Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a luxury hotel at Walt Disney World within monorail, boat, and walking distance of Magic Kingdom. This WDW accommodations review features room photos, pool & restaurant info, pros & cons, and much more.
Let’s start with the latest update for 2026 is that the Grand Floridian is finally in the home stretch of its large-scale refurbishment and reimagining project. This started several years ago, was paused for a while, and finally wrapped up work in the main lobby–for the most part–late last year.
The main fruit of the Grand Floridian’s lobby reimagining project is the new “Birdcage Bar,” but there are a number of ways the Grand Floridian looks and feels fresh, and is once again worthy of its status as Walt Disney World’s #1 luxury resort. See our Review: Walt Disney World’s Flagship Hotel Finally Fits Its Status & Sky-High Prices.
This work is not 100% completed as of 2026. The Garden View Tea Room is still behind scrims, but construction on that is finished and it will reopen by Spring 2026. The bigger project we’re still expecting is the Grand Floridian Cafe to receive a reimagining at some point in the first half of 2026, but that has yet to be announced.
This is where we do offer an ever-so-slight caveat, as Walt Disney World has left the door open for more work in 2026. Here’s the current construction bulletin:
“Renovations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will continue in select areas through mid-2026. Guests may see or hear refurbishment work during daytime hours. Efforts will be made to minimize disruptions—and most pools, dining and other amenities will remain available for Guests to enjoy.”
We don’t know of any announced projects that will last until mid-2026. Grand Floridian Cafe is the most obvious candidate, but it could be something else. Stay tuned.
Otherwise, all of the restaurants have now been redone! After a long delay, 1900 Park Fare has returned and is one of the best character dinners at Walt Disney World. (Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare is also good, but not as good–especially if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan.)
Narcoossee’s has likewise been refreshed, joining Citricos and Victoria & Albert’s. This trifecta of fine dining establishments have all been overhauled in the last couple of years at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
Even more positive is the redone guest rooms, which had a top-to-bottom hard goods refurbishment and are hugely improved. We’ve stayed in the reimagined rooms a few times in the last couple of years and absolutely love them.
The themed design, attention to detail, and sense of luxuriousness is off the charts. They have so much more personality and style, and are also considerable improvements in terms of functionality. Here’s a video tour of the new hotel rooms at the Grand Floridian that showcases their quality:
For years, we’ve been complaining that the guest rooms at the Grand Floridian are not commensurate with the prices. I’d go as far as to say that the previous regular guest rooms are among the dullest at Walt Disney World. That you would’ve been hard-pressed to distinguish them from a mid-range Hilton or Marriott. With these rooms being replaced, our opinion of the Grand Floridian has improved tremendously.
As a result of the new rooms and other enhancements, the Grand Floridian has shot up our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best. Previously, the Grand Floridian performed poorly, not living up to its flagship resort status due to datedness and underwhelming rooms. Now, there’s really only one thing holding it back from ranking higher.
That thing is cost. Rack rates at the Grand Floridian start at over $700 per night. Those are the cheapest nights of the year, with most dates being in the $900 to $1,000 range for standard rooms. (However, discounts are often available that reduce those prices significantly.)
If you’re already looking ahead, we highly recommend Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for Christmas 2026 trips to Walt Disney World. The construction will be 100% complete by then, and every building–including the main lobby–will be feeling fresh. The Garden View Tea Room will have reopened and, hopefully, the fan-favorite Grand Floridian Cafe will also have a new look by then.
We always recommend booking with an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner” (Disney’s term for a travel agent), but that’s doubly true with any resort where construction is ongoing.
They receive commission from Disney, so most authorized planners will not charge you for booking the vacation package and planning services. The fee-free Authorized Disney Vacation Planner that we recommend is Be Our Guest Vacations. Their services don’t cost extra, they’ll reserve your room, help you with dining reservations and itineraries, and apply the best discounts to your reservation.
Even prior to the reimagining, the common areas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are upscale. The hotel is inarguably grandiose and sophisticated, and the execution of the Victorian theme is incredibly well done.
Most areas offer tremendous detail and a sense of luxury, with a handful of locations being stuffy or overly reminiscent of grandma’s house. In our view, this comes across better in person than it does via photos, which might make the hotel appear more antiquated than it actually is.
In person, the entire resort is permeated with a sense of opulence. There’s texture and quality to every surface, making the resort feel decidedly luxurious. Yes, it also feels a bit old school, but that’s true of many of the world’s nicest hotels. Following the reimagining, the Grand Floridian skews towards modern luxury, as opposed to classic luxury.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa feels imbued with a sense of sophistication. The lobby makes a strong first impression, and the common areas are exactly what you’d expect of Walt Disney World’s flagship resort. It can feel a tad stuffy or old school, but it’s also beautiful and well-appointed. Even if you’re not staying at the Grand Floridian, the lobby restaurants are the perfect destination for a fancy date night or anniversary dinner.
Speaking of which, due to the overall style, slight sense of stuffiness, dining sophistication, and other features of the hotel, we do not view this as a great option if you’re doing Walt Disney World with Kids and are primarily concerned with their reaction to the hotel. It is a much better option for Honeymooning at Walt Disney World.
As for adult amenities, the Grand Floridian is a pretty ‘loaded’ hotel.
While they aren’t the most thematically exciting, it has nice pool areas and a new Alice in Wonderland water play area that was added around the time of the Disney Vacation Club Villas at the Grand Floridian.
Another highlight is the dining. Citricos was recently overhauled with a new menu and decor (supposedly) inspired by Mary Poppins. As you can read in our New Citricos Review, it is fantastic–a top 10 restaurant at Walt Disney World. There’s also the recently-reimagined Enchanted Rose Beauty and the Beast Bar. We think it’s out of place at the Grand Floridian and an inappropriate use of intellectual property…but it is undeniably modern.
Moreover, Victoria & Albert’s is far and away the best restaurant at Walt Disney World, and the perfect place for a special occasion. Our recent visits to Narcoossee’s have proven excellent–much better than the last meal there (our Narcoossee’s review needs to be updated–I’d now consider Narcoossee’s in the 8.5-9 range).
Then there are the grounds, which are lovely. The Grand Floridian typically has well-maintained gardens, nice paths, and pretty fountains, all of which make for a pleasant post-meal stroll.
Another awesome addition is the new-ish walkway to Magic Kingdom. We’ve already breathlessly covered this in “Photos & Video: Meandering the Magnificent Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian Walkway.”
In case you missed that, it’s now possible to walk all the way from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. Our enthusiasm for the walkway is not hyperbole. It’s a huge win for the Grand Floridian.
The resort is not too spread out, and walking around the Villas towards the Wedding Pavilion and Polynesian Village Resort–or just sitting in a quiet swing along the beach, is an enjoyable experience.
If you want to take advantage the Grand Floridian’s highlights while staying at a resort with a more relaxed theme and atmosphere, our recommendation would be Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. From there, you can walk or take the monorail over for a date night, and then having a peaceful nighttime stroll back to the Poly.
Another thing I appreciate about the Grand Floridian is its beauty at Christmas.
The tree in the lobby and the huge gingerbread house are both gorgeous, and highlights of my Free Self-Guided Yuletide Tour at Walt Disney Word. With that said, the lobby can be packed at this time of year, so I would not want to stay in the main building.
There is a ton of texture and detail to the new rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The interior design exudes a stately quality and is imbued with luxuriousness. How’s that for highfalutin’ jargon fitting of the flagship?!
Details like crown moulding, wall paneling, intricate bed frames, a gorgeous rug atop the floor, and nice light fixtures give the room sophisticated sensibility.
The new Grand Floridian rooms don’t jump out to me as being overtly Victorian; they’re more a contemporary twist on the style.
They feature ornamentation and opulent decor, plus Mary Poppins design motifs and art. I’d call this Victorian meets modern–a fresh and posh intersection of two otherwise disparate design styles.
The interior design is lovely. Lots of clever and engaging uses of texture, accent paneling, and upgraded finishings throughout. From the plank flooring to the chandelier, the features have been plussed in a variety of ways.
There’s also a nice heft to the bench, end tables, lamps, and other furniture. The cabinet doors and drawers move smoothly, and simply feels higher end. These little upgrades are not apparent from photos, but they’re noticeable in person.
Functionally, the new rooms at the Grand Floridian are fantastic. There’s plenty of storage space–under the elevated beds, in the closets, bathroom shelves, and there’s even a dresser under the television.
There are tables and cubbies for phones and whatever else you might need around your bed. Outlets and USB charging ports have been added all over the place. They’re not always fast and don’t always work, but hey, they’re there!
In addition to the chandelier, there are sconces flanking the beds and a variety of other light sources that offer a high degree of control over the lighting.
We greatly appreciate the more granular control over lighting in the newer rooms at Walt Disney World, these included. It’s nice to get acclimated for bed with lower and moodier lighting.
I’m not a fan of moving the desk to the entryway, where it now functions as a powder table or something of that sort. Walt Disney World has been phasing out proper desks from its hotel rooms in recent years (except the convention ones), and this is yet another step in that direction.
I assume this was necessitated by the addition of closets, paneling, and nightstands. As someone who actually uses hotel room desks, I don’t love the trend of removing or minimizing them. On the plus side, the wallpaper here really pops. It makes a great first impression, and punctuates the design as a whole.
Another highlight of the redesigned room is the bathroom. The gold frame and back lighting all around the patterned border is stunning–a nice continuation of the room’s signature style.
There are two sinks, quartz countertops, towels under the counter, and more storage. There’s more brushed gold around the vanity, and more Mary Poppins-inspired watercolor artwork on the wall.
The bathrooms also feature marble tile floors, and combination shower and bathtubs.
The shower/tub area is a bit of a disappointment. This feels decidedly average; not what you’d expect of Walt Disney World’s flagship resort.
Back in the main living area, there’s a sofa sleeper across from the beds, which is how at least some of the new Grand Floridian rooms can accommodate 5 guests.
Grand Floridian has some of the largest hotel rooms at Walt Disney World, so there’s plenty of space for the dedicated beds and the sofa sleeper. This seems like a good option for larger parties (although I can’t imagine that sofa is an ideal sleeping situation).
Above the sofa is Mary Poppins art.
In general, these rooms remind me a bit of the recent reimagining of Citricos. That doesn’t contain many overt references to Mary Poppins, but it evokes the feel of the film. The same is true of these rooms. The end result is classy, sufficiently themed, luxurious, and functional. For me, the new Grand Floridian rooms check all of the boxes.
Although not pictured above, we favor the top floor dormer rooms at the Grand Floridian. The upsides to this are the vaulted ceiling and the more secluded quality of the balcony.
The downsides are that the balcony is slightly smaller and you can’t see anything without standing up. I’m not sure why Disney doesn’t furnish these with taller chairs.
Ultimately, the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is once again the #1 Deluxe Resort and worthy of its status as the flagship luxury hotel at Walt Disney World. Now that the rooms, lobby, and restaurants (minus Grand Floridian Cafe) have been redone, the Grand Floridian is a formidable flagship once again. It’s not just that, though. The service and attention to detail is fantastic across the board.
Whether it’s worth the money as opposed to staying at a cheaper on-site hotel, or even a third party option like the Four Seasons or Conrad Orlando, is more difficult to answer. There’s also the question of whether the Grand Floridian has the best atmosphere, themed design, etc.
For Sarah, the Grand Floridian is her new #1 hotel at Walt Disney World following the resort and room reimagining. This is exactly what she wants in a hotel, both in style and substance, and being able to take the monorail to two parks, and walk home from Magic Kingdom at the end of the night without folding up the stroller is huge.
She further points out that Grand Floridian is not that much more expensive than the Polynesian or Contemporary, two resorts that are very expensive despite being hodgepodges of the 1970s to today. And in all three cases, using or renting discounted DVC points or booking during off-peak travel dates makes splurging on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop more compelling. I’m a bit more torn from a subjective perspective, but one thing is clear: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is the flagship hotel at Walt Disney World once again.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you love the Grand Floridian, or are you not a fan of its atmosphere, style, cost, etc? Would you consider splurging on a stay here, or is it too expensive? If you’re a fan of the Grand, what do you consider its selling points? Planning on staying here someday? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!