RIVIERA or GRAN DESTINO

[E2ME2]

Looking for opinions on which is your favorite. We toured the Riviera right after it opened, and it did not have the appeal that it has for so many others. Don’t get me wrong; it’s a beautiful facility, but we’re not Skyliner fans, and we own at BCV & BWV, so the park proximity there is unbeatable.
We stopped at the Gran Destino tower to check it out, and we fell in love with it! The facade is Gorgeous, and the lighting makes it so attractive, especially the holiday lighting. The view of Orlando from the terrace is amazing. We also love the lobby layout and the decor. We also like the adjoining facilities at Coronado Springs.
So GRAN DESTINO beats RIVIERA, in our book.
I’m anxious to hear others views….

 

[DVCsloth]

We had the tower booked for a weekend visit a couple years ago but changed to a cash stay at OKW. Ever since we started to stay at the DVC resorts, we have gotten spoiled, I would always pick DVC over non DVC. Never stayed at Grand Destino and it looks very nice, but I would choose Riviera over it without question. Just my opinion and nothing against Coranado, it's the first resort we stayed at that got us back into going to Disney and we loved it!

Edit: We almost always stay on points, so if we were doing a cash stay, I don't think I would always choose DVC if it was way more expensive.

 

[Stargazer65]

We walked around Gran Destino Tower as well as the rest of Coronado Springs when we ate at the excellent Maya Grill. It is super nice. I guess the only drawbacks are it's treated as a non DVC moderate resort so the accommodation probably can't compare to DVC villas, and it's a little more isolated with only bus transportation to get elsewhere. I haven't actually stayed at Riviera (until next month), but have walked around extensively. I can't really claim a favorite, I think the grounds of Riviera and Gran Destino tower are definitely comparable.

 

[DVCsloth]

I remember when we stayed there years ago and we went to the Maya Grill for early dinner, the restaurant was almost empty, so we were a little worried it wasn't going to be good, but it turned out to be really good.

 

[Stargazer65]

I remember when we stayed there years ago and we went to the Maya Grill for early dinner, the restaurant was almost empty, so we were a little worried it wasn't going to be good, but it turned out to be really good.

I think it's underrated. It's off the beaten path so it's a little hard to get to by transportation. That's also probably why fewer people go.

 

[gmi3804]

Some people don't like the lack of balconies in the rooms, or the fact that's is just a studio hotel room. Neither would bother me. I find the location quite nice, actually, almost equidistant from every park, with a slight edge to AK.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

We own Riviera and toured Grand Destino, ate at Toledos, liked it very much. I'd love it if GD became DVC with a dedicated Skyliner station. IDK if we'd buy in, but we'd definitely love to try it out!

 

[DeeBee3]

We just stayed at Riviera and loved it. Loved the facility and skyliner. I could see if you don't like that mode of transportation, then it would be off your list. My kids even loved the pools.

I have never stayed at Gran Destino since we own DVC. It looks very nice and I would go there to eat, etc but we wouldn't pay additional money to stay on property.

 

[take36]

Club level options at gran destino! Their presidential suite looks as good as any other suite as well

 

[Pens Fan]

We visited Coronado Springs last year and were quite impressed. It's a a gorgeous resort. We stayed at Riviera a month later and yeah - sorry Riviera fans - but there is no comparison. Grand Destino is stunning. We had gone over to do the sangria university event which was a blast. Afterwards we just wandered around waiting for Three Bridges to open up for dinner. Dahlia lounge wasn't open but we were able to go up and step out on the balcony - what a view! We ended up hanging out at the Barcelona lounge and had the best time chatting with the bartenders. Dinner at Three Bridges was also fantastic - both food and service. Yes, that burger is as good as everyone says! I've heard great things about Toledo and would love to try it sometime. The biggest negative to GD is it's not really near anything. We took a Lyft back and forth to our hotel. Riviera wins for location by a landslide, but then we love the skyliner. If that's not your thing then location is probably a wash.

Overall, Coronado Springs in general is a fantastic resort and GD is the icing on the cake. However, we won't stay there as we prefer to use our points and we also mostly book 1 or 2 BR villas so don't want to settle for a hotel room. But it's fun to visit the lounges and restaurants and just wander around the beautiful property.

 

[Pens Fan]

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[beccasmom]

We almost always do all DVC because we enjoy the larger units. And we do like RR a lot despite our initial reluctance to stay there. (IMO photos don’t do it justice.) I’m also not much of a studio fan, but the studios there are quite nice. We’ll be there for 4 nights in November, but in a one-bedroom unit this time.

Once in a while we will also book a short concierge-level 2-3 night stay. Because we don’t care for the renovated rooms in CR’s Atrium floor, we’ve been looking at a few other resorts and GD has repeatedly been considered. So we do hope to check it out some day because I’ve heard many positive comments about it.

 

[RuntheMouse]

Some people don't like the lack of balconies in the rooms, or the fact that's is just a studio hotel room.

Love GDT but the lack of balcony is a negative for me. Other than that I totally get your preference. It’s a great resort with amazing grounds and dining. Three Bridges and Toledo are two of my favorite places to eat on property.