A cluster of white buildings, with crimson tops that draw your eyes skyward, dot the edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon. The buildings look out of place, as if transported through a timewarp. Steps from the entrance to the Magic Kingdom lies Walt Disney World's ode to the luxury seaside resorts of yesteryear, the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Arriving at the resort, I pulled up alongside a vintage white Rolls Royce in pristine condition. The valet, in an outfit reminiscent of a 1920's paperboy, took my keys and unloaded my luggage. As I approached the doors, a man dressed head to toe in white, tipped his brimmed hat and offered a cheery, "Good afternoon." The vintage atmosphere was so overwhelming that when the automatic doors slid open, they just seemed out of place. Entering into the Grand Lobby, I had to stop for a moment to take it all in. Reaching five stories in height, the area resembled a gigantic Victorian parlor room, with several seating nooks and a gentleman tinkling the ivories of a grand piano. An oversized gilded birdcage stood out to the left; directly across, a caged elevator quietly carried guests up and down.

I turned to my right and followed the marble walkway to the check-in counter. The process went smoothly and I found that, of the 867 available rooms, I was assigned to a lagoon-view accomodation in the Conch Key. This is one of the farthest buildings from the main lobby area, but it is also the closest to the Magic Kingdom side of the resort. It also sits next to the boat dock and Narcoossee's, one of the resort's award-winning restaurants. At first glance, the decor of the room reflected the early 1900's atmosphere. Stepping into the separate vanity room, I noticed even the toiletries had been designed to look antique. But of course, this is Disney, so a closer look revealed the room had indeed been "Disney-fied". The bedding was imprinted with images and quotes from the animated movie, Alice In Wonderland. The light sitting on top of the armoire was actually a full-figured bust of Mickey, himself. There is an elegance to the theming not found at, say, Disney's moderate or value resorts, but there is no mistake you are in the World that Walt built.

As I settled into the room, I stepped out onto my balcony and was greeted with a view of the monorail; above it, the spires of Cinderella's Castle loomed, beckoning me to the park. But I had a resort to explore, so I grabbed my camera and headed out.

Opened in 1988, the Grand Floridian was the fifth resort built at Walt Disney World, and only one of three that reside on the famous monorail system. The guests are housed in one of six large buildings. The aptly named Main Building not only houses the Grand Lobby, several dining options and a slew of stores, but also many guestrooms, including suites and concierge levels. Just to the north, the nearby Sago Cay faces the Marina, with the monorail running behind it. Sugar Loaf Key is the closest to the Main Building and also houses a concierge level. On the other side of this building is the aforementioned Conch (pronounced "konk") Key. Rounding out the group are the Boca Chica and Big Pine Key buildings, both of which border the lagoon with views ranging from the Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian resort. Most rooms have queen beds, though kings are available upon request. Each room also comes equipped with two spa robes for guest use during the stay.

The resort offers three fine dining options on property, including Narcoossee's (Seafood; open dinner only), which is nestled on the edge of the lagoon with views of the Magic Kingdom, and Citricos (Mediterranean; some vegetarian entrees; open dinner only), which is housed in the Main Building. Also in the main building is the creme de la creme of Disney dining, Victoria and Albert's. The many awards and accolades accumulated over the years by this restaurant -- AAA 5-diamond rating, Epicurean "Top 25 Romantic Restaurants", etc -- are well deserved. Soft harp music fills the air as guests dine on fine china and imported crystal and silver, attended by servers all wearing name tags that say "Victoria" or "Albert". Menu offerings are prix fixe and feature the freshest regional products, complemented by world-class wines. Diners can choose from among a menu that's customized daily by Chef Scott Hunnel, which offers seven courses, including four signature entrees, and closes with soufflés and other exquisite desserts. An optional wine-pairing completes the meal. For an even more exclusive experience, book one of the coveted seats at the Chef's Table. After Hunnel personally consults with everyone at the table, guests can watch him and his culinary team create customized dishes in the kitchen, all from the comfort of their seat.

As this is Disney, the Grand Floridian does offer several options to dine with the characters. 1900 Park Fare, the resort's buffet-style restaurant offers a breakfast with Mary Poppins and Friends (the "friends" vary daily, but on my visit, I dined with Alice in Wonderland, Tigger and Pooh) and a dinner with Cinderella and Friends. For the budding princess in the family, the resort also offers the Perfectly Princess Tea Party, hosted by Princess Aurora (aka Sleeping Beauty) in the Garden View Lounge, Main Building. At $200, the price may seem steep, but that covers one adult and one child age 3-11, and includes a bevy of take-home collectables including a My Disney Girl doll dressed in a matching Princess Aurora gown, plus accessories, a ribbon tiara, a silver princess link bracelet, fresh rose, special princess scrapbook page, and a "Best Friend" certificate.

The only dining option I didn't enjoy at this resort was the 24-hour, counter-service restaurant, Gasparilla Grill & Games. I don't mind serving myself, but I didn't enjoy the fact that most of the food options were premade, with a small hot food area serving hamburgers and chicken strips. At a resort of this quality, I really expected more -- especially since even the Disney value resorts offer a better selection in their food courts. I also encountered my first less-than-stellar "cast members" (Disney codespeak for employees) here. I attempted to purchase one of the resort's "free refill" mugs, only to be told they were out for the evening. Our conversation continued along the course of my being told that they had them, but she couldn't get any for me. I would have to wait until the morning. I ended up trekking all the way back to my room, grabbing the mugs from the mini-bar and trekking back to get my beverage. Not exactly guest friendly. At press time, I've been told the restaurant was undergoing renovation. I hope this includes a redesign of the food area, as the flow centers around a small square condiment stand and becomes a jumble of people when more than few people are in line.

On property, there are two pool areas. One is located amidst the cluster of guest buildings; the other is just south of the main building on the lagoon beach. Beyond this pool is the Grand Floridian Spa and Health Club and Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding Pavilion, which hosts thousands of weddings yearly due to its picture perfect view of Cinderella's Castle. The property also houses one of the largest convention centers at Walt Disney World. There is easy access to the Magic Kingdom via the monorail and via boat, which docks next to Narcoossee's. This dock also offers outstanding views of the nightly Wishes! fireworks, at the park, and Electrical Water parade, which cruises the Seven Seas Lagoon for 15-20 minutes each evening.

This resort is one of the best available at Disney, but there are a few minor things that made my stay less than stellar. That a resort of this size only has two pools was puzzling to me, especially during peak periods, when it's impossible to find an inch of pool space amidst all the guests coming back hot and tired from the parks. I realize the lagoon, with its sandy beach, is popular with swimmers, but I found it hard to enjoy the water with various watercraft constantly whizzing by. I also was puzzled that the walkways around property were so dimly lit at night, yet I had several bright lights trained on the side of my building, making it impossible to sit and relax on the balcony after fireworks. I also didn't enjoy the fact that the dividers that section off the balcony per room didn't reach all the way to the floor. This gave the young child in the room next to ours ample opportunities to crawl underneath and try to get into our room. I also should note that while our lagoon view room faced the Magic Kingdom, the resort does not guarantee the actual view. You can make a request at booking, but don't get your heart set on waking up to views of the castle.

Despite a few minor inconveniences, I enjoyed my stay at this resort. The rooms were well-sized and the resort has a great location on Walt Disney World property. With excellent restaurants and a very attentive staff (the guest services desk was a godsend for making last minute priority seating reservations at restaurants on property), this resort will appeal to most luxury travellers.