A new tower has magically appeared in the heart of the beautiful Coronado Springs Resort, located right near Walt Disney World. The Gran Destino Tower, which is the kick-off to Disney’s re-imagination of the Coronado Springs Resort, has officially opened its doors for guests on July 9th…and I had the pleasure of being hosted by Disney to be one of the very few media guests to take a sneak peek inside. Go big or go home…seems to be the motto for Disney now ah days, because the Gran Destino tower was absolutely massive!

Guests definitely don’t have to worry about overcrowding in this tower. The new Gran Destino tower offers an array of amenities, hotel suites and rooms…as well as a full all-day bar in the lobby. The word Coronado—which is actually Spanish and means the “Brown One” in the native language—goes perfectly with intricate Spanish-like architecture throughout the grounds. From Spanish arches to a mayan-styled pool—I mean, isn’t it absolutely gorgeous—guests truly feel the essence of the Spanish culture throughout the entire hotel.

As I entered the hotel, I was immediately in awe of the gorgeous lobby. The chandelier ceiling shot-up nearly a 100 feet high and beautiful light fixtures and artwork hung from the ceilings and walls. I just couldn’t help but to snap a few photos.

Comfortable white lounge chairs and a fully-serviced bar called Barcelona was available for my indulgence.

After roaming the lobby, I was instantly greeted by Disney’s world-renowned PR team. I was then swiftly taken to my hotel room suite. The room was impeccable and completely brand new. Each hotel suite is designed with Spanish accents in mind. From the colors of the furniture and decor, down to the hand-picked curtains, it seems as though every piece of furniture was specifically picked out to maintain the continuity of the entire resort. The designs are a cohesive emergence of Mexico, Spain and the American Southwest culture.

Like most would do after checking into a gorgeous resort, I decided to take a tour around many of the photogenic locations. From fountains to beautiful greenery, Disney just never disappoints when it comes to the aspect of design.

Once I finished roaming the grounds I decided to take a pit stop at some of the available food spots the resort had to offer. The first one I stopped at was Toledo, a tapas, steak & seafood restaurant. As I entered the restaurant, my eye immediately latched onto the beautiful ceiling mosaic. It encompassed beautiful stained glasses with colorful accents and sophisticated metal beams that criss-crossed alongside them. The glamorous ceiling designs ricocheted into the entire restaurant and made for a rather dashing night.

The resort sits between the Epcot Resort area and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Since there aren’t many structures on the Disney grounds as tall as the Gran Destino Tower, the scenery from high-numbered hotel suites and rooftop restaurants present a beautiful view for guests to bask in. Another one of my favorite restaurants within the tower is the Dahlia lounge, which is located on the same floor as the Toledo—the 16th.

Dahlia, named after a woman in an independent film, sports beautiful dimmed lighting and panoramic windows that stretch from the very beginning to the very end of the lounge. Guests are even able to step outside onto the terrace and bask in the beautiful view of other theme parks—I was able to see Cinderella’s castle from Magic Kingdom and the beautiful Tree of Life from Animal Kingdom. What a magnificent skyline!

A third food spot located on the grounds is called the Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago. This spot consists of a menu with full entrees, small appetizers, various beverages and grilled items. After stuffing my face, I then decided to watch a few of the talented artists within the resort’s grounds. I mean there were literally artists scattered all around the resort…just painting—amazing! Some were actually paining the entirety of the Gran Destino Tower, while others were painting beautiful combinations of various Spanish designs.

The tower also hosts multiple ballrooms and conference rooms for business purposes as well. With the massive grounds and available square-feet, the possibility are endless for Disney. As I concluded my adventures throughout the resort for the day, I swiftly dashed to my hotel room to get ready for a night of mingling and deserts.

The PR team for Coronado Springs Resort hosted a night of gathering to welcome their media guests to the resort’s newest tower. Small bites and delicious Hors d’oeuvres were available for us to nibble on.

Many of Dinsey’s executives and speakers gave us a thorough rundown of how the tower manifested itself and all the amenities it offered. I ended the night off with a nightcap by watching many of the resorts on-demand Disney Movies in my hotel room—because you can’t stay at a Disney resort and not watch a Disney movie. Thank you again to the entire Disney team for allowing me to experience the magic the Gran Destino Tower has to offer at Coronado Springs Resort. I can almost guarantee I’ll be back, but this time…I’ll make sure to touchup on my Spanish a bit. – David Plowden, David’s Manor.

See below a full list of amenities, recreation activities and dinning options you might want to indulge in at your next stay at Coronado Springs Resort: