We just returned yesterday from another wonderful stay at Coronado Springs! I have lots of pictures and I'll upload and post them this weekend.
For now here are my general comments:
CHECK-IN
When we arrived at 3:30pm on Tuesday, March 23rd I was sure that registration was going to be a mad house...boy was I wrong! We walked in and it was literally empty! There were 8 Cast Members eagerly waiting to assist us
In all my years staying onsite I've never seen a resort lobby empty during peak check-in time!
We were assisted by a very pleasant CM. Our King Bed Junior Suite was ready, in Casitas 3, 3rd floor - Room 3221.
ROOM
We love the renovated junior suites at CSR. The living room furniture is gorgeous and the pull out couch is so much more comfortable than the murphy beds from pre-reno. The extra space, extra bathroom and extra fridge are so nice for our family, plus it gives us the ability to have some alone time so we don't get on each others nerves.
The room was spotlessly clean, and the furniture was all in good condition. The internet access was great (we brought an apple airport express and made our own wireless network - this was fantastic!). The remotes, phones, alarm clocks and air conditioning were all functioning perfectly.
Our view was great and our location even better! We had a stunning view of the mayan pyramid at the dig site across the lake. We were as close to El Centro as you can be, right on the corner where Casitas 3 meets Casitas 1.
GROUNDS
You could tell that winter had been hard on the grounds but they still looked far more lush and green than our home in Canada
We spoke to our friend in administration who said that landscapers (a team of 50) have been working around the clock to repair the damage from the freezes and to replant areas.
The most significant damage from the freezes was the tall palm trees in Palm Court in the Casitas. The elevator courtyard connecting Casitas 1, 2 and 3 held 4 beautiful palm trees that have been taken down. The entire courtyard was closed for refurbishment when we arrived on March 23rd. By the 26th it was re-opened and completely different! There is new interlocking brick, gardens around the perimiter with small banana palms and flowers. I think it will look very nice when the landscaping matures, but I will miss the big palms.
MOUSEKEEPING
I have to confirm the reports of...lacking service in regards to mousekeeping. We have been staying at Disney resorts for 20 years and have stayed in moderates and deluxes. We are rope droppers and are typically out of the room by 8am. We return around 12:30 or 1 to have a nap, enjoy some pool time etc. We have always returned to a clean room. This trip was the expection.
Our first day, we were out of the room from 8 until 2 in the afternoon and we returned to find our room had not been serviced. We placed a call to housekeeping, explaining that we would be in the room until 4:30 and that we would like it serviced then. We also asked for "AM clean" to be noted on our reservation and requested our room be serviced by 11am each day.
The next day (Mar 25th) we returned at 12:30 and our room had not been serviced. We then placed a call to a housekeeping manager who assured us that our room would receive AM service for the remainder of the trip.
On Mar 26th our room was cleaned by the time we returned at 12.
However, March 27th we returned at 1pm to find, yet again, an unserviced room. We placed a second call to housekeeping and requested a manager once again.
The manager assured us that our room would be cleaned by 11am for the remainder of the trip. While this was the case, I feel it was completely unnecessary to have to have called THREE times to get this service.
Turndown service, which is included for suites, was hit and miss as well. Some nights only the King bed would be turned down, even though we left the pull out couch out - therefore it was obvious someone was sleeping there. Some nights we got extra towels and our garbages emptied, others we did not. Some nights we got little Coronado "buenos noches" cards and others none.
The service was inconsistent and the communication was poor. The AM clean should have been noted and provided after the FIRST request.
POOL
We went to the Dig Site one day and it looks refreshed from the refurb. There were many new chaises and the vegetation on the pyramid looks like it has been cleaned up. DMom took some pictures in the arcade, as they had been requested by a previous poster in this thread. I'll have them up this weekend.
FOOD
I can't say anything about the Pepper Market this trip as I never set foot in it once
Sorry! I did sit at the Laguna Bar several times and must say I love this area. It is so relaxing and peaceful to grab a margarita, lay down on one of the big padded benches and just watch the world go by.
BUSES
Again, we rent a car, so I can't really speak on bus service either.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask!