Please tell me about Coronado Springs About This Page:

[BritDisFan]

I am just trying to work out some details for a possible trip to WDW next May. I would like to stay at a deluxe as we never have before and we probably will for the 2nd part of holiday but for the first part of we may have some family and friends with us who are on a budget, so I was thinking of a moderate. We have recently stayed at POR and loved it . What do you think about Coronado Springs? We may have some young children with us ages 5 and under, is it suitable for them?

Thanks in advance.

Karen

[DISNEYGOOF]

We stayed at CS on a long weekend trip and enjoyed it. Their pool has a "dig" theme with a large pyramid. The resort is spread out a bit so you might ask for a room closer to the check-in desk if thats important to you. Good luck deciding.

[Mara6]

We just stayed at CS in April and I didn't like it very much. It is beautifully themed, the rooms were very nice and the pool is great, but it is just too spread out, especially if you have younger children.

I did not like the Pepper Market food court at all - this is where having young kids will figure into the problem (my kids are 9, 9, 7 & 4).
First you wait in line to be seated, and then a waitress comes over to take your drink orders. Then you go up to the stations - All of the food at the stations is cooked to order...which would be great if each member of your party could stand in line to order his or her own food. DH sat with the kids while I ordered their food from the kids station (15 minutes in line) then I gave them the food and went and got a sandwich (10 minutes in line)then DH went to get some Mexican (10 minutes in line) then we all stared at him until he finished eating...Then you wait in line the checkout..and the waitress (that only brings you drinks) gets a 10% tip! The food is costly, and our bill came to $80...which means we paid an $8 tip for sodas! This meal seemed like it took forever...and it was on our check-in night, so we didn't even get there until 8:00...which I would think was passed the dinner rush - so it was probably even more crowded earlier in the evening.

This "food court" is way too small for the resort

After that we paid the extra $$$ and ate our breakfasts at Maya Grill (we only stayed there 3 nights and then transferred to WL)

I'd read before that there was a "businessy" feel to CS because of the convention center..and I have to say that we did feel that...not at the pool, but definitely in the areas of the main building. When we would go to the arcade in the evening there were usually about 10-15 people on business-like cell phone calls. (all in all cell phone usage is way up at WDW - we used ours a ton ourselves - but you can tell the difference with body language between "where are you now - meet me here in 10 minutes" and "that needs to be done, call her, e-mail this, we'll take care of it..."

Really I don't mean to bash CS, because if you put it anywhere else in the country and I would rate it as excellent...but I think in WDW there are much better options, especially if you have young children. I think POFQ is a much better option.

Whew...I didn't realize I had such a strong opinion when I started writing this...I hope it doesn't come off as offensive 'cuz that wasn't my intention!

[RobDVC]

I liked it when we stayed there for July Fourth week in 1998. The Dig Site theme pool is great for kids. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a convention center in the main building, and this resort tends to be occupied by convention-goers. There is a huge lake in the center of the resort, which can make for lengthy hikes from one spot to another within the resort. The Dig Site pool is clear-across the lake from the main building.

[LSUtigerfan]

We stayed at CSR in March '03 for 5 nights and we loved it. My dh & I traveled with our two dd's (5yr old & a 19 month old) and his parents. We had connecting rooms in the Cabanas section 8B (free upgrade to a waterview!). This building was about a 3-5 minute walk to the main bldg/Pepper Market. There was a bus stop right outside our bldg, and the Dig Site pool was pretty close also. We only ate at the Pepper Market once or twice while we were there, and I found that the portions were rather large. It was never tremendously busy, so we didn't have to stand in long lines or anything. There were plenty of selections for our dd's. It has different sections which you can select food from (the closest thing to compare it to would be maybe Boma) and some items were prepared after you ordered them (omelets, belgian waffles), so you did have to wait for that item. If each person in your party orders a different type of food you would have to walk around to each area to retrieve it (hope this makes sense!). We never found it to be a big issue, but we didn't eat there everyday. I like to eat in the parks!

I did not find that the convention aspect of the resort affected our stay in a negative way at all. I found the buses ran very, very quickly (I would think WDW caters to their conventioners) and they were rarely close to capacity, & the bus stop at 8B was the last stop! They would be more crowded in the evening, esp. if you were trying to go to Downtown Disney. We never got a chance to swim, but every time we would walk around the resort, there were never more than a few families at the pool. The pool is awesome!!! The hot tub is HUGE, if memory serves me correctly, I think it's one of the largest at WDW.

I think the fact that it was a convention resort actually cut down on the noise levels...there weren't any screaming kids around (unless they were mine ). The CM's were very nice. My MIL & FIL had previously stayed at CBR and they said that the two resorts were a lot alike. We had a gorgeous view outside our rooms. There was a paved walkway that runs around the entire lake (Lago Dorado) & this pathway separates the buildings from the lake & beach area. On the beach there are palm trees with hammocks large enough for two people to enjoy together.

