Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

History and influences

The Grand Floridian was inspired by the Victorian-era beach resorts built along Florida's east coast during the late 19th and early 20th century. Its exterior is modelled after the Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California, with red gabled roofs and white walls. Additional design inspiration was taken from the former Belleview-Biltmore Hotel in Belleair, Florida.

Initially, Walt Disney wanted a Polynesian resort (reflecting Adventureland), the Contemporary Resort to echo Tomorrowland, and other resorts that mirrored the 'lands' of Magic Kingdom. Main Street and The Grand Floridian act as analogous reflections. The resort was designed by the Disney company and executed by the architectural firm Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo.

Along with Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, the Grand Floridian sits on the shores of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon near Magic Kingdom. The hotel occupies land that had been earmarked for an Asian-themed resort during the initial development of Walt Disney World Resort in the late 1960s. The Beach Boys performed at the Grand Floridian in 1988 to film the music video for their hit song "Kokomo". In 1992, a 40000 sqft convention center opened adjacent to the hotel, which contains a business center.

Incidents

• On October 9, 1989, a 33-year-old woman from Glen Cove, New York, was killed when a tiny speedboat collided with a ferry boat. She and her 8-year-old son were broadsided by the ferry while trying to videotape friends and family members who were water skiing in the Seven Seas Lagoon. A crew member and a visitor on the ferry dove into the water and rescued her son. The boy was not hurt in the accident. The family sued Disney for $240 million, claiming that the ferry's operators should have seen the speedboat before it came so close.
• On June 14, 2016, two-year-old child Lane Graves was fatally attacked by an American alligator which dragged him from the shore of the resort's beach into the Seven Seas Lagoon. The child's body was recovered a day later. A lighthouse sculpture paying tribute to the child was unveiled in 2017 at the resort near the incident's location.

Gallery

File:Grand Floridian lobby.jpg|The lobby of the Grand Floridian Resort File:Grand Floridian Villas.jpg|The Port Cochere of the Villas File:GrandFloridianmonorailview.jpg|A view of the Grand Floridian from the monorail 150km with Cinderella Castle, 2007 File:Grand floridian panoramic.jpg|The Grand Floridian property as viewed from the entrance to Magic Kingdom File:Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa 1.jpg|Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa taken from Seven Seas Lagoon File:Lane Thomas Foundation lighthouse sculpture.jpg|Sculpture dedicated to Lane Graves, a boy killed by a wild alligator at the resort in 2016

References

References

1. "Grand Floridian Construction Project". Laughing Place.
2. Kurtti, Jeff. (1996). "Since the World Began: Walt Disney World, The First 25 Years". [[Disney Hyperion.
3. Dunlop, Beth. (1996). "Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture". Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
4. "Walt Disney World A History in Postcards".
5. "The Beach Boys Kokomo Soundtrack Cocktail".
6. Wake, Matt. (July 1, 2014). "John Stamos talks Beach Boys, haircuts, which 'Full House' set pieces he owns, his 'Kokomo' tank-top, Huntsville concert, more". Advance Local Media.
7. (October 13, 2013). "25 years ago: Love it? Hate it? 'Kokomo' was #1 for the Beach Boys". David Carroll's Chattanooga Radio and TV.
8. (July 31, 2015). "Chasing Kokomo: The Secretly Dark 'Cocktail'".
9. (Oct 11, 1989). "Woman killed when boat collides with ferry at Disney". Boca Raton News.
10. (February 25, 1990). "Victim's Kin Sue Disney Over Fatal Boat Collision". Orlando Sentinel.
11. "Alligator attacks 2-year-old boy at Disney's Grand Floridian, recovery effort continues - Orlando Sentinel". [[Orlando Sentinel]].
12. (June 15, 2016). "Alligator drags two-year-old boy into lagoon at Disney World resort in Florida".
13. (June 16, 2016). "Alligator attack at Disney World: two-year-old boy's body recovered from lake". The Guardian.
14. Stump, Scott. (August 8, 2017). "Disney World Unveils Lighthouse Sculpture to Honor 2-Year-Old Boy Killed by Alligator". [[Today (American TV program).