Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Review
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a luxury hotel at Walt Disney World within monorail, boat, and walking distance of Magic Kingdom. This WDW accommodations review features room photos, pool & restaurant info, pros & cons, and much more. (Updated August 3, 2021.)
Before getting started, let’s address the elephant in the room: pricing. The Grand Floridian is Walt Disney World’s flagship property, with rack rates to match. The Grand is far and away the most expensive hotel at Walt Disney World, and whether it’s worth the money is debatable.
Anyone who has read Our Deluxe Resort Rankings at Walt Disney World probably knows where we stand on the Grand. It ranks in dead last place, which is almost entirely due to its high price points and generic guest rooms. Although we are not the biggest fans of the Grand Floridian hotel, we do love the DVC Villas at Grand Floridian. Moreover, this hotel does have many fans and guests who swear by it!
My issues with the Grand Floridian can be reduced to this: its nightly rate is not even remotely commensurate with its quality. To be fair, the Grand Floridian does have a lot of selling points, and the recent refurbishment to the guest rooms to make them stylistically cleaner and more contemporary certainly helped. Fundamentally, though, this is simply not remotely on par with a luxury hotel with rates starting at $750/night.
Let’s take a look at why it is not (or, why it might be) worth the money, starting with the guest rooms…
If you had to play the Price is Right and guess this room’s nightly rack rate solely by the above photo—divorced of Walt Disney World context—there’s no way you’d come within $200. You’d probably be off by $400 or more.
If you had to guess what hotel it was, you’d probably guess something chained-brand like Hilton or Marriott. And not their high-end properties like the JW or Conrad. (Also keep in mind the vast majority of Grand Floridian’s rooms have standard ceilings—the photos here are of dormer rooms and its vaulted ceiling—so they’re even duller looking than the one pictured here.)
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is never going to compete with real world luxury hotels, or even the nearby Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World. As with other Disney-owned hotels, stripping the rooms of their theme to make them more broadly appealing just made them bland.
Don’t get us wrong–the rooms are perfectly satisfactory. The furniture is nice enough and there are some high-end finishings. Just as a whole, it’s boring.
The bathrooms are well appointed, with nice counter-tops, tiling, and wallpaper.
With that said, these bathrooms are starting to show their age, and lack the modern lighting, large sinks, storage space, and other features of most hotel rooms at Walt Disney World.
Speaking of which, the Grand Floridian rooms haven’t had a hard goods refurbishment in a long time, and thus feel like outliers as compared to pretty much every other Deluxe Resort at Walt Disney World.
For the sake of comparison, check out the new Moana Rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort or Wilderness Lodge Reimagined Rooms, both of which are new as of 2021. Likewise, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is currently receiving an Incredibles Overhaul. Our expectation is that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is next up, probably at some point in 2022.
As noted above, these photos are of a dormer room at the Grand Floridian. The upsides to this are the vaulted ceiling and the more secluded quality of the balcony.
The downsides are that the balcony is slightly smaller and you can’t see anything without standing up. I’m not sure why Disney doesn’t furnish these with taller chairs.
Common areas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are much nicer. The hotel is inarguably grandiose and sophisticated, and the execution of the Victorian theme is incredibly well done.
Most areas offer tremendous detail and a sense of luxury, with a handful of locations being stuffy or overly reminiscent of grandma’s house…
I’m guessing these stunning paintings are Grand Floridian opening day originals, and somehow still grace the walls of the hotel. It could be argued that these are exactly the kind of dated decor you’d find on the pages of an issue of Country Living magazine, circa 1988.
It could also be argued that the artist behind these masterpieces was a true visionary so far ahead of his time that his genius won’t be fully recognized until the year 2071. I mean, a fancy monkey posing on a classy foot stool? If that’s not my spirit animal, I don’t know what is.
If for some reason you find yourself thinking, “wow, those paintings are pretty boss…where can I score a set?!” I would suggest trying a garage sale somewhere in the countryside of Indiana. I’ve seen “art” like this regularly priced for around $1 at said garage sales. (You’re welcome?)
