Is Coronado Springs as bad as they say and can I change?

[carlmc]

I booked 2 weeks at Coronado Springs last year for this April. At the time I did not carry out much investigation into reviews as it is Disney so I expected them to be great (silly me). I have since started reading reviews and am seeing continuous bad reviews. One is how big it is which I ignore as I am fit and healthy. I have contacted my Travel Agent (I am UK based) who has said I will lose the Free Disney Dining and have to pay about £700 more if I want to change hotel. Is this hotel as really bad as people say or are they just complaining for nothing? Also does anyone know if Disney can change your hotel when you get there if it is as bad as I am imagining.

 

[OhMari]

We stayed there twice and I liked it.
We walked around the lake and it took 15 minutes.
You enter your room from outside hallways, some people do not like this.
Sure it isn't a Deluxe, but it is really nice.

We saw people at their conventions, outside for breaks, breakfast, but it was never over crowded.

I would stay there again. It is really close to all the parks too and no sharing busses with any other resort. The buses have 4 pick up areas. You will always be within 5 minutes of any bus area. I wouldn't change.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Well from staying there once, and never to return, you'll get opinions all over the board...personally we didn't care for its size...depending on where your room is located, it can be quite a hike to the food court ( making a refill mug useless) or a huge hike to the pool...after a full day in a park, walking long distances at a resort is just not our cup of tea especially when there are more compact resorts available, like POFQ....which offers a boat ride to DTD ....

 

[adrienne21snow]

We stayed there on our first trip and I would definitely stay there again. It is quite large and spread out, but the grounds are beautiful and the pool is great. It has a great little" beach" area with hammocks that is very quiet and tranquil. There is an onsite laundry room that we found very convenient. I thought the dining options were varied and good. I never waited more than 20 minutes for bus service to any park and there are several areas where they pick up.

 

[auntfrannie]

I loved it! I stayed there 2 years ago and will be heading back in late April. I think the biggest complaint people have is the size and the amount of walking. If you're okay with that then I think you will like it. I thought the landscaping was beautiful and the CMs were all very nice. Enjoy!

 

[vikster1]

What room class are you in? Standard, preferred or business? That will pretty much determine what building you are in. The resort is big but beautiful in April. I've stayed twice and never made it over to Ranchos. CSR is the only mod with a spa and gym. If you are using those services. The bus doesn't share with other resorts. If you are having any thoughts of switching, I would start now with the back up plan.

 

[POOHsie]

Coronado Springs isn't bad. I can't imagine the resort being classified that way. There's a large lake in the center, which is beautiful. The wide pathway around the lake is great to stroll along night or day. If one feels it's a long way to the main pool, there are 3 other good-sized pools -- one pool in each of the 3 sections of the resort. These pools will be quite close to whichever section OP is assigned a room. The overall feel I got during my stay was peaceful and subdued, which corresponded with the pleasing landscape and various fountains in my section (Casitas). The main bldg is quite lovely and well-organized. In addition to the food court, there's a smaller grab-and-go place that opens early and closes late. We would grab a mug refill, a bakery treat and then on our way to the parks. Wherever you are assigned, you can grab a bus that will take you to the main bldg, if that's your choice. Our room was in tip-top shape with a soothing spa color theme and dark furniture. Beds and pillows were very comfortable. We're returning again this Fall and look forward to staying there again.

 

[mars315]

I love this resort! As others have said, the grounds are beautiful. There is nothing better than an early morning walk around the lake with the mist rising off of it. The bus service is wonderful. The CMs, particularly in the food service area, are really fantastic. You can park very close to your room, if you have a car.

Inside the rooms you will find queen size beds (used to be unusual for moderates but now I see Disney is upgrading the other moderates as well), and a SOLID sliding door to separate the bathroom area from the sleeping area. This is much nicer than a curtain.

One of my favorite things about this resort is that you can leave the parks and go back there and it is so peaceful. Unlike the Deluxe resorts (and we used to stay exclusively at the Deluxes-in fact we are heading to Boardwalk Inn next week for the half Marathon) which are constantly buzzing with guests from other resorts and offsite going there for dining reservations or to use the bikes, etc. I mean when you get down to the Lobby of the Beach Club it is a zoo of folks waiting to eat in Cape May. And rightly so. It is just so peaceful at Coronado where basically no non-Coronado residents go there for meals or recreation.

 

[Olaf63]

You made a great choice as PP stated. Enjoy!

 

[kmb584]

Personally, it's my favorite moderate resort. The resort is large, but not only do I not mind that I also prefer to stay in Ranchos, the section furthest from El Centro. We drive to/from the parks so we don't have that 8-10 minute walk back to our room at night, but in the mornings my daughter and I do walk over to Pepper Market for breakfast. The landscaping is beautiful, and the rooms are more deluxe that mod.

 

[DreamerWDW]

I love Coronado and would certainly stay there again! The lake is beautiful and I love the main pool. It's a great resort!!!

