Review: Chronos Club Level at Gran Destino Tower
Chronos Club is the concierge lounge atop Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort. It’s the cheapest Club Level at Walt Disney World, and the only one at a Moderate hotel. This review shares lounge food photos, cover how Chronos stacks up to the competition, and more.
For starters, this focuses only on the Chronos Club lounge. If you’re looking for our thoughts on the new tower as a whole, check out our Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Review. For more general thoughts on concierge level at WDW, check out our Is Club Level at Walt Disney World Worth It? guide.
The biggest question about Chronos Club Level is whether it’s worthy of comparison to the other concierge lounges at Walt Disney World. There’s fair concern about this, as it’s the only Club Level that’s in a Moderate Resort, and it’s literally hundreds of dollars cheaper than the other Club Levels at Walt Disney World. So, how does it stack up? Let’s take a look…
Before we get going, we want to note that we recently revisited Chronos Club, as covered in Is Walt Disney World’s Cheapest Club Level Still Worth It? Consider that a supplement to this one, as it’s not quite as comprehensive but it is more current.
The answer for us is still yes, albeit not as enthusiastically as is reflected in this review. A lot of the food options have been downgraded; there’s less variety and fewer envelope-pushing options. Just something to keep in mind as you’re reading this!
Upon arrival at Gran Destino Tower, you should be welcomed at the door by a Cast Member with an iPad, who greet you by name before you say anything. (Isn’t tracking technology, uh, swell?) From there, you’ll be introduced to Gran Destino Tower’s smart elevator system, and taken directly to the Chronos Club check-in desk.
This alone is a nice perk, as Gran Destino Tower’s front desk serves as the check-in location for the entirety of Coronado Springs, which is an absolutely massive resort. During busier times–such as a cheer/dance event or convention–there can be long lines for the front desk. Bypassing that and being taken directly to Chronos Club is a nice touch.
Sitting in chairs and receiving personalized service is much more comfortable process than standing in line at the front desk. You’ll receive a welcome packet with a Coronado Springs Resort map, and greeting & info from Chronos Club. We were also offered mimosas while checking in, which was a nice touch.
While checking in, you’ll also be informed of the perks available to Chronos Club Level guests. Currently, this is pretty much just Early Entry. We’re big fans of Early Entry, as it essentially offer a couple of ride headstart for on-site guests, which can be pretty significant. (Learn more strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.)
Since Coronado Springs is a Moderate Resort, guests staying in the Chronos Club Level are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours. This is a fairly significant drawback, especially if you’re staying Monday through Wednesday when Extended Evening Hours are offered. Additionally, there is no special line-skipping option for Club Level guests; Lightning Lane Premier Pass is now available for anyone to purchase.
Unlike other lounges, this one is not 24/7; the Chronos Club lounge is open from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. daily. Those hours might seem reasonable, but keep in mind that the pyro at Disney’s Hollywood Studios sometimes ends after that. (There currently is no fireworks show at DHS, but both Fantasmic and the projections show have pyro. It’s not worth seeking out, but is neat to see from Chronos Club.)
Clearing the lounge so early feels a bit abrupt, especially since the lounge was still fairly hoppin’ at 10 p.m. each night. Hopefully this closing time is adjusted, especially at a tower hotel that skews towards a more adult audience.
Throughout the day, the Chronos Club lounge serves the following:
- Coffee: 6:30-7 a.m.
- Continental Breakfast: 7-11 a.m.
- Light Snacks: 12-4 p.m.
- Hors d’oeuvres & Select Beverages: 5-7 p.m.
- Desserts & Cordials: 8-10 p.m.
As with all other Club Level lounges at Walt Disney World, the hors d’oeuvres/dinner options are the highest quality and most substantive, followed by dessert and breakfast services.
In fact, breakfast at Chronos Club was a huge standout. Not because anything here was particularly revolutionary, but because there were hot items!
We’ve harped on this when reviewing other lounges, but how difficult is it to have bacon, eggs, and sausage?
Thankfully, Chronos Club delivers on that front, and also serves some exceptional pastries, cheeses, and meats.
It’s still not a great spread, but it’s the best Club Level breakfast we’ve had at any Walt Disney World hotel. Given that breakfast is the meal most guests can take advantage of in the lounge, this is a big deal.
