CSR towers vs regular room

HollyMD

DIS Veteran
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Jan 6, 2016
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I feel this has probably been asked and answered a million times, and I promise I searched and just couldn’t find anything. How are the towers compared to casitas and cabanas? Do the towers seem more like any other hotel in the US? Or is there a special draw to them(other than proximity)? Trying to decide between the two but feel like I wouldn’t be happy in the towers, as they look so generic to me.
 
I feel this has probably been asked and answered a million times, and I promise I searched and just couldn’t find anything. How are the towers compared to casitas and cabanas? Do the towers seem more like any other hotel in the US? Or is there a special draw to them(other than proximity)? Trying to decide between the two but feel like I wouldn’t be happy in the towers, as they look so generic to me.

From pictures, the decor is very similar in the Tower and the regular rooms. Tower a touch more "subdued" in the Disney area.
The Tower obviously has indoor corridors.
The Tower isn't any closer to the parks than the regular rooms.

We chose the Tower due to indoor corridor, it's still new, better views, gorgeous (in our opinion), proximity to the bars/restaurant in the Tower and covered walkway to food court, store and other restaurants.
 
Gran Destino Tower rooms vs regular CSR rooms are in some ways sort of apples and oranges in my book. GDT is arguably a deluxe masquerading in a moderate resort. The rooms are new, spacious, clean and very warm (in my opinion). I find the overall GDT building breathtakingly beautiful and having everything you need under one roof is very convenient. The backstory of the Walt / Salvador Dali connection and how it's woven into the the building and architecture is actually quite interesting, especially if you're a Walt fan. People give Disney grief for all the IP infusion at other places, but GDT is like a brand new example of the exact opposite. If the rooms had balconies I would consider it pretty close to perfect (the fact they opted not to do balconies does make it feel a little generic, perhaps - I do think they cheap'd out on that part). I guess maybe 'generic' = a good conference hotel/resort that may have broader appeal, but to me it works.

Obviously with the regular rooms you have external hallways and some can be further from the main building/amenities, if that's important to you. I like them too, it's just a different setup (and I prefer indoor hallways).
 

Gran Destino Tower rooms vs regular CSR rooms are in some ways sort of apples and oranges in my book. GDT is arguably a deluxe masquerading in a moderate resort. The rooms are new, spacious, clean and very warm (in my opinion). I find the overall GDT building breathtakingly beautiful and having everything you need under one roof is very convenient. The backstory of the Walt / Salvador Dali connection and how it's woven into the the building and architecture is actually quite interesting, especially if you're a Walt fan. People give Disney grief for all the IP infusion at other places, but GDT is like a brand new example of the exact opposite. If the rooms had balconies I would consider it pretty close to perfect (the fact they opted not to do balconies does make it feel a little generic, perhaps - I do think they cheap'd out on that part). I guess maybe 'generic' = a good conference hotel/resort that may have broader appeal, but to me it works.

Obviously with the regular rooms you have external hallways and some can be further from the main building/amenities, if that's important to you. I like them too, it's just a different setup (and I prefer indoor hallways).

We basically said the same thing. 😉 😂 (but really, great description!)
 
The bathroom layout is different. In the tower the sink and shower are in the same room, so you can't have one person showering and another getting ready at the same time. In the regular rooms the sinks are outside the room with the toilet and shower.
 
Also in terms of bus stops, if I'm remembering correctly the GDT stop is last (except for DS)... which is not an inconsequential detail (especially now). It usually works itself out, but it's perhaps not without an occasional flaw from a guest experience perspective.
 
Oh no - I was making fun of my post, your description was a lot better than mine! I wouldn't book based on mine, but I would based on yours! :rotfl:

LOL - ok, well I'll say something bad about GDT just to keep it balanced. I'm convinced there are gremlins in the fire system in the tower. Every room we've had has had what I can best describe as an electrical buzz coming from the annunciator thing on the wall. It's not all that obvious during the day when the HVAC is on and there is generally more ambient noise - but I distinctly notice it at night when things get quieter. It's actually a little borderline maddening. But my DW says she doesn't hear anything and that I'm crazy.... so obviously YMMV! :rotfl:
 
Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but the views from the tower, especially the upper floors, can be really nice. Ask for a room facing Epcot/DHS.
 
Tower rooms are better - hands down! You won’t lose any of the Disney feel - it’s just more upscale at an affordable price. Plus you are closer to the restaurants and main/front bus stop.
Gran Destino Tower is a major diamond in the rough for Disney resorts!
 
We love the tower, but we also do not vacation with children, so YMMV. Not having a bathtub/shower combo is fantastic for us, but if I were bathing littles, it might not be so. I also love the ability to get to everything I need without going outside which is helpful if it is rainy, or hot, or love bug season.
 
I've never stayed in any of the original CSR rooms, but I cannot say enough good things about GDT. It definitely still felt Disney and non-generic to me and is just a beautiful hotel regardless. Echoing what @GADisneyDad14 said, GDT gives you 80% of the deluxe experience for a much more reasonable price.

To me, the decision mostly comes down to the price on your particular dates and how much you're willing to pay for the deluxe-lite experience. When we're going down and with the Disney Visa discount, it's only about a $30/night difference between the two (comparing standard views). For my money, that's about as close as it gets to stealing from the Mouse.
 
I can't speak to the Tower rooms, but we've always liked our room in Casitas when we've stayed in the past. The only gripe I had is that with the hard floors, we could hear the person above us every time they walked. One night they walked in what sounded like high heels, so the noise was prevalent. If you opt for a standard (non-tower) room, I would request top floor.
 
On our last trip we stayed one night in the casitas and one night in the tower.
One thing I noticed was it was easier for us to catch a bus from the tower..
The regular room was very similar to our room at pop to be honest.. just a little more room between the bed and tv/dresser. They moved us to the tower because we had an issue with our room.
(we were the first people in since March)
The tower had beautiful rooms and a great view.
They had movies on the lawn and the pool was close.
 
Are tower rooms the same size as the other resort rooms?
 













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