Winter Park or Walt Disney World. The Alfond Inn, from about $290, for art on the walls, Park Avenue two blocks away and the Morse Museum on foot; Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, for the monorail to Magic Kingdom and fireworks across the lagoon.
Rollins College's art hotel, two blocks from Park Avenue: museums, lakes and a spa for days off from the parks.
$$From about $290 a night
Choose The Alfond Inn if
Days off from the parks
Art and museum lovers
Couples
Spa days
The catch
The hotel runs no park shuttle and its free house cars go only around Winter Park, so the parks mean a car or a taxi, 28 to 31 minutes to Universal Studios and Epic Universe and 42 to 47 minutes to the Disney parks with the roads clear, and more at rush hour.
Disney's Victorian grand hotel on Seven Seas Lagoon, one monorail stop to Magic Kingdom, with its fireworks across the water.
$$$$From about $855 a night
Choose Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa if
Magic Kingdom days
Fireworks over the lagoon
Young children and midday breaks
Anniversaries and milestone birthdays
The catch
The entry Resort View rooms look over the courtyard, the marina or the pools, and like the Water View and Theme Park View rooms they are in the outer lodges, not the main building. On a Tuesday in January the lagoon view costs about $60 a night more and the Magic Kingdom view about $200 more.
The Alfond InnDisney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Central & walkableRemote escape
FunctionalDesign-led
InternationalStrong sense of place
CouplesFamilies
Wellness minimalWellness focus
Smart spendSplurge
Under the radarSee and be seen
The Alfond Inn
Area
Winter Park, United States
From the centre
31.5 km
Airport
30 min from MCO
Price band
$$
Typical rate
From about $290 a night
Rooms
183
Last renovated
2023 (opened 2013)
Pool
Outdoor
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
1
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026
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
The verdict
Winter Park or Walt Disney World. The Alfond Inn, from about $290, for art on the walls, Park Avenue two blocks away and the Morse Museum on foot; Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, for the monorail to Magic Kingdom and fireworks across the lagoon.
Good questions about The Alfond Inn vs Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
The Alfond Inn or Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa?
Winter Park or Walt Disney World. The Alfond Inn, from about $290, for art on the walls, Park Avenue two blocks away and the Morse Museum on foot; Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, from about $855, for the monorail to Magic Kingdom and fireworks across the lagoon.
Is The Alfond Inn worth it?
Book it for Winter Park on foot: Park Avenue, the Morse Museum and the boat tour, with art on the walls and a spa to come back to. Take a Parlor King Room for the extra space, and budget $64 a night for the resort fee and valet, plus a car for the parks. A boutique art hotel in a walkable college town: you stay for Park Avenue, the museums and the lakes, and drive to the parks. It is calm and grown-up, with a real spa and a pool terrace rather than slides.
Does The Alfond Inn have a pool or a beach?
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
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.
The escape