I stayed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa over a
4-night long weekend in early December 2019. I booked my stay online using the official
Disney website. My credit card was charged a deposit equal to one night’s room
rate. I have loved the Grand Floridian since I first saw it in 1988 when it
opened, but since it has always been a “splurge” property for me, I wasn’t sure
that I would ever actually stay there.
The resort’s Victorian concept was inspired by beach resorts
built on the eastern coast of Florida in the early 20th century;
however, the buildings are modeled after the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, and the Mount
Washington Resort in New Hampshire, which both feature white walls and red
gabled roofs.
The Grand Floridian is located on the WDW monorail system. In
fact, the Magic Kingdom is only one stop away, with the Contemporary Resort
next, then the Transportation and Ticket Center (for transfers to the EPCOT
monorail), and finally the Polynesian Resort before reaching the Grand
Floridian again. Guests must go through a bag check and metal detector before
boarding at the Grand Floridian’s monorail station. Additional bag checks and
metal detectors are necessary to access the theme parks but not the hotels. Alternatively,
Grand Floridian guests can also take a boat launch to reach the Magic Kingdom.
To reach the other parks and attractions, complimentary bus service is
available.
The Grand Floridian
offers over 850 rooms spread throughout 6 buildings: the main opulent signature
building that houses most amenities, and 5 smaller buildings that border the
lagoon. The outer buildings are named after islands in the Florida Keys (Big
Pine Key, Sugarloaf Key, Conch Key, Sago Cay, and Boca Chica). The main
building has 5 floors, including its impressive multi-story open lobby area
with its antique elevator. (When I visited at Christmas-time, a tall tree
occupied the center of the lobby, with the hotel’s signature gingerbread house
and shop off to one side.) An additional section of the property offers villa
accommodations.
The resort offers
several restaurants: Victoria and Alberts, Narcoosee’s, Citricos, 1900 Park
Fare, Garden View Tea Room, Grand Floridian Café, and Gasparilla Grill (In the
past, I have dined at all but Citricos and the Tea Room; however, on my most
recent visit, I only ate at the Gasparilla Grill; see my separate review titled
“Affordable Food at the Grand Floridian”.) Additional property amenities
include a few shops, a beauty salon, two outdoor swimming pools (one with a
children’s play area), man-made white sand beaches, and a marina. The Grand
Floridian offers complimentary music daily in the main building, including a
pianist in the afternoon and a small orchestra in the evening. A convention and
business center and wedding pavilion are also available.
The average room is
400 square feet and feels roomy. My standard room in one of the outer buildings
offered a large closet on one side, and the large bathroom on the other. The
bathroom was divided into two areas: one room held a traditional bathtub/shower
and the toilet, whereas the anteroom offered a long vanity with dual sinks.
Plenty of towels and toiletries are provided, as well as a wicker hamper to
contain used towels. The main room contained two queen beds with a nightstand
in between, a desk and chair (with a coffee maker was atop the desk), a
full-size sofa bed, and a high piece of furniture that held the television as
well as concealed a mini-refrigerator below. (I used Garden Grocer to have some
supplies delivered to my room; the bellman held my items until I checked into
the hotel.) The back wall of my room had a sliding glass door that led out to a
long but narrow balcony with two wrought-iron chairs; my room overlooked one of
the pools, and it also gave me just the slightest view toward the Magic
Kingdom’s evening fireworks. The lighting in the room was great; so many times
hotel rooms are too dim for my liking. Although it was just me in the room, I
can imagine that a family of four (or even more) would not feel crowded.
I loved my stay at the Grand Floridian, particularly the
elegant main building and my spacious guestroom.
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