 

[IndyRnRfan]

We loved it when we stayed over Christmas a few year back. It never felt crowded and it was sold out that entire week. Plenty of food choices, the grounds are beautiful, and the size of the resort didn't feel any bigger than POR. You are always close to one of the bus stops and one of the pools. Getting to the parks seemed pretty quick as in we weren't 25 minutes to one park and 5 to another so I think this is a centrally located resort. Don't worry about the reviews and I don't want to start any off topic thread here but if you are fit or in decent shape the walking is a breeze. My wife and I noticed this complaint a lot when reviewing CSR before we stayed there and didn't even blink an eye. We also heard this from a few people on the bus rides when we were there. Well, you can guess what kind of shape and or age most of those people were in who were complaining and if I was in their shape or age I would not have picked CSR. We stayed in the Casitas buildings and were approx. 4-5 minutes max to the bus and maybe 7 minutes to the food court. When we stayed at POR in '13 the bus stop was 1 minute closer and the food court was right at the same and we were in the princess themed rooms. The whole size thing always amazes me. People can walk around Disney for 10+ hours a day but will complain about a 5-10 minute walk in the resort. The one thing I will mention, it took me about 2 days to figure the best way to the bus stop, food court and pool. I kept getting lost in the hallways because every building section looked the same . Of course, when we stayed at PoR, I had the same issue. I say give it a shot and go at it wil an open mind.

We look at this a a deluxe resort for a moderate price. It has by far the most ammenities out of all the mod resorts. We would stay here again in a heartbeat.

 

[mommyrosa2]

We've stayed at CSR 3 times now and returned just last week from another great stay. I think CSR is a beautiful resort and I honestly don't find it any larger than CBR or POR and actually find it easier to navigate...JMHO.

Also, not sure what category you booked but the farthest rooms from the main building would be in the Ranchos section which was about a 10-15 min walk at a leisurely pace. I, personally, don't like the look of the Ranchos section but I know plenty of folks who do mostly because these rooms are closer to the main pool, which, by the way, is beautiful.

CSR is by far our favorite moderate and I definitely agree with another poster who said that this resort is very peaceful and quiet. I would not hesitate to stay again!

 

[M&M mom]

We stayed at this resort a couple years ago and I thought it was really nice. Yes, it is big but the grounds are so beautiful. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with your decision to stay here!

 

[Alexsandra]

We stayed here on our first trip and we loved it. The grounds are beautiful and the room was perfect. The main pool is one of the nicest pools on Disney property. I find it nicer than most Deluxe Resort Pools. There is a huge play park for the children. Plus you have access to a gym and to the spa which you can only find at a Deluxe resort usually. We payed for a preferred room and it was not worth the money. If I went back, I would ask for a room near the main pool and near bus stop instead. The bus service was great and we never waited more than 5-10 min. There are several bus stops around the resort but the bus does its rounds quickly. Yes the resort is big but Disney World is big and if you don't like walking, you won't like Disney World either. It is 15 min walk around the whole resort.
You can check out my pics of Coronado Springs on my blog http://disneyplaning101.blogspot.ca
Don,t worry about reviews, every one has an opinion but you should try it out for yourself. No matter what, you'll have a great time. It's Disney after all!

 

[PoohsFan1]

We will be staying at CSR for the first time in October. The resort looks wonderful and the pool looks awesome (that is one of the major reasons why we want to try out this resort). I am a bit concerned with the size of the resort but I am not going to let that bother me. When we stay in a moderate, we usually stay at POFQ because of the size and the ferry to DTD, plus we are DVC members and also like to stay at deluxe resorts which made me concerned with how widespread CSR is, but I know we will still have fun. However, DH and I have studied the map and we decided that if we could, we would like to stay closest to the main pool, which of course looks to be a stretch to the main building, but the good thing is, if we don't feel like walking to the main building, we know we can just take the bus there. Have a great trip, and OP, I would take the reviews with a grain of salt and try it for your self.

 

[IndyRnRfan]

I think there is a thread dedicated to CSR. I haven't been on here long but I am pretty sure there is one. I would look through that as well but take everything for what it is worth.

 

[karenklo]

We were just there for the week of New years. We loved it! It is so beautiful. Now we did have Business class rooms, so we had the best possible location. But there were lots of people who took the buses around the resort to the main lobby building. Go and enjoy!

 

[Amanda999]

OP: as to the concern about size of the resort, this is what I do when I'm considering a new resort or room category: find the resort on google earth, then measure the walking distance between the farthest room in the category you booked to the bus or parking lot; food court; and pool. Then, go to your hometown and see how far a walk is you know well and are ok with. That helps me. If you'll do bus 2x a day, then weight that more in the analysis.

FWIW, while CSR is my least favorite moderate resort, no way would I switch for that cost. CSR is beautiful and serene, and great pool for kids and adults (and what I don't like about it is probably uncommon (I hate seeing convention attendees on vacation - makes me feel like I'm at work)).

 

[goofy friend]

I think it is great. I have stayed there twice and loved it both times. Longest walk was less than 15 minutes around the lake from my room to breakfast. Their food court is better than some of the deluxe resorts.