UPDATE: Find my most current resort review HERE!
Bestie M and I laid our heads at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. We got a great rate on expedia and were very happy with the Southwestern-themed haven of brightly colored Casitas, rustic Ranchos and beachfront Cabanas encircling a lovely lake.
The rooms were nicely appointed. In my opinion, the overall look and feel was better than other moderates and values that we’ve stayed in (ie. no cartoon wallpaper borders or bedspreads). Quite honestly, I’ve not found any of the rooms at deluxe resorts to be much better than this. You are definitely paying for the amenities when staying at a deluxe, not a better room interior. And Coronado Springs has two queens, rather than two doubles, which I love and my family needs.
The property is pretty large, but it was an easy 5-10 minute walk to get anywhere we needed to go. We stayed in Ranchos 9B and it was close to the bus stop and the feature pool, but a longer walk to the restaurants and lobby. If you don’t enjoy a walk, you would want to pay for a preferred location at this resort.
We enjoyed sitting by the lake with our dinner on our first evening. The twinkling lights and water view just couldn’t be beat.
We took a break from Food and Wine to relax at the feature pool for a few hours one day. It was large and the water slide looked like something my littles would have enjoyed! They had tons of activities going on while we were there.
We dined in the Pepper Market quick serve and it was good. Not amazing, but a variety of American and Mexican foods. The lounge looked really nice, but we only just poked our heads in. There were also a few sandy beach areas with hammocks for relaxing. We meant to make time for that :-)
Overall, I would definitely stay here again. However, I don’t think it would be one my littles would LOVE compared to the similarly priced Caribbean Beach Resort with its over the top pirate themed pool.
Happy Friday, y’all!
xoxo
SIGH! We just returned from Disney about a month ago, and I've loved reading about your wonderful Disney trip. I'm ready to go back! Hope you got to Mickey's Halloween Party. Our family got our picture taken w/ all 7 Dwarfs this year-so much FUN!!! We've never stayed at the Coronado, so I liked seeing your thoughts about it. We were at the Grand Floridian this time, but strolled over to our favorite, Polynesian, to see all the construction. (Yes, I'm one of those girls that enjoy construction projects even on vacation). Can't wait until the resort is back up to it's glory. I absolutely LOVE reading your blog; your house & style are FANTASTIC! We live in a small town in Georgia (between Atlanta & Savannah), so I love seeing your reviews on shopping/eating in both towns. If you haven't had it, try the bacon jam on ciabatta the next time you go to Back in the Day Bakery. It's a bacon bbq sandwich that's to die for! Hope you & your family have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks, Dixie for your thorough reviews. I haven't been to Epcot since (gasp!) the nineties but have been thinking of going with my brother, who lives in Gainesville. We lived in Orlando when it was all just a big field! All of your tips and details will be so helpful when we make our plans. :) Thanks again and happy weekend!
Jane ~ San Diego
I have similar thoughts about our stay at Port Orleans Riverside. The room decor was classic, not cartoonish and more like a hotel room than the budget resorts…which is why we chose to stay there. The pool area was really nice too!!! I am going to remember this next time we go so we have it as a point of reference for our next stay!
also, totally off topic, but have you ever heard of Mignon Faget in New Orleans? I was online shopping for myself and I saw a few pendants, etc. that I thought you would like from MF…. perhaps it is time to come back to NOLA to visit your friends and go shopping!!! ;)
Have a great day!