Up until last fall, Disney Coronado Springs Resort had never been on the top of my list to stay at. After staying there last November, I find myself asking “Why not?”. This little hidden gem between Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom quickly soared to the top of my list as a favorite moderate resort. Disney Coronado Springs theming is inspired by northern Mexico and the American Southwest and set around a 22-acre-lake.
Currently, Disney Coronado Springs Resort is going through a major construction. Walt Disney World is adding a 15-story tower to Coronado Springs Resort which will add 500 rooms to the resort and be located near the main complex, El Centro.
Honestly, I didn’t even notice the construction except for when I was arriving or departing the resort and never heard anything. I am not going to share much about the resort as a whole, since by the time I stay there again everything will have changed. But I will tell you that I found the pool, “Lost City of Cibola” to be excellent and the grounds beautiful.
Disney Coronado Springs is divided up into 3 sections, the Ranchos (Southwestern Cattle Ranch), Cabanas (Mexican Beach Resort) and Casitas (Spanish architecture from Mexico). In addition to the tower being built, there are ongoing room refurbishments to the existing rooms during the expansion of Disney Coronado Springs. This is my take on the room renovation in the Ranchos Section ….
When I received my room assignment text for the Rancheros, I was not pleased for several reasons… I wanted to be in a refurbished room, this section is the farthest away from El Centro and to me seemed most like the environment that I am from in my everyday life (I like to have new experiences on vacation), but as I made my way to my room I found myself appreciating the walk (er, hike in the rain) thanks to the beautiful job Disney has done with the landscaping.
When I finally found my room (that is a whole different story), I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door because this is what I was expecting…
but I want I got was one of the newly refurbished rooms. (Disney Magic Moment)
The room has a beautiful modern,clean and airy look to it in rich earth tone colors. The 2 queen beds are on a raised platform (leaving a wide open space underneath to store suitcases) and have massive headboard with reading lights above each bed.
Between the two beds is a nightstand with enough convenient USB ports to charge all of your devices at once, telephone and a small thank you gift for putting up with the construction. The in-room safe is located in the middle of this table. I love the 3 Amigo artwork located throughout the room, just enough Disney to remind you where you are.
Across from the beds is one very long desk with built in drawers for storage and many more USB outlets. I loved the reading light at the desk. There is also a mini-fridge, a Keurig coffee maker with coffee pods and ceramic mugs to drink from, and a HUGE flat screen television. In the corner near the window is a nice comfortable sitting chair. In all of the refurbished rooms across different resorts, Disney is removing the carpet and laying laminate type flooring, here wood laminate. I find this a welcome change and so much cleaner feeling overall.
The bathroom is separated from the sleeping area with barn doors. I love being able to shut the bathroom off from the rest of the room. The bathroom has a double marble vanity with lots of counter space and cupboards. The closet has been replaced with a stand-up unit that houses the ironing board and iron. The bathroom itself is pretty basic, but the rain shower head was delightful.
Rancheros section was so far away from the main part of the resort, El Centro, but the bus stop was right out the door which was an added plus for wanting to get to the parks quickly. The actual walk to El Centro only took about 10 minutes, I could have taken the bus as the last stop was El Centro before leaving to the parks but then I would have missed the beauty of Coronado Springs. The “Dig Site” was a short 5 minute walk.
When selecting a resort, my biggest WANT is to be able to come back and relax after a full morning or day in the parks.
There’s something to say for being able to return to the resort with the ability to enjoy the most relaxing atmosphere possible. Can I come back and truly relax at Coronado Springs? Yes, I from everything I experienced at Coronado Springs Resort it fits the relaxation requirement, so much so that I know recommend this resort to my clients despite the construction as my first choice in moderate resorts.
Looking for advice where to stay for your Walt Disney World Resort? I have personally stayed most of the on-site Walt Disney World Resort Hotels and can give you an honest opinion on the rooms as well as the relaxation factor, just ask and when you book your vacation with me I will do everything possible to make the hotel stay just as magical as your park moments.
1. Monorail-One of the most recognized icons at Walt Disney World is the Monorail, make sure you take a ride…but “Please stand clear of the doors. Por Favor Manténgase Alejado de las Puertas.” The WDW monorail system has 2 loops…Epcot and Magic Kingdom both can be accessed at the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC). The Magic Kingdom monorail loop connects the Magic Kingdom to the “monorail” resorts… the Polynesian, Contemporary and Grand Floridian. There is also an Express monorail that runs directly to the Magic Kingdom. At the TTC you can transfer to the Epcot loop which will take you directly to Epcot. The monorail starts running around 7 am until an hour after the parks close.
My Life in Ears 