Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort 2018 Construction Update
It’s been a while since we’ve dropped in on the 15-story tower construction and resort-wide enhancements at Coronado Springs Resort, one of the biggest construction projects at Walt Disney World as of early 2018. In this post, we’ll take a photo/video tour of Coronado Springs, and offer some insight as to whether you should stay here during your Walt Disney World vacation between now and 2019.
For those who read our 2018 Caribbean Beach Resort Construction Update, the work here is familiar. Resort-wide enhancements with a high-rise hotel tower replacing clusters of smaller hotel buildings. Also like Caribbean Beach, the goal is ‘plussing’ other facilities to elevate the overall quality of the resort. In the case of Caribbean Beach Resort, that’s to match the Disney Vacation Club resort being added–as well as the Skyliner transportation.
May 2, 2018 Update: Beginning Fall 2018, the Dig Site, including the feature pool, volleyball court, playground, Iguana Arcade, and Siestas Cantina will be closed for refurbishment. This is currently scheduled to start September 4 and tentatively ending December 12, 2018. Do not be surprised if the actual end date slips into Early 2019, as this is a rather ambitious project. While it’s not on quite the same scale as the Re-Imagining of Old Port Royale at Caribbean Beach, given the scope of known work at the Dig Site, a three-month timeframe seems overzealous.
In the case of Coronado Springs, the goal is to meet expectations of conventioneers and business clientele. We’ve already touched upon this in past updates and in our Coronado Springs Hotel Tower Expansion post, so we won’t rehash it here.
Here, we’ll focus mainly on the progress of the 15-story tower overlooking Lago Dorado, and how that will impact Walt Disney World guests in the “regular” hotel rooms in 2018 and beyond. Let’s start by heading over to the convention center. This was our first visit to Coronado Springs’ convention center, and we found it shockingly nice and well-themed.
Normally, business-class guests favor blandly-chic and familiar styles (I won’t call them boring, but if you did, I wouldn’t stop you), so I’m surprised such vibrant and beautiful theming still exists here.
Anyway, we weren’t there to marvel at the thematic work. In Coronado’s convention center, there’s a small preview center with expansion models, concept art, and a short video.
Below is my phone recording of the video–the most genius bootleg work since Cry, Cry Again:
In the past, I’ve lamented that this tower project was really bland, and risked destroying the unique theme of Coronado Springs Resort in an effort to appease conventioneers who couldn’t care less about theme.
While I’m still less than enthused about this tower, I do note some aesthetic changes between the first concept art and the video that give the project a bit more character.
I’m still not expecting this to be a net positive for Walt Disney World fans (at least, ones who care about thematic integrity), but now I have at least some mild optimism about the project.
I don’t doubt that it’ll be nice and more luxurious than the Coronado Springs of the past, but it’ll also be more generic, and akin to a mid-range chained-brand high rise that could be found in any downtown in the world. Nothing “Disney” about it.
Interestingly, DisneyMeetings.com is already pushing this new expansion, inviting businesses to “rediscover Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort with dazzling expansions and renovations designed to elevate your entire meeting and event experience. The centerpiece of this evolution is a 15-story tower overlooking the majestic Lago Dorado.”
It seems a bit odd and disingenuous that there’s no mention of construction or the fact that this “evolution” is not yet open on that landing page.
Now let’s head back to the construction site, and take a look at the progress on this 15-story tower:
As with Caribbean Beach, this addition has gone vertical in a hurry since our last visit. Five of 15 stories are now up, and at this pace, the project should top out well before the end of the year.
At the current pace, it seems within the realm of possibilities that this will all be open by Summer 2019.
In this same area, Coronado Springs will transform its landscape with floating gardens and an island that connects the resort through a series of bridges. An over-the-water restaurant on Lago Dorado is also slated to be added.
Beyond this tower, Coronado Springs Resort is in the process of refurbishing its current rooms, a project that should wrap up fairly soon. Here’s a look inside one from our stay last fall:
We cover resort in greater depth in our updated Coronado Springs Resort Review. We had positive things to say about the old rooms, calling them the “nicest Moderate Resort rooms.”
I’m not sure the new rooms move the needle a ton, but they are add some features aimed at business travelers and simplify the design. Whether they’re an improvement or downgrade is likely in the eye of the beholder.
This brings us to the question of whether you should stay at Coronado Springs Resort in 2018? I’ll start by giving you my personal answer, as to what we’d do, and then follow with some factors to take into consideration since there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.
If we already had a stay booked a stay at Coronado Springs for this year, we would go ahead with it. We’d request a room away from the construction (probably in the Casitas buildings) and be pretty comfortable with that.
If we had not yet booked a room, I might be inclined to book Port Orleans Riverside over Coronado (personally, I’m always inclined to book Riverside over Coronado), just to err on the side of caution. If pricing or discounts going forward are more attractive at Coronado, that would certainly tip the scales in its favor.
Personally, we won’t be staying at Coronado Springs in 2018, but that has less to do with construction and more to do with the fact that we just stayed there last year. If some of the dining or new amenities were to open this year, we’d likely book a stay. Based on our experiences at Coronado Springs, the construction work is not overly intrusive or detrimental to the guest experience–at least for us.
