2014 Grand Floridian Resort & Villas FAQ: Vacationing in Grand Style!

[BlueSkies]

We reached our 60 day mark Saturday and I'm back in the Fastpass + nightmare. DH really HATES this new system as he feels like it restricts what we can do. I keep telling him we can change it at ANY time up until the first Fastpass time and more importantly...the old system is GONE! I've decided to get them for only the days I know we are in THAT park. That leaves half the days for him to be "spontaneous" and I'll make FP on the way there!

Our food exploration this trip is Breakfast, particularly French Toast and snacks! We have so far: CRT, GF Café, The Wave, Kona, and Captain's Grill (YC) for breakfast. We have already visited Trail's End and Whispering Canyon. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to add more.


Our current food strategy is Breakfast, snacking for lunch, then a nice late dinner. I saw some awesome suggestions for snacks in here as well that have been added to the list. We were thinking of the cream puff from BoG but I'm not sure you can still walk up during lunch? DH read about the Cakecup at Cheshire Cat and he's got that on his list. Hopefully it's still there! Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Also does anyone have any experience with the Memory Maker? We have 4 in our party (different resorts) for 4 days then just the 2 of us for the other 6. Is it possible to add them onto the memory maker? I'm a bit confused with it in MDE as it seems to say it "reassigns (I took that to mean gives away my rights like it does tickets) to other people. I may have to sign up for the Memory Maker course when I check in!

Thanks for any help! Just when I think I can relax and let time pass, something else pops up!

Liz

Liz Food talk...my favorite!! Sounds like a wonderful plan...There are so many great CS options for lunch... And as for the snack list...lol..so many things to try...with a late dinner seems like you will have plenty of time...

From your breakfast ressies..we have in the past and always enjoy CF Cafe..and Kona too...recently we tried the Wave for breakfast..had only had dinner here before ..which is good..but I feel better options around the monorail resorts...Our Wave breakfast was terrific!! DD had the buffet ( lots of good choices) ...and I opted for the key lime eggs benedict... scrumptious!!! We will be going back on our next trip! It really was a very pleasant surprise!!!

 

[coopersmom]

We have arrived for stay #27 at the Grand Floridian Resort. Although most rooms have had stylistic upgrades, the suites have not (we are in a two-bedroom suite on the fifth floor). Of course, it's good to see the framed Grand Floridian ca. 1890 on the walls and the Mickey lamps on the desk, but compared to the new looks of the refurbished rooms the suites need a "facelift," particularly the carpeting and the furniture. No major complaints from us, however. After all, we are here!

Strange about the suites not being refurbished... And I too am disappointed to hear that there are less food items being offered at TR..hoping it was just a fluke...cause it is always about the food!!

Or it lends credence to the rumor Jim Hill floated recently that they're planning to turn part of the Grand main building into concierge DVC villas.

Have no idea RE: veracity but it was something Hill mentioned in the most recent Disney Dish podcast, along with a large scale conversion of Wilderness Lodge hotel rooms to DVC.

I just thought perhaps if they're considering swapping out suites for villas that might be a reason to delay/skip refurb, as they would want to avoid expenditures only to change it again.

But, honestly, based on the way the Grand deluxe room we stayed in, in 2011 looked, this "refresh" was long overdue. Honestly, we wouldn't be returning to the Grand if they hadn't updated the rooms because, wow, they really needed it, particularly at the RPC price point (ouch!).

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Liz Food talk...my favorite!! Sounds like a wonderful plan...There are so many great CS options for lunch... And as for the snack list...lol..so many things to try...with a late dinner seems like you will have plenty of time...

From your breakfast ressies..we have in the past and always enjoy CF Cafe..and Kona too...recently we tried the Wave for breakfast..had only had dinner here before ..which is good..but I feel better options around the monorail resorts...Our Wave breakfast was terrific!! DD had the buffet ( lots of good choices) ...and I opted for the key lime eggs benedict... scrumptious!!! We will be going back on our next trip! It really was a very pleasant surprise!!!

That is what I heard about The Wave in July. We were waiting for the launch at CR chatting with a couple who raved about it! We considered it for a dinner but chose Kona instead and replaced one of the GF Café breakfasts with The Wave. (Have a couple more I can switch out!) We had originally taken Kona off our list because we had heard "the wall" barrier didn't extend to the ceiling. After visiting in July and seeing it did indeed to all the way up, it has been added back!

