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For the first page of this review of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, click here.

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

Disney’s Grand Floridian is one of 8 official Disney owned and operated deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.

In their recommended order for first time family visitors, they are

Many of these also offer Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) studios and villas, all for rent to the general public–see this for more on the Disney Vacation Club resorts. At the Grand Floridian, the DVC offering is The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opened in July 1988, and saw its last major renovation in 2014. While this refurb was not all that long ago, the most recent Disney World hotel refurbs have outclassed its rooms a bit in terms of powerpoints, TVs, storage, bath privacy and other dimensions of livability. For a photo tour of a Grand Floridian room, see this.

When it opened, it replaced the Contemporary Resort as Disney’s flagship resort, and remains Walt Disney World’s most expensive and loveliest resort. (Some cast members at the Contemporary call the Grand Floridian the “red roof inn”; in turn, some Grand Floridian staff refer to the Contemporary as “the toaster.”)

According to Disney World’s website, the Grand Floridian is

“a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe Resort distinguished as the flagship hotel of Walt Disney World Resort and offering world-class dining, entertainment and luxurious accommodations in its 6 striking red-gabled buildings. This magnificent hotel sits along the white-sand shores of Seven Seas Lagoon …With its gleaming white exterior, intricate gingerbread trim and gorgeous stained-glass domes, the Resort is an architectural marvel.”

The theming is sometimes claimed to reflect the design and grandeur of Henry Flagler’s Florida hotels, which were meant to attract well-off Ohioans and northeasterners to his Florida East Coast railroad. Anyone who has seen, for example, the remaining Flagler hotel buildings in St Augustine, will understand that this is nonsense.

The Grand Floridian is a creation of the Disney imagineers, and more influenced by southern California hotels (especially the Hotel del Coronado) than any Flagler edifice. It is the only hotel at Walt Disney World fundamentally designed by Disney’s imagineers, and they did a glorious job with it.

It is remarkable for not only its beauty but also its serenity. To relax at the main pool, surrounded by the glorious buildings, is to fully take advantage of the ability of architecture to add peace to life.

The vaulted lobby is also a favorite, and there’s a group that returns to the Grand Floridian every year in November to watch its famous Christmas decorations be re-created here.

The resort is also popular for weddings and honeymoons. As noted on the first page of this review, the interior decor is conventional and somewhat dull, and the resort has no particular kid-appeal. But for adults who welcome, or can overlook, the dull interior decor and lack of kid appeal, the Grand Floridian is a wonderful place to stay.

The Grand Floridian is a step above other Walt Disney World deluxe resorts on a couple of dimensions, with architecture, dining and minor amenities–such as robes–being at the top of the list. What it is not is a peer to world-class luxury resorts such as the Four Seasons.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

All Disney deluxe resorts have standard rooms; concierge rooms, which Disney calls “club” rooms; and suites. (See this for more on suites at Walt Disney World.)

At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, multiple room types exist. Standard rooms, and most club/concierge rooms, sleep either four or five, five in two queens and a fold-down day-bed. A floor plan for a standard five person room is above, and a photo of such a room is below.

For a full photo tour of a room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, see this.

“Dormer” rooms sleep 4 in two queens, are a little smaller than standard rooms, have much smaller balconies, but offer a vaulted ceiling. King bed rooms are also available.

The Grand Floridian also has multiple types of deluxe rooms and a ton of suites. I’ll return to these in a minute.

I generally advise against special room types for first-time visitors, as they won’t be spending much time in their rooms. However, they may be well worth it for families intending to spend more time at the Grand Floridian Resort than implied by this site’s itineraries.

TikimanPages.com has a great discussion of the value of club/concierge rooms here. Though focused on the Polynesian, it applies to any deluxe resort. Moreover, in an experiment for 2018, certain club level rooms that meet specific requirements (mostly, paying more) have access to extra FastPass+ that are bookable at 90 days from departure and free of tiering restrictions.

Standard and club rooms come in three view categories, Lagoon, Theme Park, and Garden.

Lagoon views mean you can see the Seven Seas Lagoon from your balcony. Theme Park views mean that in addition to the lagoon, you can see the Magic Kingdom, and most importantly, the evening fireworks show–although views of this are off center.

There’s two different types of club rooms, outer building and main building. Outer building club rooms are in Sugarloaf Key and have their own, somewhat noisy and underwhelming club lounge. Main building club rooms are more expensive and have another club lounge.

Most Grand Floridian club rooms are the same size as the rest of the resort’s rooms. However, there’s also several types of “Deluxe” concierge rooms, and more than two dozen one and two-bedroom suites.

