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

[Dispro1]

I read some where they were changing all the annual passes.

Yes, it has a list of all the options on allears. It looks like they've made some changes to a lot of them and added some new tiers. Did regular AP always include unlimited photo pass downloads, or is that new? I hope I haven't been missing out on free pictures for years! Would that be like free memory maker basically?

 

[BlueSkies]

Ugh! I just saw on allears that Disney raised the price on AP and tables in wonderland! They added some new tiers that would be good if you live in FL, but that doesn't help most of us

Thanks for the heads up in the price increases...Sure wish that they would be done raising get prices...and decreasing discounts...

I read some where they were changing all the annual passes.

I wonder what will change..? Hopefully not the modest shopping discount...

 

[Dispro1]

I know! I know we'll probably bite the bullet and still get the AP's....but we might not get the TiW anymore. Probably just use the 10% AP discount at restaurants.

That's probably a good idea... We'll have to see how many signatures it would take to actually start saving money. I have a feeling we'll only be renewing APs for me and DH!

 

[bethclayton]

well, let me start by saying thank you, and that i agree with ALL of you... which is exactly why i can't decide! lol!!

Bethclayton, my sister and I enjoy SL, and we've stayed RPC too. It's such a subjective thing; I do get your point about the energy of the main building tho, and being right there in the thick of it!
By the way, I would LOVE to take that BLT ressie of your friend's!!!! It sounds like a pretty good deal...even tho we have never stayed Contemp. or even wanted to. With the lack of good discounts (and we don't even have APs, there is just nothing yet for Jan. or Feb. (and that's when we are looking to go)

this is what is really getting me... the discounts have gotten so poor, and the blt rate is SO good, it is hard to pass up!

Our AP rate for next month is 30% and that seems to be as good as it gets, but the GP discount is horrible for Jan/Feb. SL is definitely not RPC, but I am glad to have GF period I think it'll be great for you and your DS (same price as a non-CL TPV room after all. Walking to MK from BLT would be awesome, but I'll take GF over BLT. Tough choice, but honestly I'd do GF. Think of SL as a non-CL room with the snacks My kiddos loved it! Happy planning!!

yes, gone are the days of 40% off, sadly. truth be told, that is how we managed so many trips!

I'm thinking that the AP discount will only be 20% for GF because the GP discount at GF is only 15%. I know this really threw me for a loop because we are going Easter week and I'm pretty dead set on staying at GF, so I had to maneuver things a bit and split my trip since the rates are so high and discounts so low. Only hope is that there will be so many empty rooms that the AP deal will be better, but I know that won't happen.... I will say that Easter week still shows lots of availability, even at the moderates which I've also priced out this time.

i completely agree with your prediction. i am just holding out a teensy bit of hope until i see it in writing, lol!

I went through the same process when booking, having stayed in neither RPC nor SL, and this is how I justified the purchase. I just love the atmosphere of the main building too much. If I were to stay in an outer building, I don't know that I'd pay for CL.

this is what i keep thinking. and i already know i don't like the non-CL outer buildings.

@bethclayton regarding your choices? Will you be going to Epcot or MK more? If Epcot more- then BLT will be closer (to do the monorail change.) it's so hard to decide.

funny you should ask, ds actually said he doesn't even want to bother going to epcot this time, which is fine with me. we are more MK people.

I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my adventures with teenagers!! Yes, I can laugh about it now! Anyway, like Grannyminnie said, where you like to stay really is subjective, but hearing other people's opinions really does help me decide about certain things, so here goes my two cents...
If cost weren't a factor, we'd always choose GF, but with our yearly trip average at four trips lately, cost is a factor! We chose BC in June because we got a 37% AP rate, but we also like the decor, and SAB (the pool, for those who don't know) is awesome! The new CL lounge is big and beautiful too! I think the best discount you could hope for would be 30% like pas said, but as TJA said, 20% is more realistic considering the current GP discount (which is still better than nothing - it will pay for a couple of nice dinners! Even if we can't stay at GF every time, or more specifically, RPC, we love CL!! I feel more pampered staying CL. I don't want to prepare any food or wash any dishes when I'm on vacation. On the other hand, BLT villas look very nice, and it would be nice to have the option of walking to MK. The price there is much lower, and if your son doesn't care about the CL lounge/food/drinks or the luxurious feel of GF, then you may want to stay at BLT. If your son wants to spend a lot of time at the parks and just wants to relax in front of the tv in his down time, then that would be another vote for BLT. As for SL, you may not get a nice view from the lounge, but you still get all the food and the BELOVED Nespresso machine (one of my favorite things about CL). And you would be steps from the main building... I love talking to Wes the pianist and Pat the band director and requesting songs! I don't know how old your DS is, but my DDs sleep late, and I love hanging out in the lounge when they are sleeping or watching tv. I have met so many nice people in the lounge And if the weather turns out to be nasty since you never know what you're going to get that time of year, you can always hang out in the lounge! I have enjoyed trying out new resorts, but I think I would rather try out a different resort CL than a villa...it's just different...and I know some people like that better and buy their own wine and cheese to create their own Club Level. It really does come down to what would give you and DS the most bang for your buck (in your opinion, no one else's)! Good luck with your decision!