I added a 1900 Park Faire but I am thinking about replacing it too but not because of the food. I'm weighing the food vs excitable kids and characters vs grumpy DH Might do him good though!

Liz

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Good afternoon everyone! 41 days until we're checking in at SL! In fact, we're already playing the "guess what we'll be doing 41 days from right now.... eating at Gaspies/riding Splash Mountain/enjoying an adult beverage in World Showcase/etc" game.

I do have a GF question... how late are the pools open? Maybe I'm dreaming, but I seem to remember them being open 24/7?? With the earlier park closings during our trip we're hoping for some late night pool time.

Hi! We checked in yesterday at GP RCP. Our flight arrived at 1:45pm and we went straight to ME and we made it to GF about 2:50pm. We were the 2nd stop, which surprised me as we are always the 3rd. Our luggage did not arrive until almost 8pm.

I decided not to tell DH about the refurb after all. Wanted to see his reaction. He (or I should say "we") didn't hate it as much as I thought we would. The colors aren't as bold in person. The rooms as well, I was expecting a bright red but it's not. It is more like a brick color. However, the wood pieces don't seem to match in color (some dark and some light). The rug is nice and the deluxe room does have a pullout couch. Today has been a very nice day. Epcot seemed empty. Will take pictures and try to post when we return. We'll be here until 8/26 and then we'll be at CR Atrium CL for the 1st time. Until then...



They told us the pools close at 11pm but it seems like it's not being enforced. We were there until late yesterday. Plan on going late tonight again. I'll see what happens and keep you posted.

BC1836 calling davale4: We'll be at desserts and cordials tonight at about 8:15. We'll be at the far table near the front of the GF. It's the only table in that area (since someone forgot to order enough tables; most went to Sugar Loaf).

We'll be with an author of Disney Legend Fess Parker, who starred as Davy Crockett.

All the best.

Hi everyone. Just booked RPC TPV for our trip next Summer. Very excited!! As my OCD planning has kicked in early (is it ever too early?!) I have a question I can't figure out! Where is the elevator in the main building to access RPC? I've seen the one in the hall by Gaspys but wasn't sure which one it is inside. Also does it stop on the second floor for the monorail or is it RPC access only? Just trying to get the logistics down! Thanks!

We're down to 20 days before our first stay at the Grand! Can't wait! We're staying Standard Room, Main Building. I called IPO with my room requests (my TA was supposed to do it for me, but didn't.) I asked for 4th floor, closest to Lounge with Pool View. (We are heavy sleepers, so noise won't be an issue. Our last 4 trips we stayed at The Polynesian, Hawaii building, and always asked, an got, the room closest to the lounge and had no problems.) Does anyone know what room numbers our requests would be? I'm trying to figure out where the rooms are when looking at the map and having a hard time.

I keep getting interrupted to the point where I'm logged out! I just wanted to say to those there: Hope you're having a Grand Time and thank you for the updates!

For those just booking: Congratulations! Let the planning begin

And those like me who wish time moved faster:

If I missed you, chalk it up to my lack of multi quote experience and assume you're included in one of the above

Hope everyone has a Grand day today!

Liz

 

[coopersmom]

The deluxe room does have a pullout couch.

Thanks for the update! Was this the queen deluxe or the king octagon deluxe? Was it an actual pull-out sofa or a daybed like the regular rooms have (AKA a twin-bed sized sofa)?

And, just to verify, this was in RPC, correct? I ask because I don't know if the outer building deluxe rooms did or did not previously have day/sofa beds.

 

[disney meema]

Off topic, but have you ever been to Sprinkles? I fell in love with them when we were in Cali a few years ago, and now we have one in Atlanta~ I'm really enjoying the onsite reports...it's making me more excited earlier about going this fall!

Good Morning Granny : ) I love off topics .... Yes we love love Sprinkles just went there 3 weeks ago in Newport Beach ... Yum! Nothing like their cupcakes anywhere for sure! Fabulous they added a location to Atlanta by you for sure.
I agree with you the onsite reports are making me excited about my trip as well ... If we can't be there we can live vicariously through the updates : )
Also I've been curious about your user name if you don't mind me asking ... I'm a wrong to assume your a grandmother by your Grannyminnie name? My name to my grandkiddies is Meema and so I thought I could remember the name easy when I first became joined before lurking for several years for information.

 

[disney meema]

We reached our 60 day mark Saturday and I'm back in the Fastpass + nightmare. DH really HATES this new system as he feels like it restricts what we can do. I keep telling him we can change it at ANY time up until the first Fastpass time and more importantly...the old system is GONE! I've decided to get them for only the days I know we are in THAT park. That leaves half the days for him to be "spontaneous" and I'll make FP on the way there! Our food exploration this trip is Breakfast, particularly French Toast and snacks! We have so far: CRT, GF Café, The Wave, Kona, and Captain's Grill (YC) for breakfast. We have already visited Trail's End and Whispering Canyon. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to add more. Our current food strategy is Breakfast, snacking for lunch, then a nice late dinner. I saw some awesome suggestions for snacks in here as well that have been added to the list. We were thinking of the cream puff from BoG but I'm not sure you can still walk up during lunch? DH read about the Cakecup at Cheshire Cat and he's got that on his list. Hopefully it's still there! Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also does anyone have any experience with the Memory Maker? We have 4 in our party (different resorts) for 4 days then just the 2 of us for the other 6. Is it possible to add them onto the memory maker? I'm a bit confused with it in MDE as it seems to say it "reassigns (I took that to mean gives away my rights like it does tickets) to other people. I may have to sign up for the Memory Maker course when I check in! Thanks for any help! Just when I think I can relax and let time pass, something else pops up! Liz

Yippee on hitting the below 60 day mark !!! I'm also not a fan of the idea of planning rides two months before out trip as well, but everyone who has done it says it's really amazing and works so well so I just we just go for it and see for our selfs : )
I think you have amazing breakfast plans during your trip and some of our favorites. As far as adding another breakfast Boma is very good at AKL if your headed to the wild side of WDW to Ak it might work for you.
Not much help with memory maker since I've always been kind of a dumb dumb and got a ticket when pictures we're taken and bought the pictures on site plus bought the CD. This upcoming trip I did buy the memory maker and I think with it connected to your magic band it is quite easy ... But no first hand experience to speak of to answer your question.
We hit the 80 day mark today : )

 

[disney meema]

Liz Food talk...my favorite!! Sounds like a wonderful plan...There are so many great CS options for lunch... And as for the snack list...lol..so many things to try...with a late dinner seems like you will have plenty of time... From your breakfast ressies..we have in the past and always enjoy CF Cafe..and Kona too...recently we tried the Wave for breakfast..had only had dinner here before ..which is good..but I feel better options around the monorail resorts...Our Wave breakfast was terrific!! DD had the buffet ( lots of good choices) ...and I opted for the key lime eggs benedict... scrumptious!!! We will be going back on our next trip! It really was a very pleasant surprise!!!

Oh BlueSkies Key lime eggs benedict jumped off the iPad at me ... Oh my goodness must head to the wave for breakfast Thanks for the recommendation even if it wasn't for me I'm taking it : )

And sorry everyone the non multi quoting challenged poster continues on ....yikes! ((( hanging my head in shame here )))

 

[marlaine8]

Thank you so much BlueSkies, k&a&c'smom and TinkerBellLiz! With the actual room numbers, I can find them on the map and figure out the lay of the land! I really appreciate how helpful all of you are! I'm sure I'll have more questions before we leave, but when we get back I'll be sure to report back! I will be looking at the resort with new eyes as we've never stayed there before. I'm sure it'll be pure AWESOMENESS!!!

 

[ninafeliz]

Deluxe king RPC room 4201



I asked the bell hop if he had a chain saw. He said he hears that often but if I take elevator down and go out in front of gaspies there is a great view.

