Gran Destino and Contemporary Resort are Walt Disney World’s two tower resorts. While very totally different in some methods, in addition they have rather a lot in widespread and swimsuit some related trip targets. In this put up, we’ll evaluate and distinction the lodging, crowning a champion in a number of classes together with theme/decor, rooms, eating, transportation, swimming pools, and value.
Of course, Gran Destino Tower is technically a part of Coronado Springs, which additional muddies the comparability. However, Contemporary Resort additionally has Bay Lake Tower and the Garden Wing along with the A-frame, which is the first topic of this comparability. In different phrases, it’s not an apples to apples and even complete comparability, however a have a look at every resort’s tower plus some shared facilities.
While we are going to draw our personal conclusions as to which is best, alongside the best way we are going to clarify our reasoning, so you possibly can kind your personal conclusions. Since a lot of it is a matter of subjective, private desire, we really feel that’s one of the simplest ways to method these comparisons. Plus, it will be a fairly brief weblog put up if we didn’t provide explanatory textual content together with the winner of every component…
Theme/Decor: Gran Destino – Neither of those resorts are themed within the conventional sense of the time period. The designs should not all-encompassing, and they don’t transport you to a different time or place. Both are extra about structure and inside design, with out the pretenses.
Contemporary Resort debuted in 1971 as an exemplar of utopian and trendy design. It was noteworthy in a number of methods, significantly the monorail breezing by means of its atrium, which imbued it with a way of futurism. The resort was and is critical structure, worthy of criticism and scholarly debate about its deserves.
While its core structure stays intact, the inside has turn out to be a hodgepodge of disparate kinds, which are the results of Disney’s Contemporary Resort having visible litter added over the many years. More and extra stuff has been added over time with none coherent imaginative and prescient. It’s ironic that the atrium known as the Grand Canyon Concourse, as a result of the layers of litter are just like the sedimentary rock layers within the Grand Canyon. Except ugly as a substitute of awe-inspiring.
Being newer, Gran Destino has a more energizing and extra finely-tuned creative sensibility. It’s architecturally and culturally insignificant, however within the right here and now, it merely appears and feels nicer. The foyer pays homage to the Catalan Modernism type, and there are flashes of famed Spanish architect Gaudí within the lounge and rooftop restaurant.
The tower doesn’t go all-in on this, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly good. Specific items of artwork reference the collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali that resulted within the brief movie Destino, which is sort of the deep lower. In basic, the foyer is grandiose, fairly, and makes use of an array of complementary colours, patterns, glass, and textures. This is critical as in comparison with the Contemporary, the place primarily all the design selections conflict with fairly than complement each other.
Rooms: Contemporary Resort – Gran Destino has massive, trendy rooms that may work properly for a solo traveler or a pair, with enhancements aimed toward performance for enterprise vacationers. Gran Destino Tower was designed largely for conventioneers who aren’t significantly desirous about Disney and the design is thus very muted.
The bogs are good, however the design is perplexing in that the bathe and sink can’t be used concurrently besides by those that are intimately aware of each other. In addition to that, not one of the rooms have balconies, which is an enormous loss.
On the opposite hand, the usual rooms at Contemporary Resort had been not too long ago redone with the Incredibles injected into a contemporary type. While the rooms are lighter and brighter with a crisp look and mid-century trendy aesthetic, in addition they look low-cost. From the flooring to the furnishings to the surfaces, these rooms merely look and feel decrease finish with character particulars affixed by way of stickers and different superficial prospers.
With that mentioned, these rooms are considerably bigger, the bogs are good and upscale, and all rooms have balconies. Most households are going to far desire the Contemporary Resort rooms consequently, and a few non-families would possibly desire them because of the dimension, as properly. The type isn’t nice, nevertheless it’s extra enjoyable and completely purposeful. The solely vacationers prone to desire Gran Destino’s rooms are those that actually assume the cartoonish type of the Contemporary is just too cheesy, or those that actually favor perform over kind–and don’t care about balconies.
