All or part of this stay was provided free for review purposes. The opinions are solely
that of the writer.
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| The Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World is the flagship resort property with activities and amenities galore. Is it right for your family? |
The Grand Floridian Resort was the last property on our
three-resort tour of Walt Disney World. The flagship resort of Walt Disney World has a refined elegance
of a bygone era with Victorian architecture, afternoon tea service and a grand
lobby filled with music and flower arrangements. The Grand Floridian Resort offers its
guests a soft spot to sip some champagne and refresh after a day in the
parks.
Hits:
The Grand Floridian offers a grand experience for families
who yearn for the convenience a Walt Disney World Resort and want a refined environment
to decompress from the energy of the parks. Walking into the Grand Floridian lobby
is sensory experience, the architecture is impressive as the 3-foot tall flower
arrangements that greet me. The service is refined yet welcoming.
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| The lobby of the Grand Floridian is a treat for the senses. Taking a moment to enjoy the musicians while sipping on a cocktail is my idea of a vacation. |
Getting to the parks is easy from the Grand Floridian, I
found the Magic Kingdom Ferry, the Magic Kingdom monorail and bus service
service to the other parks. Transportation at the Grand Floridian Resort within
Walt Disney World is the best of any of the resorts I visited.
The Grand Floridian Resort offers a wide variety of activities for
kids and adults alike. For the kids, pirate cruises and character meals top the
list. For Mom, the Grand Floridian has one of the best spas in Orlando and an elegant
afternoon tea service. Boat rentals, jogging trails are available on-site and
golf is located nearby.
Misses:
My
boys, 8 and 11, were immune to the luxurious surroundings of the Grand Floridian Resort. They were more interested in the park rides. The pool wasn’t as exciting to them as the Spanish-fort themed pool at the
Caribbean Beach Resort. They skipped it and went to one of Walt Disney World's water parks instead.
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| The Grand Floridian Resort has the highest guest-to-castmember ratio of all of the Walt Disney World resorts. |
For the Grand Floridian’s price point, I expected more
luxury, especially in the toiletries and amenities. While I didn’t find a
glaring faux pas, other luxury brands offer more for less.
The Resort :
The Grand Floridian Resort ($$$$$+) is Walt Disney World’s
flagship resort located on 40-acres next to the Seven Seas Lagoon. Built to
resemble a grand Victorian seaside resort of the late 19th Century, it has 867 guest rooms across the main building and five additional buildings.
Next to the lagoon is a pool, a white sand beach, a marina and a view of Cinderella’s
Castle in Magic Kingdom.
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| The Grand Floridian Resort resembles the grand seaside resorts of a bygone era. |
The self-parking is complimentary though not as convenient
as the Caribbean Beach Resort. To get to the Grand Floridian Resort, I used the Magic
Kingdom monorail and the ferry. Both are fun and try both for a different
experience. I used the Walt Disney World bus transportation to get to the other parks and the complimentary Magical Express to get to the Orlando airport.
I had to check-in with the front desk since my room was part
of a conference and I couldn’t check-in prior to my arrival. The front desk
staff was courteous and I didn’t have to wait. Though the staff didn’t know
where my welcome reception was located when I asked for the location by name. I
had to walk around the property for 10 minutes and asked several different cast members.
The Grand Floridian has several room configurations and one
and two-room suites are available. Complimentary Wi-Fi is included.
I visited the Grand Floridian Resort in April.
The Room:
I had a reservation for a standard room on the first floor
of the Sago Cay building. Since I transferred from the Pop Century Resort, my
luggage was not in my room when I checked-in though it arrived later.
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| The bedding and the mattresses are soft and provide an excellent night sleep for park-weary guests. |
The rooms at the Grand Floridian are 440-square feet with a
large vanity area and separate tub and toilet area. Our room featured two queen
beds, a pull-out sofa and a desk with a chair. The room sleeps five in total.
There’s plenty of room for a pack-n-play. With a large closet with sliding
doors, there was plenty of room to stash our luggage on the luggage rack
provided. In the closet I found a pair of plush robes, an in-room safe, deluxe
wooden hangers and a lingerie hanger along with extra bedding.
