Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort unveiled its new Gran Destino Tower July 9, 2019.
Together with flamenco dancers and Mickey Mouse, Thomas Mazloum, senior vice president, resorts at Walt Disney World, kicked off the grand opening of the 16-story tower that sits adjacent to the property’s convention center overlooking the 22-acre Lago Dorado.
Gran Destino Tower added 545 new guest rooms (including 50 suites), bringing the resort’s total room count to 2,385.
With the tower comes additional meeting space, including:
- A 24-seat boardroom.
- The 2,859-square-foot Lantana room, which is divisible into three smaller rooms.
- Adjoined to the Lantana room is 1,674 square feet of prefunction space, including a show kitchen.
- Destino Plaza, outside the lower lobby, is ideal for weddings or outdoor business events and is where the grand opening ceremony took place.
“The amazing Gran Destino Tower standing behind us is truly the centerpiece of our newly reimagined Coronado Springs Resort,“ said Mazloum at the grand opening ceremony.
“It serves as a gateway to our newly reimagined resort and it’s going to focus on serving leisure and business guests alike,” he added.
In addition to the new meeting spaces and guest rooms, Gran Destino Tower's opening brings a new dining experience to the resort. The rooftop restaurant Toledo–Tapas, Steaks & Seafood and adjacent Dahlia Lounge are the crowning pieces of the tower and can be reserved for private dining. Combined, the spaces can accommodate over 200 people.
There are also three private rooms in Toledo that can each seat up to 24 people.
The Inspiration for Gran Destino’s Design
The Gran Destino Tower draws inspiration from the Disney surrealist animated short Destino, a collaboration project started by Walt Disney and famous artist Salvador Dali. Whimsical details from the film are scattered throughout the tower, like the dandelion chandeliers in the Dahlia Lounge and the many swirling patterns on its ceilings and walls.
By channeling the work of Spanish artist Salvador Dali, Gran Destino Tower fits the larger theme of celebrating the culture of Spain, which is evident in the food at Toledo, the Catalan decor theme in the lobby’s Barcelona Lounge and more.
“In Spanish, ‘coronado’ means ‘the crowned one,’ and today it’s exciting to celebrate the crowning glory of this beautiful resort,” said Vanessa Rosas, ambassador alumna for Walt Disney World during an introduction at the ceremony. “The reimagination [of the resort] blends contemporary design with the rich cultures of Spain, Mexico and the American Southwest.”
The casual, yet refined new meeting spaces mirror this creative spirit, making them fun and flexible options for collaborative group sessions.
[Listen: Casual Sophistication Defines New Meeting Spaces at Gran Destino Tower]
Additional Openings and Renovations
Gran Destino Tower's opening is part of a broader reimagination of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, a multiyear project that adds more dining options and refreshed the property’s existing guest rooms, lighting fixtures, color palette and more.
Coronado Springs used guest feedback to directly influence the renovations of the spaces, according to David Stofcik, executive architect with Walt Disney Imagineering. His team adjusted colors and decor to give the resort a more modern, sophisticated feel.
“The whole resort really celebrates the cultures of Spain, Mexico and Southwestern America, whether it’s through the music, the food, the colors,” he said.
“We thought, what is a more sophisticated approach to that? The color palette of the [existing guest rooms] was 22 years old,” Stofcik added.
From the elongated arches and warm colors in the Barcelona Lounge to the updates in the existing guest rooms, Stofcik worked with the same production designers for the new tower and resort renovations to ensure the design of all the spaces was fluid.
Subtle Disney references are visible to careful observers—small Mickey Mouse ears, often at kid eye-level, are weaved into the wall paintings, carpet patterns and other decorative pieces.
With the rooms’ new look comes smart TVs, too—each guest room onsite is now equipped with smart TVs and Disney movies on demand.
In addition to Toledo and Dahlia Lounge, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort opened Three Bridges Bar & Grill, a restaurant on water situated in the center of Lago Dorado. From the open-air patio, diners can look on the new Gran Destino Tower.
A few pedestrian bridges over the water were added to better connect Three Bridges to both the tower, convention center and surrounding guest rooms.
Tower Opening Highlights Disney Growth
Disney resorts and parks growth is a constant in Orlando.
This year brings new park openings like Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and a resort to go with it, Disney’s Riviera Resort and more attractions at existing parks.
“Now, as you can see, this reimagined Coronado Springs Resort is clearly Disney’s continued investment in parks and resorts,” Mazloum concluded. “We are very proud because it’s also the largest period of growth in Walt Disney World in over two decades right here.”
With Gran Destino Tower's opening and its additional meeting space options, planners can be assured that the massive growth for meetings and events in Orlando is not slowing down.
Read More On the Scene Gran Destino Grand Opening Coverage:
- Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Adds Meeting Space
- First Look Inside Gran Destino's New Rooftop Restaurant
What's New for Meetings and Events in Central Florida:
