How to get to epcot from grand floridian?

There is no charge nor is a ticket required to ride the Walt Disney World monorails.

Monorails arrive every 5-8 minutes.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort is the most convenient because you have easy access to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot by monorail. To board from Epcot monorail from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, simply walk to the nearby Ticket and Transportation Center station. Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian are also convenient to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but you’ll need to take the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center and transfer.

Yes, Cast Members are present at each station. Keep in mind this is not the New York City Subway System by any means. If at any time you feel lost or unsure of the route, there are Disney employees at each station who are happy to assist you. Disney does a great job with directional signage at each station. These are not commuter lines, the Walt Disney World Monorail System was built for visitors.

The Grand Floridian Villas share the amenities such as restaurants, transportation, recreation, pools, and shopping with the main Grand Floridian hotel next door. Check our Grand Floridian Resort and Spa page for more information.

\r\nDecorated in neutral tones, with mostly green and red accent colors,\r\nthe rooms are the nicest at any DDV property. Most have vaulted\r\nliving-room ceilings and faux-wood balconies or porches. Those balconies\r\nstretch the entire length of the room, giving everyone enough\r\nspace for a good view.\r\n

\r\nStudios have a kitchenette with minifridge, sink, and drip coffee maker,\r\nwhile the larger rooms have full kitchens. Those feature a stainless-steel\r\noven range, with the dishwasher and refrigerator tucked behind white\r\nwood panels that match the glass-door cabinets. Other amenities in the\r\nfull kitchens include a full-size drip coffee maker, a toaster, frying pans,\r\nand the usual set of plates, glasses, cups, and cutlery. Also in the kitchen\r\nare a banquette seat and a table with room for six.\r\n

\r\nThe living room has a sofa that seats three comfortably; an upholstered\r\nchair and ottoman; a coffee table; and a large, flat-panel TV. The\r\nsofa converts into a bed that sleeps two; a cabinet below the TV hides a\r\nsmall pull-down bed. We’d use these beds for kids, not adults.\r\n

\r\nStudio rooms have a queen bed in addition to the folding options\r\nlisted above. One-bedroom villas have a king bed along with the folding\r\noptions; two-bedroom villas have a king bed in one room and two\r\nqueen beds in the other, plus the folding options; the Grand Villa’s third\r\nbedroom has an additional two queen beds.\r\n

\r\nThe one- and two-bedroom units and the Grand Villa bedrooms are\r\noutfitted with a large writing desk, a flat-panel TV with DVD player,\r\ntwo nightstands with convenient electric plugs, and a side chair. They\r\nalso have large walk-in closets.\r\n

\r\nBathrooms are large, with marble tile and flat-panel TVs built into\r\nthe mirrors. Studio bathrooms have a separate toilet and shower area;\r\nin the one-bedroom configuration, a tub and dressing area sit adjacent\r\nto the bedroom. The bathroom and shower are connected by a pocket\r\ndoor, allowing two groups of people to get dressed at the same time.\r\nThe tiled shower looks as if it could comfortably hold eight people\r\nshould the need arise. It also has a rain showerhead mounted in the\r\nceiling in addition to a wall-mounted faucet.\r\n

\r\nThe villas have their own parking lot next to the building but no\r\non-site dining. Within walking distance, however, are the restaurants\r\nof both the main Grand Floridian and the Polynesian Village, giving\r\nyou a bit more variety than at other Magic Kingdom resorts. Room\r\nservice is available from the Grand Floridian’s in-room dining menu.\r\nRates are high, as you might expect, but renting DVC points helps in\r\nthat regard.\r\n

Guests keeping a car at the hotel overnight will be charged $25 per day. (This fee is waived for DVC members staying on points.)

\r\nThanks to Anthony Caselnova for Grand Floridan Villa room images.\r\n

Rooms 1X14, 1X16, and 1X18\r\nface the Magic Kingdom and have views of Space Mountain and the\r\ncastle; 1X14 has probably the best views of any room in all of the Villas.\r\n(X indicates a floor number.)

Even-numbered rooms 1X02–1X12 face west, toward the Polynesian\r\nVillage and Seven Seas Lagoon, and afford a good view of the nightly\r\nwater pageant as it floats by.

Rooms 1X15, 1X17, 1X19–1X22, 1X24, 1X26, and 1X28 face Disney’s\r\nWedding Pavilion, the parking lot, the monorail, and landscaping. Oddnumbered\r\nrooms 1X03–1X13 and 1X25, 1X27, and 1X29 look out onto the\r\npool facilities and landscaping.

South-facing rooms in Big Pine Key look out over the Seven Seas\r\nLagoon, although mature trees and landscaping partially block those\r\nviews from many upper-floor rooms. Rooms 9X41–9X47 may have\r\nviews of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

This complex of 60 three-bedroom villas lies between Old Key West\r\nResort and the Grandstand section of Saratoga Springs proper, with a\r\nseparate entrance off Disney Vacation Club Way. The treehouses are\r\nbordered by Lake Buena Vista Golf Course to the northeast and a waterway to the southwest that feeds into Village Lake.

The villas stand on stilts 10 feet off the ground, with ramps providing wheelchair access. Surrounded by a densely wooded landscape,\r\neach villa is an eight-sided structure with three bedrooms and two full\r\nbathrooms covering about 1,074 square feet.

Villas hold nine people, about the same number as comparably sized\r\nrooms at other DDV resorts. The master and second bedrooms have\r\nqueen beds; the third bedroom has bunks; and the living room has a\r\nsofa bed and sleeper chair, both more appropriate for kids than adults.

The interior of each villa is decorated with natural materials: stone\r\nfloors in the kitchen, granite countertops, and stained-wood furniture.\r\nEnd tables, picture frames, and bunk beds are made from rustic logs.\r\nBathrooms, outfitted in modern tile, have showers and tubs, along\r\nwith a decent amount of counter space.

The three-bedroom Treehouses usually cost about $50–$300 more\r\nper night than a comparable two-bedroom villa and $700–$800 less\r\nthan a standard three-bedroom villa elsewhere at Saratoga Springs. The\r\ntrade-off for that third Treehouse bedroom is giving up some space elsewhere. In particular, beware the master-bath shower, next to the tub in\r\nan enclosed glass wall: Tilt down to shave your legs or grab a bottle of\r\nshampoo, and you could bang your head on the side of the tub.

Because of its location, Treehouse Villas has few amenities of its own: \r\n\r\neach villa has a large wooden deck with charcoal grill, and all villas share a \r\n\r\nsmall central pool with spa. A walking path connects the complex to the main \r\n\r\nSaratoga Springs grounds, and Treehouse Villas guests can use all of the \r\n\r\nfacilities at Saratoga Springs.

A Columbus, New Jersey, family thinks a stay at Treehouse Villas\r\nis money well spent:

A walking path connects the complex to the rest of Saratoga Springs;\r\nTreehouse guests can use all of the main resort’s facilities. Two dedicated bus stops serve the Treehouses, but transportation is nevertheless\r\na weakness. This West Warwick, Rhode Island, reader felt stranded:

Even though the treehouses aren't really, you know, treehouses, they still \r\n\r\nare some of the most unique hotel accommodations in Walt Disney World. The \r\n\r\nbenefit of Saratoga Springs is its location. The resort is located across the \r\n\r\nlake from Disney Springs, and can be accessed via \r\n\r\na short boat ride. Golfers rejoice, Saratoga Springs is also the home to \r\n\r\nDisney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course.

A security gate guards the entrance to Saratoga Springs' grounds. If you \r\n\r\narrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary \r\n\r\nto provide your reservation\r\nnumber or paperwork. A dedicated parking lot across from the lobby serves as \r\n\r\ntemporary parking for those who need it while checking in.\r\n

Guests keeping a car at the hotel overnight will be charged $25 per day. (This fee is waived for DVC members staying on points.)

\r\nCheck-in time at Treehouse Villas is 4:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. \r\n\r\nSaratoga Springs participates in Disney's \r\nOnline Check-In program, which allows \r\n\r\nyou to you provide name, address, and credit card information\r\nup to 60 days before your arrival. If you've done this, look for an Online \r\n\r\nCheck-In sign near the Registration Desk. You'll be routed to one of the \r\n\r\nOnline Check-in staff and should\r\nbe on the way to your room in a few minutes.\r\n

If you have checked-in online and already have a MagicBand, the resort will simply send you a text with your room number when it is ready. Then you can go straight to the room and use your MagicBand or your smartphone to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.