The light snacks/lunch spread is predictably weak with not much that’s substantial.
Of course, my ‘hack’ of using bread and meat from breakfast and putting that in the room’s fridge for lunch holds up at Gran Destino.
Dinner is the most substantial offering, and by far our favorite. As with other Club Level lounges, the offerings rotate on a nightly basis.
In general, we found this to be very seafood and vegan heavy. Arguably to a fault.
Don’t get me wrong–I enjoy a lot of Walt Disney World’s vegan options and think they’ve improved exponentially in the last couple years, but I’d still rather have regular crab cakes or meatballs to meatless ones.
In general, we found the dinner-time options to be on the more adventurous side, with fewer crowd-pleasing, comfort food options. We generally enjoyed what was served (Sarah especially) but it won’t be for everyone.
One night, chicken and mushrooms were served, which were definitely the highlight for me.
There were also sustainable lion fish nuggets (if you’re looking for something more approachable) but I found those to be pretty bland.
Another highlight for us was the Shrimp Paella. This is probably the closest Chronos Club got to “comfort food” during our stay.
We had heard reports of the same lamb chops as the glorious ones we ordered at Three Bridges Bar & Grill but, alas, those were not served during our stay. The “reports” we heard revolved around the lamb chops being in high demand and short supply, so perhaps they’re gone for good. Or maybe we just missed them.
Speaking of short supply, these macarons put out for the dessert service went quickly. When dessert service first started, I was outside researching bus crowds and wait times (as one does), so Sarah grabbed this plate.
By the time I arrived at the lounge (less than 45 minutes into the dessert service) the macarons were gone. No matter, as the macarons were just fine, whereas the tarts and truffles were fantastic.
From the perspective of cuisine, Chronos Club is not a cut-rate version of Club Level. It may not be as broadly appealing as what’s offered at Wilderness Lodge, but the quality and selection is there. (If anything, the superior breakfast puts Chronos Club a notch above some other lounges in terms of food.)
Since that’s mostly what matters when evaluating Club Level lounges, that should answer the question of whether Chronos Club is worthy of comparison to Club Level at Deluxe Resorts.
The next question is whether the lounge itself stacks up to other Club Levels at Walt Disney World.
That really depends on what you want out of Club Level. For me, this doesn’t hold a candle to Old Faithful Club Level in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, which offers views down into that gorgeous lobby and is oozing themed design. But I realize not everyone is me.
Chronos Club feels clean and modern, more like a real-world business hotel than one at Walt Disney World. That’s arguably a downside for fans of themed design, but several Club Level lounges are dated and tired without being particularly well-themed, anyway.
Besides, you’re not going to be spending a ton of time looking around the lounge. The highlight here, like the guest rooms at Gran Destino Tower, is the big views of Walt Disney World. From here, you can see Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and beyond.
On a personal level, this isn’t as cool as overlooking the lobby of Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it’s still pretty awesome to sit down in the air-conditioning, eat dessert, and enjoy an ‘aerial’ view of Walt Disney World.
Perhaps I’m easy to please, but I spent most of my time here gazing out the window. You can easily see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Tower of Terror, Spaceship Earth, and more from this lounge.
Even if the underlying design is boring and generic, the views are sufficient for me. I think plenty of others will likewise appreciate these views. (In fairness, the same “boring and generic” design criticism could be levied at Stone Harbor Club at Beach Club.)
Otherwise, my biggest complaint about the lounge would be that it’s one large and continuous space.
Capacity-wise, I’m not sure how it stacks up to other lounges at Walt Disney World, but most of those do a superior job of breaking up the space with walls or multiple seating areas. Chronos Club is one big room. This is very noticeable when the lounge is at or near capacity; it gets loud and chaotic.
On a different note, part of me wonders if Gran Destino is intentionally hostile towards families in subtle ways. Obviously, this being Walt Disney World, there’s no way they can make an entire hotel tower adults only.
At Gran Destino, it’s with little things like the shower and sink situation, the lounge television set to business news, and a selection of more adventurous and vegan cuisine. Cumulatively, all of this might be off-putting for parents with small children.
As much as Walt Disney World’s coveted family demographic may dislike that, it makes some degree of sense at Gran Destino. Here, the truly coveted demographic is conventioneers.
