A to Z Obscure Disney World Tips: G

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G is for: Grand Floridian Getaway

Lots of guidebooks recommend heading back to your resort midday for a respite from the sun & crowds, but if you're not staying at one of the high-end hotels right by the parks, that isn't always practical.  Not being a guest at a deluxe resort, however, doesn't preclude you from bopping over to one.

The Grand Floridian is one monorail stop or a simple, relaxing ferry journey from the Magic Kingdom.  And its got a pool bar. If you really want to get away from the action to recharge, you can take your drink up to the second floor of the main building to the smoking balcony pictured below (veer to the right after getting off the monorail, pass the staircase down to the pool area, and you're there). We found it completely uninhabited in the early afternoon.

The porch is covered to shelter you from both sun & rain, and you're treated to a serene view of the lagoon and neighboring Polynesian huts.  If you're lucky like we were, you might even get to watch a carriage pulled by six white horses arrive to pick up a bride!  By the time we caught the ferry back to the kingdom, we were all revved up for more magic.

Disney World Trivia:

What TV family stayed at the Grand Floridian in their two-part 1993 episode: "The House Meets the Mouse"?