Book Gran Destino at Coronado Springs for $199!
Disney Visa Credit Cardholders can now book the new Gran Destino Tower at the reimagined Coronado Springs Resort at a discounted rate of $199 per night for a water view room. This deal applies to Walt Disney World travel dates most nights from July 15 to September 28, 2019.
Gran Destino Tower literally just opened, and our assumption is that it has a surplus of occupancy for the summer, which is before the convention season begins in October. As Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is increasingly a destination for conventions, we’d anticipate more deals like this (albeit probably not as attractive as this initial discount) at times when conventions aren’t occurring.
We just finished our first stay at Gran Destino. During that, we talked to several guests who had been upgraded to the tower, which lends some credence to this assumption. We’ll have a “First Impressions & Photos” post in the next couple days and a full review thereafter, but here are some preliminary thoughts if you’re on the fence about booking this Disney Visa Credit Card discount…
For starters, Gran Destino is not going to be for everyone, but you probably won’t know if it’s for you until you check it out. Think of it as being like one of the Disney Springs area third party tower resorts, but in a resort setting and offering more style.
Alternatively, it could be compared to Disney’s Contemporary Resort–minus the history, ideal location, and price point. (Ultimately, both are very imperfect comparisons–Gran Destino falls somewhere in the middle.)
We ended up liking Gran Destino far more than expected. I still have a bunch of qualms with it, but it exceeded my expectations. I figured it’d be a Marriott tower in a flashy-but-bland Vegas style, but it ended up being more visually restrained and engaging than that.
Gran Destino is still definitely not to my personal tastes when it comes to a resort (not hotel) at Walt Disney World, but it will appeal to more guests than just the disinterested in Disney convention crowd. If you want a consolidated hotel rather than a sprawling resort, some Deluxe-caliber amenities, and don’t particularly care about location (so long as you have access to on-site Walt Disney World perks), Gran Destino could be for you.
If it’s a hotel you want to give a try, there’s no better time than right now. We normally don’t comment on service in reviews on this blog (and won’t in our full Gran Destino review) since it can be so hit or miss, but every single Cast Member we encountered at Gran Destino was superlative. It was far and away the best resort experience we’ve had at a Walt Disney World hotel in years–not that we’ve had many negative ones; these Cast Members just went above and beyond.
We’d attribute that in large part to the newness of Gran Destino. We booked our stay for its second week of operations, and the Cast Members were all clearly enthusiastic to be working in this location. Once the ‘new hotel smell’ wears off, we’d likewise expect some of that to fade away.
If you do book Gran Destino, consider upgrading to the Club Level. We did this, and found the experience at Chronos Club to be exceptional.
Chronos Club is not the best lounge, but in terms of bang for buck (it’s by far the cheapest Club Level experience) it cannot be beat. Right now, the food and drinks are all shockingly good and ambitious, too.
This also might be attributable to Gran Destino being new, with a future degradation of quality once the tower settles in to regular operations.
It’s also possible that the more demanding convention demographic of the tower will keep things at this high level. There’s no sense in saving a few dollars on lounge food if it costs Walt Disney World highly lucrative convention business.
We’re starting to veer into ‘full review’ territory, but my overarching point is that there’s no better time to book a stay at Gran Destino Tower if it’s potentially something that interests you. This deal can be booked yourself by calling Disney Visa or requesting a quote from our recommended Authorized Disney Vacation Planner to have them do the work for you; the deposit must be paid for with a Disney Visa card.
While the bold ‘pitch’ of the discount is water view rooms for $199/night, this is actually an up to 35% off discount that can be applied to any rooms at Gran Destino. I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere, but I know this because we booked a standard view room (for $180/night).
In addition, there are a handful of other hotel specials available for Disney Visa cardholders at Walt Disney World. Apparently, these are not new, but they’re “new to me.” You can save up to 35% off Animal Kingdom Lodge or Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, up to 20% off Port Orleans Riverside, and up to 25% off All-Star Sports or Art of Animation Resort.
Each of these discounts is about 5% better than the NEW Fall & Christmas 2019 Room Discounts at Walt Disney World that were released yesterday. It’s nice to see Disney Visa cardholders receive some worthwhile, exclusive discounts in the last couple of years–glad we didn’t cancel our credit card!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Will you take advantage of this deal on Gran Destino, or does this hotel not interest you? Do you view this as a fair price for Gran Destino, or is it still too high of a rate for a Moderate Resort? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
It took a little bit of work but I got the 199 deal. When I read this post last week, I applied for the Visa card through the Disney website. I called Chase and they expedited sending the card and it showed up today. I called Disney and they were able to get me the discount on my existing reservation (tower water view). I had already booked it with the Passholder 30% discount. I got the premier card which I will get a $250 statement credit after I pay for this trip which makes it worth the $49 annual fee. Worth all the effort. Thanks Tom!
