Category — q. Reviews

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, see this.)

THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Note 8/4/2019: I am in the middle of updating this review to incorporate the changes at Coronado Springs that opened in July 2019. An overview of these changes is here, and a photo tour of a new room in the new Gran Destino tower is here.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort has four pools. The main pool, full of amenities, is the Lost City of Cibola pool at the central Dig Site.

Each of the current three accommodations areas at Coronado Springs–the Casitas, the Ranchos, and the Cabanas–has a pool as well, each much smaller than the main pool and with no material amenities.

The new tower being built at Coronado Springs will add hundreds of rooms but not an additional pool.

THE DIG SITE AND LOST CITY OF CIBOLA POOL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The Lost City of Cibola Pool is the main pool at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Themed to represent a lost Mayan ruin including a decaying pyramid handy for sun-bathing, it’s the second best family pool among the moderates, bested only by the more kid-appealing pool at Caribbean Beach. It’s by far the best pool for adults among the moderates.

For kids, the appeal is the exotic theming, the playground, and the 123 foot water slide. For adults, the appeal is the expanse of pool chairs, biggest hot tub at Disney World, and hot food at the pool bar.

The pool is centrally located in an area of Coronado Springs called in total “The Dig Site.” See the map below. The Dig Site area and pool is just above the words “Lago Dorado.”

This area is convenient to the Ranchos and Cabanas, and some of the Casitas. Other Casitas rooms are a hike. Each of these three areas also has a smaller pool, and this smaller pool is particularly convenient if you are in buildings 1-3 at the Casitas and you don’t need the amenities and fun of the Dig Site.

The pyramid dominates the pool.

Next to it is an 120 foot+ water slide.

It’s plenty big, with plenty of varied lounging areas.

There’s also a fairly weak kids pool…

…a fire pit…

…a hot tub–the largest at Disney World…

…a volleyball court…

…and a bar, Siestas, that unusually among the moderates serves hot food.

The menu.

Nearby is an extensive playground, with a sand play area…

…slide…

…and jungle gym.

The entire area is called The Dig Site…

…and is particularly nice at night.

Each accommodations area has its own smaller pool as well–and those come next!

THE CASITAS POOL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The quiet pool at the Casitas is the only pool at Disney World laid out for swimming laps.

The Casitas pool from the other end…

…and the side.

The Casitas pool at night.

THE CABANAS POOL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The Cabanas pool.

The Cabanas pool from the other end.

THE RANCHOS POOL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

There’s a quiet pool in the Ranchos area as well.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

• Overview and summary review of Coronado Springs
• The theming and accommodations areas of Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a standard room at Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a Gran Destino Tower room at Coronado Springs
• Amenities at Coronado Springs
• Dining at Coronado Springs
• The pools at Coronado Springs

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, see this.)

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Note 8/4/2019: I am in the middle of updating this review to incorporate the changes at Coronado Springs that opened in July 2019. An overview of these changes is here, and a photo tour of a new room in the new Gran Destino tower is here.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort includes an area where you check in, buy tickets, and find shops, dining, bars, etc., called El Centro. The Convention Center and business services space also is accessed here. Almost all amenities except for the pools and health club are in this central area.

EL CENTRO AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The main entry illustrates the graceful architecture you’ll find in most of the resort.

The check-in lobby has a Mexican-influenced look.

You check in here, buy tickets, make dining reservations, and such.

The far wall of the lobby has one of my favorite Hidden Mickeys, in the interacting shapes of three lights, much more visible to the camera than your eyes.

You’ll also find some charming toy displays in the lobby.

Nearby are shops, dining, and the Convention Center.

The gift shop Panchito’s is large, and while it has mostly standard Disney hotel gift shop stuff, there’s a bit of a Mexican selection similar to what you can find in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion.

Coronado Springs is a convention resort, with a medium-sized convention center in El Centro, a circumstance which has led to much fussing, most of it silly.

All the deluxe resorts except the Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge are also convention resorts, and these get little fuss.

