Review: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Is this deluxe level resort worth it?

Since it’s construction in 1988, Disney’s Grand Floridan Resort & Spa – themed after Victorian-era beach resorts – has widely been considered Disney World’s most opulent resort. Beautifully designed with inspiration from classic resorts across the country, it is considered by many to be the most desirable resort on Disney property.

But is it worthy of that attention?

I’ll admit that I am not one who is comfortable with opulence. It is now how I make my way through the world. Sure, I’ll enjoy a nice visit to Biltmore, Versailles, or any of the other truly opulent places in the world, but I wouldn’t want to stay there. I can appreciate them while acknowledging they are not, ultimately, for me.

Disney does an excellent job theming its resorts, but mostly, they stop well short of full immersion. I like the Pacific Island vibes at the Polynesian or the Pacific Northwest feel of the Wilderness Lodge. But the theming at the Grand Floridian goes further and the line gets blurred.

Am I staying at a resort that’s pretending to be an opulent Florida getaway – like Port Orleans pretends to be a chunk of the French Quarter – or is it the rare Disney resort that is the thing it purports to be?

What’s the difference ultimately? Probably psychological. If it’s just Disney pretending to be something bigger and grander, I can deal with that. I don’t enjoy that vibe, but I can deal. But, if this is an honest-to-goodness elegant resort, then I feel out of place and want to hurry over to the Poly for some boozy Dole Whip where I won’t feel like Pretty Woman trying to figure out which fork goes with which course of the meal.

Am I overthinking it? Probably.

Is this an insight into my own psyche revealing my innermost insecurities? Also, probably.

Am I the only one that feels the unique brand of beauty and cold judgment when stepping into the lobby? God, I hope not.

But let’s all pick up our baggage – the kind you can’t just leave at Bell Services – and jump into the plusses and minuses of Disney grandest resort.

What is the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa?

It’s Disney’s deluxe-iest resort, built in 1988 and originally name the Grand Floridan Beach Resort. It was re-christened in 1997.

The iconic white buildings with bright red roofs stand out as one of Disney’s most classically themed resorts. The third of Disney’s monorail resorts, it’s about a mile walk from the resort to Magic Kingdom. Expect the walk to take about 20 minutes. If walking distance is a factor for you, the Contemporary is about .6 miles and a 12 minute walk.

You can take the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center, transfer to the monorail to Epcot and reach that park without your car. However, it is about 45 minutes depending on how lucky you are during the monorail transfer.

If you’re running late and in a hurry, it’s about a 7 minute drive to EPCOT, but you’ll need to allow a little more time to get from the parking lot to the park.

The standard rate is $775 for the standard resort view room; however, you should never pay standard rate at a Disney Resort.

There are always room rate discounts and bundles, including an up to 30% off rate that has been renewing every season for years. If you’re booking more than a few months out, go ahead and lock the room in – you can reserve with $200 down –  and then watch for the discount to become available,

Disney will update your reservation to the lower rate. Currently, you can get a standard view with that discount at $590 a night, a water view at $611 and a theme park view for $661, though if you want the best theme park view, the Contemporary is the better option. There are a variety of club level suits, villas, and studios available.

What are the benefits of staying at the Grand Floridian?

One of the benefits of staying at Disney’s most upscale resort? The dining – if you want to pay the price – is excellent. We’ll have more on that in a second.

Amenities include the Beach Pool with the 181-foot waterslide, but the “serene natural springs themed setting” isn’t as much fun as some of the more exotically themed resort pools despite the cascading waterfall.

The Courtyard Pool is the more adult, standard pool, and there’s a whirlpool spa that feels especially refreshing for sore feet and legs after a day in the park.

If you want to take a break day and pamper yourself, the Grand Floridian Spa is a full service spa. It has a 24-hour fitness spa in case you didn’t get enough steps in during the day and want to go hit the stair climber at 3:30 a.m.

The Spa itself is for adults ages 18 and up, but teens ages 14 to 17 may enjoy spa services when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parents my bring children 5 and up to the Salon & Nail services as long as the children remain accompanied by parents for guardians the whole time.

If you’ll forgive an aside, I love a lot about Disney—but isn’t it funny that for tickets and restaurants, adulthood begins at 10, while for other “adult” services, Disney adheres to the more traditional age of 18? I suppose I don’t begrudge those who want adult-only spaces at Disney, but if my 15 year-old is holding a ticket that says “adult,” then Disney should rework it’s policies so that “adult” only says 18+ or whatever. Ok. Rant over.

What about the rooms?

This is where the Grand Floridian – like the Contemporary – falls down for me a bit. Although, I would rank the Grand Floridian rooms above the Contemporary, to be fair.

Yes, the rooms are nice—at least the standard ones. I can’t speak for the suites and villas, which are probably amazing. But the regular rooms aren’t so nice, and the views aren’t so great that I’d want to pay $600–$800 a night to stay there.

Ultimately, they’re nice hotel rooms, but like many of the things at the Grand Floridian, they’re a little formal and stiff.

