If you've stayed at Deluxe Resorts...and then stayed at Gran Destino Tower

[ErinsMommy]

Did it feel like a drop-off in transportation, room size, food options and pool?

Also I saw previous posts that says the furthest distance for the bus is to MK. How close is it to DHS and just how long of a bus ride is it to MK?

We're currently booked at the Yacht Club (club level) and since its a short 5 day trip we're back and forth on considering Gran Destino because of the substantial $$ savings.

 

[MrPTato]

Curious as well...staying here for 2 nights after our AKL/Poly stay.

 

[SarahC97]

Truthfully, the rooms at CSR are nicer than some of the rooms I've stayed in at deluxe resorts. They're beautiful and functional. The Gran Destino has all the things I personally like about deluxes such as interior hallways but the rooms do not have balconies. I wouldn't say it's that far from MK -- maybe 15 minutes? CSR, in general, is a very centrally-located resort, so it's easy to get to all of the other parks within about 10 minutes. I never noticed much of an issue when it comes to getting where you need to go on the buses from there. I would consider this resort "Deluxe Lite" because it has so many of the amenities of a deluxe but with a slightly farther location and smaller price tag. I enjoy it!

 

[Scubadaddy32]

The rooms are great at GDT, we stayed at AKL in May in a newly remodeled room and then at GDT in Sept., they were very close in size and configured basically the same.
The pool at CSR is a little walk away from GDT, but the main pool is great and themed very well with a terrific slide.
CRS is just 2 or 3 miles from HS, EPCOT and AK. AK is to the right when you exit CRS and the rest of the parks are to the left.
The transportation isn't great because they have 4 bus stops around the resort, but we just Uber everywhere. (I did hear that they were dedicating departure buses from GDT to the parks, but they weren't when we were there.) 15-20 minute bus ride to MK max. CRS is 4.5 miles away from MK.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Thank you all so much! @Scubadaddy32 - is the slide size appropriate for a teen? Or on the smaller side? She LOVES the Poly pool but the Poly is just not in our budget as its even more than the YC.

 

[SarahC97]

Thank you all so much! @Scubadaddy32 - is the slide size appropriate for a teen? Or on the smaller side? She LOVES the Poly pool but the Poly is just not in our budget as its even more than the YC.

The pool slide at CSR is great for teens. I think that behind Stormalong Bay, it's one of the best pools on property and has a great slide.

 

[ErinsMommy]

The pool slide at CSR is great for teens. I think that behind Stormalong Bay, it's one of the best pools on property and has a great slide.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Farro]

We switched our 9 night trip in May from Yacht Club to Gran Destino due to the ridiculously lower cost! Has everything we want (new, gorgeous, modern, indoor corridors, just about roof-top bars, restaurants, sprawling resort with places to walk and explore, big pool, quiet pools) that we look for in a Deluxe outside of location. We will see how that plays out. If the bus is annoying me, I'll just call an Uber!

At first I was nervous, but now I'm just super excited to try it out.

 

[xlsm]

My stay at Destino in September was my first non-deluxe stay (not including a couple nights at values before switching to a deluxe, b/c we tacked on an extra night to a trip).

The resort feels very deluxe, aside from the fact that I felt very removed from Disney. It felt offsite to me. Not in theme or anything, that is all spectacular, and I loved the resort overall, but it just didn't feel the same to me. And I've stayed at AKL and Kidani, so it wasn't that. I don't know how to explain it, but I did not feel "in the bubble" like I usually do.

I thought not having a balcony would be a problem, but I only missed it a little bit. My room was a water view room and the view was beautiful. Restaurant/food/bar options are all great. The bus stop for Destino is very convenient, and grabbing uber/lyft/minnie van is super simple (we did all of those things)

I would stay there again on an adults trip...the pool seemed pretty far away, not sure my teens would want to make the trek back and forth.

 

[Gehrig1B]

The Gran Destino felt deluxe but I would not trade it for an Epcot or MK resort simply due to proximity to parks. There is something about being able to walk, boat, monorail to a park(s) in less than 10 minutes without waiting for buses... especially when hopping or at the end of a long day. Unless the savings are extraordinary, the ability to peruse the Boardwalk, walk to Epcot, boat or Skyliner to DHS would trump the necessity to use a rideshare or bus from Coronado, for me. Three Rivers Grill is a favorite at Coronado!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Every resort that is not an MK resort is going to be a little further to MK. If you look at a real map of campus, you'll see MK is its own corner. CSR is very central to the other 3 parks.

 

[Alison S]

Did it feel like a drop-off in transportation, room size, food options and pool?

Also I saw previous posts that says the furthest distance for the bus is to MK. How close is it to DHS and just how long of a bus ride is it to MK?

We're currently booked at the Yacht Club (club level) and since its a short 5 day trip we're back and forth on considering Gran Destino because of the substantial $$ savings.

