Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
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A grand hotel with gabled roofs and Victorian balustrades typical of
the fabled Florida beach resorts of the 19th century is among Walt Disney
World's themed resort adventures.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, nestled on the picturesque
shores of Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and Disney's Polynesian
Resort, welcomed its first modern-day time-travelers in mid-1988.
The 867-room hotel featuring complete resort facilities recalls the
days when John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison and even President Theodore
Roosevelt led the annual winter pilgrimage to the land of friendly sunshine,
where rowboats and palm fans replaced snow shoes and pot-belly stoves.
Canary palms, southern magnolias and richly colored gardens complete
the historic theme.
Often referred to as "the jewel in the crown" of Disney's Vacation Kingdom,
the Grand Floridian also may be the first resort of its kind since the
golden era of Henry M. Flagler and Henry Plant. But this time, it has
all the advantages of 21st century living -- including monorail service
that stops right beside the 19th century Grand Lobby.
Complementing the guest accommodations are restaurants, lounges, snack
bars, an arcade, a Mouseketeer Club child-care facility, shopping, swimming
pools, children's playground, marina, beauty salon and 9,000-square-foot
spa and health club. The luxurious, full-service spa offers an array
of fitness and beauty treatments from seaweed body wraps to aromatherapy.
Like Disney's other resorts, the Grand Floridian has a distinctive theme
that carries through architecture, landscape, furnishings and costumes.
The style of the buildings is reminiscent of the Victorian era but is
more playful and relaxed -- embellished by intricate lattice work and
balustrades and 120 miles of scrolls, turnposts and curved moldings.
Snow-white towers and red-shingle roofs make a dramatic first impression
on guests.
The resort accommodations are among the most luxurious on Disney property.
The concierge and suite rooms with private elevator access in the 225,000-square-foot
Sugar Loaf Key building include in-room facilities such as a wet bar
and lavish decor. One of the resort's five lodge buildings also features
personal concierge service.
In the main building, the third-floor concierge lobby includes three
concierge desks designed to provide personalized services such as check-in/check-out,
reservations, information, pics, etc. The fourth-floor concierge lobby includes
a quiet seating area where guests can enjoy, at no additional charge,
continental breakfasts and evening cocktails. The fifth-floor suite lobby
features a bookcase filled with a wide variety of reading materials.
Throughout the hotel, guestroom decor, as it did a century ago, enhances
the atmosphere of a refuge from harsh winters and the hectic big-city
pace. Features include soft, spring-like colors and printed wall coverings,
armoires and other furnishings in light woods, marble-top sinks with
old-fashion fittings, and Victorian woodwork.
Most rooms include two queen-size beds plus a day bed. Suites include
a parlor plus one to three bedrooms.
An open-cage elevator, aviary, palms and ferns set the mood in the sitting
area of the Grand Lobby, which reaches five stories to a Victorian ceiling
adorned with three illuminated stained-glass domes, ornate chandeliers
and metal scrolls.
Shops carry on the theme in displays featuring turn-of-the-century toys
and clothing.
Dining opportunities at the Grand Floridian are diverse -- from top-your-own
burgers at Gasparilla Grill and Games to intimate, candlelight, gourmet
dinners at Victoria & Albert's, with elegant service fit for royalty.
The largest restaurant is C'tricos featuring sun-drenched Provenal colors
and an open-air kitchen. 1900 Park Fare hosts character dining at breakfast
and dinner plus the popular Wonderland Tea Party. Grand Floridian Cafe
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All major dining locations are in the main building except Narcoosee's,
a seafood restaurant on a romantic shoreline location. Octagon-shaped
and open-beamed, Narcoosee's features a show kitchen where cooks broil,
steam, saut} and smoke the catches of the day.
Hotel recreation is water-oriented -- white sand beaches on Seven Seas
Lagoon, a marina with rental craft and a children's playground. Beach
Pool offers guests a natural springs setting complete with a waterfall
flowing from a 27-foot-tall stone mountain. For the most lavish water
experience, the Grand 1 offers a pampered VIP boating experience
on Seven Seas Lagoon overlooking Magic Kingdom. The 44-foot Sea Ray yacht
sails on morning, afternoon or evening excursions, featuring a fireworks
display above Magic Kingdom on select evenings. For the ultimate cruise,
private butler service and on-board gourmet dining is available.
A full-service spa and health club pampers guests with a variety of
personalized treatments including massage therapy, body treatments, facials,
manicures and pedicures. Men's and women's sauna, steam room, whirlpool
and workout room round out the amenities.
