As a frequent Walt Disney World visitor, I have been to the Grand Floridian many times. My family and I have visited the lobby, dined in the restaurants and walked the grounds. It’s one of my favorite places to stop during the holiday season to see the amazing decor and of course visit the larger-than-life gingerbread house. One of its hidden gems which doesn’t get as much attention as the gingerbread house is the Easter Egg display. It’s a huge display of various Disney themed eggs made entirely of edible materials. The creativity and detail is just amazing to see.
The one thing I hadn’t done, though, is stayed at the Grand Floridian. For a variety of reasons, my family and I just did not have this on our list of places to book our vacation. Recently, though, I had the opportunity to book my stay at the Grand Floridian. While I was of course very excited to be able to experience the resort in a new way, I also found that this quickly jumped to the top of my list of favorite resorts.
Of course the Cast Members were impeccable. From the moment we arrived, our every need was met. The staff at bell services and the front desk were very eager to help. A small issue with my Magic Band at check-in was very quickly resolved by a knowledgeable Cast Member who owned the problem and went out of her way to make things right. In fact, the issue was solved almost before I knew it existed.
Although I was of course pleased with the wonderful Cast Members and the beautiful setting, there was one aspect of the resort that surprised me. The feel of the resort, while upscale, is very comfortable. Even though there are over 840 rooms in the resort, our stay was very intimate. It never felt that the resort was spread out or that we had to walk far to get to any of the numerous amenities. It was even a quick walk to the Villas at Grand Floridian for those needing a little extra elbow room.
Each building had an area to meet friends or just relax at the end of the evening. After a day of fun in the parks, taking a quick dip in the pool was just steps away and (thankfully!) didn’t involve a long trek through the lobby in a bathing suit. One of my favorite memories was being able to walk out of the room and with a short walk watch Wishes! fireworks from the boat dock. Follow that up with the Electrical Water Pageant floating past and it’s a great way to end the day. And speaking of the end of the day, one of the little extra touches here is turn down service. What a great surprise to come back to the room at each night with the bed turned down, Disney music on the TV and a little chocolate on my pillow!
I would not hesitate to stay at this resort again. The feel of the Grand Floridian is just so unique, even among Disney properties. The bustle of the theme parks gives way to an upscale charm that can’t be matched. If you do choose to stay at the Grand Floridian, make time to really explore the resort. Use the amenities, even if it’s just a quick swim to end the day or a viewing of fireworks before bed. You will be pleased with the charm of the Grand Floridian.
