A Grand Vacation: The 2012 Grand Floridian FAQ!

[psac]

Thanks for the update.



Have you contacted IPO yet? Sounds like you have your request listed (octagonal king deluxe), but have you mentioned it will be your honeymoon?

If not, I would email or call IPO, ask them to add that you are celebrating your honeymoon to the reservation. If you want to have any chance at a castle view with the octagonal room, you can add the additional request to be overlooking the courtyard pool. Be aware, there are only 3 of these rooms, so it may not be possible, you can discuss with CMs during your personalized check in.

Good luck, and congrats on your upcoming marriage.

I agree. If you can get an octagon room overlooking the courtyard pool and the seven seas lagoon up on the 4th or 5th floor, you can see the castle over the other GF buildings, and you can see Wishes if you pull back the curtains behind the TV. We had the 4th floor room and LOVED IT!

 

[Sue M]

Mousemommy1 - glad you ventured out of lurkdom, feel free to post any time you like.

KOOK -

Figment1990 - I was so happy to hear there will likely be a new fence. I'd rather have no fence, but a prettier one would be second choice.

How was your tea?

MagicPrincess - we've had a couple different rooms over the pool, both were fairly close to the lobby on 2nd and 3rd floor. There were trees in front of each, which seemed a bad thing to start but ended up giving us some privacy.

A couple years ago, we had a great room on the end of the second floor nearest Conch Key, overlooking the marina. Beautiful view and so quiet!
Looking left on the balcony

View of Sago Cay

Slightly right, back of the marina boat shack

Great pics. So which view did you like best? Marina or pool? Now I'm torn, lol. Love looking out on the water and boats, but people watching is fun too

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I agree. If you can get an octagon room overlooking the courtyard pool and the seven seas lagoon up on the 4th or 5th floor, you can see the castle over the other GF buildings, and you can see Wishes if you pull back the curtains behind the TV. We had the 4th floor room and LOVED IT!

They are wonderful rooms, aren't they?! The third floor room has a great view, too.

Great pics. So which view did you like best? Marina or pool? Now I'm torn, lol. Love looking out on the water and boats, but people watching is fun too

I'm not sure I can pick a favorite! Both views have their good points. The marina view is gorgeous, but the courtyard pool is beautiful and it is fun to watch people as they go about their day. I guess I'd have to give a slight nod to the pool view, but I wouldn't be disappointed with either location.

 

[Ziggy]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here, is there much noise from the boats with the marina view?

 

[DetTigsGal]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in here, is there much noise from the boats with the marina view?

We always stay marina view, I have not noticed any noise. It's not like a local marina.

 

[eromzek]

I agree. If you can get an octagon room overlooking the courtyard pool and the seven seas lagoon up on the 4th or 5th floor, you can see the castle over the other GF buildings, and you can see Wishes if you pull back the curtains behind the TV. We had the 4th floor room and LOVED IT!

Thanks for the advise!
Any recommendations on when I should make these room requests? Should I make the requests to IPO now, or should I wait to make them upon checking in????

 

[Tink rules]

Make your requests asap...

 

[psac]

Make your requests asap...

Agreed, no need to wait.

 

[Rhongepooh]

So does anyone have a good room request for the garden view ? Also am I remembering correctly when I thinking someone told me all rooms at the resort have turn down service automatically and I don't have to request it?

 

[DetTigsGal]

We request sago marina view. We like it because we self park and hit Gasparillas all the time.
There is turn-down without asking.

 

[phyllis1966]

We usually request Conch Key...it was where we spent our first WDW vacation and is a sentimental favorite now, but it also affords great garden views, either of the courtyard pool or the marina.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

So does anyone have a good room request for the garden view ? Also am I remembering correctly when I thinking someone told me all rooms at the resort have turn down service automatically and I don't have to request it?

We request sago marina view. We like it because we self park and hit Gasparillas all the time.
There is turn-down without asking.

We usually request Conch Key...it was where we spent our first WDW vacation and is a sentimental favorite now, but it also affords great garden views, either of the courtyard pool or the marina.

Rhongepooh, these suggestions are both excellent. I usually suggest every family decide what is most important to them, as each building has its good points.

Do you want to be close to the pools and main building, with a view of the courtyard pool? Big Pine Key is the building for you, but be aware of the rooms that look into the back of the pool building. Would you like to be close to the courtyard pool, and a short walk to the boat dock? Request Boca Chica, you'll have a lovely courtyard pool view.

