Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Tripadvisor needs better rating options - between average and very good. It's a beautiful property what I would say it sports understated elegance; quite charming in that respect. All the public areas are finely manicured right down to fresh cut flowers. But if white isn't your color of choice , best to avoid this hotel as it's basically all pastels and white mixed in with the Mary Poppins theme. And your wallet will be a bit emptier as rooms and services are quite expensive---- If you do opt to take the plunge as this is a Magic Kingdom hotel - ask for a Magic Kingdom view. It really was breathtaking at night -- the fireworks over the water, the Kingdoms monorail, steam train, electric light parade-- all so fun to look at day or night from your balcony. The room we had slept 5 although it was tight--it was redone just enough to be current but not spacious. Worth the tall bucks?? I'd feel better if it was a bit less expensive. But monorail access is a bonus. The pool areas were beautiful with their zero depth entries-- and a kids pirate ship to boot! Enjoy the ambiance but know that Mary Poppins needs a big spoonful of $ugar to rest your bones here.

Stayed with my three teenage children for 4 nights this July and loved it. The Grand Floridian is my happy place where everyone is pleasant both staff and guests, the location is fantastic, and the rooms and grounds are beautiful. From the the exquisite meal we had at Victoria and Alberts to the very good quick service meals at Gasparillas, we were very satisfied. The cast members at the front desk are very knowledgable and helpful concerning the Disney parks' sometimes complex booking system. It is like going to an Apple store for your computer question! I love the fact that if they happen not know the answer immediately they will find someone who does. BTW we self parked and never had an issue with finding parking or with the courtesy of the cast members based on our parking preference. I have had the privilege of travelling around the world and staying in luxury resorts but the Grand Floridian in my mind will always be the very best among them and my forever Happy Place.

The accommodation is, as you would expect, absolutely amazing but sadly our initial experience was badly let down by a rather unsatisfactory arrival. When arriving at comparable Disney properties, like the Castle Club at DLP, we've always been welcomed personally by the front desk team, invited to sit down and checked in professionally. Please don't expect that here based on our experience! The best you're going to get is the chance to stand in the middle of the lobby with a cast member frantically tapping Magic Bands and credit cards on an iPad with varying degrees of success :( I then naively asked whether we could have our baggage transferred to our different rooms and was invited to step back outside into the 98 degree heat and find the Bell Captain ... who wasn't there!!! Fifteen minutes and one conversation with a more senior but less helpful cast member, the Bell Captain was located and our baggage eventually materialized in our rooms. Having travelled for over 10 hours and spent many many thousands of dollars on our vacation ... it didn't feel particularly magical at this point. Come on Disney you can do much better than this!

We were celebrating our anniversary at the Grand Floridian Cafe Saturday evening. Upon arrival at the entrance gate, the security person told us of the parking options: self-parking was "across the street" or valet. We opted for valet and proceeded to the hotel entrance where we were informed the cost was $39. At that point, we did not know what across the street meant so we opted for valet parking. The cost of valet parking was more than the highest priced entree on the menu. We did speak to two employees at the front desk regarding this, There answer was, "We have heard this before, sorry, cash or credit. We feel the cost is excess for the small service provided. A disappointing end to an otherwise wonderful evening.

The newly renovated rooms at the Grand Floridian are amazing! They did a fabulous job of bringing the rooms up to speed with what you would expect from the luxury price point, all without sacrificing the special Disney magic. The hotel staff were very helpful getting all of our party of 10 synced up with some magic band issues, and our server Matt at the Enchanted Rose gave us a run for our money in an epic Disney Trivia battle. We have always loved the Grand Floridian, and with all the upgrades we love it even more. If only they would bring back the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra!!!

The Villas themselves are, as you would expect, absolutely amazing but sadly our initial experience was badly let down by a rather unsatisfactory arrival in the DVC building. When arriving at comparable Disney properties, like the Castle Club at DLP, we've always been welcomed personally by the front desk team, invited to sit down and checked in professionally. Please don't expect that here based on our experience! The best you're going to get is the chance to stand in the middle of the lobby with a cast member frantically tapping Magic Bands and credit cards on an iPad with varying degrees of success. I then naively asked whether we could have our baggage transferred to our different rooms and was invited to step back outside into the 98 degree heat and find the Bell Captain ... who wasn't there!!! Fifteen minutes and one conversation with a more senior but less helpful cast member, the Bell Captain was located and our baggage eventually materialized in our rooms. Having travelled for over 10 hours and spent many thousands of dollars on our vacation ... it didn't feel particularly magical at this point. Come on Disney you can do much better than this!

The Villas are, as you would expect, absolutely amazing but sadly our initial experience was badly let down by a rather unsatisfactory arrival. When arriving at comparable Disney properties, like the Castle Club at DLP, we've always been welcomed personally by the front desk team, invited to sit down and checked in professionally. Please don't expect that here based on our experience! The best you're going to get is the chance to stand in the middle of the lobby with a cast member frantically tapping Magic Bands and credit cards on an iPad with varying degrees of success. I then naively asked whether we could have our baggage transferred to our different rooms and was invited to step back outside into the 98-degree heat and find the Bell Captain ... who wasn't there!!! Fifteen minutes and one conversation with a more senior but less helpful cast member, the Bell Captain was located and our baggage eventually materialized in our rooms. Having travelled for over 10 hours and spent many thousands of dollars on our vacation ... it didn't feel particularly magical at this point. Come on Disney you can do much better than this!