Deluxe rooms (and most one-bedroom suites) don’t offer any more sleeping capacity–some offer less–they just give you more space, and more separate spaces, for your family to live in.

Most one bedroom suites are two bays wide, and most two-bedrooms three bays.

Two bedroom suites are often a near-standard queen and a near-standard king room on either side of a central parlor room, with connecting doors. This permits the queen and king rooms to be booked separately if there isn’t demand for the suite, or the king and the parlor rooms to be booked as a one-bedroom suite. See the image.

Exceptions in the main building include the Walt Disney Suite and Roy O. Disney Suite, the equivalent of 4 bays each, and the Presidential Suite, also known as the Grand Suite, about five bays.

These are each folded into main building turrets–very cool.

See the image for the Presidential Suite floor plan.

The two Outer Lodge Hospitality Suites on the first floors of Conch Key and Sago Cay are four bays each. They have the usual standard king and queen connecting rooms at the end, separated by a two-bay living space.

These two suites, often used for convention special events, each also have large private outdoor patios, perfect for watching Wishes.

As you can tell…suites at this resort are quite different. Work with a travel agent if you are interested in suites at the Grand Floridian. Kelly B is the travel agent I recommend. Call or text Kelly at 980-429-4499 or request a quote below.

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For more on suites, see this, and for more on larger families seeking deluxe options, see this.

Note that to all the capacity figures above you can add a child under three in a crib. In standard rooms, a crib fits nicely between the dresser/TV and the closet.

PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

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For the first page of this review of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, click here.

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

You enter the Grand Floridian’s main building into its lovely lobby, where on the first floor you’ll find check in and concierge services, some shops and some restaurants, and more shops and restaurants on the second floor.

(Dining at the Grand Floridian and the pools at the Grand Floridian are covered later in this review.)

At the other end of the lobby is a small shop with a lot of sundries and groceries.

This shop is called Sandy Cove–there’s another more gift-oriented shop upstairs.

Also on the first floor you’ll find a resort shop aimed at women, Summer Lace.

On the second floor of the main building, you’ll find a men’s resort shop, Commander Porter’s…

…a soap shop, Basin White…

…a hair salon…

…helpful for all the weddings hosted here…

…and another, much larger gift shop, M. Mouse Mercantile. This shot of the gift shop was taken during the Halloween season…

…and this one during the Christmas season.

Also on the second floor is the Monorail station. Magic Kingdom is the next stop. For Epcot, stay on the monorail and get off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, then change to the Epcot monorail.

Magic Kingdom can also be accessed by a slow boat at the far end of the resort, by Narcoossee’s. The Magic Kingdom is the second stop, after the Polynesian.

If your accommodations building is near this boat dock, check it out; others should consider the boat more for returns from the Magic Kingdom rather than trips there.

A recent addition to Magic Kingdom access options at the Grand Floridian is a pathway on which you can walk to and from that park.

Also along the water is this marina where you can rent boats for play.

Another view of the marina area.

Back out through the main building’s main entrance and to the right by the Convention Center you will find the resort’s bus stop. On the way there you’ll see these vehicles.

Buses from here will take you to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the waterparks.

The bus stop has a monitor that indicates the next bus.

Over by the Villas you will find the famous Grand Floridian spa, Senses…

…a small (yet even so, poorly photographed) sports court…

…and a barbecue area. Of course, there are other dining options besides using this grill!

DINING AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

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PHOTO TOUR OF A ROOM AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

Of the many room types at the Grand Floridian, the most common has two queens and a sofa that flips into a bed. (Click any of these photos to enlarge them. They don’t get better–just bigger…)

As at all the deluxe resort standard rooms, the room opens from a hallway…

…and has closets on one side and the bath on the other.

One side of the closet has a safe, shoe rack, and spare bedding…

…and the other side has robes, the luggage rack and the ironing board. All Grand Floridian rooms have robes (in some of my stays here, they were on the beds) and turn-down service–not just the concierge rooms, as at other deluxes.

The bath is graceful–note the wood floor and overall color scheme…

…and comes with a collection of toiletries.

Note the wall covering. The main sleeping space in the room is painted, but this area and the entry has lightly figured wallpaper.

More wall covering, and the only “Disney” theming in the room–an Alice in Wonderland reference.

Here’s the toilet and tub/shower, in their own space…

…and (from an earlier stay with the room layout reversed) the shower curtain, which picks up the same figuring and colors as the wallpaper in nearby spaces.

Back in the main area of the room, you’ll find two queens and a desk on one side.

The bed side from the back.

A closer view of one of the queen beds.

