Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Review (By Resorts Gal)
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is situated on the opposite side of Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom Park. It’s a Victorian hotel with white siding and a stunning red roof. Given its proximity to Magic Kingdom and upscale reputation, one often asks, what’s not to like?
In this Grand Floridian review, we’ll take an in-depth look at the resort and our thoughts on staying here. We’ll preview the resort’s amenities, dining, recreation, and other things you can expect during your stay.
In addition to being a deluxe resort, the Grand Floridian is also a Magic Kingdom Resort, a monorail resort, and the most expensive resort at Walt Disney World. While we could probably come up with a few more categories, I think you get the picture. Disney’s Grand Floridian is many different things to many different people, and these things are what makes a stay here so desirable.
So pull out your favorite china, fill your teacup, and throw a few scones on the side. We’re on our way to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Disney’s Grand Floridian stands out across the water from Magic Kingdom Park. The hotel’s overall design was inspired by the famous Hotel del Coronado and other similarly designed resorts. It consists of one main building and outer buildings scattered across the grounds. The main building is home to the resort’s grand lobby, dining, shops, and lounges.
Rooms in the main building are dedicated to club level, also known as Disney’s Signature concierge services. So unless you reserve a main building club-level room, you’ll end up in one of the outer buildings. Grand Floridian’s outer buildings are similar to smaller hotels. Each building has a front entrance, lobby, and elevators. However, they aren’t staffed, nor do they have the same amenities as the main building.
Therefore, you will have to walk over to the main building for shopping and dining. Each building at the Grand Floridian is named after an island in the Florida Keys:
- Sago Cay
- Conch Key
- Boca Chica
- Big Pine Key
- Sugar Loaf
Sugar Loaf was formerly the second club-level offering at the Grand Floridian outside the main building. We’ve stayed club-level at Disney’s Beach Club, club-level at Disney’s Polynesian, and club-level at Coronado Springs Gran Destino. It’s a splurge but definitely worth considering for a special occasion.
In addition, the resort has another outer building that makes up the Disney Vacation Club Resort, the Grand Floridian Villas. Big Pine Key has also been converted to DVC Resort Studios.
As far as the location goes, the Grand Floridian is within walking distance of Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort is only a short monorail ride away. Guests can see Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom in the distance from the resort’s white sand beaches.
Rooms
Several types of accommodations and upgrades are available when selecting a guest room at the Grand Floridian. A guest room in the outer building typically comes with one of the following setups:
- 2 Queen Beds with 1 Day Bed
- 2 Queen Beds
- 1 King Bed
- 1 King Bed with 1 Double Size Sleeper Sofa
King beds are usually considered upgrades at Disney World. Make sure to check with your travel agent before making a reservation. Each of these comes with the following room views or upgrades:
- Garden View
- Lagoon View
- Theme Park View
A few other room types are considered upgrades from a standard guest room:
- 1 Bedroom Suite
- 1 Bedroom Park View
- 2 Bedroom Suite
*The Royal Palm Club is in the main building, which offers club-level accommodations.
Over the years, we’ve stayed at the Grand Floridian on a few occasions. Most of our resort stays here have been split stays, where we visit multiple resorts. We usually enjoy spending four nights at the Grand Floridian. Then, we spend the remainder of our vacation at a more budget-friendly hotel, like a value or a moderate resort. This kind of stay does involve moving mid-vacation. Disney will assist with the process, but packing and unpacking again will cut into some of your valuable vacation time.
On a previous visit, we had a room in Big Pine Key. The photo below is from several years back. So, you’ll want to note that the view has changed slightly with the construction of the Polynesian’s new DVC Tower.
This was a room I remember fondly. I have distinct memories of enjoying the balcony. In the mornings, I was awakened by the faint sound of the Magic Kingdom Ferry heading back and forth across the water. At night, the Electrical Water Pageant drifted through. If you are staying here, try to see the water pageant at least one evening. It floats by the shoreline between 8:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Needless to say, the stay was pleasant, and we spent a good deal of time at the resort. You could spend an entire week here, never visit a Disney park, and still have a wonderful vacation. Here are a few updated photos of the new lobbies in each building at the Grand Floridian.
