Five Things to LOVE about Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs

The impressive Gran Destino tower opened at Disney World in July of this year. The new offering, which is essentially a 16 story addition to the existing Disney’s Coronado Springs resort, is truly something special. Today’s post shares five things to LOVE about the new Gran Destino tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort.

Theming

Let’s start with the theming.

As soon as you step into the impressive lobby at Gran Destino you realize this isn’t a typical Disney World resort. The beautiful wall of lanterns, interesting use of mixed materials and surprising splashes of color give the space a distinctly modern and upscale vibe.

The inspiration for the design, as well as the tower’s name, comes from a Disney animated short film entitled Destino. In the film, which originated as a collaboration between Walt Disney and Spanish artist Salvador Dali in the 1940s, a mysterious woman falls in love with a transforming statue.

At least I think that’s what happens.

It definitely leans more Dali than Disney, if you know what I mean. You can check it out for yourself on various monitors throughout the lobby.

Fortunately the new Gran Destino tower reimagines the feel of Destino more than its abstract story line. The soaring lobby with high gloss floors, stately columns and repeated arch elements are all clear nods to the film.

Other more subtle touches, like the color-changing lights or the circular patterns throughout the resort mimic the film’s sense of movement.

Overall, the effect is a sophisticated and grand hotel that blends beautifully with the existing Spanish and Mexican-flair of Disney’s Coronado Springs resort.

Rooms

The beautiful theming of the resort carries into the individual rooms as well. Although the quiet corridors offer explosions of color, the rooms themselves are understated and calm. There are more than 500 rooms and suites at Gran Destino, many of which offer sweeping views of the surrounding resort.

The room decor at Gran Destino matches the recently updated rooms elsewhere at Coronado Springs for the most part. Both are clean and modern with simulated hard wood floors and warm accent colors.

The main differences with the Gran Destino rooms relate to size and layout. A standard room at Gran Destino offers 375 square feet of living space. This is a noticeable 60 square feet larger than most other moderate rooms on Disney’s property. In fact, it’s 30 square feet larger than many deluxe rooms too.

The layout is also different than a typical Disney moderate room, including those elsewhere on Coronado Springs property. Unlike the other rooms where the sleeping space is near the door and the bathroom is against the back wall, Gran Destino rooms place the bathroom near the entrance and the sleeping space along the rooms’ back windows. The reversed layout, along with an abundance of lighting options and high ceilings create a bright and welcoming space.

The bathrooms elevate the feel of luxury with waterfall shower heads, beautiful tile accents and soft (forgiving?!?) lighting for those early Disney park openings. I’m a fan of the counter space, under sink storage and wall-mounted make-up mirror. The pocket door separating the water closet and the barn door serving as the bathroom entrance are thoughtful touches too.

Dining Options

Speaking of thoughtful (tasteful?) touches, Gran Destino offers a ton of dining options. A new rooftop restaurant, called Toledo, offers Spanish-influenced tapas and impressive views of the surrounding resort. It’s a beautiful space with a wall of arched windows and a colorful glass ceiling.

Nearby Dahlia, named after the main character in Destino, serves up light appetizers (spicy churros?!?) and endless drink options. The new Dahlia Lounge also features outdoor seating with views of Hollywood Studios and surrounding Disney properties.

If sticking closer to the ground is more your style, you can visit Barcelona lounge below the main lobby. The beautiful bar offers a colorful glass backdrop similar to the ceilings in Toledo (the restaurant not the city in Ohio!). Barcelona serves coffee in the morning and traditional drinks throughout the rest of the day.

Select guests on club level floors at Gran Destino tower can enjoy light snacks at lounges near their rooms. All guests can take advantage of room service 24 hours a day.

The best part is these are just the NEW dining and lounge offerings at Gran Destino. Guests still have access to all SEVEN of the additional options located elsewhere on Coronado Springs’ property.

Indoors

It may sound strange to list “indoors” as something to love about a hotel. In the complicated hierarchy of Disney World resort accommodations, however, it’s truly unique. All of the moderate and value hotels at Disney World feature exterior stairways and guest room access. It’s never been an issue for me, particularly because I think the weather proof doors help keep the rooms quiet, but it’s definitely a different feel than staying under one roof.

Gran Destino offers indoor corridors and guest room access like those at the more expensive deluxe resorts on property. On a particularly hot or rainy day, which is incredibly common at Disney World, guests can enjoy an array of activities without having to venture outside.

The tower’s height and smaller footprint also means shorter walks to the bus stop and surrounding amenities, which has traditionally been one of the less desirable qualities of the large Coronado Springs resort.

Two Resorts in One

I’ve already hinted at this one above, but another thing to LOVE about staying in Gran Destino tower is you essentially get two resorts for one. Disney added the tower to the existing Coronado Springs resort, which already offered an abundance of dining, room and entertainment options. As a guest of the tower you have access to all of it, which makes the “moderate” resort really feel more like a “deluxe” in everything except price.

Many of these amenities, such as the impressive Lost City of Cibola Pool, are easily accessible to tower guests via new walkways that run throughout the resort.

Others, like the extra dining options and gift shop are accessible through new indoor corridors. These impressive structures, some of which used to serve as the lobby for Coronado Springs before the tower opened, offer plenty of space to get away from the typical Disney World crowds. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to skip the parks at least one day of your trip and enjoy a day soaking up all of the offerings of this newly expanded resort.

Summary

So there you have it. Five things to LOVE about the new Gran Destino tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort. I could easily list more, like the numerous hidden Mickeys or the magical touchscreen elevator controls, but I think I’ll leave it at five for now. I hope you enjoyed exploring this impressive new resort as much as I enjoyed reliving my experiences there. It truly is a special place and one that deserves consideration for any upcoming Disney World adventures.

Until next time, add a little magic to your world!