7 Major Reasons Why You Should Avoid Disney Coronado Springs Hotel Resort 2024

Choosing the right resort on your Disney World vacation is hugely important; quite honestly, the well-known Disney Coronado Springs hotel might be awful for you.

On the surface, it’s one of the calmer, more luxurious (for a moderate) and up-to-date Disney World hotels.

But as we all know, there are some things that even Disney magic can’t cover. And unfortunately, there are a handful of downsides to staying at Coronado Springs.

After my 14-night stay at Coronado Springs in November 2022, I experienced some of these “issues” firsthand. Although I loved staying at Coronado Springs, this resort certainly isn’t right for many (or even, most) Disney World guests.

This post is all about the 7 significant reasons why you shouldn’t stay at the Moderate Disney Coronado Springs hotel resort.

Major Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Stay At Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

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After staying at Coronado Springs for 2 weeks last November, I found a lot of pros and cons to this Disney World Moderate Resort. Here are the top 7! To read the full post, go to caffeinebythecastle.com/disney-coronado-springs-hotel/ #coronadospringsresort #disneycoronadospringresort
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1. The lack of Coronado Springs transportation options

At Coronado Springs, there is a severe lack of transportation options. Well, there aren’t really any options. You can go on the bus, or you can drive yourself. That’s pretty much it.

Most other Disney resorts (including every other Moderate Resort) have more than one transportation option.

Caribbean Beach has the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, and a bus to the remaining parks and Disney Springs.

The Port Orleans Resorts provide bus transportation to the parks and a water taxi to Disney Springs.

So, if you don’t like taking Disney buses everywhere, Coronado Springs may not be for you.

That being said, when I stayed there, the buses were just fine. It didn’t take more than about 10 minutes to get to each park, and they ran quite efficiently. Most of the time.

We did have to wait an hour to catch a bus to Animal Kingdom once, but that doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence.

2. The Coronado Springs rooms aren’t cheap if you’re staying in the Gran Destino Tower

Since 2019, the main attraction of Coronado Springs has been the Gran Destino Tower.

The tower has elevated the resort to feel like a Moderate+ (or arguably, even deluxe).

However, if you choose to stay in a Gran Destino Tower – instead of a Standard or Preferred Room in the Casitas, Cabanas or Rabchos.

For one night (November 11th-12th), it would cost $492 (based on 2023 prices) to stay in a Tower – Standard View room (which sleeps 4 guests).

Does that sound moderate to you?!

At this point, you’re often better off renting Disney Vacation Club points, and staying at a Deluxe Resort for a similar (or even cheaper) price.

For example, here are the room rates at some DVC resorts for one night (November 11th-12th), based on the prices at David’s Vacation Club Rentals:

Animal Kingdom Villas – Studio Standard View (sleeps 4 guests) – $336

Animal Kingdom Villas – Studio Savanna View (sleeps 4 guests) – $420

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Studio Standard View (sleeps 4 guests) – $441

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Studio Lake View (sleeps 4 guests) – $483

Beach Club Villas – Studio (sleeps 5 guests) – $441

Boardwalk Villas (sleeps 5 guests) – $357

Old Key West Resort – Studio (sleeps 4 guests) – $357

Riviera Resort – Studio (sleeps 5 guests) – $462

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – Studio Standard (sleeps 4 guests) – $357

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – Studio Preferred (sleeps 4 guests) – $399

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Studio (sleeps 5 guests) – $420

Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Studio (sleeps 4 guests) – $399

Please note prices are usually similar at other DVC rental companies, such as DVC Rental Store and DVC Shop. I have used all three companies and had a positive experience. These are not affiliate links).

All the above prices are cheaper than staying at Coronado Springs. Of course, this is assuming you don’t get a discount on the rack rate of a room at Disney Coronado Springs hotel, but it’s worth keeping in mind. Especially considering the higher standard of amenities and transportation at most deluxe resorts.

3. It’s not just a hotel; there’s a Coronado Springs Convention Center

If you’re going to Disney World on a business trip, this may be great.

But realistically, most Disney World guests are going on vacation. So, maybe you won’t want to stay at a resort with a big convention center.

That being said, you probably won’t be surrounded by people in suits or heels. During my stay, I never felt underdressed in shorts and trainers (or “sneakers” if you’re from the US).

But maybe that’s because there was a cheerleading event when I stayed there, and the resort was filled with cheerleaders, instead of lots of businesspeople.

4. There’s a lack of Disney theming

Of all the Disney World Hotels, Coronado Springs has the most subtle Disney theming.

Other than the painting of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in Gran Destino Tower, this resort doesn’t scream “Disney”.

This makes sense considering it’s a convention center, and has a slightly different target audience than many other Disney World resorts.

However, if you’ve got younger kids or enjoy more noticeable Disney theming, staying at Coronado Springs probably isn’t the best option for you. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort may be a better Moderate alternative.

5. Coronado Springs has some of the worst quick-service dining options

Coronado Springs is home to El Mercado de Coronado – which used to be one of the best quick-service dining locations of all the Disney resorts.

Oh, how time has changed …

El Mercado de Coronado is now run by a third-party company, and the quality of food has declined, whilst the prices have almost doubled, in some cases (specifically items on the kids’ menu).

Unless you’re happy with eating mainly in the table-service Coronado Springs restaurants (or eating primarily in the parks), you might be very disappointed with the food here.

6. There’s a huge lack of character experiences

One of the best things about staying at a Disney hotel is the chance that you might run into a character. On my recent stay at the Polynesian, I saw a few characters roaming around the resort.

However, at Coronado Springs, you’re probably not going to run into Goofy or Donald. Unfortunately, they don’t fit in at the more “businessy” Disney Coronado Springs hotel.

7. It’s a huge resort

Like many Moderate Resorts at Disney World, Coronado Springs is a large resort with an internal bus service.

If you’re looking for a more compact Moderate Resort, you might prefer Port Orleans – French Quarter.

Ta Ta For Now

Even though Coronado Springs has a plethora of downsides, it is still a beautiful resort, and I have booked to stay there again this December, so the flaws aren’t that bad (at least for me). After reading this post, would you stay at Coronado Springs?