Gran Destino and Recent Hotel are two of Walt Disney Global’s tower resorts. They’re very other, however actually have a lot in commonplace and swimsuit some an identical holiday targets. This submit compares & contrasts the lodging, crowning a champion in classes together with theme/decor, rooms, eating, transportation, swimming pools, and price. (Up to date October 5, 2024.)
Gran Destino Tower is technically a part of Coronado Springs, which additional muddies the comparability. On the other hand, Recent Hotel additionally has Bay Lake Tower and the Lawn Wing, and the ones also are very other from the A-frame with regards to prices and visitor demographics. It’s now not an apples to apples and even complete comparability, however provides a have a look at every lodge’s tower plus some shared facilities.
Whilst we can draw our personal conclusions as to which is healthier, alongside the way in which we can give an explanation for our reasoning, so you’ll be able to shape your individual conclusions. Since such a lot of this can be a subject of subjective, private desire, we really feel that’s one of the simplest ways to manner those comparisons. Plus, it could be a sexy quick weblog submit if we didn’t be offering explanatory textual content in conjunction with the winner of every part…
This continues our Walt Disney Global Lodge Comparability Collection, and if truth be told isn’t the primary time Gran Destino has squared off towards any other tower. It emerged because the (spoiler alert) victor in our Gran Destino Tower vs. Disney’s Riviera Hotel showdown, so now it takes its identify to compete towards the OG tower at Walt Disney Global. For its section, the Recent hasn’t ever battled it out earlier than–almost certainly as a result of we don’t view it as a most sensible pick out alongside the monorail loop, even though it’s continuously inexpensive than the Poly or Grand Floridian.
You however may well be questioning how a Average Hotel can compete with one alongside the monorail loop. It will marvel you, however those two fall very shut to each other in our Scores of ALL Walt Disney Global Motels from Worst to Best possible, which takes value-for-money (that’s your resolution) and a number of different variables under consideration. In case you’d like to learn that for a rundown of ways all lodges rank, check out that.
Theme/Decor: Gran Destino – Neither of those lodges are themed within the conventional sense of the time period. The designs aren’t all-encompassing, and they don’t delivery you to all over again or position. Each are extra about structure and inside design, with out the pretenses.
Recent Hotel debuted in 1971 as an exemplar of utopian and fashionable design. It was once noteworthy in different tactics, in particular the monorail breezing thru its atrium, which imbued it with a way of futurism. The lodge was once and is severe structure, worthy of complaint and scholarly debate about its deserves.
Whilst its core structure stays intact, the inner has change into a hodgepodge of disparate types, which can be the results of Disney’s Recent Hotel having visible muddle added over the many years. Increasingly more stuff has been added through the years with none coherent imaginative and prescient. It’s ironic that the atrium is known as the Grand Canyon Concourse, for the reason that layers of muddle are just like the sedimentary rock layers within the Grand Canyon. Excluding unpleasant as a substitute of awe-inspiring.
Being more moderen, Gran Destino has a more energizing and extra finely-tuned inventive sensibility. It’s architecturally and culturally insignificant, however within the right here and now, it merely appears to be like and feels nicer. The foyer can pay homage to the Catalan Modernism taste, and there are flashes of famed Spanish architect Gaudí in the living room and rooftop eating place.
The tower doesn’t pass all-in in this, however it’s however beautiful just right. Particular items of artwork reference the collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali that resulted within the quick movie Destino, which is rather the deep lower. Typically, the foyer is grandiose, beautiful, and makes use of an array of complementary colours, patterns, glass, and textures. That is vital as in comparison to the Recent, the place necessarily all the design selections conflict with reasonably than supplement one any other.
Truthfully, it’s unlucky that Gran Destino Tower wins this class and speaks to the decades-long late want to reimagine–or higher but, repair–the Recent’s Grand Canyon Concourse. It must be probably the most crown jewels of Walt Disney Global, a undying testomony to the engineering and creativeness of Walt Disney Global. As an alternative, it has lifeless mall vibes and simplest flashes of brilliance. Gran Destino is a dime-a-dozen Las Vegas tower, however a minimum of it’s coherent and present.
