Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa Deluxe Studio Room

Penguin Fountain Grand Floridian
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is one of the most iconic resorts on Disney property. There are SO many great reasons to stay at this resort, in fact – I did a blog on the Top 5 Reasons to stay here. Aside from the regular resort rooms though, in a separate building is the Disney Vacation Club rooms, the Villas as they’re called. What is a Deluxe Villa Studio? I’ve got all the answers below on what I love about these rooms!

5 Reasons I Love The Deluxe Studio Villa At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

1 They have a little kitchenette

You can’t cook in it – and that’s fine by me. I don’t like to cook at home, so I wouldn’t do it on vacation. What I do like is the coffee maker, toaster and sink… feels like a spot to have our snacks or a cup of tea. While all rooms now have the mini fridge – this kitchenette has a microwave. Perfect for heating up some leftovers I brought home from dinner for a late night snack!

SHOP FROM OUR TEE PUBLIC STORE!

Pixie Dust Fan’s Tee Public Store

2 They have a Dumbo bed

Seriously – a Dumbo bed!! Now this is meant for kids, but this fold down bed (trundle bed) is incredible. Look inside! Who doesn’t want to sleep in a bed that has Dumbo inside??

3 They have 2 showers

When you travel with a family, getting ready can be a bit tricky! Sometimes I travel with 3 or 4 women in a room, all trying to get ready at the same time! It’s a scheduling nightmare in some rooms, but in the Deluxe Studios at Disney’s Grand Floridian – you get 2 showers! There is a gorgeous stand up shower as well as a bathtub/shower combo! 2 people can get ready at the same time – cutting the time in the morning to get out the door in half!

I love the tiles in the shower!

SHOP FROM OUR TEE PUBLIC STORE!

Pixie Dust Fan’s Tee Public Store

4 It’s at the Grand Floridian!

Ok, maybe that’s a bit of a cheat but c’mon! The Grand Floridian is one of the most gorgeous resorts on property. It’s on the Monorail line, has some great food options AND it has some terrific theming! In the specific building that the villas are in there is incredible references to Mary Poppins from the Penguin Fountain when you enter to the finishing touches on the elevator.

Can you see it?

If you want to know why you should stay at the Grand Floridian you can read my top 5 reasons here. The other thing that makes this resort so unique is having Afternoon Tea. It is one of the best experiences and a lovely way to spend an afternoon… check out the post to see what Afternoon Tea is all about!

5 There is “relaxing space”

I love the fact that there is a couch with coffee tables and another round table in these rooms. We spend time in the room when I’m working and I need to upload content, download pics etc – so it makes a big difference to us that there’s a place for me to work and a place for my travel party to sit! No sitting on the bed, there is an actual comfy couch! There is also a balcony – this makes for a great place to unwind after a day in the parks!

I have a full walk through video tour below of the Deluxe Studio! Have you stayed in one of these rooms?

The Grand Floridian Cafe Review Walt Disney World

Dining options at Walt Disney World can be totally overwhelming. If you’re a first time (or repeat visitor) it can feel a little stressful making sure you get those must-have reservations. If you spend any time online in Facebook groups or reading some of the sites that create the hype – you would think that your vacation will be ruined if you don’t get the coveted Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table or Chef Mickey reservation. Nothing could be further from the truth!

It is incredible how many delicious places there are to eat at Walt Disney World, and some of my favourite Disney table services are the ones that you can typically get reservations for at the last minute. These places are like the best kept secrets – and I’m now going to tell you about one, the Grand Floridian Cafe.

This overlooked restaurant sits next to the entrance to 1900 Park Fare, but it is often not even noticed in the hustle to get to the character dining. It is elegant, yet unpretentious and you’re welcome to dine in your park attire. It’s casual, yet classy – with the roses on the table and great views of the grounds, the atmosphere is relaxed and warm.

I have eaten at the Grand Floridian Cafe a few times now, and have never NOT enjoyed my meal. I’ve had breakfast once, but dinner multiple times and am often conflicted about booking a breakfast and dinner on the same trip at the same restaurant. #TooManyGoodChoices

The dinner menu at the Grand Floridian Cafe has quite a variety of dishes. From steak to meatloaf, salmon or grits, there is something for everyone. We took our time enjoying our drinks with the bread and butter while deciding on the menu.

My friends decided on the sirloin and scallops and miso-glazed salmon

Sirloin and Scallops

Salmon

I had to have the buttermilk fried chicken. It just sounds delicious – buttermilk fried chicken, doesn’t it sound mouth watering? Well – I can tell you, it WAS very tasty! It was so juicy, but seasoned and crispy on the outside. There was even KALE on the plate, and I ate it.. which if you knew me, you would know that it must have been REALLY good for me to eat the kale!

