The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is Disney’s flagship resort, and it certainly lives up to its name. Starting with the majestic lobby in the main building with a bird cage elevator. In the evenings an orchestra entertains the crowds of people visiting and walking through to their room. There are 5 sit-down restaurants, a counter-service restaurant and a pool bar.

The grounds are pristine, perfectly manicured and dotted with greenery and flowers. The pool and water features all fit so nicely. As with any Disney resort there are activities for children at the pool. For adults there is the Senses Spa, an indulgent treat and a great place for a non-park day. There is a marina where all kinds of motor craft can be rented.  There are several shops inside of the main building and a beauty salon. One of my favorite resort stores is right where you get off the monorail, it’s inside one of the Victorian turrets and offers a view down at the resort.

There are 2 pools, a beach and then a courtyard pool. Both pools are zero entry. The beach pool has a water slide and a child’s play area. This play feature is themed after Alice in Wonderland and is a lot of fun for the kids. 

The courtyard pool is has these beautiful spray jets and is extremely large. It is one of my favorite pools on Disney property.

Even though this resort is luxurious in its offerings, it is not stuffy. We stayed here when my son was 16 months old and never felt like it wasn’t good for kids. We found quite the contrary. Our son had a blast playing in the pools and the water feature. The most child-friendly feature of this resort: it is just one monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom. If you are a parent with stroller-aged children, the value of not having to fold up your stroller to get on a bus to get to a park has no limit.

The rooms are large, most at 440 square feet. Most rooms have a deck or a balcony. Some rooms are dormer rooms and do not have the balcony. Every room in this resort receives turn-down service each evening. Turn-down is a second maid service. They ready your room for the evening, empty the trash, turn-down your bed, leave chocolates on your pillow and ice in your ice bucket. They leave the room with the curtains drawn and a light on the dim setting. There is nothing like coming back to your room and having chocolates on your pillow.

The bathrooms are generously large. There are two vanities and a separate room with the tub and toilet. There is also a hamper for towels to go after they’ve been used. They offer the Spa H2O toiletries, which is an upgrade over other Disney resorts.

This is my favorite resort on Disney property. I love how it is elegant, yet comfortable. Its location just can’t be beat, one stop away from the Magic Kingdom, but when you are swimming in that courtyard pool, you feel like you are miles away from the hustle and bustle of the Magic Kingdom.

To see more of my pictures of this resort, click here to check out the Grand Floridian Room Tour album on our Facebook page.