(2014-2020) Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA + VILLAS Information & Questions

[loveshak22]

There is not an adjoining door in either of the turret rooms you have requested. The turret rooms are nice and quiet... I think because of the nice little hallway that leads to the room (as someone else stated). I think you will be very pleased with your decision! Make sure to note everything you are celebrating so maybe it will increase your chances of getting your requests You might want to list 4321 as your third choice in case the other two are taken already when you check in.

Loveshak22

I have stayed in both styles of the deluxe King and I loved the turret room! We did not have a adjoining door in ours.

I think what I liked best was the cute little hallway from the room right to the upeer lobby.

Now I'm so excited to see this hallway!!

I'm glad to know these rooms are quiet!!

 

[loveshak22]

There is not an adjoining door in either of the turret rooms you have requested. The turret rooms are nice and quiet... I think because of the nice little hallway that leads to the room (as someone else stated). I think you will be very pleased with your decision! Make sure to note everything you are celebrating so maybe it will increase your chances of getting your requests You might want to list 4321 as your third choice in case the other two are taken already when you check in.

Oh and it is my birthday week so I made sure to note that! And I did tell them any of the turret style rooms but preferably the 4th or 5th...so hopefully they'll put me on the third floor if those are full! Or should I specifically ask for 4321 on the third floor? Thanks!!

 

[trishadono]

Loveshak22

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ha...d-floridian-resort-villas-faq.3158488/page-77

These are pre-refurb deluxe King turret.

 

[pas130]

that's so funny, i completely forgot the bday part, mine is 8/23! i think i'm a little older than you though, lol! will this be your first time visiting AMI? this gets even weirder.... so i have V&A planned for my bday, but with wine pairing and gratuity it is well over $800 for my family (and i am already taking bff in 2 weeks for HER bday so i will sort of "have just been there.").... so I have been giving serious consideration to instead taking that $$ and flying down a week early and doing a week in AMI... which would be the week ending the 19th.... if we do that (LONG shot), i would be on AMI at the same time as you! this is too freaky! lol!

That is fabulous I think we are exactly the same age I think. Me bday is 8/19 so that makes me the evil twin.

The update to August, the 14th on I have two rooms booked so they can guarantee connecting and the 13th (1st night) I have the King booked, so I guess DH will get a quiet night to himself

 

[loveshak22]

Loveshak22

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ha...d-floridian-resort-villas-faq.3158488/page-77

These are pre-refurb deluxe King turret.

Thanks for the pics - this looks beautiful!! Are the views from these room pretty decent?? I heard some have partial firework views but not sure I read what the other room views are?

 

[Dispro1]

Oh and it is my birthday week so I made sure to note that! And I did tell them any of the turret style rooms but preferably the 4th or 5th...so hopefully they'll put me on the third floor if those are full! Or should I specifically ask for 4321 on the third floor? Thanks!!

We have always requested specific room numbers and have been lucky to get at least one of the ones requested (not always first choice but at least second or third. There is no guarantee, of course. It's all about availability, I assume (we always check in before actual check-in time...around 10 am... I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not). The early bird gets the worm though, right?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3355_zpszo3gxsjo.jpg.html?o=3
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3350_zpswlu3xd9g.jpg.html?o=7
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3348_zpssuxq1ff1.jpg.html?o=8

Here are some pics from last month (post Reno). There is a ton of natural light with all the windows. Good luck with your room request!

 

[BlueSkies]

Hello chatty friends!

I must admit that I would be alarmed if someone in my wedding wore tennis shoes.

Me too!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, grannyminnie and blue!! grannyminnie, i will do my best not to make myself so scarce! even though neither of my upcoming trips is to my beloved GF RPC, i have to remind myself that i do still have GF knowledge to offer for this thread! i am taking BFF to V&A's for her birthday dinner in a little over two weeks during my first adult only trip to disney, staying at YC. we are also looking forward to some shopping and some time at mizner's during our trip (although having had the wine pairing once before, i told her i do not suggest shopping and mizner's on the same night at V&A's, lol).

blue thank you, please do tell her. i miss her! i did PM her but i don't know how often she even logs on these days.

congrats to all of you planning trips, how exciting! i can just hear that music wafting up from the lobby right now. in fact... here is some nostalgia to that end for anyone so inclined.... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdIXGUseYz9rzCXx2we6KaA/videos

Beth You do have lots of GF knowledge to share... Happy that you will be hanging around here more to share it!! I will be sure to pass your message on to our lovely hostess k&a&c'smom ...and thanks for the you tube link!

