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Disney Vacation Planner  >  Walt Disney World  >  Disney Hotels  >  Grand Floridian Beach Resort
Last revised Tue, 22-May-2007 23:06
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Sites by Solarius

Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort


At A Glance Big, Expensive, Deluxe, Posh and exuding luxury, the 800 room Grand Floridian is one of the original three resorts, and probably still the best looking, due mostly to its excellent and incredibly detailed Victorian theming.
 

Overview

The Grand Floridian Beach Resort and Spa was opened on June 28th 1988, and is the crown jewel of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels. The Grand Floridian Beach Resort is themed to be reminiscent of turn-of-the-century Florida, and has over 800 rooms.

The hotel lobby is absolutely magnificent, with vast stained glass domes, and huge glass chandeliers suspended from the ceiling five storys above. There is often a pianist in the center of the lobby providing light background musical entertainment, or alternatively a small orchestra on one the balcony.

The shops are restaurants are reached either via an open-cage elevator or a grand Victorian staircase.

The Grand Floridian boasts the finest of WDW's dining establishments, and an ambiance that just exudes opulence and luxury. This resort boasts a marina filled with watercraft and a lovely white sand beach (the site of 1995's professional beach volleyball "King of the Beach" tournament).

The shops at the Grand Floridian make you feel like a pauper as price tags usually exceed wallet capacity (at least in my personal experience). There are some lovely items for sale, so if you have a shopper in the family, beware! The lobby of this hotel is magnificent. Themed like the Victorian era, it has a piano (which is manned for live music occasionally, especially in the evenings), a small orchestra pit on the second floor balcony overlooking the main floor, a glass enclosed brass cage elevator, and many details that make you feel like you are in the 1870's. One of the main advantages to the Grand Floridian is the large number of restaurants that are available at this resort.


Rooms

There are over 800 rooms at The Grand Floridian, each of which features it's own Victorian decor complete with ceiling fan.


Food and Drink

The Grand Floridian has several restaurants to choose from. Gasparilla Grill is a snack bar. The Grand Floridian Cafe provides simple table service meals similar to those at the Plaza Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. 1900 Park Faire, one of my personal favorites, is a buffet-style restaurant that features alot of character visits. Narcoossee's is a steak and seafood restaurant nestled on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon while Flagler's specializes in Italian dishes. In addition, several lounges are scattered about the property for the refreshment of the parched.

The top restaurant at WDW, though, is Victoria and Albert's. Victoria and Albert's provides extremely refined food and service, at premium prices, to a very limited number of guests each night. Jacket and ties are required for the male diners at this premium restaurant while ladies are expected to be dressed appropriately, too.

Activities

The Grand Floridian has a heath club, as well as many other recreational activities (tennis, volleyball, croquet, swimming -- in the pool or on the beach, and a gameroom). Shopping is a wonderful experience here, too, as long as deep pockets abound. Otherwise, stick to window shopping. I remember the price for a Grand Floridian bathrobe being in the $200-$400 price range on a trip several years back. I didn't buy it.

Recreation

Shopping

Checkin/Checkout

Guest Services

Disney Transportation

The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT can most easily be accessed via the monorail. Buses carry guests to other WDW locations, while Water taxis can also whisk the waiting to the Magic Kingdom and a few other destinations on the lagoon.

Directions to the Resort

 

 

 

Attraction Details

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