I’ve stayed at just about every type of accommodation Walt Disney World has to offer, and if you ask me where I’d stay if I could choose purely based on the experience, my answer is easy: Royal Palm Club at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
I stay other places because it’s my job to experience them for clients, but sometimes I really wish I didn’t have to. Ha!
Royal Palm Club is my favorite Club Level experience at Walt Disney World and, in my opinion, the very best Disney does. I’ve stayed here multiple times, and our most recent visit only reinforced that opinion.
What makes it so special is that it truly feels like a resort within a resort. While other Disney Deluxe Resorts offer Club Level accommodations, Royal Palm Club is unique in that the entire Main Building of the Grand Floridian is dedicated to the Club Level experience. From the moment you arrive, it feels separate, special and incredibly convenient.
The Royal Palm Club Experience
Your Royal Palm Club experience begins as soon as you arrive at the Grand Floridian. Rather than simply checking in and heading to your room, you’ll be welcomed at the Royal Palm Club podium before taking the dedicated elevators upstairs.
When we arrived, we were greeted with the Club’s signature non-alcoholic welcome drink and immediately felt like our vacation had begun.
That level of service continued throughout our stay. The Cast Members were attentive without hovering and, by our first evening, already knew us by name. Those are the sorts of little details that separate a nice hotel stay from a truly memorable one.
There were thoughtful practical touches too, like refillable bottles of water that we could grab on our way out to the parks. Nothing particularly extravagant, but exactly the sort of thing you appreciate when you’re heading into a long Disney day.
That Two-Story Lounge
The Royal Palm Club lounge is what really sets this experience apart for me.
The beautiful two-story space overlooks the Grand Floridian’s magnificent lobby, so you never feel tucked away in a little hotel lounge somewhere. You’re still very much part of everything happening downstairs while having your own private space above it all.
Throughout the day, the sounds of the Grand Floridian’s pianist drift up from the lobby. I could happily sit there with a book or a drink and never go anywhere else.
In the evening, it gets even better.
The balconies overlook Magic Kingdom, making them a lovely spot for nighttime fireworks viewing. There is something pretty fabulous about pouring a glass of wine or bubbles, stepping outside and watching the fireworks from the comfort of Royal Palm Club rather than standing in a crowd.
This is Disney vacationing at its very best.
Food Throughout the Day
One of the questions I get most often about Disney Club Level is whether the food is substantial enough to make a difference in your dining plans. At Royal Palm Club, I absolutely think it can be.
The lounge offers food and beverages throughout the day, beginning with breakfast and continuing through daytime snacks, evening appetizers and desserts.
And these aren’t simply bowls of packaged snacks and a few pastries.
Breakfast includes both hot and cold offerings, making it very easy to have a proper breakfast before heading to the parks. We loved being able to get up, walk into the lounge and eat without making a reservation or building another stop into our morning.
The evening offerings are similarly hearty, with both hot and cold dishes. Depending on how your family eats, I wouldn’t necessarily plan a table-service dinner every single night when staying here. An evening in the lounge enjoying appetizers and drinks followed by dessert can be a pretty wonderful dinner in itself.
Throughout the day there are lighter snacks and drinks available, and then the evening concludes with desserts and cordials. It becomes such an easy rhythm: breakfast before the parks, a snack when you come back for an afternoon break, appetizers and wine before dinner and perhaps dessert when you return for the night.
And because you’re staying right there, taking advantage of it never feels inconvenient.
The Best Location at the Grand Floridian
Location is another enormous part of Royal Palm Club’s appeal.
All of the Royal Palm Club rooms are located in the Grand Floridian’s Main Building, which means you aren’t walking outside or across the resort every time you want to visit the lounge. Your room, Club Lounge and so much of what makes the Grand Floridian special are all under one roof.
You’re also right there with the resort’s restaurants, lounges and shops, and the monorail station is in the building. You can leave your room, take the elevator downstairs and be on your way to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT without ever stepping outside until it’s time to board.
For a Disney vacation, that level of convenience is hard to overstate.
It is especially wonderful at the end of a long park day when you’ve reached the point where every additional step feels deeply personal.
Is Royal Palm Club Worth It?
This is where my answer has to be a little more nuanced because Club Level is unquestionably a splurge, and whether it’s worth the additional cost depends on how you travel.
If you plan to leave first thing every morning, spend 14 hours in the parks and return only to sleep, I wouldn’t spend the money. You simply won’t be there enough to enjoy what you’re paying for.
But if the resort is part of your vacation, Royal Palm Club is an entirely different story.
I particularly love it for guests who build afternoon breaks into their park days, families who enjoy spending time at the resort, couples looking for a more elevated Disney experience and anyone who appreciates the convenience of having breakfast, snacks, drinks and evening offerings steps from their room.
I also think the value is about much more than adding up the cost of breakfast, wine and appetizers to determine whether you’ve “gotten your money’s worth.” You’re paying for the location, service, convenience and experience too.
And this is very much an experience.
My Favorite Club Level at Walt Disney World
I’ve experienced Disney in just about every way imaginable over the years, and Royal Palm Club remains my favorite.
The Grand Floridian is already a special resort, but staying in the Main Building at Royal Palm Club elevates the entire experience. The piano music floating into the lounge, the Cast Members greeting you by name, breakfast waiting in the morning, a bottle of water handed to you on the way to the parks and a glass of bubbles overlooking Magic Kingdom fireworks at night are all little things individually.
Together, they’re what make Royal Palm Club feel so different.
For me, it’s a 10 out of 10 and the best Club Level experience you’ll find at Walt Disney World.
I’ll continue staying at other resorts because someone has to do the research.
But if you see me looking longingly toward the Grand Floridian from across Seven Seas Lagoon, now you know why.
Let’s Travel & My Services
As the owner of Dixie Travels, I specialize in expertly planned vacations backed by years of professional experience and extensive firsthand knowledge. I travel frequently to the destinations I sell, staying in the resorts, experiencing the parks, sailing on the ships and keeping up with the details that can make a meaningful difference in your vacation.
My clients come to me because they want an exceptional vacation without having to become the expert themselves. I provide personalized recommendations, thoughtful strategy and hands-on support to help you make the most of your time and vacation investment.
I specialize in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, National Geographic Expeditions, Universal Orlando, Royal Caribbean and luxury hotel stays.
Ready to go somewhere wonderful? Let’s plan yours.