i agree with you, that the discount will likely be measly. as for what my ds wants... i hate to be a mean mom but it's mommy's money and not his, so he can just be happy he is at disney and not sitting in school. that must sound awful! i did ask his opinion, though, and at first, when he thought i was talking about rpc, that was definitely what he wanted. when he realized i was talking about sl, he quickly said he would prefer blt and had no interest in GF if it wasn't main building. he definitely loves the cl foods, but he is also a picky eater who would probably be just as happy to have a bagel in the room every single morning (like he does at home, lol) and if i threw in a bag of doritos he would probably be over the moon! so, if i were basing it on him, i would just go with blt. he has always wanted to stay there and i am 100% confident he would be happy there.

Good morning fellow GF fans...


Beth being a true fan of both CLs...and we do mostly stay in RPC ...I would encourage you to book SL...while as grannyminnie has pointed out very different in ambience. ..it is very nice...same food and drink offerings..fab CMs...and still that extra level of service that you get when staying CL at the GF...I don't think that you will be disappointed. ..as long as you have the mind set that it's different than RPC...
.

ugh, i know. you're killing me! i'm sure i'd love it there.


i don't remember if i put this in my OP but this is likely my last disney trip for a long time. that is why i am over-thinking it even more than usual. after this, we can't take the kids out of school because they are getting too old, and i don't have any interest in going during the crowds of school breaks. late august was a nice compromise, but his year we found the weather to be absolutely brutal, and it was still crowded. i don't know why, because two years ago we were fine in august, but this year all four of us could not take the heat at all. so august is out now. my kids go to disney with school their junior year (which is next year for dd and then two years after that for ds). but as a family, i honestly don't know when we will be back, which is so strange to say because we have gone basically every year since the kids were small.

 

[Dispro1]

well, let me start by saying thank you, and that i agree with ALL of you... which is exactly why i can't decide! lol!!


this is what is really getting me... the discounts have gotten so poor, and the blt rate is SO good, it is hard to pass up!


yes, gone are the days of 40% off, sadly. truth be told, that is how we managed so many trips!


i completely agree with your prediction. i am just holding out a teensy bit of hope until i see it in writing, lol!


this is what i keep thinking. and i already know i don't like the non-CL outer buildings.


funny you should ask, ds actually said he doesn't even want to bother going to epcot this time, which is fine with me. we are more MK people.


i agree with you, that the discount will likely be measly. as for what my ds wants... i hate to be a mean mom but it's mommy's money and not his, so he can just be happy he is at disney and not sitting in school. that must sound awful! i did ask his opinion, though, and at first, when he thought i was talking about rpc, that was definitely what he wanted. when he realized i was talking about sl, he quickly said he would prefer blt and had no interest in GF if it wasn't main building. he definitely loves the cl foods, but he is also a picky eater who would probably be just as happy to have a bagel in the room every single morning (like he does at home, lol) and if i threw in a bag of doritos he would probably be over the moon! so, if i were basing it on him, i would just go with blt. he has always wanted to stay there and i am 100% confident he would be happy there.


ugh, i know. you're killing me! i'm sure i'd love it there.


i don't remember if i put this in my OP but this is likely my last disney trip for a long time. that is why i am over-thinking it even more than usual. after this, we can't take the kids out of school because they are getting too old, and i don't have any interest in going during the crowds of school breaks. late august was a nice compromise, but his year we found the weather to be absolutely brutal, and it was still crowded. i don't know why, because two years ago we were fine in august, but this year all four of us could not take the heat at all. so august is out now. my kids go to disney with school their junior year (which is next year for dd and then two years after that for ds). but as a family, i honestly don't know when we will be back, which is so strange to say because we have gone basically every year since the kids were small.