\r\nIf you've not registered online, look for signs pointing you to the \r\n\r\nRegistration/Check-In area. You'll need to provide a government-issued photo \r\n\r\nID and credit/debit card\r\nwhen you register. While parents are completing the paperwork, kids can unwind \r\n\r\nin a nearby play area decorated with child-sized furniture, and a television \r\n\r\nshowing classic Disney animated films.\r\n

\r\nDisney's Saratoga Springs Resort's registration staff can provide MagicBands \r\n\r\nfor your stay (for a fee, free MagicBands were discontinued in January 2021), if you don't already have them. Get theme park tickets and \r\n\r\ndining reservations at the Concierge Desk, to the \r\nright of the Registration Desk. If you need to check in and obtain \r\n\r\ntheme park tickets, you can save some time in line if one adult gets in line \r\n\r\nfor tickets just after\r\nanother adult starts the registration process. The Concierge Desk can also \r\n\r\nmake Disney dining reservations, and you can avoid a wait there by making them \r\n\r\nonline prior to arrival.\r\n

Each Treehouse Villa is made up of three bedrooms and a living room area \r\n\r\nwith attached kitchen and dining room. The Treehouses are 1,074 square feet \r\n\r\nand sleep up to nine people.

Each Treehouse Villa room is furnished with the following:\r\n

The full sized fridge is good enough to hold all the food and drinks you \r\n\r\nneed. It's also cold enough to make sure that raw meats and other perishables \r\n\r\nwill keep for your trip. The kitchen inside each cabin is small but most of \r\n\r\nthe tools to make and serve meals are there if you need them. \r\n

\r\nDisney's Saratoga Springs Resort has 4 handicap-accessible rooms. Some feature \r\nroll-in showers or bathtubs with rails. Use our hotel room finder to see which rooms have which feature.

The Treehouse Villas have their own pool located near Treehouses 7035, \r\n\r\n7036, 7037, 7055, 7056 and 7060. The Treehouse Villas pool is very small so it \r\n\r\ncan quickly become overwhelmed with guests. Luckily Treehouse Villa guests may \r\n\r\nuse Saratoga Springs' other pools

Saratoga Springs has four pools. The largest, High Rock Spring Pool, sits \r\n\r\nsits near the outside of the resort's lobby, Carriage House. There is also a \r\n\r\nhot tub and kiddie pool.\r\n

The other smaller pools are located in The Grandstand (with child-friendly water play area), The Paddock and \r\n\r\nCongress Park sections of the resort. These pools are basic concrete \r\n\r\npools and are considered \"quiet pools,\" meaning that loud play and splashing \r\n\r\naround are discouraged.

Saratoga Springs' pools range in depth from around 3 feet 6 inches/1.1m to \r\n\r\n4 feet 9 inches/1.4m. Pool are open every day, including during winter. The \r\n\r\npools are heated to 82°F/28°C throughout\r\nthe year. We've swum in temperatures as cold as 40°F/4°C; the water \r\n\r\nwas fine, but getting out was a shock. Saratoga Springs also has a hot \r\n\r\ntubs located near each pool.

High Rock Spring Pool has one water slide that all ages are free to use. \r\n\r\nGuests can find showers, storage lockers,\r\n restrooms, and laundry facilities. \r\n\r\nPool hours are at least 9 AM to 8 PM, extending to as much \r\n\r\nas 7 AM to 11 PM during busy times.\r\n The main pool will have lifeguards during the pools' operating hours. \r\n

For more information on the pools at WDW resorts, including towels, entertainment programming, handicap access, kiddie pools, life vests, and much more, see our Walt Disney World Resort Pool Fact Sheet FAQ.

\r\nA small playground set is located near the pool in the Congress Park section \r\n\r\nof the resort. The set has a small plastic slide and a couple of sections with \r\n\r\na few steps for toddlers\r\nto go up and down. Safety seems to be Disney's concern here - there are no \r\n\r\nswings, and the entire area is covered in sand.\r\n

Treehouse Villas do not have their own dedicated restaurants, but there are \r\n\r\nplenty to be found at Saratoga Springs and Disney Springs. Saratoga Springs \r\n\r\nhas one table service and one counter service restaurants. If these don't fit \r\n\r\nyour needs you can hop on a boat near the Carriage House and ride over to \r\n\r\nDisney Springs.

\r\nThe Turf Club Dinner Menu - The Turf Club Kids Dinner Menu

There's rarely a crowd at this out-of-the-way spot, so it's nice to request \r\n\r\nan outdoor table on a sunny day and enjoy a drink and appetizers on the shady \r\n\r\nterrace. The grilled Caesar salad is the best salad at Disney World.

When the weather's nice, ask for an outdoor table; you can spot golfers on \r\n\r\nthe adjacent Lake Buena Vista golf course and look across the way to Downtown \r\n\r\nDisney. Tucked off the lobby of the Saratoga Springs Resort, the dining room \r\n\r\nis equestrian-themed.

\r\nArtist's Palette Breakfast Menu\r\n- Artist's Palette Kids Breakfast Menu\r\n- Artist's Palette Lunch/Dinner Menu\r\n- Artist's Palette Kids Lunch/Dinner Menu\r\n

The Artist's Palette is small counter service restaurant with a limited \r\n\r\nmenu of sandwiches, salads and wraps. Prices range from $8 to $15 for an \r\n\r\nentree so you won't break the bank.

\r\nArtist's Palette participates in Disney's \r\n Rapid Fill refillable mug program, where you purchase a souvenir plastic mug once, and get free\r\n refills for the remainder of your stay. The cost is a flat $19.99 for your length of stay.\r\n

Restaurants at Saratoga Springs participate in the Disney \r\n\r\nDining Plan; meals cost 1 credit at Artist's Palette and The Turf Club Bar \r\n\r\n& Grill. Tables in Wonderland\r\ncardholders are eligible for a 20% discount at most resort restaurants.\r\n

Pizza delivery is available to your room from Disney's own \r\n\r\ndelivery service. Besides pizza, chicken wings, desserts, beer, wine, and \r\n\r\nsodas are also available. However,\r\ndelivery can take up to 90 minutes, and the food quality is often below \r\n\r\naverage. You're probably better off either walking to the food court or \r\n\r\ncalling Domino's. Pizza\r\ndelivery hours are 4 PM to midnight daily. A medium (16\") cheese pizza costs \r\n\r\naround $14 and a pepperoni around $16. Minimum order is $15, and Disney will \r\n\r\ntack on an 18% tip, \r\n$3 delivery charge, and 7% sales tax. Thus, a $30 pizza order will cost you \r\n\r\n$40.50 delivered.\r\n

Saratoga Springs has one lounge and three pool bars for guests to consume \r\n\r\nadult beverages at. \r\nThe Turf Club Lounge is Saratoga Springs' main \r\n\r\nlounge. The Turf Club Lounge has indoor seating and a full drink menu with \r\n\r\nseveral beers, wines, and a selection of spirits. The lounge is usually open 4 \r\n\r\nPM to 12 AM daily.

The Paddock Grill is located adjacent \r\n\r\nto the quiet pool in The Paddock. Paddock Grill has a small selection of \r\n\r\nspecialty drinks, beer and wine.

