When staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you’ll enjoy plenty of creature comforts. Thanks to the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) or via DVC points rental, you’ll receive all of these onsite amenities even if you’re not a member. From time to time, Theme Park Tourist highlights what’s so special about Disney’s upscale onsite resorts, understanding that a savvy consumer can stay at one of these properties for cheap. And if you’re going to stay at a Walt Disney World onsite resort at a discounted rate, you might as well swing for the fences.
One official Disney hotel on the Walt Disney World campus stands above the rest. Since its inception in 1988, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has stood apart as the crème da le crème of North American theme park hotels. Its popularity and reputation are so impeccable that Disney effectively duplicated the premise with Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa 13 years later in 2001. West Coast Disney fans felt jealous that the classiest resort was in Orlando, and so Disney imported the idea of a luxury theme park hotel at Disneyland.
The Grand Floridian embodies elegance and class, and its 2013 addition as part of the DVC lineup means that anyone can stay there at a (relatively) affordable price. You’ve dreamt about staying here. Below are the six things you need to know to fulfill every theme park tourist’s fantasy about vacationing at the Grand Floridian.
General resort appearance
Image: Disney
Disney knows where their bread gets buttered, and they treat their highest paying customers the best. The hotel’s appearance underscores this reality. The hotel hearkens back to an earlier era of Florida, back when the coastline featured Victorian-style beach resorts. Disney designers used several famous structures as inspiration for the overall layout, and they’ve celebrated the region by naming each of the buildings after islands in the Florida Keys. The exterior is early 20th century in style, and the resort carries that style inside.
The most memorable part of the Grand Floridian is unmistakably the lobby. Here, Disney has crafted a functional replica of old cage elevators, and they’ve introduced music as an integral part of the hotel visitor experience. A pianist performs on the first floor during the day, while an orchestra plays on the second floor each evening. It’s a throwback to the opulence of five-star resorts from the days before hotel chains. When you walk through the Grand Floridian, you’re walking in the footsteps of royalty, celebrities, and the one percent. You’ll feel taller when you’re here.
Dining options
Image: Disney
You won’t go hungry while staying at the Grand Floridian. Your wallet might feel a pinch, though. While the hotel does have several bars with quick bites available, the only quick service establishment is Gasparilla Island Grill. Their offerings fall squarely under the categories of hoagies, burgers, and pizza. You’re only eating here if you’re desperate.
A foodie with a big budget will feel like they’re in paradise while staying at the hotel. Even the most basic table service establishment, Grand Floridian Café, offers a deep and robust menu. As you eat, you’ll enjoy a bright setting and décor plus a lovely view of one of the most popular walking areas at the resort. It’s also the easiest place to eat on days when you get caught without an Advance Dinner Reservation. This restaurant costs one table service credit under the Disney Dining Plan (DDP).
Image: Disney
The same is true of 1900 Park Fare, but it’s an entirely different dining experience. It offers a pair of character meals, a morning meeting with Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins characters, and a dinner with Cinderella and her family. That means that her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters hang out with you. And they are hysterical. They crack wise, simultaneously busting on their unwelcome sibling and all the dinner patrons. In terms of dinner and a show, Walt Disney World offers nothing above 1900 Park Fare with regards to entertainment bang for the buck.
The other two participants in the DDP are of a much higher quality, and that’s why they are listed as signature restaurants. That also means that they cost two DDP table service credits per meal. The slightly less heralded of the two is Citricos, but it still offers a decadent menu of American seafood and Mediterranean fare. It’s a high-brow meal with a wonderful setting and is only open for dinner. Please be aware that it does have a (moderate) dress code, which is also true of the second nicest restaurant at the Grand Floridian. Narcoossee’s includes a unique octagonal design, and its purpose is to provide a breathtaking view of the water and surrounding Disney landscape. The food is coastal cuisine, and one of the preeminent selling points here relative to any other resort restaurant is that you can eat here while watching the fireworks at night. It too has a dress code plus a well-earned reputation as one of the most expensive meals at Walt Disney World.
Image: Disney
Narcoossee’s lofty meal cost is a drop in the bucket compared to the granddaddy of them all, Victoria & Albert’s. This restaurant isn’t simply the best at the hotel or the entirety of Walt Disney World. It’s arguably THE finest restaurant in North America, and it has the credentials to back up the statement. Trip Advisor currently lists it as the second best restaurant in the United States, and Victoria & Albert’s is a AAA Five Diamond Award winner. I could list literally dozens of awards it’s won in the 2000s, but you get the point. This is the meal of a lifetime, and it costs the amount of your monthly food budget to eat there. A seven-course meal with a wine pairing would cost a couple around $500. Whether you think it’s worthwhile is a personal choice, but a lot of folks hope that they’ll get to enjoy a meal at Victoria & Albert’s at some point in their lives. It aptly represents the Grand Floridian’s overall restaurant group in that it’s ambrosia from the heavens but overpriced to a comical degree.
Recreation
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Since the Grand Floridian caters to the upper crust of society, they include a lot more onsite activities than the average DVC property. If you love where you’re staying and don’t want to leave the hotel, ask for a list of scheduled entertainment. I highly recommend movie night, as the viewing setup is spectacular.
