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

[HockeyMomR]

Good Afternoon fellow GF fans!

Welcome to all of our GF first timers ...CL or not...you are all in for a treat...GF is such a wonderful resort to stay at! From the lovely and manicured grounds .. to the welcoming lobby ..including the sounds of the pianist and the GF Society Orchestra every afternoon and evening ...the nice collection of shops to browse..and maybe pick up a thing or two that you might need! ...watching Wishes from the marina area...all sooo very magical.....

My two cents with regards to staying CL at the GF....having had the opportunity to stay both many times over the years...there are no differences in the amenities... the services..or the food and beverage offering in the lounge....the only difference is in the lounge itself...and while SL is in the lobby area of the building...which I think is a great convenience for grabbing a snack or a drink whether coming or going...and more like a small bistro...RPC does have a large spacious lounge overlooking the main lobby/atrium area....which also includes being able to enjoy live evening entertainment...very lovely...and relaxing....In summer ..we much prefer the convenience and proximity of SL to the courtyard pool...and the boat dock too...there are also tables that are close to the marina side exit doors and offer a bit of a marina view.. I for one happen to like the cozy feel of the lounge there...in cooler months we do appreciate the convenience of being in the main building and enjoying more indoor/lounge time..and the ambiance of an RPC stay....both very nice in their own ways ....I know that there are times that SL does not get a lot of love on the boards....but IMO....its a very nice way to enjoy the GF!

Congrats to all who were able to take advantage of the summer and fall offers..only thing better than a WDW trip...is one with a nice discount! ..

We just did some tweaking to our winter stay....booked the Candelight Processional Package....which I will be enjoying not only with my DD...but with one of my fave GF groupies pas......and have turned yet another trip into a split stay ....have to admit...I am truly enjoying them...

Sue So happy that our trips will overlap.. am truly looking forward to getting to say Hi

~Almost forgot to add this! Some happy FPP news to pass along. Living with the Land will now be considered a tier 2 ride...I personally..and I am sure that I am not alone... NOT a fan of the tiering of FPPs...and think that this will at least help to round out the FPP possibilities at Epcot!

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday.... preppy GF Gal..who is also a Boardwalk Babe ...and possibly a Poly Princess ....

Thank you for the news about The Land as now Tier 2. Just scheduled for our August trip!

 

[maryj11]

We're outer building garden view, $260/night in a few weeks.

Now that's a good deal !

 

[maryj11]

We're outer building garden view, $260/night in a few weeks.

Was it a discount from a travel agent?

 

[Sue M]

Blue!!! Where has the time gone . I just can't believe how fast summer is going. I'm really looking forward to returning to GF, we loved Poly last August, but missed GF! So excited about trip, but wish time would slow down!! Because WDW means end of summer for moi, and 2 days after we get home, it's back to school/work . Crazy huh?? Lol.
See you soon, we leave for Ft Lauderdale in less than 2 weeks! Time to break out the suitcases don't tell Tom!!!

 

[ReluctantDisaholic]

Was it a discount from a travel agent?

Yep - the labour day deal

 

[trishadono]

Good Afternoon fellow GF fans!

Welcome to all of our GF first timers ...CL or not...you are all in for a treat...GF is such a wonderful resort to stay at! From the lovely and manicured grounds .. to the welcoming lobby ..including the sounds of the pianist and the GF Society Orchestra every afternoon and evening ...the nice collection of shops to browse..and maybe pick up a thing or two that you might need! ...watching Wishes from the marina area...all sooo very magical.....

My two cents with regards to staying CL at the GF....having had the opportunity to stay both many times over the years...there are no differences in the amenities... the services..or the food and beverage offering in the lounge....the only difference is in the lounge itself...and while SL is in the lobby area of the building...which I think is a great convenience for grabbing a snack or a drink whether coming or going...and more like a small bistro...RPC does have a large spacious lounge overlooking the main lobby/atrium area....which also includes being able to enjoy live evening entertainment...very lovely...and relaxing....In summer ..we much prefer the convenience and proximity of SL to the courtyard pool...and the boat dock too...there are also tables that are close to the marina side exit doors and offer a bit of a marina view.. I for one happen to like the cozy feel of the lounge there...in cooler months we do appreciate the convenience of being in the main building and enjoying more indoor/lounge time..and the ambiance of an RPC stay....both very nice in their own ways ....I know that there are times that SL does not get a lot of love on the boards....but IMO....its a very nice way to enjoy the GF!

