Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa review
When you think of the most opulent and iconic of Walt Disney World resorts, there’s a good chance that images of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa dance through your head.
This resort exudes a Disneyized version of turn-of-the-century Victorian charm that leans into the use of light colors, high ceilings, stained glass, chandeliers and marble. There’s even a cage elevator and occasional live piano music in the towering lobby to help further set the scene.
Yet, despite the fancy setting, the vibe is actually neither stuffy nor intimidating. You’ll see bathing suit-clad kids squealing through the sweeping lobby more frequently than you’ll see suits and jackets walking by — though you’ll likely catch a glimpse of those, too, mainly in the evenings as some lucky diners head to the award-winning Victoria & Albert’s restaurant that calls this resort home.
What is Disney’s Grand Floridian?
Disney’s Grand Floridian is not an original opening-day Disney World resort, but it is located on the famous monorail loop and played a major role in transitioning Disney into an era of rapid resort expansion when it opened in 1988. A new resort hadn’t been added to Walt Disney World since its opening in 1971, but since Grand Floridian joined the roster, Disney World has welcomed well over a dozen additional hotel resorts, many coming in the 1990s, right on the heels of the Grand Floridian.
In terms of theme, whereas Disney’s Contemporary Resort draws inspiration from the sleek, white lines of Tomorrowland and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort enjoys exotic and international influences from Adventureland, the Grand Floridian is inspired by the upbeat theme of the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A.
There’s no denying that its spot on the Seven Seas Lagoon, just a stroll or short monorail ride away from the Magic Kingdom, is one of the best spots of real estate in all of Walt Disney World.
But before you drop $700 or more per night to book a room at this deluxe Disney resort, there are a few things you need to know so you can decide if the Grand Floridian is the right Disney resort for you.
Related: Everything you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World Resort
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How to book the Grand Floridian Resort
It’s common for relatively standard rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian to cost $700-$1,000 per night. You can book a stay directly with Disney World or via a Disney vacation planner (at no extra charge) who may be able to help you make the most of your Disney vacation and keep an eye out for discounts.
FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG’S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS.
If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars on a stay at the Grand Floridian, I highly recommend earning a bunch of travel rewards in return by using one of the most rewarding credit cards for travel, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel. You could also use that card’s $300 annual travel credit toward the stay, too.
Alternatively, if you have the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants), you could get the fourth night of your free stay when booked via cititravel.com (up to two free night awards per year). The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
But I’d argue that the very best way to book a trip to the Grand Floridian, as you can save up to 50% on the stay, is with rented Disney Vacation Club points. Here’s a real-world example of how this can save you a bunch of money when staying at Grand Floridian:
For June 8-10, a studio at Grand Floridian is available for a total of 38 Disney Vacation Club points. If you rent those points from David’s Vacation Club — a very reputable company I’ve recommended and personally used for years — you’d pay $23-$25 per rented point, depending on how far in advance you book. That’s an all-in total of $828-$900 for the two-night stay.
Conversely, if you book that same exact stay with cash directly with Disney, the price is currently $1,800, which is at least double what you’d pay with rented DVC points.
It’s one of the closest resorts to the Magic Kingdom
While the Grand Floridian isn’t technically the closest resort to the gates of the Magic Kingdom, it’s still within walking distance.
Only the Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which are both about a half-mile away from the park, are closer — whereas the Grand Floridian is roughly 0.7 miles away via the walkway that you can enter from the same area as the resort boat launches.
Depending on your strolling speed, expect this walk to take 10 to 15 minutes. You won’t have the benefit of a ton of shade and coverings when it’s hot, humid and/or rainy, but you won’t have to wait for any transportation to show up, and you’ll get an up-close view of the monorail zooming by overhead as you make your way between the resort and the park.
If you’d rather stay cool and dry, you’re in luck, as you can also opt to take the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Simply clear security and board it from the second level of the lobby in the Grand Floridian to reach the Magic Kingdom. Since the park is the next stop on the monorail loop after the Grand Floridian departure point, you’ll be in the park in no time.
You can also travel to and from the Magic Kingdom via a boat.
Pro tip: If you take the monorail from Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom, you’ll get off at the first stop. Then, if you take the boat from the Magic Kingdom back to Grand Floridian, that is also going to allow you to get off at the first stop.
The resort is large and spread out
Although the Grand Floridian isn’t the biggest resort at Disney World, as some properties occupy more than 200 acres and have 2,000-plus rooms, it’s still quite large by most typical standards.
