Summary The creme\' de la creme\'

Reviewer's Comments

Wher do I begin??? after reading the 2 other reviews I have to agree with MatMan. This hotel would even make Walt himself smile. To start the beds in this hotel is worth it alone. Talk about comfortable it makes you feel like you dont want to get up. The service is mind blowing my family and I stayed there in December of 05 the Christmas theme in this hotel truly puts you in the spirit from the forty foot Christmas tree to the world renouned ginger bread house. This hotel is truly disneymagic. Yes it is very pricey but you truly get what you pay for. To have the monorail stop right in front your hotel or boat taking you to the front gate of the Magic Kingdom is astounding.

To share a brief story about how great the staff is. My mom wanted the grand christmas ornament to hang from her tree and they did not have anymore in the gift shop. So she went to the front desk and asked how can she order one. One of the managers was standing at the front desk and heard my mothers request. He told my mom not to worry he would help her. Later after we came back to the room from one of the parks my mom had an ornament in a box on her bed and the note said.\" I pulled this off our tree for you no charge Merry Christmas\". That was something my family and I would never forget and it touched my mom dearly.

If you ever said one day I am going go all out and stay at that hotel. Once you do The Grand Floridian is truly what its name sake say it is and you would never want to do it any other way.

Summary The BEST!

Reviewer's Comments

The Best of the best! Top quality. Until they come up w/ something better, this is the only place I will stay. The staff is awesome. The staff would scatter my girls toys all over the room as if they were playing and at night they would tuck the toys in bed. (my girls love this added touch) they have tons of activities for the kids right on the grounds and some are drop off (so you can have some alone time). We are going for my daughters birthday. And when we stayed at Animal Kingdom I had to call every day for 3 days to receive her birthday surprise. This didn't happen at the Grand. They are very prompt and on top of things. This place is a must see!

Summary Disney for Adults

Reviewer's Comments

The Grand Floridian is, as advertised, Walt Disney World's finest resort. It's also the most expensive, but by the time you check out, you will know where the money went. The level of service there is impressive even by Disney standards. I'm not the kind of guy who craves that kind of thing, but my wife is, and she loves it. This is a more kid-friendly resort than your average non-Disney property, but of all WDW resorts, it's the least kid-friendly. I've heard people describe it as "stuffy" or "formal," and to a certain extent, that's accurate…but I would instead describe it as "subdued." It's certainly the quietest WDW resort I've stayed at, which is good, and the pool is a really, really nice place to relax after a day at the parks. But it does not have the "fun" atmosphere of, say, the Polynesian. The restaurants are top-notch, but some have dress-codes. You can, however, feel perfectly comfortable walking through the lobby in a swimsuit and flip-flops. In short, the entire family will enjoy staying here, but honestly, it's a hotel that's designed with adults in mind. Adults who enjoy a Disney atmosphere.

Table-service restaurants include: 1900 Park Fare, a character buffet; the Grand Floridian Café, casual dining; Citricos, signature dining; Narcoossee's, casual-to-signature dining; and of course, Victoria and Albert's, the most fancy-pants restaurant at WDW. All of these restaurants are excellent choices for adults, though you'll be surrounded by kids if you eat at 1900 Park Faire. I'd recommend business casual to coat-and-tie for both Citricos and Narcoossee's. V & A's is coat-and-tie all the way, and will set you back about $100 per person…more if you drink wine. My wife and I ate here on our wedding night, and I can honestly say it's the best meal I've ever eaten. We're not exactly world-class epicures, but I can't imagine anyone not being impressed by the entire experience, including the food, service, ambiance and -- of course -- that Disney touch. Our table was next to the harpist, who saw we had just been married, and played our requests all night. Very cool.

If you need to eat fast, Gasparilla Grill & Games is very convenient. It's a standard counter-service restaurant: burgers, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit. You'll pay the same here as you would in one of the parks.

I do NOT recommend concierge service unless you have money to burn. For an extra $100 per night (or so), you'll have access to the concierge desk. Also, the central lobby of your restricted-access building will have a nice food spread 24/7. Hot & cold breakfast food, sandwiches for lunch, similar fare for dinner, and small desserts overnight. Beverages always available, too. It's not full-meal stuff, but it's very convenient and kept us from having to make an extra stop for breakfast on the way to the parks. But it's not worth a Ben Franklin a day, that's for sure. As for the concierge desk, they're hardworking and helpful, but they really don't provide you with many services you can't get by picking up your room phone and calling Guest Services. Concierge service may be more practical for your family if you have to wrangle multiple children, however. But couples can safely skip it.

As you would expect, the level of service is wonderful. Any needs are taken care of almost instantly. The first time we stayed here, we forgot to pack toothbrushes. I called the front desk and a pair of toothbrushes were delivered to our door in less than two minutes. They provide full-menu room service (order the Grand Floridian sandwich…it's as big as your head). My experiences at the Floridian have been overwhelmingly positive. In fact, I've never had even a small complaint about any aspect of any of my stays there. Even if you and yours are accustomed to high-dollar resorts and four-star service, you will be pleased with the GF.