I was also popping in I've defected from my Poly August reservation and over to BC CL. Of course today I was checking out some Grand pics Miss my Grand Groupie friends!!!!!!!

Hey you! From what I am reading...you are resort changing your way right on over to the GF... How wonderful!

Lovely to see you, pas130! I'm sure you'll have a fine time come August! I just love your Little Orange Bird. I brought several Birdy items home from the Co-Op. That little bird takes me straight back to my first trip to WDW as a very small girl!

Blue, thank you for the k&a&c'smom update. I'm so relieved all is well.

I'm with you, baler! I am reminded, though, of a friend of mine who was a bride's maid. All went swimmingly with dress fittings until she broke a toe. I seem to think she wore oversized ballet slippers. No tennis shoes in sight!

Candy, thank you very mush for all the photos. You are giving joy to a lot of people around here!

Hi everyone! After a lot of obsession about where we wanted to stay on our next WDW trip in November, stalking this thread and the CL thread, and private messaging several folks on this thread (thanks again to all of you) - I finally decided to splurge for GF!

I am so excited!!! It will be our first stay at GF and only second CL stay. I booked a king deluxe CL and requested a turret room on the 4th or 5th floor. I really hope we don't get a second floor room because of the location and hope it's quiet wherever they put us.

Am I right that the turret rooms do not have doors to adjoining rooms? I think the adjoining door always leads to noise between the rooms.

I love this thread and appreciate all the information I've picked up. I hope I can contribute some to the conversation when I get back!!

Congrats on booking a deluxe king room....They are absolutely beautiful..particularly the turret ones... And you are right the turret rooms do not have a connecting door...and do not even share a entrance hallway with another room...they are very private in that sense....

Glad the the thread has been helpful to you! Lots of knowledgeable people around here.... Looking forward to hearing all about your grand vacation!

Thanks Candy for the pics and Beth for the videos

Good morning and happy planning gf friends!

Hey Trish

Good afternoon from across the pond! I have been stalking this thread for a while now, but finally decided to say hi as I'm getting really excited for our upcoming Disney Wedding and a week staying at the GF! It has been my dream to stay here and I am so happy my dreams are all coming true.

We are in a Garden View Room, but if anyone has any recommendations for which building we should try and request, or any lovely romantic things we could do in and around the GF, I would love to hear them!

Welcome!!! And many congrats on your upcoming wedding!! You can request a room with a king bed in a GV category....I would as I usually do recommend Boca Chica...I just happen to think that the GV rooms in this building of the courtyard pool area and the main building are lovely...I would recommend a dinner at Citricos or Narcoosees..timed to be coincide with Wishes ...There are limited views at Citricos...and more window seating at Narcoosees..but either would make for a romantic evening...also just strolling around the grounds during twilight...or late in the evening and lets not forget the live music in the lobby...not so private but lots of seating...where you can just relax and enjoy the ambiance of it all.... have a terrific disneymoon!

Thank you SO much for the pictures! It feels like I'm there! (Well I am in spirit)

I think Murphy and his Law moved in with us this past few weeks. On the bright side, we do have a brand new energy efficient heat pump and AC system for the summer! Down side is our "vacation bucket" took a hit. So our ever changing plans are evolving yet again!

Since we have annual passes (the flawed theory of the more you go the more you save right?) and we've not been in the spring ever, we've elected to move to Shades of Green this April trip. It's a short walk to both GF and Poly and we both need the exercise! THEN DH really wants to try a Disney cruise, so this fall we are planning a cruise with GF stays on either side. If Murphy moves out, we will do either RPC or SL on either side.

Blue, you will appreciate this when I say I made dinning reservations first THEN booked the room around those for our April dates It is ALWAYS about the food!