Rooms: Recent Hotel – Gran Destino has huge, fashionable rooms that may paintings properly for a solo traveler or a pair, with improvements geared toward capability for trade vacationers. Gran Destino Tower was once designed largely for conventioneers who aren’t in particular considering Disney and the design is thus very muted.
The bogs are great, however the design is perplexing in that the bathe and sink can’t be used concurrently except for via those that are in detail accustomed to one any other. Along with that, not one of the rooms have balconies, which is a large loss.
Alternatively, the usual rooms at Recent Hotel had been just lately redone with the Incredibles injected into a contemporary taste. Whilst the rooms are lighter and brighter with a crisp glance and mid-century fashionable aesthetic, additionally they glance reasonable. From the floor to the furnishings to the surfaces, those rooms merely look and feel decrease finish with persona main points affixed by way of stickers and different superficial thrives.
With that stated, those rooms are considerably greater, the bogs are great and upscale, and all rooms have balconies. Maximum households are going to a long way favor the Recent Hotel rooms in consequence, and a few non-families may favor them because of the scale, as properly. The manner isn’t nice, however it’s extra a laugh and completely purposeful. The one vacationers more likely to favor Gran Destino’s rooms are those that truly suppose the cartoonish taste of the Recent is simply too cheesy, or those that truly prefer serve as over shape–and don’t care about balconies.
Neither of those rooms are truly anything else particular, and Gran Destino punches above its weight while Recent underwhelms amongst its elegance. However, Recent doesn’t rather set up to fumble the bag right here.
Eating: Toss Up – Either one of those lodges are exemplars of Walt Disney Global’s eating scene. Recent Hotel has a robust lineup with California Grill, Steakhouse 71, Chef Mickey’s, and Contempo Cafe. The principle standout is California Grill, which includes a 3-course prix fixe dinner menu.
We are also large enthusiasts of Steakhouse 71, which is the lodge’s mid-tier foyer eating place that serves nice choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s forged and moderately priced. This is among the eating places at which we dine maximum–I particularly love the living room for solo foods, and it’s really easy to go away Magic Kingdom (a meals wilderness) and do a handy guide a rough meal right here.
Then there’s Chef Mickey’s and Contempo Cafe. Each are traditionally hit & omit, however we’ve had some nice foods in recent times at counter carrier Contempo Cafe, which is seeing slightly of a renaissance. A concise verdict on Chef Mickey’s is unimaginable. It’s a sophisticated persona meal; suffice to mention, there’s a reason why it’s a rite-of-passage meal for generations of Walt Disney Global enthusiasts. All of this completes an excessively well-rounded culinary lineup at Disney’s Recent Hotel.
At Gran Destino, Toledo is most sensible notch, Dahlia Living room is pleasant, and Barcelona Living room is gorgeous. The one “drawback” here’s that Gran Destino has no counter carrier eating place, with the (affordable) expectation being that visitors will stroll over to El Centro, which was once the primary foyer and is simplest ~5 mins clear of Gran Destino Tower.
On this development you’ll to find the El Mercadero de Coronado meals courtroom, plus Maya Grill, Rix Cafe, and extra. In the midst of the sprawling advanced is 3 Bridges Bar & Grill, the over-the-water desk carrier eating place that’s one in all our Walt Disney Global hidden eating gemstones.
Which of those lodges is awesome relies on your priorities. At the bar and front room entrance, Gran Destino wins out. It has has a variety of top of the range and nice cost eating places that lets revisit time and again. In contrast, Recent Hotel has two of Walt Disney Global’s maximum iconic eating places in Chef Mickey’s and California Grill. Individually, we’d take the lesser identified (and more economical) choices at Gran Destino, however we’re guessing maximum Walt Disney Global enthusiasts would now not.
