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A
grand hotel with gabled roofs and Victorian balustrades typical of the fabled
Florida beach resorts of the 19th century is among Walt Disney World's themed
resort adventures.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa,
nestled on 40 acres of picturesque shore-front on the west side of Seven Seas
Lagoon, between the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Polynesian Resort, welcomed its
first modern-day time-travelers in mid-1988.
The 900-room hotel featuring complete
resort facilities recalls the days when John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison and
even President Theodore Roosevelt led the annual winter pilgrimage to the land
of friendly sunshine, where rowboats and palm fans replaced snow shoes and
pot-belly stoves. Canary palms, southern magnolias and richly colored gardens
complete the historic theme.
Often referred to as "the jewel in the
crown" of Disney's Vacation Kingdom, the Grand Floridian also may be the first
resort of its kind since the golden era of Henry M. Flagler and Henry Plant.
But this time, it has all the advantages of 21st century living -- such as air
conditioning and monorail service that stops right beside the 19th century
Grand Lobby.
Complementing the guest accommodations are
five restaurants, two lounges, two snack bars, an arcade, a "Mouseketeer Club"
child-care facility, five shops, a swimming pool, children's playground,
marina, beauty salon and 9,000-square-foot spa and health club. The luxurious
spa offers an array of fitness and beauty treatments from seaweed body wraps to
aromatherapy.
Like Disney's other resorts, the Grand
Floridian has a distinctive theme that carries through architecture, landscape,
furnishings and costumes.
"The Grand Floridian is a journey to the
turn-of-the-century -- roughly 1890 to 1910," says general manager John
Hallowell. "It's life at a leisurely pace -- a stroll along broad verandahs,
wicker rockers beneath lazy ceiling fans, palm trees and white-sand beaches."
The style of the buildings is reminiscent
of the Victorian era but is more playful and relaxed -- embellished by
intricate lattice work and balustrades and 120 miles of scrolls, turnposts and
curved moldings. Snow-white towers and red-shingle roofs make a dramatic first
impression on guests.
The resort accommodations are among the
most luxurious on Disney property. The 74 concierge and suite rooms with
private elevator access in the 225,000-square-foot main building include
in-room facilities such as a wet bar and lavish decor. One of the resort's five
lodge buildings also features personal concierge service.
In
the main building, the third-floor concierge lobby includes three
guest-services desks designed to provide personalized services such as
check-in/check-out, reservations, information, etc. The fourth-floor concierge
lobby includes a quiet seating area where guests can enjoy complimentary
continental breakfasts and evening cocktails. The fifth-floor suite lobby
features a bookcase filled with a wide variety of reading materials.
In addition to the main building with its
palatial vaulted lobby, the complex includes five lodge buildings, four and
five stories in height, with 825 additional guest rooms.
Guest-room decor, as it did a century ago,
enhances the atmosphere of a refuge from harsh winters and the hectic big-city
pace. Features include soft, spring-like colors and printed wall coverings,
armoires and other furnishings in light woods, marble-top sinks with
old-fashion fittings, and Victorian woodwork.
Most rooms include two queen-size beds
plus a day bed. Suites include a parlor plus one to three bedrooms.
An open-cage elevator, aviary, palms and
ferns set the mood in the sitting area of the
5,800-square-foot Grand Lobby, which reaches five stories to a Victorian
ceiling adorned with three illuminated stained-glass domes, ornate chandeliers
and metal scrolls.
Shops carry on the theme in displays
featuring turn-of-the-century toys and clothing. Shops are Summer Lace (ladies'
shop), Commander Porter's (men's shop), Sandy Cove (liquor, gifts and sundries)
and M. Mouse Mercantile (character shop).
Dining opportunities at the Grand
Floridian are diverse -- from top-your-own burgers at Gasparilla Grill and
Games to intimate, candlelight, gourmet dinners at Victoria & Albert's,
with elegant service fit for royalty. The largest restaurant is Cítricos
featuring sun-drenched Provençal colors and an open-air kitchen. 1900 Park Fare
hosts character dining at breakfast and dinner plus the Character Wonderland
Tea Party. Grand Floridian Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All major dining locations are in the main
building except Narcoosee's, a seafood restaurant on a romantic shoreline
location. Octagon-shaped and open-beamed, Narcoosee's features a show kitchen
where cooks broil, steam, sauté and smoke the catches of the day.
Hotel
recreation is water-oriented -- white sand beaches on 200-acre Seven Seas
Lagoon, a marina with rental craft, a 275,000-gallon swimming pool and a
children's playground. For the most lavish water experience, the Grand 1
offers a pampered VIP boating experience on Seven Seas Lagoon overlooking the
Magic Kingdom. The 44-foot Sea Ray yacht sails on morning, afternoon or evening
excursions, featuring a fireworks display above the Magic Kingdom on select
evenings. For the ultimate cruise, private butler service and on-board gourmet
dining is available.
A full-service spa and health club pampers
guests with a variety of personalized treatments including massage therapy,
body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures. Men's and women's sauna,
steam room, whirlpool and workout room round out the amenities.
Principal architect for Disney's Grand
Floridian Resort & Spa was Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo of Newport
Beach, Calif. Several specialty consultants were responsible for elements such
as lighting, landscaping and interior design. The general contractor was F.J.
Rooney Inc. of Fort Lauderdale.
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