On the Grand Floridian’s 40 acres, you’ll find more than 800 rooms spread throughout the five-story lobby, plus the Sago Cay, Sugarloaf, Conch Key, Boca Chica and Big Pine Key buildings. Additionally, there are several Disney Vacation Club villas housed within a separate building on the opposite side of the main Beach Pool.
Needless to say, if you are staying here with a group, you could end up being quite spread apart if you aren’t careful with room requests and selections. I recommend opting for rooms in either the main lobby building or the Sago Cay and Sugarloaf buildings since they’re relatively close to the main lobby, restaurants and dock. These accommodations are also on the end closest to the Magic Kingdom, so you’ll have a shorter walk to the park.
Related: How to save a lot of money by renting Disney Vacation Club points
Grand Floridian pools
The Grand Floridian has two impressive pools.
The main Beach Pool, which holds more than 100,000 gallons of water, has a 181-foot waterslide, waterfalls and a zero-entry area. Plus, you can grab food and drinks from the poolside Beaches Pool Bar & Grill to enjoy from a chaise lounge or a rented cabana. Poolside activities like games and arts and crafts are available, too, should your family prefer some variety when having a pool day.
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Additionally, there’s the large Courtyard Pool behind the main building. It doesn’t have a waterslide, lifeguards or activities, which results in a quieter atmosphere than what you’ll find at the Beach Pool. However, it does typically offer longer operating hours, so you can get in an early-morning or late-night swim.
Little kids can also check out the Mad Hatter-themed splash pad play area, which has a small waterslide, water sprays and a big water dump bucket that looks like a hat.
Related: Cool pools and sangria school: Things non-Disney people can do at Disney World
Grand Floridian rooms and suites
The Grand Floridian’s standard rooms and studios, measuring around 440 square feet, feature a light “Mary Poppins” theme that emerged in the 2022 renovation. These are the largest standard hotel rooms available at Walt Disney World. However, this extra space (and close-to-Magic Kingdom location) comes at a cost, as the rooms are consistently among the most expensive options at Disney World.
Outside of a big sale (or booking via rented DVC points, as previously mentioned), it’s quite common to find standard outer-building rooms at the Grand Floridian hovering between $700 and $800 per night. For an upgraded theme park view, expect to pay anywhere from $800 to over $1,000 per night.
If you’d like club-level access, prepare for sticker shock, as club-level rooms in the Grand Floridian’s main building are often more than $1,200 per night.
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But if you do splurge on booking a club-level room at the Grand Floridian, you’re in for a treat. Be sure and make the most of the club as it does have excellent food and beverage offerings, especially in the mornings and evenings. Pro tip: Don’t miss the all-you-want Mickey bar ice cream freezer.
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Larger suites, including one, two or three bedrooms, are also available, both when booked directly with Disney or via rented DVC points. We rented points to sleep up to five people in a one-bedroom DVC suite recently, and it worked out very well with a full kitchen, washer, dryer and both a pull-down Murphy bed and single bed under the TV available in the living room.
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Personally, I find the styling of these larger DVC rooms to be a little more old-fashioned than the Grand Floridian resort rooms and DVC studios, but that’s a matter of personal preference.
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Related: What it’s really like doing Disney World 3 different ways: Budget, moderate and blow-out luxury
Grand Floridian restaurants and bars
Those who stay at the Grand Floridian have easy access to some of the most upscale restaurants and amenities at Disney World.
Victoria & Albert’s
Here, you can dine at one of Disney’s most exclusive dining venues: Victoria & Albert’s. The Michelin-starred, AAA Five Diamond Award-winning restaurant serves gourmet fare via multiple courses (the prix fixe menu begins at $295 per person) dished out for hours in an elegant space that perfectly matches the Victorian-era design of the property.
Eating at Victoria & Albert’s is an experience well worth having — if your budget permits it and you’re able to snag a coveted reservation. Just be sure to dress appropriately (dinner jackets are required) and leave the little ones behind, as kids 9 and younger are not permitted.
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Victoria & Albert’s. SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Narcoossee’s
If you want a good meal that doesn’t take three to four hours or require a suit jacket, Narcoosee’s is still a very nice dining option at Grand Floridian. This restaurant is open for dinner, located on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon (which means some tables have views of fireworks) and serves a variety of largely seafood-focused items such as shrimp and grits ($19), gulf shrimp bucatini ($44), buttermilk-fried calamari ($18) and much more.
