Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Gran Destino Tower

UPDATED APRIL 2022 HERE

I’ve reviewed Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort a number of times over the years, but I am thrilled to be back with a hot-off-the presses update and information on the new Gran Destino Tower!  Overall, I like this resort a lot and it has inched into my top choice in the moderate category, especially for an adult only trip.  I enjoy the Southwestern-themed haven of rustic Ranchos and beachfront Cabanas encircling a lovely lake. The Gran Destino Tower and amenities are more in line with that you’d expect from a deluxe resort. The property beautifully landscaped and renovations over the past two years give the resort a more sophisticated feel overall.

You will arrive at the resort via the Gran Destino porte cochere. The Christmas decorations throughout the resort were fun, festive and very well done.

Coronado Springs Resort

Coronado Springs is a convention resort with a large contingent of its guests being adult convention-goers.  For this reason, the resort does have more of an “adult” feel than most on property.  There is an interesting mix of families decked out in Mickey ears surrounded by people in business attire tapping away at the laptops at every available table.

Regardless of whether you are staying in the tower or outer buildings, you will check-in and have access to all of the amenities at Gran Destino. I was completely “wowed” by how beautiful this space is. You will not find this stunning look in any other moderate resort.

The new Gran Destino Tower connects to the original resort “hub” via a interior walkway. Between the two areas, you have plenty of dining, lounging and shopping options.

The outdoor spaces at Coronado Springs remain among some of my favorites. While the resort is sprawling, there are so many different pockets along the lake to enjoy a drink, relax or take a break from meetings.

Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower Rooms

I cannot count how many booked and cancelled reservations I had in 2020 to stay in a new tower room! We finally made it for Thanksgiving week! A key difference in the tower rooms is that they are hotel resort style, with elevators and guest rooms that open to interior walkways. Gran Destino Tower is the only option for this in the moderate category. All others are motels.

Our room was extremely spacious for a moderate and very well appointed. Again, it felt like a deluxe even down to the upgraded mattresses and thicker walls between rooms. Inside the room, the main difference from a deluxe is that there is no patio or balcony. I personally do think this is a big drawback and was something I missed. I know many of my clients would miss it too – we always enjoy a cup of coffee out on the balcony in the morning or a drink at the end of the day while the kids sleep. Other than that, the room is top notch!

Presidentail Alcazar Suite at Gran Destino Tower

Many people are surprised to find that Gran Destino Tower is home to an absolutely stunning 2-bedroom Presidential Suite! Compared to other suites of the size and caliber, the price point is amazingly affordable. Take an exclusive tour here:

Coronado Springs Outer Building Rooms

There are a number of older, original outer building rooms as well. These rooms are motel style, and open to the outside. Like the tower rooms, they do not have patios or balconies. All outer building rooms were renovated in the last couple of rooms and are very well done. In the update, they added modern conveniences like USB outlets, reading lights, Keurig coffee makers, huge flat screen TVs and more.  They also have removed all of the carpet, which I find to be much cleaner.  All rooms continue to have a mini-fridge.  (I love bringing my own favorite coffee pods and buying creamer in the lobby shop to enjoy my coffee just the way I like it.)

Another great update is the addition of the sliding barn door for the bathroom and a second pocket door for the potty and shower space.  At most value resorts, this bathroom area is just open to the room.  At most other moderate resorts, there is a curtain that you pull to divide the space.  This is SO much nicer and more practical, not to mention aesthetically pleasing.  They have also much improved the lighting and done away with the shower curtain in favor of glass shower doors.  There are double sinks and a closet hanging rod here in this space as well.

Coronado Springs Transportation

The property is large, but it is a scenic 10-15 minute walk to get anywhere you need to go.  Of course, staying in the tower puts you steps away from everything and is highly recommended.  Another thing to discuss is the bus service.  The buses all do an internal loop inside of the resort before ever even leaving to hit the parks.  This can add a significant amount of transit time to your coming and going.  This is the one major downside of Coronado Springs, and most other moderates, in my opinion.  Again, staying at the tower made for much easier bus transportation throughout our week long stay!

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Coronado Springs Pools & Activities

Coronado Springs has a fantastic feature pool with a slide, dining and pool bar in a central location called The Dig Site.  There are also a few additional quiet pools located closer to the guest rooms.  The feature pool will have activities every afternoon.

You will also find quick serve dining, a sand volleyball court, ping pong tables and an arcade and playground at The Dig Site.

Another favorite spot at Coronado are the hammocks! They are located in pockets around the lake and I logged a few relaxing hours here during our week reading my book!