With that said, these areas and details are generally outliers. For the most part, the Grand Floridian feels imbued with a sense of sophistication. The lobby makes a strong first impression, and the common areas are exactly what you’d expect of Walt Disney World’s flagship resort.
Speaking of which, due to the overall style, slight sense of stuffiness, dining sophistication, and other features of the hotel, we do not view this as a great option if you’re doing Walt Disney World with Kids and are primarily concerned with their reaction to the hotel. It is a much better option for Honeymooning at Walt Disney World.
As for adult amenities, the Grand Floridian is a pretty ‘loaded’ hotel.
While they aren’t the most thematically exciting, it has nice pool areas and a new Alice in Wonderland water play area that was added around the time of the Disney Vacation Club Villas at the Grand Floridian.
Another highlight is the dining. Citricos was recently overhauled with a new menu and decor (supposedly) inspired by Mary Poppins. As you can read in our New Citricos Review, it is fantastic–a top 10 restaurant at Walt Disney World. There’s also the recently-reimagined Enchanted Rose Beauty and the Beast Bar. We think it’s out of place at the Grand Floridian and an inappropriate use of intellectual property…but it is undeniably modern.
Moreover, Victoria & Albert’s is far and away the best restaurant at Walt Disney World, and the perfect place for a special occasion. Our recent visits to Narcoossee’s have proven excellent–much better than the last meal there (our Narcoossee’s review needs to be updated–I’d now consider Narcoossee’s in the 8.5-9 range).
Then there are the grounds, which are lovely. The Grand Floridian typically has well-maintained gardens, nice paths, and pretty fountains, all of which make for a pleasant post-meal stroll.
Another awesome addition is the new-ish walkway to Magic Kingdom. We’ve already breathlessly covered this in “Photos & Video: Meandering the Magnificent Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian Walkway.” In case you missed that, it’s now possible to walk all the way from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. Our enthusiasm for the walkway is not hyperbole. It’s a huge win for the Grand Floridian.
The resort is not too spread out, and walking around the Villas towards the Wedding Pavilion and Polynesian Village Resort–or just sitting in a quiet swing along the beach, is an enjoyable experience.
To take advantage of all of these highlights of the Grand Floridian, my recommendation would be staying at the superior Polynesian Village Resort (if your budget allows), and walking or taking the monorail over for a date night, and then having a peaceful nighttime stroll back to the Poly.
Another thing I appreciate about the Grand Floridian is its beauty at Christmas.
The tree in the lobby and the huge gingerbread house are both gorgeous, and highlights of my Free Self-Guided Yuletide Tour at Walt Disney Word. With that said, the lobby can be packed at this time of year, so I would not want to stay in the main building.
Overall, where you stand on the Grand Floridian is probably a matter of personal preference. Some people will want to book it regardless, as there’s a certain cachet in staying at the most expensive Walt Disney World hotel. Others might not have experience with real world luxury hotels and think the Grand is perfectly adequate. Others still might legitimately love the Grand Floridian and find my qualms about its rooms and pricing over-blown.
Personally, for this amount of money–even understanding that staying on property at Walt Disney World costs a premium–I expect perfection. The Grand Floridian is a far cry from perfection, and simply not worth the exorbitant rates it charges, at least in my opinion. If luxury were my utmost concern, I’d book the Four Seasons at Walt Disney World. If I weren’t so worried about luxury or were taking a trip more geared towards kids, I’d book one of the other superior and less expensive Walt Disney World hotels.
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YOUR THOUGHTS…
Do you love the Grand Floridian, or do you agree about its bland and boring rooms? Would you consider splurging on a stay here, or is it too expensive? If you’re a fan of the Grand, what do you consider its selling points? Planning on staying here someday? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Best hotel at Disney! Surround yourself with beautiful grounds and classy people. Best location by far. First stop from monorail to MK! Best overall dining options in Disney and 1900 Parkfare is a top breakfast dining experience. Let’s not forget the walking bridge being built to MK and the newly added BBB the GF now offers. Worth every penny. You get what you pay for!! Book during the 25% off and you’ll get the best bang for your buck. I recommend lagoon view from Boca Chica you get a castle view for free!
