Coronado Springs Review May 22nd-25th *With Pictures*

[december14disney]

Hi all!

Just got back from our first stay at Coronado. I was really impressed with the rooms. We were in Cabanas 9B which was the perfect location for the pool and the bus stop as well as the main restaurants. We were room 9528 and this was our view:

The grounds were stunning (even in the rain!) and we thought the pool was fantastic!

And we got to meet this little guy!

The negatives:
Mousekeeping. HOWEVER. I do think this is NOT only at this resort as I noticed it going downhill during our stay at POR last December. Seriously. One day they just threw the covers over the bed.
I think it is because they are so short staffed they just don't have the time. Something needs to be done about this. I left generous tips each day and they barely even refilled our tolietries. Just extra towels and made the bed.

Buses. One time an MK bus just never came for over an hour! And this was an evening EMH night in MK. I can't argue the whole resort staff/short handed thing here because we stayed at SSR about 3 weeks ago and the busses ran great. Maybe they weren't expecting the crowds Memorial Day weekend?
So we get on an Epcot bus to take the Monerail over. This is 8:30PM at night. The Epcot bus goes to Blizzard Beach first! The park that closed at like 3 PM due to BAD storms. All and all we were a bit frustrated here.

Pepper Market. I enjoyed the food at the pool bar and we ate here in the afternoons by the pool. But Pepper Market got to me. I can not believe that they charge 10% for just bringing drinks. And we didn't feel like taking it to go back to our rooms everytime and it was raining so we couldn't eat outside. Looking past that, every time we ate there the people never came and gave us our drinks! One time I had to get a manager and a hostess to just get me a diet coke! And it wasn't that busy. The overall set up here is very weird and clustered and we were confused. Half the time we just got a kids meal to go because it was easy, came with a drink so we didn't have to wait. Why can't this just be a regular counter service where you get what you want and then check out? AND it was so expensive. One night for dinner I had pasta, my fiance had a chicken sandwich, we split a piece of pie and he had a coke and it was $50 dollars.


Overall we thought the resort was gorgeous and the rooms were nice. The pool was great and we enjoyed nachos by the pool a TON. I would try a different resort before I stayed here again but I WOULD stay here again.

Hope this helps others!

Katie

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you for your review and the pictures. Those new rooms look so nice!

For sure housekeeping is an area that is suffering right now. I have seen these same type of reports from guests at all the levels. Disney needs to do something about this. The parks are crowded enough that you can't tell me they are hurting so bad they can't afford to hire enough staff to do what has always set Disney apart: the cleanliness of everything. I really found this to be a problem at the Poly a year ago. If our room even got cleaned (which it didn't) it was haphazard at best. The housekeeper told me flat out they had cut back and apologized. I also noticed it at Pop in October.

I agree about Pepper Market. The food is so amazing, the amount of choices like none other, but the set up, price and gratuity can make it a hassle. Which is why when I stay there again, I will be on the DDP and rejoicing at the good deal I am getting!

Thanks again for your honest review and glad you enjoyed your stay there.

 

[KatMark]

Thanks for your honest and detailed review. I am very distressed about the mousekeeping issue...but it does seem to be happening at all of the resorts on a regular basis (I just read poor reviews of mousekeeping at the GF, Poly & CBR, besides the CSR).

Glad you got to meet our friend, Glen.

 

[milmore104]

Thanks for the review. I just upgraded our resort from PoP to CSR. It looks so beautiful. I can't wait.

 

[SoloFriendly]

Thanks for the recap of your trip. I'm sorry (though not surprised) to hear you had housekeeping issues and I agree about the Pepper Market, which is why I didn't eat there.

Great photos--that was some downpour! And Glen is so cute!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

thanks for the reviews, love the new rooms in the photos.

We still had old style decor in February.

We were really lucky with mousekeeping although we did have one day where they 'forgot' to take our rubbish.

Definitely with you about Pepper Market, every trip we swear never again, give it the benefit of the doubt and then wonder if we truly have idiot tattooed to our foreheads.

Love the breakfast buffet at Maya Grill though and the resort is so beautiful, just booked to return in October 2010

 

[MarkinNM]

Glad to hear you had a great time despite the rain! Mousekeeping seems to be an issue at Disney now and they better get it fixed soon or they will have to start giving the rooms away!! Anymore pics to share??

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Glad you had a great trip! We were in 9522 the weekend before you were there - it was a great location. We also got to see Glen - my kids thought he was the coolest ever!

 

[party-of-five]

Thank you for the great trip report. We've booked the CSR for early Dec. and I just had a couple of questions...

1) Is there a child's menu for Siesta's? or do the children order from the main menu? we'll be on the DDP. can you use CS credits from DDP at Siesta's?

2) Is there seating at Siesta's? and if so, what is it like? is it covered/in the shade?

3) Also, is there a change room at the pool to use if our room isn't ready? We should be arriving from MCO around lunch time and were hoping to get a bite to eat while we let the kids swim.

Thanks again!

 

[KatMark]

Thank you for the great trip report. We've booked the CSR for early Dec. and I just had a couple of questions...

1) Is there a child's menu for Siesta's? or do the children order from the main menu? we'll be on the DDP. can you use CS credits from DDP at Siesta's?
It's been awhile since we traveled with kids, but I think it is one menu. When we were there in September, we were able to use CS credits on the DP.

2) Is there seating at Siesta's? and if so, what is it like? is it covered/in the shade? Yes, there are tables off to the side of Siesta's with umbrellas.

3) Also, is there a change room at the pool to use if our room isn't ready? We should be arriving from MCO around lunch time and were hoping to get a bite to eat while we let the kids swim. Yes; there is a rest room/shower right by the main pool; there is also a rest room/shower by Casitas 4's quiet pool (it is in the fitness center building).

Thanks again!

Answers in red.

 

[party-of-five]

Thanks KatMark!

 

[MGNA]

Thanks for the trip report & posting pictures, too. We're getting very excited about being there in 4 days! I just faxed our room request this afternoon.

 

[brownie_17]

We were there May 17-22. We thought it beautiful there too despite all the rain. The only problem we had was the Pepper Market. The prices were crazy!!!! One trip there was enough for us.

We said in Casitas 4(sorry if wrong spelling). The little circle walkway outside our building had enough water flooding that ducks could actually swim in it.

I can't wait to stay there again when there is bright sunshine!!!

 

[seh123]

Was that alligator in the lake at the Coronado?

 

[KatMark]

Was that alligator in the lake at the Coronado?

Yep, that's Glen...our alligator friend!

 

[wheatenwalker]

We just got back too and I didnt have any specific issues with housekeeping, we did have to wait some for busses when we didnt expect too ( MK EMH night time was one) but I did notice lots of very un Disney like behavior in general while we were there from CM's- not just rudeness but also acting like they werent 'on stage'- talking and joking with each othre while guests were waitng, complaiining about things etc- it was kind of shocking- we had a bartender at the Wave that was so rude I plan on writing to Disney- I thinks some of it is bec of staffing but still... dont take it out on the guests-
we saw the gator too