On Mother’s Day

If you are in the central Florida area on Mother’s Day, there are other options than just going to church and lunch or doing a BBQ in your backyard.

               There are many other options on Disney property including Downtown Disney, the Beach& Yacht Club, or Disney’s Boardwalk. Some Additional options include some more of Disney’s hotels. As a child, we use to spend Mother’s Day with my mother and her mother, my grandmother, and we use to walk around the Grand Floridian Hotel lobby, have lunch on the premises and walk the gardens afterward. If we were feeling overly ambitious, we would walk to the Cinderella themed wedding chapel to watch the bride and groom leave in the white pumpkin carriage.

Photo taken from The Disney Food Blog

               Without spending a dime in a Disney theme park, you can have a nice afternoon at Disney on Mother’s Day and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere. Many of the Disney hotels are the perfect place to bring you mother because they are filled with pretty flowers and happy people. The whole idea behind the Disney brand is to take its visitors out of reality and into a fantasyland.

               The Grand Floridian Hotel will remind you of scene from Mary Poppins or Hello Dolly. Clean lines and white accents, this Victorian style resort is a refreshing blast from the past of simpler times. Disney says it best:

               “Disney'sGrand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe                       Resort distinguishedas the flagship hotel of Walt Disney World Resort and offering world-class dining, entertainment and luxurious accommodations in shores of SevenSeas Lagoon.”

               The Grand Floridian Hotel has several great restaurants like Victoria & Albert's, Narcoossee's, Citricos, and many more. 1900 Park Fare has Disney characters, including those from Alice in Wonderland and Marry Poppins, come in for both breakfast and lunch if you are looking for a more kid-friendly environment. BE AWARE: The Grand Floridian Hotel is Walt Disney’s World premiere resort and the price tag matches the prestige. Most of the restaurants are $30 plus. The Grand Floridian Café and Gasparilla Grill & Games are less expensive, but they are similar to the other restaurants you can find in your neighborhood. 

               If you do not want to stop and have a full meal, you can have tea at the authentic English Tea room. After tea, there are options to rent paddle boats where you can sit and relax with your mom while paddling around near the shore. The spa is also a great option; however, it is currently closed due to renovations until the month of September of this year. Whatever you decide to do, this is a good alternative to your Mother’s Day plans without paying a hefty price for admission to one of Disney’s theme parks.    

Links used:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa/

http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/disneyworld/tp/Disney_World_vacations.htm

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/30/guest-review-grand-floridians-afternoon-tea-at-the-garden-view-lounge/