Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort 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 February 3, 2024.)
Let’s start with the latest update for 2024, which is that the resort is currently in the midst of a large-scale refurbishment and reimagining project. Officially, Walt Disney World has not shared many details about changes and construction. If you go to the official website, there’s simply an update stating: “Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is currently undergoing refurbishment. Guests will be able to see and hear construction during daytime hours. Most Resort hotel amenities will remain available. Please allow for extra travel time.”
That definitely understates the scope and scale of the work. In actuality, construction crews are going building-by-building and completely redoing both the interiors and exteriors. This project began over a year ago, and is now approaching its home stretch. Thus far, the Big Pine Key (now Disney Vacation Club), Boca Chica, Conch Key, Sugar Loaf, and Sago Key buildings are all fully reimagined and reopened.
The only building that is not finished is the main lobby. This means that if you book any of the “Outer Bldg” room categories at this point, you will get a new room. The buildings that are currently in progress are closed completely; only the reimagined rooms are available for booking. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that all of the Main Bldg. rooms (including Club Level and Suites) are still the old, dated, and bland style. However, you won’t even have the option to book these depending upon your travel dates, as the Main Building is totally unavailable for Summer & Fall 2023, which should provide insight into the timeline for that project.
The other bad news is that the scope and scale of the main lobby overhaul is unknown; construction could be majorly or minimally disruptive for stays between now and Christmas 2024. Our expectation is that the work will occur in phases, meaning sections of the lobby will be closed off at different times. We do not expect the entire building to be walled off, but we do expect major areas unavailable and visible construction throughout 2024.
That’s just a guess, though. It’s possible Walt Disney World will opt against a large scale overhaul and instead do a light refresh of the lobby instead, similar to what was done last year at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. The bulk of that lobby update was done during the overnight hours and went unnoticed by guests. We don’t expect that to happen with Grand Floridian, but given the radio silence from Disney, anything is possible.
What’s also unknown is what happens with Grand Floridian Cafe and 1900 Park Fare, the latter of which has still not reopened. (See When Will 1900 Park Fare Reopen? for a discussion of a potential timeframe and what will likely change when the character dining experience returns.)
Our expectation is that both receive reimagined interiors, with Grand Floridian Cafe closing sometime between spring and summer to accommodate that overdue update, and the latter not reopening until the lobby project is done. That’s simply speculation, though.
On a positive note with regard to dining, Narcoossee’s has now reopened after its reimagining, joining Citricos and Victoria & Albert’s. This trifecta of fine dining establishments have all been overhauled in the last couple of years at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
Even more positive is the Grand New Rooms at Walt Disney World’s Flagship Resort. We’ve stayed in the reimagined rooms a few times in the last year (twice in the DVC version, once on the hotel side) and absolutely love them.
The themed design, attention to detail, and sense of luxuriousness is off the charts. They have so much more personality and style, and are also considerable improvements in terms of functionality. Here’s a video tour of the new hotel rooms at the Grand Floridian that showcases their quality:
For years, we’ve been complaining that the guest rooms at the Grand Floridian are not commensurate with the prices. I’d go as far as to say that the previous regular guest rooms are among the dullest at Walt Disney World. You’d be hard-pressed to distinguish them from a mid-range Hilton or Marriott. With these rooms being replaced, our opinion of the Grand Floridian has improved tremendously.
As a result of the new rooms and other enhancements, the Grand Floridian has shot up our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best. Previously, the Grand Floridian performed poorly, not living up to its flagship resort status due to datedness and underwhelming rooms. Now, there are only two reasons why it doesn’t rank higher.
The first is cost, as rack rates at the Grand Floridian start at over $700 per night. Those are the cheapest nights of the year, with most dates being in the $800 to $900 range for standard rooms. (However, discounts are often available that reduce those prices significantly.)
The other is the simple fact that the construction is not yet completed. During our stays at Grand Floridian in the past year, work has been minimally invasive. There has been a minor amount of blight and noise, but going building-by-building has helped prevent the resort from feeling like a construction zone. We wouldn’t hesitate to stay here during the project–obviously, given that we’ve returned on multiple occasions during the work.
The good news is that construction is now done around all of the outer buildings, meaning that there are no walls or any visible signs of construction once you get past the main lobby. So if you’re simply planning a stay in one of the buildings listed above and won’t spend much time in the main building (to be clear, it’s not just the lobby–it’s where all of the dining, shopping, and monorail station is located), then you may not feel much of an impact.
