Gran Destino and Modern Resort are two of Walt Disney World’s tower accommodations. They’re very completely different, but in addition have lots in widespread and swimsuit some related trip objectives. This put up 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. Then once more, Modern Resort additionally has Bay Lake Tower and the Backyard Wing, and people are additionally very completely different from the A-frame when it comes to prices and visitor demographics. It’s not an apples to apples and even complete comparability, however provides a have a look at every resort’s tower plus some shared facilities.
Whereas 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 individual conclusions. Since a lot of it is a matter of subjective, private choice, we really feel that’s one of the simplest ways to method these comparisons. Plus, it might be a fairly quick weblog put up if we didn’t supply explanatory textual content together with the winner of every ingredient…
This continues our Walt Disney World Lodge Comparability Sequence, and really isn’t the primary time Gran Destino has squared off in opposition to one other tower. It emerged because the (spoiler alert) victor in our Gran Destino Tower vs. Disney’s Riviera Resort showdown, so now it takes its title to compete in opposition to the OG tower at Walt Disney World. For its half, the Modern has by no means battled it out earlier than–in all probability as a result of we don’t view it as a high decide alongside the monorail loop, even whether it is usually cheaper than the Poly or Grand Floridian.
You nonetheless could be questioning how a Reasonable Resort can compete with one alongside the monorail loop. It would shock you, however these two fall very shut to 1 one other in our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Inns from Worst to Finest, which takes value-for-money (that’s your reply) and quite a lot of different variables under consideration. If you happen to’d desire to learn that for a rundown of how all resorts rank, check out that.
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. Each are extra about structure and inside design, with out the pretenses.
Modern 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 its atrium, which imbued it with a way of futurism. The resort was and is severe structure, worthy of criticism and scholarly debate about its deserves.
Whereas its core structure stays intact, the inside has turn out to be a hodgepodge of disparate types, which are the results of Disney’s Modern Resort 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, as a result of the layers of muddle are just like the sedimentary rock layers within the Grand Canyon. Besides ugly as a substitute of awe-inspiring.
Being newer, Gran Destino has a brisker and extra finely-tuned creative sensibility. It’s architecturally and culturally insignificant, however within the right here and now, it merely seems to be and feels nicer. The foyer pays homage to the Catalan Modernism fashion, and there are flashes of famed Spanish architect Gaudí within the lounge and rooftop restaurant.
The tower doesn’t go all-in on this, however it’s nonetheless fairly good. Particular items of artwork reference the collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali that resulted within the quick movie Destino, which is kind of the deep reduce. On the whole, the foyer is grandiose, fairly, and makes use of an array of complementary colours, patterns, glass, and textures. That is important as in comparison with the Modern, the place basically all the design selections conflict with relatively than complement each other.
Truthfully, it’s unlucky that Gran Destino Tower wins this class and speaks to the decades-long overdue must reimagine–or higher but, restore–the Modern’s Grand Canyon Concourse. It ought to be one of many crown jewels of Walt Disney World, a timeless testomony to the engineering and creativeness of Walt Disney World. As an alternative, it has useless mall vibes and solely flashes of brilliance. Gran Destino is a dime-a-dozen Las Vegas tower, however no less than it’s coherent and present.
Rooms: Modern Resort – Gran Destino has giant, trendy rooms that may work effectively 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 concerned about Disney and the design is thus very muted.
The loos 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. Along with that, not one of the rooms have balconies, which is a giant loss.
Alternatively, the usual rooms at Modern Resort have been just lately redone with the Incredibles injected into a contemporary fashion. Whereas the rooms are lighter and brighter with a crisp look and mid-century trendy aesthetic, additionally they look low cost. From the flooring to the furnishings to the surfaces, these rooms merely appear and feel decrease finish with character particulars affixed through stickers and different superficial prospers.
With that mentioned, these rooms are considerably bigger, the loos are good and upscale, and all rooms have balconies. Most households are going to far desire the Modern Resort rooms because of this, and a few non-families may desire them because of the dimension, as effectively. The fashion isn’t nice, however it’s extra enjoyable and completely practical. The one vacationers prone to desire Gran Destino’s rooms are those that actually assume the cartoonish fashion of the Modern is simply too cheesy, or those that actually favor perform over kind–and don’t care about balconies.
