*DIS Contributors review meals, resort stays, and entertainment that they have paid for during their own vacations. They only utilize discounts and offers if they are available to the general public, such as annual passholder discounts, or DVC membership discounts. They receive no additional compensation for dining experiences or events, so that they may give their honest opinions about price and value.
Coronado Springs Resort is one of the larger resorts at Disney World, with over 10 food options and a large convention complex. It has three table service restaurants you can reserve through the My Disney Experience App, and then it has a vast array of quick service options.
This is what makes the table service restaurant Three Bridges Bar and Grill at Villa del Lago unique and relatively hidden. It can only be booked in the app when your phone is within a certain proximity of the restaurant (i.e., the Coronado Springs Resort area) or by walking up to the host table. Therefore, the vast majority of patrons are guests at Coronado Springs. You have to get on property to eat there. And the restaurant is incredible, which is why I’ve labeled it the best kept secret.
While Three Bridges is hidden from regular Disney guests in the app, it’s decidedly not hidden in the resort. Three Bridges sits in the middle of the Lago Dorado (golden lake in Spanish), which sits in the middle of the resort complex—viewable from just about everywhere except the parking lot. It gets its name from being at the intersection of, you guessed it, three bridges.
A view of Three Bridges from the Gran Destino Tower, in the middle of Lago Dorado
We’ve stayed at Coronado several times and always make it a priority to eat here.
Three Bridges Atmosphere
The entire dining area of Three Bridges is open air underneath a flat-roofed structure, that is one part Spanish villa and one part Mayan-inspired. This fits with the beautiful but complicated theming of the resort—a combination of Spanish influence (like Dali) and mythical Mayan cities of gold that the Spanish conquistadors were looking for.
The dining area of Three Bridges
The open-air and lakeside aesthetic creates an incredibly serene atmosphere that’s far more relaxing than most of Disney World. Then, the amazing views of the Gran Destino Tower (especially at night) and possible glimpses of fireworks from EPCOT or Hollywood Studios make Three Bridges a unique experience.
The seating is also unique. It has plenty of regular tables, but also low-set Adirondack chairs like you might see on a back porch with coffee tables, and it has high top seats at the bar.
It may not have the theming of an iconic Disney restaurant, but it’s definitely worth a visit.
Three Bridges Food
The food fits the eclectic theme of the restaurant. Disney labels it as both Spanish-American and as Latin. Thus, it has Spanish, Latin American, and North American influences—with a whole lot of Asian in the mix. The fusion works, and the food is phenomenal, especially given how reasonable the price is (at least for Disney).
You can get your entire calorie count on the amazing appetizers. We return to the corn dip again and again, and the Bao buns and pork ribs are phenomenal (even if they’re not Spanish, Latin, or American).
For entrees, we really enjoy the carnitas tacos, the poke bowls, and even the burger. I know a burger sounds boring amidst all this adventurous food, but I have an obsession with bacon marmalade, smoked gouda, and arugula on a burger, and this has all three. I’ve had it and enjoyed it multiple times.
For dessert, the churros are far better than those in the park (sorry, not sorry), and Three Bridges is known for its tres leches. The hard part is still having enough room for dessert.
My only complaint comes from the kids. My extremely picky eaters were mutinous over the lack of chicken fingers and cheese quesadillas. They couldn’t abide grilled chicken or chicken in their quesadilla…well, they did, and they got over it (and took a nap in the chair).
My daughter asleep in the Three Bridges chair. She may not have liked the restaurant, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more comfortable restaurant chair to take a nap in.
For the full menu, check out Disney’s website here.
Three Bridges Drinks
Three Bridges has a wide selection of cocktails, beer, and wine.
But If Three Bridges is famous for anything, it’s their sangria. Most sangrias are an unknown wine with fruit in them, but Three Bridges clearly marks out all the ingredients and crafts them to perfection. You can try any of them or get the flight.
The Sangria Flight at Three Bridges
In fact, it’s so popular that Three Bridges has a separate class you can take for making their signature sangrias. More on that below.
How to Get Reservations at Three Bridges
I mentioned this briefly at the top, but the reason Three Bridges is a hidden gem is that it won’t show up in reservation choices in your app—not at 60 days and not today.
In order to book Three Bridges, you need to be in proximity to the restaurant (on site at Coronado). Use the app, find the restaurant on the map, and click to join the waitlist. The other option is to walk up to the host table and put your name on the list.
As you might have guessed, this is easiest if you’re already staying at Coronado Springs. If you’re not staying there, it becomes a little more difficult. The general rule of thumb for resort hopping is that you can go to any resort using Disney transportation. Unfortunately for Coronado Springs, that only means buses. So you’ll have to take a bus from one of the parks or from Disney Springs.
You could also drive or rideshare to Coronado Springs. At other resorts, this is risky because security wants you to have a reservation for something at the resort to let you in. Things are constantly changing at Disney World, but in my experience, Coronado Springs is much more lax on letting us through the gate. This is because it has an enormous parking lot (to accommodate conventions), and it’s not a frequent destination for non-hotel guests the way the deluxe resorts are (Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Beach Club, etc.).
I’ve driven up and been allowed to park for reasons such as going to buy souvenirs at Panchito’s, going to Dahlia Lounge, and, of course, going to Three Bridges—all without a reservation. But again, you’re at the mercy of Disney’s ever-evolving rules and the particular disposition of the security guard.
Sangria University
As I hinted at above, the Sangria at Three Bridges is popular, so popular in fact, that they have a ticketed experience for learning how to make it (and then drinking it). You’ll be learning about and making all four varieties. It’s called Sangria University.
You need to book this experience ahead of time through the My Disney Experience app. Disney holds it on Saturdays and Sundays and lasts up to 2 hours. And it happens inside the Three Bridges Restaurant at 1:30PM (so it doesn’t conflict with dinner dining). Check the Disney website for more details.
Conclusion and Further Reading
If you find yourself at Coronado Springs Resort for dinnertime, don’t sleep on Three Bridges Bar and Grill. It’s great food, great views, and an incredible ambiance.
For more information about Coronado Springs, check these posts out:
–This breakdown of the pros and cons of Coronado Springs
–This review and explanation of the Gran Destino tower
Alex has three kids and an amazing wife, and he’s spent a lot of time at Disney Parks and on Disney
Cruises with them. He loves Disney and wants to share tips, insights, and funny stories to help parents
everywhere navigate the Most Magical Place on Earth. Find him at www.seconddadtotheright.com.