This tower exists primarily because of Disney Meetings & Events, and the lucrative convention business at Coronado Springs. Gran Destino is available for anyone to book, but Disney is catering to conventioneers with the style and substance of the tower.
These business travelers are more likely to have experience with swanky concierge levels at real world hotels, and thus hold Disney to a higher standard. If you’re used to Hyatt or Marriott’s nicer concierge lounges, Gran Destino still feels fairly middling. As compared to other Walt Disney World offerings, it’s a standout.
As noted above, Chronos Club is the cheapest Club Level at Walt Disney World. Actually, least expensive is probably more apt of a term, since it’s still pricier than, say, staying at the All Stars or regular rooms in the outlying buildings at Coronado Springs.
About the only way you could, theoretically, do Club Level at a lower cost is by renting Disney Vacation Club points and staying at Kilimanjaro Club at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Even that is likely to cost you more–and that’s if you can find availability (a big if as there are only a handful of those rooms).
So really, the only realistic alternative is buying DVC at Animal Kingdom Lodge and using that to stay at Kilimanjaro Club annually. That’s a $15,000+ upfront expense and multi-decade commitment, so probably not what many first-timers or infrequent Walt Disney World visitors have in mind.
The first time we stayed at Chronos Club, shortly after it first opened, cost $300 per night. We then skipped a few years during the pent-up demand era when no discounts were available and prices proceeded to explode. The next time, it was $450.
Fast-forward to 2026, and rack rates for standard rooms start at around $550 (see When’s Cheapest to Visit Walt Disney World?). There are a few dates when Chronos Club eclipses $1,000 per night (all during New Year’s week). Most nights are still in the $650 to $800 range, which is less expensive than all of its counterparts.
It still amounts to a surcharge of about $150 to $250 over a standard room in Gran Destino Tower, which is also is not bad from an upgrade perspective. This is all pre-discount. As we’ve discussed at length elsewhere, Coronado Springs offers the most aggressive discounts and usually has the best availability during deals.
With that said, those prices are all pre-discount. Coronado Springs frequently offers 20% to 30% off, and usually has the best availability during deals. The biggest asterisk on that, naturally, is Chronos Club. Walt Disney World diehards recognize what a good value Chronos Club is, and it’s often tough to book as a result and thus unavailable via discounts.
If you want to stay in Chronos Club, you need to book months in advance. And if you want to take advantage of discounts when they’re released, you need to book ASAP. It’s one of the few room categories that sells out fast–usually within hours of deals going live, if it’s available at all. By contrast, every single other Club Level at Walt Disney World often has the best availability via discounts.
If doing Chronos Club for the duration of your trip is cost-prohibitive but you want to splurge on a night or two, that can be a great option via split stays, with the Chronos Club Level portion for 1-2 nights at the end of a trip. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a split stay, see our How to Do Split Stays at Walt Disney World Hotels. As you can see there, we are huge advocates of split stays for a number of reasons.
Split stays also work really well with Chronos Club because there’s a good chance you won’t want to be “stuck” out at Coronado Springs for the duration of your trip. This has two strikes against it in terms of transportation: it has both an internal bus loop and doesn’t have any novel forms of transportation to the parks, meaning it’s all buses.
As such, a split stay between (for example) Pop Century or Caribbean Beach (two Skyliner resorts) before moving to Chronos Club could be a really savvy move. You also won’t have as pronounced of a difference in quality, making the transition a bit less jarring.
With that said, there are a ton of different ways to leverage split stays and Club Level. If you want more thorough guidance or assistance navigating the ‘split stay’ planning waters, we’d highly recommend contacting an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Those travel agents are free-to-use so long as they handle your booking, and they can offer personalized planning that takes into account your priorities and preferences. No Disney planning advice is one-size-fits-all, and that includes our strategies for split stays!
Ultimately, we view Chronos Club as one of the best Club Levels in all of Walt Disney World. Like Gran Destino Tower as a whole, it punches far above its weight, and offers tremendous bang for buck. In fact, if you want to do Club Level and your only consideration is value for money, you can stop right here: Chronos Club is the clear winner, and the competition isn’t even close.