Our room at the Grand Floridian exuded luxury with deluxe
bed linens and lots of towels. I found throw pillows on the chenille sofa. Our
room had a private patio with a pair of chairs and a table perfect for early
morning coffee.
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| The chenille sofa has a pull-out mattress for one of the kids. |
On the marble-top console, I found a coffee maker with
coffee though I expected to find creamers at this level of property not the
standard issue condiment packets with powered creamer. The deluxe ice bucket
and real glassware were located here above the mini refrigerator. At this price
point, I want wine glasses and a wine opener.
I didn’t find a mini-bar or complimentary water bottles either.
The bathroom of our Grand Floridian Resort room was
luxuriously appointed though it was missing some of the extras. I expected an
enclosed glass shower with a separate soaking tub. I found a standard tub and
toilet in the same room, slightly bigger than what I found at the Caribbean Beach Resort.
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| A pair of sinks on a marble-topped vanity of the Grand Floridian Resort's standard room. |
The vanity area featured marble countertops with a double
sink and a decorative mirror with accent lighting. I found a lighted make-up
mirror, a decorative tissue holder, a hair dryer along with a hamper for dirty
clothes. A great place to put my dirty clothes bag that I pack for trips.
The toiletries were nicer than the other Walt Disney Resorts but
I wanted more. I found a facial bar, a bath bar, bath gel, shampoo, conditioner and a shower cap. I wanted mouthwash, cotton balls, Q-tips, a sewing kit, a shoe
polish wipe and a make-up towelette.
Activities:
The Grand Floridian features many activities including a jogging
trail, an arcade, a pirate adventure for kids, fishing excursions, fireworks
cruises and watercraft for rent. The spa, Senses, is one of the best in the
area. The Grand Floridian has a fitness center and a full-service salon. The
Grand Floridian Resort features two pools, one so large ducks think it's another
lake.
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| The Alice in Wonderland-themed water play area is a hit with the littlest guests of the Grand Floridian Resort. |
The Beach Pool overlooks the Seven Seas Lagoon and the white-sand swimming beach. It includes a 180-foot waterslide, waterfalls and
lots of lounge chairs. Need a little space poolside, there are cabanas for rent
with flat-screen TVs and a mini refrigerator with complimentary water and soda.
For the smaller kids, a water play area for kids under 48-inches is located
next to the Beach Pool. I found a campfire area on the swimming beach and the
Beaches Pool Bar and Grill for snacks and drinks.
The Courtyard Pool is located behind the main Grand
Floridian building. It’s a quieter choice for guests. It
includes a hot tub and the Courtyard Pool Bar is close.
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| The Courtyard Pool is close to the Grand Floridian Resort rooms. |
New Balance has a one-mile running trail at the Grand
Floridian Resort and I found Arcadia Games inside of the main building. Like the
Caribbean Beach Resort, kids can take a pirate adventure without the parents.
There’s also watercraft rentals at The Captain’s Shipyard.
Since the Grand Floridian is right across the Seven Seas
Lagoon from Magic Kingdom, there are fireworks cruises as well as guided
fishing excursions. The Electrical Water Pageant floats by the Grand Floridian
too.
Dining:
The Grand Floridian offers the most dining options of any of
the Walt Disney World resorts. With in-room dining, quick-service, casual
dining, character dining and fine dining options, families have plenty of
options.
Character meals at 1900 Park Fare are a popular option, reservations can be made 180 days in advance. The Garden View Tea Room
offers a morning tea for the littlest guests and a traditional afternoon tea for families wanting a special experience.
Know Before You Go:
- Make reservations for popular dining spots as soon as possible, preferably when they are released.
- For Victoria and Albert’s, kids must be 10-years-old. No casual wear is allowed.
- The morning tea service at the Garden View Tea Room is geared for younger children and the afternoon tea is traditional.
- The Magical Express picks up across from the Monorail station.
- Airport Check-in is available for some airlines at the Grand Floridian.
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