I don’t anticipate any of this changing as construction progresses. At some point, Lago Dorado will be impacted more as a result of the over-the-water restaurant being built, but that should just amount to coffer dams and some in-plain-view construction. Even that isn’t restaurant’s construction shouldn’t really impact guests or any other facilities.
The upside to the construction at Coronado is that the dining and shopping in El Centro are in no way impacted during construction, nor are the pools. Yes, there is a huge hotel tower going vertical and this can be noisy at times, but you don’t have that plus a total loss of amenities. For us, that’s a big deal. Moreover, Coronado Springs never really had the ‘serene tropics’ ambiance to begin with, so some stray construction noises don’t really hurt its vibe for us.
Aside from this large tower, everything else at Coronado is business as usual. The hotel still has the best dining options of any Moderate Resort, the common areas are all accessible to guests and are not engulfed in a sea of construction walls, you don’t have to dine in a tent, there aren’t trucks peddling merchandise, etc.
In fact, much of the time we spent walking around the Ranchos and Cabanas, we didn’t even notice the construction. To be sure, it’s very much visible and audible once you get to the edge of Lago Dorado, but Coronado Springs still doesn’t feel like it has been decimated by construction. Ultimately, the ‘feel’ of a resort is a your mileage may vary type of thing, and you might find that this degree of construction is too much for you. In that case, we’d recommend Port Orleans Riverside as the best/most comparable alternative.
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Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort since the construction started? What did you think of the experience? How, if at all, did it impact your vacation? Would you recommend Coronado during construction to others? Planning on staying at CSR in the next year and a half? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Hi does anyone know when all the construction should be finished at CS. We have booked for Aug 19 and can’t find a timescale for the construction. Last summer they said 2 years so have booked hoping it would be finished.
If anyone has more information please come back. Thank you
I was just there in April. Our group had 3 rooms. In both Rancho and Casitas, our rooms had already been refurbished. Some areas of Casitas were closed off as the refurbishment is ongoing, and trucks showed up in the parking lot each morning. The tower is nowhere near complete. All that being said, we never heard any construction noise or were inconvenienced in any way by the construction. I don’t think it would be a problem except for those who are late-risers in the morning. Oh, and here’s kudos to Disney: we saw some painting crews comprised entirely of women! Part of a training program in the trades, I think.
Does anyone know of a comprehensive list on which buildings have been refurbished? Going in early September & would prefer a refurbished room closer to El Centro (without paying for the preferred buildings). Want to be close for a quick breakfast in the mornings so we can head out to the parks as soon as we can!
yourfirstvisit.com has a list; they just put it up!
Was just advised that the Dig Site, Home to the Lost City Feature Pool, volleyball court, Playground, Iguana Arcade and Siestas Cantina will all be CLOSED for our Stay in October. I am very dissapointed.
WHY are they trying to ruin the charm of this resort with a cookie cutter resort?!? Looks just like every other high rise hotel. Hate it!
Me toooo 🙁 I was so upset to see the new look for ALL of the rooms. You wouldn’t even know that you were at Coronado Springs!
Stay away from the Cabanas. We are currently at this resort and our first night we were in a 9A room. It was so run down and smelled musty. The bed itself was on wooden blocks. I’ve never seen such a poor looking Disney room. After our accessible bathroom flooded, they moved us to a room fourth down in 9A, as close to the construction as you get. Yes, it is extremely noticeable and yes it is noisy all night. We heard the machines running all night. It was awful. They moved us the next day to Ranchos, which is much better. But until this resort is finished, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it.
Our non-refurbished room was AWFUL!! We had to extend our vaca by a day (thanks Delta!), so rather than go off property I got a room here. It was in Cabanas, and the dingy looking outside of the building was matched by the worn out looking inside of the room.
Although there are lots of things we found wrong, by far the biggest was the uncomfortable bed. One of the worst, if not the worst, we’ve ever had in a hotel anywhere.
Stay away unless you’re guaranteed a refurbished room.
We stayed at Coronado the last week in January 2018. This has always been our favorite resort. We’ve been coming at least yearly, if not more often, for the past 20 years with our children and grandchildren. Occasionally we stay at Riverside or Caribbean Beach, but we always come back to Coronado. This time I asked for a room close to El Centro as I have a bad knee now. They told us we were in the Casitas right next to El Centro. When we arrived we were in 8b Cabanas which was long walk. They had, however, upgraded us to a suite which was nice so I suffered the long walk to El Centro. I have to say that one of our favorite places has always been the Pepper Market through the years, but the food there now is AWFUL. We won’t go again. As always , the Maya Grill is overpriced and overrated. We miss the days when the Coronado was ‘down home’, theme-based and welcoming. Construction was happening but quite unobtrusive considering the size of it. Tolerable.
Ruth
Apologies folks. Just wondering how long it will take to refurbish all the rooms at CSR ? I’ll be heading there in early May
Just wondering will it take to refurbish all the rooms ?
