Destino I: Lobby view with the sun streaming in from the tower's large rear windows.
Destino II: Lit detail in the walls of the tower lobby.
Destino III: View of the tower from a beach and hammock at Coronado Springs. Details are purposefully blurred in the distance into an almost painted effect.
* * * * * * *
In the 1940s, Walt Disney teamed up with Salvador Dalí to create an animated short called Destino. Dalí worked on the project closely with Disney artist and legend John Hench, but after some time, whether because Walt decided the project was a little too out there for his audience or because of the financial constraints of the war or a little of both, the project was ultimately shelved.
But no good idea is abandoned forever, especially not at Disney. Decades later, Walt’s nephew revived the project and a team came together to release a 6-minute animated short called Destino (named for its featured song) in 2003. The team referenced Dalí and Hench’s old storyboards for the project and the result is, indeed, very Dalí-esque.
And then in the next decade, when Disney decided to expand Coronado Springs Resort, they drew direct inspiration from the Destino short and the odd pairing of Walt’s and Dalí’s very different creative minds. The new tower, named Gran Destino, is filled with Spanish architecture and surrealist art.
And fun fact, Dahlia Lounge, the lounge on the tower’s 16th floor, is named for Destino’s main female character. The short is a love story about longing and the connection between Chronos, representing time, and Dahlia, the woman he loves. You’ll see artistic motifs drawn from the film throughout the Lounge.