If I leave my MKV room I can see the castle

This worries/irritates/upsets me! I'm not sure of the word I'm looking for, but it makes me unhappy

We have a deluxe king RPC room booked for September, and after getting all of the great information from all of you on this thread I found out about the octagon rooms with more space but no balcony vs the second floor rooms with no extra space but a MK view and a balcony. After a LOT of internal debate (I'm a worrier and indecisive ) ,and then discussion with my husband, we opted to request (I do realize it is just a request) a MK view room. I really liked the idea of more room, but my husband really, really wants a view of wishes and I just hate the idea of no balcony. So I requested a MK view, despite the odd way to access the rooms on the second floor and the lack of extra room. Now I see this view. This to me seems to be the worst of both worlds. No MK view, and no extra space. Plus the difficulty to access that floor. If we happen to get that room I will be unhappy, and request a change to any other king deluxe room, even if it means waiting a day and changing rooms(which I think it a huge pain, as we always unpack everything and really spread out for the 8 nights).

Do you think I should just leave my room request at Magic Kingdom view, or add anything more specific (such as not room 4201 )? I also saw pictures of a couple of the octagon rooms that I guess do have views of the castle and wishes, which would be ok (I'll give no balcony a try if we still have that view), so it seems that there are more rooms that fit our request than don't, right?

Any thought appreciated for this over-thinker

 

[trishadono]

This worries/irritates/upsets me! I'm not sure of the word I'm looking for, but it makes me unhappy

We have a deluxe king RPC room booked for September, and after getting all of the great information from all of you on this thread I found out about the octagon rooms with more space but no balcony vs the second floor rooms with no extra space but a MK view and a balcony. After a LOT of internal debate (I'm a worrier and indecisive ) ,and then discussion with my husband, we opted to request (I do realize it is just a request) a MK view room. I really liked the idea of more room, but my husband really, really wants a view of wishes and I just hate the idea of no balcony. So I requested a MK view, despite the odd way to access the rooms on the second floor and the lack of extra room. Now I see this view. This to me seems to be the worst of both worlds. No MK view, and no extra space. Plus the difficulty to access that floor. If we happen to get that room I will be unhappy, and request a change to any other king deluxe room, even if it means waiting a day and changing rooms(which I think it a huge pain, as we always unpack everything and really spread out for the 8 nights).

Do you think I should just leave my room request at Magic Kingdom view, or add anything more specific (such as not room 4201 )? I also saw pictures of a couple of the octagon rooms that I guess do have views of the castle and wishes, which would be ok (I'll give no balcony a try if we still have that view), so it seems that there are more rooms that fit our request than don't, right?

Any thought appreciated for this over-thinker

I truly would ask for "any room except 4201" .

I did have the octagon room in November with our room towards the monorail side. View was not great, but good. We could see VGF, poly, monorail etc.

This was view:



Sorry not the best pic but it gives you an idea what to expect.

 

[disfan07]

We just got back from Disney last night and we spent our last 2 nights at GF. OMG....I am in love with that place!!

We started our trip at POR for 4 nights. The 2 nights at GF were a splurge but we all left wishing we could have done all 6 nights there.

Check-in: amazing. We did online check-in and we were met outside the front entrance by a CM who walked us to the registration desk. Extremely nice and helpful CMs. Our room was ready when we got there around 10am (transferred from POR that morning) and they were able to meet our building request. Registration was quick, efficient, and very very nice. At that point I just could not believe we were actually there!

Side note: we used the luggage transfer service from POR to GF. We were told the bags would be there by 3. What we were told was that if it rains it can slow down luggage transfer. Luckily we all brought our clothes for Citricos with us because we did not get our bags until about 1:30am when we got from EMH at MK because someone has to be in the room. All we know is that when we left for MK around 8, our bags were still not there. So just a warning about that if you plan to transfer bags if you do a split stay.

Room: I had requested Boca Chica or Sago Cay (I think). We paid for a garden view and our view was amazing. We got our request of Boca Chica, 4th floor, room 8426. We had an amazing view of the courtyard, pool, and the other lodge buildings. Completely unobstructed view. The room was very clean and very nice. We did have a problem with the bathroom door sticking a little bit but we called to tell them and they sent someone to fix it while we went to lunch. Just an amazing room. Very classy but not over the top.