We are trying Spice Road Table (8 pm res. so hoping to see Illuminations!) and Shula's as our new places this trip. Oddly enough I was able to grab a BoG lunch for our MK day. So GF Café for breakfasts, 2 late afternoon teas and 2 Artist Point dinners and we are all set! I think a 4:55 tea then heading out for extra magic hours is so perfect! I've been dreaming about GF Café's vanilla laced French toast too.

I'm so excited to see Flower and Garden at EPCOT. I'm hoping it will be more lower key than Food and Wine has become. It is almost not fun with the huge crowds now!

I'll lurk around until we firm up our fall plans. Everyone have a GRAND day and bask in the warmth of Candy Orlando's wonderful pictures!

Liz

ps Is the only choice to upload your own picture now? I thought there were some to choose from before! I might just become a ? forever!

Liz Sedning many good thoughts your way..I hope that Murphy moves out and stays out!!! Your plans sounds absolutely GRAND!!! Particularly the dining plans...Cause it sure is all about the food!!! Enjoy!!!

I wish I had to mine, cause I might have been able to run down the aisle faster and gotten away before the misery of the last 3 years we were together!!!!

Tom

Omg.. Tom You are hilarious!

Candy, I especially like your most recent picture! In it, I can see the room we were last in. And it was such a nice one!!

Hi there grannyminnie ...I totally agree!!! Love em all Candy!!!

ok- just be prepared, the BC CL is VERY different than the GF and even Poly. We were not quite prepared. The new lounge looks beautiful, though, and hopefully they have made some other changes to reflect that fresh start. I will be staying at YC for the first time in 2 weeks... although I do feel like BC and YC are just one big resort so I don't really feel like it's that "new to me." Oh, how I hope for you that you talk DH into RPC! It is my favorite thing in the whole world. Lastly... I just noticed that your ticker says Anna Maria Island... I am headed there on Sunday! Maybe we were separated at birth...

We are doing a BC/GF split next trip...and this is making me a little nervous.......lol..How different Beth....

So question regarding the RPC Deluxe King rooms, do any HAVE a connecting door? I know that might be weird. Unfortunately all that is available for our dates is one RPC Standard 2Q room and a Deluxe King RPC (said it sleeps 3?). I might email IPO, and see what they say. But I thought I'd see what my Grand buddies say. We really need connecting rooms so RPC might not be in the cards this trip. I have the rooms on courtesy hold for now. TIA

There are many rooms with connecting doors....as I mentioned before...the king deluxe turret rooms do not...but I am just not sure about the ones on the second floor.... Hoping that the standard rooms which do have connecting doors open up for your dates! I am thinking that there is going to be a GF groupie meet between the bethclayton and pas clans!! what fun!

Oh and it is my birthday week so I made sure to note that! And I did tell them any of the turret style rooms but preferably the 4th or 5th...so hopefully they'll put me on the third floor if those are full! Or should I specifically ask for 4321 on the third floor? Thanks!!

I would just be sure to ask for turret room with a courtyard view....

Loveshak22

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ha...d-floridian-resort-villas-faq.3158488/page-77

These are pre-refurb deluxe King turret.

Thanks for the links!!!

That is fabulous I think we are exactly the same age I think. Me bday is 8/19 so that makes me the evil twin.

The update to August, the 14th on I have two rooms booked so they can guarantee connecting and the 13th (1st night) I have the King booked, so I guess DH will get a quiet night to himself

We have always requested specific room numbers and have been lucky to get at least one of the ones requested (not always first choice but at least second or third. There is no guarantee, of course. It's all about availability, I assume (we always check in before actual check-in time...around 10 am... I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not). The early bird gets the worm though, right?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3355_zpszo3gxsjo.jpg.html?o=3
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3350_zpswlu3xd9g.jpg.html?o=7
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3348_zpssuxq1ff1.jpg.html?o=8

Here are some pics from last month (post Reno). There is a ton of natural light with all the windows. Good luck with your room request!

Thanks Dispro... the next best thing to being at the GF is seeing picturse...and of course talking to other "Grand Groupies" as pas would say!!

