News Coronado Springs Expansion - Gran Destino Tower

M

mgf

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
I happened to breeze through property last week...here’s my opinions:

Coronado looks great

Rode the skyliner and liked it a lot...especially the Caribbean to AoA leg. Very nice. It was the coldest day in months, however...and still felt warm. Those suckers will bake in the heat.

That abomination DVC in Barbados looks absolutely horrible. Bland, big and boring as all
He’ll. The first piece of “Disney” architecture that looked cheap and gaudy as compared to its pricing.
An awful idea that I have little doubt will do longterm DVC damage.
Click to expand...

The grey color on the building facade facing the water just seems.... wrong in person. The whole building just does not feel like it works, and the transition from it to the "islands" is just so jarring and makes virtually no-sense geographically. The narration on the SL almost seems like they are in on the "joke"?

I will say the big light up R in insanely bright. - even when viewed as far away as the Swolphin.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Bocabear

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
It's very pretty and elegant.

To nitpick: only the bells out front are 'in theme' to Destino. It would have been the extra mile to make all the Christmas trees the same bell shape.
Click to expand...
I can understand not having Christmas trees custom manufactured into "Bell" shapes... The Decor, while to terrible lacks design. Aside from the main lobby tree , all other elements I have seen are woefully under-scaled for an A-list destination resort.
That said...it's nice they decorated...
 
wdwmagic

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Bocabear said:
I can understand not having Christmas trees custom manufactured into "Bell" shapes... The Decor, while to terrible lacks design. Aside from the main lobby tree , all other elements I have seen are woefully under-scaled for an A-list destination resort.
That said...it's nice they decorated...
Click to expand...
Unfortunate thing is, the best of the decor at the resort is in the former lobby and former arrival areas. Now those two areas have very little traffic.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
So uh this hotel is fantastic and everyone seems to be sleeping on it. The rooms are absolutely enormous, bigger than all of the deluxes except for the monorail resorts, and they're FUNCTIONAL. The lobby is basically the Riviera with color added. The pool has the best waterslide I've seen at a Disney resort East of Anaheim. It's centrally located. Granted, the architecture is blah and the food is unforgivably bad, but this will definitely be on my short list for non-DVC stays in the future.
 
D

dreday3

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
So uh this hotel is fantastic and everyone seems to be sleeping on it. The rooms are absolutely enormous, bigger than all of the deluxes except for the monorail resorts, and they're FUNCTIONAL. The lobby is basically the Riviera with color added. The pool has the best waterslide I've seen at a Disney resort East of Anaheim. It's centrally located. Granted, the architecture is blah and the food is unforgivably bad, but this will definitely be on my short list for non-DVC stays in the future.
Click to expand...

oh my god! I'm so happy to read this post!

We are staying there for the first time in October. We are very excited, but also slightly nervous (our first moderate stay) and this makes it better. The whole resort looks so beautiful at night from the videos I've watched.
The food doesn't sound great from what you are saying... we are eating at Toledo and plan to eat at Three Bridges. We don't really eat at the quick services places in the resorts, save that for the parks.

Plus I just read the great news that Barcelona Lounge (the lobby bar) will be open 5 to midnight starting on Thursday!!! :D (been only breakfast since Covid)
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
dreday3 said:
oh my god! I'm so happy to read this post!

We are staying there for the first time in October. We are very excited, but also slightly nervous (our first moderate stay) and this makes it better. The whole resort looks so beautiful at night from the videos I've watched.
The food doesn't sound great from what you are saying... we are eating at Toledo and plan to eat at Three Bridges. We don't really eat at the quick services places in the resorts, save that for the parks.

Plus I just read the great news that Barcelona Lounge (the lobby bar) will be open 5 to midnight starting on Thursday!!! :D (been only breakfast since Covid)
Click to expand...
If you need a quick bite, the snack bar by the pool has serviceable fish tacos and an okay burger. The indoor place, El Mercado, is shockingly bad. It rivals Be Our Guest breakfast for the worst quick service meal I've ever had at Disney. The sandwich was a giant pressed-meat chicken patty soaked in buffalo sauce with hours-old waffle fries, priced at $18.

But the rooms are so big. We're 5 people and my wife likes space so we usually drag my sister along and do 3 and 3 in two rooms. This is the first time we've done all five of us in one room and there's plenty of space. We usually have a Tetris situation trying to find somewhere we can put the crib, but in this room we had at least six different spots where there was room for it.
 
D

dreday3

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
If you need a quick bite, the snack bar by the pool has serviceable fish tacos and an okay burger. The indoor place, El Mercado, is shockingly bad. It rivals Be Our Guest breakfast for the worst quick service meal I've ever had at Disney. The sandwich was a giant pressed-meat chicken patty soaked in buffalo sauce with hours-old waffle fries, priced at $18.

But the rooms are so big. We're 5 people and my wife likes space so we usually drag my sister along and do 3 and 3 in two rooms. This is the first time we've done all five of us in one room and there's plenty of space. We usually have a Tetris situation trying to find somewhere we can put the crib, but in this room we had at least six different spots where there was room for it.
Click to expand...

