First things first, I must say that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is just that … GRAND! Since it was my “40th finale”, bestie M and I decided to finally knock something off of both of our Disney bucket lists and we booked a room at the Grand Floridian!! The Victorian-style resort is pristine and luxurious in every possible way.
The stunning five story lobby is both sumptuous and inviting. Like some of my other favorite Disney resorts, this one is a treat for the senses.
In the early afternoon you will find the grand pianist playing classic Disney tunes and friends and families relaxing in the many sitting areas.
You might even get to have a little waltz with Cindy and Charming!
The evenings are splendid with the orchestra playing ragtime, jazz and Disney classics. I might have had to wipe away a tear as we watched couples take the floor in the lobby below.
The resort is small and walkable. Our room overlooked the Courtyard Pool and was extremely nice!
We ate a couple of lunches at Gasparilla Island Grill on the patio overlooking the castle. Quick serve doesn’t get much better than this!
We squeezed in a LOT during our 48-hour whirlwind stay. I guess when your 10K is over before the sun comes up that leaves a lot of time :-) We hit up the Courtyard Pool for celebratory Bloody Mary’s.
Bestie M treated us to pedicures at the Senses Spa for my birthday!! She scheduled them for the afternoon after our race and it was such a wonderful indulgence!!! We made a whole afternoon of it, relaxing in the whirlpool, enjoying the eucalyptus steam room and lounging on the heated zero-gravity chairs.
Another thing we’ve both always wanted to do at Disney is high tea at the Garden View Tea Room. It was a wonderful and delicious experience that I’d highly recommend!!
On our first night, we had dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe. I enjoyed the fabulous pasta dish and bestie M had the steak. We shared the chocolate fondue for dessert. Everything was REALLY good and I’d say that this is an under-rated eatery.
On our last night, we had a late lunch over tea and a snack at Gasparillas so we didn’t make any formal dinner plans. Instead, we found fabulous spots at the bar at Citricos and rehashed the weekend over cocktails :-)
One of my favorite things about the Grand Floridian was being able to enjoy fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant by just walking a few steps out of our room! The view over the Seven Seas Lagoon was lovely and you can’t beat stepping out in your jammies to end your night with what feels like a private viewing of Wishes.
You could even see the tops of Illuminations from the same vantage point!
On the second night we discovered that we didn’t even need to take the few steps out of our room for Wishes… we had a spectacular view right from our balcony!!
It was a grand stay at the Grand and I really cannot wait for the opportunity to take my family back!!
Oh, and here a little “did you know” about the Grand… Princess Diana rented the entire fifth floor for Prince William and Prince Harry on their 1993 visit! Prince Harry was spotted there again this weekend as he traveled to Disney for the Invictus games!
xoxo
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I love the Grand Floridian! My husband and I went to DW for Spring Break when we were a new-ish couple in law school. He had money to travel more grandly, but I did not and we settled on DW and stayed at one of the all-stars. It was probably a strange choice for two young adults with no kids, but I had gone in my college girlfriends and knew it was a great trip I could afford. We went to tea at the Grand Floridian one day and discussed (very hypothetically) that THE way to do DW would be to stay at the GF with kids. It was there that I knew we would eventually be married, and 8 years later we did go there with our two sweet girls. We have been back many times with our girls and stayed at many other resorts, but the GF will always be a special place for me!
Such a sweet story! I stayed at an all star in college with my sorority big sis. I have such good memories from everywhere we’ve stayed but the Grand is really impressive. I really, really want to take the kids back too!
What fun! We loved that place. We stayed there the one (and only) time we took the boys to Disney. I know, I can’t believe we have only taken them once…am I even allowed to say that on your blog?!!! Time to plan another trip. I know exactly where I will be looking for suggestions…
Shelley
GF is my favorite at DW! Try the new DVC villas there as they are even more impressive than the regular hotel rooms :)
It sounds positively divine! xo
We have taken our grands and stayed at the Grand 5 times now. I admit its more for me ~ love that place! But the kids love the beach and it’s now “our” hotel at Disney. The fireworks from the patio are one of my favs, but it’s so close to just pop on the monorail and take them in in person too. We love eating at Gasparillas too. It is something to see at Christmas!
Love eating at Gasparilla’s and sitting outside by the water!
Thanks for this review! We are planning to stay here next summer (2017) and I can’t wait! I think they just redid the pool, too… but, I need to double-check that! The cheeses and little sandwiches with tea look divine!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Wow! Beautiful room and beautiful resort! The spa looks amazing! It is on my wish list for our next trip to WDW!
Awesome! My son and I spent eight glorious nights at the Grand for Mothers day in 2010 and I will never forget the luxury! Lori