Welcome Guest Blogger Amy Simpson Swiss as she shares her Grand Floridian experience...
Sometimes, Plussing
the Magic can come in the form of realizing a long-standing Disney Dream.
Since then, I have been back to Disney many times. I’ve visited Disney on a shoe-string budget, and I’ve traveled first-class all the way – and everything in between. I’ve stayed off-property occasionally and also at many wonderful Disney Property resorts, but I’ve never returned to the Grand Floridian. The time has never been right to fulfill that dream – until now. This past weekend, at long last, the dream came true. This, for me, was the ultimate way to Plus the Magic- fulfilling that long-held dream at last, and doing Disney in high-style, at it’s flagship resort.
So, admittedly, all this
sets up some pretty big expectations. Would
the Grand Floridian live up to my expectations? The short answer is – YES. The longer answer is: Yes, yes, yes!
How exactly did the
Grand Floridian Plus the Magic? Details, details, details. Here are just a few examples...
Service
The moment we stepped
off the Magical Express, a Cast Member – dressed impeccably in the
Victorian-era costume appropriate for this Victorian-era recreation – was by
our side, welcoming us and ushering us directly in to the desk for check
in. This level of helpful and friendly,
but not pushy, service continued through out our stay. Cast members seem to be everywhere, waiting unobtrusively
to meet any need that may arise. Throughout our stay, the moment we
looked confused- wondering where to go, or how to find something -a cast member
appeared to not only direct us, but escort us. The moment we wanted to
snap a picture of ourselves, a cast member appeared like magic to offer to take
the photo- from several angles, to get the best background. Every cast member we encountered – no matter
job they were doing, not matter what time of day – was friendly, helpful, warm
and welcoming.
Room

Resort Layout
Of course, the
grounds were visually spectacular. No
surprise there. What about the layout? One frequently heard complaint when
visiting many Disney Resorts, and of course the parks as well, is the amount of
walking involved. In general the resorts are huge and very spread out. At the
larger resorts, there may need to be shuttle buses involved to get to the pools
or to the resort entrance from your room. I have, on occasion, had the
unfortunate experience of kids complaining about the amount of walking involved
before we even got to the parks. NOT here! Despite it's massive appearance, The
Grand Floridian is very well laid out. Nothing is very far away within the
resort. It’s not more than a short walk from just about every room to the
main lobby, the quick service restaurant, the pool area, the waterfront, the
monorails and the fitness center.
Music
The music was one of
the biggest plusses of this resort. The amazing orchestra, "The
Grand Floridian Society Orchestra", has a permanent residence on the second
floor balcony of the lobby. They were a
steady and wonderful presence throughout our stay, playing every evening we
were there and during the day on Sunday. The musicians were incredibly
talented, the music was so much fun, and the amazing acoustics of the grand
lobby made it feel like we were in a concert hall. Saturday and Sunday evenings, each time the
orchestra took a break, a pianist on the main floor of the lobby quickly took
their place, so the music was continuous. The music was a major draw to the lobby.
The Décor and Ambience
The building is a
stunning piece of architecture. This, combined
with the small and intricate details in theming and décor, make the resort a
luxurious masterpiece. Here are some
examples of the details that stand out the most in my memory:
The Color Palette: The Grand Floridian manages to capture the
spirit and essence of the Victorian era without resorting to the dark woods and
heavy, stuffy feel of other, similarly themed resorts. Instead, the décor throughout is light, airy,
breezy and upbeat.
The Antiques:
The antiques, which fit so nicely in with the theming, were beautiful
and elegant. At the bottom of one
staircase in the main lobby was a true work of art – a framed antique,
crocheted tablecloth. As I examined the
intricate needlework one afternoon, and wondered about it’s origins, a cast
member named Art appeared, as if by magic, to answer my questions. According to
Art, there’s a rumor floating around that Walt’s wife made the antique
tablecloth. However, he was quick to
point out that he didn’t believe the rumor – rather, he had a more likely
explanation; he thinks the gem came from the Olde World Antiques shop that was
part of Liberty Square for many years.
Several other examples of whimsical and delightful antique show pieces were
found just outside of Victoria and Albert’s - a colorful, playful ferris wheel
from the late 1800’s, and an old barber pole.
The Orchestra Pit: When the orchestra
wasn’t playing, the orchestra pit was a site to behold, full of beautiful old
instruments, and wonderfully fingered sheaves of music.