Dining: we dined at gasparilla Grill 6 times and Citricos 2 times. All the food was wonderful. The food at Gasparilla was definitely better than usual QS food. I have a list of about 21 food allergies and the 2 managers who helped me there (1 during breakfast, another during lunch/dinner) were outstanding. They remember me after the first meeting and were so nice and helpful. And the food was wonderful.
Now Citricos....this is just another level all together. Same chef both nights and the food was beyond amazing. The first night I got the ribeye filet with sautéed carrots and an olive oil and garlic potato mash. Mouthwatering! The nod night I got the chicken with the same potato mash and sautéed mushrooms with a sauce that the chef just came up with because none of the other sauces were safe. I told him that sauce should be on the regular menu! I left pleasantly stuffed from both meals! And the service was amazing in general!

Pools: we only used the courtyard pool and it was crowded but nothing to bad. We were always able to find lounge chairs and it always seemed so peaceful even when it was crowded. Did get cleared out both days we were there because of thunder but it was wonderful and so relaxing.

General resort grounds: we've visited the hotel before but never really walked to grounds. AMAZING!! I can't believe how well kept everything is. It really did feel like a top notch resort with the Disney service. Everyone we encountered there (bell hops, maintenance, managers, grounds keep, etc) were all so nice. The service was just way beyond expectations. And we also did the walk from the GF to the Poly who he as amazing. Never realized how close they were to each other!

Side note: speaking of the Poly. We walked through the resort and it is honestly not that bad. The construction (at least to us) was not very noticeable. If we had not really be interested in spending a lot of time at the pool. We would have been very happy staying there. And the new Capt Cooks is very very nice. I think when it's all done it will look great.

Overall, we had an amazing trip. POR was great but GF really was above and beyond what we ever expected and it is definitely my new favorite resort.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

This worries/irritates/upsets me! I'm not sure of the word I'm looking for, but it makes me unhappy

We have a deluxe king RPC room booked for September, and after getting all of the great information from all of you on this thread I found out about the octagon rooms with more space but no balcony vs the second floor rooms with no extra space but a MK view and a balcony. After a LOT of internal debate (I'm a worrier and indecisive ) ,and then discussion with my husband, we opted to request (I do realize it is just a request) a MK view room. I really liked the idea of more room, but my husband really, really wants a view of wishes and I just hate the idea of no balcony. So I requested a MK view, despite the odd way to access the rooms on the second floor and the lack of extra room. Now I see this view. This to me seems to be the worst of both worlds. No MK view, and no extra space. Plus the difficulty to access that floor. If we happen to get that room I will be unhappy, and request a change to any other king deluxe room, even if it means waiting a day and changing rooms(which I think it a huge pain, as we always unpack everything and really spread out for the 8 nights).

Do you think I should just leave my room request at Magic Kingdom view, or add anything more specific (such as not room 4201 )? I also saw pictures of a couple of the octagon rooms that I guess do have views of the castle and wishes, which would be ok (I'll give no balcony a try if we still have that view), so it seems that there are more rooms that fit our request than don't, right?

Any thought appreciated for this over-thinker

Thank you so much BlueSkies, k&a&c'smom and TinkerBellLiz! With the actual room numbers, I can find them on the map and figure out the lay of the land! I really appreciate how helpful all of you are! I'm sure I'll have more questions before we leave, but when we get back I'll be sure to report back! I will be looking at the resort with new eyes as we've never stayed there before. I'm sure it'll be pure AWESOMENESS!!!

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

We booked the Deluxe King. Since we would prefer more room, our request was pretty simple: A Turret Room preferably 4021. Least favorite choice would be 4201.

So I'm in the "wait and see" mode now! By my calculations we have a 1 in 15 chance of a dream room and a 1 in 15 chance of 4201. Also a 6 in 15 chance of a Turret and 9 in 15 chance of a room over Gaspies.

I haven't looked into any other category so I can't give odds on those! Hope this is of some help.



Liz

 

[coopersmom]

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

We booked the Deluxe King. Since we would prefer more room, our request was pretty simple: A Turret Room preferably 4021. Least favorite choice would be 4201.

So I'm in the "wait and see" mode now! By my calculations we have a 1 in 15 chance of a dream room and a 1 in 15 chance of 4201. Also a 6 in 15 chance of a Turret and 9 in 15 chance of a room over Gaspies.

I haven't looked into any other category so I can't give odds on those! Hope this is of some help.

Liz

Sounds pretty expert to me.

I'm going soon, too, with the same room category and here's what I pieced together from the helpful people in this thread, regarding "deluxe" rooms in the main building (RPC) ...

KING (see floor plans below)

Six "turret" or "octagon" rooms, roughly 648 sq. ft. each. No balconies. Three these rooms with monorail views and three with listed "lagoon" views from which you can see fireworks. The room numbers of the king turret deluxe rooms that have at least some castle view has been listed here as: 4021, 4421, 4321.

The rest of the king "deluxe" designated rooms, nine in total, king "deluxe" rooms are all on the "hidden" second floor, accessible by the bird cage elevator, and feature "theme park views." These used to be called the honeymoon suites and are basically the same size as the standard Grand rooms. All feature a jacuzzi tub, something not in a regular room, and a balcony, in addition to the view.

QUEEN (see floor plans below)

Six queen deluxe rooms, on the third and fourth floors, all roughly the same size (634 feet), though they come in two different configurations. All have either lagoon (can not see the parks) or pool views.

The more triangle shaped rooms have a large double balcony with a view of the beach and pool, and a large, separate "foyer" area that has a wet bar (sink, fridge), along with the closet, which separates the sleeping area from the bathroom. These are rooms 4322 and 4422*.

*Note we stayed in room 4422 and liked it. Lots of space and loved the large balcony. Plenty of room for a rollaway, if needed, either in the foyer area or along the wall next to the sliding balcony door.

The squarer-shaped Queen deluxes have the wet bar in the sleeping area, standard-sized balcony and an over-sized garden tub (non jacuzzi). They are much wider, but not as deep as the others, and can actually fit a rollaway bed NEXT to the two queen beds. Those room numbers are: 4319,4419,4320,4420.

A recent poster noted that, post-renovation, RPC deluxe rooms now have fold-out sofa beds. In the past they just had non-covertible loveseats.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Sounds pretty expert to me.

I'm going soon, too, with the same room category and here's what I pieced together from the helpful people in this thread, regarding "deluxe" rooms in the main building (RPC) ...

KING (see floor plans below)

Six "turret" or "octagon" rooms, roughly 648 sq. ft. each. No balconies. Three these rooms with monorail views and three with listed "lagoon" views from which you can see fireworks. The room numbers of the king turret deluxe rooms that have at least some castle view has been listed here as: 4021, 4421, 4321.

The rest of the king "deluxe" designated rooms, which I've seen listed as either six or nine, king "deluxe" rooms are all on the "hidden" second floor, accessible by the bird cage elevator, and feature "theme park views." These used to be called the honeymoon suites and are basically the same size as the standard Grand rooms. All feature a jacuzzi tub, something not in a regular room, and a balcony, in addition to the view.

QUEEN (see floor plans below)

Six queen deluxe rooms, on the third and fourth floors, all roughly the same size (634 feet), though they come in two different configurations. All have either lagoon (can not see the parks) or pool views.

The more triangle shaped rooms have a large double balcony with a view of the beach and pool, and a large, separate "foyer" area that has a wet bar (sink, fridge), along with the closet, which separates the sleeping area from the bathroom. These are rooms 4322 and 4422*.

*Note we stayed in room 4422 and liked it. Lots of space and loved the large balcony. Plenty of room for a rollaway, if needed, either in the foyer area or along the wall next to the sliding balcony door.

The squarer-shaped Queen deluxes have the wet bar in the sleeping area, standard-sized balcony and an over-sized garden tub (non jacuzzi). They are much wider, but not as deep as the others, and can actually fit a rollaway bed NEXT to the two queen beds. Those room numbers are: 4319,4419,4320,4420.

A recent poster noted that, post-renovation, RPC deluxe rooms now have fold-out sofa beds. In the past they just had non-covertible loveseats.

This is what I'm talking about! GF folks are the BESTEST! Thank you coopersmom

Liz

 

[trishadono]

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

We booked the Deluxe King. Since we would prefer more room, our request was pretty simple: A Turret Room preferably 4021. Least favorite choice would be 4201.

So I'm in the "wait and see" mode now! By my calculations we have a 1 in 15 chance of a dream room and a 1 in 15 chance of 4201. Also a 6 in 15 chance of a Turret and 9 in 15 chance of a room over Gaspies.

I haven't looked into any other category so I can't give odds on those! Hope this is of some help.



Liz

I am so much the same!!!

It is the luck of the draw. That's why I did not insist on moving. Last time I did get the 5th floor octagon (huge ceiling) and figured it was only fair. However, if you pay extra for more space or MKV then I think for that price that's what you should get. They would be smart to change that one room to a std main building.

Good luck! Hope you get what you wish for

 

[ninafeliz]

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

We booked the Deluxe King. Since we would prefer more room, our request was pretty simple: A Turret Room preferably 4021. Least favorite choice would be 4201.

So I'm in the "wait and see" mode now! By my calculations we have a 1 in 15 chance of a dream room and a 1 in 15 chance of 4201. Also a 6 in 15 chance of a Turret and 9 in 15 chance of a room over Gaspies.

I haven't looked into any other category so I can't give odds on those! Hope this is of some help.




Liz

So the way I figure it, we have an 8/15 chance of a room on the second floor with a MK view (eliminating 4201, with the tree view), a 3/15 chance of a turret room with a slightly less desireable MK view, and a 4/15 chance of no MK view at all (4201 and the 3 other turret rooms). This gives me a 11/15 chance of a room with at least some view of the MK and wishes, so that doesn't seem too bad. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Maybe I will alter my request to read MK/wishes view, not 4201. I tried not to get too specific, we just want to be able to see wishes from the room (I think we'll be missing the wishes view from the Poly CL room, which is what we've had the past couple of visits. That had sound as well and we loved it, particularly Hallowishes, which we'll be there for again this year! )

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Or it lends credence to the rumor Jim Hill floated recently that they're planning to turn part of the Grand main building into concierge DVC villas.



Best cupcakes I've ever had, bar none, are Sweet by Holly, in Orlando. No affiliation. Just saw a recommend on the boards here years ago and they've become a part of our Disney routine. They deliver to the resorts. Not cheap, but worth every single penny.

Hmmm...I'm kind of surprised by that rumor, as with AKL, they did the changeover at the time of the DVC build. There was something posted way back that gave an indication the powers that be had nixed the idea of DVC CL at the VGF - but that doesn't mean they can't change their minds.

I saw your recommendation of Sweet by Holly on one of your dining reports way back, and have it noted. This trip, the girls and I will be driving down from DC, so I've thought we might stop there to grab some snacks for the room. Your Wine Barn recommendation is noted, too, thanks! We will probably bring our own wine/beer with us, but who knows?

We reached our 60 day mark Saturday and I'm back in the Fastpass + nightmare. DH really HATES this new system as he feels like it restricts what we can do. I keep telling him we can change it at ANY time up until the first Fastpass time and more importantly...the old system is GONE! I've decided to get them for only the days I know we are in THAT park. That leaves half the days for him to be "spontaneous" and I'll make FP on the way there!


Also does anyone have any experience with the Memory Maker? We have 4 in our party (different resorts) for 4 days then just the 2 of us for the other 6. Is it possible to add them onto the memory maker? I'm a bit confused with it in MDE as it seems to say it "reassigns (I took that to mean gives away my rights like it does tickets) to other people. I may have to sign up for the Memory Maker course when I check in!

Thanks for any help! Just when I think I can relax and let time pass, something else pops up!

Liz

Ooh, what's the Cake cup? We'll have to look for that, lol.

What I decided to do as far as FP+ was to go ahead and make them for the days we hope to be at each park, and if we get there and get our favorites done earlier, change/cancel the FPs. I figured, no reason not to at least get some, as you can change them as you go. You can still be spontaneous that way, but have a back up in case the lines shut you out of your favorites.

Wish I had some insight with the MM, but I never have used it, sorry.

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k&a&c'smom Seems like you like to keep track of room numbers too...In my case it might be considered a room number obsession..lol...Should I even admit that I have a list ...lol...started it years ago..of rooms that I like and didn't..( like the ones with the special tree view ..lol... ) ..And I know that you will be adding to that picture collection very soon!!!

