings, we wove our way through the covered walkways to find our room.

Our head was spinning by the time we reached the room.

The Casitas are the closest “neighborhood” of buildings to the main building, “El Centro.” We had booked a preferred room, indicating we’d be close to both dining and transportation. While we felt worlds away, I have to agree that the Casitas are far closer than the other “neighborhoods” to amenities.

The Casitas section is also within walking distance to the main bus transportation area at El Centro; however, there are a few more bus stops scattered along the perimeter of the resort where you can catch a bus to the parks or Disney Springs.

The Room

Before we left on the trip, I was sure to watch a ton of YouTube videos with preferred room walk-throughs, tours of the grounds, and amenities. While what we found was similar, there were some exceptions that had changed from April to July.

We were greeted with towels coiled into a Mickey on our queen sized bed when we entered. This was one of the cute pixie dust moments that I had hoped for from my research. It’s a small bit of magic that we’ve never even received at our stays in deluxe resorts.

The Furniture

My husband is a fan of Murphy beds that Disney is installing in many of their resorts, but I was happy to see that even though both beds were in a fixed location, there was still ample room for the double stroller without collapsing it or stepping over it to access another part of the room.

The room also has a sleek wing-backed chair in the corner by the window. When you first sit down, the cushion is surprisingly firm, but once you recline against the back, the chair is actually very comfortable.

A long, granite (quartz?) counter spanned one side of the room with plenty of drawers for our clothes, a safe, a cooler, and a seated desk area. There was plenty of storage for our groceries on shelves above the counter, and the desk area was perfect for our kids to eat, fight over the chair, and watch Bluey at the same time.

Kitchenette

The glass-door cooler never seemed to get very cold, which is why I assume they call it a “cooler” and not a “refrigerator.” While we did stash perishable items in it, I was reassured by morning of its ability to keep temp when some canned drinks came out chilly enough to our liking. I think I had the cooler tuned to the lowest temperature, but it was hard to tell because the temperature knob kept falling off.

The Restroom and Vanity

We had a walk-in shower with glass doors, and a showerhead and accompanying handheld showerhead. Water pressure was adequate, as was the temperature.

The shower also has the built-in shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser, but ours also had a broken spigot on the body wash, which was placed on the toiletry ledge when we checked in. We were still able to access the body wash, but it was still disappointing considering Mousekeeping would have had to have acknowledged the damaged pump when preparing the room.

Something that worked out well for our family is that the bathroom fan can be turned off while someone is using the restroom. It’s a feature that may not concern many adults, but the loud fan can scare the crap out of my kids. (We have some sensory processing things going on.)

Because we swam each day we were there, I made use of the retractable laundry line in the shower for our swimsuits. I’m glad it was there, but the string itself had been retracted wet at some point and not dried properly. The result was a dingy, brown string to hang our swimsuits from.

The vanity has plenty of storage on either side and underneath. The sinks are completely functional, though remarkably small. We’re not big into sink baths or hand washing laundry, so sink size was a non-issue for us.

What we Liked

Having stayed mainly in deluxe and value resorts, we loved that the rooms and grounds have a deluxe feel to them. This looks like granite countertops in the room, and seating for both work and lounging in the room. We can definitely see what keeps Coronado Springs in the moderate pricing category, but we felt it was certainly more polished than its moderately priced counterparts.

The fountains are breathtaking, as is the landscaping. We actually found bananas growing, which was a cool experience for the kids. There are also lizards everywhere. We saw no less than 10 lizards on each leg of our daily commute. This may be a con for some people, but it was something fun for us and the kids as well.

*Lush landscape and fountains are *everywhere*.*

We enjoyed Rix Sports Bar & Grill. While the food wasn’t spectacular, it was nice to have a mid-priced option available that was comfortable with kids and a great cocktail menu. We actually went twice, and one of our servers was absolutely fantastic. Without a reservation, we were seated in less than 30 minutes both times.

