Disney's Victorian-style flagship or Universal's Italian harbour hotel. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, Extended Evening Hours on select nights and dinner at Victoria & Albert's; Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, from about $795, if you would rather have Express Unlimited on every guest's room key, for most rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Disney's Victorian grand hotel on Seven Seas Lagoon, one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, with its fireworks across the water.
$$$$From about $855 a night
Choose Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa if
Magic Kingdom days
Fireworks over the lagoon
Young children and midday breaks
Anniversaries and milestone birthdays
The catch
The entry Resort View rooms look over the courtyard, the marina or the pools, and like the Water View and Theme Park View rooms they are in the outer lodges, not the main building. On a Tuesday in January the lagoon view costs about $60 a night more and the Magic Kingdom view about $200 more.
A replica Ligurian harbour at Universal, where the room key doubles as Express Unlimited and a boat runs to CityWalk.
$$$$From about $795 a night
Choose Loews Portofino Bay Hotel if
Two or three days at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
Families of four or five
Ride-heavy short trips
Harbour evenings after the parks
The catch
It is dear, and parking comes on top: the entry room costs about $795 a night before 12.5% tax on a February weeknight and about $1,330 between Christmas and New Year, and self-parking is $36 a night plus tax ($45 for valet).
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & SpaLoews Portofino Bay Hotel
Under the radarSee and be seen
Smart spendSplurge
ClassicContemporary
Food secondaryDestination dining
CouplesFamilies
Central & walkableRemote escape
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Area
Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom area, United States
From the centre
5.5 km
Airport
39 min from MCO
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $855 a night
Rooms
Not confirmed
Last renovated
2025 (opened 1988)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
6
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Area
Universal Orlando, United States
From the centre
14.6 km
Airport
28 min from MCO
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $795 a night
Rooms
750
Last renovated
2020 (opened 1999)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
4
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026
The verdict
Disney's Victorian-style flagship or Universal's Italian harbour hotel. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, Extended Evening Hours on select nights and dinner at Victoria & Albert's; Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, from about $795, if you would rather have Express Unlimited on every guest's room key, for most rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Good questions about Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa vs Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Loews Portofino Bay Hotel?
Disney's Victorian-style flagship or Universal's Italian harbour hotel. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, if you want one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, Extended Evening Hours on select nights and dinner at Victoria & Albert's; Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, from about $795, if you would rather have Express Unlimited on every guest's room key, for most rides at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
Is Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa worth it?
Book the Grand Floridian to ride the monorail one stop to Magic Kingdom and end the day with the fireworks over the lagoon. Pay for a Theme Park View room if the fireworks are the point, and plan on Disney buses for the other parks. A famous, classic and very expensive Disney resort where the lagoon, the monorail and the Victorian public rooms are the point, with a MICHELIN-starred dining room for the adults. Expect families and busy lobbies, and pay extra for the view of the park.
Does Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa have a pool or a beach?
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
Is Loews Portofino Bay Hotel worth it?
Book it for a short, ride-heavy Universal trip, take a Bay View room and let the room key do the queuing at most rides in Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Budget for $36 a night in parking, and for standby queues at Epic Universe. A big, themed Italian harbour resort that works as a base for Universal's two original parks: Express Unlimited comes with the room and a boat runs to CityWalk. It is expensive, and there is no spa.
Does Loews Portofino Bay Hotel have a pool or a beach?
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
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