Congrats to all who were able to take advantage of the summer and fall offers..only thing better than a WDW trip...is one with a nice discount! ..

We just did some tweaking to our winter stay....booked the Candelight Processional Package....which I will be enjoying not only with my DD...but with one of my fave GF groupies pas......and have turned yet another trip into a split stay ....have to admit...I am truly enjoying them...

Sue So happy that our trips will overlap.. am truly looking forward to getting to say Hi

~Almost forgot to add this! Some happy FPP news to pass along. Living with the Land will now be considered a tier 2 ride...I personally..and I am sure that I am not alone... NOT a fan of the tiering of FPPs...and think that this will at least help to round out the FPP possibilities at Epcot!

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday.... preppy GF Gal..who is also a Boardwalk Babe ...and possibly a Poly Princess ....

Thanks for the Epcot info!

 

[DHare]

Hello,
I was wondering if it is still possible to watch fireworks from the beach area, or somewhere close by, at The Grand Floridian? I just booked my first stay at the Villas here. I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this question? I have posted very little. Mostly just a lurker

 

[Missymoe4]

We will be staying SL for the first time in late September and hope we enjoy it as much as previous stays in RPC. It's going to be tough though, the GF has been pretty good to us and our last stay will be hard to top. We were blessed with an amazing upgrade last time. It seems like it's a little low key compared to RPC and low key is OK sometimes.

You were upgraded to this suite??

 

[elaw]

You were upgraded to this suite??

Yes ... We were stunned quite frankly. We started our trip by spending one night at the Grand Californian at DLR (always wanted to do DLR and WDW in the same day) and were also shocked to have our standard view room upgraded to the Arroyo suite ... It also was amazing and we thought it couldn't get any better than that

but we were wrong ... The GF out did them.
We had booked a standard RPC room and they upgraded us for no additional cost. It was simply amazing ... over 1,600 sq. ft. for just the two of us. We were told we were only the 3rd guests to stay in it since its refurb. We ended up ordering room service a couple of nights since we had our own private dining room.

 

[WDWKOOK]

I'd love some CL opinions and I hope you won't mind me thinking out loud a bit.

I have my first solo trip booked for September. It's sort of a bucket list trip of places I've never tried. I have a 3-way split of 3 nights each booked at:

Tower Club (CR), BC (last Deluxe at which I've never stayed), and RPC.

I keep telling myself this trip is supposed to be one where I cross off my list some of the last CLs and a Deluxe I've not experienced. But, I'm having second thoughts and losing excitement over RPC and I'm wondering if I should try and switch to SL or even consider King Kamehameha LV instead. I stayed TPV last year at GF, but never CL, so either CL would be a first.

Based on recent reports, I'm starting to feel like I won't feel the level of service and ambience is worth paying 35% more than SL. Maybe I didn't really "need" to put it in my "have to stay there someday" list? For those of you who've stayed both RPC and SL, did you feel like RPC was worth 35% more?

I'm booked in an RPC Deluxe Queen and it seems the views are overlooking the pool area with the Poly beyond or overlooking the courtyard area. Is this correct? I'm not a fan of pool views and actually prefer a marina/monorail view over those views, which SL would have. My concern about SL is past reports that it's quite noisy there since the lobby lounge noise travels easily to the rooms. I've seen some really messy and crowded lounge photos that look unappealing, though I am going when crowds should be at their lowest. It doesn't look like a very "cozy" lounge with great views, but maybe that doesn't come out in photos?

