Once you go Grand...

I have stayed at the Grand Floridian 6 times in the past 8 years and it

has truly become my "home away from home" - sounds hokey but it really

is true! For me (and my daughter, age 7) there is nothing like arriving

at the GF on a sunny afternoon and checking into this stunning resort.

Dsney Magic is everywhere!The lobby always smells wonderful - partly

b/c of the amazing floral arrangements always on display. The entire

property is gorgeous. As far as the rooms not being up to par, unless

you checked in just before the renovations ended about mid-2000, then I

can't imagine anyone having an honest complaint.

I just stayed in a garden view room overlooking the "quiet" pool in April 2003 in Boca Chica (our favorite Lodge) and the room was exceptional - VERY large by any standard (for their most basic room) and beautifully decorated. We have stayed in a Presidential-type suite there that had a vast patio in, I think, Sago Cay as well as a Lodge concierge suite (least impressive - but this was just before re-do) and also lagoon-view rooms which are GREAT if you get a view of "The Castle". But I

honestly recommend Garden View b/c every room is gorgeous. We used to

book primarily lagoon view but now I book an extra night or two plus a

Princess costume for DD ;) with the money I save by staying in a garden

view...of course for a honeymoon, etc. go for a suite in the Main

Building! This is the creme de la creme of the Disney resorts -

monorail and boat to Magic Kingdom really spoil you...Gasparilla Grill

is wonderful for 24-hour drinks, cereals, baked goods, fruit, even

mini-bottles of vino ;) SPLURGE and ENJOY!!

A Grand Experience

We have stayed at the Grand Floridian many times over the years, and have LOVED it! It is the best of the Disney resorts! The service and amenities, paired with the beautiful rooms, make it an experience to remember. The lagoon view rooms feature breath-taking views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella's Castle. It just cannot get much better than this!

Wonderful Honeymoon

After a beautiful, exhausting wedding in Hilton Head Island, my new husband and I spent our honeymoon at the Grand Floridian. It was worth EVERY penny. It rained heavily for all five days we were there, so having a comfortable room to dry off in was a plus. We absolutely LOVED it. I recommend it to any honeymooner....

Wonderful hotel

I admit it was a very expensive place to lay your head at the end of the day, but OH MY!! My 4 year old daughter and I stayed there and the minute we arrived it was wonderful. When we got to our room, we immediatly went to Magic Kingdom. When we got back, our room was staightened up and our beds were turned down. THE BEST PART - Abbey's doll and teddy bear were tucked in bed with a chocolate on their laps and two more for us. It was definitly worth every penny to be able to view the fireworks from Magic Kingdom right from our balcony. The staff was very helpful and polite. For a truly "magical" vacation, stay at the Floridian.

The Spa

The Spa was horrible from the moment we arrived! The front desk staff was rude and the Robes we got smelled so that we had to ask for new ones then we figured we'd relax in the jacuzzi for a bit and come to find that it was broken and so was the steam room. We later found out that this was a common problem here! Our therapists picked us up and escorted us to our massages which were excellent but I did notice that the floors were filthy! I was in disbelief that Disney could run such a facility then came to find out it was operated by some co named Niki Bryan Inc. ( well if that is their Idea of5 star they're sadly mistaken!) Disney really should look into who they wok with!

