Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Disney World, Orlando, Florida

The lobby

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort has a split personality: half quiet, Scottsdale-esque convention-focused hotel; half rip-roaring Disney-brand family resort experience with a Mayan-temple pool complex (called the "Dig Site") with waterslides and a play area. Still, when you compare it to the neighboring Animal Kingdom Lodge, Coronado Springs can feel a bit like an office park with its convention center and relatively unexciting theme.

It's situated around man-made Lago Dorado, a 22-acre lake encircled with paved pathways and artificial beaches and hammocks, on the far western corner of Disney World (near Animal Kingdom, but farther from most of the Disney theme parks than other Disney resorts). The setting is scenic, but it can also make for a very active vacation (like it or not); Some rooms are nearly a half-mile from the lobby and restaurants and it can take 25 minutes to get to the Magic Kingdom by shuttle bus. While the resort's location can be annoying for some guests, especially families with small children, anyone who values a quieter, more laid-back atmosphere will appreciate the relative calm. Plus, you still get all the same advantages of any Disney resort, including free shuttles to all the parks, extended park hours, and free shuttles to Orlando International Airport.

While the Port Orleans Resorts (the Riverside and French Quarter) have more central locations, Coronado Springs is still at the top of its Disney-dubbed "Moderate" resort category. After a renovation in 2009, guest rooms now have real down comforters (rather than polyester bedspreads, found at even the most expensive resorts), new furniture, and flat-screen televisions. In features, as well, Coronado Springs bests the competition: There are pools galore, a 24-hour fitness center, a business center, and a monstrous kids' play area, as well as conveniences like a laundry room and room service.

The concierge

At Coronado Springs, the staffers efficiently move long lines through the lobby and restaurants, but the service is largely impersonal (unlike what you'll find at higher-tier Disney resorts, like the Animal Kingdom Lodge).

• Room service is available throughout the day; other moderate-level resorts only offer pizza delivery.
• Free shuttle to and from Orlando International Airport; free delivery of one luggage item per person
• Free shuttle bus to all Disney theme parks; busses can arrive, however, at irregular times (long waits are common)
• Free access to facilities at any other Disney resort; Guests can charge activities and meals from the parks or other resorts to their room.
• Large concierge desk. Mainly, the concierge can help guests book an activity or get tickets to an event.
• During peak travel times, restaurant reservations are required to avoid long wait times.

View on a Larger Map

Located on the far western end of Walt Disney World Resort near Animal Kingdom, Coronado Springs is farther from many of the most popular theme parks; getting to the Magic Kingdom can take up to 25 minutes by Disney shuttle. Like most Disney resorts, it's set back from the main roads, so traffic and noise aren't much of an issue. The downside to this, as is the case at just about every other Orlando resort, is that there's not anything within reasonable walking distance; renting a car is a must if you plan to get off the Disney compound.

• Free bus transportation to Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Downtown Disney; Animal Kingdom is the closest park, but the others can take upwards of 25 minutes to get to, depending on traffic.
• 15- to 20-minute drive to SeaWorld and Wet 'n Wild parks
• 20-minute drive to Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure
• 15- to 20-minute drive to International Drive,a 14.5-mile road parallel to Interstate 4 that's full of hotels, strip malls, outlet shops, and restaurants.
• 30-minute drive to Orlando International Airport; Disney provides a free shuttle.

A Standard Room

Coronado Springs' rooms hit their category on the mark: They're moderate in size, furnishings, and views. That said, they're at the top of their game compared to rooms at Disney's other "Moderate" resorts (or even some of the more expensive resorts): Polyester quilts have been replaced with down comforters and pillow-top mattresses; the new furniture is in great condition; flat-screens replace tube televisions; the alarm clocks even have MP3 hookups.

Accommodations are grouped into "Casitas," "Ranchos," and "Cabanas" -- clusters of buildings that each have their own quiet pool and laundry room. Aside from this, the differences between the rooms within each of the buildings are mostly stylistic (Casitas, fashioned after "urban areas of the southwest," are the most unique and upscale with courtyard fountains). Certain room types, however, are limited to specific buildings; you can only find suites in the Casitas buildings and the Club Level rooms (which have their own concierge services, a lounge with free food and snacks throughout the day, and evening turndown service) are only located in the Cabana section.

