Mouse Extra

This past trip I finally had the chance to visit and stay at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.  After decades of going to Walt Disney World this was the only resort I had never been to, so just that fact alone was exciting.  I had heard some bad things about the resort leading up to my trip, so my expectations were low.  But even though I thought it not nearly as good as others in the same “moderate” level pricing, it is still a fine resort.

Coronado Springs is also a convention center, which is why I was there.  My wife was down on business and I was along for the ride.  For those who may have a bizarre problem seeing people walking around in business attire while on vacation this is not your place.  (Don’t laugh!  I have actually heard this complaint many times.)  A resort full of conventioneers can be good and bad.  The bad is that during lunch and dinner times the dining facilities could get a bit more crowded then one would expect to find when the parks are open.  The good part is that these are generally pretty quiet people, many there by themselves.  Thus Coronado Springs has a much quieter and relaxing atmosphere then other Disney resorts that may have really loud pool areas or kids running through the food court at all hours.

Coronado Springs was named after Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, the Spanish explorer who traveled western Mexico and the American Southwest in the 16th century.  The grounds are typically beautiful for a Disney moderate resort.  The buildings are well designed with a theme that recalls the area Coronado himself explored.  The entire resort surrounds Lago Dorado which makes for terrific atmosphere.  There is a main pool, called the Dig Site, which sits in the shadow of an ancient stepped pyramid.  It can be a bit noisy, but there are also plenty of quiet pools as well.

The resort is big, much bigger then your average hotel or deluxe Disney resort.  Some rooms can be quite a hike to the lobby, but we are not talking about the multiple-time zone Disney resort like Caribbean Beach or Saratoga Springs.   Theme Park buses do make a couple of stops around the grounds, and for some reason, maybe just good luck, I found the buses were quicker here then other moderates.

There is a sit down restaurant, the Maya Grill, a food court called the Pepper Market, and Café Rix which is a stylish lounge.  There is also a counter-service coffee shop for the quick cup of Joe and a muffin.  I did not try the Maya Grill, mostly because it was expensive and had an unexciting menu.  The Pepper Market was also something of a let down.  It is not your typical Disney resort food court.  The selection is more refined then burgers and sandwiches, and therefore more expensive then you would imagine.  After you decide what you want, your food is brought to your table, so add on a gratuity when factoring in your costs.  The food itself is pretty good, and the idea is interesting, but I personally like a resort food court because it is less expensive then theme park restaurants.  That is not the case here.  Entrees easily average over fifteen dollars.

All in all, I liked the Coronado Springs Resort, but not enough to say I would try my best to go back.  The rooms and grounds are certainly on par with the other Moderate resorts.  But where Coronado falls short is in the dining offerings.  So I guess I would say this; If you don’t want the noise of a Value resort, or your company is sending you to the Mouse for a conference, you will enjoy the Coronado Springs.  It may not be the absolute best resort on Disney property, but it is no where near the worst either.