Those looking for rooms that accommodate a larger number of guests might want to consider a Disney World Villa Resort. We had the pleasure of staying in a Grand Floridian deluxe studio villa a while back. The studio villa sleeps up to five guests. Our room had a queen bed, a sofa sleeper, and a pull-down trundle bed for a small child. (These rooms have been updated since our last stay, and an additional resort studio was added that sleeps up to four guests.)
Restaurants
Grand Floridian has plenty of restaurants and dining options. Gasparilla Island Grill, the resort’s quick-service restaurant, has a much-improved menu. This venue accepts mobile orders and offers burgers, fries, sandwiches, pizza, and chicken nuggets.
Related: Gasparilla Island Grill Review
Inside the main building, you’ll find several dining options. Grand Floridian Cafe is on the first floor and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ve always been impressed with this restaurant’s food and service. It’s one of my top dining recommendations for a casual meal at Disney. We have reviews of dining at this location for breakfast and dinner:
1900 Park Fare sits adjacent to Grand Floridian Cafe and provides a character dining experience.
Related: 1900 Park Fare Breakfast Review
Upstairs, off the lobby, you’ll find Citricos, one of three Disney signature dining locations at the Grand Floridian. Those interested in fine dining might like to make a reservation here. Or, if you are looking for the creme de la creme, you might enjoy Victoria & Albert’s, next door to Citricos. This is the finest dining experience at Walt Disney World and the most expensive.
Back outside on the water sits Narcoossee’s, the third signature dining location at the Grand Floridian. Reservations will be needed in advance for this one as well. Consider dining here later in the evening to enjoy views of Magic Kingdom’s nighttime fireworks spectacular.
The resort has a pool par at each of its pools. One is the Beaches Pool Bar & Grill, located at the villa’s pool. The Courtyard Pool Bar sits next to the Courtyard Pool. Both pool bars offer sandwiches, salads, kids’ meals, and Disney’s standard cocktail menu.
Enchanted Rose Lounge is located on the second floor of the main building. A few years ago, this stunning lounge replaced the former Mizner’s Lounge.
Related: Enchanted Rose Lounge Review
Grand Floridian is also home to the Garden View Tea Room. Unfortunately, this location hasn’t reopened as of this update. For more detailed information about dining at the resort, we have a full dining guide that we update fairly often. It provides photos of the grab-and-go items at the counter service, along with updated menus.
Related: Disney’s Grand Floridian Restaurants Guide
Pools and Recreation
The Grand Floridian Resort has two pools on the property. First is the Beach Pool, which sits between the villas and the main building. This pool features a water slide, waterfall, bridge, and zero-entry area. I’ve spent some time at both pools and do prefer this one. However, they are both enjoyable.
A white sand beach sits in front of the pool area facing the lagoon. You can grab a meal at Gasparilla’s or the pool bar and enjoy it here.
Immediately next door to this pool is the water play area with an Alice in Wonderland theme. It is like a splash playground for children.
The Courtyard outdoor pool sits directly in front of Big Pine Key. When we stayed in that building, I enjoyed having such close access to a pool.
With that said, both pools at the Grand Floridian are within sight of each other. No matter which one you decide to visit, there won’t be too much difference in the proximity to your room. It’s also important to note that the resort has two feature pools instead of having an additional quiet pool. This is similar to the setup of the Polynesian next door.
Related: Best Pools at Disney World
Transportation
When you stay at the Grand Floridian Resort, you’ll have access to several different forms of Disney transportation. The first is the walking path between Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom Park.
You can also take the resort monorail to Magic Kingdom Park. The good thing about staying here is that, after boarding, the next stop is Magic Kingdom. However, you will have to stop a few extra times on the way back from the park.
Additionally, you can take the resort monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. From there, you can exit and board the monorail to Epcot. We have a separate article that shares the process of taking the monorail from Grand Floridian to Epcot.
A resort boat service is also provided to and from the Magic Kingdom. It’s a huge asset to have all these different options. For comparison, guests staying at a value resort like the All-Stars would only have Disney bus service as an option.