Dining: Toss Up – Both of those resorts are exemplars of Walt Disney World’s eating scene. Contemporary Resort has a powerful lineup with California Grill, Steakhouse 71, Chef Mickey’s, and Contempo Cafe. The important standout is California Grill, which at the moment incorporates a enjoyable Walt Disney World fiftieth Anniversary dinner menu.
We are also enormous followers of Steakhouse 71, which is the resort’s mid-tier foyer restaurant that serves nice choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s strong and pretty priced. Chef Mickey’s and Contempo Cafe are extra hit & miss, however they full a really well-rounded culinary lineup at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
At Gran Destino, Toledo is prime notch, Dahlia Lounge is pleasant, and Barcelona Lounge is gorgeous. The solely “problem” right here is that Gran Destino has no counter service restaurant, with the (cheap) expectation being that visitors will stroll over to El Centro, which was the primary foyer and is barely ~5 minutes away from Gran Destino Tower.
In this constructing you’ll discover the El Mercadero de Coronado meals courtroom, plus Maya Grill, Rix Cafe, and extra. In the center of the sprawling advanced is Three Bridges Bar & Grill, the over-the-water desk service restaurant that’s one in every of our Walt Disney World hidden eating gems.
Which of those resorts is superior will depend on your priorities. On the bar and lounge entrance, Gran Destino wins out. It has has a variety of prime quality and nice worth eating places that we might revisit many times. By distinction, Contemporary Resort has two of Walt Disney World’s most iconic eating places in Chef Mickey’s and California Grill. Personally, we’d take the lesser identified choices at Gran Destino, however we’re guessing most Walt Disney World followers wouldn’t.
Transportation: Contemporary Resort – This is a simple one, because the Contemporary is the closest resort to Magic Kingdom, simply accessible by way of the sidewalk. It’s additionally on the monorail loop with direct entry to Magic Kingdom and connecting service to Epcot. Both parks could be reached in below quarter-hour, which is much extra environment friendly than any bus service at both resort will ever be.
Accessing Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom from Contemporary Resort requires taking buses, however we’ve discovered the bus service to be fairly environment friendly. At the very least, it’s not making a number of stops.
By distinction, the bus service at Coronado Springs has been downright abysmal since Gran Destino opened. In addition to there being a number of stops round Coronado Springs, evidently Walt Disney World didn’t enhance the frequency of buses as soon as the tower opened to account for all the added visitors.
Consequently, buses are routinely full and over-crowded, particularly at peak hours. It will get just a little higher when Coronado Springs is internet hosting a conference, as these visitors are much less prone to make the most of buses. It’s not like you already know a conference goes to be on the town when reserving Gran Destino, although.
Transportation is certainly the most important weak spot of Gran Destino, which in any other case comes very shut to being the proper Deluxe-caliber tower resort at Moderate costs. We’d go so far as to say this is without doubt one of the worst 5 resorts at Walt Disney World for transportation. No massive deal for those who plan on renting a automobile or utilizing Uber/Lyft, however we’d warning towards reserving Gran Destino for those who’re going to rely closely on Disney transportation and plan on taking noon breaks or touring at peak occasions.
Pools: Gran Destino (With An Asterisk) – This is a troublesome one. Technically, it’s “Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.” That at is the operative phrase right here, and it means visitors of Gran Destino can use the Dig Site Pool. That’s crucial to Gran Destino having any shot right here, because it in any other case doesn’t have a pool.
Whereas transportation is Gran Destino’s achilles heel, swimming pools are for Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The lodge has two swimming pools, each of that are among the many weakest at Walt Disney World. The Feature Pool (that’s each a descriptive title and its correct identify), sits between the A-frame tower and the Garden Wing. This space is usually unthemed, and affords a sizzling tub, kiddie pool, and water participant space. There’s additionally the close by Bay Lake quiet pool. While neither of those are something particular, they do provide nice views of Bay Lake and are surrounded by serene white sand seashores.
