Grand Floridian vs Contemporary (2026)

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa across the Seven Seas Lagoon — Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney's Contemporary Resort across Bay Lake — Disney's Contemporary Resort

The short answer

Both sit on the Magic Kingdom monorail and both score a full 10 for getting there, so access won't decide this one. Price might: the Contemporary averages $663 a night against $878, a gap of $215. The Grand Floridian wins on food, with five sit-down restaurants against three and three signatures against one, and on adults, scoring 8 against 5. The Contemporary wins on the walk, 12 minutes to Magic Kingdom against 17, and on things to do, 7.5 against 6.5. Want the dinner and the quieter evening? Pay the $215. Want the short walk home after the fireworks and the money back? Take the Contemporary.

Choose Grand Floridian if you want the dining and a quieter evening, and the rate isn't what's deciding it.

Choose Contemporary if you want the monorail and the short walk without the Grand Floridian's price.

Contemporary is about $215 a night cheaper on average, about $1,505 over a seven-night stay.

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Side by side

Category	Grand Floridian	Contemporary
Nightly rate, on average	$878	$663
Pools	7 / 10	7 / 10	7.0
Splash pads and slides	9 / 10	6 / 10	7.7
Things to do on site	6.5 / 10	7.5 / 10	7.0
Suits toddlers	8 / 10	6 / 10	7.4
Suits ages 7 to 13	7 / 10	7 / 10	5.9
Suits adults	8 / 10	5 / 10	5.4
Table-service restaurants	5	3
Signature restaurants	3	1
Bars and lounges	4	4
Getting to Magic Kingdom	10 / 10	10 / 10
Overall average	7.9 / 10	6.9 / 10

Averaged across the scored categories, Grand Floridian wins by 1.0 points, 7.9 against 6.9 out of ten. That is a summary and not the answer: a single line you care about can outweigh it. Green marks the better of the two on that line. Counts of restaurants, bars and beds are quantities, not scores. The average across all 32 resorts is pools 7.0, splash pads 7.7, things to do 7.0.

The case for each

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Deluxe · about $878 a night on average · sleeps 5

GoodFive sit-down restaurants and three signatures, including Victoria and Albert's. Adults score 8 against 5, and splash pads 9 against 6.

Less goodThe nightly average of $878 is the higher of the two by $215. Things to do scores 6.5 out of 10, below the average of 7.0 out of 10, and the walk to Magic Kingdom is about 17 minutes against 12.

Pick this one if: you want the dining and a quieter evening, and the rate isn't what's deciding it.

Dining on siteVictoria and Albert's, Citricos and Narcoossee's among five sit-down restaurants, with four bars and lounges.

What there is to do on siteScores 6.5 out of 10, below the average of 7.0 out of 10: Captain's Shipyard boat rentals, Cheshire Challenges by the Beach Pool, a nightly campfire, movies under the stars and jogging trails.

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Deluxe · about $663 a night on average · sleeps 5

GoodA nightly average of $663, $215 below the Grand Floridian. It's about 12 minutes on foot to Magic Kingdom, and things to do scores 7.5 against 6.5.

Less goodSplash pads score 6 against 9 and toddlers 6 against 8. Three sit-down restaurants against six, and adults score 5.

Pick this one if: you want the monorail and the short walk without the Grand Floridian's price.

Dining on siteCalifornia Grill, Chef Mickey's and Steakhouse 71 among three sit-down restaurants, with four bars and lounges.

What there is to do on siteScores 7.5 out of 10, above the average of 7.0 out of 10: the Magic of Mosaics, boat rentals at the Boat Nook Marina, sports courts, a nightly campfire and fireworks cruises.

Both are on the monorail, and both are expensive. If the monorail is why you're looking, they're equal: both score a full 10 for Magic Kingdom, and pools are level at 7. Pool and splash pad scores are our judgment. Restaurant counts, room sizes and nightly rates come from Disney's own pages, averaged across three snapshots.

Your family will rank these differently

Ages, budget, room size and which parks you are doing all change the order. Resortings scores all 32 resorts against what your family actually needs, and tells you when not to spend the money.

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Common questions

Is the Grand Floridian or Contemporary better for young children?

The Grand Floridian. Splash pads score 9 against 6, and toddlers 8 against 6. The Contemporary is the shorter walk back for a nap, about 12 minutes against 17.

Which one is cheaper?

The Contemporary, by about $215 a night: $663 against $878 on average.

Which has the better restaurants?

The Grand Floridian, with five sit-down restaurants against three and three signatures against one, including Victoria and Albert's.

Can you walk to Magic Kingdom from both?

Yes. The Contemporary is about 12 minutes on foot and the Grand Floridian about 17, and both are on the monorail.