Conch Key, as phyllis pointed out, has a nice view of the courtyard pool or marina and is nearest the boat dock and marina, and a quick walk to Gasparilla's. Sago Cay is furthest from the pools, but has pretty marina views (or a view of the monorail out the back) and is close to Gasparilla's and the bus stop. As DetTigsGal mentioned, you are closer to the self park lot, past the bus stop and Convention Center.

 

[Sfmarine]

I've stayed at Sago twice so far and was lucky enough to get a Marina View. I haven't encountered any excessive boat noise. It's a great location and I plan to request it for the next time I plan to be at the Grand. Although..I'd like to go for the concierge level next time.

 

[MommyGina]

When we stayed in Sago, we were assigned to room 5427. It faced the marina and was not an adjoining room. I loved this room. The next year we were assigned the very same room! That is my favorite room, other than being in RPC. I liked it even better than the room in SL facing the marina.

Never heard any noise from the boats in either of these building.

Also, as soon as I book my trip, I call and make my room request. It is never too early!

 

[Ziggy]

When we stayed in Sago, we were assigned to room 5427. It faced the marina and was not an adjoining room. I loved this room. The next year we were assigned the very same room! That is my favorite room, other than being in RPC. I liked it even better than the room in SL facing the marina.

Never heard any noise from the boats in either of these building.

Also, as soon as I book my trip, I call and make my room request. It is never too early!

What exactly do you request if you don't mind me asking?

 

[DetTigsGal]

When we stayed in Sago, we were assigned to room 5427. It faced the marina and was not an adjoining room. I loved this room. The next year we were assigned the very same room! That is my favorite room, other than being in RPC. I liked it even better than the room in SL facing the marina.

Never heard any noise from the boats in either of these building.

Also, as soon as I book my trip, I call and make my room request. It is never too early!

Is this the floor with no daybed?

 

[cgulls]

Just got back from an 8-day / 7-night stay at GF. It was very nice.

A few thoughts to share:

-- the CY pool was terrific. the fence was fine and I had to chuckle thinking that if my biggest problem last week is a fence around the GF pool, I'm probably having a pretty good week!

-- the waterfall wasn't running at the Beach Pool. Lifeguard told me that's been the case for the past couple months. Not sure why.

-- anybody heading there soon will see some new blue walls popping up along the walkway under the monorail (behind the Beach Pool-ish, if I remember correctly). Construction guy said they're just dropping some conduit. It shouldn't be long. Just in case anybody gets freaked out by new walls.

-- we stayed in Boca Chica but I walked up the stairs at Big Pine Key to see the action behind the beach constructions walls. They are very active back there. Same worker (above) said they are replacing all the concrete work back there. Those walls could be the next to come down. But it didn't sound imminent. He guessed June, I think, but it sounded as though he either wasn't sure or it's fluid.

-- i've seen it asked (and answered) a few times but to repeat: the walkway to the Poly is still open.

Overall, a terrific stay.

 

[MommyGina]

What exactly do you request if you don't mind me asking?

I usually ask for an upper floor. I just like being up higher in a building. Also ask that my room be away from the elevator for two reasons. First, the sound of the elevator can sometimes be loud. Second, I am a light sleeper. Guests coming off the elevator at night can be a bit loud. They don't realize that their voices carry.

DetTigsGalAlso, I request a room that is not a dormer room. Sago 5427is not a dormer room. The one next to it is. The dormer rooms do not have a daybed, at least in the one that I was booked into in SL. I changed my room because of that. My two teenagers cannot share a bed! There would be no vacation for me listening to them complain about it! Second, the dormer rooms have a closed balcony. I like an open balcony so I can see through the railing.

 

[DetTigsGal]

Thanks, mommyGina. I remember reading something about dormer rooms before we stayed last time, then when we checked in, they had us in a 5th floor room and I said , uh, no, could we have something else? Well, it was the first floor- which was fine- and when we walked in it was by the elevator. Again, I thought uh oh...but we did not notice the elevator and we ended up loving the room. Now, that was Thanksgiving week and maybe it would be noisier in the summer...

 

[kohler2009]

I just received an email from my Travel Agent that was sent to her from the Concierge Itinerary Planning Office. My ADR day is on Sunday. Do concierges have more pull in getting ADR's for concierge guests? Wondering if if makes a difference.