In the tower’s lower lobby, the Barcelona Lounge transports you to Spain with its Gaudi-like décor.
Tapas, steaks and Spanish-style seafood are served in Toledo on the top floor of the Gran Destino Tower.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 159
The tower brings a Spanish influence
to the resort’s previous Colonial
and ancient Mexican and American
Southwest features, such as the Lost
City of Cibola pool with its 50-foot-high
replica of a Mayan pyramid and dig site.
It also includes new amenities such as
Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries with its
artistic offerings, Café Rix, Rix Sports
Bar & Grill, and the El Mercado quick
service dining area.
Most Disney resorts are four stories
or less, apart from the Contemporary
Resort and the 15-story Bay Lake Tower
at the Contemporary Resort. Gran
Destino Tower’s 16-story-high building
has spectacular views overlooking the
Disney parks. (Yes, you can see the
fireworks from here.) Gran Destino
Tower’s design is Catalan Modern for
lack of a better phrase, but at the same
time, it is Disney at its best in color design
and creativity. The stunning two-storyhigh
lobby’s Barcelona Lounge is a
tribute to the ideas of Antoni Gaudí, the
architect who made Barcelona famous
for the buildings he designed. Another
influence throughout is Salvador Dalí,
the Spanish surrealist painter who created
a six-minute animated film with Walt
Disney called Destino for which the Tower
is named, and of course, it is filled with
hidden Mickeys.