Grand floridian teddy bear lady

[Liandro]

I think the mods best close this topic. It always gets heated and people throwing names at each other.
Several topics about this were poofed.
And just a little reminder It is non of our business,yes ALL of us what this lady does.
She is not loitering or luring children to her.

 

[Liandro]

Perhaps "blessing" is not the perfect word, but bottom line, if the GF staff really didn't want her there, she'd be gone. Whatever she does, whoever she attracts, its not enough of a bother or concern for them to remove her. I think Disney has enough of an in with local law enforcement that if she was a distraction or bad for business, she would have been gone a long time ago.

I doubt any of us can find soemthing in writing from a GF manager stating the Teddy Bear Lady is a blessing, but I can tell you the staff know her and many of them consider her a friend.

I still say that the a very high percentage of guests and visitors of the GF, even regular ones, have no idea about this woman. She doesn't hold court, cause a scene or wander around stalking guests and handing out teddy bears. I do believe she has been known to give bears to people she's very comfortable with that she considers a friend.

She's just a pleasant woman who enjoys Disney, the Grand Floridian and all the memories both bring to her. She lost her husband and going there is a way for her to feel connected to him. To me thats not creepy and I don't think the OP's post or intention was strange or stalk worthy!

If anyone wants to avoid her, its easy to do. If you happen to see this little lady in that big lobby, just keep walking. She won't come running after you yelling your disboard username and demanding to give you a teddy bear!

You owe me a new lap top. Thank you for the laugh and spitting out my morning coffee.

 

[Liandro]

She's a valued past guest of the hotel, who continues to enjoy the resort's entertainment offerings with the blessing of the hotel's staff. That's hardly loitering.

For two years in a row we saw her sitting and crochet with a lady that was a guest of the hotel.

This other lady was looking so much like the Little Fairy Godmother I did remember her
All I could think was :"Miss Lynn has found a friend".
And yes she is a high valued guest of the resort. The staff knows her and talks with great respect and love about here.

Sorry to be judgmental -- but, like another poster, I find the whole teddy bear thing creepy. If she were just there listening to the music, fine. But, I don't understand the teddy bears. It makes her the subject of conversation and attention -- which she brings on herself and obviously wants.

And, I really doubt that there is any proof that she is sitting in the lobby with the "hotel staff's blessing". The hotel lobby, though private property, is treated for legal purposes as a "public square". And I suspect Disney does not want to be accused of barring entry to someone who isn't really causing any disturbance. But, tolerating her does not equate to having her there with the staff's blessing. I have read the story posted by her sister some time ago, by the way.

If someone has verifiable information that the hotel management is pleased to have her there in the lobby with her teddy bears, then I would be interested in seeing it. Until then, I am going to assume (as I always do when I am staying there and see her) that she is tolerated more than welcomed. Just my two cents.

We asked the staff were she was after missing her a few days in the lobby. It was like they talked about their own Granny with love and respect.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

We've talked with Lyn on several occasions, she is a very sweet lady. The first time we had a conversation, we were sitting right next to her and she instigated it with a small comment. Very normal, just as one would have a conversation with any stranger you see for an extended period (e.g. ride lines, on a bus, in a theater, resort lobby). She does have a lot of dolls and stuffed animals with her, in a rolling suitcase - not spread out on the benches or anything, for posters who are wondering.

We have often seen GF cast members talking with her, laughing, holding her hand or generally making her seem welcome. A couple of CMs have told us they sometimes spend their break time with her. I have no empirical proof (as if I would want any!) that she is welcomed by management, but if they simply tolerated her, I think they would instruct the CMs not to encourage her. Just my opinion, of course.

The loitering comment is kind of out of left field, as all the WDW resorts are open to the public. None have any rules that make sitting and enjoying the lobby area off limits, everyone is free to come and go as they please.

OP, I didn't find your first post strange or stalker-like! I thought it was perfectly apparent you had met and talked with her in the past, and wanted to know if she was still there so you could chat with her again. Quite natural to ask on the DIS, where many posters have just returned from WDW.

 

[Missytara]

I was also lucky enough to meet Lynn completely out of the blue near 1900 Park Faire while we were waiting for our table a few years ago. I have seen her twice since then.

I had only read her story that was posted by her sister a few weeks before.

She seemed very touched by the fact that she was known to an albeit small portion of the Dis Community. She was absolutely delightful to talk to. I cherish the few minutes I had to talk to her and express my condolences for the loss of her husband (it had been recent).

And the staff does dote over her and checks on her to make sure she is okay.

 

[Rhongepooh]

Sadly, I agree with your post.

I'm with ya'll. I remember when there wasn't any of this fussing and name calling!

 

[Sammie]

I have not seen any fussing or name calling, sometimes for some reason people seem to think not agreeing is fussing.

 

[Swmhc]

I had the honor of meeting Lynn quite by accident when there in December. My husband and I were doing our Christmas resort tours and stopped at the GF for gingerbread and the holiday festivities. Once I was done taking all my photos we sat down to enjoy the atmosphere. After sitting down I realized that Lynn was on the sofa next to me. We pleasantly visited for a bit before one of the staff from the GF came over to tell her that the people had finally vacated her sofa and helped her move her things.

So, I believe that she is not only welcome at the GF but that the staff know her well and look after her.

 

[dreamcruiser]

She's a valued past guest of the hotel, who continues to enjoy the resort's entertainment offerings with the blessing of the hotel's staff. That's hardly loitering.

On one of our many visits with her, she mentioned that she and her husband stayed at a value when they were at WDW, because to stay at the Grand was out of their means. (there was some humor attached to her comment, as in "we'd have had to sell one of our children to stay there") They would just come over to the lobby like so many other people do, to enjoy the music.

 

[staceymarie]

I have seen her on my past several trips and love to see her there! I have never approached her as I'm pretty shy but she is always part of my trip it seems! I do actually look for her when I'm at the GF and have pointed her out to others with me. I certainly don't feel as if I'm "stalking" her or treating her as an attraction. She is able to do something that I would love to do when I'm older--spend as much time at Disney as possible!! The GF is so fabulous and the music is always so mystical--reminds me of The Shining!! Yes, the teddy bears are a little strange but it would be a boring world if we were all of the same mind.
Why such negativity over seeing someone enjoy herself? Whatever...

 

[stellablue]

Didn't see the teddy bear lady last week, but when we went to the lobby on Saturday evening to enjoy the music, there was a family with their Chik-Fil-A food all spread out across a coffee table right by the piano! So there they were, chewing their chicken nuggets and licking the french fry grease and ketchup off their fingers while a gentleman in a tuxedo was playing the grand piano only a few feet away! How supremely tacky!

 

[gogo]

It sounds like this lady enjoys the GF because is has special memories for her. Like most of us, sometimes we enjoy conversations with others and sometimes we want to be left alone with our own thoughts.

Common sense would be if you happen to be sitting or standing by her and a conversation develops naturally fine but it really is an intrusion to intentionally approach someone and strike up a convesation. She sounds like a lovely lady that may be too polite to say I'd like to be left alone with my memories.

I'd like to think if I saw her, I'd smile and go about my business. Unless, like I said a normal conversation develops due to proximity.

 

[walkdmc]

OMG, LOL! I saw this lady in January over Marathon weekend. DH and I were staying in the GF and we saw her in the lobby with teddy bears strapped all over her bag. I thought she just had a lot of grandkids, LOL. So funny that I knew exactly who you were talking about!

 

[Disney grandma]

So it wouldn't have been tacky if they were eating the chicken sandwiches and fries that Disney sells right around the corner?

Yeah, I see something tacky here, but it has nothing to do with what this family was eating.

If you want to get Disney food and eat at one of the resorts, fine, but to go offsite and bring food back in the fastfood containers is very tacky in my opinion. Couldn't they have eaten and then come to the resort to "sightsee".

 

[tiki23]

If you want to get Disney food and eat at one of the resorts, fine, but to go offsite and bring food back in the fastfood containers is very tacky in my opinion. Couldn't they have eaten and then come to the resort to "sightsee".

Could you tell they were not guests of the GF?

 

[Disney grandma]

Guest or not, in my opinion it isn't right to bring fast food to a resort and spread it out in front of others to eat. If they were staying at the resort they should have taken it to their room. It's not as bad though as the lady who changed her daughter's very messy diaper on the coffee table in front of the sofa in the AKL resort lobby while a group of our family was sitting on the sofa and in a nearby chair.

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

Im starting to regret posting this thread.

 

[Disney grandma]

Im starting to regret posting this thread.

I understand your feeling this way, one topic can lead to another and another and take on a completely different twist from the original topic. I apologize completely for my post as it had nothing to do with the teddy bear lady, and I wish her the best.

 

[scottmel]

Im starting to regret posting this thread.

Oh yeah I know what mean. these threads are like the old game of telephone. What starts out as one thing ends up completely different....

 

[disprincessatheart]

We saw Lynn a few weeks ago late afternoon. dh and I got married at the wp, and had our cake cutting on the terrace on the second floor of the gf lobby. We stayed at the gf that week and now go back every trip to enjoy the atmosphere, visit the wp and the wedding terrace, and get some basin! Lynn is always there and we love the idea that we could do the same as she does when we are older!