My Favorite Disney Park Photos: A Peaceful Morning at the Grand Floridian

Years ago, a visit to Walt Disney World could mean a relaxing time with tranquil evenings and leisurely paced days. No longer. Not even planning for a trip is simple and easy! But there's still peace to be found if you are willing to get up before the sun breaks. That's exactly what we did and when this photo was taken. Why were we up at the literal crack of dawn? To make absolutely sure we got to ride the Magic Kingdom's newest and hard to book attraction, Tron Lightcycle Run in Tomorrowland. Yes, we snagged seats on the ride, and the bonus was seeing this resort quiet and calm. Following the rush for a reservation was a wonderful sit down breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. Not a bad way to start the day!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft)

Sunsets at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

The beautiful skies of Florida become even more vibrant and breathtaking at dusk- and for someone who loves Walt Disney World, viewing those skies with a magical backdrop make for some very special memories. How I wish these were mine! This wonderful photograph of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort from Disney's Polynesian Village Resort was taken by someone named Sharon on the Tikiman's Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages on face book. Can you picture the shot of the Magic Kingdom? Yep, me too!

Sunset on Disney's Seven Seas Lagoon

When it comes to the old debate of "Which is Better- Disneyland or Walt Disney World?" there's one point made by East Coasters that no one on the West can argue with: The abundance of water on the Florida property and those gorgeous sunsets that shimmer on it give the point to the World. As we were taking a launch across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom on our way to the Polynesian for the evening luau, this was our view. That's the Grand Floridian on the right. Few things are more beautiful than water and sky together, proving once again, that the Greatest Imagineer, the Almighty God, has created something the best of Imagineers cannot duplicate.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Rumor: Disney World's Thai Resort Overlooks Adventureland's Fire Mountain

Imagine if you will that the beautiful Grand Floridian Resort was not there. Imagine instead a Thai influenced resort, complete with stunning gardens, exotic cuisine, and gorgeous views of the Seven Seas Lagoon. Let's keep dreaming.

Nighttime view of the exterior.

During the planning stages of Walt Disney World, this stunning hotel was to become a reality in one of the first planned expansions to the Florida resort. Of course, it never happened. Were the suits skittish on building something so exotic looking on the grounds? Was it cut due to cash flow along with Western River Expedition? 

Gorgeous place to wine and dine!

As you can see above, the Thai inspired resort even made the cover of the preview souvenir booklet! If you look to the right, you'll notice the model shows the Persian resort in the background, a different Polynesian resort, and a very different take on Space Mountain!

Once planned to be the Magic Kingdom's 3rd mountain.

What would have made this addition of the Asian inspired resort even better? Just imagine if years later the Disney Imagineers had been given the go ahead to build Fire Mountain? Just imagine that view from those resort rooms to Adventureland's very active volcano. Shades of Mount Prometheus at Tokyo Disneysea. It would have been phenomenal! Want more on Fire Mountain? Go here.

Note- Last night (October 18) I read this thread of the WDWMagic forums. Hadn't read it for about a week. An interesting combination of rumors materialized, making this post from yesterday (Friday) a real possibility! Coincidence?

(Art and images copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Is Disney Embarrassed Enough Yet?

How much embarrassment does it take before the management of the Walt Disney World monorail system presses the executives for a new fleet of trains? There have been a few malfunctions lately, and even further back, the more unfortunate case of a cast member being killed due to problems with the age and maintenance of their fleet. What must happen next in order the get the suits' attention?

Even Walt's original Kingdom, Disneyland, got an upgrade with some new trains fairly recently. Pretty nice, right?

And let's not get started on what you can find at the Tokyo Disney Resort! The sleek exteriors give only a small look at the themed experience found inside.

Once again, other resorts hold the lead in providing first class service and amenities compared to Walt Disney World. If I were staying at the Polynesian Resort, the Contemporary, or the Grand Floridian, I would expect more given the rates charged for the rooms! Problem is, even before the room rates skyrocketed, Disney gave its day guests a wonderfully modern and maintained Highway in the Sky. The time for new trains is now.

Grand Floridian Adventure

The Grand Floridian Resort has remained the flagship Walt Disney World Resort since its debut in the late 1980s. And for good reason! It is lovely and elegant, but with a price tag to match! Therefore, it has always been one of our must stops with each vacation to the World but never our place of lodging. Fair enough as that probably applies to most visitors.

As a younger but large family with a common sized wallet, during our 1989 visit, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. Even to get to go to Florida took a bit of an unexpected blessing from God. Due to a series on business trips on a highly overbooked route, I was able to amass five free airline tickets. Just the thing we needed to be able to take a trip. Saving for the rest of the expenses would take awhile, but we did it.

Back then, the Caribbean Beach was brand new, but it was modestly priced and therefore affordable. Unknown to us until a week or so before departing for our trip, we discovered some family from the East Coast would be staying at the Grand Floridian at the same time as we would be there. They were very gracious and invited us to a wonderful breakfast at 1900 Park Faire. 