Neither of those rooms are actually something particular, and Gran Destino punches above its weight whereas Modern underwhelms amongst its class. Nonetheless, Modern doesn’t fairly handle to fumble the bag right here.
Eating: Toss Up – Each of those resorts are exemplars of Walt Disney World’s eating scene. Modern Resort has a robust lineup with California Grill, Steakhouse 71, Chef Mickey’s, and Contempo Cafe. The primary standout is California Grill, which incorporates a 3-course prix fixe dinner menu.
We are also large followers of Steakhouse 71, which is the resort’s mid-tier foyer restaurant that serves nice choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s stable and pretty priced. This is likely one of the eating places at which we dine most–I particularly love the lounge for solo meals, and it’s very straightforward to go away Magic Kingdom (a meals desert) and do a fast meal right here.
Then there’s Chef Mickey’s and Contempo Cafe. Each are traditionally hit & miss, however we’ve had some nice meals these days at counter service Contempo Cafe, which is seeing a little bit of a renaissance. A concise verdict on Chef Mickey’s is not possible. It’s an advanced character meal; suffice to say, there’s a purpose it’s a rite-of-passage meal for generations of Walt Disney World followers. All of this completes a really well-rounded culinary lineup at Disney’s Modern Resort.
At Gran Destino, Toledo is high notch, Dahlia Lounge is pleasant, and Barcelona Lounge is gorgeous. The one “downside” right here is that Gran Destino has no counter service restaurant, with the (cheap) expectation being that friends will stroll over to El Centro, which was once the principle foyer and is just ~5 minutes away from Gran Destino Tower.
On this constructing you’ll discover the El Mercadero de Coronado meals court docket, plus Maya Grill, Rix Cafe, and extra. In the midst of the sprawling advanced is Three Bridges Bar & Grill, the over-the-water desk service restaurant that’s one in all our Walt Disney World hidden eating gems.
Which of those resorts is superior depends upon your priorities. On the bar and lounge entrance, Gran Destino wins out. It has has a lot of top quality and nice worth eating places that we might revisit many times. In contrast, Modern 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 recognized (and cheaper) choices at Gran Destino, however we’re guessing most Walt Disney World followers wouldn’t.
Transportation: Modern Resort – That is a straightforward one, because the Modern is the closest resort to Magic Kingdom, simply accessible through the sidewalk. It’s additionally on the monorail loop with direct entry to Magic Kingdom and connecting service to Epcot. Each parks will 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 Modern Resort requires taking buses, however we’ve discovered the bus service to be moderately environment friendly. On the very least, it’s not making a number of stops.
In contrast, the bus service at Coronado Springs has been hit and miss since Gran Destino opened. Along with there being a number of stops round Coronado Springs, plainly Walt Disney World didn’t improve the frequency of buses as soon as the tower opened to account for all the added friends.
Consequently, buses will be crowded, particularly at widespread hours or throughout peak season. It will get higher when Coronado Springs is internet hosting a conference, as these friends are much less prone to make the most of buses. It’s additionally not practically as dangerous in the course of the low season and even when the parks are solely considerably busy. (I’ve stayed at Coronado Springs just a few instances in 2024 and haven’t had any points with transportation, so hopefully it is a factor of the previous. Knock on wooden.)
Transportation is certainly the largest weak point of Gran Destino, which in any other case comes very shut to being the right Deluxe-caliber tower resort at Reasonable costs. Even when the buses aren’t busy, it nonetheless has a big inner loop that may be tedious for transit. No huge deal in the event you plan on renting a automobile or utilizing Uber/Lyft…and the cash you save staying right here might be put in the direction of that to ease commutes.
Swimming pools: Gran Destino (With An Asterisk) – It is a powerful one. Technically, it’s “Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.” That at is the operative phrase right here, and it means friends of Gran Destino can use the Dig Web 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 Modern Resort. The resort has two swimming pools, each of that are among the many weakest at Walt Disney World. The Function Pool (that’s each a descriptive title and its correct title), sits between the A-frame tower and the Backyard Wing. This space is generally unthemed, and provides a sizzling tub, kiddie pool, and water participant space. There’s additionally the close by Bay Lake quiet pool. Neither of those are something particular, however do supply nice views of Bay Lake and are surrounded by serene white sand seashores.