Backstretch Pool Bar is located near the pool at The Grandstand. It also \r\n\r\noffers a selection of specialty drinks, beer and wine. This bar is seasonal \r\n\r\nand operates a limited amount of hours.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nDriving Your Own Car Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort is just \r\n\r\noff of I-4 in Lake Buena Vista. Take I-4 68 toward Apopka Vineland \r\n\r\nRd/Kissimmee Vineland Rd N. Turn left on Hotel Plaza Blvd. Turn right \r\n\r\nonto Buena Vista Dr and Saratoga Springs will be on your left.\r\n

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort's GPS address and location are:\r\n

From Orlando International Airport See our Walt Disney World Transportation Options page for information about how to get to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. \r\n\r\n

From Sanford International Airport It's about a 40-minute \r\n\r\ndrive from Sanford to Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. If you're not renting \r\n\r\na car, be aware that Sanford's airport\r\noffers fewer transportation options than Orlando's, and Sanford's options are \r\n\r\ngenerally much more expensive. A taxi from Sanford International Airport to \r\n\r\nDisney's Saratoga Springs Resort will cost between $120 and $150, depending on \r\n\r\ntraffic. Mears\r\n Transportation offers 3-passenger towncar service to Disney's Saratoga \r\n\r\nSprings Resort for around $140 each way, plus tip; 5-passenger SUV service or \r\n\r\n10-passenger van is around $190 each way.\r\n That means round-trip transportation will run you somewhere between $240 and \r\n\r\n$380, plus tip, between Sanford and Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. At those \r\n\r\nprices, it may be less expensive to\r\n rent a car and park it at the hotel.\r\n

Getting to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs\r\nDisney provides free bus service from Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and the Treehouse Villas to \r\n\r\nMagic Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, \r\n\r\nBlizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort's bus \r\n\r\nstops sit along the front wall of the lobby, between the lobby and check-in \r\n\r\nparking lot. Each theme park has its own bus stop somewhere along\r\nthe wall. Animal Kingdom's bus service is shared with Blizzard Beach. Disney Springs is accessed via a boat that can be loaded near the Carriage House in Saratoga Springs or the dock near treehouses 7020 and 7021 in the Treehouse Villa section of the resort. The Treehouse Villas have their own two bus stops located at the east and west of the treehouse area of the resort.\r\n

\r\nAsk a Disney Cast Member about Treehouse Villas' bus schedule, and they'll tell \r\n\r\nyou that buses run about every 20 minutes. In reality, Treehouse Villas' bus \r\n\r\nschedule varies considerably depending on the time of day and where you're \r\n\r\nheaded.\r\n

\r\nFor example, if you're headed to the Magic Kingdom between 8 AM and 11 AM, \r\n\r\nyou'll wait around 15 minutes, on average, for a bus to arrive. The bus \r\n\r\nschedules for Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios are about \r\n\r\nthe same early in the day, with a bus arriving every 15-20 minutes, on \r\n\r\naverage. Bus schedules to the water parks are a little less frequent, and you \r\n\r\ncould wait anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for a ride.\r\n

\r\nBuses run a little slower from around 11 AM to around 4 PM, when most people \r\n\r\nare already in a park. Disney's evening buses are scheduled around the theme \r\n\r\nparks' closing times, where most of the fleet is deployed to get guests back \r\n\r\nto their hotels. Your waits to return to your hotel from a theme park should \r\n\r\naverage out to around 30 minutes under most circumstances.\r\n

If you've got your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to Typhoon Lagoon \r\n\r\nand Blizzard Beach water parks. Disney's bus service\r\nis faster to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney's \r\n\r\nHollywood Studios. \r\n

Getting to another hotel from Treehouse Villas and Disney's Saratoga Springs \r\n\r\nResort If you've got dining plans at another Disney hotel, the \r\n\r\ncheapest option is to take a Disney bus from Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort \r\n\r\nan open theme park (or ride the boat to Disney Springs), then take another \r\n\r\nbus from there to your destination hotel. Do the reverse to get back to \r\n\r\nDisney's Saratoga Springs Resort. While that's free, it can take anywhere from \r\n\r\n90 minutes to 2 hours each way. If your destination is \r\none of the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom is still open, you could take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then either walk (to the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower),\r\nhop on the monorail (to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian), or take a boat (to Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, or the Grand Floridian). We suggest you still allow at least\r\nan hour for that.

The fastest option, however, is almost always a taxi from Saratoga Springs \r\n\r\nto wherever you're going; it's generally not more than a $20, 15-minute cab \r\n\r\nride to get to most Disney hotels from Saratoga Springs, and often less.\r\nTaxis are available outside the lobby; if a taxi is not already sitting out \r\n\r\nfront, the bell services desk also serves as a taxi stand, and they'll call \r\n\r\none for you.\r\n

To Universal Orlando If you're staying at Walt Disney \r\n\r\nWorld and don't have a car, Mears Transportation will shuttle you from your \r\n\r\nhotel to Universal and back for $18 per person. Pickup and return times are at \r\n\r\nyour convenience. \r\nA one-way taxi ride is around $36, and may be the cheapest option if you have \r\n\r\nthree to five people.\r\n

Saratoga Springs is home to Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf \r\n\r\nCourse. This 18-hole course has hosted PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour and \r\n\r\nUSGA events in the past and one of it trademark features is its 7th hole with \r\n\r\na island green. Prices range from $39.00 to $165.00. Call (407) WDW-GOLF to \r\n\r\nreserve a tee time.

Senses Spa is Saratoga Springs' spa. Senses Spa is open \r\n\r\n8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily. Massage, facial, and body treatment services are \r\n\r\navailable. A 24-Hour fitness center is also available at Senses Spa.

Saratoga Springs' gift shop is Artist's Palette. It is located in the \r\n\r\nCarriage House near the lobby. As you'd expect from a Disney gift shop, Artist's Palette \r\n\r\nhas a decent collection of souvenirs ranging from small trinkets such as \r\n\r\nkeychains and pens, to embroidered jackets and Disney princess dresses. Prices \r\n\r\nfor these items are about what you'd pay in the theme parks or Downtown \r\n\r\nDisney.

\r\nArtist's Palette also sells basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, \r\n\r\nallergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. \r\n\r\nAnd Artist's Palette has\r\nDisney-branded cookies, chocolate, coffee tins, and similar items, if that's \r\n\r\nwhat you're looking for. Prices for these items are considerably higher - \r\n\r\nabout double - than what you'd probably pay\r\nat home.\r\n

Located near spa and fitness center is the Win, Place Or Show \r\n\r\nArcade, which has a decent collection of relatively recent video and \r\n\r\narcade games. Most games\r\ncost $0.50 to $2.00 per play, which can add up quickly. It's helpful to set a \r\n\r\nbudget with your kids before they go in.\r\n

Walkers, joggers and runners can find a jogging trail. The \r\n\r\ntrail is a 0.8 or 1.44-mile loop along the greens of Disney’s Lake Buena Vista \r\n\r\nGolf Course.\r\n

Disney contracts with a third party company, Kids Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney resort childcare page for more information.

If you lose something during your stay, contact Disney's Saratoga Springs \r\n\r\nResort's Lost and Found department by calling (407) 827-1100.\r\n

TouringPlans offers pictures of the view from any Disney resort room on \r\n\r\nproperty. Click here for the Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort map \r\n\r\nand to choose a room to see the view.

Treehouses 7024–7034 and 7058–7060 are closest to one of the villas’ two\r\ndedicated bus stops and the walkway to Saratoga Springs; 7026–7033\r\nalso have water views. Treehouses 7001–7011 and 7045–7054 are closest\r\nto the other bus stop; 7020–7023 are closest to the boat docks. Finally,\r\nTreehouses 7035–7037, 7055, 7056, and 7060 surround the pool.

\r\nCaribbean Beach was Disney's first Moderate resort when it\r\nopened in 1998. It consists of two dozen colorful, two-story motel-style\r\nbuildings, separated into five areas named for Caribbean islands: Aruba,\r\nBarbados, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad.\r\n

Most of the 1,536 guest rooms measure 314 square feet and are\r\noutfitted with two queen beds; a fold-down Murphy bed is also available\r\nin select rooms. Except as noted below, decor is distinguished by\r\nneutral beach tones, bright tropical accent colors, and furnishings of\r\ndark wood and rattan. Sliding doors separate the grooming area from\r\nthe main room. Together with the bathroom, this allows three people\r\nto get ready at once. All rooms have a dresser, small table with chairs,\r\nminifridge, coffee maker, TV, and plenty of storage. Rooms don’t have\r\nbalconies, but the access passageways are external and have railings.

The refurbished Old Port Royale building houses the check-in desk,\r\nrestaurants, and shops. A food court has counter-service and graband-\r\ngo options; Sebastian’s Bistro is a sit-down restaurant with waterfront\r\ntables.\r\n

Caribbean Beach’s on-site dining remains a weakness with readers.\r\nThis Bismarck, North Dakota, reader, for example, thinks the counterservice\r\ndining logistics need work:

South and east of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, Caribbean Beach\r\noffers transportation to all Disney World destinations by bus and to\r\nEPCOT and the Studios by Skyliner. Caribbean Beach has access to two Skyliner stations: one south of Jamaica and one north of Aruba at\r\nthe Riviera Resort; bus service runs between the Skyliner stations and\r\nthe resort villages.