Back in the days before Disney's Magical Express, you had to rent a car or hire a taxi to get to your Disney destination. It was kind of nice because the trip from the airport to on site was filled with anticipation versus non-stop commercials for the place. It allowed the anticipation to build slowly without all the hype.

We chose the car as it allowed us more freedom to move around the property and beyond. Arriving on site for our breakfast, we instantly loved the Floridian's entry filled with palms. As a Californian, we knew Disney had taken more than a passing inspiration from the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California when they designed this place. But we were not at all complaining!

This fine old roadster established the flavor for what we would see inside- and of course, a greeter was there to welcome us onto the Walt Disney World property!  

The interior lobby was gorgeous, and the view straight up to the roof was nothing short of spectacular! On to breakfast. We found where we were headed, and once inside, it was as if we had walked into Mary Poppins' Victorian world.

The caliope at 1900 Park Faire filled the air with a touch of whimsy and victorian charm. The decor and the terrific breakfast were not the only attractions in the place.

Carousel horses were around us and vintage prints filled the space on the walls. An unexpected surprise awaited us- the Disney characters made an appearance for free! That would change in later years as Disney decided to begin fleecing versus delighting their guests. Now, there's a charge for everything, but back then, it was touches like this that helped created a real sense of magic instead of the feeling that you were always being asked to open your wallet!

Our happy little family certainly enjoyed the morning, and there's nothing like Chip or Dale to make smiles appear! We were all so young and innocent then. 

Naturally, we eventually sad to say goodbye to our family. They went their way, and we decided to stay a bit and explore further. It's one thing we have always loved doing- taking the time to explore the hotels and public spaces. We always schedule in a few non-park days to do this sort of thing. It is a luxury that is not available in California.

Moving toward the water, we discovered the marina was a very quiet,  a great place to stop.  With the Magic Kingdom in sight, it was tempting to hop on the monorail right then and take the kids, but that was scheduled for another day.

Later in the week, we would end of taking a water sprite for a cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon, but it would be from the Disney's Polynesian Resort instead. We wrapped up our morning by hopping back in the car and taking a swim at our hotel. It was a relaxing- and cheap- way to have some fun. Even though Walt Disney World can be very expensive, you can still get creative and enjoy the place. You just have to move away from the "got to do it all now" attitude and realize you can't!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos copyright Mark Taft.)

Grand Elegance

Lovely, elegant, and grossly overpriced! The beautiful Grand Floridian Resort premiered during this 1988 to 1989 year of expansion and was almost immediately filled with guests looking for the ultimate Disney vacation accomodations.

Being of large family and a common sized wallet, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach. As it would happen, some distant family was staying at the Grand Floridian at the same time and invited us to a wonderful breakfast at 1900 Park Faire.

Driving to the resort, we were awestruck by the elegant entry filled with palms. The beautiful building took more than a passing inspiration from the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California.

This fine automobile set the stage for what we would see inside- and of course, a greeter was a new experience to be found on the Walt Disney World property! Something special was clearly ahead.
The interior lobby was stunning, and the view straight up just as spectacular!

The caliope at 1900 Park Faire filled the air with a touch of whimsy and victorian charm. The decor and the terrific breakfast were not the only attractions in the place.

Carousel horses and vintage prints on the walls. What a nice place to dine. An unexpected surprise- the characters made an appearance for free! Certainly that alone has changed in recent years.

Our happy little family certainly enjoyed the morning, and there's nothing like Chip or Dale to make smiles appear!

The manicured gardens and public areas invited our exploration. We gladly spent about an hour and a half or so walking around and taking in the sights. This is pretty commonplace for us, as touring the Disney resorts have become as much a part of a Walt Disney World vacation as the theme parks. We always schedule in time for a meal or a snack, wandering around, and just relaxing.

The marina was a quiet and pleasant place to stop. The very cool clock was a nice little touch. We would end of taking a water sprite later in the week, but it would be from the Polynesian Village (oops- Disney's Polnesian Resort!) instead.

The success of the Grand Floridian not only changed the physical face of the World, but it also showed Disney management that more expensive and exclusive offerings would be snapped up by a paying public with much money to burn. Regardless of your wallet size, a stop at this resort is just the thing for a bit of elegance and old world charm!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Photos copyright Mark Taft.)

A Tale of Adventures to Come: 1997

As mentioned last week, change is on the way to Florida. New enticements will be announced to Walt Disney World property, as the suits continue to encourage the shareholders by guaranteeing visitors will keep returning and dropping their hard earned dough beyond a one day visit to the iconic Magic Kingdom. Particularly important in a troubled economy.

Disney News, a company produced glossy magazine, existed for many years prior to the internet. The intent was clearly promotion- and the folks behind the project knew how to build excitement among the fans. The Spring 1997 issue included a full color version of this collectable map (seen above) detailing what was to come for the new summer season and to additionally plug the upcoming opening of Disney's Animal Kingdom. The graphics are well done, combining an emphasis on childlikeness with a slightly retro adult look. Quite fun!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)