For now, let’s cover the primary vacation hobby: hanging out at the pool. The Grand Floridian features two pools, each of which has tremendous positives and unique character traits. The beach pool is one of the most relaxing at any DVC property. This is where the hotel hosts its movie nights, and the adjacent Beaches Pool Bar and Grill assures that you’re a swipe of your magic band away from having your every whim satisfied. The beach pool is quite large at 111,261 gallons, and its massive 181-feet waterslide will keep children (of all ages) entertained for a long time. The pool also includes waterfalls and zero-depth entry, thereby adding to the relaxing vibe.
Image: The Missy, Flickr (license)
The quiet pool is a bit sillier, albeit it in a fun way. It includes an interactive play area, and the key component in this setup is an upside down Mad Hatter’s Hat. The giant hat gradually fills with gallons of water before it reaches a proverbial tipping point. At this moment, it…tips. The result is a watery splashdown of epic proportions that never fails to delight children. When guests walk in this area, they have a tendency to stop and watch until the hat tips over. It’s a kind of spectator sport. Adding to the theme, the Grand Floridian features daily family entertainment like the unbirthday party. Due to its proximity to the water, plenty of aquatic activities are available for a modest fee. You can sail around the manmade lake, and you can even participate in a catch and release fishing expedition.
Inside the hotel room
Image: Jeff Christiansen, Flickr (license)
Whether the explanation is peer pressure or honesty, guests consistently list the hotel rooms at the Grand Floridian as the finest at Walt Disney World. The new DVC studios are 374 square feet big, which is mid-sized by DVC standards. Thankfully, the design affords a maximum of space, and the wall-length balcony affords a mesmerizing view of, well, a lot of your favorite Disney landmarks. The villas were added on 25 years after the Grand Floridian opened, and their landscape views are impeccably chosen by Disney Imagineers. Some of the villas overlook the pool and wedding pavilion, while others face Magic Kingdom, providing a hypnotic look at the park’s major features like Cinderella Castle. A few of the rooms face Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, providing a gentle island vibe to your balcony backdrop, and you’ll enjoy at least a partial view of Seven Seas Lagoon no matter where you are.
Image: Disney
The studios sleep five thanks to the queen bed, sofa bed, and Murphy bed, at least as long as your party is okay with foldout beds. The interior décor of the room is every bit as luxurious as the hotel itself. The villas include vaulted ceilings, a rarity for any high-volume hotel. They also offer some of the finest tiles for the cabinets, bathtub, and bathroom floor. And the bathroom mirror actually includes a television screen if you want to watch a program while you get dressed. Green accents define the color scheme, and a few nice touches like mirrors and chandeliers are on display in some of the rooms. The one-bedroom villas feature even nicer accoutrements, making the guest feel that much more regal. Independent of the room type you select, you’re living in the lap of luxury while you’re a guest at the Grand Floridian.
Logistics
Image: Disney
As one of the three monorail resorts, the Grand Floridian enjoys optimal positioning on the Walt Disney World campus. As a part of the Disney lineup, it includes complimentary Magical Express service. Since the hotel rests beside Seven Seas Lagoon, you can use Disney’s water taxi service for a ride to Magic Kingdom. It’s not quite direct service, as you’ll share rides with the guests of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. That’s rarely a bother since the Polynesian is so lovely, but you should add a few minutes to your expected travel time, at least on your return trip from the park.
Guests of the Grand Floridian who are seeking to “plus” their trip have a special option. You can charter a private water taxi at a charge of $20 per family of up to 10 people for one way service. Sure, it’s a hefty charge for a 10-minute boat trip, but you’ll get to control the entire transportation process, a rarity for Walt Disney World guests.
Image: Disney
The real joy of staying at a monorail resort is self-evident. You step outside the second floor exit at the Grand Floridian, and boom! You’re only a few steps away from boarding a monorail. It will take you straight to Magic Kingdom if that’s your destination. Alternately, you can ride it to The Transportation and Ticket Center and switch over to an Epcot monorail. The two most popular theme parks at Walt Disney World are only a monorail ride away. As for the other two parks, bus service is the best option, and the hotel conveniently offers monitors with up to the minute arrival and departure schedules for each destination (including the water parks and Disney Springs). Anyone addicted to park hopping will love their options at the Grand Floridian.
Pricing
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Guests who aren’t using DVC points will pay a pretty penny to stay at the Grand Floridian. The rack rate at the hotel fluctuates between $646 and $844 per night. It even tops $900 during the holiday season, Disney’s busiest time. Obviously, those rates will cause most theme park tourists to think, “Okay, that’s not happening.” That’s an understandable thought process.
Something you should keep in mind is that by using or renting DVC points, staying at the Grand Floridian is much more than a pipe dream. It’s a viable option. Should you choose to visit during the fall, you can spend a week at the hotel for the cost of ~150 points. At a current rate of $14 per point, that’s a weekly price of $2,100, and that includes sales tax. For $300 per night, you can stay at the most revered Disney resort at Walt Disney World, if not the entire country.
Staying at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa should be on every self-respecting theme park tourist’s bucket list. It’s stood the test of time for 30 years as the stateliest of all Disney hotels in Orlando. It also offers the sorts of amenities, shops and restaurants that one would expect at a five-star luxury villa, not a resort only a couple of monorail hops away from Magic Kingdom. The hotel offers a rare combination of patrician elegance and Disney utility. Use some DVC points to make your vacation dreams a reality!