My dh wanted to stay at CSR again in Sept., but I want to try POR Mansions (it's the southern belle in me!). I would stay there again without ANY reservations. Feel free to PM me with any other questions, and you can check out my lengthy TR to read more about our experiences at CSR: My CSR Trip Report It's a long TR, but I read it again for the first time since I wrote it, and I had fun reliving my trip!

In a nutshell, I would not hesitate bringing little ones to CSR again due to the fact that during our trip:
-the buses were extremely fast...no long waits in the morning
-The pool is awesome! and huge! Was never crowded.
-They have a cool playground
-My kids loved running around the resort & checking out all of the fountains, and making wishes with coins in them!
-Doesn't share a bus with any other resort
-Beautiful scenery

Hope this helps....sorry I'm so long winded!

with your decision!

[Chelledun17]

I'm sorry to say I didn't really like it. I've stayed at all the moderates and this was my least favorite. I wrote a review about my stay here if you are interested.

On the other hand, I love POFQ and POR.

[cindybelle]

I just stayed 5 nights there--4 adults in 2 connecting rooms, in the Ranchos. We loved it, but after reading the other comments above and thinking about it, I would probably NOT recommend it to someone with children. The Pepper Market can be a bit overwhelming, and trying to get the kids to decide what they want to eat and then going to the correct station to order it could be a real drag.

However, we loved the Ranchos, which had an attractive, muted color scheme. We were remote--far from the registration desk and restaurant, but we had a rental car, so that posed no problem for us. I would highly recommend CSR for adults, but probably not for kids.

Good luck!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Loved the Pepper Market, like the food choices, We ate breakfast there, but lunch and dinners in the parks.
Our room was too far, that was the only thing we didn't like.
We will be staying there for half of our trip next week, We requested a closer room, Due to health reasons I just can't do the long walk.
The hot tub is huge and great to relax in after a day in the parks.
Deb

[EeyoreNeedsLoveToo]

We enjoyed CS - and I would rate Pepper market as the best food court I've experienced on property. I've only eaten "in the dining area" once though, instead I get my food to go, and even just take it out by the lake, or back to the room - and then there is no gratuity added, and it's a much more relaxing meal too.

I have stayed here for both work and pleasure and have enjoyed it both times. I think the transportation is some of the best and least crowded on property - and sometimes during conventions, there is even a direct bus to the boardwalk!

CS tends to attract some of the more "casual" conventions - for example, I was there for an American Camping Association convention, so we were all in t-shirts and shorts and playing games - we blended right in. Yes, you'll still see some "suits" and people "working" but no more that you would encounter at the Beach Club, or some of the other "convention" hotels on property that everyone forgets about.

All of that said, POFQ seemed to fit our style a little better, but I would happily stay at either again. My favorite resort is usually whichever one I'm at!

Let us know what you decide -

[LSUtigerfan]

[ QUOTE ]
We enjoyed CS - and I would rate Pepper market as the best food court I've experienced on property. I've only eaten "in the dining area" once though, instead I get my food to go, and even just take it out by the lake, or back to the room - and then there is no gratuity added, and it's a much more relaxing meal too.

I have stayed here for both work and pleasure and have enjoyed it both times. I think the transportation is some of the best and least crowded on property - and sometimes during conventions, there is even a direct bus to the boardwalk!

CS tends to attract some of the more "casual" conventions - for example, I was there for an American Camping Association convention, so we were all in t-shirts and shorts and playing games - we blended right in. Yes, you'll still see some "suits" and people "working" but no more that you would encounter at the Beach Club, or some of the other "convention" hotels on property that everyone forgets about.

All of that said, POFQ seemed to fit our style a little better, but I would happily stay at either again. My favorite resort is usually whichever one I'm at!

Let us know what you decide -

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldn't agree with you more...Most people forget that BC/YC has conventioners (my mom goes to one there every year). Another great point is the fact that you can take your food "to go" & they won't charge you the gratuity.

[rescuesk]

We absolutely love CSR. The theming is great! I personally love the spread-out feel of this resort. The lake in the midst of the property is just beautiful, makes it feel very relaxing and serene. The Pepper Market can be a bit daunting, but it is nice to have choices for breakfast and lunch (never had dinner there). as was mentioned, you can take your food out and enjoy the weather and the view.

The pool is wonderful, don't miss the hot tub. You can rent watercraft also. We did not notice it being any more "business like" when we stayed there (2 times.) In fact, just last week at GF I noticed more people sitting in the lobby with their cell phones and laptops working on the tables then I had ever noticed at CSR!

This is one of our favortie resorts!