Walking time to the transportation-loading area from Caribbean\r\nBeach’s most remote rooms is 7–9 minutes, and readers rate Disney bus\r\nservice here as below average. Seriously consider bringing a car—this\r\n20-something couple from Kansas City, Missouri, wished they had:

A mom from Fenton, Michigan, likewise found bus service lacking:

We think Caribbean Beach is one of the prettiest resorts on property and it tends to run a little bit cheaper and has better scenery than Coronado Springs Resort. The many bus stops and lack of an indoor bar are the knocks against it. Caribbean Beach does not offer a fitness center; for that you'll have to go to any of the Deluxe resorts or the only Moderate to offer a fitness center, Coronado Springs.

Caribbean Beach is similarly priced to Port Orleans – French Quarter and Port Orleans – Riverside, both also Moderate Resorts. Fellow Moderate Resort Coronado Springs is a touch more expensive. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are also considered a Moderate Resort by Disney, but they are quite different and more expensive than the other four traditional-style resorts.\r\n

If you are deciding between a Moderate-level resort and a Value Resort such as Disney's Pop Century, be aware that the resort layout varies considerably between the Moderate Resorts. The Value resorts have similar footprints, but the Moderates have vast size differences.

\r\n

Most of the 1,536 guest rooms are 314 square feet. Most rooms have two queen-size beds; many rooms also have a slightly-smaller-than-a-twin-sized fold-down bed to many rooms. Rooms are decorated with neutral beach tones accented by bright tropical colors. All are outfitted with the same light-oak furniture. Rooms don’t have balconies, but the access passageways are external and have railings.

Each Caribbean Beach room is furnished with the following:\r\n

Caribbean Beach bathrooms are modestly-sized, but larger than bathrooms found in Disney's value resorts. Almost all feature a tiled tub with shower, while some wheelchair-accessible rooms have a roll-in shower without tub. Water pressure in the shower is adequate, but probably less than what you're used to at home. The shower and toilet are located in a room with door. A dressing area, which includes two sinks and a small amount of counter space, is separated from the sleeping area by a sliding door. Combined with the shower/toilet room, this means that three people can have private dressing space at the same time. A 1500-watt, wall-mounted hair dryer is provided. Guests with long or thick hair may find that the dryer is underpowered for their needs.

Caribbean Beach has approximately 200 handicap-accessible rooms in a variety of configurations to accommodate guests with hearing or mobility issues. Mobility access rooms comply with Florida's Accessibility Code, with changes to everything from bed, counter-top, and dresser drawer height, to door widths, wheelchair ramps, and more. Some of Riverside's accessible rooms have the standard setup of 2 queen beds; all rooms with roll-in showers have 1 king bed, and a small number of roll-in shower rooms have both 1 king bed and 1 queen bed. Use our hotel room finder to see which rooms have which features.

\r\nCaribbean Beach Resort rooms are priced depending on the room view and locations:\r\n

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Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is near I-4 in Lake Buena Vista. Take I-4 Exit 65 - Animal Kingdom / Wide World of Sports and you'll end up on Osceola Parkway. Stay on Osceola for 0.9 miles/1.5 km, then turn right on Victory Way. You'll see Caribbean Beach's sign well before you need to turn.\r\n

If you have a GPS, here's Caribbean Beach's address and location:\r\n

A security gate guards the entrance to Caribbean Beach's grounds. If you arrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary to provide your reservation number or paperwork. Caribbean Beach’s check-in area is in the main Old Port Royale building. A dedicated parking lot across from Old Port Royale serves as temporary parking for those who need it while checking in. If you arrive by public transportation, the Caribbean Beach Resort will shuttle you and your bags from the lobby to your room.\r\n

Guests keeping a car at Caribbean Beach Resort overnight will be charged $20 per day.

From Orlando International Airport See our Walt Disney World Transportation Options page for information about how to get to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. \r\n\r\n

From Sanford International Airport is about a 40-minute drive from Sanford to Caribbean Beach. If you're not renting a car, be aware that Sanford's airport offers fewer transportation options than Orlando's, and Sanford's options are generally much more expensive. A taxi from Sanford International Airport to Caribbean Beach will cost between $120 and $150, depending on traffic. Mears Transportation offers 3-passenger towncar service to Caribbean Beach for around $140 each way, plus tip; 5-passenger SUV service or 10-passenger van is around $190 each way. That means round-trip transportation will run you somewhere between $240 and $380, plus tip, between Sanford and Caribbean Beach. You may also want to consult ride-sharing services such as Uber or Lyft for their pricing options.

The Disney Skyliner gondola system has its main hub at Caribbean Beach, which makes the resort a good base for visiting Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, the two theme parks connected by the Skyliner. The station is located near the Jamaica section of Caribbean Beach, which makes that section more desirable, although guests in the northernmost Aruba buildings can also walk to the station at the Riviera hotel quite easily. For other guests there is an internal bus that will shuttle you to the Skyliner. From the station, the ride to EPCOT's International Gateway entrance is about 15 minutes while the ride to Hollywood Studios is about 7 minutes and although the Epcot line goes through the Riviera station there is no need to exit the Skyliner to get to either park from Caribbean Beach.

Disney provides free bus service from Caribbean Beach to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Caribbean Beach has a bus stop in each of the six villages and one at Old Port Royale. Animal Kingdom's bus service is shared with Blizzard Beach, while Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon also share a stop and service. Caribbean Beach does not share bus service with any other resort, but the large size and seven bus stops make the trip somewhat long compared to some other resorts.

\r\nAsk a Disney Cast Member about Caribbean Beach's bus schedule, and they'll tell you that buses run about every 20 minutes. In reality, the Caribbean Beach bus schedule varies considerably depending on the time of day and where you're headed. For example, if you're headed to the Magic Kingdom between 8 AM and 11 AM, you'll wait around 12 minutes, on average, for a bus to arrive. The bus schedules for EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios average about 15 minutes early in the day. Bus schedules to the water parks and Disney Springs are a little less frequent, and you could wait anywhere from 18 to 30 minutes for a ride. While these are the average times you will wait for a bus at Caribbean Beach, the six bus stops at the resort mean a longer ride on the bus without leaving the resort. This is the reason Caribbean Beach has some of the highest total bus transportation times despite its central location.

\r\nAt Caribbean Beach, Disney buses pick up and drop off in this order:\r\n

\r\nBuses run a little slower from around 11 AM to around 4 PM, when most people are already in a park. Disney's evening buses are scheduled around the theme parks' closing times, where most of the fleet is deployed to get guests back to their hotels. Your waits to return to your hotel from a theme park should average out to around 20 minutes under most circumstances.\r\n

If you've got your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, and Downtown Disney. Disney's bus service is faster to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. We evaluate Caribbean Beach’s bus service annually, and the latest transportation times can be found below.\r\n

If you have dining plans at another Disney hotel, the cheapest option is to take a Disney bus from Caribbean Beach to Disney Springs (or an open theme park), then take another bus from there to your destination hotel. Do the reverse to get back to Caribbean Beach. While that's free, it can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours each way. If your destination is one of the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom is still open, you could take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then either walk (to the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower), hop on the monorail (to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian), or take a boat (to Fort Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian). We suggest you still allow at least an hour for that.

The fastest option, however, is almost always a taxi or ride sharing service such as Uber of Lyft. Taxi rates are generally in the $15-20 range, depending on your destination, and Uber and Lyft are sigificantly cheaper. A taxi can typically get to most points in DisneyWorld within 20 minutes (often much less), versus the one to two hours it might take using Disney's free transportation system. Taxis are available outside the lobby; if a taxi is not already sitting out front, the bell services desk also serves as a taxi stand, and they'll call one for you.\r\n

If you're staying at Walt Disney World and don't have a car, Mears Transportation will shuttle you from your hotel to Universal and back for $18 per person. Pickup and return times are at your convenience. A one-way taxi ride is around $36, and may be the cheapest option if you have three to five people.\r\n

Below is a video, shot in November 2017, that shows what the construction looks like at the Caribbean Beach Resort.

TouringPlans offers pictures of the view from any Disney resort room on property. Click here for the Caribbean Beach Resort map and to choose a room to see the view.

The five “islands,” or groups\r\nof buildings clustered around Barefoot Bay, are identical. The two-story\r\nmotel-style structures comprising each island are arranged in various\r\nways to face courtyards, pools, the bay, and so forth. Except for the\r\ntheme, the setup is very similar to the one at Coronado Springs Resort. The verdant landscaping features lots of ferns and palm\r\ntrees, especially in the courtyards.