I guess since RPC is the tippy-top CL, I keep questioning the value after reading negative reviews. I've also not tried King Kamehameha at Poly, but generally negative reviews, mostly about the CMs and room cleanliness, make me keep putting it off. I know this is only for 3 nights at the end of my 9-day trip, but I would appreciate some opinions

 

[elaw]

I'd love some CL opinions and I hope you won't mind me thinking out loud a bit.

I have my first solo trip booked for September. It's sort of a bucket list trip of places I've never tried. I have a 3-way split of 3 nights each booked at:

Tower Club (CR), BC (last Deluxe at which I've never stayed), and RPC.

I keep telling myself this trip is supposed to be one where I cross off my list some of the last CLs and a Deluxe I've not experienced. But, I'm having second thoughts and losing excitement over RPC and I'm wondering if I should try and switch to SL or even consider King Kamehameha LV instead. I stayed TPV last year at GF, but never CL, so either CL would be a first.

Based on recent and past reports, I'm starting to feel like I won't feel the level of service and ambience is worth paying 35% more than SL. Maybe I didn't really "need" to put it in my "have to stay there someday" list? For those of you who've stayed both RPC and SL, did you feel like RPC was worth 35% more?

I'm booked in an RPC Deluxe Queen and it seems the views are overlooking the pool area with the Poly beyond or overlooking the courtyard area. Is this correct? I'm not a fan of pool views and actually prefer a marina/monorail view over those views, which SL would have. My concern about SL is past reports that it's quite noisy there since the lobby lounge noise travels easily to the rooms. I've seen some really messy and crowded lounge photos that look unappealing, though I am going when crowds should be at their lowest. It doesn't look like a very "cozy" lounge with great views, but maybe that doesn't come out in photos?

I guess since RPC is the tippy-top CL, I keep questioning the value after reading negative reviews. I've also not tried King Kamehameha at Poly, but generally negative reviews, mostly about the CMs and room cleanliness, make me keep putting it off. I know this is only for 3 nights at the end of my trip 9-day trip, but I would appreciate some opinions

Kook ... You gotta try RPC ... It's never disappointed us. We're a tad nervous about SL since we've never tried it but it is last on our Disney CL bucket list so we've got to give it a try. Yes, it's pricey (RPC), but you've gotta finish the bucket list some day.

We will also be there in September ... 3 way split stay (AKL, GF-SL, BC). We were surprised how much we enjoyed the Tower Club (CR), And this will be our first stay at BC since they redid the lounge.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Kook ... You gotta try RPC ... It's never disappointed us. We're a tad nervous about SL since we've never tried it but it is last on our Disney CL bucket list so we've got to give it a try. Yes, it's pricey (RPC), but you've gotta finish the bucket list some day.

Ah, so you do have something at the bottom of your list. See, there has to be something down there and I'm just conflicted on which one it should be. Maybe that's my real question?! Thanks for posting your opinion...that's ONE for sticking with RPC.

 

[elaw]

Ah, so you do have something at the bottom of your list. See, there has to be something down there and I'm just conflicted on which one it should be. Maybe that's my real question?! Thanks for posting your opinion...that's ONE for sticking with RPC.

... Our last trip took care of the last item on our bucket list (Poly CL) and created a new one ... Free suite upgrades at all the deluxes

IMO ... RPC is a must for any deluxe resort hopper like us


The view from our RPC balcony last trip

 

[pas130]

I'd love some CL opinions and I hope you won't mind me thinking out loud a bit.

I have my first solo trip booked for September. It's sort of a bucket list trip of places I've never tried. I have a 3-way split of 3 nights each booked at:

Tower Club (CR), BC (last Deluxe at which I've never stayed), and RPC.

I keep telling myself this trip is supposed to be one where I cross off my list some of the last CLs and a Deluxe I've not experienced. But, I'm having second thoughts and losing excitement over RPC and I'm wondering if I should try and switch to SL or even consider King Kamehameha LV instead. I stayed TPV last year at GF, but never CL, so either CL would be a first.

Based on recent reports, I'm starting to feel like I won't feel the level of service and ambience is worth paying 35% more than SL. Maybe I didn't really "need" to put it in my "have to stay there someday" list? For those of you who've stayed both RPC and SL, did you feel like RPC was worth 35% more?