However, it’s our view that the main building is the heart and soul of the Grand Floridian, and without that, it’s just another hotel at Walt Disney World and not the flagship resort. Accordingly, we hesitate to recommend Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort to first-timers until the scope and scale of the lobby overhaul becomes clear. Perhaps we’ll revise this once work starts and we see how impactful it is, but for now, we’re erring on the side of caution and advising against staying at the Grand Floridian in the next few months if you’re an infrequent visitor to Walt Disney World.
Conversely, if you’re already looking ahead beyond that, we highly recommend Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for Christmas 2024 or 2025 Walt Disney World vacations. The construction will be entirely complete by then, and every building–including the main lobby–will be feeling as fresh and looking as good as the outlying buildings do now. Walt Disney World’s flagship resort will once again be truly deserving of its status!
We always recommend booking with an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” (Disney’s term for a travel agent), but that’s doubly true if you’re thinking about rolling the dice and staying at the Grand Floridian during construction. That’s because it’s possible Walt Disney World will end up wanting to relocate you to a different resort–or you will want to change hotels after seeing the extent of construction. Among many other things, Authorized Disney Vacation Planners can advocate on your behalf and ensure a favorable outcome.
They receive commission from Disney, so most authorized planners will not charge you for booking the vacation package and planning services. The fee-free Authorized Disney Vacation Planner that we recommend is Be Our Guest Vacations. Their services don’t cost extra, they’ll reserve your room, help you with dining reservations and itineraries, and apply the best discounts to your reservation.
At that point, we’ll return to totally overhaul this review. For now, much of what follows (in particular the harsh criticism of the guest rooms) no longer applies.
Even prior to the reimagining, the common areas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are upscale. 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. In our view, this comes across better in person than it does via photos, which might make the hotel appear more antiquated than it actually is.
In person, the entire resort is permeated with a sense of opulence. There’s texture and quality to every surface, making the resort feel decidedly luxurious. Yes, it also feels a bit classical, but that’s true of many of the world’s nicest hotels. For now at least, the Grand Floridian skews towards classy luxury rather than modern luxury.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa 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. It can feel a tad stuffy or old school, but it’s also beautiful and well-appointed. Even if you’re not staying at the Grand Floridian, the lobby restaurants are the perfect destination for a fancy date night or anniversary dinner.
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.
If you want to take advantage the Grand Floridian’s highlights while staying at a resort with a more relaxed theme and atmosphere, our recommendation would be Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. From there, you can walk or take 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.
Finally, we come to the resort rooms at the Grand Floridian. Again, this is a look at the old style of the rooms. Thankfully, these rooms have been retired in the outer buildings and are on their way out in the main building. Unless you’re staying at the Grand Floridian in the coming weeks, you will not be stuck in one of these.
That’s a good thing, as these were on par with chained-brand hotels 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.
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 countertops, 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.
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. 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 the next year.
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.
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.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
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!
we just stayed at The GF and found the facilities lovely but the service lacking!
We went to celebrate my husbands 60th birthday and they didnt have or had no suggestions to assist me in getting a birthday sign for our room door. Check in was quick, not very informative for first time guests, we immediately called the front desk as we did not get our free cup as part of our dining plan and they sent us on a wild goose chase to find it, we did early on-line check in and requested any building but one and that was the one we were placed in and the final request for a late check in was also declined.
we have stayed at The Yacht and Beach Club and the Polynesian Hotel, all with better service and lower prices!
This design is wicked! You certainly know how to keep a reader entertained.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Excellent job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that,
how you presented it. Too cool!
We stayed at the GF for our wedding anniversary last year. We splurged on a theme park/ lagoon view room so we could watch the MK fireworks and the lagoon parade every night from the privacy of our balcony with a glass of wine in hand. What we hadn’t counted on was that there was no sound, i.e., no music, etc., that you would hear if you were in MK. I had figured WDW would at least have the sound piped into the rooms via TV channel for those who spent the extra $$ for the view. So don’t spend the extra $$ on the “view”! There are several places at GF where you can see the fireworks and hear the themed music. Particularly the boat dock. Otherwise, we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the GF
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Tom,
Very excited to read your re-review of Narcoossee’s, when you get the chance to publish it! We had a similar chain of events to yours- we visited a few years ago and it was terrible, we returned recently and it was terrific! What room type / building do you recommend at the Grand Floridian?
Oh shoot, I totally forgot about writing that. Thanks for the reminder!
We haven’t stayed at GF enough to have specific recommendations on building or room types. My personal preference would be the main building (except at Christmas), but it’s not like the resort is all that spread out, so it shouldn’t make a huge difference.
Just booked at the Grand! Has been my dream resort for over 20 years! Now I am staying there
What drives me crazy about this resort I otherwise enjoy is that those who want a drink before 4:30 must make do with the pool bar or get on the monorail to The Wave or Tambu Lounge. It’s disgraceful that a resort this expensive has one lounge to which guests queue in the late afternoon like it’s Space Mountain.
You will be happy to hear that Disney is currently renovating Mizner’s (the main lounge above the lobby) and are extending it into the two store locations adjacent to it. When finished it will probably be at least twice as big. We agree that it should open earlier too! My husband and I love the Grand and it is always our first choice WDW resort.
My husband and I love the Grand Floridian. That is where we stayed on the day we got married and had our honeymoon. We loved every second of it. We also have a tradition of visiting the hotel during the holiday season to look at the tree and the ginger bread house. (We also tour the other hotels as well). We always get that “happy feeling” when visiting the hotel.
We’ve never stayed at the main hotel, but we’ve stayed at the villas a couple of times. The rooms there are top notch. I must say, now that we’ve gotten over the awe of staying at the GF, the Boardwalk is a much better choice. Better location – easy access to both the studios and Epcot.
So I think if you’re the kind of person who stays at 5 star hotels… Which a price point of over $500/night (and the attitude of the CM’s there) suggests… You should get a true luxury experience. At least that’s what I thought.
My only GF experience was a lackluster 6 nights at SugarLoaf (lower tier concierge). And sadly the service was consistently the largest disappointment. We deeply regretted only doing 3 nights at the Boardwalk Inn during that split stay visit. Could have happily stayed there the whole time as their concierge level staff are some the best CM’s at WDW.
There is absolutely no comparison between my experience at the GF & subsequent stays at the Waldorf, Ritz Carlton, & Four Seasons.
If you want great theme – I suggest the Poly or Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge. Magic Kingdom proximity? Stay at the Poly or the Contemporary. Great concierge service? You cannot beat the charm of the Boardwalk Inn.
But if you’re a big fan of luxury hotels? Don’t stay at the Grand Floridian. You’ll be disappointed.
We stayed the the GF villas last August and its our favorite trip to date. We were in a 2br and it was easily the nicest room we’ve every stayed in. We’ve started at both the Plaza & the Waldorf in NYC, and thought the GF Villa rooms exceeded those. After staying at several DVC spots, these are by far our favorite & the most luxurious. I don’t think young kids would appreciate it, but it’s our favorite resort.
I enjoy the GF for it’s location, lobby area, and the Minzer’s bar. We only stay there if we get a great rate. I think the lowest we’ve gotten was $280.00/per night. That is still high, but for the GF that’s a good price. Our favorite resort is the Yacht Club.
Celebrated my 50th at the GF mid May. Great time. Staff made us feel very special. Room was spectacular. Saw wishes from our balcony each night. Great memories. Totally worth it!!!!
For what would be our last trip together for a long while (as I was getting married soon), my mom and I, stayed at GF with an AP discount (figured it was the best deal I’d get and our APs were expiring soon, so better go now!). This was about 3 years ago. It was a dream come true for her.
I will say that I was really disappointed in the decor of the rooms at the time. I definitely had the thought that if I was paying that much money, I’d expect the room decor to be consistently updated to keep it feeling more “worth it.” I’m glad to see they’ve been updated. It was loooooong overdue. I think it is GORGEOUS everywhere else and really enjoyed it, but I agree that it is ridiculously overpriced and I’m not sure I’ll ever get to stay there again, but it was a nice “once in a lifetime” experience for me and Mom.
I’ll be perfectly happy with future visits, just stopping by to admire the grounds and pure beauty of the place. And then head back to POP or POFQ for the night. And for what it’s worth, I MUCH prefer the strolling the grounds and POFQ. Talk about peaceful and serene…
I always enjoy visiting the Grand Floridian but not actually staying there. I love the Christmas decorations, the Easter Eggs, and sometimes we’ll treat ourselves to afternoon tea in the Garden View Tearoom to have a break in the day. Ill walk around and think “oh maybe this would be nice next time” but then I look at the price and I think of all the other things I could do with that money during a Disney trip instead!
I have also heard the rooms are rather small?
It is a nice monorail stop at Christmas to see the gingerbread house. But the beauty of the Wilderness Lodge ( particularly if you checkin after sundown, when the Christmas tree is lit), in my view, is even more stunning.