The lounge is huge and offers plenty of seating, along with a near-aerial perspective of Walt Disney World and cool views. The food is fantastic, especially breakfast, but it’s also very taste-specific. We enjoy the cuisine here a lot, but if you’re a family with picky eaters it may not be a good fit for you. This is unquestionably the best Club Level in terms of value for money, and even though Chronos Club isn’t as memorable as some others, it’s in the same league.
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
What do you think of Chronos Club? Does this lounge or its food look appealing or unappealing to you? If you’ve already stayed at Club Level at Gran Destino, what do you think of it? Do you agree or disagree with our review? 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!
We just stayed club level here and your food options look WORLDS better than ours. It wasn’t bad, but seeing what you got, I’m a little bummed for us now. We also had to go to a cast member for every alcoholic drink. Which…whatever, it’s fine. But that was something we didn’t love. I want to just pour myself a little glass of wine without talking to anyone sometimes. ha
We also were not greeted in the lobby, but we did online checkin, so maybe that’s why. Either way, loved looking at your photos! It really is a beautiful view from up there.
If you want to experience a really good family oriented club level with outstanding service and food, head over to the Royal Pacific resort at Universal.
We stayed there for the first time last summer and were so impressed.
We had an 8 month old baby with us, who couldn’t eat the flavored oatmeal that was available, so i asked if perhaps they had plain oatmeal for her.
They said sure, but apologized that it would take a few minutes.
About 5 minutes later they brought it in.
Turned out they brought it from the hotel’s la carte restaurant. It was a huge serving that costs $8 if you order it at the restaurant.
Every morning thereafter, when we walked into the lounge they immediately asked us if we would like the plain oatmeal and ran off to bring it for us. And asked if there was anything else special they might get for her.
They were so incredibly friendly and willing to go out of their way for all the guests.
It was just so impressive.
I was there in the middle of the day and saw the lounge host talking to a family that was just checking out and about to head out on the road.
She asked them what snacks they like (the kids and adults) and put together a care package consisting of many large bags full of different kinds of chips, candy bars and cookies. It was amazing!!
And she did the same for others on other days.
And they kept telling everyone in the lounge to please be sure to take drinks from the fridge with them to the parks.
And i should add the food was delicious (especially the dinner timeslot).
That’s so good to hear! I stayed Club Level at Royal Pacific in November 2022 and it was rather disappointing. Perhaps they were still short-staffed from covid stuff, but we hardly ever saw a staff member there, and the food options were underwhelming. Good to know it might be worth another try.
Can anyone tell me what the article means by “there is currently no special line-skipping option for Club Level guests, but we expect that to return in late 2024 or 2025 after pre-arrival Lightning Lanes debut.”? Is there a club level perk coming up that I am not aware of?
We just stayed at Club Level at Gran Destino (4th time staying 1st time this year). No greeting with iPad in the lobby or by anyone. Went up the elevator dropped luggage in room and went to Cronos Club Friday night. No pamphlet or offer of a mimosa or bloody mary like in the past. No beers in the refrigerator or wine in coolers on the counter anymore. The wine/beer nazi was very clear about what we could not do, without anyone asking her. The food available was scallops, meatballs, red sauce, pasta, bread, tomatoes for bread, cheeses, olives, meats, dill gherkins and gazpacho. The food and other customer service amazing! We reluctantly did get one drink each, being scolded we could only get two a person even though we did not ask. Otherwise the atmosphere was delightful! Modern decor with a touch of whimsy with the board games, books and toy box. The enormous windows with grand views of two parks is nice even on rain days. The desserts and cordials at fireworks were delightful! As well as breakfast with plentiful warm and cold options were delicious. The afternoon snack selection was nice but the dinner selection Saturday was amazing! Dinner was salmon, baby potatoes, mini corn dogs, breadfruit salad with green gazpacho soup. In occasion you can dine in the Club or take elsewhere. We love this Club’s ambiance, food options and most all of it’s customer service staff. Maybe bring back the iPad greeting in the lobby and loose the beer/wine nazi. Otherwise perfect!
wow, you just saved us some $$. We have been on the fence about whether or not to upgrade to the concierge. We have done the concierge at almost all the resorts (wilderness is the favorite and Grand Floridian the least fave). We like the hotel since it seems to have the least amount of kiddos and we are traveling without. We have a trip to the west coast this year too… doingf the Concierge at the Disneyland Hotel for 5 nights. Shall see how it compares. Thank you for the heads up.
