For many, the Grand Floridian is the dream resort stay on a Walt Disney World trip. It's gorgeous, upscale design makes you feel like a rich aristocrat and it's very close to Magic Kingdom Park, there's even a walking path from the hotel!
We stayed in the DVC building which is a short walk away from the main building. It is themed to Mary Poppins and has the most adorable penguin fountain in the center. This building felt close enough to all the action of the larger building but was quieter and felt more private. Our room even had a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks (we paid for a standard view.)
One of the best times to visit this resort, even if you aren't staying there is the Gingerbread House and shop during the holiday season! We happened to arrive the weekend they were assembling the gingerbread house and we were able to sample some of the gingerbread for free! Once the house opens officially there is a little shop inside where you can purchase shingles, ornaments and more made out of gingerbread! On our visit we even got to see them sprinkling the powdered sugar snow on top, so much fun!
Transportation
Most guests stay at The Grand Floridian because of the Monorail. It is the quickest way to get to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. All you have to do is make your way to the lobby, go up to the second floor and walk out to the monorail! You'll go through security here so there's no need to wait in the (sometimes) crazy long lines at the front of the parks. Magic Kingdom is the first stop after Grand Floridian. If you're heading to EPCOT you'll have to switch monorails at the Ticket and Transportation Center. You can also visit any of the other Monorail Resorts (Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Village
Resort) this way.
Buses
Buses are the only way (besides rideshare or driving) to get to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The bus station is easy to find and there are a couple benches if you get there early enough. We did not utilize the normal buses on this trip as we spent our day there at Magic Kingdom and the 5K. I will note that once park hopping restrictions end it will be possible to monorail to EPCOT, walk to the back of the park and then take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios. But that would take longer than the bus so I wouldn't advice it unless you really hate buses.
Walking
If you'd rather avoid lines and crowds there is also a walking path from The Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom. Sadly it was under construction during our visit so we couldn't test it out. I believe it is tabout three quarters of a mile long, so not horrible considering you would still have to walk and stand in lines to get to other forms of Disney transportation at the end of the evening.
Dining
Grand Floridian Café
Christian and I dined here for breakfast in May 2022 with his Mom. We figured it was a perfect Mother's Day activity so she could feel special. The food here is very simple, easy breakfast food so it will please most in your party. I had the waffle and it came with an amazing orange butter - SO GOOD.
Enchanted Rose
I was hoping to visit this lounge on our trip but we tried to pack in so many other things we ended up skipping it. The lounge opens at 3 and we didn't feel like leaving a park at such a random time to make it there for opening/less crowds. Hopefully we'll make some time for it on our next trip because I want to try their Warm Marinated Olives.
Gasparilla Island Grill
We stopped in at Gasparilla Island Grill for a late lunch on our September trip. I had the Pepperoni Flatbread which was just okay. Christian had the Blackened Chicken Sandwich. This is the Grand Floridian's quick service restaurant so it's basically grab and go items, nothing super fancy. They will have themed desserts based on the season which are fun.
Beaches Pool Bar & Grill
Christian and I quickly stopped here on our arrival day to grab a quick chicken tender lunch before heading off to the runDisney Expo. We can't comment on the drinks, but the chicken tenders and dipping sauces were great. Our server was also wonderful and we had some laughs due to wind blowing everything around the bar. We would definitely stop here again.
1900 Park Fare
Not reopened as of November 2023
I ate at 1900 Park Fare back in October 2018 on my 30th birthday trip. My friend Kristen and I went for the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast with Mary Poppins, Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland and The Mad Hatter! They have everything from Mickey waffles and fresh fruit to eggs, french toast, cinnamon rolls and so much more! See my full post on it for more details. I hope it makes a triumphant return soon!
CÃtricos
CÃtricos was our first dinner on this most recent trip. I was really looking forward to it but we were personally a little underwhelmed with what we got for the price. The theming of the restaurant is subtle nods to Mary Poppins which I LOVED. We were also obsessed with the bread service and salted butter and asked for more - one of the breads had bacon and olives in it. I had the sustainable fish with chorizo risotto. It was good, just not $48 good. Christian felt the same about his $52 short ribs; good but not mind-blowing. We also had a Zero-Proof Old Fashioned Orange Soda Float which was fun!
Narcoossee’s
We have not eaten here yet, but Narcoossee's is definitely on my list of "fancy" restaurants to try. Christian and I usually do one upscale restaurant per trip for our budget's sake so we skipped it this past trip in favor of CÃtricos.
Garden View Tea Room
Not reopened as of November 2023
This is a traditional tea room that serves up a fun afternoon tea! I have not tried it yet but would like to in the future. I believe they used to do morning and afternoon teas and even a tea with a Disney Princess for all the little ones!
