Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

MOST UPDATED REVIEW HERE

First things first, I must say that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is just that … GRAND!  As the flagship resort of Walt Disney World, this victorian-style retreat is pristine and luxurious in every possible way.

You know you’re in for a treat on arrival, with the bellmen and lush gardens.

The lush Floridian theming carries across the pristine grounds.

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.

Christmas at Grand Floridian

Christmas is one of my favorite times at Grand Floridian, and they do it beautifully!

Transportation at Grand Floridian

You can’t ask for a more perfect location in the Magic Kingdom area. The iconic park is accessed by boat, monorail or a lovely walking path!

Epcot is accessible via monorail, while Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are a bus (or Uber!) away.

Accommodations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

There are a wide variety of room types at Grand Floridian.  You will find everything from standard rooms with two queen beds to studios to 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom grand villas. The resort also has two club level sections  – one in the Main Building with the orchestra and pianist and the second in an outer building.  All of the rooms are generous in size compared to any other resort on property, feature high end bathrooms and elegant linens and furnishings.

Outer Building Rooms

The standard room has two queen beds, a lovely bathroom, a small desk area and a balcony or patio.

IMG_9062
IMG_9093

Main Building Concierge Level Rooms & Suites

All rooms in the main building have access to the Royal Palm Club. There are specialty suites and regular hotel style rooms available.

Victorian Suite

This is the Victorian Suite, a one bedroom suite with a living room, dining area, bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms.

2 Bedroom Theme Park View Hospitality Suite

2 Bedroom Grand Suite

The Royal Palm Club is the best of best as far as concierge lounges are concerned. The lounge space overlooks the gorgeous Grand Floridian lobby and the Grand Orchestra and pianist. There are plenty of tables and a balcony to walk out on and enjoy the fireworks in the evenings.

Villa Rooms

In a separate building you will find the studios and 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom villas. There is a covered walkway connecting the main building (dining, shopping, monorail) to the villa building.

If you’re driving or using Minnie Vans and Uber like we tend to do, the villas have their own parking area and porte cochere as well.

Inside the villas building you will find a lovely lobby, as well as dedicated check-in and concierge cast members.

Grand Floridian Villas: Studio

My family loves staying in a studio, no matter the resort.  They kids are fine sleeping on pull-outs and then during the day it gives so much more space to move around without having a second queen bed in the room.  The studio at Grand Floridian has a queen bed, sleeper sofa and a pull down bed.  The other thing we love about this set up is that the boys each get their own bed.  Makes going to sleep at night so much easier!  These are the kind of things I help my clients with day in and day out!

Here you can see where the pull down stores when not in use…

… I adore the Dumbo sweet dreams when pulled down.

Studio accommodations also come with a kitchenette, including a microwave, toaster, coffee maker and mini fridge.

The kids are always wowed by the bathroom mirror tvs at Grand Floridian.  Who am I kidding… I love it as well :-)  The studio bathroom is a split style, which I also love.  You have a toilet and tub/shower combo on one side and a very nice shower and sink on the other side with a pocket door between.

There is really no bad view category at Grand Floridian.  You can get everything from garden to theme park!  We love having something nice to look out on from our room – even if just to have a quick breakfast out here or glass of wine before dinner while getting ready.

Grand Floridian Villas: 1 Bedroom

For our Grand Floridian resort stays in 2017 and 2018, we loved the 1 bedroom villa so much that it is our #1 type of room to stay in at Disney.  It is HUGE!!! 

You enter into a foyer area great for storing shoes and backpacks. The hallway connects the kitchen to the bathroom, with the laundry closet being on the right here.

There is a very generously sized living room and kitchen space.  It is so open, light and bright. 

Like in the studio, the living room has a sleeper sofa and pull down bed under the TV.

The banquette dining space was large and we were all able to spread out.  One thing I loved about the villa was the attention to detail in all of the wall hangings.

The 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom villas all have a full kitchen, as well as washer and dryer.

The master bedroom was also extremely spacious, with a king bed, chair, workspace, walk in closet and TV.

Like the studio, the 1-bedroom also has a split style bathroom – but it is about three times the size!  One section has a free standing tub and sink, while the other has a shower, toilet and sink.