I very much agree- nothing Disney about it. Just getting more and more bland.. I’m sad, this used to be my favorite resort. As the Pepper Market went downhill, the rest seems to be also 🙁
Just stayed there the night of January 25 in Casitas building #3, Room 3219. Quite of a bit of refurbishments going on in that area and definitely visible. Fortunately our room had already been renovated, and I’d imagine recently too, with the ongoing refurbishments quite close to our room. Still a fine experience and stay despite the sights and sounds of “progress” I suppose you can call it.
I am very unimpressed by the design of the tower. Does not have a theme to me and is a 180 from what I would expect from Disney. It reminds me of the towers just off international drive.
I just stayed there last week. We stay every year for a business convention. I have stayed in casitas, ranchos and cabanas and they are all nice. They have updated their in room amenities. I liked the fact that they gave us “under construction” Disney pins. The noise wasn’t bad and they don’t start until 9am.
I was a huge fan of the old rooms at Coronado (the blues were calming and a unique take on Latin American theming), so Im sad to see that design scheme go. If I remember correctly, they were one of the first refurbs in the last round of design changes, so it was only a matter of time before they were changed up. Coronado Springs is my favorite Moderate, due to location, size, and short commutes to the parks (we’ve personally never had long bus rides while staying there). I’m glad WDW is finally addressing the need for more on-site rooms.
Does anyone know if the Ranchos are done with refurb?
I have an opportunity to stay here for about $110 per night in April and I’m still not sure it’s worth it. Regardless of the room refurbishments, I just can’t stomach paying very much money for what amounts to a room that is a downgrade from a comfort inn or super 8 motel. No interior hallways, a window that faces directly to a public walkway etc. and I just have a really difficult time with the moderates. I’m sort of done with Disney hotels unless I get a spectacular deal. Count me in for the hilton, the waldorf, ritz carlton, four seasons, or even a marriott time share. Sorry Disney, but the value just isn’t here to pay $450 a night for a studio at the boardwalk inn etc., almost $270 a night for a motel room at a moderate, and $140 a night for a craptacular room at star movies. And no thanks on the not so magical express and bus service- the last thing I want to do after getting out of an airplane or crowded theme park is to pack in with more people.
I was just there to run the marathon, and for the first time, my husband and I didn’t rent a car and took the Magical Express. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy and nice it was. Effortless, really. And very easy to get back to the airport as well.
Now my opinion of taking buses to and from the theme parks is not always so positive. Sometimes, but not always. It can be exhausting!
It’s no big deal for couples traveling without kids, but add a three year old into the mix and it changes things dramatically =)
I appreciate this post, as we’re staying at CS in April. My original plan was to stay at CB since it’s the only moderate we’ve not stayed at, but because of the construction there, decided against it. My next choice honestly would have been either POR or POFQ, but the rates (Military Salute) at CS were SO much cheaper that I just couldn’t pass it up. I’m requesting a room in the Ranchos area, so I’m hopeful the construction impact will be minimal.
Thanks for the update!
We did stay at Coronado this past December 2017 during construction and for us it was a nightmare! Coranado has always been our favorite resort so we didn’t think twice about staying during construction, but quickly found we should have stayed at another resort. They were still working on the building our room was in and the building next to ours was completely closed with everything in it being renovated. This made it very difficult to get to and from your room. Walkways and stairwells would be closed at different times each day and we could never leave or get back to our room the same way twice. Also, the only working elevator in our building was literally a five minute walk from our room. Also, I hope because of all the construction, our room was really, really dirty. The floors in our room left our white sock feet pure black after walking across them. We are coming back to WDW in June and specifically requested a resort that does not or will not have ANY construction when we arrive.
What part of the resort were you staying at?
We were in a preferred room in the casitas section near el centro
I’m so happy you posted this! We have a reso for Coronado mid May of this year…,I also booked one for PO Riverside and have been flipping back and forth trying to decide which to keep. Coronado seemed attractive due to price ($176 vs $206 at P.O.), and I liked that the rooms were recently refurbished. However we are a family of 5 so the Murphy bed at P.O. was an attractive feature. Do you think the extra cost is still worth it to stay at P.O.?? The pool at Coronado looks amazing – I’m so torn please help! 🙂
Having a bed for the 5th person is an attractive enough feature to push Riverside over the top, I think, but that could be a matter of personal preference.
Keep in mind that staying at Riverside also gives you access to French Quarters’ pool (~10-15 minute walk), too.
Thanks so much – I was unsure if we were able to go into French quarter as well. There seems to be a lot of tripadvisor reviews that paint P.O. in a bad light, but I think you’re a more reputable source.
We stayed there during the week after Christmas and didn’t mind the construction at all. It’s such a huge resort and we were way at the back at the Ranchos section. Loved the refurbished rooms, with so many USB charging ports and the toiletries were fabulous (it doesn’t take much to make me happy). I would also always choose either Port Orleans resort as our first choice of a moderate, but I wouldn’t shy away from staying here while the tower is being built. I think the restaurant on the lake will be just lovely in the evenings.