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

[TxTiggergal]

We are booked for Aug 2016 at the moment with three rooms and ages ranging from 1-55 years old. It has always been my husbands wish to stay at the Grand as he repeats himself with his saying "top of the line, best of its kind" Well when the Magical deal was announced we jumped on it but now I'm second guessing myself. With the recent views of rooms being musty or other problems and gaspys not being the best....I am wondering if I should change to another resort. I know no one can really answer this for me but I am asking for opinions. We just stayed at Beach Club this past September with the same group and there only real complaint was that it didn't have the normal counter service like other resorts. I see on the first page there was a refurb completed in Aug 2014... Doesn't seem that long ago but I realize the high volume of guests these rooms see. Is the resort already ready for another refurb? Or would you consider this a small percentage of rooms that could use some TLC... Decisions Decisions

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated

We are booked for August 2016 as well. I've stayed at the Grand several times & have never had a musty smelling room. I did, however, have one at the Yacht Club a few years ago & they accommodated my request for another room. The room also seemed dusty & I had the impression that it hadn't been used in awhile, so that might be part of the problem sometimes too. Just my two cents, and we are still anticipating a grand time in August!

 

[Aurora0427]

We are booked for Aug 2016 at the moment with three rooms and ages ranging from 1-55 years old. It has always been my husbands wish to stay at the Grand as he repeats himself with his saying "top of the line, best of its kind" Well when the Magical deal was announced we jumped on it but now I'm second guessing myself. With the recent views of rooms being musty or other problems and gaspys not being the best....I am wondering if I should change to another resort. I know no one can really answer this for me but I am asking for opinions. We just stayed at Beach Club this past September with the same group and there only real complaint was that it didn't have the normal counter service like other resorts. I see on the first page there was a refurb completed in Aug 2014... Doesn't seem that long ago but I realize the high volume of guests these rooms see. Is the resort already ready for another refurb? Or would you consider this a small percentage of rooms that could use some TLC... Decisions Decisions

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated

We have stayed at Beach Club 3xs, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club 2xs, Polynesian, Contemporary, and the Grand Floridian 3xs. In our opinion, there is no better deluxe than the Grand, even with my recent feelings on GG. I am very very picky when I stay at the GF, because it IS the flagship resort, so if my room isn't perfect, I say something. The CMs make it perfect. So if you check in and something isn't right, SAY SOMETHING. The wonderful CMs at the GF will fix it. Personally I don't think any of the quick service restaurants at the deluxe resorts are all that great, but GG definitely has more than the beach, yacht or BWI. No, the resort is not in need of another refurb. We've stayed at the GF twice in 10 months and didn't have a musty room problem. You can have housekeeping issues anywhere- the Poly has lots of recent housekeeping issues.

Bottom line, the GF is beautiful. It's our favorite. We just love it.

 

[MsDisney5]

I would say that if you'e always wanted to stay at the Grand and you've gotten a good deal then go for it! You can get musty rooms at any of the hotels. I've been offline a few days so I haven't had a chance to comment yet, but I hate that musty smell room. But I feel like it's not uncommon in FL and the Caribbean. I think it's a combination of people going in and out of the rooms to the balcony and probably leaving doors open and then the humidity getting trapped in the room. We stayed at AKL in January 2013 and we had that issue. So, I think that probably can happen at any resort. If you get a musty room, just ask to be moved.

As far as GG not being that good, there are other food options. I wasn't aware the grill at the beach pool had a different menu but a couple of folks said that was tasty. We did room service one night and I was nervous after all of the horrible reviews, but it was decent. And actually the cheapest meal we had - LOL! So if your main concerns are the musty smell and GG, I don't think those should be reasons to switch - hope that helps!!

We just got back from our first stay at the Grand and, for what it's worth, if someone asked me why they should change from GF to another resort the only thing for me would be cost. I personally feel that for the cost I didn't get anything more exceptional than at the WL or AKL when we stayed at those resorts. In fact, I feel like service and CM friendliness was better at AKL - there were more personal touches. The GF gives you convenience but with the monorail issues and our style of touring the parks (we don't go back and forth to the resort during the day) it wasn't that much more convenient for us on this last trip. But it's a great resort! So for people who have always wanted to stay there and have a good deal on top of it, then I say enjoy the Grand!!

We are booked for August 2016 as well. I've stayed at the Grand several times & have never had a musty smelling room. I did, however, have one at the Yacht Club a few years ago & they accommodated my request for another room. The room also seemed dusty & I had the impression that it hadn't been used in awhile, so that might be part of the problem sometimes too. Just my two cents, and we are still anticipating a grand time in August!

We have stayed at Beach Club 3xs, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club 2xs, Polynesian, Contemporary, and the Grand Floridian 3xs. In our opinion, there is no better deluxe than the Grand, even with my recent feelings on GG. I am very very picky when I stay at the GF, because it IS the flagship resort, so if my room isn't perfect, I say something. The CMs make it perfect. So if you check in and something isn't right, SAY SOMETHING. The wonderful CMs at the GF will fix it. Personally I don't think any of the quick service restaurants at the deluxe resorts are all that great, but GG definitely has more than the beach, yacht or BWI. No, the resort is not in need of another refurb. We've stayed at the GF twice in 10 months and didn't have a musty room problem. You can have housekeeping issues anywhere- the Poly has lots of recent housekeeping issues.

