Tis the Season (Coronado Springs Resort)

 I'm a big fan of the Moderate resorts at Disney. Maybe it's their shear size that they can carry off their theme so completely. Coronado Springs is big. College campus big.  Coronado was made specifically for the convention crowds with a Southwest theme broken into three Categories: Casitas, Ranchos, and Cabanas.

Here's what the Disney website says is the theme "Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is a Southwest-themed Disney Moderate Resort hotel encircling Lago Dorado—a glimmering 22-acre lake—that evokes the spirit and romance of Spanish-colonial Mexico. Follow in the footsteps of explorer Don Francisco de Coronado as he searched for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold while you discover the beauty and fantasy of a unique Resort."

Lobby

The Casitas mimic a Mexican style urban environment with breezeways and fountains and courtyards. I love this part of the resort because of the cozy courtyards. 

Casitas Pool

The Ranchos (I don't think I've stayed in this part of the resort) has a very desert feel to it with it's dry river bed rocks and cacti. 

And the Cabanas offers a Baja oasis complete with a white sand beach and hammocks nestled under palm trees. 

I think the highlight of the resort is "The Dig Site" or the feature pool area which has a Maya Temple in it's center as well as hot tubs, a bar, a kiddie pool, an arcade, a way cool playground and sand volleyball court.

The main building offers the Pepper Market (a buffet), Francisco's lounge, Mayan Grill , and a quick service counter. 

front entrance

Pepper market

After so many years of Disney, each resort beings back such interesting (and perhaps uninteresting) memories. Coronado Springs Resort is one of those resorts that brings up an interesting memory -- Hurricane Frances in 2004.  Back in during Labor Day weekend, a Cat 4 Hurricane blew through and sat on Central Florida for about 48 hours.  During that time, I was working "Hurricane Rideout Crew" or part of a group of people that are continuously working before, during, and after a Hurricane to control and clean up. Lucky for us (not for Disney) a major convention canceled all their rooms at Coronado Springs that weekend and all of us who were working solid for 36 hours we able to get a room and rest a few hours.  Sadly, I spent a few more sleeping hours at the Feature Animation Building in the Studios sleeping behind the front desk than in the bed. But the time I did spend at the resort was awesome! 

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

In 1999, I got my first full time job... with benefits.  It was a proud moment. And even better, it was at Disney at their flagship hotel. The weird part was that it was the graveyard shift at the front desk. Four nights a week, I worked from 10 pm to 8 am. I've probably been in all the suites at one time or another and I used to be able to tell you the view from the balcony of your room number. One of the best "perks" of the job was all the over -the-top weddings and celebrity sightings. In the year that I worked there I was  yelled at by Terry Bradshaw (his key wouldn't work in the door), let a locked-out  bathrobe-clad Diana Ross back into her room, Kicked Justin Timberline's little Chihuahua out of the his suite (that dog barked all night.) Saw Wynonna Judd, Bill Gates and Sarah Ferguson from across the lobby. I almost called security on Lorenzo Lamas  because I thought he was a vagrant.

The exterior of the hotel is modeled off the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. The interior is purely Victorian. It is the only place on property to get a traditional English tea at the Garden View Tea Room. It also has the only 7 course gourmet white glove restaurant on property-- Victoria & Albert.  Yes, I have eaten at both those places. The white glove meal coast about $140 per person but that was 8 years ago and I think we had a cast discount. It was totally worth it. There are also five other restaurants: Gasperillas Grill, The Grand Floridian Cafe, 1900 Park Fare, Citricos and Narcossees.

I think The Grand offers some of the better "free" lobby entertainment with a house orchestra  and pianist  who play from 5 pm to 10 pm every night. And if you can find a couch, a server from the lounge will take your drink order.

In 1999, during that Christmas season, the lobby also hosted local choirs, hand bell orchestra, roasted chestnuts and one of the biggest lobby Christmas trees that is on Disney Property.

Oh, and a large gingerbread house that sells cookies and drinks out of the windows.

The Grand is attached to the Polynesian Resort via a walkway that passes by the Wedding Pavilion and  the new Alice in Wonderland children water playground. I used to love to walk that sidewalk at night, it was a quiet walk with a nice view of Cinderella's Castle.

I could go on and on about the Grand Floridan, but there really is a lot to write about it and a lot to discover. Perhaps, I'll go a "Part two" someday.

Saratoga Springs Resort.

It seems odd that I would start my Disney resort tour of Christmas lights with Saratoga Springs. In fact, it's not much of a Christmasy resort. I seem to spend a lot of time there mostly because my bff works there and also it's easy access from Downtown Disney for walkers.

Saratoga Springs is a "Home Away from Home" resort or a "timeshare." It used be the Disney Institute that had a small town feeling with a movie theater and community hall and a campus feeling. You could take classes in cooking, flower arranging, art and photography. I did take a photography class there once in 1999. Saratoga used to show Miramax, Touchstone, Disney and Pixar movies there for free for cast members. I saw several movies there in 1998. But, sadly, they don't do that anymore.

Saratoga Springs has, you guessed it, a horse racing theme. Expedia explains it like this "From its colorful Victorian architecture to its historic horse-racing details, this lakeside community a mile from Epcot® captures the heyday of upstate New York country retreats of the 1800s." Yeah, sure. I know nothing of upstate New York country retreats of 1800s, so I'll have to take their word for it.

Their Christmas decorations unsurprisingly have little horses in branches next to ornate glass decorations and large ribbons. There's something more traditional and warm about their trees than the ones at Downtown Disney and the Contemporary (in a blog coming soon)

I used to have a manager who would pick a resort and go walking at night. I used to walk this resort with her. Then, later, Sarah and I would walk this resort a lot to train for the Camino de Santiago. There is one area in which we would always meet -- Congress Park swimming pool. The resort has four (or five if you count the Three House Villas) pools. Two of them are "feature pool" meaning they have a bar and a children's play area. The others are "quiet pools." The swimming pool at Congress Park has a beautiful view of Downtown Disney and little observation deck with wooden rocking chairs to sit and watch the view. It's an easy walk from there to The Marketplace.