Could I imagine younger kids enjoying it? Sure, but they’d rather have a themed room with Cars,Tiana, or the Little Mermaid and that would cost you half the price.

If I’m spending Deluxe resort money, give me the Polynesian, the Wilderness Lodge, or one of the Boardwalk resorts that offer amenities in which I am more interested over the Grand Floridian.

Dining at the Grand Floridian

If you take all of these options into account, the Grand Floridian is probably the best dining spot on property, but you’re going to pay quite a bit to enjoy it.

We will start with 1900 Park Fare which, since it reopened, is among the best character dining on property. The buffet is excellent and offers a wide variety of flavors including Tiana’s Gumbo – which is fantastic – curry roasted chicken, a carving station, and the Grand Floridian’s signature dish, Strawberry Soup with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

The character selection is quite good as well. You get Tiana in her Bayou Explorer outfit, Mirabel, Aladdin dressed as Prince Ali, and Cinderella. Though, it’s important to remember the characters are always subject to change.

There’s a neat little wishing ceremony. The guests write down their own wishes and say a wish of their own. It’s a nice touch.

Character dining is $69 for adults and $44 per kid for dinner and $58 for adults and $37 for kids for breakfast. I highly recommend going on a day you’re not going into the parks. This way you don’t have to feel rushed in either place.

Beyond 1900 Park Fare, you’ve got the Grand Floridian Café. It is known chiefly for its brunch but also does a nice dinner service. Prices range from $29 to $41 for entrees like cajun pasta with shrimp – pappardelle pasta, creamy cajun sauce.

You can also enjoy Floridian cuisine with Mediterranean flavors at Citricos. The restaurant is themed along with Mary Poppins returns which starred Emily Blunt trying to follow in Julie Andrews footsteps.

Entrees start at $39 for something called ancient grains. Or you can get an oak-grilled filet mignon for $62.

Appetizers – labeled first course – start at $15 for a celery root-sunchoke bisque. They go up as much as $23 for the yuzu-soy roasted duck breast.

If you want to really splurge, get one of the caviar options for $125 or $150, respectively.

We’re still moving up the ladder as we go to Narcoossee’s, billed as an American, seafood dining establishment that offers waterfront views. Entrees start at $36 for a roaster vegetable paella. They go up to $89 for the surf and turf with filet Mignon.

No $150 starters here, but you can get half-pound of king crab- chilled or steamed for $49.

We do have bars, grills, and other options for drinks, snack or meals, including the affordable Gasparilla Island Grill. Adults can mercifully eat for roughly $15. However, don’t expect anything more than flatbreads, bowls or sandwiches.

Certainly, no caviar and King Crab.

Where is the best dining at the Grand Floridian?

The best and most expensive dining experience at the resort is Victoria & Albert’s, which is billed as an Epicurean Odyssey. The Chef offers two tasting menus, which start at $295 per guest. Optional wine pairings start at $155

Vic & Al’s has a few stipulations. Advance reservations are required. Only guests 10 and older are allowed to dine. There is also a dress code, “guests are expected to dress accordingly in semi-formal/formal attire that respects the restaurant’s elegant and opulent aesthetic.”

Also, we should say that Victoria & Albert’s is the premiere restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort. The restaurant’s culinary team has retained the distinguished honor of a MICHELIN star since 2024 and has been the recipient of the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award every year since 2000 and the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award consecutively since 2018.

You can also reserve the Chef’s Table for a 4-hour experience. The chef will take you through a culinary journey of the senses.You’ll watch, hear, and smell the food preparation process.

You also get to eat it. The 11-course experience starts at $425 before taxes and tip. What’s on the menu? I could tell you some things that have been on the menu in the past, but there’s really no point. You’ll get 11 courses of whatever epicurean delight they serve.

At Vic & Al’s, you can request special dietary adjustments, but you have to give at least 72 hours notice.

Valet parking is included.

Is the Grand Floridian really worth it?

Like any experience at Disney, if you love it and can afford it, then it’s worth it.

After all, what is the price of happiness? It’s going to be an absolutely great stay.

But, for me, I can find great stays all over the Walt Disney World Resort.

And while I love to visit the Grand Floridian and hear the piano playing in the lobby, I just don’t want to stay there. Or maybe more correctly, there are a lot of other places I’d rather stay, and some of them are less expensive.

But it’s more than just the money for me. It’s the vibes.

Even though this is a Disney-fied version of an opulent resort, it’s close enough to the real thing. Some of that, I think, is the all white decor. It just feels like a place that’s meant to be looked at but not experienced.

It is a great place to host a wedding or reception.

I’m sure some of my apprehension has to do with me and the Caddyshack aesthetic I was raised with.

We can enjoy many of the finer things in life. I enjoy as much of the Grand Floridian dining as I can afford. However, I’d rather spend my vacation somewhere that I can relax and not worry if I’m underdressed or under-classed.

I just don’t find it relaxing. Who wants to pay that price for a vacation where they walk around feeling awkward all the time? I can do that at home for free.