Transportation: Recent Hotel – This is a straightforward one, because the Recent is the nearest lodge to Magic Kingdom, simply available by way of the sidewalk. It’s additionally at the monorail loop with direct get admission to to Magic Kingdom and connecting carrier to Epcot. Each parks will also be reached in below quarter-hour, which is way more environment friendly than any bus carrier at both lodge will ever be.
Getting access to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom from Recent Hotel calls for taking buses, however we’ve discovered the bus carrier to be somewhat environment friendly. On the very least, it’s now not making more than one stops.
In contrast, the bus carrier at Coronado Springs has been hit and miss since Gran Destino opened. Along with there being more than one stops round Coronado Springs, it sort of feels that Walt Disney Global didn’t building up the frequency of buses as soon as the tower opened to account for all the added visitors.
In consequence, buses will also be crowded, particularly at common hours or throughout top season. It will get higher when Coronado Springs is web hosting a practice, as the ones visitors are much less more likely to make the most of buses. It’s additionally now not just about as unhealthy throughout the low season or even if the parks are simplest fairly busy. (I’ve stayed at Coronado Springs a couple of occasions in 2024 and haven’t had any problems with transportation, so optimistically this can be a factor of the previous. Knock on picket.)
Transportation is for sure the most important weak spot of Gran Destino, which another way comes very shut to being the easiest Deluxe-caliber tower lodge at Average costs. Despite the fact that the buses aren’t busy, it nonetheless has a big interior loop that may be tedious for transit. No giant deal should you plan on renting a automobile or the use of Uber/Lyft…and the cash you save staying right here might be put in opposition to that to ease commutes.
Swimming pools: Gran Destino (With An Asterisk) – It is a difficult one. Technically, it’s “Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel.” That at is the operative phrase right here, and it approach visitors of Gran Destino can use the Dig Web page Pool. That’s crucial to Gran Destino having any shot right here, because it another way doesn’t have a pool.
While transportation is Gran Destino’s achilles heel, swimming pools are for Disney’s Recent Hotel. The lodge has two swimming pools, either one of which can be a number of the weakest at Walt Disney Global. The Function Pool (that’s each a descriptive identify and its right kind identify), sits between the A-frame tower and the Lawn Wing. This house is most commonly unthemed, and gives a scorching bathtub, kiddie pool, and water participant house. There’s additionally the within sight Bay Lake quiet pool. Neither of those are anything else particular, however do be offering nice perspectives of Bay Lake and are surrounded via serene white sand seashores.
A very easy win for Gran Destino, regardless of the tower being technically pool-less.
Price: Gran Destino – Any other simple one. Earlier than bargain, Worth Season nightly room charges at Gran Destino Tower are ~$275 and Common Season is simply over $309 in keeping with evening. Those are for an ordinary room with an ordinary view. On most sensible of that, there have a tendency to be beautiful just right offers, particularly out of doors of conference and particular occasions season.
In contrast, rooms at Disney’s Recent Hotel with same old perspectives get started at over $500 in keeping with evening in Worth Season and simplest building up from there with busier seasons and as you fortify the view class. Theme park view rooms are steadily $800 to $1000 in keeping with evening, and are much less more likely to be discounted.
Price is a large a part of the explanation we ebook Coronado Springs so steadily. It’s a near-Deluxe that’s continuously the most cost effective Average after bargain. Gran Destino is a tad costlier, however nonetheless extraordinarily cost-effective. We’ll even occasionally splurge on Chronos Membership Stage at Gran Destino Tower, which is a long way and away the most cost effective concierge possibility–and arguably the most efficient. It prices about one-quarter what Atrium Membership at Recent prices!