Between the two beds is this bedside table, more French Regency than Victorian, that reminds me of Madame Wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast. There’s powerpoints on top…

…as well as a couple of good-sized (for a bedside table) storage drawers, handy as the room is a bit short on dresser drawer space.

The final item on this side of the room is this desk, with more powerpoints on top.

Underneath it is a table that rolls out, out-handy as a typing-height area for your laptop, or a dining or game-playing platform.

The other side of the room has a couch, and a dresser with a TV on top and mini-fridge inside.

The dresser with TV above.

The deeper center of the dresser holds the mini-fridge…

…and the narrowed wings hold narrow drawers, four on each side.

The overall design of the dresser is more interesting than would be a more rectangular design, but less useful, because of the drawer space lost to the mini-fridge. This makes the extra storage space in Madame Wardrobe between the beds that much more important.

On the positive side, there’s six surface power points on the dresser, three on each side, making a total of 10+ easily accessible charging places in the room.

Also on this side is a couch.

The couch flips over into a fifth sleeping spot. I measured the mattress as 6′ by 32″, with just an inch more clear between the arms for feetsies. The cushion is 4″ deep, and I found it quite comfortable.

At the closet end of this side of the room you will find either a connecting door, or, if one is not present, this easy chair.

At the other end of the room you’ll find the windows and either a balcony or patio. Here’s the outer and inner curtains…

…and here’s the view from one of my rooms–this one a first floor room at the end of Boca Chica, facing Narcoossees and the path to the boat dock.

Another of my rooms here had a theme park view, with off-center views of the evening fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

Here’s a patio, from one of my stays here…

…and a balcony, from another.

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA

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OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA

Our most recent stay in July 2016 confirms that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is the fifth best deluxe resort at Walt Disney World for first time family visitors.

You can have a wonderful visit at any Walt Disney World resort hotel.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World who can afford it should stay at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, a deluxe resort, and that those who can’t should stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a value resort.

(It also suggests that first time visitors should avoid the moderate resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. See this for why.)

Compared to other Walt Disney World owned and operated resorts, the deluxe resorts are distinguished by having (on average) the most amenities, nicest views, best dining options, best transport options, largest rooms, best service, and highest prices.

Among the deluxe resorts, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, a monorail resort, has a lot of positives.

It is the third most convenient of the Disney World resorts, bested only by the Contemporary and the Polynesian. The quality of dining at the resort is unparalleled. The overall architecture, and its associated Victorian detailing, is as delightful as is to be found at Walt Disney World. Standard rooms–at ~440 square feet–are bigger than those at any other Disney-owned resort except for the rooms in the newer part of the Polynesian.

Its Disney Vacation Club offering, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is also marvelous.

On the other hand, it has perhaps the least kid appeal of any Disney-owned resort at Walt Disney World.

It’s the only Disney World resort with a restaurant (Victoria and Albert’s) that does not allow younger kids, and the only Disney World resort whose largest, most central pool (the Courtyard Pool) is not also the pool designed to most appeal to kids.

The kid-appealing pool, the Beach Pool, with waterfalls and a slide, is smaller and isolated on the south side of the resort.

The architecture and Victorian detailing, delightful to adults, will have no special appeal to most kids. And the public-space decorating scheme–the floors, walls, public furniture, paintings and such–will have little appeal to kids either.

Adults will recognize the decoration as typical of international high-end hotels that do not wish to risk for even a moment appearing stylish. Those with comfortable elderly aunts will recognize the decor as well.

Guest rooms have just ended a refurb cycle which has made them much less fussy than before. This paradoxically broadens their appeal while losing a bit of the sharpness of the Victorian theming. All in, for most guests the simpler rooms are an improvement.

It’s not that kids aren’t welcome; kids are completely welcome (well, not at Victoria and Albert’s) and will have a ball here. Rather, it’s that there’s next to nothing about the architecture, detailing, and grounds of Disney’s Grand Victorian Resort and Spa that reinforces that welcome and makes the resort feel kid-appealing.

(See this for much more on resort distinctions by price class–value, moderate, deluxe, etc.)

[Read more →]

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, click here

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of eight Disney-owned deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World.

In their recommended order for first time family visitors, they are

(Many of these also offer Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) studios and villas, all for rent to the general public–see this for more on the Disney Vacation Club resorts. There’s two DVC offerings here: Kidani Village and the Villas at Jambo House.)

THE THEMING OF JAMBO HOUSE AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is described on Walt Disney World’s website as an…

“…African lodge-style resort amidst a 43-acre wildlife preserve. The Resort offers authentic African-inspired architecture and the kraal African-village landscape design—a semi-circle design popular in Africa which offers expansive views of the surrounding savanna and its many animal inhabitants. Thatched ceilings, large beams, hand-carved golden-tone furnishings, real African artifacts and a vast mud fireplace in the main lobby surround you in the inimitable spirit of Africa.”

