Category — w. Most Recent Stuff
Next Week (3/23 to 3/31/2013) at Walt Disney World
DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 23, 2013 TO MARCH 31, 2013
The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.
The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.
This is one of the busiest weeks of the year. For some thoughts on dealing with it, see this.
(For more on March 2013, see this.)
March 22, 2013 No Comments
Disney World Discounts Expiring Soon; Rumors About Disney Free Dining in 2013
WALT DISNEY WORLD DEAL EXPIRES SOON
Disney World currently has just one deal running, for arrival dates into mid-June. This deal needs to be booked by March 31st! See this for more on the deal.
DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING IN 2013?
It’s been unusual recently for Disney to have no deals out, so rumors are rife that a new deal will come out as early as April 1.
And everyone is hoping that it will be the usual fall free dining deal!
We’ve seen no free dining so far in 2013, and I expect the factors that have led to this to mean we won’t see a lot of free dining at Disney World the rest of 2013.
But I do forecast that we will see the return of the traditional fall free dining offer. It may be very different than in the recent past, and it may not be announced on April 1…but I do expect to see something, sometime soon!
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March 21, 2013 11 Comments
Review: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, page 3
For the first page of this review of Disney’s Coronado Springs, see this.
MORE STUFF ON DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
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.
Although the typical moderate rooms, at 314 square feet (the cabins have 508 square feet), look much smaller than the rooms available at the deluxe resorts, differences in hall/entry layout make the living space of the typical moderates much more comparable to many Walt Disney World deluxes than raw square footage would imply. See this for more on square footage and livability.
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.”
Its 140 acres include 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.
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 graceful, Mexican-influenced look.
Near it is a large gift shop…
…with mostly standard stuff, but a bit of selection similar to what you can find in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion.
Also in this main building you’ll find the very fun Rix Lounge…
…a grab and go food shop…
….and Pepper Market, the “quick service” meal offering.
Pepper Market, for those who have been to Coronado Springs before, has changed a bit.
Offerings are more pre-prepared and less varied than they had been, and you now settle with your waitress, rather than when you leave.
Pepper Market used to be clearly the best, and most intriguing, of the Disney World resort quick-service offerings; however, the quick service offering at the new Art of Animation Resort eclipsed it, but even with the recent changes, Pepper Market is still is the best quick service among the moderates.
Rounding out the offerings inside the main building is a table service restaurant, the Maya Grill. OK, but not worth a special trip.
Just outside the main building you’ll find a nice waterside bar, often filled with convention-goers…
…and a marina, which was empty during my last visit–in January 2013.
THE MAIN POOL AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
Unlike the other traditional moderates, the main pool is a hike from the central services. (See the top of the page for another view, and below for a map.)
It has the largest hot tub I’ve seen at any Disney resort–for the conventioneers?…
…a pool for little ones…
…and a kids play area.
Uniquely among the traditional moderates, the pool bar also cooks and serves hot food.
This is likely largely because of the hike from the other dining options, and perhaps also an additional service aimed at convention visitors.
Here’s the pool menu. (As with all this site’s images, click it to enlarge it.)
THE THEMED ROOM AREAS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
The 1917 rooms at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are divided among three differently themed 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 CASITAS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
The Casitas, closest to the main building and Convention Center, have the loveliest architecture among these.
The Casitas also have the highest appeal to conventioneers, being both closest to the convention center, and the location of the Coronado Springs suites.
(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.)
The quiet pool at the Casitas is the only pool at Disney World laid out for swimming laps.
THE CABANAS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
The Cabanas, the opposite direction from the Casitas, have undistinguished architecture…
…but look lovely from across the lake…
…and alone among the three room areas of Coronado Springs, are fronted by beaches.
Here’s a view of the beaches in the evening.
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.
You can’t swim in the lake from these beaches, but there is a quiet pool at the Cabanas where you can swim.
THE RANCHOS AT DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
The third area, the Ranchos, has a wilder Southwestern theme, which may be a little too realistically arid and barren for some kids to enjoy,
The Ranchos are also a hike from the resort central services, though some of these rooms are near the main pool.
There’s a quiet pool in the Ranchos area as well.
SUMMARY: DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
Among the moderates, Coronado Springs’s strengths for first time visitors are its visual kid appeal, especially in the Cabanas section (not as much as at Caribbean Beach, but more than the other moderates), its food court (the best among the Walt Disney World moderates), and its very high level of amenities compared to the other moderates—e.g. the only “real” room service menu among the moderates.
The principal negatives are that it can be choked by conventioneers, and costs slightly more than the other moderates—i.e. $3-$6 per night.
Returning visitors often find Coronado Springs to be a favorite—because of its amenities approaching the level of a deluxe for the little more than the cost of a typical moderate.
See this for more on distinctions among the moderates.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR CORONADO SPRINGS
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this
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March 20, 2013 1 Comment
October 2013 at Walt Disney World
OVERVIEW: OCTOBER 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD
This page reviews October 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.