Victoria & Albert’s
This is our dream dining experience. I have been trying to get us reservations here for every one of our past few trips. So far, no luck. Maybe for our Valentine's trip in February?! Send me all the good vibes.
Recreation
Pools
Since we were only here for an overnight we skipped out on the pool even though we brought our bathing suits this trip. The Grand Floridian has two pools - the Beach Pool and Courtyard Pool. There is also an Alice in Wonderland Water Play Area for kids to cool down in.
Activities
When staying at The Grand Floridian guests can take part in numerous activities. There's an arcade, boat rentals, campfires complete with s'mores, pool games and more! For $49 per half-hour you and up to 9 other people can rent a pontoon boat to ride around Seven Seas Lagoon.
There are also fireworks cruises you can book to view the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the water. Each cruise ($449+) includes the services of a captain and assorted snacks and soft drinks. Festive banners and balloons are also included in the cost and can be requested at the time of booking. One day I'd love to do this with a group of friends.
Some more photos around the resort.
I did it. I ran a 5K even though I hate running. This is what happens when you love Disney Theme Parks and want to experience all they have to offer. At the beginning of this year my friend Caleb convinced me to do a 5K during runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend - he ran the half marathon. We booked our hotels in February by renting DVC points. Because we were splitting the room we splurged on the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for one night and Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows for three nights.
I bought a few pieces this month thanks to a gift card from a friend. One was a necessity because my current pair of rain boots is flaking off at the top. I tried to buy a replacement last year but they're doing the same thing so I opted for a full rubber pair from Target that are similar in style to what I had. I also bought a new chunky sweater and some pants. The pants are a little longer on me than the model (short girl problems,) so I'm not sure how much I'll wear them, but they are comfortable and will be good when we're back in warm weather.
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- VERMONT Sweatshirt in light gray via the Weston Village Store ($20, retail $50)
- Nicole Miller abstract floral print shorts ($4 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
- *NEW!* Knox Rose Crewneck Pullover Sweater in Green Striped via Target ($23 after coupon, used gift card)
- *NEW!* Knox Rose Relaxed Fit Tapered Jogger Pants in Blue via Target ($21 after coupon, used gift card)
Basics:
- C&C California Grey Shorts ($6 via Marshalls, retail $30?)
Shoes:
- *NEW! A New Day Vicki Mid Calf Rubber Rain Boots in Matte Black via Target ($21.60 after coupon, used gift card)
Handbags:
- None yet
Accessories:
- Apple Watch 8 Midnight Aluminum Case with Elderberry Sport Band (gift from Christian)
- Aurate Pearl Lariat Necklace (won a gift card on Instagram)
Activewear/Swimwear:
- None yet
Gifted from Brands:
- Aetrex Maui Orthotic Flip Flops in Matte Black
- Aurate Crossover Ring in Yellow Gold
- Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Vintage Ring in Yellow Gold with Amethyst and Citrine
- Aurate Birthstone Baguette Studs in London Blue Topaz
- Day Owl "The Backpack" in Jam Red
- Day Owl "The Cord Pouch" in Nocturnal Black
Spent in October: $0
Spent in 2023: $30
Spent in 2023 - counting ad money: $30
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
We've been getting a lot of zucchini in the garden this year and they are HUGE. I've been using some (of one zucchini) for dinner and the rest to try different baked goods. This time it was Jenna's chocolate chip zucchini bread. This recipe has some spices in it so it felt nice for the approach of Autumn. (I made this in the middle of September)
Recreating Trattoria Sostanza's Meringue Cake
When Christian and I were in Florence on our honeymoon we went to Trattoria Sostanza, which I had been to on my first trip to Italy in 2017. I told Christian his life would be changed after eating their pollo al burro (butter chicken.) We also got their "dolce con fragoline" (meringue with strawberries) to share for dessert. It actually came with raspberries but it was DELICIOUS! We didn't know what to expect with that name, but they said it was like a cake. Out came 3 layers of meringue with layers of vanilla semifredo (gelato/ice cream) speckled with chocolate. I was inspired to try and make my own after they kept sharing photos of other diners eating it on their Instagram stories. I already make my version of their butter chicken at least a few times a year, why not this?!
I started by googling Meringata as that is what some of the Italians were calling it in their captions. I found this recipe that seemed pretty good, but it just used whipped cream in the layers. Then I found a simple semifreddo recipe and pulled out my Native Vanilla Madagascar vanilla beans for that perfect vanilla flavor! I also added in a few chocolate chips since I didn't have a chocolate bar on hand. Instead of freezing it in a loaf pan I used a round spring-form pan since I wanted it to be a circular cake. I also made three meringue discs hoping I would be able to slice the semifreddo in half to make two layers (I didn't know how much the recipe would make.) Unfortunately, it was too thin to split so I only used two of my meringue discs. I used the third for something else.
