My dream hotel... Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa!

It's no secret that I love going to Walt Disney World. So far, I've been fortunate enough to stay in four beautiful resorts - Coronado Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans French Quarter and Saratoga Springs. However, there is one gem in Walt Disney World where I'd love to stay more than any other... *drum roll, please*... Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

The Grand Floridian opened in 1988 and is classed as one of Walt Disney World's 'deluxe' resorts. The resort was inspired by the beach resorts built along Florida's east coast during the Victorian era, and its different guest areas (Sugarloaf Key, Conch Key etc) are all named after islands in the Florida Keys. 

The Grand Floridian is in a perfect location, on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon and just a few minutes away from the Magic Kingdom by monorail or by boat. Imagine waking up every morning and hopping on a short ride to the most magical place on earth... sounds pretty amazing to me! 

I could wander around the Grand Floridian all day with its beautiful buildings, majestic turrets, immaculate white walls, comforting gables and relaxing surroundings. Everything about this resort is comforting yet luxurious and I always love our visits there. It's always pretty busy and I do feel a tiny bit jealous when I see people walking back to their beautiful rooms inside this dream hotel... who wouldn't?! 

The Grand Floridian is home to some spectacular restaurants. So far we've been to the Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast and to Narcoossee's for dinner, and we've booked Citricos for our next stay in April/May next year. The prestigious Victoria and Albert's restaurant is the ultimate dream, but that one might not happen any time soon due to its hefty price tag! The Grand Floridian also hosts 1900 Park Fare and the Grand View Tea Room, along with a few counter service offerings. So much choice! 

Narcoossee's is possibly my favourite restaurant in the whole of Walt Disney World. It's really beautiful, both inside and out, and you can watch the Magic Kingdom's night show fireworks from the restaurant's balcony. The night show's music is also streamed into the restaurant which makes for a pretty unique dining atmosphere. The service is always outstanding at this restaurant and the food, as well as the wide array of cocktails, is exquisite. It's not cheap, but it's well worth the money (or two Disney Dining Plan table service tokens) for this special experience.

It's highly unlikely that I'll ever be fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, but I can dream! In the meantime, I'll continue to find as many reasons as possible to visit this beautiful location whenever we travel to Walt Disney World.

Have you ever stayed at or visited the Grand Floridian? What did you think?