Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa review

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.

How to book the Grand Floridian Resort

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Grand Floridian Spa and gym

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.

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.

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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