March 19, 2013 10 Comments
Updated Forecasts for Late September and October Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Dates
Disney World has released its calendars for the end of September and the month of October.
Based on these, I’ve updated the forecasts of when Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (“MNSSHP”) will occur.
You can find the updated Halloween Party forecasts here.
March 18, 2013 8 Comments
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, page 3
For the first page of this review of the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, see this.
MORE STUFF ON THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness 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 Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort officially “combine an American Frontier theme with all of the luxuries of home…” and are situated in a resort that is “…a picturesque haven of natural beauty. Wander quiet trails between log-façade buildings like the Meadow Trading Post and Pioneer Hall. Water canals snake through the cabins, campsites and common areas, adding to the sense of being far from modern bustle—as do roaming ducks, deer and rabbits.”
The entire Fort Wilderness resort comprises cabins, family campsites, and group campsites.
All these share the resort’s other resources—such as a beach, marina, dining areas, stores, stables, movie and sing-along theater, bike rental area, pools, boat docks for transport to the Magic Kingdom (and to two other Disney Resorts—the Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary Resort), bus stops for everything else, etc., on more than 700 acres.
(For more on the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, which make up the bulk of the resort, see this.)
You check in to the Cabins in a small building in the Fort Wilderness parking lot. This is the southern section of Fort Wilderness, known as the Outpost (see the annotated map below–click it to enlarge it…). This is also where you’ll go for help with tickets, dining reservations and such.
From here you drive to your cabin (if you have a car) or take one of the Fort Wilderness internal buses to the nearest bus stop, and walk from there.
The 409 cabins themselves occupy an area on the order of 100 acres. Centered among the cabins is a quiet pool (image at the top of the page). “Quiet pool” is Disney lingo for a small, unguarded pool that is closer to some guest rooms than the large, guarded, main pool.
Most of the resources at Fort Wilderness are in two more northern areas, the Meadows and the Settlement.
THE MEADOWS AREA AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT
The Meadows area is closer to the cabins.
In the Meadows area you’ll find the main pool, which was re-themed, and upgraded with a water slide a couple of years ago, but is still weak compared to what you’ll find at the other moderates…
…the hot tub…
…the kids water play area…
…one of the many, many playgrounds scattered around the resort…
…a volleyball court…
…and tennis courts.
In this Meadows area you’ll also find one of the two stores at Fort Wilderness (the other is in the Settlement).
These two shops have a varied selection of Disney stuff, camping supplies, and a strong assortment of food.
Also here you’ll find a charming spot where each evening there’s a campfire where you can make S’mores, Chip and Dale lead a sing-along, and Disney movies are shown.
THE SETTLEMENT AREA AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT
In the Settlement at the very north end of Fort Wilderness, you’ll find Pioneer Hall, where the wonderful Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue is found, and also a small and undistinguished restaurant, Trail’s End, a bar, and the location for Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue.
Hoop-Dee -Doo can sell out months ahead, and the Barbecue is popular as well, so you typically can’t just show up and dine. Fort Wilderness is really built for people who cook most of their on-resort meals in their cabin or campsite, not for dining in its facilities.
There’s lots of other fun stuff in the Settlement–pony rides, a barn where Disney’s working horses are kept (trail rides are available from another stable, near the Outpost), etc.
At the very north end of the Settlement you’ll find a beach…
…marina…
…and a dock where you catch one of the two boat routes that operate from here–one to the Magic Kingdom, and the other to the two other resorts on Bay Lake, the Wilderness Lodge and the Contemporary Resort. The Magic Kingdom boat takes 12-15 minutes, and operates every 10-20 minutes.
For those aiming to get to the Magic Kingdom before rope drop, usually the best strategy is to take the boat to the Contemporary and walk from there, as the Magic Kingdom boat often does not begin operating until 30 minutes before open.
SUMMARY VIEW OF THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT
Among the moderates, the cabins’ strength for first time visitors is their capacity to sleep 6, in two different rooms, and the full kitchen.
No other moderate can sleep six—the Alligator Bayou section of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside can sleep five, and all other moderate options are for four people.
However, the space is more expensive than a 6 person family suite at All-Star Music or at Art of Animation. These 6-person family suites also give a few more square feet, a second bathroom, and a better layout for parent privacy…plus more kid appeal and convenience.
That said, the cabins do contain a full kitchen, which the family suites do not; but first time visitors won’t be cooking much in their rooms.
The cabin’s biggest negatives are their lack of visual kid appeal, their short beds, the cramped layout, the resort’s sheer size, and its internal bus system, which no matter how well it runs, adds time to every theme park visit.
Returning visitors charmed by campgrounds and nature often find the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness to be a favorite, particularly if they rent a car to avoid some of the buses, need space for six, want to enjoy some of the distinct amenities of Fort Wilderness—America’s best campground–and/or expect to get value out of the full kitchen.
See this for more on distinctions among the moderates.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR THE CABINS AT DISNEY’S FORT WILDERNESS RESORT
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this
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March 18, 2013 3 Comments