• Standard rooms are a comfortable, 314-square feet; big enough for two queen- or one king-size bed, a desk, and a closet.
• Comfortable beds: pillow-top mattress; down comforter; cotton sheets
• Flat-screen TVs with standard cable channels and on-demand movies (no DVD player, though)
• Bedside alarm clock radios have MP3 jacks.
• Notably low water pressure in the shower
• H20 Aquatics toiletry sets (a Disney brand)
• No balconies (rooms either open to ground level pathways or exposed hallways)
• Empty mini-fridges and coffeemakers (with free coffee); no minibar offerings
• Many rooms are far from the hotel lobby, amenities, and dining -- some are nearly a half-mile walk away.
• Free Wi-Fi
• Larger suites that sleep up to six people are also available.

Thd "Dig Site"

Focused around two hubs -- "Dig Site" water park and "El Centro" (which consists of the lobby and the convention center) -- the resort offers a slew of features divided between kid-friendly activities and business-oriented conveniences (with a fairly good separation between business and family interests).

• "The Dig" is a large, Mayan-temple-themed pool and play area with waterslides, Jacuzzis, a shallow kids' pool, and ball courts.
• Three small pools, located at the center of each section of rooms (Cabanas, Casitas, and Ranchos) -- you're never too far from a pool, unlike at the French Quarter Resort.
• Coin-operated laundry room
• "La Vida" fitness center: 8 Life Fitness cardio machines and several cable weight machines in a small, air-conditioned room. Open 24 hours by room key access.
• Small spa (located in the fitness center): just a couple of massage rooms and a small steam room, but that's more than you'd get at most other moderate-level resorts.
• Seasonal boat rentals available for use on Lago Dorado
• Attended business center: five dell computers (access costs extra); printing, faxing, and mailing services; small stock of office supplies for sale
• Panchitos Gifts & Sundries sells a small stock of snacks and groceries at typically inflated resort prices.
• Free parking on premise and throughout all Disney theme parks
• Free Wi-Fi

The arcade

Disney resorts are all family-friendly, and this is no exception. But by comparison to other properties, the Coronado Springs has some slight drawbacks and is a bit more mellow then other Disney resorts, like the heavily themed (and more expensive) Animal Kingdom and Polynesian resorts. For families with impatient or easily fatigued children, the long walking distances between resort areas can be a huge inconvenience (the walk between restaurants and the kids' play area, for example, is at least 10 minutes from the guest rooms). Plus, the location of the resort in the far southwest corner of Disney World means longer distances to many of the park's main attractions -- most are 10 to 25 minutes away.

• Standard room capacity is four people, on two queen-size beds.
• Rollaways available (charged per day) but room occupancy is still limited to four people per standard room.
• Concierge can arrange for private in-room babysitters through a separate company.
• On-site, coin-operated laundry room
• Free cribs and bedrails available on request
• Indoor videogame arcade
• Outdoor playground
• Huge pool complex called "Dig Site"

All rooms were renovated in 2009, and the clean, modern furnishings look better than some of the more worn-down rooms at other Disney resorts. Like anywhere at Disney, the entire property is well kept and tended to daily by housekeeping and groundskeepers; even the busy restaurants are vigorously tended to.

A quesadilla from Pepper Market

Coronado has five dining options, ranging from a deli-style shop with cheap(er) a la carte items, to a full-service sit-down restaurant. The range is great for families but also has viable adult dinner options for business travelers and convention center guests. The hours aren't extensive, though, and private dining ends around 11 p.m.; not great, but that's standard for most Disney resorts.

• Café Rix serves a la carte breakfast and lunch items, like pre-made sandwiches, pastries, cereal, and packaged snacks; guests can sit in Rix Lounge or at outside tables to dine.
• Pepper Market serves a wide range of cafeteria-style food, like pizza, pasta, Mexican, and stir-fry stations; open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Maya Grill serves a family-friendly breakfast buffet and a la carte dinner, and is the resort's priciest option.
• Siestas Cantina pool bar serves poolside drinks and snacks (burgers and nachos, soft drinks,cocktails)
• Laguna Bar serves alcoholic drinks next to the lake, near the convention center and the lobby.
• Room service is available throughout the day; the menu consists of traditional breakfast items, and dinner items like pizza, chicken buckets, and salads (kids' menu items are available).