Next time I'll double the semifreddo recipe and buy a chocolate bar to shave into pieces for prettier flecks of chocolate. Perhaps I'll make it for this year's Christmas celebration so we don't have to worry too much about it melting, ha ha! Dye the meringue red or green perhaps??
No Churn Ice Cream
Not exactly baking, but I still include ice creams since they involve using baking tools, haha! We had leftover heavy cream from the above meringue cake so I wanted to try and recreate my favorite Talenti gelato flavor that they have sadly stopped making - Coconut Almond Chocolate. I found a recipe for a simple chocolate chip ice cream and also added some sweetened coconut flakes and chopped up almonds. Super easy, the hardest part is whipping up the heavy cream.
Conchas
I'm on the King Arthur Baking email list and this month they're focusing on Mexican Pan Dulce ("sweet bread") recipes. Fany Gerson, a Mexico City-born pastry chef created this recipe for the series. They look so fun and pretty so I had to make them! The recipe for the dough was pretty simple, a starter and then a brioche-type method for completion. They're topped with a simple cookie dough, much like craquelin for cream puffs, which I have been wanting to try making for quite a while (I'm not a cream puff fan so the motivation for that particular version was low, ha ha.) I made the topping a little big but they turned out alright after I peeled off the excess. Next time I may make some more slashes in the topping but these came out pretty good for my first try!
Double Chocolate Halloween Cookies
I couldn't go through October without making a Halloween-themed recipe.These were part of Handle the Heat's October Baking Challenge so it was fun to know I was baking these cookies along with the rest of her community. They were super easy and came out great! Christian especially enjoyed them because they tasted like Oreo cookies thanks to the black cocoa. Totally worth the splurge for Halloween colored M&Ms, ha ha. I did have a coupon so they weren't full price, but still expensive.
2 Hour Fastest No Knead Bread
It's been a while since I've made this no knead bread so I decided it was time to skip making sandwich bread this week and turn to this crusty deliciousness! I always double this recipe because I like it to be nice and tall and we have a larger dutch oven. This recipe is great because all you need is a bowl, a couple bowl scrapers (to help shape the dough) and a dutch oven.
On day two of our Vermont trip we headed up to Woodstock, but not before a stop at the King Arthur Baking flagship store! I behaved and only bought a few different types of flour (bread, all purpose and Italian-style) and a new cambro dough rising bucket for when I want to see how much my dough has risen or brining something. I wanted more fun ingredients, but refrained for now. I still had a lot of things back home to use up first.
We walked around the Woodstock Green and took some photos and a Reel in front of the Woodstoock Inn, a very popular tourist spot. Then we took a little stroll around the town to Faulkner Park before heading to the Apples & Crafts Fair & Food Truck Festival where I spent too much money on things I didn't need, hah! Bought a super cute sheep ornament made from sheep wool from a local Woodstock farm and a ceramic tree with a black bear climbing up it. So adorable.
Blazer: Paul Smith Velvet Book Print Blazer (Roundabout)
Jeans: J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple Velvet (The RealReal)
Boots: Miu Miu Chelsea Boot - in dark brown suede (Roundabout)
Bag: Emm Kuo 'Calle Bahia' (Roundabout)
A couple weekends ago Christian and I headed up to Vermont for the weekend to camp and see the Autumn foliage. Unfortunately, the weather had other ideas so we ended up sleeping in the car and not being able to have a fire or make s'mores. At least we still were able to enjoy the changing leaves in between breaks in the rain on Saturday (and no rain on Sunday!)
Saturday we spent the morning/early afternoon in Manchester where we had lunch at Thai Basil. We intended to go to the North Meadow Farms Fall Festival but it was pushed back by a day because of the rain so we headed back to our campground in Jamaica after a pit-stop at the Newfane Heritage Festival. We had hoped for another break in the rain to grill up some hamburgers and hot dogs but ended up having to go out again for dinner. We chose the Workhorse Cafe and got some of their Saturday night barbecue special. It was okay, but we wished we chose another location for what we spent.
I had just gotten new rain boots in the mail the day we left for the trip, which was ideal! My dav rain boots I have had for years have been showing their age by peeling up at the top so it was time for a replacement. I searched multiple higher end stores for the style I wanted but nothing really matched my needs. Then I saw Target had a Circle offer for 30% off shoes and decided to look and found these A New Day rain boots. They also had a coupon for sweaters so I took the opportunity to grab this fun striped sweater. The colors matched all the leaves and green grass perfectly, ha ha.
Sweater: Knox Rose Green Striped Pullover via Target
Jeans: rag & bone 'Nina' high rise ankle skinny jean in burgundy
Rain Boots: A New Day via Target
Bag: Emm Kuo 'Calle Bahia' (Roundabout)
