Review: Coronado Springs Resort, Part 2

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Welcome to part 2 of my review of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World!  In part 1, I provided an overview of the resort, a review of my room and interactions with staff from my recent solo trip.  If you haven’t read part 1 yet, you should do so before reading this installment.  In today’s post, I will review the remaining grounds and facilities of the property.

View of Casitas 4 taken from Bus Stop #2

Key to any resort at Disney World is how easily Disney’s transportation gets you to where you want to go (usually the parks).  One of the reasons I requested Casitas 4 is because bus stop #2 is right behind that building, which was very convenient for traveling to and from the parks.  This is the first stop the buses make (except for the Downtown Disney bus; it’s the second stop for that bus).  The bus shelter has a roof, so it was shady, and the buses came round very regularly.  I only had 20 minute waits a couple of times, and that was because I had just barely missed the last bus going to my destination.  Most of the time, I didn’t have to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a bus.  One of the benefits of staying at a convention hotel is that the buses to the parks during the day are less crowded, since the conventioneers are in meetings at the resort all day.  There were only a couple of times when I had to stand, and I didn’t mind.

Dig Site Pool

One of the big selling points of Coronado Springs for families is the outstanding Mayan theming of the major resort pool, the Dig Site.  But don’t kid yourself, adults get a kick out of it, too.  It’s got a jaguar slide and a pool bar (Siestas); it’s always nice to sip a nice cold pina colada on a hot day (for $9).  It was pretty busy while I was there, but not packed.  The quiet pool in front of my room was also almost always busy. (The temperatures were in the mid-90s every day.) I imagine the quiet pool was so popular because it was too hot to walk all the way over to the Dig Site (which was on the other side of the lake), plus the water was colder in the quiet pool than the Dig Site pool. Remember in part 1 when I said the “quiet pool wasn’t so quiet”?  One night, some kids were out at the pool at 10:30 screaming their heads off (playing marco polo).  Someone finally yelled at them to shut up, and they did, but sheesh.  Where the heck were their parents?

Mayan Pyramid at Dig Site Pool

I didn’t mind seeing conventioneers because I was traveling alone and prefer being around other adults rather than kids anyway. There was a nursing convention going on while I was there. I had some interactions with some of them (mostly women), and they were all very friendly and pleasant. Some of them brought their husbands. The one issue visitors should be aware of in regards to conventions is that at break time, conventioneers pack all the eating establishments at the resort.  This wasn’t a problem for me, since I didn’t eat at any of the on-site restaurants.

Pepper Market

For this reason, I can’t review the table service restaurant, Maya Grill, or the counter service restaurant, the Pepper Market.  The only food I bought on site was quick food like yogurt and bananas that I bought at Rix Cafe and donuts and a bag of popcorn I picked up at Panchitos (the gift shop). The reason I didn’t eat at the resort was because I felt the food prices were too high (for restaurants that get mixed reviews at best), especially since I wasn’t on the Disney Dining Plan. I bought a (very) small fruit salad and a banana at Rix Cafe shortly after I arrived.  It cost me $9. Ridiculous. I ate breakfast in my room each day, breakfast being some combination of donuts, yogurt, bananas and instant oatmeal I brought with me (and made by heating water in the coffeemaker).  That was plenty for me.  I did buy a coffee hazelnut gelato at Rix Cafe one day, which I thought was worth it. For $2 something, I got an enormous scoop.

My only interaction with Coronado Springs’ business services was on arrival day.  To save money on bottled water (I didn’t want to pay Disney prices) during the trip, I had ordered a case of water to be delivered from Costco (for $7.80).  It arrived before I did, and I had to go sign for it at the business center, which is down in the direction of the conference center in El Centro. I had to pay the resort a $10 handling fee, but it still saved me a lot of money.  A staff member delivered it to my room for me (since it weighed 29 lbs.).  As I understand it, this charge isn’t applied at all Disney Resorts, but Coronado Springs is a convention resort, and so it does. Keep that in mind if you ship food or other items ahead of you to the resort.

One big plus for me about Coronado Springs  is that it has a really cool nightspot called Rix Lounge. I stopped there one night for a drink. If you’re an adult at Disney World, there are precious few adult-only nightspots anywhere on property, especially since Disney closed down the clubs on Pleasure Island. Rix Lounge isn’t exactly the Adventurer’s Club, but it’s a really nice respite from all the kiddos. It totally reminded me of a Vegas-style lounge. Great decor, comfortable seating areas and a nice long bar, great drinks (try the chocolate mintini–it is YUMMY), great music playing in the background, and even a couple of tvs to keep an eye on whatever big game happens to be playing.

Unfortunately, it was really dead the night I was there (just 5 of us in the whole place), so I chatted up the staff about why. They said most of their business comes from the conventions, and I guess the nursing convention just wasn’t the bar crowd. I suggested they should beef up their marketing to other guests, but they said Disney doesn’t allow them to market alcohol, and because they don’t really have a theme (the way Jellyrolls has the pianos), it’s difficult. Too bad, because I really loved it and would have spent more time there if there had been more people hanging there.  If you’re planning on any kind of meetup with other adults traveling to Disney, I highly recommend this place.  Unlike Jellyrolls, you’d actually be able to have a conversation here.

Flowers with Cabanas in background

Despite the oppressive heat, I really enjoyed walking around the grounds, taking pictures of the flora and fauna.  They have lots of birds and a small alligator in the lake (which I did not see), as well as tame squirrels.  Two ducks were paddling around in the quiet pool one morning.

Hammocks

What I loved about Coronado Springs was that it was so peaceful–the kind of place where time slows down so you can relax on your vacation.  It’s the perfect respite from the hustle-bustle of the parks. Lago Dorado (the lake) is the centerpiece of the resort, and although you cannot swim in it, there are numerous spots around its perimeter with benches and viewing nooks–and hammocks–that just encourage you to stop and rest for a while.  If you feel like going out on the lake, there is a marina with boat rentals (open seasonally–whatever that means; it was certainly boating weather while I was there, but the marina was closed). There is also a bar outside El Centro on the lake called the Laguna Bar and outdoor seating for people who want to just sit outside to eat, drink, and savor the sunshine or the balmy night air.

During this trip, I visited many of the deluxe resorts on Disney property, and I have to say that I liked Coronado Springs as much as any of them, if not more.  I think I’ve discovered the perfect Disney Resort for me.  I loved my vacation here, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone, especially solo travelers.

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