Hi. Do you mind telling your dates. I’ve called and called and talked to 2 travel agents and directly with Disney and they said sold out for my dates which are aug 1-5 which is possible but it seems like they don’t really know the deal I’m speaking of.
August 1-4. I called Disney direct. The gentleman I spoke with knew what to look for. (407) 939-1936.
Hi Tom. I’m curious where you got the info from for the visa room rate. I’ve had the card for years and both chase visa and Disney reservations can’t find this offer? Do you have a link or special phone number you can share? You are always my go to person for intel about WDW!! Many thanks.
Have been trying to book this all day and getting some serious run around. Can’t seem to find the right number to call. Called the number in the email that I received and they told me to call the vacation club number. Anyone have any insights or anyone who has booked?
I tried to book Gran Destino yesterday (7/17), 2 days after I got the email from Chase. No availability. Tried the free dining promo. No availability. Was finally able to book it at the 20% off room rate promo but I had to cut a day and buy the first night at rack rate.
I also spent over an hour on hold trying to get the deals.
If you have a Disney Visa and are “subscribed” to receive their emails then Disney Visa would have sent you an email about the offer. Also remember to check your spam folder. My email offer came from Disney Rewards on Monday (July 15). There are 5 other hotels listed too but no rates given. (I found that kind of annoying.)The focus was primarily Gran Destino.
If you haven’t visited the Disney Rewards page in awhile go make sure you are signed up for their emails. Can’t hurt!
This article states that you can get this promo by calling Disney Visa, wouldn’t I need to call Disney directly to have this booked?
Are the Disney Cardholders room discounts on places like POR and Saratoga currently going on? I’m not sure how to even find that info. Thank goodness for this blog! I learn so many helpful things.
Is it possible for Canadian residents to apply for a Disney Visa? If so, can new applicants take advantage of this offer?
That’s my question too, can I apply today and still book this offer?
Not sure about Canadians, but I applied on line this morning, was instantly approved Asking through the chat function I was told the discounts will show up in my profile in 24 hours.
And to follow up. Apparently this discount doesn’t show up where all the others do in your Disney account. You will need to call in to Disney reservations to use it. And you need the Visa card number to get the discount. Advise that you book the room you want with the best discount you can get at that time then call back when Visa card arrives to see if it’s stkk available to apply.
$200/night for a moderate still seems a bit steep, when equivalent Disney Springs hotels are <$100. You get DME and perhaps better transportation to the parks, but that $100/night would more than pay for Uber/Lyft/Minivans. Part of the Dinsey Resort premium, for me, is the themed "sprawling" resort. I'm not sure this has enough.
Which (nice) hotels are under $100/night?? Every time I look it’s at least 180 + resort fees. When you take into account airport transportation/ Uber/rental cars/parking, etc, it’s usually cheaper or the same price to stay at Disney I’ve always found.
Can anyone tell me what reseller that is in the last picture on this page? Right before the line: “In addition, there are a handful of other hotel specials available for…”
Saratoga Springs
Thanks! It looks very beautiful!
Hi Tom
I think they took all the charm away! It was so pretty when you drove up. We stayed the first time for a convention and really like it there ,it never seemed crowded. It looks like a Vegas hotel.
I won’t argue that this tower should’ve been built somewhere else. The Disney Springs area (where there are a bunch of other towers) would’ve been perfect. Tacking it onto Coronado was just the lazy and easy ‘fix’ for that resort.
totally agree tom, this just doesn’t fit there with sightlines, but what’s even worse, the southwestern theme is gone?
Hi Tom- opinion question for you? If Deluxe was not an option-would you do Port Orleans Riverside or Destino Tower for a Honeymoon? How strong is the convention vibe there?
I’m not Tom, but I’d say odds are 999:1 that he’ll say Port Orleans. It’s a beautiful and romantic resort, and will make for a much better honeymoon than a room in a tower. Old Coronado was good for honeymoons, and Caribbean Beach arguably still is, but Port Orleans is probably the best bet right now (barring possibly some DVC and Deluxe properties).
We have a hard time getting a room regardless of price without a balcony and a couple of chairs at WDW.
The lack of a balcony was definitely rough. I normally love sitting out there…but the reality of it being 97 degrees during our stay (and the Chronos Club lounge offering much better views) helped with that a bit.
Oooh yeah, no balcony would be tough for us for a stay longer than a night or two. WOW, my family’s Deluxe stays have clearly spoiled us! Deluxes should come with a warning! LOL