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If you’re planning a stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (yay), you’ve probably noticed something confusing when looking at room options: there are two different studio room types that both sleep five people.

• Grand Floridian Resort Studio
• Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio Villa

At first glance, they seem really similar. But once you look at more of the details, the differences become much more interesting.

I know this because while I was planning our upcoming Disney World trip, I ended up intentionally choosing the less photogenic room (ie the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio Villa) instead of the more ~beautiful~ Grand Floridian Resort Studio that everyone seems to love.

Why?

Because I’ve learned that when you’re staying in Disney World with kids, the room layout matters far more than aesthetics.

So let’s nerd out a bit.

Below is a detailed comparison of the Grand Floridian Resort Studio vs Deluxe Studio, including floor plan differences, square footage, kitchen amenities, bathroom layouts, and which room might work better for families, especially with little kids.

A Quick Overview of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is one of the original Disney World deluxe resorts, located right next to Magic Kingdom on the Resort Monorail loop.

Transportation options are:

• The Monorail to Magic Kingdom
• A boat launch to Magic Kingdom
• A walking path to Magic Kingdom
• Close prox. to the Polynesian Village Resort

The location is one of the main reasons guests end up staying at the Grand Floridian: it offers some of the easiest park transportation to and from Magic Kingdom.

While I’ve visited the resort many times (I actually filmed a wedding there almost ten years ago), this will be the first time staying there with my three kids, courtesy of DVC Rental Store.

Grand Floridian Resort Studio vs Deluxe Studio

Both the Grand Floridian Resort Studio and Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio Villa:

• Are…you guessed it, studios
• Sleep up to five guests + 1 kid under 3 (who would sleep in a crib or pack n’ play)
• Are bookable through Disney or by renting DVC points

But they differ in several important ways.

Room Type	Building	Square Footage	Kitchenette	Bathroom Layout
Grand Floridian Resort Studio	Big Pine Key	~440 sq ft	Beverage cooler only	Single bathroom
Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio	Villas at Grand Floridian	~374 sq ft	Full kitchenette	Split bathroom

At first glance, most people gravitate toward the Resort Studios, because they’re the newly renovated rooms with beautiful blue velvet headboards and more modern lighting/aesthetics.

They photograph beautifully and are closer to the main building and monorail.

BUT when I started comparing the Grand Floridian floor plans, the Deluxe Studio Villa started making a lot more sense for our family.

Grand Floridian Floor Plans: The Key Differences

The biggest differences between the Grand Floridian Resort Studio floor plan and the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio floor plan come down to:

• kitchen amenities
• bathroom layout
• bed configuration
• usable space

Before we break down each one, here’s the floor plans of both:

Floorplan of Grand Floridian’s Deluxe Studio

Floorplan of Grand Floridian’s Resort Studio

1. Mini Fridge vs “Beverage Cooler”

This was one of the biggest differences.

Grand Floridian Resort Studio

Resort Studios do not have a kitchenette.

Instead, they include:

• Beverage cooler (these apparently don’t get AS cold as a standard mini fridge)
• Coffee maker

That means no microwave, no toaster, and no sink.

The beverage cooler also doesn’t get nearly as cold as a traditional mini-fridge.

Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio

Deluxe Studios include the standard DVC kitchenette:

• Microwave
• Toaster
• Sink
• Mini refrigerator

For my family of five (with a toddler), this makes a big difference.

Being able to heat up a quick breakfast and store leftovers is going to make my day-to-day in Disney World so much easier.

2. Split Bathroom Layout

The bathroom setup is another reason I chose the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio.

Deluxe Studio Bathroom Layout

The Deluxe Studio has a split bathroom design, which includes:

• A separate toilet room
• A walk-in shower area
• A sink area outside the bathroom

This layout means I can put a rolling crib in the sink area, which effectively turns the studio into something that feels closer to a one-bedroom setup. Yay for us!

Our toddler can sleep there while we still have access to the potty (double yay for us.)

Resort Studio Bathroom Layout

The Grand Floridian Resort Studio has:

• One combined bathroom
• Tub/shower combo
• No separate sink area

For families traveling with toddlers, this can make bedtime trickier because once the child falls asleep, the entire room has to stay quiet and dark.

3. Bathtub vs Shower Combo

Another difference is the bathing setup.

Deluxe Studio

The Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio includes:

• A large walk-in shower
• A separate bathtub

Resort Studio

The Grand Floridian Resort Studio has a single shower/tub combination.

For families with younger children, having a dedicated bathtub can be helpful after long park days.

4. Murphy Bed vs Two Queen Beds

Both room types sleep five people, but the bed layouts are different.

Resort Studio

The Resort Studio includes:

• Two queen beds
• A single daybed

The beds remain down all the time.

Deluxe Studio

The Deluxe Studio includes:

• One queen bed
• One Murphy bed
• One pull-down sleeper

Because the Murphy bed folds up during the day, the room feels more open and usable.

This is interesting because technically the Resort Studio has more square footage (~440 sq ft) compared to the Deluxe Studio (~374 sq ft).

But really, the Murphy bed means when we’re not sleeping we’ll have more usable space during the day.

5. Table vs Desk

Another detail that stood out to me is that the Deluxe Studio includes a table with chairs, but the Resort Studio replaces this with a desk 🙁

For adults traveling alone, that might not matter whatsoever. In fact, you may prefer the desk!

But traveling with kids, a table is much more practical for having a spot to eat or even fill a page of a coloring book.

Location Differences at the Grand Floridian

One (possible, we will see) downside of the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studios is location.

They’re in the regular DVC building, which sits slightly farther from the main building and monorail.

HOWEVER, they are also closer to the Polynesian and new Polynesian tower. This could be a huge plus for us to be able to pop in and out and feel more in the middle of the action. 

Because of the resort layout, transportation flow is something I’ll need to test once we stay there.

Cost Comparison: Renting DVC vs Booking Through Disney

Another major factor in choosing the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio was cost.

When renting through DVC Rental Store, the Deluxe Studio cost around $378 through renting points, compared to booking directly through Disney of $844 per night.

If you’re bad at math like me: that’s a savings of nearly $500 per night. Like 55% less. 

TLDR: Renting Disney Vacation Club points is the easiest way to stay at Disney deluxe resorts for significantly less.

Why Room Layout Matters More Than Aesthetics

I get it. It’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics of a Disney resort room. You may be thinking about the room’s view, or which building, maybe what floor you’re on.

Or even worse, maybe you think that the room doesn’t matter that much – that you’ll barely be there anyway. But girl, you – and your kids – need to sleep and you need to sleep WELL.

But when traveling with kids, the layout of the room makes a much bigger difference than the design or how “Disney” it feels.

Things like:

• a kitchenette
• a split bathroom
• flexible sleeping arrangements

…can dramatically improve how comfortable the room feels during a week-long Disney trip.

Final Thoughts on Grand Floridian Resort Studio vs Deluxe Studio

The Grand Floridian Resort Studio is beautiful. She’s cute! I get it. The design, lighting, and location near the main building is very appealing.

But the Grand Floridian Deluxe Studio Villa offers several practical advantages for families:

• kitchenette with microwave and toaster
• split bathroom layout
• bathtub and walk-in shower
• Murphy bed creating flexible space
• table for meals

For our family, those features mattered more than the aesthetics.

When choosing between the Grand Floridian Resort Studio vs Deluxe Studio, it’s worth looking closely at the floor plans and thinking about how your family will actually use the space.

Either way, you can book both through DVC Rental Store for huge savings, and is 100% why I’m partnering with them on our next stay. Check them out here.