Buttermilk chicken

When the waiter came by to show us the dessert menu, we all said we couldn’t… but then we did. The menu had a dessert sampler for 2 – but there were 4 desserts and 4 of us. It worked out perfectly that we each wanted a different one! We were stuffed, but managed to eat our individual desserts as they were the perfect size for just a little taste.

The dessert sampler

Next time I’ll make sure to leave more room for a full size dessert, because I do love my desserts! Maybe I should cut out the salad starter? That would help…

Looking for a hidden gem quick service? Check out this place here.

Afternoon Tea At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Afternoon tea at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort was something that I always wanted to try. I love a good cup of tea, I love finger sandwiches and I think anyone reading my blog knows – I LOVE dessert. What a perfect afternoon activity this would be for me!

We made reservations the day before and were lucky they were able to take us. We arrived at the Garden Tea Room and were seated right away. They led us to our table and I was immediately struck by how pretty and relaxing it looked.

We looked at the menu to decide what each of us would order (there were 3 of us). Two of us had The Bedfordshire ($35) and one had the Cheshire Tea ($50) that included a Fruit and Cheese plate.

Our Table For Afternoon Tea

My biggest problem with the menu was that I wanted more than 1 dessert (of course!). Our host was happy to tell me that I could order an extra dessert for an additional charge. Since I knew I would be writing a blog for this experience, I thought it was a good idea to try more things (that’s my story anyway!).

I have found that it’s difficult to get a good steeped cup of tea in the US, so I was really looking forward to my tea. I chose the 2nd Flush Darjeeling tea, I love Orange Pekoe tea with milk and sugar. My sister and friend both wanted to try something different and less traditional – and went with the Superfruity and Mango Ginger. We were all very happy with our selections.

Tea Pot and Cosy

When our tea pots arrived we each had our own tea cosy that was perfect for keeping our tea hot throughout our entire experience. I have lots of them at home, but this cosy was GOOD! The pots were a good size and I think I probably filled my cup 6 or 7 times with it.

Fruit and Cheese Plate

When they brought out our tiers of plates, my first thought was “those sandwiches aren’t going to fill me”. I was hungry that day (we had skipped breakfast) and was glad I had ordered the extra dessert. I’m not a big fan of scones or tarts so I figured I wouldn’t eat much off of the second plate anyway. I’m a bit of a picky eater, and assumed I’d mainly just eat the dessert!

All the plates of goodness!

Boy was I wrong!

First the sandwiches – I ate every one, and every bite! I was so surprised that I enjoyed them all – the Sweet Curry Chicken had a little kick, I almost wish there had been two of them. You can’t go wrong with Egg Salad or Cucumber, but the Roasted Tomato was perfect too. Onion tart? Sounded weird to me – but I liked it!

Cucumber, Sweet Curry Chicken, Egg Salad, Fire Roasted Tomato With Oregano Goat Cheese, Onion Tart

The second course was the scone and tart. I don’t like raisins as a rule, but there were only a few in the scone that I could pick out. I loved the lemon curd (did I just say that?) and the creme – I ate all of it and moved on to the Strawberry Tart. Tarts aren’t my favourite – but this one was light with just the right amount of strawberry flavour.

Raisin Scone with clotted creme, lemon curd and apricot jam. Strawberry Tart.

I took a deep breath at that point and wondered why I ordered the extra dessert, I was already getting full! Good thing I’m sure I won’t like the Macaroons! (I had a bite, not my favourite – I don’t like them normally anyway).

Afternoon Tea Dessert Tier Grand Floridian

Mousse filled swan, French Macaroon, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Strawberries and whipped creme.

At this point I’ve had about 4 cups of tea and I’m thoroughly enjoying the relaxing afternoon. I sat for a minute before trying to decide what delicious part of the dessert I would eat first.

Chocolate Strawberries have to be chilled with the right amount of sweetness… and the one I got was perfect. The mousse filled swan was light and tasty – but my absolute favourite was the strawberries topped with whipped creme. As much as I thought I was full, I almost finished the bowl it was so good.

I had read a review online for the Afternoon Tea and almost didn’t book it, I am so glad that we decided to try it anyway. This is something that I will make sure to do again.

Reviews online may have been mixed, but my experience was wonderful. We had a leisurely afternoon with great food and a excellent cups of tea! It was the perfect way to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and just sit back and relax. There were some little ones at the next table who seemed to be enjoying their Mrs. Potts Tea as well – there was something for everyone!