The most beautiful place I've ever seen

I've been fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Floridian three times in recent years, and every time I've been blissfully happy with the service, the resort, the spa...everything. Yes, it is expensive, and you have to go in prepared for that. But you can always eat elsewhere. My suggestions for a great trip if you *don't* have kids, which I didn't:1) Get a lagoon view room. It costs more, but it's truly worth the price. First of all, you don't run the risk of facing the pool, where children yell and scream and run around all the time. Second, there isn't any better way to relax on a vacation morning than by putting on your complimentary GF bathrobe, retrieving your complimentary newspaper from outside your door, and venturing out onto your private patio to watch the sun come up and the cranes and pelicans fly over the still lagoon waters to the bird sanctuary. From some rooms you get a view of the Polynesian resort, which at night has torches burning and makes for a quiet, romantic view; from other rooms you can see the Magic Kingdom and watch the fireworks right from your windows. 2) Get a spa treatment. You're staying within walking distance of a world-class spa, so use it! My favorite is the 80-minute full-body Swedish massage. I get it first thing in the morning and then feel wonderful all day. Plus, when you use any of the spa's services, you have access to the spa for the entire day--including the hot tubs and fitness room. So if you go early, you'll have all day long to go back for more. 3) Sit on the beach. Sure, this is Florida, and the sun is hot. So coat yourself in sunblock and head out onto the small, usually uncrowded beach for a nap. The lagoon waters lap up as boats whiz by, and if you can block out the noise from the nearby rockslide pool, you'll be able to read or listen to music or sleep quite peacefully.4) Walk to the Polynesian for a luau, or hop the monorail around to the Contemporary for a Chef Mickey's character meal or a fine dining experience at the California Grill. The it gives you a chance to wander the pretty grounds of the resort. At the Contemporary, Chef Mickey's does all-day character meals with the "primary" Disney characters--Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto, Chip and Dale, etc. The all-you-can-eat dinner buffet includes what I call "normal" food such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, salads and the like, which is hard to come by in Disney. Plus the dessert buffet is a sugar-junkie's dream. This is a very crowded restaurant, as you might imagine, and getting advanced seating arrangements takes some planning ahead, but it's fun, even if you don't have little ones. (Personally, for breakfast I prefer the GF's own all-you-can-eat buffet at 1900 Park Fare.) Also at the Contemp. is California Grill, which is an expensive fine-dining restaurant located at the top of the hotel, with outdoor walkways on either side for taking amazing photos of the GF and Magic Kingdom. The food is good, so if you've got the money and the dressy attire, it's worth a stop.5) Take advantage of the monorail and ferry service. Having the monorail run through the GF main building means you're never far from the parks or other hotels. It's also really nice if you're into photography and want to get some early-morning shots of the GF from across the lagoon; many a morning I was the only passenger on the train, riding the full loop of the monorail and happily snapping photos with no one in the way. At night, if you're in the Magic Kingdom when the park closes, the ferryboat to the GF or the special Resort Monorails are godsends for getting you away from the throngs of people and back to you room in a hurry. 6) Get up early at least one morning to see the parasol parade. The GF housekeeping crew parades across the grounds each morning, parasols raised and top hats tipped. It's nothing spectacular, but it's a nice touch. 7) Sit in the main building lounge and read or listen to music. At night, there's a pianist who comes in and also a small jazz orchestra; iring day in the parks (although I prefer the jazz group myself). I hope these tips and suggestions help make your trip to the Grand Floridian as wonderful as mine have been!

The SPA

I visited the Grand Floridian Spa. The Spa was very nice - it is a separate building close to the hotel - near the beautiful gazebo they use for weddings. The treatment rooms are good sized and very clean and tranquil. The women's locker room and lounge is a little small, but very nice with couches and wooden lockers - also nice sunken tile whirlpool, small sauna, and very small tile steamroom. The prices were comparable - but the best reason to come here - is their signature Pink Grapefruit product line - it is absolutely divine! The showers are well stocked and you can also purchase products from the line. Very nice spa - come early to enjoy the facilities.

Grand Floridian - a fantastic vacation!

My fiance and I stayed at the Grand Floridian the first week of February, 2002...it was a great vacation. We had the Dream Maker package and we thought we would spend the whole time at the parks, but the hotel ended up being so nice that we hung out there a good portion of the time. The staff is friendly and service is great. The food is a bit pricey but it is good for the most part. We were a bit disappointed with the food at Narcoosee's restaurant (over priced and not that great), but it has a great view of the fireworks and Cinderella's castle. The grounds are beautiful with tons of fresh flowers and clean pools. It is advertised as THE place for Disney Honeymooners but there are more families and children than you would expect. The "Mouse Boat" rental area was just outside our building on the 7 Seas Lagoon. We had a garden view room and, although the private balcony was cool, the view wasn't that great...next time I'd definitely spend the money to have a lagoon view. The best part is the easy access to the Monorail and Magic Kingdom, and the ample transportation to all the other parks and attractions via bus system. It was a beautiful hotel and well worth the money.

Lower than my expectations

We stayed there in September 2001. It's supposed to be Disney's top resort but we didn't think it was worth the

price we paid. Rooms are average. We didn't get a room in the main building so it was a long walk to our room. Pool was nice but not as fancy as other resorts we've stayed at. One plus is direct access to the monorail.

Lush and beautiful grounds, disappointingly average room

This is an absolutely gorgeous hotel when it comes to the lobby area and the grounds and bldgs. surrounding it. We were in a garden room and paid a great deal of money, and were VERY disappointed with the very average room we stayed in. I had seen in advertisements etc. a view of the Grand Floridian rooms, and was shocked when I saw ours. Little did I know that the rooms that they show on their videos etc. are the concierge main bldg. rooms and not the other rooms in the hotel. If you want to stay in the room that is shown on the Disney videos, etc, you must book a concierge room. Frankly, if I am going to spend that much per night, I would rather stay at The Plaza in New York! For that much I could get a room with a view of Central Park!