Bottom line, the GF is beautiful. It's our favorite. We just love it.

Hopefully I got that multi quoting right! Thank you for the responses. I guess the reviews lately had me a little nervous. I realize these review can happen anywhere and hopefully it will be a perfect stay

 

[Sue M]

Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. Grand friends!!

 

[branv]

Hopefully I got that multi quoting right! Thank you for the responses. I guess the reviews lately had me a little nervous. I realize these review can happen anywhere and hopefully it will be a perfect stay

I want to clarify that despite what I said about my issues, if all prices were even, the GF would still be the best resort we've stayed at -- it's lovely with the most consistently great CMs we've encountered. Apart from GG and sad lack of drawer space, it was great. I just don't feel at its price point it's enough of a difference for us to pay what it commands.

Please don't let that fool anyone that that translates to a bad experience. And we all have different preferences. For instance, without the MK demands of a 2 yo, I preferred the Beach Club in large part bc I could eat all my meals in World Showcase and I loved spending evenings strolling there and the Boardwalk. There's plenty of people who wouldn't give two hoots about that. On the flip side, we rode the bus one time in the evening when it was completely full. A very sweet man stood up so I could sit with my just turned 2 yo. But it was awful -- my kiddo is a whopping 35 lbs and did NOT want to be contained. It was a terrible struggle to contain him. And folding/unfolding that stroller was for the birds. After that, we did all monorail and rental car. You can't imagine how grateful I was to be on the monorail line after that. So it's not just about different preferences, but even different seasons for each person. I am sure you will have a wonderful time. It's hard to not be impressed by the GF.

 

[Music City Mama]

I'll post a complete review when we get back, but even with some minor issues and the musty room smell (for what it's worth, it doesn't bother my DH or kids), this really is a great resort. As others have said, it can happen anywhere, and I'm sure they would've moved me if I had asked.

 

[got15]

Hello friends! Happy Thanksgiving! Just wanted to give a quick report on our recent stay at the Grand. We, as always, had a magical time. High Points: We arrived early for check in and were informed that they had a room ready for us (we were assigned to Boca Chica- rm 8303). We received our many Celebration pins- and left for the AK. The Gingerbread house was up- and puffing- no sales of goodies until our check out day. When we came back in the afternoon- we checked into our room- and it had a very nice view of the Lagoon and also Cinderella's Castle! I believe the room we booked and received was OBLV- but it, aside from a large tree, had an excellent view of Wishes and Holiday Wishes. It was a wonderful surprise. Our son, did the Pirate Cruise out of the Marina- and couldn't contain how this was the best experience ever! We highly recommend- he told everyone we ever saw about finding the Pirate Treasure! After the cruise- he counted his "gold and jewelers" at Gasparilla Grill and a CM notice his Birthday Button and gave him a free cupcake! We also ate a wonderful meal at Narcoosee's with complementary Birthday/Anniversary Champagne and a breakfast @ GF Cafe. Food at the Grand is always the best- and never disappoints. Even our late night flatbread @ Gaspys was terrific! Lower Points: Mousekeeping- while decent with cleaning and replacing towels, some days were better than others, not to mention they barely refilled the shampoo/conditioner/body wash mini's- even when they were out/gone/depleted. For a family of 4- this was frustrating. Splash Pad: Was under repair for most of our stay, never got to use it- when it was working- it was usually not working an hour later. Monorail: We were there when the monorail had an accident- so we mostly had to boat back and forth. While we are glad no one was hurt, but one of the main features of staying in a monorail resort- is actually having use of the monorail. Overall- we can't wait to do it again! Hopefully both splash pad and monorail are in order- but the Grand always makes our vacation.

 

[Aurora0427]

Hello friends! Happy Thanksgiving! Just wanted to give a quick report on our recent stay at the Grand. We, as always, had a magical time. High Points: We arrived early for check in and were informed that they had a room ready for us (we were assigned to Boca Chica- rm 8303). We received our many Celebration pins- and left for the AK. The Gingerbread house was up- and puffing- no sales of goodies until our check out day. When we came back in the afternoon- we checked into our room- and it had a very nice view of the Lagoon and also Cinderella's Castle! I believe the room we booked and received was OBLV- but it, aside from a large tree, had an excellent view of Wishes and Holiday Wishes. It was a wonderful surprise.

My mother had almost the exact same room when we were there in October! She watched wishes every night! We were so jealous!!!! Sounds like a great stay!

 

[likesdisney]

Am looking forward to my first stay at GF later on next year. Am staying at The Villas at the Grand Floridian, and have a standard view, was wondering what requests are available when online check in comes up? What exactly will the view be. Will be a studio. Don't think its a particularly big deal, just really excited to be staying there.

