Ok we checked in today and I know all you LOVE the Grand Floridian but we HATE, HATE, HATE it! We miss our home at the Contemporary. It started at check in. The room wasn't ready so I gave them my cell number. We still hadn't heard anything by 1:30 and my grandson was exhausted. We decided to go back and ask about the room....it was ready and had been since 11:30 and they argued with me that they sent me a message until I finally got my phone and showed them no message...no big deal though the room was ready and that was the main thing...till they told me where it was. I did online check in last week and asked for Sago Cay (or is it Key it's too late tonight) but I had also called a while back and personally asked for it and when they did our check in I saw this request noted in a paper she had. Where did we get? Big Pine...the EXACT OPPOSITE side of the resort or our new term...the back forty because its 40 miles from ANYWHERE you want to be. I also asked for a high floor and we got the 2nd floor. I explained to the desk that I understood just because I asked for a building didn't automatically mean I would get it but it seemed like they put us in the exact opposite that I had asked for. Their reply was sorry it was the only building that had 2 rooms near each other...bull! So I take it because the baby needed to rest, in our room because my daughter's room wasn't ready. We get in and look out our window to the balcony and what is our view? The DVC construction site! Then when my daughter and son in law get into their room they have no DVD like we do. I go BACK down and across the back 40 to the front desk to tell them and to tell a manager how disappointed I Amanda I did talk to a WONDERFUL woman, a greeter I think, who got me a manager who we go through the whole story with again. One reason I asked for Sago Cay is because my Aunt, in her mid 70s is with us and has a hard time getting around in the evening. So he really doesn't say much to me AT all and I finally tell him to just switch they keys to the rooms and put daughter, son in law and grandson in the room with the DVD and us in the room without. He did this.
While I was waiting there were 2 other people having MAJOR problems ...even worse than mine so I didn't throw a host fit. The guy ahead of me was from Scotland had 3 rooms and they had not informed him of the pool being closed and had sold them the wrong tickets so the guy and his kids had gone to a park and they refused to let them in...I don't know if they maybe didn't buy park hoppers or if it was something else but they were not helping him AT ALL.
So later we had to get something out of the car, which was in valet, and I called to get it brought around....no answer AT ALL!! We just went on down and I told them I called to have the car brought around but didn't get an answer. The manager, the same one who was NO help to the Scottish guy, told me, "We Aren't doing call ahead valet because its too busy out here"... Which wouldn't have been bad BUT (1) they refused to even take calls so you didn't know WHAT was going on until you hiked the back 40 AGAIN and (2) THERE WAS NOTHING GOING ON... No traffic, no cars , no people.
This evening we went to DHS and we had to hike the back 49 plus 10 more to get to the bus stop. When returning this e ending they continued to pack people in until we couldn't MOVE AT ALL. There were probably about 15 to 20 of us standing in the aisles and of course we were the last to be dropped off.
At the Contemporary every single time we come back from the parks we are greeted with someone telling us , "Welcome home" . We have had NO ONE say anything to us AND my daughter to my grandson into one of the stores nd the store clerk not only didn't acknowledge they came in, the only 2 in the store, but she was short to her.
Now we have had a couple of nice CM's...housekeeping, the actual ones getting the rooms ready have been really nice (although when I called this evening for a blanket for daughter 2 on the couch bed the CM on the housekeeping on the phone argued with me that there was 2 blankets in the room...there were none they apparently mistook a pillow for a blanket because we had 3 extra pillows).
The bellhop, Whitt, I THINK ...I have his name written down....who was GREAT! HE told us where the pools were and their hours and where Gas? Grill was and that we could see the Electric Water Parade and about the boat and the hidden Mickeys, Goofys and Tinkerbelles, even pointing them out to us!
The Contemporary is our home and we booked the Grand because the Contemporary was booked when I had to change our reservations. We were excited though to stay in Disney's "Flagship Hotel". We are NOT impressed and if I could move to the Contemporary tomorrow we would do it in a heartbeat. I'm going to be writing a long letter when we get home. We paid close to $8,000.00 for our vacation for 5 days/5 nights park hoppers with the dining plan and we still feel like most of the staff could care less about making us satisfied. Anyone know who I would call or where I would write to complain?
I was going to call the resort today if no one posted.
So in my true ch-ch-changing ways....I've changed this morning to RPC. Am I nervous about the view...NOPE. Am I nervous about the Grand...NOPE. My DS4 and DDs all keep asking about the Grand. It's my DHs 40th birthday trip..he's getting his Portofino Bay trip, which shortened MY WDW time...therefore...I booked GF (after many many changes...no shocker to my friends here
). I've decided not to make any requests, it's only 3 nights...I just am going to enjoy RPC and the new pool!!! 
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t. I ended up requesting a balcony and a courtyard pool view. 
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You DO feel very special when they greet you by name and escort you either upstairs in the main bldg. (RPC) or out to the SL bldg. They sometimes have the room ready, in which case they will let you deposit your things and then check in at the CL desk. If it is not ready, they will take you to a CL CM and they will personally check you in and ask how you would like to be notified that your room is ready. Very nice, stress free mode of check in.