In general, corner rooms are preferable because they have more windows.\r\nStandard-view rooms face either parking lots or courtyards, and\r\nthe usual broad interpretation of water views is in play here. Beyond\r\nthat, your main choices will revolve around your preference for proximity\r\nto (or distance from) Old Port Royale’s check-in desk and restaurants,\r\npools, parking lots, or beaches on Barefoot Bay. Each\r\nisland has direct access to at least one beach, playground, bus stop, and\r\nparking lot.

All rooms in these buildings are considered preferred, so they are a little bit more expensive. The upside is that they are very close to Old Port Royale. Good views include the water views in building 24, rooms 2445-2448, building 25, rooms 2522, 2523, 2525-27, 2554, 2555, 2557-59.

Bad views in Buildings 24, 25, and 26 include:\r\n

This group of buildings also contains preferred rooms and therefore are close to Old Port Royale. Good views include the water view rooms in building 32, rooms 3221-3228 and 3253-3260, and standard view rooms in building 33, rooms 3317-3320, 3226-3228, 3358-3360, and 3349-3352.

Bad views in Buildings 31, 32, and 33 include:\r\n

There are several good water views in building 34, rooms 3438-3440 and building 35, rooms 3501-3504, 3513-3516, 3533-3536, and 3545-3548. There are also good standard view rooms in building 36, rooms 3633-3636.

Bad views in Buildings 34, 35, and 36 include:\r\n

Good views include the water view rooms in building 37, rooms 3749-3752, and some standard view rooms in building 39, rooms 3926-3928 and 3958-3960. Almost half of building 38 has good views as well, most of them water views. Specifically rooms 3818, 3819, 3821-3832, 3850, 3851, and 3853-3864.

Bad views in Buildings 31, 32, and 33 include:\r\n

These buildings are the further of the two Jamaica groups and can be a long walk to Old Port Royale, even cutting across the footbridge over the island. On top of that there are few good views although there aren’t too many bad ones either. Many rooms in this area look upon large amounts of foliage although the water view rooms in building 42, rooms 4217-4223 and 4249-4255, are excellent.

Bad views in Buildings 41, 42, and 43 include:\r\n

If you’re not ready to pitch in the extra money for a preferred room, this group of buildings in Jamaica is a decent spot. While still a few minutes away from Old Port Royale, the close proximity to the footbridge across the lagoon makes it an easy and pleasant walk. There are no standout views from any of these buildings, but there are some pleasant garden views available, especially in building 45.

Bad views in Buildings 44, 45, and 46 include:\r\n

Much like Jamaica buildings 44-46 above, this group of Aruba buildings are very close to the footbridge spanning the lagoon, which makes the walk to Old Port Royale pleasant if not necessarily shorter. There are several very nice views available here as well, namely the water views from building 52, rooms 5224-5226.

Bad views in Buildings 54, 55, and 56 include:\r\n

This building group is closer to the Aruba bus stop, but that’s about it. It is quite far from Old Port Royale and contains few great views. Building 54 is unremarkable, with no very good nor very bad views. Half of building 56 faces the parking lot and much of the other half faces the other buildings. Building 55 is the only one of these three with great views, specifically the water view rooms 5509-5512, 5514-5516, 5541-5544, and 5546-5548.

Bad views in Buildings 54, 55, and 56 include:\r\n

Coronado Springs Resort is Disney’s only\r\nmidpriced convention property. Inspired by northern Mexico and the\r\nAmerican Southwest, the resort is divided into four separately themed\r\nareas. The two- and three-story Ranchos call to mind Southwestern\r\ncattle ranches, while the two-story Cabanas are modeled after Mexican beach resorts. The multistoried Casitas embody elements of Spanish architecture found in Mexico’s great cities.\r\n

The Gran Destino Tower serves as the lobby for all of Coronado\r\nSprings, and the rooms in this 15-floor building are nicer than those\r\nin the rest of the resort. (The idea, we hear, is to appeal to companies\r\nreluctant to put their executives in Moderate hotel rooms.)

The vast resort surrounds a 22-acre lake, and there are three small pools as well as one large swimming complex. The main pool features a reproduction of a Mayan step pyramid with a waterfall cascading down its side.

Adjacent to Gran Destino is El Centro, where you can find a gift shop, food court, and Rix Lounge. A separate area called The Dig Site, between the Ranchos and Cabanas, is where the main pool, play area, and arcade can be found. The walk between these two sites is only a few minutes, but the distance means that most rooms are reasonably close to one or the other.\r\n

A security gate guards the entrance to Coronado Springs’ grounds. If you arrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary to provide your reservation number or paperwork. A dedicated parking lot near Gran Destino serves as temporary parking for those who need it while checking in. If you arrive by Disney bus transportation, there is a bus stop outside of Gran Destino.\r\n

Guests keeping a car at the hotel overnight will be charged $20 per day.

Check-in time at Coronado Springs is 3:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. Coronado Springs participates in Disney's Online Check-In program, which allows you to you provide name, address, and credit card information before your arrival. If you've checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.\r\n

\r\nIf you've not registered online, look for signs pointing you to the Registration/Check-In area. You'll need to provide a government-issued photo ID and credit/debit card when you register. While parents are completing the paperwork, kids can unwind in a nearby play area decorated with child-sized furniture, and a television showing classic Disney animated films.\r\n

Coronado's registration staff can provide MagicBands for your stay, if you don't already have them. As of January 1, 2021, guests no longer receive complimentary MagicBands but will still have the option to purchase them.

Most of the 1,839 rooms in the Ranchos, Cabanas, and Casitas measure 314 square feet and contain two queen beds, a desk with an excellent working area, a chair, a minifridge, a coffee maker, and a vanity\r\noutside the bathroom. Sliding doors divide the main living area from the\r\nsinks, allowing three people to get ready at the same time. Bathrooms\r\nhave plenty of storage. Rooms are decorated with a subtle Southwestern theme, in a desert-landscape palette. No rooms have balconies.\r\n

The 545 rooms in Gran Destino Tower range from standard issue to\r\ndeluxe, one-bedroom, and presidential suites. The public areas showcase a vibrant mix of Spanish and Moorish design, with bold colors and\r\nlarge, open spaces.

Perhaps because Coronado Springs is geared to conventions, getting actual work done here is easier than at any other Disney Moderate\r\nresort. Lighting above the desk provides excellent illumination of the\r\nwork area. Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort.\r\n

Each Coronado Springs room is furnished with the following:\r\n

The mini-fridge is a dorm-style unit that sits within the large door on the dresser. It's more like a beverage chiller than a refrigerator in that it'll keep drinks cool, but you're not going to freeze popsicles or make ice cubes in it. Every room in Coronado Springs has a coffee maker.\r\n

\r\nCoronado Springs bathrooms are smaller than what most people are used to at home but they are at least larger than bathrooms found in Disney's value resorts. Almost all feature a tiled tub with shower, while some wheelchair-accessible rooms have a roll-in shower without tub. One nice feature in the standard bathrooms is a shower curtain rod that curves outward, so you're not always elbowing the shower curtain while shampooing.\r\n

Water pressure in the shower is average - probably less than what you get at home, but still enough to get your hair clean. Eventually.\r\n

A separate dressing area next to the bathroom includes two sinks, decent counter space, and under-sink storage so an entire family can find places to keep their toiletries. A hair dryer is provided, but it's not very powerful; bring your own if you've got lots of hair. The dressing area includes a set of sliding barn doors that separate it from the sleeping area which are useful but loud to close. Combined with the bathroom, this means that 2 people can get dressed at the same time. \r\n

Gran Destino’s standard rooms are almost 20% larger than those\r\nin the rest of the resort. They have vinyl “hardwood” floors, large windows, good lighting, and lots of desk and storage space; rooms are\r\nalso equipped with a minifridge and a Keurig coffee maker. Bathrooms\r\nhave plentiful lighting and shelf space, two sinks, a huge shower, and\r\nseparate areas for grooming and the toilet, allowing three people to get\r\nready at the same time. Our one criticism is that there’s little theming:\r\nThe rooms barely differ from those at other Disney resorts.

Our favorite thing about Gran Destino is the relatively low cost of\r\nClub Level rooms, which get you access to the Chronos Club lounge.\r\nStandard rates for these rooms run $200–$300 per night less than the\r\nnext-cheapest Club Level room on-property, and limited-time discounts\r\nmade the price even better. The Chronos Club has fantastic views, good\r\nfood throughout the day, and a friendly staff. If you’re looking for\r\na little pampering on vacation, Gran Destino’s Club Level rooms are\r\nprobably the best value in Walt Disney World.