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday! preppy GF gal..who just typed a novel...lol....

 

[trishadono]

We have always requested specific room numbers and have been lucky to get at least one of the ones requested (not always first choice but at least second or third. There is no guarantee, of course. It's all about availability, I assume (we always check in before actual check-in time...around 10 am... I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not). The early bird gets the worm though, right?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3355_zpszo3gxsjo.jpg.html?o=3
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3350_zpswlu3xd9g.jpg.html?o=7
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3348_zpssuxq1ff1.jpg.html?o=8

Here are some pics from last month (post Reno). There is a ton of natural light with all the windows. Good luck with your room request!

Oh I really wanted that remodeled turret king last summer! Instead I got the now famous, tree view-TPV room,4201!

Thanks for posting pics! Maybe next time I'll get lucky!

 

[trishadono]

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday! preppy GF gal..who just typed a novel...lol....

Nicely done!

 

[pas130]

Nicely done!

Multi-quote queen she is right Trish?

blueskies My friend!! IPO confirmed none of the Deluxe King rooms connect, makes sense since they are honeymoon rooms really So DH is trying to back out of the reservation (he's anti split stay so the one night thing has him going already lol). I thought about telling fibs...but it is possible BC CL for now (oh the horror haha). We will definitely figure out a meeting place, a beach at a resort, easy enough for me to get anywhere all good

 

[loveshak22]

We have always requested specific room numbers and have been lucky to get at least one of the ones requested (not always first choice but at least second or third. There is no guarantee, of course. It's all about availability, I assume (we always check in before actual check-in time...around 10 am... I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not). The early bird gets the worm though, right?

http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3355_zpszo3gxsjo.jpg.html?o=3
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3350_zpswlu3xd9g.jpg.html?o=7
http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Donati4/media/IMG_3348_zpssuxq1ff1.jpg.html?o=8

Here are some pics from last month (post Reno). There is a ton of natural light with all the windows. Good luck with your room request!

These pics are gorgeous! I think you posted these on the CL thread as well, which was part of what sold me on these rooms!! So this is 4321 that you mentioned then??

What was your view from this room??

 

[loveshak22]

Oh I really wanted that remodeled turret king last summer! Instead I got the now famous, tree view-TPV room,4201!

Thanks for posting pics! Maybe next time I'll get lucky!

Have all the turret style rooms been remodeled by now?

 

[loveshak22]

We are planning on going the week before Thanksgiving, which I've heard is a relatively slow week. Any thoughts on GF accommodating early check in or are they usually pretty strict on the 3:00 time?

 

[baler31]

We are planning on going the week before Thanksgiving, which I've heard is a relatively slow week. Any thoughts on GF accommodating early check in or are they usually pretty strict on the 3:00 time?

All room refurbishments are complete with the exception of suites. We have had rooms ready as early as 7:30am and as late as 4pm it really varies. Depends on room requests or whether you want first available and when people check out/how full the resort is.

 

[bethclayton]

Hello chatty friends!

We are doing a BC/GF split next trip...and this is making me a little nervous.......lol..How different Beth....

well.... this was in 2013. maybe it is different now. part of the issue was that the CL lounge was very small and gloomy, so at least that is solved now. our room was unimaginably far from the lounge; i mean, i am shocked that they would even have a CL room so far way. so there were rarely any available tables during breakfast and evenings, but taking food to the room was a really big ordeal because you had to go through two very long corridors with those tiny plates and it just felt unsanitary, for lack of a better way to put it. obviously- these issues may not be the case with the lounge being renovated, and if you have a decent room location.

while the CL desk staff were fantastic, the lounge staff seemed miserable and were rarely available. there was often little to no food for several selections, and no one around to gently ask them to replenish. if you did catch a lounge staff they were sighing and rushing past you trying not to make eye contact. what kept happening was (and we were there for 7 or 8 days; it was like this every. single. day.), they had waited SO long to put one very small serving out, and there were so many people who had been waiting the whole time, that it would be gone within just a couple of minutes. and then 20 mins later they would bring more out and the same thing would happen. the whole food area was always unclean. they would often be out of basic beverages (like juice or whatever) for hours. it was not relaxing for us at all. also, i am sure you're already aware that the number of items offered are far fewer than at the GF. which would have been fine if they kept it fairly well stocked. but when they have two hots and two colds and they are out of one of each for 30 minutes at a time..... ugh. we were just not ready for it. we had stayed poly CL previously so we realized already that the other CL's are nothing like the GF. we went into it expecting it to be similar to the poly but it was many notches below.

i'm sorry to be so blunt! hopefully there are some great TR's from people who have stayed there since the reno. i haven't even looked.

