Disney Announces Coronado Springs Expansion

Disney Coronado Springs expansion will completely change the layout of the hotel

Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I stayed for my first girls trip to the parks, and where I spent part of my honeymoon. There were about eight years in between my two trips to Coronado Springs, and during my last visit I noticed that the hotel was definitely starting to show it’s age. Still, there’s something romantic about the Coronado Springs experience that you can’t get at other Walt Disney World Resorts.

The news of the Coronado Springs expansion comes just in time. The hotel opened 20 years ago, in an effort by the company to capture the convention market. During my last visit I noticed that the once romantic lagoon was barely kept up. The docks and boats were abandoned, and the rooms in need of an update. Still, your dollar goes much further at Coronado than at some of the other premier Walt Disney World Resorts.

Disney announced yesterday plans for a Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs Hotel expansion. The Coronado Springs Resort will get a new 15-story tower, adding 500 new rooms including suites and concierge level services. Disney will also be refurbishing older rooms.

The new tower will overlook Lago Dorado, the resort’s centerpiece lake, and will feature rooftop dining with views of the fireworks from Disney theme parks. Coronado Springs’ central location puts them in close proximity to Disney’s Epcot and Hollywood Studio theme parks.

Disney said it plans to transform Coronado Springs’ landscape in addition to its rooms with “floating gardens and an island oasis that connects the resort through a series of bridges.”

In addition the Coronado Springs expansion, the Caribbean Beach Resort will also see a renovation. The hotel opened in the late 1980s. The new plans feature a waterfront dining experience and retail shopping areas at the Centertown marketplace. According to the post on the Disney Parks Blog, “this centralized location will ofer the resort’s guests more convenient access to services, amenities and dining.”

Both Disney’s Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach are considered “moderate” resorts, which means rooms are priced at a lower rate than luxury resorts like the Grand Floridian. Room rates average $209 a night at both resorts.

What part of the Coronado Springs expansion are you most excited about?