Yikes! That does sound bad.

We will most likely just grab coffee and croissants from Barcelona Lounge in the morning, or skip breakfast altogether. He plans to make instant oatmeal in the room using the Keurig and I really don't eat breakfast outside of a big cup of coffee!

Thanks for the review!
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
dreday3 said:
Yikes! That does sound bad.

We will most likely just grab coffee and croissants from Barcelona Lounge in the morning, or skip breakfast altogether. He plans to make instant oatmeal in the room using the Keurig and I really don't eat breakfast outside of a big cup of coffee!

Thanks for the review!
Click to expand...
There's another place by the main area too, Rix Cafe, with some grab and go pastries and whatnot. Fruit cups, parfaits, another coffee bar.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
CaptainAmerica said:
So uh this hotel is fantastic and everyone seems to be sleeping on it. The rooms are absolutely enormous, bigger than all of the deluxes except for the monorail resorts, and they're FUNCTIONAL. The lobby is basically the Riviera with color added. The pool has the best waterslide I've seen at a Disney resort East of Anaheim. It's centrally located. Granted, the architecture is blah and the food is unforgivably bad, but this will definitely be on my short list for non-DVC stays in the future.
Click to expand...
Keep selling…maybe you’ll get some buyers.
 
castlecake2.0

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
If you need a quick bite, the snack bar by the pool has serviceable fish tacos and an okay burger. The indoor place, El Mercado, is shockingly bad. It rivals Be Our Guest breakfast for the worst quick service meal I've ever had at Disney. The sandwich was a giant pressed-meat chicken patty soaked in buffalo sauce with hours-old waffle fries, priced at $18.

But the rooms are so big. We're 5 people and my wife likes space so we usually drag my sister along and do 3 and 3 in two rooms. This is the first time we've done all five of us in one room and there's plenty of space. We usually have a Tetris situation trying to find somewhere we can put the crib, but in this room we had at least six different spots where there was room for it.
Click to expand...
Rix/Mercado are third party, same owner as Mexico at Epcot. The quick serve used to be good and cooked to order then Covid ruined it. We stayed in the tower in the summer and really fell in love with the resort. I was scared we would feel isolated and be bored, but there was lots to do and loved the new style.
 
Haymarket2008

Haymarket2008

Well-Known Member
I haven’t stayed at Coronado or its Gran Destiny Tower, but I popped over there last month for the first time in my nearly 30 years of going to the parks.

Thoroughly impressed by the original resort and how lovely it was. And the Gran Destiny tower was and is everything that the Riviera is not. This obviously is not a Deluxe experience but at least it has some charm and elegance and a THEME it actually sticks to and doesn’t detract from. Thoroughly impressed with the whole resort.
 
jmuboy

jmuboy

Well-Known Member
Haymarket2008 said:
I haven’t stayed at Coronado or its Gran Destiny Tower, but I popped over there last month for the first time in my nearly 30 years of going to the parks.

Thoroughly impressed by the original resort and how lovely it was. And the Gran Destiny tower was and is everything that the Riviera is not. This obviously is not a Deluxe experience but at least it has some charm and elegance and a THEME it actually sticks to and doesn’t detract from. Thoroughly impressed with the whole resort.
Click to expand...
I have fallen in love with the “new” Coronado Springs. It’s gorgeous
 
FigmentForever96

FigmentForever96

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
So uh this hotel is fantastic and everyone seems to be sleeping on it. The rooms are absolutely enormous, bigger than all of the deluxes except for the monorail resorts, and they're FUNCTIONAL. The lobby is basically the Riviera with color added. The pool has the best waterslide I've seen at a Disney resort East of Anaheim. It's centrally located. Granted, the architecture is blah and the food is unforgivably bad, but this will definitely be on my short list for non-DVC stays in the future.
Click to expand...
It is my absolute go to resort. I use to never stay in regular rooms but the tower is just perfect.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
CaptainAmerica said:
If I'm selling anything, it's "Disney, for the love of God, please take over the QS F&B and rescue this place."
Click to expand...

peter11435 said:
Seriously.

At least with the addition of the Disney operated Three Bridges and Toledo you can finally get some quality meals at the resort.
Click to expand...
Wait…I know Coronado has always had sketchy food…

but Disney is being called on as a “savior” here?!?

I’d prefer my food not be supplied by those placing bulk ordering of ingredients over taste…but that’s just a general rule…
 
peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
Wait…I know Coronado has always had sketchy food…

but Disney is being called on as a “savior” here?!?

I’d prefer my food not be supplied by those placing bulk ordering of ingredients over taste…but that’s just a general rule…
Click to expand...
Clearly you’ve never dined at Three Bridges or Toledo.

Not saying there aren’t better run restaurants and kitchens out there, but what Disney offers is generally far and away above what is offered by Palmas Services.

and unless you dine exclusively at chef run individually owned and operated establishments it’s hard to avoid “bulk ordering of ingredients over taste.”
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom