Resort Rundown: Disney’s Grand Floridian Overview

Marketed as Disney’s top-of-the-line Florida resort, the Grand Floridian breathes an air of sophistication to theme park resorts. With its excellent location, outstanding dining, and posh decor, it is a bucket list resort for many Disney fans.

Location

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, standing proudly on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon. As you stroll the grounds you can see Cinderella Castle waiting for you. Near the resort’s pool and marina you can witness nightly fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant. The Grand Floridian’s amenities, most restaurants, and a number of guest rooms are contained within the main building with the rest of the guest rooms residing in buildings that are named after Florida Keys and coastal areas. The look of the resort does not exactly speak to Florida, but more so to Victorian elegance, with a casual approach. Many guests consider this to be Disney’s classiest resort. The draw of Magic Kingdom right next door, coupled with being able to stroll next door to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort make this an attractive choice. In the future, a walkway will make Magic Kingdom easy to access on foot as well.

Rooms

The Grand Floridian’s rooms are perhaps the most elegant any of guest rooms at a Disney World resort. A rich color palette of warm hues is accented with soft blue and neutral tones. High ceilings help create a feeling that the room is airy and full of space. At 440 square feet the standard rooms are some of the largest guest rooms at a Disney-owned resort. Most rooms have two queen beds, plus a day bed, however some rooms do not have a day bed. King bed rooms are also available, again some with day beds and others without. All rooms have a desk with a comfortable chair. The desk has two levels – one table top that contains the in-room coffee maker, and a smaller desk that slides out from underneath the table so guests can move the smaller desk wherever they wish. Some rooms have an additional armchair.

The bathroom has a double sink, with bump out counter space, but surprisingly lacks extra shelving space – which is disappointing considering the caliber this resort is supposed to achieve. The shower and bathtub combination, along with the toilet, are separated from the sink area to allow for more privacy. A lovely balcony allows guests to enjoy beautiful views. The Grand Floridian has one of the most complex mixes of room types considering the variety of beds as well as the variety of view types. Some Standard View rooms have king beds available upon request.

Take a tour of a Grand Floridian Standard Room in our video:

You can choose between three room view types: courtyard / pool, lagoon, and theme park. Theme Park view and some Lagoon view rooms can see the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks.

Speaking of views, you can use the awesome TouringPlans Room Finder to help you narrow down the exact room location you would like. You can plug in your preferences and find rooms that match your needs. Then, when you make your reservations and check in, you can request your desired rooms. This tool is free to use.

Club Level

Disney’s Grand Floridian has a unique feature in that there are two concierge lounges. The first is called the The Royal Palm Club, located on the fourth floor of the Main Building. This club lounge is ideal for those heading to the monorail or buses to venture to the parks, or of course, for those whose rooms are in the Main Building. A second concierge lounge, located in the Sugar Loaf Key building of the resort, is great for those who are enjoying the resort and do not want to walk to the main building. Both lounges have similar amenities and services.

Club Level rooms include evening turn-down, secured key access to the club-level lounge (serving refreshments 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily), complimentary newspapers in Club Level lounge, and health club access. Guests can expect wonderful service throughout the resort, but often it is found that Grand Floridian Concierge Club Level Cast Members offer impeccable, personalized service.

Disney Vacation Club

In 2013, the Grand Floridian became a part of Disney Vacation Club with the addition of a separate DVC building. Guests can enjoy wonderfully appointed deluxe villa accommodations from Deluxe Studios to Three Bedroom Grand Villas. The view types are standard views and lake views. These Disney Vacation Club deluxe villas exude class, decorated in similar fashion to the regular guest rooms. However, many consider the bathrooms of the villas to be an upgrade from the regular Grand Floridian guest rooms, with nicer fixtures and a little TV screen in the vanity mirror. For the Studios, the bathtub is on one side and a deluxe walk-in shower with rainfall shower head is on the other. The sink area is in between these two rooms, with each having their own door.

The Deluxe Studio features the standard studio amenities of a kitchenette, sleeper sofa, and a pull-down trundle bed. The sleeper sofa, as opposed to another regular bed, allows for more space in the room, and is a good option for kiddos who may not be too particular about having a regular bed. Rather than one large coffee table in front of the sofa, two square tables allow for a more customized room set up.

