I had a free night certificate from my World of Hyatt Credit Card that was about to expire, so we did what any reasonable family does with free hotel nights — we booked a quick Orlando getaway. My son is in his pool-obsessed era right now, and I’d heard the pool situation at Grand Cypress was good. That was basically the whole decision-making process. Pool good, certificate expiring, let’s go.
It did not disappoint.
The Room
We booked a standard 2 double room, nothing fancy. The room itself was fine — comfortable, had everything we needed, definitely not luxurious. The balcony is small, and we were high up enough that I didn’t let the kids out there at all.
One annoying detail: the privacy latch on the door was positioned low enough that my 4-year-old could unlock and open it himself. Worth knowing if you’ve got an escape artist of your own.
Here’s the part I’m actually proud of: I used my own advice from my Hotel Upgrade Guide and texted the hotel the morning before check-in. I explained we had young toddlers and would love a room with a view of the Disney fireworks if at all possible. They delivered — we ended up with a view of both the Epcot and Magic Kingdom fireworks from our window. The kids sat there with snacks every night watching fireworks from the room, which might be one of the easiest wins of the whole trip. For reference, it seems like most pool-view rooms on higher floors get you this view, so if fireworks matter to you, request a high floor with a pool view and ask nicely.
We also requested a crib, no issues there.
The Property
This place is enormous. The lobby alone is worth a slow walk-through — there’s a parrot named Merlot that the kids were obsessed with, and the elevators are half-glass, so you get a view of the grounds on the ride up. My kids thought that was the coolest thing, which tells you everything about how easy this age is to impress.
The grounds themselves are the real story here. Miles of biking and walking trails, and you can borrow bikes for free — balance bikes, kid bikes, bikes with toddler seats on the back, helmets included. We took advantage of this and it was a great way to explore.
One of the trails leads to a wilderness area with an old ghost-town theme — I think it’s used for weddings, but on a random Monday it was empty and the kids had a blast running around exploring it. Nobody else was over there, so if you want a quiet pocket of the resort to yourself, that’s it.
There’s also mini golf, a pitch and putt course, evening fires with s’mores kits for purchase, and an arcade that my kids absolutely loved. The fitness center looked great from the outside, though I never made it in. Down by the lake you can rent paddle boats, water bikes, paddle boards, and canoes — we skipped this since our kids are still small, but with older kids or more time I’d definitely do it. There’s a small beach area too if you want to lay out.
One important note: watch for alligators. There are signs posted, and Florida fresh water is genuinely something to take seriously with toddlers. I’d keep kids away from the shoreline entirely — adults should be fine, but don’t let your guard down near the water’s edge.
The Pools
This is the headline, and it earned the hype. There are two main pools connected by a long swim-through cave structure — the arcade and fitness center are actually built into that cave, which is a fun detail. A third pool has a big water slide, though my kids didn’t meet the height requirement this time around.
There are two hot tubs — one for families, one adults-only — plus a splash pad for the littlest kids.
The best surprise: every night at 6pm they play a movie poolside on a big screen. We caught Toy Story 3 floating in the pool with virgin daiquiris in hand, and my 4-year-old was thrilled. Genuinely one of the best moments of the trip.
We got home yesterday and my son is already asking to go back. My daughter has said “me swim” probably a dozen times today.
The Food
This is where the resort came up a little short. There are two main restaurants, a pool bar, and a lobby bar — that’s it for options.
We tried Four Flamingos, which got a Michelin recommendation in 2025, so we were curious. It was fine. Genuinely surprised by the accolades — the tuna appetizer was great, everything else was just okay. The cocktails were fun and inventive. Nothing about it was bad, it just didn’t live up to the Michelin mention.
We didn’t end up trying Lake House, the other main restaurant — the menu looked fine but we ran out of time.
The pool bar was a classic pool bar experience — solid food, good drinks, fast service. For breakfast and snacks, the market and coffee shop inside the resort was actually our MVP. Sandwiches, chicken tenders, bakery items, salads — easy, fast, and exactly what we needed with kids in tow.
What We Actually Did
Day one: We arrived before check-in and they were accommodating about getting us into a room quickly. Lunch, then some time exploring the property, dinner at Four Flamingos, an evening swim, and then back up to the room to watch the Epcot fireworks before bed.
Day two: Early start, breakfast at the market, then straight to the pool to spend our morning. We grabbed bikes and explored some of the trails, then headed to Disney Springs for a 2:30pm reservation at T-Rex Cafe — my son loved this and hasn’t stopped talking about it. They have a little dig site where kids use brushes and shovels to excavate dinosaur bones, plus a build-your-own-dinosaur activity that would be great for any dino-obsessed kid.
After T-Rex, we wandered Disney Springs, rode the carousel and the train (three times), let the kids each pick one thing from the Disney Store, and headed back to the hotel for one more swim — which is when we caught Toy Story 3 poolside. Fireworks from the window, then everyone passed out. We left the next morning.
Should You Stay Here?
If you’re looking for luxury, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a genuinely fun resort for families with little kids, this delivers in a big way. It’s close enough to Disney to work as a home base — they offer shuttle buses to the parks — but it’s also a destination in its own right. We could have easily spent our whole trip just at the resort and the kids would have been just as happy.
We’ll be back.
Before You Go
I put together a free Hotel Upgrade Guide with the exact strategies I use to get room upgrades, resort credits, and better rates — including the fireworks-view trick from this exact trip. Grab it below.
Want Help Planning Your Trip?
If you’re thinking about a Disney-area trip and want help figuring out hotels, points, or where to stay, I do this for families all the time and it costs you nothing — hotels pay me directly.
Shoot me an email at [email protected] and tell me where you’re headed.
