Over the last few days, a lot of All in WDW’s readers have asked me, “Hey! You love Coronado Springs, Bob. What do you think about the big news?”
What news? Well, unless ‘real life’ has had you completely covered up, you’ve seen the reports by now. It’s all over the ‘net! Coronado is being “re-tooled”!
More Guest Experiences and Dining Options Coming to Disney’s Coronado Springs!
First, let me ‘pat myself on the back’ for a minute. I somewhat saw this coming. Want the proof? Listen back to …
WDW Main Street – Episode #311 – An “Untouchable” Marathon – The WDW Resorts!
Go to the 1 hour and 14 minute mark, my friends, and you’ll get an initial taste of how I’d start to re-imagine Coronado.
Further, go back to my post from last Monday! In “Two Unheralded Table Services …”, I commented …
“Coronado Springs is currently undergoing a full refurbishment of their guest rooms. I’m going to sit back and dream a bit.
Might one of their little-known, under-appreciated Table Services – Maya Grill or Las Ventanas – be next?”
Sure, I never dreamed that Disney would “transform [Coronado’s] landscape with floating gardens and an island oasis that connects the resort through a series of bridges.”
Neither did I imagine an “expansion”! A “new 15-story tower”? “[R]ooftop dining with panoramic views” of Disney’s fireworks? Wow!
Back to the original question … what do I think? It’s simple. At the same time as I feel excitement, I also feel deep regret. So many family memories. And, our beloved Laguna Bar!
I’ve said this many times before … Mrs. All in WDW and I consider Coronado to be a resort with a Deluxe feel at a Moderate price.
Clearly, this transformation is aimed at elevating the resort. With the major investments that Disney is making, I think it’s fair to expect Coronado’s moderately-priced status to become a thing of the past.
With this in mind, my opinions are this …
- I fear that the Coronado we’ve long known and loved is about to become a distant, fond afterthought.
- I fear that our $150 – $200 per night room is going to be transformed, itself, into a $350 – $400 per night room.
- I fear that our favorite place on property – Laguna Bar – will, too, become a thing of the past.
- How, exactly, will a 15-story tower fit in with the resort’s “Spanish Colonial” theme?
- I could go on and on …
My friends, we know that “progress” is inevitable. The metamorphosis that Disney has laid out is truly exciting. I can’t wait to see the results.
Yet, I can’t help but be very, very sad. Oh, it’ll make for a great resort, I’m sure. However, it won’t be our Coronado Springs.
It's "All in WDW" 
I am not excited at all. The tower ruins the theaming to me. Unless it is supposed to look like Acapulco:) Too Vegas for me. I do not like Bay Lake Tower or the Grand DVC Tower either. They look shoved in and crowded. Not to mention more people in the pools and parks. The hot tub was packed with kids treating it like a warm pool in January at CSR. No parents at all. Two people in the hot tub had to tell the kids to stop jumping at all them and splashing them.
Those are my fears, too, of course. will a 15-story tower ruin the theme? More crowds? We’ve stayed there dozens of times and, even when there is a convention, it’s peaceful and laid back. I’m afraid it’ll turn into Pop Century bedlam.
So we have never stayed there. Should we visit it when we are at WDW next week? Are we missing a Disney secret?
As far as resorts go, we feel it is the BEST kept secret on Disney Property. With construction walls, it wouldn’t be putting forth its best appearance, but Pepper Market, Laguna Bar, and Lago Dorado are worthwhile to see. In our opinion, at least.
I feel that way about MGM/Hollywood Studios. The park I’ve known and loved since our first visit in 1998 will be gone forever.
We feel the same as you Bob. It was “our” little hidden secret as far as moderate resorts go. As compared to the other moderates, Coronado offers many more amenities, larger rooms and in my opinion the best mattresses on property.
Luguna Bar has that comfortable, relaxing I’m on vacation feel that is hard to come by at other drinking establishments on Disney property!
Pepper Market, once you get the hang of it offers multiple dinning options for breakfast, lunch and dinner with plenty of seating for large or small parties.
The elegant water fountain in the center of the main entrance lobby always a welcoming sight!
To me, we’ll just have to see the final result post construction to determine weather these additions to CSR were worth it!
What was that saying in that commercial from years back? “This isn’t your father’s Coranado Springs Resort!”
We stayed there for Valentine’s day weekend. It is a beautiful location but the buildings do need a facelift. While the rooms are cleans they are dated. The beds are awful. I did not sleep for 2 nights.
I agree with the rooms needing refurb, that’s for sure!