Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is spectacular any time of year but especially shines during the holiday season. The lobby features a nearly 40-foot Christmas tree, holiday music on piano, and the famous Grand Gingerbread House complete with sweet treats available to purchase. If you’re planning a holiday trip to Walt Disney World, visiting or staying at the Grand Floridian is an absolute must.
In addition to taking the monorail over to this stunning resort, you can also visit by booking a dining reservation at one of the resort’s 5 table service restaurants – 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Café, Citricos, Narcoossee’s, or the Michelin Star rated; Victoria & Albert’s.
On a recent tour of the monorail resorts (also including the Contemporary and Polynesian Village), we made a brunch reservation at the Grand Floridian Café.
The Grand Floridian Café is located on the first floor of the main lobby of the Grand Floridian and is known for its brunch but is also open for dinner. The atmosphere matches the airy, Victorian feel of the resort and is a more casual spot to sit down for a meal at the Grand Floridian.
Our fantastic server described the menu as being more “blunch” than brunch since you can order lunch items during breakfast hours. The menu features salads and sandwiches plus eggs Benedict and pancakes with entrée prices ranging from around $16 to $31.
Gingerbread Martini – Grey Goose Vodka, RumChata Liqueur, and gingerbread spice featuring a rim of gingerbread from the resort bakery for $17.50.
We happened to notice on the menu within the My Disney Experience app, there is a limited-time Gingerbread Martini available. The Grand Floridian Gingerbread House is celebrating its 25th anniversary and we of course HAD to try this special cocktail.
This might be one of the best martinis we’ve had at Disney World – it was well-balanced, sweet but the vodka still came through. Plus the gingerbread spices with the addition of actual gingerbread on the rim made it the PERFECT holiday drink. It truly tasted like Christmas in a martini and we cannot recommend it enough.
One secret to eating at the Grand Floridian Café is to always ask for the complimentary biscuits. Sometimes the server automatically brings them but it’s best to ask just in case. They are house-made, served warm, fluffy, and buttery plus they come with an incredible whipped, honey, citrus butter. As a Southerner, I can confidently give these biscuits my highest seal of approval.
Club Sandwich – house-roasted turkey, ham, Bibb lettuce, Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar, and house aioli served with a side of hash brown casserole for $19.
This was a simple yet perfectly executed club sandwich. It was easy to eat, the bread was toasted just right, and the aioli really came through. Club sandwiches are a comfort food of mine and since a lot of lunch spots offer it on the menu, it’s an easy way to tell the quality of the food. I think I would rate this one as Disney World’s best club… sandwich that is.
Another secret to dining at the Grand Floridian Café, is to always opt for the hash brown casserole as a side. Think Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole x 1,000. It’s creamy, cheesy, packed with flavor, and individually baked, giving it the perfect crust all the way around. Long story short, I will be ordering the club sandwich with the hash brown casserole again.
Breakfast Sandwich – house-made sausage patty, over easy egg (Ryno ordered over hard), arugula, roasted red peppers, pickled onion, garlic aioli , and whipped goat cheese on house-made ciabatta served with a side of hash brown casserole for $17.
The breakfast sandwich was another fantastic recommendation from our server who also informed us the sausage patty is made in house… and let me tell ya, it shows. The sausage was cooked to perfection, seasoned just right with a hint of rosemary, and was large enough to be a burger patty. It was also recommended to order the egg over medium or hard, otherwise it becomes a fork and knife type of sandwich. This was a great call! The whipped goat cheese with the aioli perfected the sandwich and made it a unique take on a classic breakfast dish. You’ll notice Ryno also made the smart move of ordering the hash brown casserole and now loves it as much as I do!
We definitely think the Grand Floridian Café should be on your list of “blunch”/ brunch restaurants to visit at Walt Disney World! If you’re coming during the holiday season, put it at the top of your list to enjoy the atmosphere of the Grand Floridian decorations plus the incredible Gingerbread Martini… and that’s coming from the Martini Mom herself!
Be sure to watch our full dining review! And let us know in the comments if you agree with our review or if there is another menu item we should try the next time we’re at the Grand Floridian Café.
Hannah Anderson is a Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent, DIS Contributor, former Disney Cast Member, and Orlando local. Mostly importantly, she is a mom and loves spending time in the Disney Parks each week with her family.
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