Family Fun at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

November 4, 2016 Margalit Sturm Francus

In the early sixteenth century, a Spanish explorer came to the American South West looking for rumored cities of gold. He might not have found the aforementioned treasure, but as part of the yearly Traveling Mom conference in Walt Disney World, we had an excellent stay at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort named for that explorer, Francisco Coronado.

What Makes it Family Worthy?

This family-friendly, budget-friendly 1,915-roomed hotel was lovely and quiet with a rustic feel away from the heavy traffic and noise. The breathtaking view of the beautiful human-made lake that surrounded the hotel buildings contributed to the feeling of being on holiday!

Our Welcome

When we arrived, we liked the fact there were many check-in counters all staffed to check in families, so there was no waiting in lines. The hotel provided a separate little area for children to watch cartoons while their parents saw to the paperwork. There was free wifi available in the public areas which also came in handy when traveling with antsy kids.

Hotel Decor

The décor was an American Southwest theme and touches throughout the resort included impressive wooden carvings, furnishings, and doorways. Disney’s Mickey, in little icon form, was there to be found in all sorts of fun and quirky places like the carpeting, in the furniture and even on the handles of the room doors.

Our Room

Though we traveled as a small party, if we had come with a larger group, we could have done so comfortably. The room we stayed in had a doorway to an adjoining room making it readily available for larger families.

Upon entering the room, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful carvings in the wooden headboards. The dominant Southwestern theme was apparent with features such as lamp fixtures, motifs on the brown and turquoise bedding, the brown flooring, and the turquoise wallpaper. The two comfortable queen-sized beds also featured upholstery in the typical terracotta coloring.

Additional features of the room included a deep-shelved chest of drawers, a ceiling fan in addition to the air conditioning, and a coffee maker with pods and a two cup dispenser. Unusually, the closet was not in the actual room. It was instead next to the sink in the bathroom. This placement was rather handy because it meant we didn’t have to go looking for our clothing outside of the bathroom when getting dressed. The room ‘s closet was not a traditional one featuring doors. It was instead open and doorless with a shelf on top and still had plenty of room on the floor for all our luggage as well as plenty of hangers for all of our clothing.

We liked the pocket doors closing off the bath area for privacy when needed as well as the adequate supply of power outlets. We found one behind the nightstand which had a splitter for six devices. This fact was exceptionally handy after coming back from a long day at the park when guests have cameras and other devices per person that need recharging.

Our son with autism spent hours searching for the hidden Mickey’s throughout the room. There were some on the throw pillow, on the duvet cover and in the wallpaper, just to name a few.

Our Bathroom

The bathroom was very compact but functional. We would have liked to have seen a shower glass enclosure for the shower or a handheld shower head attachment. However, we appreciated the grab bar in the shower as well as a retractable washing line for hanging up swimming suits. The resort provided an adequate amount of towels, and there was a standard set of toiletries on the bathroom sink counter top.

Dining

The décor of the Pepper Market continued the resort’s SW theme with a fun giant bird pillar statue in the middle of the area. The locale was perfect for parents traveling with children or picky eaters as it was self-serve and fast. In addition to having a wide variety of options including Mexican, barbecue, Chef’s specials, macaroni, and dessert bar choices, take away meals could be brought back to the room.

However, the Coronado Springs Resort had two other places worth mentioning for dining and liquid refreshments. Adult guests wanting to get a drink while spending a day in the Parks could relax at the Rex Lounge. Meanwhile, those interested in sit-down meals could enjoy one at the Maya Restaurant.

During our stay, we did check out the Maya Grill for dinner. We tried some of their appetizers along with their great delicious margarita flight sampler while listening to their mariachi band.

Amenities

Like all other Disney properties in Walt Disney World, this one too had various amenities to help guests the most of their stay. For example, there was the La ViClub that combined a workout gym with a spa.
There were also four pools at the resort; one for the younger kids and the others for older kids and adults.The largest of the four pools was located at The Dig Site and boasted a pyramid-like structure that housed a 128-foot tall waterslide.In addition to the pool activities the Dig area also had an arcade for teens to enjoy and a playground for kids to run around in.

Autism Travel Tips:

Disney accommodates travelers with allergies. Be to ask during the reservation for any accommodations you or your family need.
We stayed in Casita Number Four which was quite a walk from the lobby and restaurants. Parents with kids who have trouble walking around or tire quickly should book a room close to the lobby.
Parents should know the resort has two lakes surrounding it and that the casitas have long open corridors. These can both be unsafe for kids that wander off.
Parents need to pack an anti-slip bath mat, as the hotel does not offer one.
Be sure to pack a night light since the room might become hard to navigate at night in complete darkness.