Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa es un resort y spa con un tema victoriano uicado en Walt Disney World Resort en Lake Buena Vista, Florida. La propiedad fue abierta el 28 de junio de 1988 como el Grand Floridian Beach Resort. El nombre Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa fue asignado en 1997.

El resort cuenta con 867 habitaciones repartidas en seis edificios con 400 pies cuadrados (37 m²) por habitación. Una habitación standart posee una capacidad para contener a cinco personas.

El Grand Floridian esta clasificado en la categoría de resort de lujo, una de las cuatro clases de resorts en Florida. De acuerdo con la Walt Disney Company, se lo considera el resort insignia de la companía.

Historia e influencas

The hotel was inspired by the luxurious Victorian era beach resorts built along Florida's east coast during the late 1800s and early 1900s; its exterior is modeled after the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, California, with red gabled roofs and white walls.

The resort's outer lodge buildings—Sago Cay, Sugarloaf Key, Conch Key, Boca Chica and Big Pine Key—are named for islands in the Florida Keys.

Along with Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Resort, the Grand Floridian sits on the shores of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom. The hotel occupies land that had been earmarked for an Asian themed resort during the initial development of Walt Disney World Resort in the late 1960s.

[edit] Dining Victoria & Albert's: The most elegant restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort, with a unique menu created nightly and an award-winning wine cellar. A seven-year recipient of AAA's prestigious Five Diamond award, currently the only Central Florida restaurant to receive the designation. Serves dinner nightly. Victoria and Albert's used to have a gimmick where all the servers were "named" either Victoria or Albert. This has been dropped in recent years and all servers use their real names. As of January 2008, children under 10 are no longer permitted in the restaurant.[1] Cítricos: American food with a Mediterranean flair. Serves dinner five to seven nights a week, depending on season. Formerly an Italian restaurant called Flagler's that operated until November 1997. Narcoossee's: An up-market seafood restaurant with an open kitchen and views of Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom fireworks show, Wishes. Serves dinner nightly. 1900 Park Fare: Buffet dining with Disney characters including Mary Poppins and Cinderella. Inside this restaurant is "Big Bertha", an organ built in Paris and used from 1909 to 1955 in a Grand Rapids, Michigan amusement park. The organ's instruments include pipes, drums, bells, cymbals, castanets and a xylophone, and is played by a piano-roll score. It plays short concerts periodically during mealtimes. Serves breakfast and dinner daily. Grand Floridian Café: Traditional American fare, with fresh fruit, seafood and burgers. Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Gasparilla Grill and Games: A 24-hour snack bar with an adjacent arcade area.

[edit] Recreation/Spa The resort offers a white sand beach and two swimming pools, one with a slide and waterfall, and two jacuzzis. Other recreational activities include watercraft rentals, including a 52-foot yacht, guided fishing excursions, a white sand beach, a full array of tennis programs, and preferred access to Walt Disney World golf courses. A one-mile run jogging trail leads to Disney's Polynesian Resort.

The spa offers hundreds of massages, therapies and treatments, all in the $100-$2,000 range.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System, water taxis and buses provide access to other Walt Disney World areas.

[edit] Services & amenities 24-hour room service Concierge desk Health club/spa Babysitting and child services Pak-n-Play crib available Self-parking Valet parking available for a fee Rooms and facilities for guests with disabilities Laundry facilities/services Beauty salon Wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet access Daily children's programs As of June 2007, smoking is permitted only in designated outdoor smoking locations.

In 1992, a 40,000-square-foot convention center opened adjacent to the hotel, which contains a business center.

[edit] Photos A typical guest room of the Grand Floridian.

The courtyard pool. One of two at the resort.
View of main lobby from second floor balcony.
A view of the Grand Floridian from the monorail, 2007.

[edit] References ^ "Disney World restaurant bans children", Yahoo!, January 5, 2008.

[edit] External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Grand Floridian Resort & SpaGrand Floridian Resort & Spa section within disneyworld.com. Retrieved on September 19, 2007. Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. AllEarsNet. Retrieved on September 19, 2007. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is at coordinates 28°24′41″N 81°35′13″W / 28.411444, -81.586792Coordinates: 28°24′41″N 81°35′13″W / 28.411444, -81.586792