Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

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Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a themed hotel and spa located at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is categorized as a deluxe resort, one of four types of accommodations at the Florida site.

The resort contains 867 rooms among six buildings at an average of 400 square feet (37 m²) per room. A standard room can sleep up to five people.

The property opened on June 28, 1988 as the Grand Floridian Beach Resort. It was designed to resemble Victorian era beach resorts built along Florida's southeastern coast during the early 1900s; its exterior is modeled after the famous Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California, with red gabled roofs and white walls. The name changed to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa during the fall of 1997.

A typical guest room at the Grand Floridian

A view of the Grand Floridian from the monorail, 2007.

The resort offers two swimming pools, one with a slide and waterfall, and two jacuzzis. Other recreational activities include watercraft rentals, fishing excursions, a white sand beach, a full array of tennis programs, a barber and beauty salon, and preferred access to five Walt Disney World golf courses. Disney's monorail, water taxis and buses provide access to other Walt Disney World areas.

Along with Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort, the Grand Floridian sits on the shores of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom. The hotel occupies land that had been earmarked for an Asian-themed hotel during the initial development of Walt Disney World Resort in the late 1960s.

In 1992, a 40,000-square-foot convention center opened adjacent to the hotel.

The spa offers hundreds of massages, therapies and treatments, all in the $100-$2,000 range.

[edit] Dining

Grand Floridian Café: Traditional Floridian fare, with fresh fruit, seafood and burgers. $10-$20 per person.

1900 Park Fare: Buffet dining with character breakfasts and dinners. Inside this restaurant is "Big Bertha", an organ built in Paris and used from 1909 to 1955 in a Grand Rapids, Michigan amusement park. The organ's instruments include pipes, drums, bells, cymbals, castanets and a xylophone, and is played by a piano-roll score. It plays short concerts periodically during mealtimes.

Cítricos: French food with a Floridian flair. The site was formerly a restaurant called Flagler's that operated until November 1997.

Narcoossee's: An up-market seafood restaurant with an open kitchen and views of the lagoon and Cinderella Castle. Narcoosee's is located directly on Seven Seas Lagoon and offers great views of the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks, Wishes.

Victoria & Albert's: The most elegant restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort, with a unique menu created nightly and an award-winning wine cellar. A favorite of the resort's affluent guests. Victoria & Albert's is a seven-year recipient of AAA's prestigious Five Diamond award, currently the only Central Florida restaurant to receive the designation.

Along with these other restaurants, there is a 24-hour snack bar called Gasparilla's Grill and Games that has an adjacent arcade area.

[edit] Resort facts

Category: Deluxe
Theme: Victorian seaside resort
Location: Magic Kingdom Area Resorts
Opened: June 28, 1988
Areas: Main Building, Sago Cay, Sugarloaf Key, Conch Key, Boca Chica and Big Pine Key
Rooms: 867