Stayed in a studio at the poly last year and CL GDT last month.

Transportation: better from CSR. I liked that it was close to 3 parks vs Poly just being close to 1. Felt very central Bus service was great.
Room size: LOVED the GDT standard room. Seemed less cramped that the studio, lots of closet/drawer space and of course, brand new. Poly was dark and kinda dingy.
Food: Mostly ate at the lounge and the pool bar. One at the QS. Poly's food was a bit better (more creative and interesting options). My kid was quite happy either way. I loved the CL lounge.
Pool: I preferred the atmosphere at the poly, but there was nothing wrong with CSR. It had a bigger hot tub too. The poly has a great spray park area for little kids.

 

[cwestpvb]

I stayed at GDT for a night a few months ago and really enjoyed it! We are primarily yacht club people, and I'd still pay the premium to stay there over GDT since I prefer the smaller resort and proximity to parks, but if the price was too high for YC or another deluxe it would easily be my next choice. Room size was fine, there's just not a balcony and the bathroom layout isn't as convenient. Food at CS is hit or miss in general, but there is an actual QS there unlike yacht club. We never used the bus transportation, but I frequently saw LOTS of people waiting at the stops. The bus at YC seemed much easier and a lot less crowded.

 

[kylenne]

Every resort that is not an MK resort is going to be a little further to MK. If you look at a real map of campus, you'll see MK is its own corner. CSR is very central to the other 3 parks.

This is very true. But there's pros and cons to everything. On paper POFQ/POR is a lot more centrally located than the Poly, but I found out on my August trip that it doesn't necessarily translate to shorter commutes. The fact that it's technically closer to more parks doesn't mean it's going to take less time to get there if you're staying at a resort with a bunch of internal stops before you even get on the road to the parks.

We never used the bus transportation, but I frequently saw LOTS of people waiting at the stops. The bus at YC seemed much easier and a lot less crowded.

This is another thing that people tend to overlook in these discussions. From a pure numbers standpoint, you've got way more people at Mods vs. Deluxes. Yes, most Deluxes also share buses, but those lines aren't going to be as long as buses for Mods. That made a big difference to me at the end of a night.

 

[Farro]

None of the resorts locations are worth paying over $600 a night when you are staying 9 nights. At least not to me and we used to always stay Yacht/Beach. Tried Poly, didn't really like it and the cost was astronomical.
That's why Gran Destino is such a great option. (until they keep reading how much people rave about it and bump up the prices!)

 

[ErinsMommy]

Thank you so much everyone. Very helpful

 

[paladin]

Just got back from a 7 night stay stay at the Gran Destino and we loved it. We have stayed at WL, AKL, BWV, BWI, BC and this is now our favorite. Because of the price, we got a deluxe suite with club access and it was great. Lots of room plus a bath and a half. Club was great and cast members were wonderful. Of course, you won't be able to walk to Epcot (which is something we always loved) or take the boat to DHS, so it depends on how important that is to you.

 

[stinkpickle]

We just got back from a Gran Destino/Poly split stay. Although we liked Poly better, I don't think it was worth the price difference. Our DS (13) actually liked the pools at CSR better.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We’ve stayed mostly deluxe and often CL - as I believe you have as well from your posts I’ve seen over time on the DIS. We stayed GDT (CL) for the Wine & Dine Half weekend back in October.

Loved the experience, no complaints whatsoever. We had never been to CS before but we left saying we’d absolutely be back. We had friends in one of the outer buildings so speant quite a bit of time on the grounds walking around. It’s an incredibly beautiful resort all around. Food/dining options are abundant.

I didn’t really consider it any different than a deluxe stay, at least in any material way. Transportation is like AKL in the sense that bus is your only option, but it’s easily manageable. Sometimes GDT had a dedicated bus and sometimes it hit all of the CS stops - not sure of the pattern.

CS is actually quite central and is a relatively straight to shot to nearly every park - more than I would have ever appreciated prior to staying there.

@xlsm’s comment about being “out of the bubble” is interesting. I’m not sure if I agree with that exact phrasing, but I understand where they are coming from. I didn’t feel ‘out of the bubble’ but it was a different experience. Although one we enjoyed quite a bit.

And based on what we paid, it was a great value - relatively speaking.

Just one person’s opinion, but hope that helps!

 

[vinotinto]

We stayed at CSR in October. It’s a great option for the price. Its not as big as POR, very short walks from anywhere to anywhere. Nice restaurants, pool, bars. It costs a lot less than the deluxes and has some really nice things going for it. I will *definitely* return!

Having said that, it didn’t feel as “Disney” as other (deluxe) resorts. And they catered more to groups than other (deluxe) resorts. Buses were awful. We ubered 5 times in a 4 night trip. Transportation has been a lot better for us at AKL.. If those things are ok with you, I would highly recommend it.