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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 the picturesque
shores of Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and Disney's Polynesian
Resort, welcomed its first modern-day time-travelers in mid-1988.
The 867-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 -- including
monorail service that stops right beside the 19th century Grand
Lobby.
Complementing the guest accommodations are restaurants, lounges,
snack bars, an arcade, a "Mouseketeer Club" child-care facility,
shopping, swimming pools, children's playground, marina, beauty
salon and 9,000-square-foot spa and health club. The luxurious,
full-service 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 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 concierge and suite rooms with private elevator access
in the 225,000-square-foot Sugar Loaf Key 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, at no additional charge, continental breakfasts
and evening cocktails. The fifth-floor suite lobby features a bookcase
filled with a wide variety of reading materials.
Throughout the hotel, guestroom 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 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.
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 Citricos featuring
sun-drenched Provenal colors and an open-air kitchen. 1900 Park
Fare hosts character dining at breakfast and dinner plus the popular
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, saut} and smoke the catches of the day.
Hotel recreation is water-oriented -- white sand beaches on Seven
Seas Lagoon, a marina with rental craft and a children's playground.
Beach Pool offers guests a natural springs setting complete with
a waterfall flowing from a 27-foot-tall stone mountain. For the
most lavish water experience, the Grand 1 offers a pampered VIP
boating experience on Seven Seas Lagoon overlooking Magic Kingdom.
The 44-foot Sea Ray yacht sails on morning, afternoon or evening
excursions, featuring a fireworks display above 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.
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