Nevertheless, a simple win for Gran Destino Tower, regardless of it being technically pool-less.
Cost: Gran Destino – Another straightforward one. Before low cost, Value Season nightly room charges at Gran Destino Tower are ~$275 and Regular Season is simply over $309 per night time. These are for an everyday room with a regular view. On prime of that, there are usually fairly good offers, particularly outdoors of conference and particular occasions season.
By distinction, rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort with normal views begin at over $500 per night time in Value Season and solely enhance from there with busier seasons and as you enhance the view class. Theme park view rooms are regularly $800 to $1000 per night time, and are much less prone to be discounted. With that mentioned, Contemporary Resort regularly has higher share off financial savings–simply often with worse availability or solely sure classes of rooms.
Verdict: It Depends – For us, it’s Gran Destino with out hesitation. We love the vibe, refined type, extra laid again and grownup environment. We’re additionally enormous followers of the eating scene at Gran Destino, which affords distinctive worth for cash because it caters to conventioneers and can’t coast on its longstanding repute. The superior pool and every part else is simply icing. The greatest drawbacks for us are the shortage of balconies and inefficient transportation, however we have a tendency to not take noon breaks and use Uber/Lyft at peak journey occasions.
However, we acknowledge that not everyone seems to be us, and that’s okay. If we had been Walt Disney World first-timers or taking babies on a rite-of-passage journey centered round Magic Kingdom, all of this category-by-category evaluation would exit the window. Contemporary Resort could be the hands-down winner solely primarily based on its proximity to Magic Kingdom. Even taking into consideration the considerably larger value and different on-paper weaknesses, we’d guide the Contemporary. Location is the primary three guidelines of actual property, and being a stone’s throw from Magic Kingdom makes it straightforward to miss rather a lot.
Heck, whilst adults who like to consider ourselves as rational and goal, the situation of Contemporary has a powerful pull. We’re ready to withstand the temptation once we see the worth, however there’s definitely one thing to be mentioned 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 cease with that very same brief stroll on the finish of the night time, shortly crashing once we’re drained fairly than coping with a irritating, prolonged, and unpredictable commute.
Ultimately, this comparability finally ends up coming down to 2 issues: value and placement/transportation. If these two resorts price the identical quantity or near it, we’d virtually definitely select Disney’s Contemporary Resort. It’s onerous to place a value on a balcony with a view of Bay Lake or Cinderella Castle, however “less than $400 per night” (generally the associated fee differential between the 2 resorts) would in all probability be it for us.
However, the opposite massive distinction comes with the situation. Gran Destino Tower is out in no man’s land, not likely in any resort ‘district’ and requiring bus transportation to entry each theme park at Walt Disney World. It’s additionally onerous to place a value on environment friendly monorail transportation and having the ability to stroll to Magic Kingdom, nevertheless it turns into barely simpler when you’ve handled a number of complications of the bus system on the different resorts. In that case, the premium pricing of Contemporary turns into simpler to justify, particularly for those who’re not on a decent finances or cash is not any object. If you don’t cringe on the price differential, Contemporary is the straightforward decide right here.
While we hope this put up is useful in providing a head-to-head comparability of probably the most essential parts of every Walt Disney World resort expertise, we all know it’s not definitive or the ultimate phrase for each visitor. In addition to studying the feedback earlier than making your personal choice, we advise supplementing this with our full assessment of Disney’s Contemporary Resort and our Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about resorts on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for every part that you must know!
Your Thoughts
Is cash the deciding issue for you, or is location/transportation? Do the monorail or being inside strolling distance of Magic Kingdom present sufficient worth so that you can assist bridge the worth hole? What concerning the rooms, eating, or anything that the Contemporary boasts? Is there one other variable you possibly can consider to make Disney’s Contemporary Resort the higher decide? Are we lacking a key variable that might, probably tilt the scales within the Gran Destino’s favor? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we might help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!