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1900 Park Fare
After a four-year closure, 1900 Park Fare reopened as one of Walt Disney World’s newest character meals. Inside, you’ll get a chance to enjoy some fan favorites such as strawberry soup, cinnamon pull-apart bread and cheesy potato casserole. Food is served buffet-style (breakfast is $58 per adult and $37 per child; dinner is $69 per adult and $44 per child).
But while the food is good, it’s the characters that are the starring attraction. Since the reopening of this restaurant, the characters consist of Cinderella, Mirabel, Tiana and Aladdin, who are there to help your kiddos learn to be “wish makers” like they are.
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Citricos
Yet another worthwhile restaurant at Grand Floridian open for dinner is Citricos, which has decor inspired by the garden animated scene in “Mary Poppins.” This restaurant offers a mix of Floridian and Mediterranean cuisine, with menu items such as sweet corn bisque ($15), guava-barbecued short ribs ($54) and smoked cauliflower ($12).
Grand Floridian Cafe
A more casual table-service restaurant at the Grand Floridian is the Grand Floridian Cafe, open for three meals a day. Here you will find an heirloom apple salad ($13), a signature burger with memorable toppings such as brie, bacon-pepper jam, roasted garlic aioli and arugula ($26), and Cajun pasta with chicken ($33).
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Enchanted Rose
One of my favorite bars in all of Disney World has to be the Grand Floridian’s Enchanted Rose.
This “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired lounge is located in the resort’s main building and is open from late afternoon to the evening. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., you can get appetizers such as seasonal flatbread ($18) and charcuterie ($22) to go along with the extensive list of cocktails, wine, beer and more.
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There is also a decently sized lounge type of area immediately adjacent to the Enchanted Rose where you can also order food and beverages if you don’t wish to sit directly at the bar.
Related: The best restaurants at Disney World
The Grand Floridian also has food and beverage service by the main pool and a quick-service option, Gasparilla Island Grill, that’s typically open from 6 a.m. until late in the evening and offers items such as pastries, burgers, flatbreads, sandwiches and kid-meal staples such as chicken fingers and fries that you can order in person or in advance for pick-up in your My Disney Experience app.
Grand Floridian Spa and gym
You’ll find the only full-service spa at any Walt Disney World-owned and operated hotel at the Grand Floridian. Here, you can book massages, facials, nail and hair services, and more. In terms of pricing, you can currently expect a 50-minute massage to start at $190 before fees and gratuity.
In the same area as the spa, there is also a gym that’s open 24/7 to Grand Floridian guests complete with cardio machines, free weights and resistance machines.
Related: Ways using an authorized Disney vacation planner will improve your trip
The property is extra magical (and popular) around the holidays
For me, the best time to stay at the Grand Floridian is, without question, in late November and December. This time of year is when the resort shines the brightest thanks to its massive tree, life-size gingerbread house, poinsettias, garland and other festive decorations.
Not only can you admire the holiday view, but you can also purchase a gingerbread shingle from the life-size house to enjoy as a snack. In fact, this time of year is so magical that some guests plan annual vacations to stay up all night watching the Christmas tree in the atrium go up.
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As an added bonus, the property’s proximity to the Magic Kingdom means it’s one of the easiest to stay at when going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Related: Holiday magic without spending lots of cash: Free (or very cheap) Disney World Christmas activities
Accessibility
Disney World is generally a great destination for those with accessibility needs. Disney’s website indicates that all Disney Resort hotels include an accessible path of travel from arrival to the lobby area, as well as to accessible guest rooms, restaurants, shops, meeting rooms, business centers, pools, exercise facilities and laundry facilities.
There is close-in parking for those with a disability parking permit, a pool lift at the pools, and you can book both hearing- and wheelchair-accessible rooms online or over the phone.
Checking out
The Grand Floridian is where Disney World feels quite magical in a way that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.
This isn’t just a cookie-cutter hotel that happens to be located on Disney property but otherwise could be plopped down anywhere and fit in. It’s themed from top to bottom, with live piano music in the lobby and Victorian inspiration as far as the eye can see.
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The resort offers settings for many elegant moments, be it grand staircases or opulent promenades where you can feel like a Disney prince or princess.
Being just a short walk or monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom certainly adds to the resort’s appeal and popularity. However, that, of course, comes at a steep cost, so make sure you do your homework before you book to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck by opting to stay here.
If you can’t quite swing a stay at the Grand Floridian, you can always pop by for a few hours to walk around or grab a bite to eat or a beverage at the property and listen to music fill the atrium in the evenings.
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