Resort Studios at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Our Review and What You Need to Know

Disney Vacation Club recently celebrated the grand opening of the expansion of The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa! The new building includes two hundred new “resort studios,” a new Disney Vacation Club room type unique to this property. We were there to see the short opening ceremony, stay in one of the new rooms, tour newly enhanced deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and spacious three-bedroom grand villas, and finally, enjoy the resort’s fantastic recreation offerings. Learn about the new resort studios, including our review below.

1 – The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has long been a favorite home away from home among Disney Vacation Club members. The resort, known for its Victorian charm and elegance, offers easy access to the parks of Walt Disney World through its many different transportation options such as the monorail, motorcoach, and water taxi services. Because of its proximity to Magic Kingdom Park and shoreside location, guests can either enjoy a short boat ride over, or guests can follow the new walkable promenade leading to and from the park. At the resort, guests are treated to exceptional dining options as well as numerous entertainment and recreational activities. At the end of the day, guests may catch a glimpse of fireworks bursting above Cinderella Castle from the resort property. It’s no wonder the resort is so popular with guests.

2 – Resort Enhancement and Expansion

Disney Vacation Club is popular with Walt Disney World guests and the expansion is welcome.  “Disney Vacation Club is pleased to offer a diverse inventory of accommodations at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – a spectacular location cherished by our members and their families,” said Bill Diercksen, senior vice president and general manager, Disney Vacation Club and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. “To add to the magic, this enhancement comes at a very special time, during the 50th Anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort.”

The enhancement gave Walt Disney Imagineers an opportunity to redesign and update the theming at the resort. We spoke to Imagineer, Shawn Moore, who spoke about the redesign and what makes The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian unique.

3 –  New DVC Room Category – The Resort Studio

The Resort Studio accommodations in the new Big Pine Key are a fantastic option for larger families and sleep five guests. Resort studios feature two queen-sized beds and a day bed, quartz countertops, luxury patterned tile, a beverage center with a beverage cooler, microwave, and coffee maker, and a gleaming bathroom with marble tile floors. Charming accents include artwork featuring Mary Poppins. 

What sets this new room category apart is the fact that it includes two queen beds. Many Deluxe Studio rooms at other Disney Vacation Club Villas only include one queen bed and a day bed or pull-down bed. The fact that these rooms include two queen beds will make them a favorite for larger families. We expect these rooms will be very popular with guests.

Click on any photo below to enlarge.

4 – Our Review and Thoughts on the Resort Studio

The new Resort Studio rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian are simply lovely. Filled with subtle Mary Poppins theming, these rooms are both beautiful and elegant. We loved the unique design and character of the rooms. Our room felt spacious, and in our particular room, we had a vaulted ceiling, which we loved. The double sinks in the bathroom were fantastic.

We enjoyed the incredible Lagoon view throughout our stay, especially as we sat out on the balcony drinking our morning coffee. These rooms are a great choice for any family, but especially for a family of five (we keep saying this over and over because we love these rooms)! While my three boys weren’t on this trip, I kept thinking about how this Resort Studio would be perfect for us. My boys are tall and having a couch that converts into a long bed is fantastic for families with older children since many pull-down beds at Walt Disney World are more adolescent-sized. My teen boys could sleep on this bed comfortably! It’s pretty easy to open and close and what I love most about it is that not only could it fit one of my boys but any adult!

We loved that as we spent more time in the room, we spotted more of the Mary Poppins theming. We’d discover an umbrella or a penguin that we didn’t notice when we first arrived. It was so much fun to find these thoughtful details throughout our stay.

5 – Newly Refurbished Rooms 

In addition to the new accommodations, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa also feature elegant and newly enhanced deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and spacious three-bedroom grand villas.

Refurbished deluxe studios accommodate up to five guests and feature a queen-sized bed, a new pull-down queen-sized bed that tucks away seamlessly into the wall, and a charming pull-down bunk-sized bed perfect for the little ones.

Refurbished and spacious one- and two-bedroom villas include a full kitchen and large living areas, which feature a new pull-down queen-sized bed along with a pull-down bunk-sized bed that folds away to be hidden beneath the media center. A one-bedroom villa sleeps up to five, while a two-bedroom villa can accommodate up to nine guests.

New design touches greeting families and multi-generational guests in the three-bedroom grand villas. Up to 12 people can be accommodated in luxurious surroundings, including two bedrooms with two queen-sized beds and a primary bedroom featuring a king-sized bed. A spacious dining area adjoins an expansive living room featuring an additional queen-sized sleeper sofa.

Most accommodations feature a porch or balcony where guests can relax and take in the magical Disney scenery that surrounds them.

6 – The Benefits of Staying at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

As we mentioned above, many guests love staying at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa because of its location and proximity to Magic Kingdom. This is such a huge benefit! We chose to take the walkway when we went to Magic Kingdom. It’s about a fifteen-minute stroll that has beautiful views. Especially after the fireworks, when so many people are leaving the park, the walkway is a stress-free, non-crowded way to return to the resort. As much as we love riding the monorail and enjoying a boat ride, we loved taking the walkway! 

Another benefit of its proximity to Magic Kingdom is that guests have the opportunity to watch Disney’s Enchantment from the resort. We had a fantastic view and thoroughly enjoyed our experience watching the fireworks at the Grand Floridian. Before the fireworks began, we were able to view the Electrical Water Pageant, which is always so much fun! 

As with every Disney Resort, there are plenty of activities that one can do at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. We made sure to enjoy the Beach Pool, which has a water slide that is 181 feet long. It was super fun! Remember, the slides aren’t just for kids! This pool also has a cascading waterfall and a zero-depth entry. 

There are many wonderful dining options available at the Grand Floridian. We enjoyed dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe. The N.Y. Strip Steak and Shrimp & Grits were delicious! 

7 – Anyone Can Stay Here

While The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Disney Vacation Club Resort (see #9), anyone can stay here! You don’t need to be a member, although members who purchase directly from Disney receive many fantastic member benefits. Guests who are not Disney Vacation Club members can book any Disney Vacation Club Villa room, just like any other Disney resort.

To explore renting DVC points with David’s Vacation Club Rentals click here.

8 – A Disney Vacation Club

Disney Vacation Club, a leader in vacation ownership, debuted in 1991 with a flexible, vacation points-based system rather than the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Today, Disney Vacation Club has more than 250,000 member families from all 50 states and approximately 100 countries who have discovered the joys of membership. There are a total of 15 Disney Vacation Club properties across four states, including Disney’s Riviera Resort, the newest Disney Vacation Club property at Walt Disney World Resort, and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. For information about Disney Vacation Club membership, member benefits, offers and resorts, visit DisneyVacationClub.com.

For more information on The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian, visit VillasatGrandFloridian.com. Disney Vacation Club members can enjoy an exclusive introductory offer. To learn more about Disney Vacation Club, members may also call their Disney Vacation Club Guide.

Disney Vacation Club members are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club Resort or one of thousands of other vacation options in destinations around the world. Plus, when purchasing directly from Disney, members can also enjoy the Disney Collection, which includes select Disney Resort hotels, Disney Cruise Line, and guided vacations with Adventures by Disney or National Geographic Expeditions, as well as the World Collection, a range of well-known resorts and hotels in landmark cities, international destinations, and exotic locales.

Editor’s Note: Disney Signature Experiences provided us a complimentary one-night stay in a Resort Studio room at The Villas at Grand Floridian & Resort and Spa that included special media-specific tours. However, as always, the thought and opinions expressed in this article are entirely our own.