I'm booked in an RPC Deluxe Queen and it seems the views are overlooking the pool area with the Poly beyond or overlooking the courtyard area. Is this correct? I'm not a fan of pool views and actually prefer a marina/monorail view over those views, which SL would have. My concern about SL is past reports that it's quite noisy there since the lobby lounge noise travels easily to the rooms. I've seen some really messy and crowded lounge photos that look unappealing, though I am going when crowds should be at their lowest. It doesn't look like a very "cozy" lounge with great views, but maybe that doesn't come out in photos?

I guess since RPC is the tippy-top CL, I keep questioning the value after reading negative reviews. I've also not tried King Kamehameha at Poly, but generally negative reviews, mostly about the CMs and room cleanliness, make me keep putting it off. I know this is only for 3 nights at the end of my 9-day trip, but I would appreciate some opinions

Stay at RPC friend you will love it. You already had an amazing stay at the Grand, an this will be a terrific follow up!

Rationale on why not to do CR tower club or Bc CL, you are a MK gal aka Queen of Bay Lake so I feel like you'll miss the MK side. And CR CL you've done it, but RPC has the grand lobby like WL just Victorian with an orchestra

I feel that it's time for you to finally stay in the main building

 

[pas130]

I just read Kook has a split *smacks head

So yep DEFINITELY stay at RPC

 

[Sue M]

I loved RPC. Didn't want to leave. We had a queen deluxe room overlooking courtyard pool 3rd floor, and enjoyed it very much. We also found ourselves enjoying the 3rd floor deck a night or 2 for watching EWP. We were the only ones using it.
The thing I loved best with RPC (aside from the food) was evenings in the lounge enjoying the piano or orchestra music, while enjoying a glass of wine and the lovely window views. Can't get that in SL.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Your TGIF question of the morning...

Is a "Garden Deluxe - Main Bldg. - 2 Queens" the Deluxe Queen? That's how Touring Plans describes it and it's as close as I could get to what must be my booking.

From the first page of this thread and TP, it seems there are two configurations. TP isn't always correct, but they're showing 3 Deluxe Queens on floors 3 and 4 for a total of 6.

I prefer 4422 or 4322 which seems to be the only Deluxe facing toward Poly/monorail/7SL. What are the reasons the two that face the courtyard might be preferable? Do they have a connecting door? Any reason to choose one floor over the other? Seeing Wishes from my balcony isn't a priority for me nor is balcony size or proximity to lounge, but I always prefer not to have a connecting door.

... Our last trip took care of the last item on our bucket list (Poly CL) and created a new one ... Free suite upgrades at all the deluxes

IMO ... RPC is a must for any deluxe resort hopper like us

The view from our RPC balcony last trip

So, to paraphrase, I need to keep my RPC booking because I might get a suite upgrade? This rationale works for me

Stay at RPC friend you will love it. You already had an amazing stay at the Grand, an this will be a terrific follow up!

Rationale on why not to do CR tower club or Bc CL, you are a MK gal aka Queen of Bay Lake so I feel like you'll miss the MK side. And CR CL you've done it, but RPC has the grand lobby like WL just Victorian with an orchestra

I feel that it's time for you to finally stay in the main building

If the Queen of Resort Changing "feels" it's time, then I can't argue with that. However, didn't said RC Queen have some "issues" during her RPC stay and later declared SL her favorite? I seem to recall this, though details are sketchy, and it stuck in my mind when asking myself whether I should change to SL to avoid RPC not meeting expectation$.

I just read Kook has a split *smacks head

So yep DEFINITELY stay at RPC

Un-smack your head. It's not the first time one of us has been confused by the others' bookings

I loved RPC. Didn't want to leave. We had a queen deluxe room overlooking courtyard pool 3rd floor, and enjoyed it very much. We also found ourselves enjoying the 3rd floor deck a night or 2 for watching EWP. We were the only ones using it.
The thing I loved best with RPC (aside from the food) was evenings in the lounge enjoying the piano or orchestra music, while enjoying a glass of wine and the lovely window views. Can't get that in SL.

Thanks for the atmosphere reminder, Sue. This sounds like what I'm booked in. They said the only RPC room available with the Military rate was a Deluxe room. When I asked if it was the king, since I'm solo, she said it's the two queens. Seems the kings are more of a "Honeymoon suite."

So the deck is on the 3rd floor and lounge is on 5th?

 

[Sue M]

Your TGIF question of the morning...

Is a "Garden Deluxe - Main Bldg. - 2 Queens" the Deluxe Queen? That's how Touring Plans describes it and it's as close as I could get to what must be my booking.

From the first page of this thread and TP, it seems there are two configurations. TP isn't always correct, but they're showing 3 Deluxe Queens on floors 3 and 4 for a total of 6.

I prefer 4422 or 4322 which seems to be the only Deluxe facing toward Poly/monorail/7SL. What are the reasons the two that face the courtyard might be preferable? Do they have a connecting door? Any reason to choose one floor over the other? Seeing Wishes from my balcony isn't a priority for me nor is balcony size or proximity to lounge, but I always prefer not to have a connecting door.




So, to paraphrase, I need to keep my RPC booking because I might get a suite upgrade? This rationale works for me



If the Queen of Resort Changing "feels" it's time, then I can't argue with that. However, didn't said RC Queen have some "issues" during her RPC stay and later declared SL her favorite? I seem to recall this, those details are sketchy, and it stuck in my mind when asking myself whether I should change to SL to avoid RPC not meeting expectation$.



Un-smack your head. It's not the first time one of us has been confused by the others' bookings



Thanks for the atmosphere reminder, Sue. This sounds like what I'm booked in. They said the only RPC room available with the Military rate was a Deluxe room. When I asked if it was the king, since I'm solo, she said it's the two queens. Seems the kings are more of a "Honeymoon suite."

So the deck is on the 3rd floor and lounge is on 5th?

Lounge is on 4th floor. Yes, deck is on 3rd floor just past concierge desks. You'll love it! I can't remember if our room had connecting door, I don't think so. We never heard neighbours.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Lounge is on 4th floor. Yes, deck is on 3rd floor just past concierge desks. You'll love it! I can't remember if our room had connecting door, I don't think so. We never heard neighbours.

Thank you, @Sue M. RPC seems really spread out: Lounge on 4th floor, suites on 5th floor, outdoor area and check-in/concierge on 3rd floor. Are there any other RPC areas of interest?

 

[pas130]

If the Queen of Resort Changing "feels" it's time, then I can't argue with that. However, didn't said RC Queen have some "issues" during her RPC stay and later declared SL her favorite? I seem to recall this, though details are sketchy, and it stuck in my mind when asking myself whether I should change to SL to avoid RPC not meeting expectation$.



Un-smack your head. It's not the first time one of us has been confused by the others' booking

I believe that the deluxe rooms do not have connecting doors, but I can only speak for the deluxe King rooms. I would imagine the queens to be the same.

Now....SL is my favorite, because both of my stays were superb from the CMs to the lounge guests. It had a family feel for sure. You know how I love my warm and friendly CMs.

RPC...I had higher than high expectations that it would blow me away and it didn't, however if I were on a solo trip (and I might be taking one to see DS15 in the Candlelight....I am booked Poly CL but my eye is on RPC)...sitting in the lounge having coffee or wine and staring out on the lagoon would be divine. The CMs were not warm and fuzzy IMO, and a few were downright rude. I will say the same for a handful of guests and how they treated the CMs. However, that does not away from the beauty of the Grand. The Main building has that WOW factor, and that is why you must stay there. RPC has been my nemesis as you know..from being walked to YC, to not wanting to leave OFC, to having to admit to my DH that the GF was not worth it for our trip. Fortunately for every so-so review there are some amazing ones. The bottom line is the Grand is simply gorgeous. And definitely worth a try (in my case a second chance)