\r\nCoronado Springs has around 90 handicap-accessible rooms. Some feature roll-in showers, while others include assistive hearing devices. A subset of these rooms have been converted to comply with Florida's Accessibility Code, with changes to everything from bed, counter-top, and dresser drawer height, to door widths, wheelchair ramps, and more.

\r\nSome of Coronado Springs’ accessible rooms have the standard setup of 2 queen beds; all rooms with roll-in showers have 1 king bed, and a small number of roll-in shower rooms have both 1 king bed and 1 double bed. Use our hotel room finder to see which rooms have which features.\r\n

\r\nDisney knows that some hotel rooms are better than others. Most people prefer to be close to the lobby and dining, and want something pretty to look at from their hotel room window. To capitalize on this, Disney categorizes all of Coronado Springs’ hotel rooms based on how long it takes you to walk to the lobby, and what you see from inside the room.\r\n

\r\nHere's the system Disney uses:\r\n

Coronado Springs has 4 pools. The largest is found at the area called The Dig Site, which also contains the playground and arcade. The area is dominated by a 46 foot tall Mayan stepped pyramid that looks as if it’s been sitting on that spot for centuries and houses the 128 foot water slide.\r\n

What the water slide empties into is one of the largest pools at Walt Disney World. The Coronado Springs pool, officially called the Lost City of Cibola Feature Pool, sits directly in the shadow of the pyramid. \r\n

Adjacent to the main pool is a water play area, where small children can play in a very shallow pool containing several water spouts. The pool area is also where you will find the Jacuzzi as well as a beach volleyball court.\r\n

In addition to the large main pool, each of the three areas has its own “quiet” pool. Quiet pools are Disney’s name for their smaller pools, the noise level varies depending on the pool’s users. Each of these pools is smaller than the main pool and has no extras such as a child play area or slide.\r\n

Coronado Springs’ pools range in depth from around 3 feet 6 inches/1.1m to 4 feet 9 inches/1.4m and are open every day, including winter. Pools are heated to 82F/28C throughout the year. Guests can find showers, storage lockers, restrooms, and laundry facilities at each of the pools. Pool hours are at least 9 AM to 9 PM, extending to as much as 7 AM to 11 PM during busy times. The main pool will have lifeguards whenever they are open, but the quiet pools will not have lifeguards at any time.\r\n

For more information on the pools at WDW resorts, including towels, entertainment programming, handicap access, kiddie pools, life vests, and much more, see our Walt Disney World Resort Pool Fact Sheet FAQ. \r\n

An inventive playground area is found at The Dig Site, tucked off to the side of the pyramid. Also themed with statues and “stone,” the play area contains a large sandbox, a slide, and a climbing structure. Like all Disney playgrounds, the ground is made of a spongy material for safety although the entire area is pervaded by sand. \r\n

Coronado Springs has four full-service restaurants and a food court,\r\nplus two bars. One of those full-service restaurants, Toledo—Tapas, Steak\r\n& Seafood, is in Gran Destino Tower. An over-water bar called Three\r\nBridges Bar & Grill sits in the middle of Coronado Springs’ 22-acre lake,\r\nconnected to the resort by—drum roll—three bridges. Even with these\r\nadditions, though, dining capacity and choices may be just adequate for\r\na resort this big. We suggest having a car to expand your options.\r\n

Maya Grill is Coronado Springs’ full-service restaurant. Run by the same company that operates the restaurants at EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion, Maya Grill specializes in southwestern cuisine. Unfortunately, like too many Disney restaurants, Maya Grill doesn’t fully commit to the style and the results are a slightly bland version of authentic favorites. The restaurant mostly caters to convention customers who are both stuck at Coronado Springs and on an expense account. \r\n

The dining room was designed to evoke the ancient world of the Maya, achieving \"a harmony of fire, sun, and water.\" But the idea falls short, with the fire taking the form of \"flames\" made of fan-blown fabric at the top of two large columns. The kitchen is open to view, but so is the barren and starkly lit walkway outside.\r\n

Notables on the menu include Chilorio Pork Sliders appetizer and the Arrachera, although much of the menu is under-flavored Tex-Mex at double and triple the prices of your local Mexican restaurant. Our experiences at Maya Grill and those of our readers are mediocre at best. On the bright side, Tables in Wonderland cardholders are eligible for a 20% discount at Maya Grill.\r\n

In our annual reader surveys, Maya Grill ranks towards the bottom of table-service restaurants in Walt Disney World with a “thumbs up” rating of 71%, well below the average of 87%. This puts it in the same class as often maligned restaurants such as EPCOT’s Nine Dragons, Downtown Disney’s Rainforest Café, and the now demolished Cap’n Jack’s. As you may imagine, we recommend heading elsewhere for that sit-down dinner.\r\n

Maya Grill Hours\r\n

If you are looking for breakfast, lunch, or a quicker meal, Coronado Springs also has the El Mercado de Coronado food court that's also in the same large building as Maya Grill. The food court area is fun and festive and contained in a large space that vaguely resembles and outdoor market. \r\n

The overall setup is much like a food court at a mall. There are several different stations, each selling one set of meals. For example, one station sells pizza and pasta; another sells burgers; another is dedicated to sandwiches, and so on. If your kids each want something different, you'll have to line up several times. The good news is that some of the food is prepared on demand, so you'll at least be getting your burger cooked to order.\r\n

Prices range from $6 to $18 for an entree so you won't break the bank. Breakfast is the standard fare of egg and meat platters, omelets, and Mickey-shaped waffles. Some standout entrees from the Lunch and Dinner menu include the Crabcake Sandwich and Aztec Burger, both between $12 and $15. None of the desserts are particularly interesting but there is a nice assortment of ice cream sundaes and shakes. \r\n

El Mercado Food Court Hours\r\n

El Mercado participates in the Disney Dining Plan (when it's offered); meals cost 1 Quick Service credit, and there are a wide variety of snacks to use as Snack credits on the Dining Plan. El Mercado is unique among the moderate resorts in that it is a Quick Service venue where waiters bring and refill your beverages; as a result, guests are expected to provide a gratuity.\r\n

For grab-and-go items or even quicker meals than El Mercado can offer, you will find Café Rix, also in El Centro. Meals here use 1 Quick Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan (when it's offered), and there are a wide variety of snacks to use as Snack credits on the Dining Plan. Café Rix offers simple things such as breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and doughnuts for breakfast and a small selection of hot or cold sandwiches for lunch and dinner. While the selection is minimal, it is fast and Café Rix opens at 6am, earlier than El Mercado, making it a good choice for a quick pre-park breakfast. There is no seating for Café Rix, but Rix Lounge has quite a bit of seating that is open for Café patrons. \r\n

Free refills are available for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and fountain drinks (including juice and milk) during your meal. Both El Mercado and Cafe Rix will refill mugs purchased thorugh Disney's Rapid Fill refillable mug program, where you purchase a souvenir plastic mug once, and get free\r\n refills for the remainder of your stay. The cost is a flat $19.99 for your length of stay.\r\n

Rix Sports Bar & Grill is an unusual spot, well for a Disney resort at least. \r\n It is the only bar or lounge at a Walt Disney World resort that could be considered a nightclub with DJs spinning the tunes most nights. \r\n The décor is upscale and reminiscent of a more urban club although it is decidedly not in line with the Southwestern motif of Coronado Springs. \r\n There are many interesting elements to Rix Lounge and a menu full of equally interesting drinks, but Rix Lounge is mostly a hive for the busy bees in \r\n town for a convention. When there are large meetings at Coronado Springs, Rix can be quite busy. Otherwise it is often uncrowded.\r\n

\r\n Rix serves breakfast from 7 AM to 12:30 PM\r\n

Rix Lounge Menu

Siestas Pool Bar Directly abutting the main pool is Siestas Pool Bar. The pool bar has poolside seating with a breakfast and lunch menu, and drink menu, with several beer selections, a couple of wines, and a small selection of spirits. It's fine if you want a domestic light beer or a fruity cocktail to relax with by the pool, or to get a nightcap on the way back to your room for the night. Siestas Pool Bar is usually open 9 AM to 10 PM daily, weather permitting.\r\n\r\n

The lagoon-side Laguna Bar is one of our favorite places to unwind at Coronado Springs. It would be considered a pool bar except that it’s not near a pool. Rather, it is alongside the gorgeous vista supplied by Lago Dorado. Laguna Bar has a similar menu to Siestas Pool Bar, but the view is much, much better. If a casual drink or a snack is what you are seeking, choose Laguna Bar over any other Coronado Springs option.\r\n

