Everyone in our family (my husband, son and I) is born within ten days of each other. So, when we were planning our birthday celebrations for this year, I wanted to stay somewhere on property that I had never stayed at before. I had actually never stayed at a moderate resort before, only either value (because I’m just there to have somewhere to rest my head and to take advantage of extra magic hours) or deluxe resorts (because I planned to spend the majority of my time relaxing at and enjoying the resort).
This time, because I was about eight months pregnant, I wanted to stay somewhere nice because I didn’t think I’d be able to handle walking at the parks for too long, but I also didn’t want to spend a crazy amount of money. For about the same price, I was considering either a princess room at Port Orleans Riverside Resort or one of the water view rooms at the new Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. I knew with a baby boy and another boy on the way, my chances of getting a princess room in the future would be pretty low. They’re probably going to be more interested in getting a pirate room when they’re old enough to voice their own opinions. However, I also liked the idea of staying at the newest resort on property (it was about a week before the Riviera Resort opened). Ultimately, I opted for the Gran Destino Tower because of the appeal of staying somewhere brand new, and I’m very glad I did.
The Lobby
Immediately upon parking and walking into the lobby, it took my breath away. It was Christmastime, so there was a huge Christmas tree in the middle, and the walls were glowing with red and green lights. The atmosphere and everything about this resort was gorgeous. I absolutely loved the décor. It reminded me a lot of when my husband and I traveled across Spain with touches inspired by Spanish artists Antoni Gaudí and Salvador Dalí.
In fact, Dalí and Walt Disney were actually good friends and started collaborating on a film together, Destino. This film wasn’t actually finished until 2003, but it served as inspiration for the name of this tower, and it could be found playing on screens by the check-in and concierge desks.
Side note: They also had infused water available for free next to the concierge desks, which was yummy and refreshing after coming in from walking around the parks all morning.
The Room
We had a water view on the ninth floor, and it was gorgeous. Not only could we see the lake and pool of the resort, but we also had a pretty good view of Expedition Everest, Pandora: The World of Avatar, and the Tree of Life from Animal Kingdom.
The room itself was just as nice as any deluxe resort room I had stayed in before (except maybe the three-bedroom treehouse I stayed in at Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House). There was plenty of storage space for our luggage, and I appreciated the complimentary tea and coffee with the little Keurig and condiments. It was roomy, the beds were comfortable, and the linens and pillows were very soft. Plus, I loved the Mickey head made out of towels that Mousekeeping left on one of our two queen beds.
The room also featured a smart TV that welcomed us with our family name on it. We could not only watch regular TV and Disney+, but we could also use the TV to check the weather, look at our PhotoPass pictures, see what the resort and parks had to offer, and even connect our phones.
The bathroom was really nice as well with a waterfall shower, two sinks and a separate little room for the toilet. The theming overall was beautiful. It’s absolutely worth the price — I think our annual passholder discount brought it down to about $190/night, which is hundreds of dollars less than what we would pay for a similar room at a “deluxe” resort and not that much more than what we had paid to stay at All Star Movies just a couple months earlier. I would say our room was significantly nicer than an All Star resort and honestly not any worse than rooms I’ve stayed in at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (with a Magic Kingdom view) or Wilderness Lodge Resort. I’ll still give Animal Kingdom Lodge the edge when it comes to views overall if you can get a Savannah View.
Dining at Toledo: Tapas, Steak & Seafood
We had 9 p.m. reservations at Toledo on the top floor of Gran Destino Tower, and we showed up about 20 minutes early to request a fireworks view. Because we were so early, we stopped into Dahlia Lounge to hang out while we waited for our table. My husband ordered a beer, but before he even got it, our table was ready. I didn’t get to see a lot of Dahlia lounge, but what I did see looked very nice. I was pregnant at the time, so I unfortunately didn’t get to taste any of the drinks.
The restaurant itself was beautiful with a stained glass arched ceiling and filled with trees down the center and bottles of wine along one side. We were seated on the window side and were treated to a fantastic view of the Hollywood Studios fireworks. We saw both Fantasmic and the Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular fireworks. This view alone was worth coming to the restaurant. I’m sure it would be beautiful to go during the day too, but I didn’t get to see it while it was light outside.
For an appetizer, we ordered the Tronchón Cheese Gratinado off the tapas menu, which was cheese melted over crunchy bread topped with nuts, tupelo honey and lavender. I absolutely loved it — definitely the star of our meal.
My husband ordered the Hangar Steak because he was told it had more meat than the Manhatten Filet. To be honest, while it did taste good, it wasn’t enough food for him and was still pretty small. I’d hate to see how small the filet was. At least we had ordered some Bravas Potatoes on the side, and those were very yummy.
I ordered the scallops, which were plenty for me, and I liked it a lot. My favorite part was the harissa vinaigrette. If you’re trying to decide between the steak and the scallops, I thought the scallops were certainly more flavorful, but if you’re really hungry, you’re going to need to get a side or appetizer in addition to either of these entrees.
Because it was our birthdays, they brought us a complimentary chocolate-peppermint bark for dessert. Again, if you’re hungry, you’re probably going to want to order another dessert because it was pretty small. But the cheesy appetizer and potatoes on the side were enough to help fill our bellies, so we didn’t get any extra desserts. It was tasty, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best Disney sweet treat I’ve ever had by any means. Now that Christmas is over, I’m sure there’s a different dessert that they offer anyway.
Overall, I’d say Toledo was a bit overpriced for the small portions, but I loved the view of the fireworks, and the food (especially that appetizer) was delicious. I’d like to go back to Dahlia Lounge after I have the baby to taste some of the drinks and maybe order a different dessert too.