The resort offers movies under the stars at night and a variety of activities. Here’s a snapshot of what was happening on Thanksgiving!

In the evenings, the resort is quite beautiful and feels pretty festive. 

Coronado Springs Dining

With the addition of the Gran Destino Tower, dining was vastly improved!!

Barcelona Lounge

You will savor espresso drinks, pastries and light fare for breakfast at this lounge inspired by Spain’s coffee culture. It is located on the lower level of the tower lobby and you would find me here each morning with my iced coffee!

Three Bridges

Three Bridges offers sweeping views and delicious dishes in an open air, lake front setting between three converging bridges. We absolutely loved the ambiance and enjoyed multiple meals here.

My boys loved the wings and I drooled over the sangria flight! This is a quick serve dining location and does not require a reservation. You can, however, virtually set up a wait and notification for your table through the Disney app!

Dahlia Lounge

Dahila Lounge is the stunning rooftop lounge space offering a full bar, impressive list of Spanish wines, and a fantastic menu.

Kids are welcome, and tables are first come first serve. The views are spectacular, offering a vantage point of everything from Epcot to Hollywood Studios to Blizzard Beach!

Rix Sports Bar & Grill

Rix is very underrated at Disney and has pretty delicious food in a casual atmosphere. This is a table serve restaurant and reservations are needed but easy to come by. They have a full bar and fun menu. I am a huge fan of their breakfast burrito, and my husband and kids enjoyed a late lunch here while I was in the parks. Most importantly, this is currently the ONLY option at Disney to catch live sports. Rix has 31 state-of-the-art TVs to view nightly sporting events! In normal times, the only other option is ESPN at the BoardWalk but it is nearly impossible to get in!

Cafe Rix

Cafe Rix is a grab and go option for breakfast and dinner. It was convenient but nothing so spectacular that you must add it to your itinerary.

Christmas at Coronado Springs Resort

It probably comes as no surprise that I have a LOT of clients traveling during the Christmas season. And they want to know… what is a great resort for Christmas. I can assure you that Coronado Springs knocks the other moderates and values out of the water with festive decor, touches, ambiance and music! It isn’t my very favorite for Christmas (Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge top that list), but it is wonderful for the price point!

Coronado Springs During Covid

Coronado Springs was home to the top NBA teams through the end of October, a fact my boys were thrilled with. The resort opened back up to guests in November and we stayed just a few weeks later.

We were just as impressed with health and safety measures here as we were in the parks and other resorts we’ve stayed in since July. (Rivieria twice and BoardWalk)

We found Coronado Springs to be exceedingly quiet. I don’t believe all of the outer buildings are even open. This makes sense as Coronado Springs is generally a popular convention site, and those are not happening at this time. On one hand, it was wonderful to have easy access to transportation, lounge chairs, hammocks and dining. On the flip side… only a few dining locations were open! This does not need to be a deal breaker, it just needs to be something planned for. My top regret was that the rooftop restaurant, Toledo, had not yet reopened for my stay!

Overall, we absolutely loved our stay here and I have no hesitation at all booking clients here. I still think it has a more adult feel than many other resorts, and recommend it primarily for adult couples, families with teens, and families traveling along with a convention attendee!

Let’s Travel & My Services

Coronado Springs is VERY popular and I am already seeing limited availability for 2021. I’d love to start working on a quote for your family!

I enjoyed hearing from so many of you on Instagram over the course of my trips… those ready to book a new trip, those that had decided to go on trips already booked and those that aren’t ready to travel but enjoyed having a little magic in their feed.

I missed my job so, so much over the closure and am thrilled to be back in the business of making magic! Most aspects of planning a Disney vacation look different and now, more than ever, it is crucial to have the most current, up to date information based on personal experience to plan your vacation!  I know these parks inside and out and am a small, one woman show. I hope that my love and passion for Disney shows through in every photo, video and post.

When the time is right for your family to travel, I’d be honored to be YOUR advisor. Magic is here!

As Premier Level Advisor with Glass Slipper Concierge, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise LineDisneyland® Resort, Disney Aulani Hawaii, Universal, Sea World and to over 40 countries on 7 continents through Adventures by Disney® and National Geographic Expeditions.

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4 thoughts on “Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Gran Destino Tower

  1. We were there earlier in November. The resort is beautiful! Unfortunately, the only restaurant that was open was Rix Sports Bar😔

    1. I sure hope the open up full dining soon. I was surprised it was still so limited at Thanksgiving. It is beautiful though!

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