Verdict: It Is dependent – For us, it’s Gran Destino with out hesitation. We like the vibe, refined taste, extra laid again and grownup environment. We’re additionally large enthusiasts of the eating scene at Gran Destino, which provides outstanding cost for cash because it caters to conventioneers and can not coast on its longstanding popularity. The awesome pool and the entirety else is simply icing. The largest drawbacks for us are the loss of balconies and inefficient transportation, however we have a tendency to not take noon breaks when staying at Coronado Springs, and keep away from reserving it in any respect throughout top season.
Alternatively, we acknowledge that now not everyone seems to be us, and that’s k. If we had been Walt Disney Global first-timers or taking young children on a rite-of-passage shuttle targeted round Magic Kingdom, all of this category-by-category research would pass out the window. Recent Hotel will be the hands-down winner only in response to its proximity to Magic Kingdom. Even allowing for the considerably upper worth and different on-paper weaknesses, we’d ebook the Recent. Location is the primary 3 laws of actual property, and being a stone’s throw from Magic Kingdom makes it simple to disregard so much.
Whilst Walt Disney Global regulars who like to consider ourselves as rational and goal, the site of Recent has a robust pull. We’re ready to withstand the temptation after we see the cost, however there’s indubitably one thing to be stated for energy strolling to the park within the morning ~quarter-hour after waking up. Ditto having the ability to bypass lengthy waits on the bus forestall with that very same quick stroll on the finish of the evening, briefly having the ability to go away the park throughout a noon meltdown reasonably than coping with a irritating, long, and unpredictable trip. Then there’s staring at the fireworks from the lodge with our daughter or seeing the glance in her eyes because the monorail whizzes in the course of the heart of the lodge. It’s laborious to place a worth on all of that, therefore the “it is dependent” verdict.
In the long run, this comparability finally ends up coming down to 2 issues: worth and placement/transportation. If those two lodges charge the same quantity or as regards to it, we’d nearly indubitably make a selection Disney’s Recent Hotel. Even though it’s tricky to ascribe a worth on a balcony with a view of Bay Lake or Cinderella Citadel, however “lower than $400 in keeping with evening” (regularly the price differential between the 2 resorts) would almost certainly be it for us.
Alternatively, the opposite giant distinction comes with the site. Gran Destino Tower is out in no guy’s land, now not truly in any lodge ‘district’ and requiring bus transportation to get admission to each theme park at Walt Disney Global. It’s additionally laborious to place a worth on environment friendly monorail transportation and having the ability to stroll to Magic Kingdom, however it turns into reasonably more straightforward if you’ve handled a couple of complications of the bus machine on the different lodges. If so, the top class pricing of Recent turns into more straightforward to justify, particularly should you’re now not on a good finances or cash isn’t any object. In case you don’t flinch on the charge differential, Recent is the simple pick out right here.
Whilst we are hoping this submit is beneficial in providing a head-to-head comparability of essentially the most an important parts of every Walt Disney Global lodge enjoy, we comprehend it’s now not definitive or the ultimate for each visitor. Along with studying the feedback earlier than making your individual choice, we recommend supplementing this with our complete evaluate of Disney’s Recent Hotel and our Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel Evaluate.
Making plans a Walt Disney Global shuttle? Know about resorts on our Walt Disney Global Motels Evaluations web page. For the place to devour, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to shop for, learn our Pointers for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a novel have a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to begin is our Walt Disney Global Commute Making plans Information for the entirety you wish to have to understand!
Your Ideas
Is cash the deciding issue for you, or is location/transportation? Do the monorail or being inside of strolling distance of Magic Kingdom supply sufficient cost so that you can assist bridge the cost hole? What concerning the rooms, eating, or the rest that the Recent boasts? Is there any other variable you’ll be able to bring to mind to make Disney’s Recent Hotel the simpler pick out? Are we lacking a key variable that might, doubtlessly tilt the scales within the Gran Destino’s prefer? Do you settle or disagree with our choices? Any questions we will be able to let you resolution? Listening to your comments–even whilst you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please percentage your ideas under within the feedback!