Hi there, We too had the same two drinks per person line. However it was only two drinks per person at a time. You could always get more after. Like going to the pool you can’t just grab a bunch of beers.
We found Chronis club level to be superior to the one at Animal Kingdom. Chronos cast members are more helpful and knowledgeable and kinder. I felt like I was sitting in a hallway like an after thought club level at AK. AK is worn out looking as well. A lot of good food though. Chronos is cool and refreshing with great food and views of fireworks. Liked this one way more
Your hack about the lunchtime sandwich is spot on–and looks like a treat from an artisan sandwich shoppe! Good call.
Stayed at Gran Destino Tower last May before Chronos Club reopened and enjoyed the hotel. We are staying at club level this May and are looking forward to it. It looks like everything has reopened.
This looks fantastic. The single thing that might prevent me from booking is the fact that it closes at 10:00 pm. My husband works nights, and if we book a single hotel room rather than say a DVC 1 BR, he really needs a place to relax after my daughter and I turn in. If the lounge access remained open (naturally we don’t expect food and beverages in the middle of the night) I would definitely make it a point of staying there some time. Without 24 hour lounge access, I would only be able to stay here if my husband, for some reason, wasn’t with us.
Ok. So I was told to book this hotel for my bounce back Christmas 2020. I will be here with my 10 and 7 year old. Think is is not kid friendly enough? We just did Wilderness Lodge and it was TOO kid friendly for us. We had a room facing the courtyard and it was miserable because there was someone yelling all the time playing games. So we appreciate quiet but don’t want to make the kids feel like we are not anywhere near Disney. TIA!
We stayed for a week at Destino, Club Level. My kids were 9 and 11 at the time. We LOVED it. Chronos Club was outstanding in our opinion. The cast members make it a point to get to know you and take time to chat. The food (we did luck out with the lamb chops, twice) was fantastic. Minnie waffles at breakfast and real maple syrup!
We loved it so much we are going back. For reference, we have stated at Wilderness Lodge, Copper Creek, Yacht Club, Port Orleans FQ, Animal Kingdom, and Pop.
We just had 5 days vacation back from club level. We were excited to book after reading the review. And here came disappointment, the food selection was not as many as shown in the review, it was far less selection with the same menu for every day breakfast except eggs (2 days with the same menu) menu. As for desert, only cookies, and chocolate/strawberry mousse served in the glass for 5 nights straight, and that was all, no macaron, fancy chocolate or mousse in Mickey shell. However, we were impressed with the service how the staff go extra mile to ensure that you have a great trip at disney.
We are hoping on staying here in 2020. My husband and I are mostly water or Diet Coke drinkers. Is soda, specifically Diet Coke available at club level?
I stayed on the club level here for 2 weeks starting the 3rd week destino was open, yes diet coke was there.
The beer selection looks pretty good.
You had me rolling on the floor with three simple, but perfectly-placed words.
“As one does”
Classic Bricker!!
Beer selection seems better this year at all four Club Level lounges we’ve done. That’s potentially huge for guests who like to drink, but not the typical BMC.
I cannot wait to try it out…..heading there tomorrow!
This entire tower was definitely built for the Conference crowd who wound up in WDW, not the place they really wanted to go. It gave them a more adult place to hang out with the other people in their group and talk business if they wanted to.
I love these club reviews!! Thanks! We’ve stayed at Grand Floridian club before but not the others so this is so helpful!
So we stayed at the tower for three nights at the beginning of August using the Disney Visa Card discount. We tried unsuccessfully to have club level access added to our stay and were told they won’t do that. You need to book a club level room for that. So we went up and ‘tail- gated’ someone into the Chronos club to have a look around and spoke to the staff at the desk. Overall it seemed ok, the views were great, but O couldn’t see that I would enjoy lounging there as, like you said, it was just one big room. I have the same complaint about the club lounge at the Polynesian. It’s great to get breakfast, a snack, but not really conducive for sitting and relaxing for any length of time.
Maybe for the lower cost it might work, but for us, I think we prefer Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom lodge club levels for the relaxed atmosphere.