\r\nBarcelona Lounge offers breakfast and coffee by day and cocktails by night. Dahlia Lounge is a rooftop lounge at top of Gran Destino Tower with beautiful views of the entire resort. Three Bridges Bar & Grill is a unique floating bar and grill that unites traditional bar fare with Spanish flair. \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nDriving Your Own Car Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is near I-4 in Lake Buena Vista. Take I-4 Exit 67 – Epcot Center Drive and you'll end up on Epcot Center Drive. Take the first exit onto Buena Vista Drive and make a left. Go about 2.3 miles/3.7 km down Buena Vista Drive, then turn right on to Coronado Springs’ entrance road. You'll see Coronado Springs’ sign well before you need to turn.\r\n

If you have a GPS, here's Coronado Springs’ address and location:\r\n

From Orlando International Airport See our Walt Disney World Transportation Options page for information about how to get to and from Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World. \r\n\r\n

From Sanford International Airport It's about a 40-minute drive from Sanford to Coronado Springs. If you're not renting a car, be aware that Sanford's airport offers fewer transportation options than Orlando's, and Sanford's options are generally much more expensive. A taxi from Sanford International Airport to Coronado Springs will cost between $120 and $150, depending on traffic. Mears Transportation offers 3-passenger towncar service to Coronado Springs for around $140 each way, plus tip; 5-passenger SUV service or 10-passenger van is around $190 each way. That means round-trip transportation will run you somewhere between $240 and $380, plus tip, between Sanford and Coronado Springs. At those prices, it may be less expensive to rent a car and park it at the hotel.\r\n

Getting to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs\r\nDisney provides free bus service from Coronado Springs to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Coronado Springs has a bus stop in each of the three room areas and one at El Centro. Animal Kingdom's bus service is shared with Blizzard Beach, while Disney Springs and Typhoon Lagoon also share a stop and service. Coronado Springs does not share bus service with any other resort, but the large size and four bus stops make the trip somewhat long compared to some other resorts.

If you've got your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to everywhere except the Magic Kingdom. Blizzard Beach is actually right across the street and could be walked to if not for the heavily-trafficked and pedestrian-unfriendly road in between. \r\n

\r\nAsk a Disney Cast Member about Coronado Springs’ bus schedule, and they'll tell you that buses run about every 20 minutes. In reality, the Coronado Springs bus schedule varies considerably depending on the time of day and where you're headed.\r\n

For example, if you're headed to the Magic Kingdom between 8 AM and 11 AM, you'll wait around 12 minutes, on average, for a bus to arrive. The bus schedules for EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios average about 13 minutes early in the day. Bus schedules to the water parks and Disney Springs are a little less frequent, and you could wait anywhere from 18 to 30 minutes for a ride.\r\n

While these are the average times you will wait for a bus at Coronado Springs, the four bus stops at the resort mean a slightly longer ride on the bus without leaving the resort. This is the reason Coronado Springs has some of the highest total bus transportation times despite its central location.

\r\nBuses run a little slower from around 11 AM to around 4 PM, when most people are already in a park. Disney's evening buses are scheduled around the theme parks' closing times, where most of the fleet is deployed to get guests back to their hotels. Your waits to return to your hotel from a theme park should average out to around 20 minutes under most circumstances.\r\n

\r\nHere's the current order in which Disney buses pick up and drop off at Coronado Springs:\r\n

Getting to another hotel from Coronado Springs If you've got dining plans (when they're offered) at another Disney hotel, the cheapest option is to take a Disney bus from Coronado Springs to Disney Springs (or an open theme park), then take another bus from there to your destination hotel. Do the reverse to get back to Coronado Springs. While that's free, it can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours each way. If your destination is one of the Magic Kingdom monorail resorts, and the Magic Kingdom is still open, you could take a bus to the Magic Kingdom, then either walk (to the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower), hop on the monorail (to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian), or take a boat (to Fort Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian). We suggest you still allow at least an hour for that.

The fastest option, however, is almost always a taxi from Coronado Springs to wherever you're going; it's generally not more than a $20, 15-minute cab ride to get to most Disney hotels from Coronado Springs, and often less. Taxis are available outside of El Centro; if a taxi is not already sitting out front, the bell services desk also serves as a taxi stand, and they'll call one for you.\r\n

To Universal Orlando If you're staying at Walt Disney World and don't have a car, Mears Transportation will shuttle you from your hotel to Universal and back for $18 per person. Pickup and return times are at your convenience. A one-way taxi ride is around $36, and may be the cheapest option if you have three to five people.\r\n

\r\nCoronado Springs’ gift shop is Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries, and sits within El Centro, just off the main rotunda. As you'd expect from Disney, Panchito’s has a decent collection of souvenirs ranging from small trinkets such as keychains and pens, to embroidered jackets and Disney princess dresses. Prices for these items are about what you'd pay in the theme parks or Downtown Disney.\r\n

Panchito’s also sells basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. And the shop also has Disney-branded cookies, chocolate, coffee tins, and similar items, if that's what you're looking for. Prices for these items are considerably higher - about double - than what you'd probably pay at home.\r\n

Another advantage of staying at a conference hotel is that Coronado Springs has a fitness center, unlike the other Moderate Resorts. The center is located near the quiet pool in the Casitas section, between buildings 3 and 4. It is a small center containing standard equipment such as treadmills, but it is handy if walking around the parks all day isn’t enough exercise for you. There is also a Beauty Salon in the same location for especially bad hair days.\r\n

In the Dig Site area, near the main pool, is the Iguana Arcade, which has a decent collection of relatively recent video and arcade games. Most games cost $0.50 to $2.00 per play, although it’s tough to tell exactly how much because of Disney’s arcade points system. Rather than put money directly into the games, you purchase an arcade card that can be loaded with any number of points. The points are 50 per every $1.00 spent and the games requires various amounts of points. The points system allows you to easily set limits for children, but makes it a little hard to calculate exactly how much you’re spending on any given game.\r\n

Walkers, joggers and runners will find that one lap around the main part of Lago Dorado is a scenic 0.75-mile/1.2 km course. If you don’t take the bridge near the main pool and instead add the path around the smaller section of the lagoon the path extends to 1 mile/1.6 km. You won't find an indoor pool at Coronado Springs.\r\n

What you will find are other activities, many of which fit the Coronado Springs theme either on purpose or coincidentally. Bikes are available to rent at the marina, which is found near El Centro. If a little more activity is to your liking, there is a beach volleyball court in the Dig Site. Unfortunately swimming in Lago Dorado is not allowed.\r\n

Coronado Springs’ free Movies Under the Stars program shows a different Disney film every night of the week on a small outdoor screen set up at the Dig Site near the pool. Folding chairs are provided. The movie schedule varies based on when it gets dark, and may start as early as 7 PM during winter, or as late as 9 PM during summer. A sign near the pool will have the schedule for the week. \r\n

Disney contracts with a third party company, Kids Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney resort childcare page for more information.

There are on site washers and dryers available for guest use. For more information on guest laundry services at Walt Disney World hotels, see our WDW Laundry Information page.

If you lose something during your stay, contact Disney's Lost and Found department by calling (407)824-4245.

TouringPlans offers pictures of the view from any Disney resort room on property. Click here for the Coronado Springs Resort map and to choose a room to see the view.

As convention hotels go,\r\nCoronado Springs is kind of an odd duck. Whereas at comparable\r\nhotels everything is centrally located and the guest rooms are in close\r\nproximity to each other, the rooms here are spread around a huge lake\r\ncalled Lago Dorado. If you’re assigned a room on the opposite side\r\nof the lake from the meeting area and restaurants, plan on an 11- to\r\n15-minute hike every time you leave your room.

Coronado Springs’ main lobby is inside Gran Destino Tower. To its\r\nwest is El Centro, which contains shops, restaurants, and a conference\r\ncenter. There are three accommodation “communities.”

This building is by far the closest to El Centro as well as the Convention Center, which means that all rooms are considered Preferred. If you are staying here with a family be prepared to be surrounded by business people, especially when a convention is in town. The nicest views are on the third and fourth floors facing the courtyard and the lagoon beyond, rooms 1372-1390 and 1470-1490.

