We enjoyed our stay at the Grand Floridian the week of May 16, 2009 and would recommend the hotel to any family who is looking for a more upscale Disney owned resort.

My family (husband, two children ages 2 & 4) and I stayed at the Grand Floridian the week of May 16, 2009. We paid for and received a standard, garden view room. Our unit was in the Big Pine Key building which I requested due to its central location to the pool, monorail, and main building. The room contained 2 queen beds and a comfortable day bed which allowed my children to sleep separately. The room slept 4 comfortably, but 5 people could easily fit. Housekeeping did a good job and the girls loved the chocolate on their pillows each night. Housekeeping would even tuck the girls stuff animals in at night, which brought an extra smile to the girls’ faces.

We never got a chance to eat at the high end restaurants or use the gym/spa so I can’t speak to their services but both pools were enjoyable with plenty of towels and seating. We dined at the 1900 Park Fare for character meals at breakfast and dinner, and the quality of food was much better than other character buffets in Disney World. The monorail and boat ride to and from the Magic Kingdom was incredibly convenient. Likewise, the bus transportation to and from Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom was convenient. We never had to wait longer than 20 minutes for a bus. Certainly a rental car would be more efficient but the free transportation was reliable.

What travelers need to remember is that this is a Disney resort. You pay a premium to be near the parks. Certainly you can find a nicer and less expensive hotel somewhere else in Orlando. But if you want to be in the Disney complex and feel like you are at a resort and not a theme based hotel, then the Grand Floridian is the way to go. We have stayed at the Polynesian for leisure and Coronado Springs for work and neither can compare to this stay. The rooms are nicely decorated, the grounds are beautiful and the staff was very friendly in comparison to the other locations. For the few extra dollars between the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian, the Grand Floridian is the hands down choice.

I have heard other travelers say that the Grand Floridian is not kid friendly and we did not believe that to be true. The pools were filled with families, Gasparilla’s Grill is filled with arcades and the musicians in the main lobby played princess music so the little girls could dance throughout the grand main lobby.

We like to provide honest reviews and feel we learn the most from what others list as the drawbacks of a particular hotel. So here are the drawbacks: We asked at check in for one guardrail for our 2 year old’s bed. It never came. We called housekeeping for the guardrail and they said they would be right over with it. Again, it never came. We quickly realized we didn’t need it but still, it should have been brought to our room right away. There are birds flying around inside Gasparilla’s Grill. This is typical in most Disney World restaurants but still unappealing. The kids loved it. The resort restaurant, lobby and grounds are often busy with visitors dining or just checking out the hotel. While this didn’t pose a big problem it does make the restaurants, shops and transportation more crowded.

I don’t believe these negatives should discourage anyone from staying at the Grand Floridian. Don’t expect the Ritz or Four Seasons. Instead expect the most elegant Disney Resort available and you won’t be disappointed.