Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

[Disney Vacation Planner]

Resort Map

 Overview

The Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center is centrally located near Epcot, and The Disney-MGM Studios, and is very close to the Disney's Animal Kingdom park, which is due to open in April 1998.  The resort is named after Francisco de Coronado, an early European Explorer.

The resort is called as a Moderately priced resort, and features 1,967 rooms and suites, highlighted by colorful plazas, palm-shaded courtyards, and a rocky shoreline surrounding a 15-acre shimmering lake (Lago Dorado).

On the northern shore of the lake are the two story Cabanas - 2 story buildings housing the guest rooms, aside a nice sandy shoreline (Over half of the rooms at the resort have lake views) reflecting the beauty and serenity of Mexico's coastal regions.

The themed pool area features a 120' by 90' pool with a water slide with a jaguar that spits water at guests as they slide down, and a playground area for children, themed as an archaeological dig site.  Towering over the area is a huge Mayan pyramid

The Resort is ideal for meetings and conventions, with 95,000 sq. ft. of convention space.

Rooms

There are a total of 1,967 moderately-priced rooms and suites at the Coronado Springs Resort, with an average room size of 314 square feet.  Most of the rooms (1,718 in total) feature two double beds, with standard rooms sleeping up to four guests.   However, 60 rooms have a single King sized bed instead of two doubles.  1,181 of the rooms are designated as non smoking, and 99 rooms have facilities for the disabled guest.  If required a small 'roll-away' bed can be added to the room for a small additional charge.

All guest rooms feature an ensuite bathroom / washroom with a single sink, additional facilities include coffee makers with coffee and tea, an ironing board with iron, and limited room service providing breakfast and dinner if required.  Cribs, Refrigerators, and Hair-Dryers are all available on request if required (though Disney are in the process of installing hair dryers in all the rooms as standard), for a small additional daily cost.  Wheelchairs are available by request at no additional charge.   Daily newspapers can be delivered to the room each morning for aproximately $1.50 per day.

Parking is as usual for a WDW resort, convenient to all of the buildings.

The Casitas rooms are close to a nice quiet pool, health club, laundry room, bus stop 2, and not too far from the front of the complex.  The Ranchos section is towards the very rear of the resort, and is quite a walk from the food court.

Food and Drink

Pepper Market is the main food court area, with seating for over guests 400 for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 06:30 AM until 23:00 PM.  The resort theming is continued, with Pepper Market serving Mexican cuisine (tostadas,tacos and fresh tortillas), baked goods, pizza, pasta, burgers, chicken and a grill, Asian-stir-fry items; American grilled steaks, with omelettes made to order, rotisserie chicken, french fries; fresh pasta; pizza-smoked salmon and other specialty pizzas; sandwich-subs, cold cuts and hot sandwiches; bakery-bread and sweet rolls. The cappuccino and espresso window with gourmet coffees and pastries opens at 6 a.m. A margarita and beer kiosk also offers beverages.

Pepper Market is unlike any of the food courts elsewhere on Disney property, in that it's much more interactive - Initially you are 'Greeted and Seated' by a host or hostess who will give you a ticket.  You are then free to roam the 'Market Stalls' selling various food items, and interact with the Chefs and Market Traders.  Once you've selected your choice of meal you will receive a stamp on your ticket for each item collected.  At the end of the meal, you present your ticket(s) to a host or hostess and pay as they exit. A 10% gratuity charge is automatically added to your bill.

As well as Pepper Market, the Maya Grill, operated by one of the premier restaurateur-families of Mexico, is the full service restaurant main featuring a huge, wood-fired grill. Seating surrounds a Mayan temple replica. The Grill also features wines from Mexico, Argentina and Chile.  It is open for breakfast from 07:00 AM until 11:00 AM and for dinner from 17:00 PM until 23:00 PM.

Francisco's is a 200-seat lounge offering specialty drinks and Southwestern-favorite snacks such as sopas (tortillas with shredded pork, pico de gallo sauce, black beans and cheese) or enjoy a bar, similar to the one at Maya Grill. The emphasis is on tequilas and Latin drinks. The lounge offers tequila flights, an assortment of tequilas brought to your table throughout the night with your food. It is open from 17:00 PM until 01:00 AM every day.

The Siesta Grill poolside bar at the Dig Site is open from 11:00 AM until 17:00 PM, serving cool drinks, snacks and burgers.