Bad views in Building 1 include:\r\n

Building 2 is still all Preferred rooms, but is further away from El Centro than either Building 1 or much of Building 3. The location also means not many good views, almost all of which face other buildings or the parking lot. The second and third floor rooms 2261-2263 and 2361-2363 have an off-center view of the quiet pool, and are about as good a view as you can get in this building.

Bad views in Building 2 include:\r\n

If you want a great view and are willing to pay for a Preferred room, building 3 is your best bet. About half of the building faces the lagoon and the East side of it is very close to El Centro. The best lagoon views are rooms on the second and third floors numbered 3X20-3X23, 3X25, and 3X27 and rooms on floors 2-4 numbered 3X66-3X69. There really aren’t many bad views in building 3 as the rooms that don’t face the lagoon simply face other buildings, although there are a handful that look over hallways.

Bad views in Building 3 include:\r\n

If ponying up extra money for a Preferred room doesn’t sound appealing to you, Casitas building 4 is one of the closes buildings to El Centro that isn’t Preferred. This building contains just about every type of view from the parking lot to a pool to the lagoon. The best lagoon view rooms are on floors 2-4, rooms 4X61-4X65.

Bad views in Building 4 include:\r\n

By building 5 you start getting a little far away from El Centro and you are still a bit of a walk to the main pool area as well. The good news is that there are a few excellent views from the rooms of building 5. The water view rooms on floors 2-4, room numbers 5X10-5X13 and 5X60-5X63, are the best. If you would rather not pay for a water view room, about half of building 5 faces a pleasant, fountain-centric courtyard.

Bad views in Building 5 include:\r\n

Next come the Ranchos, set back from the lake. The desert theme translates to lots of cactus and gravel, not much water or shade, and almost no good views. The Ranchos are a hike from everything but the main swimming area. Rooms 6X00–6X04 afford the best views.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 6X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 6 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1, 2, and 3 while building B’s floors are listed as 5, 6, and 7. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 6A include:\r\n

Building 6B is a very unremarkable building, although that may not be a bad thing. It contains no official “water view” rooms, although rooms 6X72 and 6X73 have views of the quiet pool. Building 6B also contains no parking lot views, with most of the views either of woods or desert landscaping. If you prefer the woods pick rooms on the South side, numbers 6X00-6X03, 6X30-6X36, and 6X50-6X63. If you would rather the desert choose rooms 6X10-6X13, 6X20-6X27, or 6X40-6X47.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 6X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 6 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1, 2, and 3 while building B’s floors are listed as 5, 6, and 7. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 6B include:\r\n

This building is as far away as you can get from El Centro and still be at Coronado Springs. On the bright side, it is close to the Ranchos quiet pool as well as the bus stop.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 7X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 7 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1, 2, and 3 while building B’s floors are listed as 5, 6, and 7. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 7A include:\r\n

Although far from El Centro, building 7B is not a bad spot if you like to swim. The building wraps around the Ranchos quiet pool and is reasonably close to the Dig Site and its massive themed pool. There are several water view rooms in this building, but they are all of the quiet pool and several of them are heavily obstructed by trees and plants. Most of the non-water view rooms face a parking lot, although the rooms facing away from the pool in the South wing face nice greenery, specifically rooms 7X90-7X92 and 7X94-7X97.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 7X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 7 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1, 2, and 3 while building B’s floors are listed as 5, 6, and 7. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 7B include:\r\n

This building, along with building 8B, are good choices of location if you are going to be taking the bus to the parks, want to use the main pool, and don’t want to pay Preferred room prices. They are reasonably close to the bus stop, fairly close to the Dig Site, and, while still a few minute away, not as far from El Centro as the Ranchos buildings. The Cabanas buildings are only two stories tall and while building 8A faces the water, the first floor rooms are often obstructed views. The second floor water view rooms have some of the nicest views at Coronado Springs, specifically rooms 8224-8226, 8228-8231, 8241-8243, and 8245-8247. If you really want a bargain, rooms 8220-8222 have lovely views of the lagoon, but are not technically considered “water view” for some reason.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 8X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 8 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1 and 2 while building B’s floors are listed as 5 and 6. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 8A include:\r\n

Much like building 8A above, 8B is close to the bus stop although 8A is a little closer to the pool and 8B is a little closer to El Centro. About half of the rooms in building 8B are water view and the other half look at a parking lot. There are several good water view rooms, namely the second floor rooms 8650-8653.

A quick note on room numbers: The rooms are listed as 8X21, where you can insert the floor number for X. Because building 8 is split into A and B however, building A contains floors 1 and 2 while building B’s floors are listed as 5 and 6. It is unclear why on Earth they didn’t just add extra building numbers.

Bad views in Building 8B include:\r\n

Reader opinions concerning Coronado Springs are split. A family\r\nfrom Cumming, Georgia, was disappointed:

A Chester, Virginia, mother had a very different experience:

For a family from Kansas City, Kansas, Coronado Springs was\r\ntheir first accommodations in a Disney Moderate resort:

A family from Indianapolis liked the swimming pools:

Finally, a Canvey Island, England, reader was fair and balanced:

Port Orleans French Quarter is a moderately priced hotel at Walt Disney World with 1,008 guest rooms. The resort is themed to resemble New Orleans’s Vieux Carré, but sanitized. Consisting of seven three-story guest-room buildings next to the Sassagoula River, prim pink-and-blue structures are festooned with wrought-iron filigree, shuttered windows, and old-fashioned iron lampposts. In keeping with the Crescent City theme, French Quarter is landscaped with magnolia trees and overgrown vines.

The centrally located Mint contains the registration area and food\r\ncourt. The registration desk features a vibrant Mardi Gras mural and\r\nold-fashioned bank-teller windows. Doubloon Lagoon surrounds a colorful fiberglass creation depicting Neptune riding a sea serpent.

EPCOT transportation may just be the most versatile of all the parks. Options include boats, monorails and buses (oh my!). But wait, there's more! Disney World offers the Disney Skyliner, a sky-high gondola system that features a stop at EPCOT's International Gateway, making EPCOT the most accessible by Disney transportation. Here are the ins and outs of all of the free EPCOT transportation options.

You can get between almost any two points within Walt Disney using complimentary transportation, especially if you're staying on-site at a Disney Resort hotel. Even if you're staying off-site and have a Park Hopper ticket, you can utilize the free buses, monorails and more to make the leap from park to park. For example, you can take the Disney Skyliner from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios ... but we'll get into that below.

The perks don't stop at free transportation for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests ... there are tons of other benefits too! Check out our favorite reasons to stay on-site at Disney World.

From EPCOT to Other Disney Theme Parks

To Magic Kingdom: Take the EPCOT monorail line.

To Disney's Hollywood Studios: Take the Friendship boat service or Disney Skyliner.

To Disney's Animal Kingdom: Take the bus.

From EPCOT to Disney Resort Hotels

To Disney's Contemporary Resort: Take the resort monorail line and transfer to the EPCOT monorail line.

To Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Take the resort monorail line and transfer to the EPCOT monorail line.

To Disney's Polynesian Resort: Take the resort monorail line and transfer to the EPCOT monorail line.

To Disney's Beach Club Resort: Use the walkway or a Friendship boat.

To Disney's BoardWalk Inn: Use the walkway or a Friendship boat.

To Disney's Yacht Club Resort: Use the walkway or a Friendship boat.

To Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotels: Use the walkway or a Friendship boat.

To Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort: Take Disney Skyliner or the bus.

To Disney's Pop Century Resort: Take Disney Skyliner or the bus.

To Disney's Art of Animation Resort: Take Disney Skyliner or the bus.

To all other Disney Resort Hotels: Take the bus.

To EPCOT from Other Resort Destinations

From Magic Kingdom: Take the EPCOT monorail line.

From Disney's Hollywood Studios: Take the Friendship boat or Disney Skyliner, or use the walkway to EPCOT.

From Disney's Animal Kingdom: Take the bus.

From Disney Resort hotels: EPCOT is accessible by bus from most of Disney's Resort hotels.

*Note: Most areas throughout Walt Disney World, including Disney theme parks, Disney water parks, resort hotels and the Disney Springs area, are accessible by bus. Some bus routes may require transfer from one bus to another.

You see, everything at Disney World is only a hop, skip and a jump away with all of its great transportation options. What's your favorite way to hop around the parks? Tell us in the comments!

Related: Getting to and From Magic Kingdom on Disney's Free Transportation

Related: Getting to and From Hollywood Studios on Disney's Free Transportation