A simple win for Gran Destino, regardless of the tower being technically pool-less.
Price: Gran Destino – One other straightforward one. Earlier than low cost, Worth Season nightly room charges at Gran Destino Tower are ~$275 and Common Season is simply over $309 per night time. These are for an everyday room with a typical view. On high of that, there are usually fairly good offers, particularly exterior of conference and particular occasions season.
In contrast, rooms at Disney’s Modern Resort with commonplace views begin at over $500 per night time in Worth Season and solely improve from there with busier seasons and as you enhance the view class. Theme park view rooms are ceaselessly $800 to $1000 per night time, and are much less prone to be discounted.
Price is a giant a part of the rationale we guide Coronado Springs so ceaselessly. It’s a near-Deluxe that’s usually the most cost effective Reasonable after low cost. Gran Destino is a tad costlier, however nonetheless extraordinarily cost-effective. We’ll even typically splurge on Chronos Membership Degree at Gran Destino Tower, which is much and away the most cost effective concierge choice–and arguably the most effective. It prices about one-quarter what Atrium Membership at Modern prices!
Verdict: It Relies upon – For us, it’s Gran Destino with out hesitation. We love the vibe, subtle fashion, extra laid again and grownup ambiance. We’re additionally large followers of the eating scene at Gran Destino, which provides distinctive worth for cash because it caters to conventioneers and can’t coast on its longstanding popularity. The superior pool and every part else is simply icing. The most important drawbacks for us are the shortage 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 peak season.
Nonetheless, we acknowledge that not everyone seems to be us, and that’s okay. If we have been Walt Disney World first-timers or taking young children on a rite-of-passage journey targeted round Magic Kingdom, all of this category-by-category evaluation would exit the window. Modern Resort can be the hands-down winner solely primarily based on its proximity to Magic Kingdom. Even making an allowance for the considerably larger value and different on-paper weaknesses, we’d guide the Modern. Location is the primary three guidelines of actual property, and being a stone’s throw from Magic Kingdom makes it straightforward to miss lots.
Whilst Walt Disney World regulars who like to consider ourselves as rational and goal, the situation of Modern has a robust pull. We’re ready to withstand the temptation after 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 with the ability to bypass lengthy waits on the bus cease with that very same quick stroll on the finish of the night time, shortly with the ability to go away the park throughout a noon meltdown relatively than coping with a irritating, prolonged, and unpredictable commute. Then there’s watching the fireworks from the resort with our daughter or seeing the look in her eyes because the monorail whizzes by the center of the resort. It’s laborious to place a value on all of that, therefore the “it relies upon” verdict.
In the end, this comparability finally ends up coming down to 2 issues: value and site/transportation. If these two resorts value the identical quantity or near it, we’d nearly definitely select Disney’s Modern Resort. Though it’s troublesome to ascribe a worth on a balcony with a view of Bay Lake or Cinderella Citadel, however “lower than $400 per night time” (generally the associated fee differential between the 2 accommodations) would in all probability be it for us.
Nonetheless, the opposite huge distinction comes with the situation. Gran Destino Tower is out in no man’s land, probably not in any resort ‘district’ and requiring bus transportation to entry each theme park at Walt Disney World. It’s additionally laborious to place a value on environment friendly monorail transportation and with the ability to stroll to Magic Kingdom, however it turns into barely simpler when you’ve handled just a few complications of the bus system on the different resorts. In that case, the premium pricing of Modern turns into simpler to justify, particularly in the event you’re not on a good funds or cash isn’t any object. If you happen to don’t cringe on the value differential, Modern is the straightforward decide right here.
Whereas we hope this put up is useful in providing a head-to-head comparability of essentially 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. Along with studying the feedback earlier than making your individual resolution, we advise supplementing this with our full evaluation of Disney’s Modern Resort and our Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Evaluate.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study accommodations on our Walt Disney World Inns Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part that you must know!
Your Ideas
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 the rest that the Modern boasts? Is there one other variable you possibly can consider to make Disney’s Modern Resort the higher decide? Are we lacking a key variable that would, doubtlessly tilt the scales within the Gran Destino’s favor? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
