Coronado Springs Resort, near Animal Kingdom, is Disney's only midpriced convention property. Inspired by northern Mexico and the American Southwest, the resort is divided into three separately themed areas. The two- and three-story Ranchos call to mind southwestern cattle ranches, while the two-story Cabanas are modeled after Mexican beach resorts. The multistoried Casitas embody elements of Spanish architecture found in Mexico's great cities. The lobby, part of the Casitas, features a mosaic ceiling and tiled floor. The vast resort surrounds a 22-acre lake, and there are three small pools as well as one large swimming complex. The main pool features a reproduction of a Mayan steppe pyramid with a waterfall cascading down its side.

Most of the resort's 1,915 guest rooms measure 314 square feet and contain two queen beds, a table and chairs, and a vanity outside the bathroom. Rooms are decorated with sunset colors and feature hand-painted Mexican wall hangings. All have coffeemakers. No room has its own balcony.

Perhaps because Coronado Springs is geared to conventions, getting work done here is easier than at any other Disney Moderate resort. A specially designed light fixture above the desk holds a halogen bulb and provides excellent illumination of the work area. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the resort, and the business-center staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

Coronado Springs offers one full-service restaurant as well as Disney World's most interesting food court. Unfortunately, there's not nearly enough food service for a resort this large and remote. If you book Coronado Springs, we suggest you have a car to expand your dining options. The resort is connected to other Disney destinations by bus only. Walking time from the most remote rooms to the bus stop is 8-10 minutes.

Disney has converted Cabana 9B to Club Level rooms, with access to a private lounge for serving breakfast and snacks throughout the day. These rooms cost around $100-$130 more than standard rooms, per night, depending on the season.

Reader opinions concerning Coronado Springs are split. A family from Cumming, Georgia, was disappointed:

We stayed two nights at the Coronado Springs Resort, which I wouldn't recommend to anyone. The convention center really interferes with a family vacation—everyone we met there was working and wanted to talk about work while we were trying to get away from work! There was no luggage assistance available, and bus service was slow. We will not stay there again.

A Portsmouth, England, mother had a very different experience:

The rooms were spotless and very spacious. The concierge team and staff were amazingly helpful. Although there were many conferences at the time we stayed there, it never interfered with our stay or enjoyment of the resort.

A St. Catharines, Ontario, mom says, “Enough walking already!”

This resort was far too big. It was a 10-minute walk to get to the main pool and a 10-minute walk in a different direction to get to the food court. After walking all day at the parks, you don't want to walk that much!

A family from Indianapolis had no complaints about the swimming pools:

The pool at Coronado Springs was excellent—the kids loved the slide! Clean, well attended by lifeguards, not too crowded. Also utilized smaller pool close to our room—was good for kids to relax before bedtime.

A longtime reader from Horsham, Pennsylvania, shares this:

I was really disappointed at the rating for Coronado Springs Resort. When I stayed there last summer, I thought it was great. The theme and atmosphere were exceptional. The rooms were very clean, comfortable, and quiet.

Finally, from a Canvey Island, England, reader:

We stayed at the Coronado Springs Resort and were very satisfied overall. The Pepper Market food court was overly complicated (stamping tickets to pay at the end, multiple tickets per party), but the quality was good. The Maya Grill was a disappointment, overpriced for the quality of the food you get, so we ate at other restaurants around WDW. The theme of the resort is expertly done, with an authentic feel. The walk around the lake on a nice day is a delight.

As a convention hotel, Coronado Springs is peculiar. Unlike most convention hotels, where everything is centrally located with guest rooms in close proximity, rooms at this resort are spread around a huge lake. If you're assigned a room on the opposite side of the lake from the meeting area (and restaurants!), plan on an 11- to 15-minute hike every time you leave your room. If your organization books Coronado Springs for a meeting, consider having your meals catered. The hotel's restaurants simply don't have the capacity during a large convention to accommodate the breakfast rush or to serve a quick lunch between sessions.

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 56% (-12%)
Average for WDW hotels 74% (+3%)
Average for off-site hotels 79% (+10%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 95% (N/A)

Would you stay at this hotel again?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort 97% + (7%)
Average for WDW hotels 90% (+1%)
Average for off-site hotels 94% (+5%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 100% (N/A)

Hotel Photos

Video

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

Coronado Springs encircles a large artificial lake called Lago Dorado. In addition to the main building (El Centro), which contains shopping venues, restaurants, and a conference center, there are three communities of accommodations, each different in appearance and layout.

Moving clockwise around the lake, the Casitas are near the lobby, restaurants, shops, and convention center. Standard-view rooms face parking lots or a courtyard. Water-view rooms cover pools, lake, birdbaths, and so on. For a good view of Lago Dorado, try to book one of these rooms: 3220-3287 (except 3224, 3230, 3260, 3261, 3265-3267, and 3274) 3320-3387 (except 3324, 3330, 3360, 3361, 3365-3367, and 3374) 3420-3487 (except 3424, 3430, 3460, 3461, 3465-3467, and 3474) 4230-4266 5200-5213, 5223-5263 (except 5250) 5300-5313, 5323-5363 (except 5350) 5400-5413, 5423-5463 (except 5450) Next in our rotation are the Ranchos, set back from the lake. The desert theme translates to plenty of cactus and gravel, not much water or shade, and almost no good views. Though near the main swimming facility, Ranchos are a hike from everything else. The following rooms afford the best views: 6103, 6203, 6303, 6225, 6226, 6325, 6326, 6245, 6246 (water views); 6600-6604, 6610 (water views); 6750-6760 (woods views) Next are the Cabanas, which offer some very nice lake views.

Cabana 9B is our favorite, near restaurants and the convention center, and only a moderate walk to the main pool. Rooms with the best views are 9500-9507, 9600-9611, and 9650-9657, with lake views, and 4640-4647 and 9640-9647, with a view of a small lagoon. Rooms that overlook the lake are subject to some generally tolerable traffic noise.

Other lake-view rooms we recommend include: 8120, 8121, 8124-8126, 8128-8131, and 8140-8147 8500-8511, 8550-8553, 8571, and 8573 8600-8611, 8650-8653, 8671, and 8673 9108-9110, 9150-9153, 9170-9173, 9203-9210, 9250-9253, and 9270-9273 As at Port Orleans and the Caribbean Beach Resort, external railed walkways to guest rooms double as balconies. Because there's not a lot of traffic along them, you can pull a chair from your room onto the walkway and enjoy the view. We always bring lawn chairs expressly for "balcony" use when we stay at Coronado Springs.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
Nice guest rooms Insufficient on-site dining
Great view from waterside guest rooms Extreme distance of many guest rooms from dining and services
Food court No character meals
Themed swimming area with waterslides Low-flow showerheads
Fitness center
Business center
convenient self-parking

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Dining

Commuting Times to the Parks
Park Commuting Time
Magic Kingdom 6 minutes
Epcot 4 minutes
Animal Kingdom 5 minutes
Disney's Hollywood Studios 5 minutes