Conventions yield fewer people overall because there are fewer people per room, and most of the time they are spending their time in meetings, in catered meals, and on the exhibit floor, rather than clotting the buses or food courts.

Demands for business services means that Coronado Springs also has more amenities than any other moderate–real room service, a real pool grill, a health club–none of which you’ll find at the other moderates.

But when a thousand people leave a meeting and head to the pool, you’ll notice.

There’s a bus stop outside of El Centro, and three more scattered around the accommodations areas.

There’s only a few amenities that aren’t in El Centro.  One is the pools, to which I’ll return later. The other is the health club, spa and salon, which you’ll find near the Casitas quiet pool.

DINING AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here!

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

• Overview and summary review of Coronado Springs
• The theming and accommodations areas of Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a standard room at Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a Gran Destino Tower room at Coronado Springs
• Amenities at Coronado Springs
• Dining at Coronado Springs
• The pools at Coronado Springs

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A NOT YET REFURBED ROOM AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Room at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are being refurbed. As of June 2018, rooms have been refurbed, or are being refurbed, in all accommodations buildings except in Rancho 7b and Cabanas 8b and 9a. A photo tour of a refurbed Coronado Springs room is here.

This page is a photo tour of one of the remaining not yet refurbed rooms. The rooms at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, while generally familiar to those who have stayed in other Disney World traditional moderate resorts, do have some real distinctions–mostly from adapting the basic layouts to the needs of convention visitors.

You’ll find two queens separated by a night table on one side of the room.

The night table has a drawer large enough for important books.

Here’s a view of beds from the bath side of the room.

The linens are elegant in a way typical of the room’s furnishings and fittings.

The area right in front of the windows is open. You’ll find here, instead of the air handler of other moderates, two ottomans. These can be used as chairs and moved around the room.

On the side of the room away from the beds, you’ll find a desk–not the table and chairs found here in the other moderates–and an integrated dresser/mini-fridge/TV unit.

Here’s the same side of the room as seen from the bath area.

The desk is fine for one person to work at, and, if you pull over an ottoman, can also serve as a table.

After the desk, the next feature of the room inspired by taking care of two convention visitors per room is the combined TV thingy/dresser/fridge, the next item along this wall.

Note the two columns of drawers. The other moderate rooms typically have several large drawers for a family; these rooms have six smaller ones, so that two conventioneers can each have a stack of drawers.

Next to these is a mini-fridge. Beyond, rather than the kids bench you’ll find in other moderates, is blank space–perfect for a luggage rack.

The bath has just one sink. (Refurbed rooms have two.)

Instead of being separated from the rest of the space by fabric curtains, rolling wooden doors isolate the bath from the sleeping area. In the other moderates, you’ll find similar doors only at Caribbean Beach.

Also in the sink area is the hanging rod, iron, and ironing board.

Finally, as usual, the tub and toilet area is in its own separate walled enclosure.

There’s a couple of these differences between Coronado Springs rooms and rooms in the other traditional moderates that I see as losses for family visitors–the lost sink, the lost table and two chairs, the lost kids bench.

Others, however, are clear positives–the extra living space in front of the window, the extra drawers, the two ottomans, and the wooden bath separator.

On balance, I think these rooms are just fine for families, but you may have to think about each little difference compared to the other traditional moderates in the context of your specific family!

The refurbed rooms will be better than most families, adding as they do a second sink, a bigger TV, an easy chair, and Disney theming–which you won’t see at all in not-yet-refurbed rooms.

PHOTO TOUR OF A REFURBED ROOM AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here!

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

• Overview and summary review of Coronado Springs
• The theming and accommodations areas of Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a not yet refurbed room at Coronado Springs
• A photo tour of a refurbed room at Coronado Springs
• Amenities at Coronado Springs
• Dining at Coronado Springs
• The pools at Coronado Springs

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Note: Coronado Springs has entered an extensive refurb. See this for more. Moreover, its main pool will be closed for refurb from early September through mid-December. If your visit requires pool time, it may be a bad choice during that period.  See this for more on the pool closure at Coronado Springs.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is distinctive among Disney World’s moderate resorts for its level of amenities–higher than at any other moderate–and some of the characteristics of its rooms.

Both of these distinctions come from its dual role as both a family hotel and a convention hotel, which yields both positive and negative effects.

• Extra amenities available only at Coronado Springs among the moderates are those typically offered to business travelers, including a fitness center and a grill at the main pool.
• The rooms differ a bit from other moderates in that their fixtures and fittings have been optimized for double-occupancy convention stays, so things are just a little different than in the other moderate rooms. (More on this later.) Moreover there overall decor is starkly masculine, and not as fun as, for example, the Disney-themed rooms at Caribbean Beach.

Even so, my half-dozen stays at Coronado Springs (most recently in November 2014) confirm that Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort remains the second best of the moderate resorts for first time family visitors.

(For what the moderates provide, and how they compare to the other Disney World resort classes, click here)

You can have a wonderful visit at any Walt Disney World resort.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the moderate resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. (See this for why.)

That said, the moderates represent ~30% of the rooms of Walt Disney World, and will be sought by some because this site’s recommended resorts are sold out, because you are on return visits, or because–sensibly–you’re just not that into my rankings!

So I’ve stayed (so far) in the moderate resorts 35 times, and published reviews of each.

Note that the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Coronado Springs or anywhere else–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

REVIEW: CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience. On this basis, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is the second-best moderate resort for first time family visitors.

(Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is first but see this before you consider booking it, Port Orleans Riverside is third, and Port Orleans French Quarter fourth; these results are very close.  The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are ranked last, and this is not close.)

FLOOR PLANS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Like those in the other traditional moderates, rooms at Coronado Springs have ~314 square feet.

These rooms are quite spacious, and the bedroom area is particularly ample–bigger than the bedroom spaces at the smallest deluxe resorts. (See this.)

The rooms sleep four in two queen-sized beds. You can add to this capacity of four a child younger than three who sleeps in a crib.

They do have some differences compared to other standard moderate rooms, mostly tied to their potential use by double-occupancy convention visitors.

• Rather than a table and two chairs, they have a desk with one chair
• Rather than a set of several large drawers, there’s two sets of three smaller drawers–one set for each convention occupant
• The TV wall next to the bath omits the small bench and coat rack typically here at the other moderates
• The bathroom is divided, but is set up for single use, and for more privacy while it’s being used. The screen separating it from the bedroom is solid wood, not fabric (among other moderates, only refurbed rooms in Caribbean beach have this), and it has one sink rather than two

Other room points worth noting:

• • The heating/cooling unit has been moved from in front of the window where you’ll find it in other moderates to a walled in space next to the first bed.  This frees space by the window compared to the other moderates, and that space has been filled with two little ottomans
  • The room overall is stark and masculine.

KID APPEAL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

While slight, the kid appeal of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is enough to bring it to second in the ranking on this measure among the moderates, after Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Coronado Spring’s kid appeal comes from:

–The American southwest and Mexican architecture and theming, which will be exotic and intriguing to some kids who have not traveled to or lived in such regions.

–The beaches in one of the resort’s three sections, the Cabana area.

–And the fun main pool, decorated with a Mesoamerican pyramid

The rooms themselves have zero kid appeal, being the most “businesslike” of rooms in any of Disney’s moderate resorts.

CONVENIENCE AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

Disney’s Coronado Springs is the second most convenient of the Moderates, exceeded only by Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter.

Disney calls it an “Animal Kingdom Area Resort,” and is poorly placed on maps in many websites and guidebooks right next to the Animal Kingdom.

It is in fact just a bit west of World Drive, is as close to Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it is to the Animal Kingdom, and is the most centrally located of all the moderate resorts.

(It is just south of the (theme park attendance weighted) center of Walt Disney World. This center is located in the undeveloped area west of World Drive, north of the Coronado Springs Resort, and south of the Magic Kingdom parking lot.)

OTHER DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

For adults, Coronado Springs Resort presents far and away the best value for money among the moderates.