This is an example of the lagoon view category. We really enjoyed our view in this villa – watching the boats and monorails by day and fireworks by night.

And this is an example of the standard view category.

Grand Floridian Villas: 2 Bedroom

We expanded into a 2-Bedroom Villa for our fall 2021 stay, having a couple of extra teens in tow! The 2-bedroom villa as the same set up as the 1-bedroom, but the second bedroom opens off of the den area  and has room to sleep 4 more plus another bathroom. 

The villa opens into a hallway, with the common areas just ahead. There is a full, eat in kitchen.

The living room has tons of comfy seating, a balcony, nostalgic art and a queen sleeper sofa and twin pull down. The villa sleeps 9 comfortably.

The master bedroom is spacious, with a king bed, tray celings, a work space and large balcony.

The ensuite is also massive, with a soaking tub and sink area, and separate space with a second vanity, toilet and shower.

Here is the second bedroom, with two queen beds and a split bath, consisting of a shower, two sinks, toilet and shower/tub combo! It opens onto the shared verandah and has gorgeous views.

The laundry room is functional, and the views (standard) are wonderful!

Dining at Grand Floridian

One of the wonderful benefits of staying at a deluxe resort is the fantastic array of dining choices.  Grand Floridian has it ALL.  From pool side to quick service facing the castle to character dining to the five diamond Victoria and Albert’s, no other resort can rival Grand Floridian.

Gasparilla Island Grill

The quick serve restaurant is one of my favorites because after you order they bring your food to your table.  They also have a Coke Freestyle machine, which I love.  There is ample dining inside, but we almost always take our food out to the patio overlooking the marina and Cinderella Castle. The food quality is excellent here and I’d rank it as one of the top quick serve dining locations in any resort. It is always quiet and I’ve never seen the crowds like at other resorts.

Enchanted Rose Lounge

The Enchanted Rose Lounge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort was a relatively new addition in late 2019. It is located on the upper level off of the main lobby and features four sophisticated spaces themed after the Disney live-action film. The details throughout are just wonderful! The main bar area glows from the light of a magnificent golden chandelier inspired by Belle’s flowing ball gown. There are lovely views of the Grand Floridian gardens from this perch.

Grand Floridian Cafe

Grand Floridian Cafe is a table service restaurant and, in my opinion, one of the most under-rated on property.  I just don’t think people think to eat here.  I fell in love with the salad on our last trip and we ended up coming back the next day to have it all again.  On previous trips I had the pasta and steak and both were very good.  They also have a wonderful breakfast in the morning.

Find a full review of Grand Floridian Cafe here:

Citricos

Citricos was also recently renovated and is just stunning!  The dress maker details and subtle Mary Poppins touches are absolute perfection. I’ve been for dinner twice and my favorite menu items are short ribs and scallops! On most trips, we also stop in to the lounge for a dessert and cocktail. It is usually a walk up and makes for a wonderful way to relax after a day in the parks.

Narcoossee’s

Narcoossee’s is another signature dining option at Grand Floridian, and quickly made it to the “best of the best” on our Disney dining list. It is located right on the water in the gazebo like structure sitting on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Our meal was excellent and the view spectacular. The menu primarily consists of seafood and steaks. We absolutely love watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks and Electric Water Pageant from our table.

Find a full review of Narcoossee’s here:

https://dixiedelightsonline.com/2022/01/narcoossees-restaurant-at-disneys-grand-floridian-resort.html

Victoria and Albert’s (not reopened)

I surprised Honey with dinner at Victoria and Albert’s for his 40th birthday.  This is one of the premier restaurants in the Southeast and the recipient of many, many awards.  It is terribly expensive, but is the nicest meal we’ve ever had and we STILL talk about it three years later!  So much so that John as asked if we will take him for his high school graduation.  We said college… maybe… :-)  If you are looking for the highest level of quality in a dining experience for a special celebration, THIS is the place!

Recreation at Grand Floridian

As far as recreation, there are two pools – the Courtyard Pool is large, has a zero entry, hot tubs, food service and a bar.  You will also find ping pong on the deck. It is usually very quiet here – no matter the time of day.