 

[Minnie's House]

So excited to be staying at the GF for the 1st time Sept 4-10, 2016. After looking at pictures of the beautiful resort & rooms, it was an easy decision. We'll be there with our 2 yr old daughter! So excited!!!

How long of a walk is it from the outer buildings to the beach pool?

 

[Aurora0427]

So excited to be staying at the GF for the 1st time Sept 4-10, 2016. After looking at pictures of the beautiful resort & rooms, it was an easy decision. We'll be there with our 2 yr old daughter! So excited!!!

How long of a walk is it from the outer buildings to the beach pool?

The closest building to the beach pool is Big Key Pine. Or maybe it's Big Pine Key. I can't remember the order! But it's super close to the beach pool and main building. The other buildings are about 3-5 minutes!

 

[VbChristy]

@got15 funny about the bottles. We were there the last week of September. We started the trip with big bottles of shampoo, lotion, had tooth brushes, etc. Came back one afternoon to all the big bottles gone, completely gone, and replaced with tiny little bottles. Made no sense. (And no tooth brushes.)

 

[rachdd]

Hi! We had an early flight this morning and checked in around 10:30 for our first Grand stay. We expected that our room would not be ready until the afternoon but were pleasantly surprised when they told us our room was ready. We were assigned BPK for our LV and so far so good, we love the atmosphere of the resort! Starting tomorrow off with a pre-park opening breakfast at BOG.

 

[McKelly]

I just arrived home from a week stay at GF. The resort is beautiful, our room was spotless everyday, and the CM's were great. Like others, I agree Gasparilla's was terrible. We tried it twice and avoided it after that. We actually walked to Captain Cook's one night. Loved Poly's counter service - lots of great selections. I agree with others though, while we had a fantastic stay, I just don't think it stood out over other resorts we have stayed at. If we were to pick a monorail resort, we prefer the Poly in the future.

 

[raddisneyfan]

I'm going to WDW in just a few weeks. On the day I leave I plan to try for a bounce back from Dec 2016 at the GF. I plan to request a Garden View, but do not want to look at the pool bar building from Boca Chica or Big Pine. If I request Garden View, am I guaranteed a full garden view at GF? What building would folks recommend for the best Garden Views at GF? I don't want to stay in the main building. I'm thinking that I wouldn't even mind a monorail view from Sago. Thoughts?

 

[sbeets]

I see elsewhere on DIS that people decorate their rooms and windows. We're going over Christmas, and flying down so suitcase space is a premium. If I don't decorate, am I a Scrooge? Can't I just enjoy the WDW decorations? Either talk me into a string of lights, or reassure me I will still feel in the spirit without my own decorations. I looked at WDW Floral and I'm not interested in their $400 Christmas package.

 

[Aurora0427]

I'm going to WDW in just a few weeks. On the day I leave I plan to try for a bounce back from Dec 2016 at the GF. I plan to request a Garden View, but do not want to look at the pool bar building from Boca Chica or Big Pine. If I request Garden View, am I guaranteed a full garden view at GF? What building would folks recommend for the best Garden Views at GF? I don't want to stay in the main building. I'm thinking that I wouldn't even mind a monorail view from Sago. Thoughts?

Sago or Conch Key. They both have views of the marina and monorail on one side. We've stayed in both- I prefer the view of conch key because we had a direct marina/monorail view. Our view in Sago had a great view of the monorail, but we could also see some of the convention center. I give location to Sago- it's closer to almost everything.

 

[likesdisney]

Where exactly do the standard view rooms at Villas at Grand Floridian face? Do they look towards the Polynesian or towards something else (studio room standard view)

 

[Sue M]

@got15 funny about the bottles. We were there the last week of September. We started the trip with big bottles of shampoo, lotion, had tooth brushes, etc. Came back one afternoon to all the big bottles gone, completely gone, and replaced with tiny little bottles. Made no sense. (And no tooth brushes.)

Wow! We were at GF Aug '13, & Aug 14 both RPC & outer building and at no time did we get the big bottles. I thought they stopped giving the larger bottles years ago. For a few years it's just been the small bottles. Maybe they temp ran out of the small bottles. Hope you got to hoard some of the big bottles

 

[baler31]

@got15 funny about the bottles. We were there the last week of September. We started the trip with big bottles of shampoo, lotion, had tooth brushes, etc. Came back one afternoon to all the big bottles gone, completely gone, and replaced with tiny little bottles. Made no sense. (And no tooth brushes.)

Wow! We were at GF Aug '13, & Aug 14 both RPC & outer building and at no time did we get the big bottles. I thought they stopped giving the larger bottles years ago. For a few years it's just been the small bottles. Maybe they temp ran out of the small bottles. Hope you got to hoard some of the big bottles

They still use the large bottles plus tootbrush, emery board, qtip, and cotton ball kits for the suites. My guess is Mousekeeping got mixed up and left the larger sizes and toothbrushes by mistake. They left a lot of them in both bathrooms when we were in 4005 last year.