Grand Floridian

The Grand Floridian is the most deluxe of Walt Disney World's deluxe hotels. Built on an understated Victorian theme, the main building is the visual centerpiece with a quiet elegance in a large atrium lobby. The upper floors are accessed by a grand staircase or old-fashioned glass elevator. The restaurants are all top notch as well, culminating in the exclusive Victoria & Albert's where service is personal and first-class (and men should wear a jacket). A monorail stop and ferries provide easy access to the Magic Kingdom and other Walt Disney World destinations.

Walt Disney World

General Information

Address: 4401 Grand Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, 32830

Resort Phone #: 407-824-3000

Resort Fax #: 407-824-3186

Reservation #: 407-934-7639

Date Opened: 6/28/1988

Resort Category: Deluxe

Room Information

# of Buildings: 6 buildings with guest rooms (plus 3 additional buildings for spa, convention center, and Narcoosee's restaurant).

# of Rooms: 900 rooms

Room Rates: See the official Disney page for the Grand Floridian for current room rates.

Services Information

Concierge Service: Yes in the Main Building and in the Sugar Loaf building. The concierge lounge and services are not as extensive in the Sugar Loaf building.

Valet Parking: Yes ($12/day)

Room Service:

Internet: Wired in-room ethernet port. $9.95 for 24-hours. Wi-Fi access is available in certain public common areas.

Laundry: Each building has self-service coin-operated washers and dryers. Laundry service is available.

Pools and Swimming: The Grand Floridian has one unthemed pool in the center of the resort. The beach area on Seven Seas Lagoon provides opportunities for lounging and sunbathing but swimming is not allowed.

Gym and Exercise: Use of the gym is free for guests; there is a daily charge for other on-property guests. The area roads are not appropriate for jogging. There are tennis courts on site.

Spa: A variety of spa treatments are available from the on-site spa.

Turndown service: Yes, in the evening or by appointment.

Smoking:

Owner's Locker

MousePlanet partner Owner's Locker provides a highly useful service for repeat Walt Disney World visitors. It will allow you to to store a large amount of your "only-in-Florida" belongings on-site between your visits. Owner's Locker will deliver your locker to your resort early on the morning of your arrival and pick it up the day that you leave. Your locker will stay in climate-controlled storage until you return on your next visit. Owner's Locker delivers to resorts throughout the Orlando area, not just to Walt Disney World. Some of the many things that Owner's Lockers have been used to store are full-sized liquid containers to avoid the TSA hassle, clothing, holiday decorations for annual visits, pool playthings, and more. Visit their site and check them out for yourself, or order now!

Transportation Information

On foot:

Bus: Direct bus routes provide transportation to Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios as well as the Polynesian and Contemporary resorts. Busses to Downtown Disney and the Ticket & Transportation Center allow transfer to all other destinations.

Monorail: The Grand Floridian has its own monorail stop, located on the second floor in front of the Main Building. Other stops on this line are Magic Kingdom, Polynesian resort, Contemporary resort, and the Ticket & Transportation Center. From the Ticket & Transportation Center one can transfer to the Epcot monorail line.

Ferries: Boats from the hotel's dock provide ferry access to the Polynesian resort and Magic Kingdom.

Dining

1900 Park Fare— Buffet character dining featuring Mary Poppins at breakfast and Cinderella characters at dinner.

Citricos— High end dining with a Mediterranean flair.

Grand Floridian Cafe— A more relaxed table-dining restaurant, and the only one serving all three meals.

Narcoossee's— Seafood in an open-air environment, with a great view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks if you get lucky with a reservation.

Victoria & Alberts— Ultra-posh (and equally expensive) full service dining. The only restaurant at Walt Disney World with a strict dress code, and children under 10 are not allowed.

Other dining — Gasparilla Grill is open 24 hours with self-serve takeout items. High tea is served in the Garden View Lounge every afternoon; reservations recommended.

Entertainment and Amenities

Electrical Water Pageant — The Electrical Water Pageant is a nighttime show on the Seven Seas Lagoon. It is a kind of Electrical Parade on water, with barges displaying lighted displays. The beach and dock are good places to watch between 9:00 and 9:15 p.m.
Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks — Several locations at the resort (particularly the beach or dock) provide great viewing of the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.
Grand Adventures in Cooking — Children 4-10 get to play chef for a couple hours. Tuesday-Friday, once per day. Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations.
Lady Bug Release — Every Thursday at 11:00 a.m. there is a release of lady bugs in the 1900 Park Faire garden.
Mouseketeers Club — Essentially a child-watching service, for two to four hours children play games and interact with staff members. Available for children aged 4-12.
Pirate Adventure — Children 4-10 dress like pirates and tour the Seven Seas Lagoon in search of treasure. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, once per day. Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations.
Wonderland Tea Party — Children 4-10 have a tea party with Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Mondays through Fridays, once per day. Call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations.