DisneyTips.com Your Guide To A Great Disney Vacation
One of the most beautiful resorts in all of Walt Disney World is situated near Magic Kingdom. The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa exudes a Victorian-style elegance and lavish attention to detail throughout the resort. It boasts several wonderful restaurants, a variety of room styles and sizes and enough activities to keep everyone in your party entertained and delighted. Here are several pros—and only a con or two—to staying at this beautiful resort on your next visit to the parks.
[google_ad]
10. Pro: Unrivaled beauty
The beauty of the Grand Floridian Resort is woven through every room and every floor of this breathtakingly-gorgeous resort. The beautiful Victorian architecture is incomparable, and throughout the resort, you feel the golden era of Palm Beach. The pristine white structures with neat and tidy red roofs are elegant, thoughtful and strikingly beautiful. Though there are other attractive resorts at Disney World, you’d be hard-pressed to find one more so than the Grand Floridian.
9. Pro: 1900 Park Fare
This elegant and fun restaurant is located on the first floor of the main building of the Grand Floridian. It is at 1900 Park Fare where you can enjoy the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast. During this breakfast, you’ll indulge in an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet of pastries, fruit, made-to-order omelets, breakfast meats, biscuits, gravy and of course, Mickey waffles. While you enjoy your meal, beloved Disney characters like Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter make their way to your table for pictures and autographs. In the evening, you can enjoy the Happily Ever After Dinner, hosted by Cinderella and her prince, her stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella and either Lady Tremaine or the Fairy Godmother. The all-you-care-to-enjoy dinner buffet includes prime rib, salads, soups, baked potatoes with all the fixings, peel-and-eat shrimp, vegetables, desserts and more. 1900 Park Fare is one of the best things about the Grand Floridian Resort!
8. Pro: Lobby Activities
The lobby at the Grand Floridian is an attraction unto itself. Not only is it a beautiful and elegantly spacious place to sit back and relax; it’s also your go-to place for live entertainment. A pianist plays beautifully arranged Disney tunes on the grand piano, and a live orchestra plays ragtime and jazz favorites, as well as beloved Disney music, and they love to take requests. One of their favorite pieces to play? “Beyond the Sea” from Disney/PIXAR’s Finding Nemo.
[google_ad_btf]
7. Pro: Monorail Resort
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a monorail resort, meaning it is on the monorail line to and from Magic Kingdom. In fact, it’s just one stop away from Magic Kingdom, so in the morning, you can hop on the monorail and arrive at Magic Kingdom in time for the Opening Ceremony and then head back to the resort for a quick afternoon nap before stepping back onto the monorail to go back the park for the evening.
6. Pro: Senses—a Disney Spa
Senses Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is a full-service spa and health club. Services offered include massages, facials, body and skin treatments, aromatherapy and more. Senses at the Grand Floridian was designed to remind Guests of a calming Floridian garden from the early 1900s. Enjoy pampering and relaxation like never before as soothing music, spa water and calming lighting combine to give Guests an experience unlike that of any other spa. The 24-hour fitness center has cardio- and strength-training equipment, as well as free weights and more.
5. Pro: Electrical Water Pageant
Each night—weather permitting—the Electrical Water Pageant is presented on Seven Seas Lagoon. This floating nighttime parade lasts about 15 minutes and features spectacular floats with lights and sounds, along with familiar Disney music. The patriotic ending is not to be missed. The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has its own viewing area for the water pageant, and you can get an even better view of it from Narcoossee’s restaurant.
4. Pro: Narcoossee’s
Narcoossee’s is one of Disney World’s most dynamic table-service restaurants. You can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views from the restaurant’s verandah. The food at Narcoossee’s is out of this world. Entrees include butter-poached twin Maine lobster tails, seared halibut, salmon, shrimp and pasta, filet mignon, New York strip steak and pork tenderloin. Desserts are not to be skipped here either. Try the almond-crusted cheesecake, the coconut and chocolate crème brulee, the no-sugar-added chocolate torte or the mango sorbet, served with melon, pineapple and berries. Narcoossee’s is a Disney Signature Restaurant, meaning it offers some of the best dining experiences available at the resort. A meal at a Disney Signature restaurant usually costs a little bit more, but the food and the service are worth every penny. The same is true of Narcoossee’s. Guests are guaranteed a delicious meal prepared by culinary experts and served by knowledgeable and helpful waitstaff.
3. Pro: Christmas Décor
Christmas is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year at Disney’s Grand Floridian. Elegant decorations adorn every part of the resort, and a giant, elegantly-decorated Christmas tree stands stately in the lobby. The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is an annual holiday tradition at the resort and is mostly edible, as it is made with gingerbread shingles, icing and other food and baking ingredients. If you’re visiting during November, December or early January, you’ll definitely want to stop by the lobby to see the fascinating and festive gingerbread house.
2. Con: Cost
There aren’t too many drawbacks to a resort like the Grand Floridian. However, one of the cons of staying there is the cost. Room rates vary based on room type, view, occupancy and the season. A two-queen bed outer room with a garden view can cost around $600 per night, and an outer building two-bedroom suite with Club Level access can cost around $2,100 per night. If you’re staying for several nights or a week, your cost for accommodations can be high. It’s not that the resort isn’t worth the price—but many Guests of the Disney World Resort just can’t swing $2,100 a night for a hotel room—even if it is at such a beautiful place.
1. Con: Crowds during peak seasons
During peak seasons at Walt Disney World, it’s not only the parks that are crowded, but the resort hotels as well. Disney’s Grand Floridian is no different. It’s a lovely, beautifully decorated resort with amenities that are second to none, but during peak seasons, it can be a crowded place with lots of Guests, lots of busy-ness and even lots of noise. But if crowds don’t bother you, this might not be a con for you after all!