 

[TeacherDL]

Are any of you DVC members at Grand Floridian? It's something we are starting to look into, and I was just curious.

 

[baler31]

well.... this was in 2013. maybe it is different now. part of the issue was that the CL lounge was very small and gloomy, so at least that is solved now. our room was unimaginably far from the lounge; i mean, i am shocked that they would even have a CL room so far way. so there were rarely any available tables during breakfast and evenings, but taking food to the room was a really big ordeal because you had to go through two very long corridors with those tiny plates and it just felt unsanitary, for lack of a better way to put it. obviously- these issues may not be the case with the lounge being renovated, and if you have a decent room location.

while the CL desk staff were fantastic, the lounge staff seemed miserable and were rarely available. there was often little to no food for several selections, and no one around to gently ask them to replenish. if you did catch a lounge staff they were sighing and rushing past you trying not to make eye contact. what kept happening was (and we were there for 7 or 8 days; it was like this every. single. day.), they had waited SO long to put one very small serving out, and there were so many people who had been waiting the whole time, that it would be gone within just a couple of minutes. and then 20 mins later they would bring more out and the same thing would happen. the whole food area was always unclean. they would often be out of basic beverages (like juice or whatever) for hours. it was not relaxing for us at all. also, i am sure you're already aware that the number of items offered are far fewer than at the GF. which would have been fine if they kept it fairly well stocked. but when they have two hots and two colds and they are out of one of each for 30 minutes at a time..... ugh. we were just not ready for it. we had stayed poly CL previously so we realized already that the other CL's are nothing like the GF. we went into it expecting it to be similar to the poly but it was many notches below.

i'm sorry to be so blunt! hopefully there are some great TR's from people who have stayed there since the reno. i haven't even looked.

This is what concerns me about an upcoming split GF/BC stay. The last time we stayed BC CL was when club level was well...club level and not club level light. We have noticed just in the last year even at GF less replenishment of food (although it was better during our Feb stay) . July, when RPC was closed was awful. Anyway, I am worried about our BC stay and really did not want CL there but took it to assure we received a renovated room. I don't mind paying CL prices but there should be food available during service hours.

 

[baler31]

 

[trishadono]

Thanks for the pics - this looks beautiful!! Are the views from these room pretty decent?? I heard some have partial firework views but not sure I read what the other room views are?

Look at a picture of the main building on the side facing the villas. There are 6 turret rooms, 3 in a column in the back near the monorail and 3 more towards the courtyard pool. I was in the 5th floor one towards the back. My view was mostly the monorail, the villas and the poly in the distance.

There is not a balcony but the windows do open. I would pull up a chair and sit by the open window.

Not the best of view but i have had castle views many times(cr and poly) so I didn't mind.

It was fun to watch the pool and the new splash area and especially the monorail passing by!

 

[trishadono]

Alright... Here we are. Still going to the GF, but we switched back to Sugar Loaf CL.

DH created doubt in my mind saying that he wasn't 100% sure that he would like RPC as much as he wanted to. In conclusion, we both felt that SL might suit us better than RPC (He hates heights, I hate jazz --and reverb you can hear in huge rooms--, it was a bit expensive too... ). Also SL reminds us a bit of YC CL that we loved.

Last night, we found availability at SL... switched back to SL and got a refund (163$ for the 1 night stay).

I feel a lot of relief.

But I'm sad because there are not many pictures (and no videos) of SL...

I found some pics of the lounge right on page 1,post 8. Just scroll past the RPC pics.