The Marble Floors – The intricate,
elegant designs on the marble floors throughout the resort have hidden
surprises. Here is one example: note the
elaborate leaf work below. Seamlessly
worked into the design – something easily missed, but so fun to find if you happen
to be looking in the right place – are Disney characters. Note this picture, lower right corner – goofy
inset.
Location
As far as locations
go, this resort has one of the best, if not the best, locations. The monorail pulls up right along the second
floor lobby, and the first stop is the Magic Kingdom. If you time it just right you could be in the
Magic Kingdom in five minutes. Wow! The third
stop on the monorail is the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you connect
for the Epcot monorail. My trip to Epcot
took about about 20 minutes. I personally never had to wait more than 5 minutes
for a monorail. Bus rides are available to the other parks, and they run frequently.
The Lobby
The lobby at The Grand Floridian is a destination in it's own right. It brings together all the details I’ve mentioned so far- amazing architecture, music, decor, luxury, comfort. Stunningly beautiful stained glass sun lights hover above the immense chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Plenty of cozy couches that make you want to curl up and get comfortable. There were young couples curled up with a bottle of wine in one corner, children dressed up as princesses dancing near the piano, and elderly couples waltzing nearby. Large families with many generations gathered chairs around to relax and enjoy the orchestra together. The room was bustling with people, all enjoying themselves, and yet the spaciousness and sweeping ceilings made it feel like you had complete privacy with the person you were with.
The Water Views
At this resort, no
matter where your room is, you are no more than a few steps for a breathtaking
sunrise over the water in the morning, or the fireworks display at night. The resort offers multiple water excursions, including a super-fun Pirate
Adventure for the kids, as well as a ferry, with relaxing rides back and forth
to the Magic kingdom. But really, this
picture sums everything you need to know about the benefits of being on the
water:
Fireworks
I have watched
countless fireworks shows from many locations. Watching from this resort is
definitely one of the best ways to see the show at the Magic Kingdom. The Grand Floridian is essentially directly
across the Seven Seas Lagoon from Cinderella’s castle, so there are multiple
locations around the resort from which to watch. Most of these are just steps
from your room, with no crowds and no long trip back to your room
afterwards. The best spot would have to
be just outside Narcossee’s restaurant – the back deck pipe’s in the music from
the Magic Kingdom, so you don’t miss any aspect of the magic. The fireworks reflecting on the sparkling
waters of the lagoon is an added bonus.
Other Amenities
The resort had all
the usual amenities you would expect at a top-notch resort. Senses- a world class spa and fitness center- is
located in a separate building just a short walk down another pretty, flowered
path from the main lobby.
An arcade
stands ready and waiting to occupy any child who might be bored between
activities. One of my very favorite amenities here was an easily accessible,
large, well-stocked 24-hour quick serve restaurant. It was great place to grab a quick breakfast
on the run before a full day in the parks, an early morning cup of coffee, or
late afternoon tea on the way back to the room before dinner. And of course, the resort has several pools, as well as this super fun children’s play area:
Was it perfect?
Well, what is? There are always minor problems in life, and
there were some here too. The free in-room wifi service was flaky, which was a
little frustrating – but only during those brief periods of time we were
actually in the room. Not a big deal,
overall. Pin trading opportunities seemed to be very limited. Very few of the Cast Member’s at the resort
were wearing pins, outside of the store. The pin board in the store was only scheduled to be taken out at limited
– and inconvenient – times, although the staff was flexible about taking it out
at other times when asked – if they weren't busy.
What a great read! I have only experienced the Grand Floridian as part of the Yuletide Fantasy tour or on a monorail ride. Thank you for providing a glimpse of what a stay there would be like. Someday...
ReplyDeleteStaying at the Grand Floridian was an amazing experience and I highly recommend it. I have been consistently talking about it to everybody I see or speak to on the phone (even wrong numbers) since we came home. I can't wait to go there again someday.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds magnificent. Would love to go there someday before I meet my maker.
DeleteThanks for sharing all these great details! My little one keeps mentioning how much she would like to go back to Disney and this made me feel that way too! (Visiting via SITS)
ReplyDeleteGood to know! We stayed at The Contemporary when we went to Disney. Loved it! :) We definitely would consider the Grand Floridian, though. Stopping by from SITS Sharefest on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI heart Disney World! That you for that review of the Grand Floridian. We've never stayed there, but on our recent trip we stayed at the new Art of Animation Resort (Cars suite) and loved it. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Grand. I've been a housekeeping turndown hostess there for over 4 years now. It has been my pleasure to do what I do for our guests each night. Prior to working at the Grand, I did front office work at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. I love working for Disney.
ReplyDelete