It is the only moderate with a spa, the only one with a health club, the only one with a substantial room-service menu, and the only one with real business services support.

It also has in Pepper Market one of the better food courts among the moderates, although it is much less fun, varied and interesting (and complicated…) than it used to be.

For all this, you may pay $3-6 more per night some nights of the year than you would at Caribbean Beach, but will pay less than at Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter.

On the other hand, the reason it has such good amenities is because Coronado Springs is the only moderate which also serves conventions. If a big convention is at the resort, the food court, restaurants and bars can be choked up with the crowds.

The peak season for Orlando conventions is January through March.

BEST PLACES TO STAY AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

This site suggests that first time visitors stay in standard rooms, not preferred rooms (because they won’t be spending much time in their rooms, or going to the main resort food area often; the single exception is visitors to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, who should always pay for savanna views.)

Coronado Springs has three architecturally different areas: the Casitas, buildings 1-5; Cabanas, buildings 8-9; and Ranchos–buildings 6 and 7.

There’s pretty stark trade-offs among the areas in terms of access to the food court and main pool.

See the map (click it to enlarge it.)

Standard rooms on the top floors (quieter) in buildings 8a and 8b of the Cabanas section are the best bet, because of their access to the kid-pleasing beaches that are present only in this section of the resort, closeness to both the main pool and the dining area, and nearby bus stop.

(I used to recommend 9a, but construction in the former site of 9b makes me hesitant to advise staying there.)

The top floors (quieter) of the Casitas are the next best choice, partly because their architecture provides a mostly sun-and-rain-shielded walkway to the central services and food area. Buildings 1, 2, and 3 benefit from this walkway, and are closer to the food court; buildings 4 and 5 don’t have the walkway, and are further from the food court, but are closer to the main pool.

Avoid the Ranchos (buildings 6 and 7), as their theming—southwestern desert—is too subtle for most kids, and may show up to them as ugly or forbidding instead. They are also farthest from the food and other central services—though many are quite close to the main pool.

Here’s the online check-in form:

BEST FOR:

Families that will take advantage of the extra amenities—the room service, spa, health club, business center, etc.

WORST FOR:

Families that won’t—the extra price, and risk of convention congestion, would suggest Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort instead.

The long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Coronado Springs or anywhere else–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here!

PAGES:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  Next

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MVMCP: A REVIEW

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (“MVMCP”) is a special event that takes place during the Christmas season at Walt Disney World.

It requires its own ticket, which is entirely separate from regular Disney World tickets, and is only shown on certain nights from early November through mid-December.

(For more on MVMCP tickets and show nights, see this.)

Even though it is expensive (tickets for a family of four will cost over $200) it’s been part of this site’s Basic December Itinerary since the site opened, for a couple of reasons:

Going to it lets people save a lot of time. 

Disney limits the amount of tickets it sells to each show of MVMCP.  As a result, waits for the rides are low–most typically 10 minutes. For just how low, see Josh’s post here. Going to it and seeing some really popular rides with hardly a wait saves a ton of time that can instead be spent sleeping in or at the pool.

Going to it guarantees seeing an evening parade and fireworks. 

At the time of year the Basic Itinerary covers, the evening parade and fireworks at the Magic Kingdom may happen just a couple of times a week on non-MVMCP nights.  Sending people to MVMCP guarantees your family will have the opportunity to see an evening parade and fireworks.

Moreover, the parade and fireworks are unique. The fireworks are tied with those of the Halloween party as best of the year, and the parade has a fun Christmas theme!

I recommend people go to Walt Disney World in the early part of the Christmas season…so how can I not send them to this show?

It’s silly and fun!

In November 2014 I had a chance to see it again, for the sixth time. The rest of this entry is the review of that visit.

MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY

There’s a couple of components to MVMCP.

Noted already are the parade and fireworks, both in special Christmas versions.

The parade, called Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, happens twice each night, at 8.15 and 10.30p. (Go on rides during the first parade, and watch the second one.)

The parade begins with a bunch of characters…

…then Minnie and Mickey.