Hi! I’ve stayed at the GF on opening day and many times after that. Its my Dad’s favorite place to stay. We love cocktail hour with the piano player playing and having old-time drinks. The empty bird cage used to be filled with finches. I loved that. Too bad they did away with them. The ‘paintings’ that you pictured are not paintings, they are prints. Most hotels and resorts use prints since they are pennies to re-produce rather then spend thousands on originals. I’m a professional artist and have my work in sports bars some originals, some prints.
The best steak house is Victor/Victoria I think its called in a gazebo type building on the water. So good, great atmosphere. Christmas time at the GF is always a treat and my son and I just love to go there to look at the decorations….the big tree on the floor where the monorail is will always remind me of my Mother who would love to pose in front of it. I can go on and on….we where there at Disney worlds opening day way back then and have stayed at all of the resorts as they opened since back then it was very in-expensive. We are a Disney family! Thanks for the pictures.
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for the 1st time the week before Thanksgiving 2019 & absolutely loved it!! We were in the villas & my daughter, SIL, husband & 2 grandkids never want to stay anywhere else. We loved being so close to the park & watching the fireworks every night! The staff were always so nice & went out of the way to help in any way they could. We are DVC members & have stayed at Animal Kingdom which we loved & the grands loved waking up to the animals everyday but it was too far out. We have also stayed at Saratoga Springs which is our home base love it there as well as the kids like the different pools. We go every 2 years & hoping to stay at the Grand again!!
We love the Grand Floridian! It is the best of all Disney resorts, and we have stayed at most of them, including the Polynesian, Beach Club, Yacht Club, etc. The GF, particularly the main building, is the most distinguished, refined, and luxurious of all Disney Resorts. Once you stay there, you won’t want to stay anywhere else. The daIly piano player and band in the lobby are totally relaxing, and the on site dining is adult oriented (Victoria and Alberts is world class, and Narcoossees and Citricos are top notch. We totally disagree with the author’s opinions about the GF.
Carol and Joe – 5 time guests. Most recently, April 2019
we absolutely LOVE the Grand Floridian! the first time we went, our daughter was 4 1/2 years old…. I did not think it was too stuffy at all, even w/ a little one. Let’s face it, you’re paying for the monorail….. and that was one of the reasons we chose it. We didn’t want the Contemporary because of the noise, the Poly kind of seemed dated at the time we first went, (although we would totally stay there now ) but there’s something serene about the Grand. We loved the Grand Floridian Cafe and the 1900 Park Fare Breakfast. The pools are fantastic, and you can’t beat watching the electric parade from your balcony. There’s so many magical reasons to stay here. I totally get that it’s not for everyone…. but for us, it’s amazing. We are planning our 3rd trip to the Grand for 2020, and I cannot be more excited !
We love the GF and are returning for the 3rd time, April of this year. We love the Club Rooms and the staff!! We just love Disney World and how special everyone makes you feel.
The GF is on my bucket list. Somehow, we always end up there, whether we stay at Wilderness Lodge, AKL, POR, Coronado Springs or the one time at All Star Music. We enjoy the boat ride which is gorgeous from MK, take in breakfast at 1900 park fare or dinner at Narcoossee’s, stroll and sit around the grounds and hang out in the lobby listening to the music, smelling the gingerbread house or the aroma from the soap shop, looking at the Mickey’ s hidden around, shopping at the gift shop and wishing we could stay longer. Then we catch the monorail or take the boat back to MK for a night of fireworks, fastpasses and I like to sit on a park bench and just take in the atmosphere. I would love to see an article for people with disabilities, if you haven’t done one. If you have, please let me know. 🙂 What is considered “walkable” by the young and fit or in good health, is a nightmare for people with disabilities, especially if mobility and pain are factors. The only other resort we usually end up at is Beach Club because of Cape May Cafe breakfast. You get the character experience without having to deal with the Chef Mickey crowd’s, while the breakfast food is still good quality. Then we take the boat to DHS as it is not in walking distance for those with a disability. I often find myself sitting and waiting while my family rides the attractions so I enjoy the ambiance of the water, the theming in which I agree all the resorts need to keep, the dining, the shows and the vibe that everyone gets to be a kid again, even if just for a short while!
