Senses and Sensibility

Hey there! Thanks for joining us once again for another Loo Review! You know, we hit 2500 "Likes" on Facebook this week, which is about 2500 more than we thought we'd have by now. As we've mentioned before, we owe it all to you. Who knew there would be so many interested in this topic? Please, keep up the good work by sharing our posts, telling your friends about us (not all your friends, of course, just the Disney nuts like we all are -- the rest will just think you're crazy -- ed). Your interest and feedback keeps us all motivated here -- we love cranking out a new review every week. You guys are great: thanks so much!

This week, we're doing someting different (given the nature of this blog, that's pretty much every week -- ed). We've reviewed loos at the parks, loos at the resorts, loos at restaurants, but we're not content to rest on our laurels, folks. We're branching out this week, endeavoring to suffer a visit to a loo heretofore unexplored. Trust us, this was no walk in the park: we endured tortures the likes of which are nigh unmentionable to bring this information to you. I won't lie -- it was hell; but these are the types of sacrifices we are willing to endure on your behalf. Though it pains me greatly to even mention it, this week, we take you to Senses: A Disney Spa located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

Senses is situated near the Grand Floridian's DVC Villas, not too far from the wedding chapel. It's one of many turn of the century Victorian-style, white buildings on the Grand's grounds, easy to miss if one doesn't keep his eyes peeled. Here's a view of the building exterior:

If you look closely, there's a concierge stand just outside the front doors. Adjacent to it is a snack area with citrus and cucumber infused water and all manner of healthy treats. Upon entering the spa, I was quickly greeted and shown to the men's locker room where I was given time to prepare for (shudder) a 90 minute sports massage. Walking down a darkened hallway, I was introduced to the men's waiting area -- ANOTHER area with water, healthy snacks, this one also magazines, and relaxing lighting (and Yanni). Beyond was the locker room itself.

Here's a look:

Nice, right? Subdued lighting, rich wooden lockers, terry-lined cotton robes, modern tile. What you can't appreciate is the music: New Age tones flow out of overhead speakers onto unsuspecting listeners. The sum is an aura of relaxed anticipation of the massage to come. I did mention we were getting a massage today, didn't I -- hence, the torture and terrible suffering brought-up earlier?

To the left, near the robes, is a doorway leading to the showers:

Walking through the doorway, we get a view of the shower area. There's actually two showers here, both very nice. Here's a look into the ADA compliant one:

Cool accent tile, no? Close up of the shampoo, conditioner and body soap (let's call 'em shower condiments -- ed):

Leaving the shower room, we head back into the locker area where there's another door which leads to a jacuzzi room (and a steam room beyond). Sadly, there were several naked (and decidely hairy) men in this area. As a result, you only get to see the door and the park bench outside:

I think this park bench was used as a prop from the Penguin Dance scene in Mary Poppins. Not sure why it's situated in front of a mirror. I was scared to sit on it for fear some of the sweaty, hairy guys in the room beyond may have parked their bare backsides on it prior to soaking in the hot tub (not feeling particularly YOLO that day). That said, it looks nice.

Veering to our right, we come to the men's vanity area. As you can see, it's well-equipped:

Tons of hand towels, lotions, after shave balm adorn the green, marble-topped vanity. There's a blow dryer for one's quaff and pull-away magnified mirrors to help identify and trim those unsightly nose and ear hairs. There's even a jar of community brushes (Does anyone actually use those? I'm not sure if I would -- it reminds me of the "leave a penny" bowl at a convenience store cash register ... but for hair brushes -- ed). If one looks closely, the bank of urinals is seen in the vanity mirror's reflection:

As usual, the urinals come in two varieties: one for the vertically challenged, one for the rest of us. Of course, tall folks can use the shorter version (and short folks can try the taller one) if in the mood for challenge mode. Both were clean -- in fact, this entire locker area/loo was spotless: we had no concern with being barefoot in here (though the spa furnishes all guests with appropriately-sized sandals).

Just beyond the vanity, past the urinals sits a white, louvred door which, once opened, leads to a tiny, proper loo:

Nothing special here, just a toilet and some paper. The pampering occurs outside of this room, no need to make things too fancy in here. Once again, a very clean area. Props to those in charge of keeping this loo presentable!

And that wraps things up for this week's Loo Review. While not as exciting as a well-themed loo in one of the parks, of course, this review offers a peek into an on-property loo many might not otherwise see.

Here's the recap:

WDW Loo Review Recap of Loo in Senses at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa:

Capacity: Small (two urinals, one private stall in the men's room) -- there's showers, though!

Cleanliness: Spotless

Theming: Good (standard spa fare)

Traffic: Light

Changing Station: No

Companion Restroom: No

Access: Difficult (not hard to find, but you've got to have a spa appointment to use)

OVERALL RATING: 4/5 urinal wafers

Summary: Though one must make a (costly) spa appointment to gain access to this loo, it's well-worth the trip (especially in light of said accompanying spa treatments). This is a quiet, low-traffic, soothing area to take care of business should one feel the need.

Thank you, again for joining us this week. We realize there are plenty of other sites out there you could otherwise visit for this information, but we're so happy you chose ours. Okay, who are we kidding -- we're the only site out there doing this, but our gratitude is no less diminished. We look forward to you joining us next week for another Loo Review. Until then, have a fantastic week!

Loo Review Matt