The Grand Floridian is by far the most expensive and elegant resort on Disney property. With its rich Victorian ambiance and wealth of special amenities, the Grand Floridian is the place to stay if you want to feel truly pampered at Disney. Take a peek behind the doors and into the housekeeping cart and you’ll get a closer view at just what it is that makes this hotel so special.
Your toilet tissue gets extra love
Image: d_pham, Flickr (license)
Deluxe resorts like the Grand Floridian have heavier and softer two-ply toilet tissue to give guests a little extra pampering. Not only are the toilet tissue rolls of a higher quality, they’re set up a bit differently as well.
It’s standard practice in all Disney resorts to fold the tip of the toilet paper to a point when you’re cleaning the room. This is just a quick way to make sure the guests know you were there and that the TP is fresh. No one wants to think about the guest before them using the same toilet. This small courtesy is just a little way of emphasizing the fact that everything’s been freshened up since the last person used the room.
At the Grand Floridian, the practice includes an extra touch. Housekeepers have a small monogrammed toilet paper press that they can use to stamp the tip of the toilet paper as well as the tip of the top tissue peeking out of the tissue box. The large metal stamp presses the Grand Floridian logo into the soft paper for an extra elegant detail.
The bath products have an exclusive touch
Image: Jeff Christiansen, Flickr (license)
For many years, the Grand Floridian had its own exclusive line of bath products. These were branded with the name of the Grand Floridian on them, and carried that fresh, elegant smell that seems to pervade the whole Victorian resort.
Unfortunately, the Grand Floridian’s bath amenities have since changed to match the rest of the hotels on property. All resorts carry the H2O Disney collection. However, deluxe resorts like the Grand do offer more exclusive products. While most resorts offer the Mickey eared Blushing Orange and Grapefruit Bergamot products, those in the Grand Floridian are a step up, in the Sea Salt line. These Sea Salt and Sea Marine bath products are higher quality. The collection includes bath soap, facial soap, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
If you fall in love with the collection (as well you might) you can purchase full size bath products from the resort gift shops at deluxe resorts, or order them online from the Disney Store.
Your bedsheets are extra-fresh
Image: nerissa’s ring, Flickr (license)
In most Disney hotels, the bed sheets are changed weekly or when there’s an obvious need for a swap. If your sheets are stained or soiled you’ll always get a fresh set, but otherwise the housekeeper usually leaves them be unless you’re in the room for an extended stay. Sheets are changed between guests, but not mid-stay if you’re only around for a weekend.
The Grand Floridian, however, does things differently. A fresh basket of sheets appears outside the room each morning, and housekeepers put fresh sheets on the bed every day. The beds are also triple-sheeted which gives them a lusher feel, and makes them far more comfortable. Standard beds have a bottom sheet, top sheet, and blanket. A triple-sheeted bed, however, has a third sheet on top of the blanket. If it sounds strange, give it a try on your bed at home and feel the difference!
Each room is given more care
Image: stephen velasco, Flickr (license)
Housekeepers at the Grand Floridian are given more time for each room on the list, so they can give you a little more attention while they’re tidying up. The rooms are only moderately larger than those in other resorts, so the extra time really goes toward the small extras, like an extra swipe of dusting, a moment to polish that already-clean glass, or time to arrange the room for more magic, such as stuffed animals who have popped up to watch television or read a book while you were away.
An extra five minutes per room may not seem like much, but when you consider the fact that a standard room gets cleaned in just 15 minutes, that extra time is huge. If you want a housekeeper who has more time in her day to make sure yours is sprinkled in pixie dust, the Grand Floridian is the way to go.
The carpet is tricky but divine
The carpet at the Grand Floridian is one of the most noticeable differences in these hotel rooms. While other features are very similar to even moderate Disney resorts, the carpet is truly a cut above. Soft, plush, and elegantly patterned, this carpeting is just what your tired feet want after a long day in the parks.
The drawback to that patterned carpet when you’re in housekeeping is that its uneven surface makes it more difficult to clean. It’s easier for dirt and crumbs to hide when you have this type of carpet, and the vacuum cleaners at the Grand aren’t necessarily any better than those at other resorts.
The housekeepers at all Disney resorts work hard to make sure your room is in the best condition possible for your stay, but the Grand Floridian gives you an extra opportunity to say thank you. The hotel’s 8 a.m. Parasol Parade typically takes place on Monday and Friday mornings. The housekeepers grab frilly pink parasols and take a stroll around the resort. If you get the chance, stop for a moment to wave hello.
