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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: DECEMBER 6 TO DECEMBER 14, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic. For more on December 2014 at Walt Disney World, click here.

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

The Magic Kingdom will be open 8a-1a 12/6, 8a-7p 12/7, 8a-12MN 12/8, 8a-7p 12/9, 8a-11p 12/10, 8a-7p 12/11 and 12/12, 8a-1a 12/13, and 8a-7p 12/14

Epcot will be open from 9a-9.30p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9p 12/6, 9a-8p 12/7 through 12/9, 9a-6p 12/10, and 9a-8p 12/11 though 12/14

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-7p 12/6 and 12/7, and 9a-6p 12/8 though 12/14

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

Saturday 12/6 Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 12/7 Morning: none Evening: Hollywood Studios

Monday 12/8 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Tuesday 12/9 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Wednesday 12/10 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Thursday 12/11 Morning: Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

Friday 12/12 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Saturday 12/13 Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 12/14  Morning:  none Evening: Hollywood Studios

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9 and 11p 12/6, 12/8, 12/10, and 12/13

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p 12/6, 12/8, 12/10, and 12/13

Illuminations at Epcot: 9.30p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 6.30 and 8p 12/6 through 12/9; 6p 12/10; 6.30 and 8p 12/11 through 12/14

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/6-12/14/2014

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

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The 2015 edition of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit launched as the most up-to-date Disney World guidebook ever, with the right stuff on new dining options, ride closures and openings, and hotel changes.

But things at Disney World always change–and we also are unfortunately human and do make mistakes.

So as things change or we find mistakes, here’s how to keep up: [Read more →]

In case you missed it, you can now book a family of five into Caribbean Beach rooms.

Some refurbed rooms at Caribbean Beach have had two queen beds and a fifth 30″ by 64″ Murphy Bed since the summer, but were not bookable for five until late November.

I did three test bookings for 2014 and 2015 arrival dates, and five person rooms are now on offer!

For more on Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and its refurbed rooms, see this.

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THE EASY GUIDE IS AVAILABLE ON KINDLE

The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit 2015 is available both as a paperback and as a Kindle book.

(You don’t by the way, need a Kindle to buy and read Kindle books–you can get Kindle readers for phones, tablets, and laptops.)

Kindles are wonderful objects for traveling readers, and having a Kindle app on your phone means you can do a quick reference to The easy Guide without having to, for example, tear out the cheat sheets and stick them in your pocket.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that. [Read more →]

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

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 is one of 5 moderate resorts at Walt Disney World:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, the first Disney World hotel to be designated a moderate, which opened in 1988
• Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort (opened in 1991 as Disney’s Port Orleans Resort)
• Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort (opened in 1992 as Disney’s Dixie Landing Resort)
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (opened 1997) and
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, officially classed as moderate in 2008, but opened (as the Wilderness Homes) in 1986. (Fort Wilderness Campground opened much earlier, but precursors to the Cabins did not arrive until 1986.)

The moderates have much more room than the value resorts, more amenities, and (except for Fort Wilderness) much better landscaping. See this for what you get by Disney World price class.

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is officially “an American Southwest-themed…hotel set on Lago Dorado—a glimmering 22-acre lake—that invokes the spirit and romance of Spanish-colonial Mexico.”

Rooms here typically have two queens or one king, and suites–uniquely among the moderates–are available as well.  More “business class” rooms will come with the new Gran Destino tower, opening in July 2019.

The resort is divided into El Centro, with most amenities, and three differently themed lodging areas:

• The Casitas, resembling a graceful cityscape
• The Ranchos, based on Southwestern desert habitats and architecture; and
• The Cabanas, intended to give the sense of “a quaint beachfront retreat complete with cozy hammocks.”

The Cabanas are best for families, and the Casitas for adults. See the map for their locations.

I suspect that the tower under construction in the Cabanas area will, once it opens, be part of the El Centro area, keeping the resort at four basic areas, each with its own bus stop. However, the Casitas, Ranchos and Cabanas will remain the only areas with their own dedicated pools.  There’s more on the pools at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort here.

THE CASITAS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The Casitas, closest to the main building and Convention Center, have the loveliest architecture among these.

Until the tower opens, The Casitas also have the highest appeal to conventioneers, being both closest to the convention center, and the location of most of the Coronado Springs suites.

Most suites are in Casitas 1, and there are many lovely courtyards and fountains between Casitas 1 and Casitas 2.

(Yes, Coronado Springs is the only moderate with suites; these are required to compete for convention business, as they are often given away or heavily discounted to meeting planners in return for reserving a block of rooms, and are also required as sales and meeting settings by some exhibitors.)

Because until the tower opens they are the closest accommodations buildings to El Centro, Casitas 1, 2 and 3 are “preferred” buildings, where even standard rooms come at an extra cost. Note that some rooms in 2 and 3 are still a hike from El Centro.

Buildings 1, 2 and 3 are closest to the services at El Centro and to the Convention Center.  They are also interconnected by covered walkways, very handy in the rain or summer sun. Buildings 4 and 5 are balanced between El Centro and the main pool at The Dig Site. Buildings 2 and 4 are closest to the bus stop.

THE CABANAS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The Cabanas, the opposite direction from the Casitas, have undistinguished, dull architecture, meant to recollect casual beach houses, hence the perhaps overly subtle patching on the roofs…

…but look lovely from across the lake. These rooms have the best location for families, being in between the El Centro services and the main pool.

Alone among the three room areas of Coronado Springs, the Cabanas are fronted by beaches.

Another view of the beaches…

…and the beaches in the morning.

The kid appeal of these beaches and overall convenience to both El Centro and the main pool makes the Cabanas the best area for families, and is why I rate Coronado Springs as the second-best moderate for first-time family visitors.

While the former path between Building 9a and El Centro is closed for construction (9b was demolished), 8a is the Cabanas building most convenient to both El Centro and the main pool, and is the best choice for family travelers.  Building 8b is also a fine choice–a little further from El Centro, but closer to the pool and bus stop.

THE RANCHOS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

The third area, the Ranchos, has a wilder cactus-y Southwestern theme, which may be a little too realistically arid and barren for some kids to enjoy.

Theming includes dry washes…

…hitching posts…

…and animal tracks.

The buildings are meant to reflect the main buildings of old ranches. This works better in the tall buildings, not so well in the two-story buildings.

Note the stonework on the columns and the (fake) chimneys.

The Ranchos are also a hike from the resort central services and convention center, though some of these rooms are near the main pool. Building 7a is next to the bus stop but is otherwise the most inconvenient building at Coronado Springs.  If you are here as part of a team attending a convention, your colleagues are in building 1, and you are assigned by your boss to 7a–well, update your resume.

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 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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As noted here in the overall introduction to the 2015 edition of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, Jim Korkis, the dean of Disney historians, has joined The easy Guide team, along with me and Josh as authors, and editor/publisher Bob McLain of Theme Park Press.

Jim Korkis is best known as an author (my favorite among his works is the The Vault of Walt) and MousePlanet.com columnist (see a list of his columns here). His focus is lesser-known Disney history. Before his writing career he was a cast member whose jobs included teaching animation and researching and teaching Disney history to cast members and others. [Read more →]