Frozen has taken over three floats.

Other floats include princesses…

…Santa Claus…

…and much more.  Lower ranking princesses evicted from their floats by the Frozen crew have to walk.

The fireworks, called Holiday Wishes, happen between the parades at 9.30, preceded by a special holiday version of Celebrate the Magic at 9.15p.

Also noted already are the rides.

• Not all rides are open, but all of the most popular ones are.
• Because of the limit on tickets sold, the rides are pretty easy to get on to without major waits. The park will feel very crowded on Main Street and near the Castle, but this is because of all the people lining for the castle shows and the parade route.  Away from Main Street and Frontierland the park opens up and ride waits are quite short.

There’s some shows, some unique to this event.

Castle shows Celebrate the Season…

…and A Frozen Holiday Wish are the same as on regular MK evenings. The first is OK but not worth seeing at the mobbed 7.30 showing (the 10.05 or 11.20p show is the better choice), and the second skippable.

Only shown during the party are A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas in Tomorrowland…

…and dance parties in Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland…

…and the Diamond Horseshoe in Frontierland (I took this during the fireworks–it’s more hopping at other times). The first of these is quite lame, the other two are cute ways for your kids to burn off energy if they need to.

There’s some fun other business: free cookies, free hot chocolate (locations on the map, and marked by candy canes), and snow!

Both sides of the 2014 MVMCP brochure are below–as always, click them to enlarge them.

Even though the party starts at 7p, Disney traditionally lets people holding tickets for it through the turnstiles beginning at 4p. Show up early, see some of the lower wait rides, and have dinner.  If you show up around party time, Main Street will be mobbed.  If the train is still running–the last run will be 6.45p or so–take the train to Frontierland or Fantasyland to avoid the crowds here.

FastPass+ is not available to those using party tickets–but it’s also not needed, as only Anna and Elsa and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train see major waits. If you want to see these, do them as late as you can stay up.

WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING THE BASIC ITINERARY?

As noted, this show is expensive, but worth considering if one or more of the following apply to you:

• You otherwise won’t see the evening parade and fireworks at the Magic Kingdom
• Your plans otherwise leave you short on Magic Kingdom time, and/or
• You are really a fan of Christmas

With kids old enough to be focused on rides, the right plan for MVMCP is to

• Show up early, and eat before the party
• Do rides until a little before 9, and then
• Position yourselves near the Castle for Celebrate the Magic, Holiday Wishes, and the second showing of the evening parade.
• After the parade, do more rides or see the shows!

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A Frozen Holiday Wish is the new-for-2014 version of the holiday Castle lighting show.

Up til this year, the holiday lights of Cinderella’s Castle were lit by the Fairy Godmother who was joined by Cinderella, Mickey, Minnie, etc.

The Castle is stunning in its holiday garb, but the lighting show itself was a very minor attraction—something worth watching if you happened to be there, but not worth a walk.

In the new version, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf of you-know-what take over the lighting duties.

The show is insipid, with dull filler material, crowds are high, and it’s only worth viewing by the most die-hard of Frozen fans. The Frozen Sing-Along at Hollywood Studios is much better, and the Castle will light whether or not you see this show.

(For a more positive take on this show, see this.)

A Frozen Holiday Wish begins with Anna, Elsa and Kristoff taking the stage, with a bit of so-so banter.

Olaf joins, reminds us that he likes summer and hugs in case we have forgotten, and the conversation turns to the beauties of the winter landscape. If only the Castle were decorated with ice and snow…but who could do that?

The obvious answer emerges, and Elsa goes to work. However, it takes her a while…This presents the opportunity for some so-so graphics to show up on the castle, but is out of character. We know that Elsa could do this in a second if she wished to, so the delay in achieving it creates not the intended feeling of suspense, but rather worries about Elsa’s health.

She is eventually successful…

And the results, as always, are spectacularly lovely.

The show happens twice a night, at 6.15 and 7.30p on nights the park is open late, and at 6.15 and 8p on party nights. (On party nights, the second show is only for MVMCP attendees.)

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