Finally, limited room service is also available to resort guests, offering continental breakfast from 06:00 AM until 10:00 AM with pizza, cold sandwiches and specialty salads from 17:00 PM until 23:00 PM.

Activities

There are 2 arcades at the Coronado Springs resort.  Iguana Arcade is located in the dig area near the Siesta pool bar and the bigger Jumping Bean Arcade is next to the lobby in the main building.

Coronado Springs has a main themed pool area, along with three smaller quiet pools, one in each of the resort's three regions.  The main pool is termed 'The Dig Site' after it's Mayan archaelogical dig theme.  It is open from 08:00 Am until Midnight each day, holds over 272,000 gallons of water, and features a 46 foot tall Mayan pyramid which towers over the pool area.  Water cascades down the side of the pyramid, and a spitting jaguar status shoots jets of water at guests making use of the 123 foot long partially covered water slide that exits into the main pool.  Guests sliding can be viewed from above via an overhead walkway / bridge that crosses the slide.

Located by the main pool is the Siesta Bar, a sand Volley-Ball court, The Explorers Playground, The Iguana Arcade, a hair-wrap service, and the largest Jaccuzzi / Spa on Disney property, which holds 22 people at a  time.

The three quieter pools are located one in each of the resort's main regions (Casitas, Ranhcos and Cabanas) and are open from 08:00 AM until 22:00 PM.

All pools have steps leading into them, along with wheelchair access which is generally an area allowing guests to slide off  the chair onto a stepped area, and from there slide into the pool.

The Explorers Playground is a childrens play area where kids can dig for artifacts in the sand, play on swings or climb into the Pyramid. There is a large Mayan status in the center of the playground area which is partly buried in the sand.

The central 15 acre lake area, Lago Dorado, offers kayak, pedal boats and electric boat rentals.  Disney plan to stock the lake with fish, and then offer lakeside fishing (mmm exciting!).  Running around the edge of the lake, and linking the three quiet pool areas is a 0.9 mile pathway for leisurely strolls. A nature walk winds it's way through the wooded sections of the resort featuring wooden walkwalks and bridges. Bicycle rentals are also available for kids and adults, and helmets are available by request if required.

Finally Coronado Springs is the only moderately priced resort with it's own fitness center (La Vida Health Club).   It's 3,000 sq feet in size, and has Cybex weight-lifting machines, free weights, step machines, treadmills, and stationary bikes. It also features a Precorps Transport cross training. The health club also has a 200sqft sauna, manicures, pedicures, facials, massage services, tanning facilities and personal training assistance. One day, Length of Stay and Family Memberships are available for your stay.

Shopping

Panchito's Gifts and Sundries (named after the Mexican parrot Panchito in the Three Caballeros) is a 6,000 square foot shopping area which sells all kinds of Indian and Mestizo handicrafts along with Disney's own character merchandise. The area is decorated with scenes from the three caballeros, and there is a figure of the flying Burro from the film that is central to the shop.

Checkin/Checkout

Checkin is at 15:00 PM. with checkout by 11:00 AM.

Guest Services

On arriving at the front entrance, guest services staff will follow you to your car and unload your luggage, giving you receipts. Once you have checked in, if your room is ready, they will lead you to your room and unload your luggage. Guest services will also pick up your luggage and deliver it to the front area when you are ready to check out. As with the other Disney resorts, Guest Services will also store your luggage upon arrival until your room is ready and after you check out, before leaving for the day.

Disney Transportation

There are two main bus stops at the resort, and with Disney implementing changes to the way the buses run, (starting from the resorts rather than starting from the attractions) buses generally travel directly from Coronado Springs to the designated park, or Disney Village, and then head back to Coronado Springs again, with no other stops at other resorts. This should result in a much faster and more efficient service from the guests perspective

This plan is expected to be implemented property wide shortly. This new way of operating will allow the bus drivers to be more familiar with the resort they work out of, therefore helping resorts guests with questions. There is also a bus coordinator at the bus stop to help answer guests questions, and make sure guests get to where they need to go.

Generally waiting times are of the order of 10 mins maximum, with the ride time to the Disney-MGM Studios taking around 10 min, Epcot around 12 mins and the Magic Kingdom also taking around 15 mins.

Directions to the Resort

The Coronado Springs Resort is located at 1000 West Buena Vista Drive , Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-1000.

Telephone: (407) 939-1000^, Fax: (407) 939-1001