5 Things You Should Know About Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is largely considered the nicest hotel on Walt Disney World property. It’s an aspirational place to live in luxury at Disney World or be close to the theme park action. With a location just outside the Magic Kingdom, the resort is a tourist attraction in and of itself, a fairy tale wedding venue, and the home of fantastic holiday decorations.

Here are 5 things you need to know before you visit the Grand Floridian.

1. It’s Monorail Accessible

A highlight of the Grand Floridian is its location on the Walt Disney World Monorail, which offers easy access to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and nearby resorts.

The monorail station is just above the main entrance, so hotel guests only need to head to the lobby and go upstairs to pass through the quick security checkpoint to catch a ride. Monorails depart every few minutes for theme parks and resorts.

The Grand Floridian monorail stops in several locations: 

• Magic Kingdom (first stop)
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort (second stop)
• Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), where you can transfer to a second monorail that takes you to Epcot
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

After taking this route, the monorail returns to the Grand Floridian and makes the same loop again.

The monorail only runs in 1 direction, so even though the Grand Floridian is located right next to Magic Kingdom, you can’t go straight to the resort when leaving the park. You must follow the monorail loop around to the Contemporary, TTC, and Polynesian before you arrive at the Grand Floridian. This adds a few minutes to your transit adventure, but it’s convenient nonetheless.

However, there are a few downsides to monorail accessibility. Because the Magic Kingdom and Epcot are on monorail loops, the Grand Floridian doesn’t offer bus transportation to either of these parks. It’s less of an issue for Magic Kingdom because it’s so close, but it can make it time-consuming to get to Epcot because you must first transfer at the TTC. A single nonstop bus like those available at other Disney World resorts could be preferable.

That said, because the monorail goes to the Contemporary and Polynesian, many great dining options are very easily accessible nearby, which is great if you want to experience various restaurants and flavors.

2. The Resort Has Exceptional Holiday Decorations

The Grand Floridian is the hub for resort decorations, especially during the December holiday season. The resort goes all out for Christmas, hanging garlands and lights and making the entire place feel like you’re not in hot and sunny Florida! It boasts an enormous gingerbread house erected each November, and you can purchase a “shingle” of gingerbread at a nearby kiosk. 

One of the downsides of the Christmas holiday season is that the resort can become extremely crowded, with visitors stopping by to gawk at the big gingerbread house and holiday decor. Disney has done a good job of limiting traffic in recent years, requiring either hotel or restaurant reservations to park. But there’s no stopping monorail foot traffic, so large December crowds persist at the Grand Floridian. That said, if you’re staying at the resort, it’s much more convenient to see everything, and you don’t have to take any transportation.

3. It Has Some of the Best Disney World Restaurants

If you want to eat, the Grand Floridian has some of the best restaurants on the Disney World property.

Here are the restaurants at Grand Floridian:

• 1900 Park Fare is the character-themed dining restaurant at Grand Floridian
• Beaches Pool Bar and Grill serves snacks and drinks by the pool
• Citricos is a fabulous modern restaurant serving American fare in a Mary Poppins setting
• Courtyard Pool Bar serves drinks and wraps by the pool
• Enchanted Rose is a lobby bar
• The Dining Room at Victoria & Albert’s is the highest-end restaurant on Disney property and serves exquisite courses in a formal atmosphere
• Gasparella Island Grill serves sandwiches and salads
• Grand Floridian Cafe is located just off the main lobby and serves American classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 
• Narcoossee’s is a seafood restaurant on Seven Seas Lagoon

There are plenty of places to choose from, from casual to ultra-fancy. Citricos and Victoria & Albert’s are consistently rated as some of the best restaurants at Disney World. I have eaten at both of these fabulous restaurants. Citricos is great for a nice meal any day of the week, and there’s a large selection of meats, seafood, and scrumptious desserts.

Victoria & Albert’s is a place for one of the fanciest dinners you’ll ever experience, and it is good for a celebration, such as a milestone anniversary or birthday. Victoria & Albert’s is a formal affair, and you’re expected to dress in the finest of attire while you enjoy a multicourse meal, with some dishes prepared tableside. A dinner can easily set you back over $500 per person with alcohol. It’s not ideal for an ordinary meal after a day in the parks, though it’s certainly worth doing at least once, as the food and service are both amazing.

4. 2 Queen Beds Are Standard

If you’re staying in a Deluxe Studio (the base level and cheapest room), you’ll find 2 queen beds in each room, very similar to what Disney’s Old Key West Resort has. While this may be frustrating for couples to share a single queen bed, it’s perfect for families since the 2 beds can sleep 2 people each, and an additional person can pull out the sofa bed in the seating area at the far end of the room.

You cannot request a Deluxe Studio with a single bed, but even with 2 beds, there’s still room to spread out and relax.

5. Room Rates Are Pricey

The Grand Floridian is one of the most expensive Disney resorts, and for good reason. It has some of the top restaurants on the property, the monorail is easily accessible, and the hotel is nicely themed for the festive season.

Even during the slow September season, it’s a whopping $725 for a single-night stay.

It’s tough to justify spending $725 per night for a base room, even at a fantastic resort like the Grand Floridian. You’re much better off finding another Disney hotel elsewhere or using miles and points to make your Disney stay cheaper. You could redeem Capital One miles on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card to cover travel purchases such as a night at the Grand Floridian (within 90 days of purchase).

If you plan to spend most of the day in the parks and not really experience the resort, it’s hard to appreciate the value of such a high room rate, which can be even higher during busier peak seasons. The monorail is convenient, but paying hundreds of dollars for this small convenience doesn’t make much sense.

Final Thoughts

While the Grand Floridian is Disney’s most luxurious hotel on property, it comes at a pretty penny and is out of the price range of most Disney visitors. The location is great, and being only a monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom is unbeatable, but you’ll need to decide whether the cost is worth it. Don’t forget to visit some of the Grand Floridian’s restaurants, as they’re some of the best at Disney World!