Well, at first I thought you had just answered your own question about where to stay since your DS isn't interested in GF unless it's RPC and you've been wanting to try BLT and would be saving a bundle by staying there, but then you added the "I don't know when we'll be back again" part!! I actually agree with you on the I'm paying, so I get to decide part, but if it's a tie between two resort choices, I will let my kids break the tie. I think you would still have a good trip either place, but if saving the money would make you happy and DS is indifferent, go with BLT. I know it's a tough decision!

 

[grannyminnie]

I understand now why you are overthinking this possible last stay for a long time, Dispro! I would too...matter of fact, the way the prices keep getting more and more insanely high with less and less breaks as far as good discounts, DL is getting to be a better option!!

Hi, Blue! Long time no "see"!

 

[VbChristy]

Ugh! I just saw on allears that Disney raised the price on AP and tables in wonderland! They added some new tiers that would be good if you live in FL, but that doesn't help most of us

We just bought TIW last Sunday- what crazy timing. And we ended up not using it this trip. We had the dining plan for a few reasons which ended up working out really well with food and wine and snack points. But we are returning in November for a short parents only weekend to see Osborne lights and we will be back as a fam in May as discussed for my son's bday so we will use it for both of those trips. How crazy that we JUST saved $50 by buying it this past week!

Yes, it has a list of all the options on allears. It looks like they've made some changes to a lot of them and added some new tiers. Did regular AP always include unlimited photo pass downloads, or is that new? I hope I haven't been missing out on free pictures for years! Would that be like free memory maker basically?

The photo pass option didn't previously exist. And it looks like if you have an existing AP then you have to pay to upgrade to the new price to get the photo option. And it isn't like mm exactly because you cannot link family and friends. I'm thinking since my DH has the pass I will just carry one of his older magic bands in my purse and will give that to the photo pass people if he's not around. We shall see how that plays out.

 

[Dispro1]

We just bought TIW last Sunday- what crazy timing. And we ended up not using it this trip. We had the dining plan for a few reasons which ended up working out really well with food and wine and snack points. But we are returning in November for a short parents only weekend to see Osborne lights and we will be back as a fam in May as discussed for my son's bday so we will use it for both of those trips. How crazy that we JUST saved $50 by buying it this past week!

The photo pass option didn't previously exist. And it looks like if you have an existing AP then you have to pay to upgrade to the new price to get the photo option. And it isn't like mm exactly because you cannot link family and friends. I'm thinking since my DH has the pass I will just carry one of his older magic bands in my purse and will give that to the photo pass people if he's not around. We shall see how that plays out.

Wow...that was really good timing on the TIW card. I really like it for the free valet when you have an ADR at another resort! I wish we had renewed our APs early now...I think they expire in February. I'm glad to know that the photo pass option wasn't included in the AP before...I would've been really bummed if I had missed out on something. I would still rather have that excluded from the new APs and have a lower price! DD17 doesn't even want mm because she likes to take her own pics (she's really good at it BTW)...then she can snap chat or Instagram them on the spot which is what they love to do at that age...it will be really funny to watch two 17 year old girls...lots of duck face selfies, LOL!!!

 

[mandy200587]

I feel the same as your DD dispro1. I love taking my own photos on my camera and my phone. You'll have a blast with two 17 year olds, especially someone who hasn't been in a long time or never been. It's a new experience watching through their eyes.

 

[Dispro1]

I feel the same as your DD dispro1. I love taking my own photos on my camera and my phone. You'll have a blast with two 17 year olds, especially someone who hasn't been in a long time or never been. It's a new experience watching through their eyes.

I agree Taking DD's friend with us will make it a new experience for everyone -she has never ridden Rockin Rollercoaster or stayed at GF...I think she's going to like it!! We leave tomorrow night!! I'm so excited yet anxious because of everything still left to be done, but I already gave my dog a bath, and as soon as I finish my coffee, I'm going to hit the ground running!! Speaking of coffee...I can't wait to have coffee from the Nespresso machine at GF!!!

 

[mandy200587]

I agree Taking DD's friend with us will make it a new experience for everyone -she has never ridden Rockin Rollercoaster or stayed at GF...I think she's going to like it!! We leave tomorrow night!! I'm so excited yet anxious because of everything still left to be done, but I already gave my dog a bath, and as soon as I finish my coffee, I'm going to hit the ground running!! Speaking of coffee...I can't wait to have coffee from the Nespresso machine at GF!!!

Have a safe trip! Good luck getting everything done you need to, you've accomplished half just giving the dog a bath if it was anything like mine use to be.