“Just outside the main lobby, an elevated rock platform—Arusha Rock—offers up-close glimpses of the animals and a panoramic view of the sprawling grounds. In addition to animals, thousands of indigenous African shrubs and grasses—including the most recognized canopy tree of Africa, the copperpod—paint a picture reminiscent of the unspoiled African grasslands.”

Besides the glorious lobby and views of animals, Jambo House is also filled with real and replica African art.

Also very nice is the use of pattern and texture, like here…

… here…

..here…

…and here.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT JAMBO HOUSE

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge opened in April 2001 and since has been changed twice.

In the first change, Disney Vacation Club villas replaced a number of rooms in the Animal Kingdom Lodge itself. These are known as the Jambo House Villas
In the second, a new Disney Vacation Club resort in a new building–Kidani Village–opened next door. At the same time as Kidani Village opened, the name of the main resort was changed to Jambo House, to either limit or cause confusion.

This accommodations discussion leaves out the DVC rooms, which have their own reviews linked above. All Disney deluxe resorts have standard rooms.

They also all have preferred rooms–standard rooms for which more is charged, because of better views, closer proximity to a resort’s central services, or both; concierge rooms, which Disney calls “club” rooms (the club lounge at AKL is above); and suites.

Non-suite rooms are typically two-queen rooms as shown in the floor plan below, but there are also available rooms with a single king bed, and rooms with one queen and two bunk beds.

Note that these rooms saw a light refurb in 2019-2020. I’ll post updated images and floor plans shortly.

Preferred rooms include “Savanna,” “Arusha Savanna,” and “Pool” views.
While this site generally recommends that first time family visitors should avoid preferred rooms (as the value is not there, since you won’t be in your room much) it makes an exception for Jambo House at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you should always pay for a savanna view.
Club rooms–which the rest of the world calls concierge rooms–are not worth the extra cost for most first time family visitors. However, they may be well worth it for families intending to spend more time at the Animal Kingdom Lodge than implied by this site’s itineraries. TikimanPages.com has a great discussion of the value of concierge rooms here. Though focused on the Polynesian, it applies to any deluxe resort.
Suites sleeping 6 to 8 people are available for families seeking a particularly comfortable visit–see this for more on suites at Walt Disney World.
(You will see references here and there to “Deluxe Rooms” at the Animal Kingdom Lodge–these rooms were all eliminated when Disney Vacation Club villas were added.)

Above is the floor plan for one of the suites…

(To each of the capacity figures above, you can add one more kid under 3 at time of check in who sleeps in a crib.)

Lodging at the Animal Kingdom Lodge used to be discussed in terms of “trails” (zebra, ostrich and such) but it’s most helpful just to focus on views.

Standard views are of parking lots and such
Pool views are of Uzima Springs pool, and can be noisy
Standard Savanna views are of the Sunset or Uzima savannas
Arusha Savanna views are an upcharge from standard savanna views and preferred by most

PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

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AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

You enter the Animal Kingdom Lodge into its spectacular lobby–none of my photos do justice to it.

The lobby is full of charms like this firepit…

…and at its far side, windows overlooking the Arusha savanna, one of several animal-filled savannas that encircle most public spaces and all “Savanna-view” rooms.

Outside and below these windows is another fire pit, more animal viewing, and, typically, cast members to help you understand what you are seeing.

Back in the third floor lobby itself, on the left is the check in and concierge area, and on the right near the front is the gift shop.

The gift shop has lots of fun African-themed stuff…

…plus the basics.

Outside the lobby to the left are the bus stops. All theme park transport is via buses or your car–you can’t walk to any park, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom itself.

Also outside here is the main entry, which is where you pick you the van-shuttle to sister resort Kidani Village.

The entry floor is actually the third floor. Below it on the first floor are most other guests services, reached from the lobby either by an elevator bank near the gift shop, or a stair deck just a bit further in.

At the lowest level to the right is the gym.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is unique among the Disney deluxes in having no access to a lake and its watersports or a beach, and in having all transport to the theme parks via bus.

Basically you’ve traded the waterfront and beaches for animals…but oh, those animals!

At the lowest level of the Animal Kingdom Lodge you will find its dining.

DINING AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

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Category — q. Reviews

Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT

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Photo Tour of a Standard Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

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Review: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA

Accommodations and Theming At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House

THE THEMING OF JAMBO HOUSE AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

ACCOMMODATIONS AT JAMBO HOUSE

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Amenities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge–Jambo House

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