This past month (August 2021) Chris and I were able to finally stay on Disney property at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. Did I absolutely fall in love? yes. Was our trip too short? absolutely. Will we be back soon? you'll have to wait and see. Here is a quick little info session and photo dump featuring our little staycation. Enjoy!
When we arrived to the hotel we were able to park and head on into the gorgeous new Gran Destino Tower to check in. This place literally has it all, from multiple restaurants, to bars with a view, ample quick service and multiple swimming pools... we honestly needed more days to be able to really do it all.
Coronado Springs is a Disney Moderate Resort that opened in 1997. The complex has almost 2,000 rooms and suites situated in three villages around a 15-acre lake called Lago Dorado and around 500+ rooms in a 15-story tower called Gran Destino Tower.
Coronado Springs has an American Southwest/northern Mexico theme. Plazas, courtyards and a rocky shoreline make up the terrain. Gran Destino Tower has a distinctly Spanish flareinspired by Salvador Dali’s work. The rooms are themed to the Three Caballeros and feature paintings and artwork featuring the famous trio.
They recently renovated the rooms and they are absolutely gorgeous. I loved the hard wood flooring, perfect for those with allergies, as well as the sliding doors to the bathroom and vanity area. There was plenty of closet space as well as several drawers to place clothing in. The rooms come with a mini fridge and luring coffee maker free of charge.
One of the things I loved the most was the ceiling fan. I may not have noticed it at other resorts and I know it's kind of silly to like but it made me really excited knowing I could put it on to sleep at night.
There are several pools on property including the main pool "The Dig Site" featuring this amazing pyramid. I loved the fact that we could choose to either go to the quiet pool or head on over to the more popular themed one.
The Dig Site features a 46 foot tall Mayan pyramid themed as a modern archaeological dig of a lost kingdom. You can also find a Spitting Statue at the Dig Site. Night-time lighting resembles that which you would imagine at a dig site. Water flows from the top of the pyramid down into the pool. The Dig Site is open 8am to midnight. If you are looking for a fun instagram-worthy picture spot this is definitely one of my favorite photos I took on our trip
Of course, I can't forget to mention the Jaguar Slide which is located just under the spitting jaguar (partially covered). They do have a walkway type bridge which does allow people to view the water slide from above.
Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood is a rooftop restaurant atop Gran Destino Tower. Serving Spanish-inspired cuisine and specialty cocktails, Toledo offers sweeping views of Walt Disney World with glimpses of nearby fireworks shows at Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Dahlia Lounge in Gran Destino Tower is a rooftop lounge with beautiful Dali-inspired decor and a patio with seating. Drinks include specialty gin tonics.
Barcelona Lounge serves double-duty in the lower level lobby of Gran Destino. Barcelona Lounge is a coffee bar with grab-and-go breakfast items in the morning and a cocktail bar in the evening.
Three Bridges Bar and Grill is located on a platform in the middle of Lago Dorado. This location affords guests will beautiful views of the resort and a unique experience of munching and drinking over the water.
El Mercado de Coronado (formerly Pepper Market is the Food Court)and seats over 400 in an open-air market atmosphere. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, it features both standard fare (baked goods, pizza, pasta, burgers, chicken) and Mexican cuisine (tacos – tostadas). Right now, the menu is just GRAB-N-GO. El Mercado is open 7AM – 11PM. They also have a cappuccino and espresso window with gourmet coffees and pastries that opens at 6AM They also serve alcohol.
Rix Sports Bar & Grill is the 300-seat lounge offering specialty drinks and appetizers. The drink list includes the Strawberry-Banana Split and the Chocolate Martini. Appetizers range from chorizo flatbreads to a seasonal fruit and cheese platter. Rix Lounge is open from 5PM to 2AM daily.
Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries is a gift shop filled with Indian and Mestizo handicrafts and Disney’s own character merchandise. The shop is named after Panchito, the Mexican parrot in Three Caballeros. Scenes from the Three Caballeros are painted on the walls of the shop, and there is a figure of the flying burro from the film that is central to the shop. This shop wasn't as big as other resorts I've been to and lacked a lot of newer merchandise but overall was fun to walk through and shop.
The Marina (operates seasonally) located on the southern end of Lago Dorado near El Centro offers kayak, pedal boats and electric boat rentals from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are also bicycles, both regular and surrey bikes, available for rental from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They also have helmets for those that request one. In addition, they’ll rent you a fishing pole, if you’d like to do some catch-and-release fishing on the lake.
Transportation:
Transportation from Coronado Springs to the theme parks is by bus only.
Coronado Springs offers an internal shuttle system. Transportation is provided in marked golf carts that bring guests to and from all villages of the resort. There are also designated stops in each of the villages as well as Gran Destino Tower.
Overall, we had a magical stay and cannot wait to plan another trip back!
Let me know your favorite resorts down below!