Disney World’s Flagship Resort Should Be A LOT Better - Grand Floridian Review

This month I received...

Since it was built in the late 1980's, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has stood as Walt Disney World's most luxurious hotel on property. Today however, I am going to put it to the test and stay one night in their highest level of service, Club Level. So join me to see if the vast cost to stay there is actually worth the money!

Main Channel - @BrightSunFilms

Chapters:
Opening - 0:00
Early Concepts & Resort History - 0:30
Room Tour - 2:01
A Not So "Deluxe" Room - 4:52
Club Level Perks - 10:17
Hotel Amenities - 11:49
It Used to be Much Better - 15:17
Pricing & What I Paid - 19:07
Score - 22:01
Final Thoughts - 23:41

--------------

Bright Sun Travels 2024

Presented in 4k

[pyro]

The lack of a weather seal under the patio door is completely unacceptable. That's something you would only expect at the most run down motel. That's not something you would expect at a higher end hotel, or even a mid-tier nice hotel.

It's not even something that's expensive to install, and the energy savings we'll pay for itself in a month or two. Completely mind-blowing.

[marcuscicero]

Disney hotel remodels remind me of their remakes of original animated movies to live actions. That ethos is just built into the entire company.

[robina.]

Is no one else outraged about how disney fired the orchestra who played at this hotel after they STAYED by this company for 32 years!?! Why haven’t I seen anyone mention that???

[thisisafox]

That room looks like something someone built in the Sims and then ran out of money half way, it's just so sparsely appointed

[jml]

A company as obscenely rich as Disney cutting cost corners in any way is just such a wild concept.

[anthonyparkinson]

Firing the orchestra after 32 years just about sums up Iger's Disney.

[captainevenslower]

It is atrocious that this "accessible" room still features a step in tub and not a flush floor shower and maybe an additional tub, but definitely not only a tub.

[jaimeerindy]

What I love about your channel is that you know and explain that just because something is shiny & new that does NOT mean luxury. Luxury is about the quality of the materials, service, and experience, and specifically the DETAILS. Details are what make the difference, and details are the very thing Disney has been failing to get right in all facets of their businesses recently

[kyleanuar]

Jake missed checking the flower arrangement in the lobby and I was surprised as he always checked them, btw it's plastic. As a hotel florist we work with budgets going up or down and when they go plastic it means they're really cutting the costs.

[unclewobhard]

There is no reason that an accessible room should be of lesser quality. This is “pretend” luxury just like the parks are pretend environments. I think the public is figuring out that the Disney brand has lost its luster and that cheap knockoffs are the order of the day. The DVC extension to the Polynesian resort is another horror story.

You can get door to door limousine service by staying off property for the same prices.

[cydneyadamson]

My jaw was DROPPED multiple times throughout this video. The design flaws remind me of my college apartments 😭

[smooshpopper]

I wouldn't call any of those "nitpicks" i think those are very real complaints about whats supposed to be an ultra luxury experience

[TealCheetah]

"which I promptly unplugged and put in a drawer"
good

[timbit]

Hey Jake! Im a dude in a wheelchair and i think this is an accessible room & thats probably why theres no carpets...trust me man when i wheel over carpet it feels like walking though deep sand at the beach. An accident landed me to a life on wheels instead of legs so i get both sides and wheeling around on a slick surface makes the world of difference. Love your work and cool to have a fellow Ontarian representing Canada so well...thanks Jake 'n Emmy

[nerdman]

My mom and dad worked at The Grand for 30 years, including the entirety of my birth, childhood, and young adulthood. My Grandmother also worked there as a cast member at the Mouseketeer Club. Subsequently my brother and I spent our entire childhood here as a second home. If you were here anywhere between 1994-2012, chances are I was there too.

I remember the days when The Grand was every bit as luxurious as Disney said it was. Real marble, velvety carpets, beds to sink into, any dish or beverage you could possibly dream of. Watching this video really hurts me deeply, not because of your criticism, but rather because your critiques are justified and correct. I am one of those people who has grown up with Disney and watched it decline over time. For me, it is like watching my hometown disappear and become corporatized.

[MildExplosion]

The overly bright, echoey room with trash behind the curtains and under the bed is something I'd rage about in an AirBnB. Rhe fact that anyone pays 5 star prices for this is heinous.

[GenaLeah]

I'm so fascinated by these videos about the Disney hotels. As someone with a lifelong interest in animation, and once considered working as an Imagineer, I've learned a lot of the 'behind the scenes' stories of the Disney company's history from different angles. Everything I've been learning about the hotels and service reflects the same decline of quality and principles that they've been exhibiting in everything else.

And even aside from *their* decline, it just makes me sad on a personal level that I will never get to experience what it all used to be like.

When my parents were kids living in Southern California in the 70s, Disneyland was something that they could afford to visit frequently. When I was growing up, we lived further away and struggled on the poverty line, but Disneyland was still something that we could save up for and go to every 2-5 years. We'd bring sack lunches because we couldn't afford the food, but the whole experience was absolutely worth it.

I'm an adult now, and I've been working for almost a decade. My siblings and I were able to pull funds together and treat our dad to a whole Disneyland trip. It cost thousands of dollars. And it was also the first time I had ever seen broken animatronics on the rides. I don't know when I'll go back there again. I feel like all of my goodwill toward the company has been used up, over and over again.

I feel like this must be happening to other people, too. You remember the good times and the magic from when you were younger, you work hard and save up for a long time to treat your family to something special, and Disney lets you down. The rides are dirty and broken. The hotel is cheap. The food is too expensive. The band is gone. The magic is gone. They saved a few bucks, but they're losing their audience's trust. Especially for all those people who really can't afford to come back anymore. It makes the decision of cutting this expense out even easier.

[saiyamoru]

Losing the live musical performances after 32 years is what really breaks my heart. That would have been so cool to see in-person and genuinely provided a reason to linger in the lounge. Everyone has a soft spot for Disney's classic musical numbers...they really shot themselves in the foot with that one.

[jaimeerindy]

I recently stayed at a Marriott Luxury Collection hotel in Vail, Colorado and it included valet + complimentary 24hr shuttle service, turn down service, daily food/drinks/treats in the lobby and probably a host of other things we didn't have time to take advantage of, and that was a standard room costing around $500 per night. That makes the price of the GF completely unfathomable to me tbh

[Erik_The_Viking]

"Invoking a Home Depot aura" - HA HA HA HA!!! Accurate description given the cost cutting measures. At the price point, that's inexcusable. This is their idea of a "flagship"? You're better off elsewhere.