Rooms aren’t huge, but they are, I believe, some of the biggest on property. The rooms we stayed in had room for 2 queen beds, a wooden round table and two chairs, a desk, a TV on a credenza and a day bed that converts to couch. Plus the bathroom is fine. Definitely was not built in the days of “the bathroom must be big enough to sleep in” aesthetic that exists today, but adequate. Nice storage in closet.
My wife and I have always liked to visit the Grand Floridian, but are always surprised how loud all of the open spaces and dining areas are. Architecturally cool, but I agree wholeheartedly with your call out of some of that artwork. Sheesh.
When I look at the prices to stay there, I go back to how many clams we spent to stay in Bermuda, the insane taxi and dining costs there (and I’m a NYer!), but also the incredible ambiance, quiet, beauty and service. In comparison, the GF has little restful feeling to me, and the price feels akin to my standing in the lobby, smoking a giant cigar and using it to light a succession of hundred dollar bills while yodelers pelt me with gingerbread.
Well, maybe not exactly that, but I don’t think I’ll ever choose to stay at the GF when I could save a bundle and enjoy some of the moderates more.
¡NO ME GUSTAN LOS ABONDIGAS!
The best way to experience the Grand Floridian is to go for a convention. If your meeting is at the Grand or Contemporary convention center, you can usually get rooms at the Contemporary, Poly, or Grand for just $199 a night! We LOVED our stay at the Grand at this rate. But agree that otherwise it is very overpriced.
I was about to post the exact same thing!! We enjoyed the Grand at a conference rate last fall. I think it was 209/night, about the same as the moderates on the fall room only discount. It was lovely. Mind you, I never never never would have paid full price for it, but for that money it was great, and the location really can’t be beat, especially with kids. My pet peeve — why haven’t they created a walking trail from the Grand to the MK? I can see a lighted path from the monorail.
Also — be creative with looking for conferences. I actually signed up for a cardiology conference, even though I’m a physician but not a cardiologist. I had no intention of going to, but because the deal was so good I opted to sign up. The conference organizers didn’t care, and neither did Disney. I’m not saying lie, but perhaps stretch your affiliation, if that makes sense
You could of probably summed up why it isn’t worth the price with just a picture of the tub. Sheesh. Sure I don’t need a walk in shower with a rainfall head, but it should certainly have it and that price.
Yeah, it’s really disappointing, especially given what they did at the Poly with the showers. If you look at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel Review, the quality of the shower there is more in line with what I’d expect–at minimum.
I’ve had a few stays at the GF and have never, in the overall picture, been disappointed. (Unless you count the decor). First stay was in 1988, right after it opened. We booked the Grand Plan, an all inclusive (and I mean ALL inclusive, including Victoria’s and Albert’s) that was to die for. And die we almost did, from overeating. While that plan no longer exists, the slimmed down version (Deluxe Dining Plan) does. I don’t recommend it.
I no longer stay at the GF. My go to hotel is now PO Riverside. Been going to WDW since 1973, have stayed at almost all their hotels, and recently realized how much I have evolved. The GF now feels too stuffy for me, too uppity. The only GF restaurant I like is Narcoossee’s. Occasionally, I’ll go for high tea, which to me is really a meal. The location is perfect and for weddings, it can’t be beat. But if I’m willing to pay deluxe prices (which most of time I’m not), it’ll be the Poly who gets my hard earned dough.
Maybe some people just want to stay there once to see what it’s like, or to say they stayed at the prestigious GF. Who knows. My goddaughter loves the place. Although, she tells me now her next stay will be in the Poly’s Bora Bora island buildings. Guess that’s why there’s a chair for every behind. To each his own.
Good review Tom.
Absolutely. Plenty of people love Grand Floridian, and more power to them. Different strokes for different folks.
I had never heard of the ‘Grand Plan.’ Victoria & Albert’s INCLUDED?! Forget the theme parks, I would have had dinner there every night! 😉
No unlimited dining at Victoria and Alberts on The Grand Plan Tom. They weren’t that crazy. It was one dinner, at our convenience, and included a hand written menu, with our names written in calligraphy.
The Grand Plan included everything, a limo for pick up at the airport, really, really nice gifts delivered to our room daily, unlimited room service, three table service meals, (including gratuities) and all this available around the clock. Also included were the Luau, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and (at that time) The Top of the World dinner show at the Contemporary, which featured top name entertainment. We were also given a video camera to use for the week. And now I’ll tell you what we paid….$1097 for seven nights. Unbelievable, isn’t it?