Anyone actually stay at GF, and NEVER going back?

[3for Me]

ME!

Room quality... IMHO it's about equilvalant to a Marriott Courtyard (NOT a full service), but they charge as if it's the Ritz.!

O.K., now admittedly I am a HUGE GF fan, but a Marriott Courtyard it is not. My husband's company develops and owns Marriotts all over the country, so we have stayed in MANY and the GF is much nicer than any Courtyard I've ever stayed in.

That said, I in no way dispute your bad experience there, and I do find there are a lot of complaints about the valet service in particular.

JMO

 

[winniedapooh]

I am glad I came across this post. We went to check out GF at our last stay the end of Sept. DD had chosen that hotel for her graduation trip with us in April. I was not impressed with staff at the check-in area, whose faces, as someone already pointed out, might crack if they smiled. Parking across the street, yikes. I guess I never thought of where the parking lot was. This sealed it for me. On the other hand, The Poly ,which I had said I had no desire to go to, as seen on another thread on this board looks lovely. Not at all like I imagined! I am glad to see a posting that can give people another point of view!

 

[vettechick99]

I stayed there several years back. We have been 20 times since then, but that was our only stay. Love the GFs location, but we prefer to be closer to Epcot. And frankly, it's very expensive. Our room was $650/night at the time (9 years ago!) and even though that was a special room, to pay $400 for a room not even in the main lodge (and not concierge) doesn't have enough value.

 

[Katesdad]

Thanks to the OP for starting this and all that have put in their thoughts. We're staying there in two weeks for the first time and can't wait to form our own opinions. Seems that many people find it stuffy, others don't. Many have problems with mousekeeping, others don't. Many have problems with staff, others don't. Many have problems with size of room and the decor, others don't. Many have problems with cleanliness of rooms and facilities, others don't. Many have problems with food options, others don't. One thing most everyone agrees on is that the price is outstanding. Many have a problem with that, others don't.

Has any one else besides me noticed that throughout this web site, reading other postings of other facilities on the WDW campus, that the same can be said for all other facilities (except for the price comments)?

 

[CarolA]

The first time was great. However the second visit started off bad and got worse. Tool over 1 hour to check-in and there was no line just a new CM who was training. Then we were put ina room for 4 people when we had 5 people. Then the showever was moldly this I found unacceptable for a *****star hotel.
I have no desire to ever return!

It is not a five star hotel.

Independent rating agencies give it THREE STARS! (DIsney just charges five star rates for a sub par product and gets away with it!)

(And to the poster on the Courtyard. I slept in one last night. Bed was MUCH MUCH better then ANY Disney bed. The new bedding is very nice!)

 

[Lives4Disney]

just as a counter post - we've stayed there many times and LOVE it...

i don't know what you mean about lack of theming...perhaps you don't like the theming, but it definitely is themed....

that's the great thing about WDW, different theming for different tastes...

and the service has been outstanding every time we've been there (7 times), whether in standard rooms or concierge....

I am with you. LOVE that place.

I was kind of happy to see this thread started - The Grand is fully booked for my dates & I am hoping some people will read the comments here and choose to cancel their GF ressies and I will be able to get the room I desperately want.

So, here's a bump up for the thread. Keep it coming......

Lives4Disney

 

[MissionMouse]

What would make you think the Grand Floridian is not popular?

It has one of the highest occupany levels of any Disney resort and is very popular with return guests.

Their suites stayed booked up to a year in advance or more.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[adisneynut]

It is not a five star hotel.

Independent rating agencies give it THREE STARS! (DIsney just charges five star rates for a sub par product and gets away with it!)

(And to the poster on the Courtyard. I slept in one last night. Bed was MUCH MUCH better then ANY Disney bed. The new bedding is very nice!)

Sorry for the mistake however it is still considered Disney Flagship resort and moldly showers I have not had at any other resort on prperty or any other motel/hotel I ahve stayed.

 

[grannyminnie]

I stayed there several years back. We have been 20 times since then, but that was our only stay. Love the GFs location, but we prefer to be closer to Epcot. And frankly, it's very expensive. Our room was $650/night at the time (9 years ago!) and even though that was a special room, to pay $400 for a room not even in the main lodge (and not concierge) doesn't have enough value.

If we continue to pay it, Disney's gonna charge it!!

 

[ducklite]

We've stayed there four times. The first time was Sugar Loaf concierge, we had so many problems--everything from not getting in our room until about 6:00 pm to them losing our luggage, it was one thing after another.

We wrote a letter to the at the time GM, and they extended an offer to try them again at an attractive rate. We did, and had a very pleasant room. We enjoyed the stay, and the discounted rate was about right for the room.

We went back two years ago RPC and had a great stay.

We were there in January of this year, again in RPC, and frankly felt less than wowed. We didn't have any particular complaints, but for what we paid, the level of service should have been higher, and the room and resort in general should have had amenities that just weren't there.

Frankly unless they offer us an amazing deal, we won't be back. It's simply not worth the cost. As others have stated, it's not a five star, or even a four star property. It's a solid three star property wrapped up in fancy paper. The atmosphere is comfortable for us, we don't find it stuffy, but we do think that if they want to present and price themselves as an upscale property, they need to provide an upscale level of service.

 

[micmacmissy]

I wouldn't mind paying the prices if it were going to be a five-star experience. Anyone who's ever stayed in a Ritz Carlton (or a Hyatt Regency, for that matter) can easily tell you the GF doesn't even come close.

First of all, GF needs to have better customer service. Like another poster, our suite wasn't ready until 6pm. You would think we would be offered an apology...or something...but no, CMs acted like we were bothering them, expecting a check-in when we arrived at 4pm.

As for the concierge people, again, had to approach their desk and clear your throat to get them to notice you. Really unacceptable for this resort. We stayed at the Poly years ago, and all I remember are the CMs who would say "Aloha" every ten seconds. Service there was much better.

I never understand people who feel the GF is 'snooty' or too 'fancy'....how can you feel that way in a lobby crowded with noisy people who have their flip-flopped feet up on the sofas? With children running all over the place? People in the concierge lounge grabbing at food, manners nowhere to be found?

It was fun to try it once, to see what it was like. But I did hear a rumor about a Ritz opening up on/near Disney property...I hope they give GF a run for their money, and show Disney what a luxury resort really looks like.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

..................... As others have stated, it's not a five star, or even a four star property. It's a solid three star property wrapped up in fancy paper. The atmosphere is comfortable for us, we don't find it stuffy, but we do think that if they want to present and price themselves as an upscale property, they need to provide an upscale level of service.

Agree. We stay there often and will continue to do so. (As we do at most WDW Resorts.. )

We enjoy the spa, pools, monorail, view, Mizners and the location. However, for us the service has never approached the level of other off site offerings in a similar price range. (Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton)

 

[cyndisun]

I hate to say I'd *never* stay there again. Never is a long time when you are a Disney fanatic! Plus, service can change and so do our tastes as we get older. That being said, here was my experience:

DH, DS (then 4-ish) and I stayed there several years ago. We don't take tons of trips to WDW or DNL so when we do we usually stay in concierge. We had already been to BWI concierge and loved it. So we decided to stay at GF to check out the flagship. We were in the main building which was nice and convenient to the concierge lounge. Aside from that we really disliked it. The CMs in concierge were snotty and unhelpful. The lounge itself was cold and impersonal (IMO). We didn't get housekeeping the first day we were there and when we called to have two minor items in our room fixed we never saw anyone from maintenance. After that first day DH decided it was time to switch to BWI. We did and we had a great remainder of our stay.

Like I said, I won't say I'll *never* go back. I fully accept that sometimes it is the CM's you encounter on that one trip that make a huge difference or maybe we were just having a bad day ourselves. But there are so many other Disney properties that we would like to check out, it will most likely be a long time before we go back. DS is now 10 and we'd like to try some other resorts. We are heading to the AKL & Poly next year. I think those will be better given his age and activity level. GF just seems a bit too staid for this point in our lives. Maybe some day!

Things we liked about the GF:

The pool (doesn't get enough good press IMO)
Convenience to monorail

TTFN!

 

[Disneymoon678]

GF is very beautiful and definitely has a theme, but I doubt I will ever stay there. When I go on vacation I want it to feel relaxed and like I can have fun! GF makes me feel like I'm an excited little kid stuck in grandma's house where I have to keep my hands to myself and speak in hushed tones!

I can see how some people just love this resort. It is lovely, but it's not really for me... it does feel a little "stuffy".

 

[conandrob240]

We stayed at the GF in August because we were bumped from AKL. I would never stay there again. I thought service was awful, the resort was way too spread out, the rooms were way too fluffy and frilly, the pools didn't thrill me, lack of lobby bar was just plain silly and it was "stuffy" and not very kid-oriented. People were way too 'quiet' and way too reserved and the food court had little variety. I would have been pissed if we paid full-price for our stay. I much prefer AK, WL an deven some of the moderates.

 

[CarolA]

Sorry for the mistake however it is still considered Disney Flagship resort and moldly showers I have not had at any other resort on prperty or any other motel/hotel I ahve stayed.

heck rating agencies don't give you three stars if you have mold.... what's next "I paid $400 a night for two star"

This hotel is overpriced by any standard. The ONLY place anyone could get away with these rates is Disney and that is because we LET them. Plunk that hotel down in Nashville... less then $100 a night!

 

[ducklite]

We stayed at the GF in August because we were bumped from AKL. I would never stay there again. I thought service was awful, the resort was way too spread out, the rooms were way too fluffy and frilly, the pools didn't thrill me, lack of lobby bar was just plain silly and it was "stuffy" and not very kid-oriented. People were way too 'quiet' and way too reserved and the food court had little variety. I would have been pissed if we paid full-price for our stay. I much prefer AK, WL an deven some of the moderates.

You must have missed it, but there is a lounge at the GF--Mizners. it's actually one of the best on property.

 

[Dis Ohana]

We're really looking foward to our first stay at the GF in December. This is an interesting thread, I usually read the GF FAQ thread and I rarely see anything negative there.
I have no problem with the resort being "stuffy", we aren't that kind of family, but I prefer a quieter hotel. That's a to me. I really don't need CM's to be smiling at me all the time to have a good time .
To those of you that have complaints of bad service, were you there at peak times? Not that it's an excuse at those prices, but we'll be there at value season. I'm hoping that would alleviate issues with bad housekeeping or an overly crowded hotel.

 

[micmacmissy]

To those of you that have complaints of bad service, were you there at peak times? Not that it's an excuse at those prices, but we'll be there at value season. I'm hoping that would alleviate issues with bad housekeeping or an overly crowded hotel.

This is a really good point. We were there Dec. 5-10, value season. The parks were empty....the hotel was packed! Go figure. We had to wait ridiculously long to check in (over 2 hours) past the regular time.

On the plus side, I should have added that...we LOVED Citrico's restaurant, and Narcoosee's was pretty good, too. The restaurants were not crowded at all. The Christmas decorations were pretty, but didn't knock my socks off.

 

[jrogalny]

Well, my family stayed there years ago when it first opened. I was probably in my early teens and I was bored to death. I don't think this is a place for kids. While the resort is beautiful, I found it to be boring. We were there a few weeks ago for dinner and I still felt the same way. Maybe it's the theme and decor, I don't know but I don't have any desire to stay there. If I had my choice of Magic Kingdom resorts it would probably be the Poly followed by the Contemporary and then followed by the Wilderness Lodge.