 

[TJA]

For those of us waiting for the AP discount, I just changed my trip to book the latest Orbitz deal because it gives the full 15% without the 150 cap! RPC is looking better and better for Easter week....not quite as hard to swallow . For my particular 5 nights, it's $800 less than the GP discount at GF. I think this deal only goes through March 31, but you'd need to check on that. 48HRSALE

 

[pas130]

Dispro- Have a GRAND trip!!

I'm glad I did APs this year, because I think the price is out of my league now (7 total and 5 of us will be Disney adults in 2016)

 

[princessap]

Yes we did online check in for a garden view room and requested Big Pine Key ground floor on the end near Boca Chica and ended up getting an upgrade with lagoon view on the end ground floor ! So we were very happy. We did have to add towards the end by having our travel agent call and adding it to our reservation since there is not option for it. We also sent a fax on touring plans room finder. I think that fax is what really got our room request granted because the lagoon view room was right across from the room that I requested in the fax.
http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-grand-floridian-resort

did you send the fax to the GF resort?? All I requested was high floor but thinking I should add more on

 

[SamanthaH]

Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on what room request to make for a great view of the Electric Water Pageant? This is my son's favorite attraction at Disney, so as a surprise, we booked a lagoon view (non TPV), in hopes of being able to watch this from our hotel balcony. I gather most of the lagoon view rooms are in Boca Chica or BPK. Any preferences between the buildings for viewing the water pageant. What about upper versus lower floor? Thanks so much.

 

[sawkam]

Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations on what room request to make for a great view of the Electric Water Pageant? This is my son's favorite attraction at Disney, so as a surprise, we booked a lagoon view (non TPV), in hopes of being able to watch this from our hotel balcony. I gather most of the lagoon view rooms are in Boca Chica or BPK. Any preferences between the buildings for viewing the water pageant. What about upper versus lower floor? Thanks so much.

We stayed in a third floor Boca Chica lagoon view this past February and we could see the Water Pageant from the balcony every night. It was a great way to end the day!

 

[BlueSkies]

I understand now why you are overthinking this possible last stay for a long time, Dispro! I would too...matter of fact, the way the prices keep getting more and more insanely high with less and less breaks as far as good discounts, DL is getting to be a better option!!

Hi, Blue! Long time no "see"!

Hello there my friend!

For those of us waiting for the AP discount, I just changed my trip to book the latest Orbitz deal because it gives the full 15% without the 150 cap! RPC is looking better and better for Easter week....not quite as hard to swallow . For my particular 5 nights, it's $800 less than the GP discount at GF. I think this deal only goes through March 31, but you'd need to check on that. 48HRSALE

Thanks for that info TJA ..that's quite a significant savings....

We stayed in a third floor Boca Chica lagoon view this past February and we could see the Water Pageant from the balcony every night. It was a great way to end the day!

Sounds wonderful........I personally think that Boca Chica is the nicest all around outer building...great views both water and garden...proximity to pool, boat dock..and Narcoosees...yum...lol...Thanks for sharing your experience there...

~Last but certainly not least.....................

Dispro Safe travels!!! Have a wonderful trip!!!!!!!!!!

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans are having a magical Monday!

 

[VbChristy]

Wow...that was really good timing on the TIW card. I really like it for the free valet when you have an ADR at another resort! I wish we had renewed our APs early now...I think they expire in February. I'm glad to know that the photo pass option wasn't included in the AP before...I would've been really bummed if I had missed out on something. I would still rather have that excluded from the new APs and have a lower price! DD17 doesn't even want mm because she likes to take her own pics (she's really good at it BTW)...then she can snap chat or Instagram them on the spot which is what they love to do at that age...it will be really funny to watch two 17 year old girls...lots of duck face selfies, LOL!!!

I feel the same as your DD dispro1. I love taking my own photos on my camera and my phone. You'll have a blast with two 17 year olds, especially someone who hasn't been in a long time or never been. It's a new experience watching through their eyes.

You can actually download the pics right after they are on MM to your phone individually. It doesn't solve people wanting to take their own pics, but you can post them pretty instantly. I did it a few times this last week.

 

[grannyminnie]

Blue, you are getting excitingly close to your trip!! Is that suitcase out? I guess you've noticed that I still don't have a countdown clock! Trying to get one, but truth is, as others have posted, the discounts are just not there...at least not the tempting ones!

 

[maryj11]

did you send the fax to the GF resort?? All I requested was high floor but thinking I should add more on

If you go on touring plans .com there is a place to check out room views and a place to click to send a fax for a certain room. There is also a place to add any other requests in writing. Touring Plans sends the fax to the GF when you click to send it.
http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-grand-floridian-resort