The Beach Pool overlooks the Seven Seas Lagoon and has a water slide, cabana rentals, dining and drinks.

The Alice in Wonderland kids splash area is located next to the Beach Pool and is fully gated.

The Grand Floridian is one of just 3 Walt Disney World Resort pools that offer cabana rentals. Learn more here:

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (not open)

A new addition to the Grand Floridian in 2019 was a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! This has been so convenient for many of my clients. Afterwards, there is a walk-up PhotoPass area for princess portraits.

Senses Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Grand Floridian is home to one of Disney’s two full service Senses Spa locations!   I’ve been for both a pedicure and a massage on separate occasions and had a wonderful experience both times. If you go, leave plenty of time to relax in the whirlpool, enjoy the eucalyptus steam room and lounge on the heated zero-gravity chairs.

IMG_9064
IMG_9067
IMG_8937
IMG_9079

Grills, Basketball and Tenns

Adjacent to the spa you will find outdoor grills (for the villas) as well as a basketball court.

Arcade

The Arcadia Games arcade periodically does a free arcade hour daily from 1-2PM.  My boys LOVE this! Be sure to check the resort activity guide for availability.

And, there are SO many more things to do here as well, including:

  • Boat rentals
  • Fishing excursions
  • Pirate Adventure Cruises for the kids
  • Private fireworks cruises
  • Movies under the stars
  • Campfires

I’ll leave you with two of my favorite things about Grand Floridian.  One being the monorail AND boat service to the Magic Kingdom, walking path to Polynesian, and reliable bus service to the other parks.

The other is being able to enjoy fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant either from our room or by just walking a few steps out of our room!  The view over the Seven Seas Lagoon is lovely and you can’t beat stepping out in your jammies to end your night with what feels like a private viewing of Happily Ever After.

It is always a grand stay at the Grand and I really cannot wait for the opportunity to go 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 in 2016 as he traveled to Disney for the Invictus games!

Let’s Travel & My Services

As a Premier Level Advisor with Glass Slipper Concierge, I am recognized for providing the highest level of customer service, experience, and knowledge in the industry.  I use my personal connections and firsthand expertise to craft bespoke Disney trips for the most discerning clients.  On top of that, Disney vacations are expensive and I know how to get the best value for your time and money.  If you’re looking to travel to Disney in 2022, NOW is the time to plan!

I personally visit the Walt Disney World theme parks at least once per month and continue to be blown away by the thoughtful, practical and comprehensive precautions Disney has in place to safely welcome guests and cast members. I don’t have all of the words to convey how special it feels to be back. We laughed, we played, we ate too much, and we felt a level of happiness we hadn’t had in too long. I can assure you, magic is there!

Most aspects of planning a Disney vacation look different and now, more than ever, it is crucial to have the most current, up to date information based on personal experience to plan your vacation!  I know these parks inside and out, I’ve used, tested and experienced Genie+, I’ve stayed in all of the resorts, and am a small, one woman show.  Let’s go there!

 Walt Disney World Resort Reviews

As Premier Level Advisor with Glass Slipper Concierge, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise LineDisneyland® Resort, Disney Aulani Hawaii, Universal, Sea World and to over 40 countries on 7 continents through Adventures by Disney® and National Geographic Expeditions.

[email protected]
Learn More About My Services
Consultation Request

Disney by Destination | Everything Disney

DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED

2 thoughts on “Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

  1. Fun looking at new pictures of the Grand Floridian. To be honest, I’m not a real Disney person and I guess I can be a bit frugal! But 20 years ago when our son was 6 and my mother’s health had started to decline my husband secretly booked a 12 day trip for the 4 of us. We had a 2 bedroom suite at the Grand Floridian. It was truly spectacular. On days when my mother wasn’t up to the parks she loved staying back in the gorgeous suite. We would never have been comfortable leaving my mother behind in an average hotel room. (She wouldn’t have minded!) She needed oxygen at night and the hotel accommodated everything flawlessly. It’s one of my best memories. And worth every single penny!! Don’t hesitate!

Leave a Reply to dixiedelights Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *