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

[mickeynut1]

Ok this is an awkard question to ask. I've booked a Theme Park View froom GF, however for some reason i keep looking up the Polynesian. It just keeps catching my eye. We have very young kids who will be 6, 4 and 2. And believe me they are loud wild kids ( not bold ) just your typical hyper kids lol. I've been looking at pricing for our dates and we can get a lagoon view club level for the same price. Am i right in saying that these rooms are only available in Hawaii buildings.
Also if we have the free DDP, is there no need for club level food wise etc??? Im just wondering if this is best for my family as a resort.

Yes, standard Poly CL rooms are in the Hawaii building. Both resorts are kid friendly, so either resort would be great with kids. We love both resorts and although I can't comment on CL at the Poly, it is on our list to try . As far as CL with the DDP, we do a TS dinner every night of our trips, so the DDP along with CL wouldn't be too much for my family.

Im just thinking loud around a resort in general. I dont think i would use the club level. We have full DDP included. Just wondering if the amenities would be better for kids in Poly. Like pools. I think i heard they also have a kids club, and Dole whip lol. Ahhh decisions decisions, not sure what to do really.

Having stayed at both, the Poly is our favorite overall, but we do also love the GF. The pools at both are great, as are the atmospheres, dining options, etc. The Poly pool is our favorite pool on property, but the GF pools are nice as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either resort as they are both great places to stay .

Our deluxe room after refurb had the typical daybed, just like the standard rooms. Our king deluxe in the main building had a sleeper. It is my understanding that the deluxe rooms just replaced the sofa with the daybed sofa. The occupancy on the deluxe rooms is now 5 , since they added the daybed while the king deluxe is 3.

Thanks for making this correction . I thought I read somewhere that the deluxe rooms had a sleeper, but maybe I was confusing that with something else.

MickeyNut I didn't realize that the outer building deluxe rooms had a sleep sofa...I thought that it only had a daybed...Good to know...

I apologize, but I was mistaken about the sleeper sofa/daybeds . I thought I had read that somewhere, but guess I just assumed a non-sleeper was replaced with a sleeper......which would make the most sense, but then again, Disney doesn't always make the most logical decisions .

 

[RookieLady]

Easy.wdw is reporting changes in the monorail running times. How are folks getting to Epcot before rope drop? Are there busses?

Also, what is the best way to get to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop de Doo and about how long does it take?

 

[mrsclark]

DH and I are currently booked at BCV for mid-September of this year. But we have stayed at BC/YC for our last four trips and I think I might want to try something new. I was looking through the pictures of GF on Disney's website and the bathrooms look great. They also look bigger than the BC/YC bathrooms which I think are cramped in the toilet/shower area - anyone have any experiences with both resorts and could compare for me? Or just an impression of bathrooms at GF in general?

Also, how easy is it to get to Epcot from GF time-wise - it seems like two monorails would go pretty fast, but having never stayed at a MK resort before, we weren't sure. I just want to confirm. In theory, we could walk from GF through Poly and then to the TTC although I am not sure how much time that would save us...

 

[baler31]

On my phone but wanted to clear up my deluxe room post.

Our July stay was in a deluxe Sugarloaf room(deluxe by request. My understanding is that all outer building bookable deluxe rooms have the daybed.

In October we were in a queen deluxe main building with a sleeper sofa but the occupancy was 5.

In Feb. we were in a king deluxe main building turret room (turret is request only) that had a sleeper sofa but occupancy of 3.

There are so many bookable categories and then add on requests for special configurations that it gets very confusing.

 

[baler31]

Hi everyone! It's been 3 years since my last WDW visit where I stayed at the GF and enjoyed every second of it. I discovered Disney Cruises in the interim so haven't been to WDW in a while, but planning a 6-night trip in July with my BF. Originally we were going to book the Contemporary, but then decided to splurge on a Club Level Deluxe King Room at the GF in the main building! I'm waiting to hear back from him before I finalize it, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has stayed in that type of room before and can maybe share pictures, or recommend that we request a specific room? Or if you just want to gush about how great it is, I'd love to hear that too! I'm so thrilled to be going back!

This post has everything about the deluxe rooms. http://www.disboards.com/threads/deluxe-room-grand-floridian.1839423/ Refer to post 2 and the first floor plans and info are about king deluxes.

The 9 on the 2nd floor are TPV. The 6 on floors 3,4,5 have mostly views of the monorail/villas, beach pool with the ones on the end mainly courtyard view. I request the larger turret style and have stayed in a few of those, I do not care for the 2nd floor as the rooms are smaller, luckily I have not been placed in one. I am sure some like them for the TPV. No balcony on the turret rooms. 2nd floor rooms have jetted tubs.

You can get either style, you may request one or the other but it is not guaranteed.

 

[Sue M]

Blue you'd have to relocate to Poly to squish into my room . But there would be plenty of room! It's just dd & me.

 

[Sue M]

Hi everyone! It's been 3 years since my last WDW visit where I stayed at the GF and enjoyed every second of it. I discovered Disney Cruises in the interim so haven't been to WDW in a while, but planning a 6-night trip in July with my BF. Originally we were going to book the Contemporary, but then decided to splurge on a Club Level Deluxe King Room at the GF in the main building! I'm waiting to hear back from him before I finalize it, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has stayed in that type of room before and can maybe share pictures, or recommend that we request a specific room? Or if you just want to gush about how great it is, I'd love to hear that too! I'm so thrilled to be going back!

Congrats on your trip. You'll love RPC!

 

[Sue M]

Easy.wdw is reporting changes in the monorail running times. How are folks getting to Epcot before rope drop? Are there busses?

Also, what is the best way to get to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop de Doo and about how long does it take?

Last August with morning monorail changes GF had busses to Epcot for rope drop.

We took the Ft W boat from MK to get to Trails End, right next to Hoop De Doo. It's a short walk from boat dock.

 

[VS85]

This post has everything about the deluxe rooms. http://www.disboards.com/threads/deluxe-room-grand-floridian.1839423/ Refer to post 2 and the first floor plans and info are about king deluxes.

The 9 on the 2nd floor are TPV. The 6 on floors 3,4,5 have mostly views of the monorail/villas, beach pool with the ones on the end mainly courtyard view. I request the larger turret style and have stayed in a few of those, I do not care for the 2nd floor as the rooms are smaller, luckily I have not been placed in one. I am sure some like them for the TPV. No balcony on the turret rooms. 2nd floor rooms have jetted tubs.

You can get either style, you may request one or the other but it is not guaranteed.

Wow this was great! Thanks so much. I can't decide if I should put a request for a specific room type in, or leave it to chance. Both seem to have their pros and cons. I like the idea of a balcony and TPV, but the extra space would also feel a lot more luxurious. We are planning on lots of sleeping in and relaxing, so maybe I should put in a request for the turret style? I see the little wet bar area with a fridge in the floor plan too... Do the TPV rooms not have a fridge? Decisions, decisions...

Do all the rooms have updated bedding now? I thought all the rooms were getting the white comforter style bedding and they were getting rid of the flowery duvets. Just curious.

Can't wait!

 

[BlueSkies]

Blue you'd have to relocate to Poly to squish into my room . But there would be plenty of room! It's just dd & me.

Packing my hula skirt!!!

Last August with morning monorail changes GF had busses to Epcot for rope drop.

We took the Ft W boat from MK to get to Trails End, right next to Hoop De Doo. It's a short walk from boat dock.

We had the same experience durung the modified momorail hours...buses were available. ..also generally travel to Hoop de Doo /WL the same way...occasionally though...if we factor in enough extra time.. we have taken the monorail over to the CR...shopped a bit...and then taken the water launch from the CR over....

VS85 All rooms do have a fridge...they are located in the television armoire. ..

 

[BlueSkies]

~ Friday Floridian fact....I know its actually Saturday...lol...ooops...

Pre refurb the picture that was in all of the outer bathroom/dressing areas was the same in all of the GF rooms....but post refurb they have changed things up a bit...some have just Alice. ..and some have Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Which one have you had???

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans have a super Saturday.... picture posting GF gal!

 

[Dispro1]

Wow this was great! Thanks so much. I can't decide if I should put a request for a specific room type in, or leave it to chance. Both seem to have their pros and cons. I like the idea of a balcony and TPV, but the extra space would also feel a lot more luxurious. We are planning on lots of sleeping in and relaxing, so maybe I should put in a request for the turret style? I see the little wet bar area with a fridge in the floor plan too... Do the TPV rooms not have a fridge? Decisions, decisions...

Do all the rooms have updated bedding now? I thought all the rooms were getting the white comforter style bedding and they were getting rid of the flowery duvets. Just curious.

Can't wait!

Here are some pictures of the Deluxe King turret room. I don't miss the balcony at all in these rooms because there are so many windows! Sorry to those who are tired of seeing some of the same pictures....I never get tired of posting them

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi everyone! It's been 3 years since my last WDW visit where I stayed at the GF and enjoyed every second of it. I discovered Disney Cruises in the interim so haven't been to WDW in a while, but planning a 6-night trip in July with my BF. Originally we were going to book the Contemporary, but then decided to splurge on a Club Level Deluxe King Room at the GF in the main building! I'm waiting to hear back from him before I finalize it, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has stayed in that type of room before and can maybe share pictures, or recommend that we request a specific room? Or if you just want to gush about how great it is, I'd love to hear that too! I'm so thrilled to be going back!

Have a great trip. RPC is amazing!!

Also, what is the best way to get to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop de Doo and about how long does it take?

Like Sue M and BlueSkies, I would also take the boat from MK to FW for HDDR . I would probably allow at least 45 minutes to an hour to accommodate for any delays as sometimes transportation can be a little slow.

DH and I are currently booked at BCV for mid-September of this year. But we have stayed at BC/YC for our last four trips and I think I might want to try something new. I was looking through the pictures of GF on Disney's website and the bathrooms look great. They also look bigger than the BC/YC bathrooms which I think are cramped in the toilet/shower area - anyone have any experiences with both resorts and could compare for me? Or just an impression of bathrooms at GF in general?

Also, how easy is it to get to Epcot from GF time-wise - it seems like two monorails would go pretty fast, but having never stayed at a MK resort before, we weren't sure. I just want to confirm. In theory, we could walk from GF through Poly and then to the TTC although I am not sure how much time that would save us...

We've stayed at both and I found the vanity area to be more spacious at the GF. The actual bathroom (toilet/tub) is slightly larger most likely due to the larger room itself, but it's not a huge difference, IMO.

There are so many bookable categories and then add on requests for special configurations that it gets very confusing.

I agree .

Do all the rooms have updated bedding now? I thought all the rooms were getting the white comforter style bedding and they were getting rid of the flowery duvets. Just curious.

Yes, all rooms have been updated . At one point the suites still needed to be refurbed, but all of the standard rooms (including CL) have been updated.

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans have a super Saturday.... picture posting GF gal!

Hey Blue....hope you are having a great Saturday as well .

 

[mexi]

View attachment 96895 View attachment 96896 ~ Friday Floridian fact....I know its actually Saturday...lol...ooops...

Pre refurb the picture that was in all of the outer bathroom/dressing areas was the same in all of the GF rooms....but post refurb they have changed things up a bit...some have just Alice. ..and some have Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Which one have you had???

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans have a super Saturday.... picture posting GF gal!

I didn't know that about the pictures. Last year we had just Alice but I'm hoping this year we get to see the Mad Hatter and Alice. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[Dispro1]

DH and I are currently booked at BCV for mid-September of this year. But we have stayed at BC/YC for our last four trips and I think I might want to try something new. I was looking through the pictures of GF on Disney's website and the bathrooms look great. They also look bigger than the BC/YC bathrooms which I think are cramped in the toilet/shower area - anyone have any experiences with both resorts and could compare for me? Or just an impression of bathrooms at GF in general?

Also, how easy is it to get to Epcot from GF time-wise - it seems like two monorails would go pretty fast, but having never stayed at a MK resort before, we weren't sure. I just want to confirm. In theory, we could walk from GF through Poly and then to the TTC although I am not sure how much time that would save us...

The walk from GF to TTC would be a pretty long one! My husband and I run from GF to Poly (and around), and I would guess it would be about a mile from GF to TTC...that is a guess since we run for time and not distance, but hubby said probably a mile and he's usually pretty good at guessing distance since he's run SO many races (in the past-lol). I would take the monorail and save your feet! The monorail from GF to Epcot takes approximately 30 minutes (it's not a quick trip) but it's pleasant...the 30 min. Estimate includes stops and changing monorails at TTC. IMO, it's much easier than going from BC to MK! We like BC too, but Going to MK from there is a pain. I will say that leaving Epcot via monorail after Illuminations can take a really long time because so many people are leaving at once, so we drive to Epcot if we go back at night. Driving to Epcot from GF is fast and easy. There is no easy way to get to MK from BC...if you drive, you have still have to monorail from the TTC.

As for the bathroom comparison, GF bathrooms are bigger because the rooms are bigger(as Mickeynut said). I like that the GF vanity area is more separated from the bedroom area which creates more privacy. But I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful new tile work at BC! I also like the extra under sink storage they have at BC! I wish GF would add a shelf there. We enjoyed finally trying an Epcot resort after having only stayed in the monorail loop...it's completely different, and I think you would enjoy it! Good luck with your decision!

 

[loveshak22]

View attachment 96895 View attachment 96896 ~ Friday Floridian fact....I know its actually Saturday...lol...ooops...

Pre refurb the picture that was in all of the outer bathroom/dressing areas was the same in all of the GF rooms....but post refurb they have changed things up a bit...some have just Alice. ..and some have Alice and the Mad Hatter!

Which one have you had???

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans have a super Saturday.... picture posting GF gal!

These are neat pictures - can you buy them in the gift shop?

Hi everyone and Happy Saturday to you too Blue!

 

[loveshak22]

Here are some pictures of the Deluxe King turret room. I don't miss the balcony at all in these rooms because there are so many windows! Sorry to those who are tired of seeing some of the same pictures....I never get tired of posting themView attachment 96904View attachment 96905 View attachment 96906View attachment 96908

I love looking at these pictures so you can never post them too much IMO! It just makes me anxious hoping we get a turret room (fingers crossed 4021) and not the 2nd floor king deluxe room!! Hopefully we'll get some Disney Magic !!!

 

[ptnia]

Those are our two favorite resorts, and both are kid friendly. The theme park view is amazing and your little ones can watch the fireworks from your room if they are tired. We stayed at the poly in March club level and we loved it, your children will also be able to watch the fireworks from the club level, and there is a TV there for them to watch. I would say either one would work for you as a family, just get to the club level early if you want to watch the fireworks, my daughter and I ordered from Ohana that night and had it brought up to cub level, it was fantastic!

 

[Dispro1]

Those are our two favorite resorts, and both are kid friendly. The theme park view is amazing and your little ones can watch the fireworks from your room if they are tired. We stayed at the poly in March club level and we loved it, your children will also be able to watch the fireworks from the club level, and there is a TV there for them to watch. I would say either one would work for you as a family, just get to the club level early if you want to watch the fireworks, my daughter and I ordered from Ohana that night and had it brought up to cub level, it was fantastic!

I had no idea 'Ohana would do that! That's great to know!

 

[Dispro1]

I love looking at these pictures so you can never post them too much IMO! It just makes me anxious hoping we get a turret room (fingers crossed 4021) and not the 2nd floor king deluxe room!! Hopefully we'll get some Disney Magic !!!

I'm scared they'll try to stick us on the second floor too! They really should make the turret rooms a bookable category! I guess we'd have to pay even more because the group of turret rooms we want would then be classified as TPV Deluxe King Turret room, I'm guessing...but at least we wouldn't have to stress about where they might put us!