Oh, they do have one of the best Spa's on property, but I'm too broke to step foot in there. Someday, I'd like to try a massage. Oh, and there's a golf course that surrounds the property. To me, it's a hidden gem. Saratoga does get the Disney hype that the Contemporary or The Boardwalk seem to get, but it's a quiet, beautiful oasis.

Downtown Disney

When I started writing this blog I swore "It's not going to be a Disney blog, It's not going to be a Disney blog... I swear I will not turn this into a Disney blog!" With all the cool places to visit in Florida, and the billions of Disney "gurus" out there, why would I want to compete? After all, there's more to Florida than Disney (although, the first 10 years I lived here, you couldn't have told me otherwise)

Then, I left Florida for two months(ish) and now that I'm back in Florida for a little bit, I'm obsessed with Disney. Actually, what happened is this, I planned to work 40-50 hours a week for two weeks for the rodent. But, I'll be lucky to get 50 hours total. That leaves me a lot of free time but not a lot of money to go questing for new state parks and beaches. My friend Ross told me to meet up with him a Downtown Disney. I used to be a bigger fan of DTD when there was an actual "Pleasure Island" and Virgin Megastore on the West Side. Since both of them are gone now, I don't have a lot of reason to go there. But once Ross invited me to come visit, I thought it would be a good time to go take pictures of some of the Christmas Decorations.

Disney has the most impressive collection of Christmas decorations (and every other Holiday for that matter) Christmas at Disney has always been my favorite time of year. In the next couple of posts, I hope to share some of the decorations and places that make this the most magical place to be during the Holidays. Downtown Disney is good (and free) place to start.

Downtown Disney is three separate sections: West Side, Pleasure Island,  and The Marketplace.
The West Side is home to AMC, House of Blues, Cirque du Soleil,  Disney Quest and a few other restaurants.

Pleasure Island used to night clubs but now is mostly restaurants. *sigh* I miss the night clubs.

And The Marketplace is mostly shops. And it always busy. Always. Uncomfortably busy.

Me in front of AMC 24

In front of Once Upon a Toy

The Marketplace

Some free and/or cheap things to do at DTD: 1. Window shop 2. Lots of free entertainment, musicians and performers 3. take a water taxi ride to another resort like Old Key West or Port Orleans 4. Get a sample of ghirardelli chocolate 5. Play with the Legos at the Lego Store. 6. Smell all the soaps at Basin 7. build a Mr. Potato Head at Once Upon a Toy 8. catch a movie at AMC 24 9. rent a boat at the Marina 10. not cheap but still fun -- Disney Quest if you are into video games

Winter Park -- Park Avenue

In January of this year, I was stand on Park Avenue in Winter Park, FL waiting for my friend, Suzanne. She was getting married in a few weeks and went to a little boutique shop that sells wedding announcements and little stationary items. And I thought, I should do a Florida Podcast of all the great places to visit in Florida.  Park Avenue has been a great place to walk, shop and people watch.

My first experience with Park Avenue was years ago. My Florida bff Carolyn, on a fine October day.

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine Restaurant

I've been to Winter Park many times since then, but Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine Restaurant  is still one of favorites in Orlando. I think I've taken most of my favorite people there.

So, really, what is there to do in Winter Park?
1) Stroll, job, skate or bike down the avenue. On Saturdays you will find all sorts of exercisers sweating in expensive lycra
2) have coffee or a meal at one of the fabulous sidewalk cafes
3) take a Scenic Boat Tour (daily, $12 per adult)
4) Go to one or more Art galleries
5) Sample wine at a few wine bars
6) Shop or window shop
7) Visit the Morse Museum and see the beautiful Tiffany glass ($5 per adult)
8) In the summer, you can see free movies on the green. Or Art on the green in the Autumn.
9) Farmer's Market on Saturday Mornings
10) Tour Rollins College Campus

Make your own free digital slideshow

Winter Garden Farmer's Market

Back in March, I didn't know if I was going to continue with this blog. Mostly because I was thinking of moving out Florida. But now, I'm moving out of Florida in September.  I haven't quite said "goodbye" to Florida, yet.

I've had some great traveling adventures this summer, so I think I'll go "retro" and start back logging my travel. It's not all Florida. There's some Mexico, California and Arizona in there. Also, I took  some great day trips in Florida. I don't think I'm done yet.

But back to Winter Garden......

My friend Sarah lives in Clermont, Florida which "blends" into Winter Park and Groveland (Urban Sprawl.. gotta love it.) Downtown Winter Garden isn't new to me.  In 2009, while I was training for the Camino de Santiago, I trained on the West Orange Trail.  The  West Orange Trail is 26 miles of wide bike path that might have a hint  of hills in an otherwise flat Florida.

The trail also goes through Plant Street of Downtown Winter Garden. On any given weekend, you'll find all manner of Spandex, yoga pants and sweaty exercisers enjoying a coffee at the coffee shops along Plant Street.

There's a lovely "Old Florida" feel through downtown. A little bit of Retro/Art Deco and small town charm. There's even an old time theater that shows movie classics.

On Saturdays, there's a lovely farmer's market that seems to be very popular with the locals.

 

I also have a thing for French Cafes and there's a cafe that serves up crepes and quiches and a huge variety of pastries.  Sweet Traditions is also on Park Avenue in Winter Park.

I have some other photographs taken around Plant Street.  I love the tile work on the fountain in the middle plaza.

Winter Garden on Dwellable