The boats travel back and forth across the water all day. I always enjoy seeing them in the distance.
Lastly, the resort provides bus service to the following Disney destinations:
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney Springs
- Water Parks
For a detailed overview of using transportation, we have a full guide: Grand Floridian Transportation Options
We’ll take a quick walk through the lobby before wrapping things up. When you arrive at the Grand Floridian, you’ll be greeted by lush landscaping, crisp whites, and brick pavers.
Outside, a few classic cars sit in valet.
Fresh flowers greet you upon entry.
And the ceiling is beautiful, with the frosted glass filtering a soft, natural light.
One of the things I wanted to mention was the attention to detail in the tile floors. Each mosaic features Disney characters, and some include the Grand Floridian logo.
Like Tinkerbell centered here in front of a pair of elevators.
On the first floor, Cinderella and Prince Charming are positioned in front of the birdcage elevator that faces out into the lobby.
This is definitely a resort you will want to visit during Christmas. We have a photo post of Grand Floridian at Christmas if you like to browse heart-warming holiday photos. During the holiday season, the Grand Floridian lobby also houses a large gingerbread house.
This grand staircase is one for memory books. I always expect to catch Cinderella descending these steps at any moment.
The lobby is expansive, providing a nice area for guests to lounge. Unfortunately, the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra no longer plays here in the evening. Those visiting might happen upon a lone piano player.
If you were to visit close to Easter, you might run into some of the chocolate eggs on display in the lobby. These are made by chefs of the Grand Floridian.
M. Mouse Mercantile sits on the second floor of the lobby. This shop carries a variety of Disney-branded merchandise and toys. Across the way, there’s a Basin, popularly known for its bath bombs and soap products.
Downstairs, Sandy Cove Gifts & Sundries is the resort’s main gift shop. It offers a wide variety of products, including resort-branded merchandise. They also have convenience items like groceries and beverages, as well as health and beauty items. Those who like the finer things in life might enjoy a stop at Curiouser Clothiers. This is on the first floor to the right of the Garden View Tea Room. Curiouser Clothiers sells fashionable, high-end items.
As we make our way out of the main lobby, we’ll preview a few more photos of the resort.
Senses Spa and the Grand Floridian’s Fitness Center are located in the same building. It is directly across from the Villas wing. The gym is shared with Disney’s Polynesian Resort. It’s only a few steps away from this side of the resort. This fitness center provides everything you need for a strength training or cardio workout.
Related: Fitness Centers at Disney World
As we near the end of our review, I wanted to mention that Grand Floridian has an arcade called Arcadia Games. It’s next door to Gasparilla Island Grill. The resort also has a marina, The Captain’s Shipyard, with various boat rentals available during the day. The majority of buildings at the Grand Floridian offer guest laundry facilities.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you found this review of Disney’s Grand Floridian helpful in planning your Disney vacation. We spend a lot of time at the resorts and consider everything each property has to offer. Our goal is to provide a well-rounded observation of what to expect. If you were to ask me what I didn’t like about the Grand Floridian, the list would be comprised of one line: the expense. It costs a lot to stay here.
The only other thing I’m not crazy about is that Florida can be very rainy in the summer months. Most room assignments require a decent enough walk that you’d be soaked before reaching the main building in the event of a downpour. That is kind of the nature of the beast, though, if you are visiting the parks in the rain. If you stay in the villa portion of the resort, there’s a nice covered walkway to the front entrance of the main building.
The same village-style setup is next door in Disney’s Polynesian Resort. We have a review of the Polynesian if you’d like to learn more. Our favorite resort choice, Disney’s Beach Club, is connected to the neighboring Yacht Club and offers a large, sprawling indoor area to explore in inclement weather. We have a Disney’s Beach Club Review that goes into detail about what we love.
Other than that, I have no issues with this stunning flagship resort, and I spend a good bit of time there, even as a day guest. For more details, try our Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Or you might enjoy these other Disney World Hotel Reviews:
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Review
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Review
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Review
- Disney’s Riviera Resort Review
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In the comments
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