Gran Destino Tower is now officially open to guests. We were the first guests to check in this morning just after 6am, and we wanted to give you a look at the lobby and the new arrival experience. One thing to note is that while the majority of the content you’ve likely seen so far has been from invited media on a free stay, we have paid out of pocket for our Gran Destino stay to give you the most honest review of our experiences.

Gran Destino now serves as the only check-in area for all of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying in the tower, or out in a Casita, you’ll check in at Gran Destino Tower. The check-in experience has been modified from a traditional line and desk, to a roaming check-in. While this isn’t the first Disney resort to use a roaming check-in process, it is the first to do it at such a scale. We’ll touch on that more in a bit. For now, let’s take a look around the lobby.

We see the ribbon-pattern that climbs the face of the building acts as a unifying element around the arrival experience.

Here’s a reverse of the above view, looking back toward the main doors.

Once inside, you’ll be greeted by Cast Members with iPads (as long as it isn’t 6am like the photos above).

The Cast Members will be able to handle about 90% of check-in cases on the iPads. There are lounging spaces that the Cast Members will take you to to complete the process. From couches to chairs to desk space, there are a variety of purpose-built areas for you to use.

Of course, there is a concierge/check-in area for tasks or requests that can’t be completed on the iPads.

The focal point of the lobby is the overlook that you get of the Barcelona Lounge area that serves as the lower lobby. We’ll have another tour in an upcoming post of the Barcelona Lounge and surrounding area, so keep an eye out for that!

Flanking the overlook above are two seating areas, complete with couches with built-in USB chargers and three-prong outlets.

Some decor elements around the lobby have Hidden Mickeys strewn throughout.

We’ll continue to review our experiences at Gran Destino Tower throughout the day, so make sure you keep checking back with us and follow along with our Instagram Stories!