Each “neighborhood” has its own quiet swimming pool with life vests available. Because neither of my kids are great swimmers, and because my husband is one of the rare individuals that sinks in water (What’s up with that, anyway?!), we love the life vest situation.

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What we Did NOT Like

Clearly the walk between the room and the main buildings was a huge inconvenience for us. I can’t imagine what the walk would be like for further buildings. Being that there are more formal lounges and restaurants in Grand Destino Tower, I shudder at the thought of wearing anything other than comfortable walking shoes to get there.

Shopping at the resort was a little disappointing. Panchitos was the only gift shop available. While there was plenty of room for social distancing, it comes at the cost of very sparse souvenir offerings. For scale, I feel as though all of the products (including duplicates) could be displayed comfortably inside my living room.

Along the same lines, we like to grab a souvenir referencing our hotel stay (ornament, pin, etc.), but we weren’t able to find something that generated any feeling greater than, “Eh, no, thanks.”

In my research, I was impressed that Coronado Springs offered actual glassware and coffee cups in addition to disposable versions. I also was looking forward to the bathrobes featured in a 2021 room tour video from April. It was a little disappointing to find that both of these perks were either not offered or stocked in our room. I hesitate to think they had been pulled as a health risk, rather, it was just a perk that was quietly discontinued.

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Who is Coronado Springs for?

Coronado Springs Resort is known for being geared towards convention-goers. This could include professional-types that are not looking for over-the-top character experiences or a continuation of the theme park experience at the end of their day. Also, the built-in desks provide a small, lit workspace for those needing to get some work done.

*Lots of space to lounge and plug in devices in a long corridor near the convention center, Panchito’s, and the restaurants*

I was impressed with how quiet the resort is as a whole. Even during our time at the Casitas pool, though somewhat crowded, I noticed that guests were more quiet and respectful of each other. While this may have been a fluke, I like to think that the serene surroundings impress a sense of calm on its guests. If you’re looking for a hotel to “turn off Disney” at the end of the day, this would be a nice, quiet option.

If you or your kids are walking-averse, I would discourage you from booking a stay in anything other than the Grand Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. Going up an elevator and straight to our room, we would have had a much different experience. Older children may not mind a longer walk from the outer buildings.

The outlying buildings could be a great fit for someone who has their own vehicle. Not only would you avoid walking to and from buses or dining, you will also not be at the mercy of the bus system.

What did we miss out on?

While we didn’t take advantage of the onsite spa and fitness center, I love that they were available. If we find ourselves at Coronado Springs again, I may well book a massage- purely for blog research purposes, of course.

There’s a restaurant called Three Bridges at the center of, you guessed it, three bridges. Set in the middle of Lago Dorado at the center of the resort, it’s said to have some small plates for sharing and an elaborate bar menu. I wish we had made the journey to Three Bridges to grab a bite, as I’ll bet the views are stunning at night!

After checking in on the heavily-themed swimming area, “The Dig Site,” we decided it was a bit too crowded for our comfort. If we were to stay here again, it would be a fun activity if we came at a less popular time.

Would we book Coronado Springs again?

After having unwound from our vacation and taking time to reflect, I can’t say we’re chomping at the bit to return to Coronado Springs. If we found ourselves with our backs against the wall in terms of available rooms and a stellar price, we’d most likely wait to book at another time or reallocate some funds to splurge on the next tier of hotel rooms or rent DVC points.

We didn’t have a bad time, but we did realize how much impact the journey to the room and amenities would have on our vacation. The distance combined with the poor signage and narrow, labyrinth-like walkways compounded the already-long distances you cover during a Disney World vacation.

In short, there are better options for our family. What’s cool about planning your vacation is that you can research articles just like this one to decide which hotel is right for your family!

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I hope you enjoyed the review of our stay at Disney’s Coronado Springs! Have you ever stayed at Coronado Springs before? Do you have any questions or feedback about it? Let me know in the comments!