Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Mjau, last October during our two week long vacation in Walt Disney World we decided to stay the first week in the grand Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. We stayed during Halloween but we did not really see any Halloween decorations in the Hotel. Mjau, we think it was good because otherwise the decorations might have removed the classy feel from the Grand Floridian. We had a standard room with a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the monorail. It was really fun to be able to see the monorail pass by on the balcony!

Relaxing on our balcony on a golden afternoon

The room was really big with two big queen beds. The room had really subtle but cute and classy Disney details. We would have preferred the room to be even more Disney themed, not just a couple of hidden Mickeys. The bathroom had a nice silhouette Alice in Wonderland painting, but it felt kind of out of place... Maybe if it had a different colour it would fit better. Mjau, we suspect it has something to do with the Alice in Wonderland themed "pool" and Tea Party.

The pools were really nice. There is two pools at the resort, Courtyard Pool and Beach Pool. We preferred the Courtyard Pool as it was more relaxed and had a whirlpool spa that was really nice in the evenings. The Beach Pool was more beautiful, with its waterfalls, but the water slide attracted too many kids... And we do not like kids, mau! They are too loud and splash too much! The Beach Pool does have a bar on site, which is a plus, as one of our butlers really enjoys a drink by the pool! Mjau, hihi, the other butler got sunburn by the pool!

The Beach Pool and Seven Seas Lagoon

It was really tempting to go swimming in the Seven Seas Lagoon but there might be Alligators in the water... really scary! If you went around the Courtyard Pool during the evening you could also see the  Electrical Water Pageant. We really liked it! It was fitting with the 'never smile at a crocodile' soundtrack. Parades in the parks can often be too crowded, here you could just sit by the beach by yourself and enjoy the magic of Disney. The Grand Floridian is also supposed to have a Parasol Parade on Monday and Friday mornings at 8... We waited and waited but the parade never came... We were a bit disappointed that they do not have the parade every Monday and Friday morning. Better to confirm at check in next time!

They have many dining options at Grand Floridian but we only ate breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe and went to get drinks one evening at the Citricos Lounge. The food and atmosphere is good but we were a little bit disappointed we did not get a free birthday cupcake! Our butler mentioned it is a bit expensive considering there are so many better options that are more value for money and cheaper. We deserve the best and why not try many and all the breakfast places we want! Mau, we think our butler was bitter because we wanted strawberries with our French Toast and it cost her two dollars extra.

Breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe: French Toast!

 

Arancini and white wine at the Citricos Lounge

The transportation to the parks is really good. We usually stay in the purse during the transportation, but we really like to stick our cute little heads out when going by the boat. Mostly because our butlers always get to sit down on the boat ride. If they have to stand during the monorail or bus we have to stay inside the purse for security: otherwise we could fall and get stomped on like Mufasa!

It is nice and fast to take the monorail to Magic Kingdom, only one stop away! When going back to Grand Floridian the monorail will first stop at Contemporary and Polynesian too. If you take the monorail back in the evening it is going to be overcrowded, especially right after the fireworks. The line to the boat will also be long, but at least it is not overcrowded and the ride is nicer. So cozy and pretty to ride the boat in the dark! During the day it is nice because of the breeze. One of the first nights we had our butlers ask directions to walk back to our hotel from a Cast Member as the lines were so long... The Cast Member told them it was impossible to walk back as you would have to swim through a swamp... Mau! Embarrassing for our butlers!

The bus service to the other parks is good too, but you are not able to take a bus to Epcot from Grand Floridian. You have to take the monorail. Unless you first go to another park and take the bus from there to Epcot. We love that they now have bus service running between the parks. Makes park hopping so fun, Mau! We always prefer to go to Animal Kingdom in the evenings, the Safari in the dark is so much fun and the park is almost empty... at least it was before Pandora, mau!




As a bonus photo: here are we dressed for the Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! We got dressed as Disney's classics Bambi and Dumbo and as Pain and Panic from Hercules. So much candy and fun. A little embarrassing walking around in the costumes our butlers made us, mau!

Picture time in front of the Castle in our Costumes.