We love the GF. Yes; it’s expensive, but it is worth it. The hotel is beautiful, the grounds are extremely well kept and the staff is outstanding! We have been to the house of the mouse approximately 25 times. We have stayed at other Disney resorts and they were a disaster. We only stay at the GF!
Really? A disaster? Every other resort – which were built, maintained and staffed by the same company that operates the GF and is known for its commitment to customer service – was a disaster. I doubt it.
To All it May Concern, I did not agree with the previous reviews recently about the Grand Floridian Resort. I found the Grand Floridian Resort a Breath of Fresh Air and I felt everything was above and beyond quality of other resorts. The best quality about the Grand Floridian Resort is the Resort Staff. Everyone I encountered on Staff were pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable and appeared to enjoy and like their jobs helping Me, a Guest. I was with my Sister Andrea Smith on Sept. 2, 2018, when I had a need to set up my Disney Grand Express Bus registration for the trip back to the Airport. Miss Morgan from NJ, helped me to resolve my issue quickly and efficiently and provided individualized attention to my needs and was very helpful. Also, She truly was interested in how Our trip with My Niece, age 7, and my Nephew age 3 was going. She provided helpful hints as to what to think about doing at the Park. Also, the Service Staff were very responsive to all Our needs. Our Service Staff, Chris from Miami was very personable and was able to refresh Our room quickly and without hesitation. Chris from Miami also told Our Family about H20+ Softening Mint Foot Rub for aching feet. I am a Combat Veteran and he knew to let me know about the Foot Rub available to all guests. I tried it and was able to have more comfort on the second night of Disney in regards to my feet. I appreciate that I got a tip from staff. Overall, I have been all over the world , and I am a Doctor myself, so I felt the Services at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa were Impeccable due to the Staff’s attention to detail. I would rate this Hotel a 5 Star Hotel, without doubt, as a Guest. We paid more than what the previous blog said, but I felt it was worth it 100% due to the Awesome Staff at the Resort. All staff were Professional and Pleasant which made me feel Happy that Old World Hospitality is not Dead. I am going to stay at this Hotel next year, the next year after that, etc. It was really convenient to the Park and after discovering the Boat Ride directly back to the Resort, it was AWESOME!!! If You have sore feet like Me, it was Miraculous to get back and kick off the shoes!!! Thank You Morgan and Chris or Your Awesome Hospitality. Because of Staff like You both, I am only going to stay at The Disney Grand Floridian in the Future!!! To all that disagree about the Greatness of the Grand Floridian, I stayed at a hotel about 15 miles away, spent money on taxis, until I found out there was a free shuttle (staff never told me), and my toilet did not flush and the paint was soiled/cracking off in my room. It was more along the lines of staying at a Noisy Hotel, hearing Your neighbors, but it was affordable. I guess You get what You pay for. At the Grand Floridian, You cannot hear Your neighbors!!! Important with Screaming Kids, Think about It!!! Very Respectfully, Matt Gomez (Smith Party)! See You All Next Year, Thanks!!!
We love it to, for the exact reasons you stated. We are returning for the 3rd time, April of this year. We love the Club Rooms and the staff!!
Booked July 4th stay for fireworks months in advance. Check in was a disaster. Had to switch rooms. A horrible experience. Certainly Not a magical experience..NEVER again.
A disaster? Really? Was there an active volcano behind the check-in counter? Maybe an earthquake split the floor? Did somebody cry, “Oh, the humanity?” Those are disasters. Let’s keep a little perspective in our word choice.