The one bedroom and larger villas have all the standard amenities of other Disney Vacation Club villas including a full kitchen with dining area, a living room with a sleeper sofa and sleeper chair, and master bedroom with a king bed and master bathroom, with a luxurious soaking tub and walk-in shower. A stacked washer and dryer unit provides great convenience. The dining area of the larger villas is unique in that it faces into the kitchen and entryway rather than flowing into the living area. Some guests prefer this, as it provides a feeling that the living room and dining area are separate. Other guests prefer the flow of the two areas being connected as is the case with other DVC resorts.

As one would expect, the Three Bedroom Grand Villa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Villas is the grandest and most opulent three bedroom villa on property. There are just eight of them and they are often sought after by both DVC Members and guests. A formal entryway leads to a beautiful living room which then flows into a formal dining room with a large banquet style dining table with seating for ten, and a chandelier dangling above. The kitchen has a breakfast bar for more casual dining. A hallway leads to the bedrooms, providing a residential feel. Another Grand Floridian-exclusive feature is a separate media room with a couch, TV tray style tables, and large flat panel TV.

Dining

The most celebrated dining experiences in all of Walt Disney World is here at Disney’s Grand Floridian. Victoria and Albert’s is a world-renowned dining experience, a once-in-a-lifetime splurge for most. Besides the incredible dining at Victoria and Albert’s you can enjoy great dining at Grand Floridian Cafe and Citrico’s, two table service restaurants inside the Main Building. There is also 1900 Park Fare, a character dining experience featuring characters from Cinderella inside the Main Building, as well as the Garden Tea Room for a special afternoon tea experience. Finally, another special dining experience at Grand Floridian is Narcoossee’s. This Florida-inspired restaurant is at the edge of the resort’s grounds, along the waterfront facing the Magic Kingdom. Many guests love this location for watching the fireworks during dinner. For something quick and casual, head to Gasparilla Island Grill, located on the back of the Main Building, overlooking the marina.

There are plenty of places to grab a libation too. For elegant cocktails the Enchanted Rose Lounge and Citrico’s Lounge are both in the Main Building, perched among the second level of the atrium lobby. If you’re enjoying the Florida weather, Beaches Pool Bar and Grill and Courtyard Pool Bar will quench your thirst. And if you’d prefer to enjoy the comfort of your room or villa, In-Room Dining is available.

Securing dining reservations at popular character dining restaurants like 1900 Park Fare can be frustrating and time consuming. You can use the TouringPlans Reservation Finder to help you secure dining reservations and save time. Simply select your desired restaurant, then plug in your desired date and time or meal period, then select to be notified either via email or text message and viola! This incredible tool is available with or without a TouringPlans paid subscription, but you do need to create, or have, a TouringPlans login.

Pools

There are two pools and a water playground to enjoy at Disney’s Grand Floridian. The Beach pool offers lagoon views and a 181-foot-long waterslide. Cascading waterfalls and zero-depth entry provide the feeling of a tropical beach, while a walking bridge allows for great views. An Alice in Wonderland-themed water playground is nearby, and cabanas are available for rent. The Courtyard Pool is practically at the resort’s center. It lacks the waterslide and beach views, but it allows for a more relaxing experience, without losing any ambiance. Both pools have their own pool bar – of course.

Recreation

Being on the Seven Seas Lagoon gives Grand Floridian guests many opportunities to have fun. Rent a variety of watercraft and venture out on the Seven Seas Lagoon and to Bay Lake. Enjoy movies under the stars, campfires, a basketball court, and a jogging trail. There is also a video game arcade, if you want a little indoor fun.

Transportation

Board the monorail to the Magic Kingdom which is the very next stop. Or hop aboard the charming water taxi for a quick ride across the Seven Seas Lagoon where the Magic Kingdom awaits; however, you will head to the Polynesian first. If Epcot is your destination, you can get there via the Transportation and Ticket Center.  You can walk to the TTC by walking to and through the Polynesian, or a Monorail ride past Magic Kingdom and the other resorts. All other theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs are accessed via complimentary bus transportation.

More Information

Take a walking tour of the Grand Floridian and appreciate its elegant setting in our video tour:

We sure ran through a lot of information about Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, so here’s a handy-dandy infographic that sums it all up: