Hey there, Sarah! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so glad that you've stopped by with your vacation planning question.
Well, Sarah, it sounds as if your vacation planning to The Most Magical Place on Earth is off to THE most magical start! With its iconic lobby and gorgeous grounds, fantastic nearby
dining options, beautiful walking path to Magic Kingdom Park, and one of my favorite pools at Walt Disney World Resort,
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is the practically perfect place to spend your pixie-dusted vacation. One of my very favorite Disney activities is spending the day relaxing, swimming and having food, cocktails and fun at one of the poolside cabanas, and I'm so excited to answer your question and for you to have the BEST. DAY. EVER!
Once you
rent your poolside cabana, it's yours for the day, and you can come and go as you please! 10:00 a.m. is when your cabana will be available for you, but it is absolutely okay to arrive and check in later. Make sure to have your MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or your Disney MagicMobile Pass from your My Disney Experience app with you to check in with the attendant when you arrive. After you've arrived and enjoyed your cabana day for a while, you can definitely leave to go have brunch at Chef Mickey's (YUM!) and then return to your cabana for more fun and relaxation! One of the times we rented a poolside cabana, we changed into dry clothes and ran over to the park to ride some attractions for a little while before coming back to enjoy the rest of our cabana day. We just let our attendant know that we were leaving for a bit but would be coming back. It was no problem at all, so, Hakuna Matata! It means "no worries!"
While you will have a poolside server for cocktails and food from
Beaches Pool Bar & Grill, don't forget that you can also mobile order from Gasparilla Island Grill at your Resort, Capt. Cook's or Kona Cafe To Go from Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, which is a short walk away from your pool, or Contempo Cafe or Steakhouse 71 To Go from Disney's Contemporary Resort, which is just two stops away on the monorail. Then, you can bring your meals back to the cabana to enjoy! See?! BEST. DAY. EVER!
Sarah, I hope this was helpful, and I hope you have the most magical upcoming vacation. With an arrival day that begins with a poolside cabana and brunch, you are definitely setting this up to be absolutely unforgettable! Please stop by any time with any questions you may have along the way. You've got a friend in me!
I hope to see ya real soon,
Mandy