Grand Floridian Villas

 

Location

Grand Floridian is located in Walt Disney World, on the Monorail close to Magic Kingdom. It is the last stop on the monorail line before Magic Kingdom.

It has the distinctive red roof, and the exterior was modeled after the Hotel del Coronado on Coronado island by San Diego, California. The main lobby is breathtaking, and the smell is so distinct, I actually bought a candle that had the same smell just to remind me of this 

 

resort.

 

It you have a chance to stay here (if not, you MUST visit) during the holiday season, you can see the giant gingerbread hous

 

e they build each year and sell gingerbre

ad out of (yep- it’s that big!) Take a stroll and take in all the decorations or take a seat and listen to the live music from 

the grand piano in the center of the 

lobby.

Transportation

Magic Kingdom- Monorail (it also has its own security check so no waiting in line at Magic Kingdom). Staying on the monorail is a prime location, and so convenient if you have kids who will be spending more time at Magic Kingdom than other parks. You can also choose a Boat (also runs to the Polynesian so make sure you are going straight to your destination or it might be a long ride), and a walking path (takes about 15 mins but is a flat walk around Bay lake).

Epcot- Monorail (will need to change at the transportation and ticket center “TTC”)

Animal kingdom/ Hollywood-Buses

Food options

Gasaparilla Grill (quick service)is better than other quick services at other resorts and make sure to mobile order! Only guests at the resort can mobile order.

1900 park fare ( not available) let’s hope this opens soon- fantastic character meals (breakfast was mary poppins/ pooh bear, dinner was cinderella with her step sisters)

Grand Floridian Cafe- sit down restuarant and requires a dining reservation.

Victoria and Albert’s and Citricos- signature dining

Activities

The Resort has multiple pools, and the pool closest to the DVC rooms has a slide, activities and a nice splash pad. You can also sit and watch the fireworks across the Bay but don’t miss the nightly electrical parade on the lake.

There is also a Bibbidi Bobbity Boutique inside the main lobby, and after your pirate or princess gets a royal treatment, there is a photopass photographer on the second floor to take their picture!

Studio room

Our studio was newly renovated, and included the ever popular murphy bed ( those handles over the couch pull down and the couch folds in for a queen bed!) It also sleeps 5 with the cabinet under the TV pulling down for a trundle twin bed. With 5 people in our room, the other nice feature was a split bathroom with a shower and sink in one room, and a bath/shower and toilet in the other. This made getting everyone out the door easier in the morning! The decor is subtleMary Poppins with a dumbo mural on theback of the trundle.

DVC point chart

Resort Studio vs. Deluxe Studio

Resort Studios are the new DVC rooms that are converted hotel rooms (Disney Vacation Club took over one of Grand Floridian’s Buildings). They are slightly smaller, and do not have a microwave, or counter fridge. For the same price, I would definitely pick a deluxe or resort studio. That said, I would choose a resort studio if it was available over a non monorail resort!

Renting

You will pay a higher price when renting at Grand Floridian. The location and smaller size makes this resort harder to find availability over other bigger resorts. If you are wanting to rent this resort, you will need to rent from an Grand Floridian villa owner. We have a small contract here, and even at 11 months we are not guaranteed to be able to reserve a studio.

A Studio starts at 16 points per night, so expect to pay around $320 when renting.

The villas at the Grand Floridian have a separate small lobby, and this is where you will check in. There are two buildings now, the mail building and a separate building for resort sudios.

This resort is also a great choice for a split stay! Stay here a couple of nights and plan your park reservation at Magic Kingdom and then transfer to a different resort for the rest of your stay- we do this almost every trip!