Have you tried afternoon tea? What was your experience like?

Top 5 Reasons To Stay At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa at Walt Disney World has to be one of the most beautiful and elegant resorts on property. When it first opened, I assumed I would never stay there. Princess Diana had stayed at the Grand Floridian, would I even fit in with the ‘posh people’?

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a place that everyone should have on their bucket list. It’s bright, classy and inviting.

Here are my 5 favourite reasons for staying here.

1. The Disney theming is a little less obvious than it is at the Value resorts, but it’s there.

Take a look at the marble floors, you’ll find all sorts of Disney characters.

2. Shopping

While the stores don’t thrill me that much, Bain is a MUST for me every trip. They have some great lotions and bath salts, but the Basin White scent is my favourite. The scent reminds me of the Grand Floridian and when I wear it everyday – I have a little piece of it with me.

Full list of shops can be found here

3. Monorail Access

There is something special about being able to take the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. It’s the perfect way to arrive! It also makes it really convenient to get to the Ticket and Transportation Centre to go to Epcot too.

Having the Contemporary Resort and the Polynesian on the monorail loop gives you a convenient way to resort hop for different dining and shopping without having to take a bus or drive.

4. The Rooms

The rooms at the Grand Floridian are large and some offer amazing views of the Seven Seas Lagoon or the Magic Kingdom. I have stayed in the regular rooms and the villas and was thrilled with all of them.

Master Bedroom – 2 Bedroom Villa

No matter which room, which view – they were incredible. All rooms come with a mini fridge, in room safe, ceiling fan, and coffee maker. In the main resort, there is turn down service – but not in the Disney Vacation Club villas.

Turn Down Service – Complete With Chocolates!

5. Dining Options

There are many great dining options at the Grand Floridian.

The quick service at Gasparilla Island Grill is worth visiting, we have enjoyed pizza and sandwiches here. The dessert was delicious too!

For table service you can’t go wrong with either the Grand Floridian Cafe or Narcoossee’s. I haven’t tried Victoria & Albert’s yet – that’s on my bucket list!

For a full list of dining options, see Disney’s official list here

The video below has a full walk through of a Deluxe Studio Room!

What do you think of the resort?

Narcoossee’s Brunch Review

Narcoossee’s is a fantastic dining spot at Disney’s Grand Floridian resort. We had never eaten there so we decided it was time to check it out!

We opted to try brunch at Narcoossee’s rather than a dinner. With me being a picky eater, the seafood dinner menu didn’t really appeal to me. When we arrived, we were seated next to the window for a fantastic view! Directly across the water was Disney’s Contemporary Resort and we could watch the monorails and boats. It was a bit overcast that day – but it didn’t take away from the view!

We started with our Mimosas while we reviewed the menu, there was quite a selection! The pastry basket arrived and we nibbled on the croissants, Danish, muffins and sticky buns. How would we have room for a meal?

For appetizers I had the salad and my sister had the onion soup, both were tasty. Becky loves the soup at Be Our Guest, but she said this was almost better!

We enjoyed the view and had another mimosa each while we waited for the main courses. I had the steak and eggs while Becky had the Lobster-Egg Benedict (she got her seafood after all!).

My steak was cooked to perfection. I didn’t think I could eat that much, but it was too good to leave any on the plate. The fries with Truffle Aioli were delicious – even paired with my scrambled eggs! Becky thoroughly enjoyed her Lobster-Egg Benedict and said there was plenty of lobster and was so flavorful. I don’t think either of us left much on the plate.

Of course this is the part of the meal where you think “I can’t believe I ate all that, we’re not eating again until tomorrow!” while you decide if you have a pair of shorts at the resort with an elastic waist … then the waiter comes with dessert! That’s right – a full dessert plate placed in front of us. It had a Valencia blood orange bar, triple chocolate cake, lemon blueberry timbale and a white chocolate Minnie Mouse.

We looked at each other, sighed, and then picked up our forks. This dessert looked WAY too good to pass up, even if it meant we’d have to buy bigger shorts, we had to try them. They were all good, I loved the chocolate the best. We didn’t eat the Minnie as we thought that would have been gluttonous!

We paid $69 USD each for the brunch (which I would normally never do), but it was worth it. There were plenty of choices for me and the food was incredible, I think we may do this again. Next time though, we’re not eating dinner the night before!

Have you eaten at Narcoossee’s? Did you enjoy it as much as we did? Leave us a comment below!