Let me just say thanks again though...for the comprehensive info available here....complete with pictures..lots and lots of pictures!

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~No new info from me today....except that we may be taking a quick trip next month...just to see all that is new and exciting...maybe a little F&W...a visit to DHS to see the Frozen happenings....

Hope that everyone is having a terrific Tuesday!!!

Aww, thanks for the kind words. LOL about adding to the picture collection! I have so many photos, you wouldn't think I'd need any more, but I always find "just one more" to add.

Yes, I definitely have a list - for all the resorts we stay in. For many years, I didn't keep it in a handy dandy list, I just had all my old folios to reference. I still have those cluttering up my desk, but now I've got many room numbers in a Word document.

From your breakfast ressies..we have in the past and always enjoy CF Cafe..and Kona too...recently we tried the Wave for breakfast..had only had dinner here before ..which is good..but I feel better options around the monorail resorts...Our Wave breakfast was terrific!! DD had the buffet ( lots of good choices) ...and I opted for the key lime eggs benedict... scrumptious!!! We will be going back on our next trip! It really was a very pleasant surprise!!!

Key lime eggs benedict?!? I'm intrigued - these are two of my all time favorite things, I can't imagine how they go together. Do tell!

I'm going to have to try the Wave, everyone has raved about that place. It's hard for me to add another moderate restaurant in our monorail rotation, lol, we love GFC and Kona so much.

Thanks for the update! Was this the queen deluxe or the king octagon deluxe? Was it an actual pull-out sofa or a daybed like the regular rooms have (AKA a twin-bed sized sofa)?

And, just to verify, this was in RPC, correct? I ask because I don't know if the outer building deluxe rooms did or did not previously have day/sofa beds.

I'm pretty sure davale posted she is in RPC.

Thank you so much BlueSkies, k&a&c'smom and TinkerBellLiz! With the actual room numbers, I can find them on the map and figure out the lay of the land! I really appreciate how helpful all of you are! I'm sure I'll have more questions before we leave, but when we get back I'll be sure to report back! I will be looking at the resort with new eyes as we've never stayed there before. I'm sure it'll be pure AWESOMENESS!!!

This worries/irritates/upsets me! I'm not sure of the word I'm looking for, but it makes me unhappy

We have a deluxe king RPC room booked for September, and after getting all of the great information from all of you on this thread I found out about the octagon rooms with more space but no balcony vs the second floor rooms with no extra space but a MK view and a balcony. After a LOT of internal debate (I'm a worrier and indecisive ) ,and then discussion with my husband, we opted to request (I do realize it is just a request) a MK view room. I really liked the idea of more room, but my husband really, really wants a view of wishes and I just hate the idea of no balcony. So I requested a MK view, despite the odd way to access the rooms on the second floor and the lack of extra room. Now I see this view. This to me seems to be the worst of both worlds. No MK view, and no extra space. Plus the difficulty to access that floor. If we happen to get that room I will be unhappy, and request a change to any other king deluxe room, even if it means waiting a day and changing rooms(which I think it a huge pain, as we always unpack everything and really spread out for the 8 nights).

Do you think I should just leave my room request at Magic Kingdom view, or add anything more specific (such as not room 4201 )? I also saw pictures of a couple of the octagon rooms that I guess do have views of the castle and wishes, which would be ok (I'll give no balcony a try if we still have that view), so it seems that there are more rooms that fit our request than don't, right?

Any thought appreciated for this over-thinker

Since you make room requests through IPO for CL rooms, I suggest you call and discuss your concerns with them. They will certainly add your caveat you do NOT want 4201 - I wouldn't get too worried about it. Even if you did get that room, you will know the minute they give you the room number and can request another.

Believe me, I understand your qualms. We have a std. YC room booked, with no option to upgrade due to our discount - I'm so afraid of getting the worst of the worst! As I posted yesterday, this is my luck.

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

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Liz

Nope, you are NOT wrong. Your odds calculations rock, btw, love it.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

I am so much the same!!!

It is the luck of the draw. That's why I did not insist on moving. Last time I did get the 5th floor octagon (huge ceiling) and figured it was only fair. However, if you pay extra for more space or MKV then I think for that price that's what you should get. They would be smart to change that one room to a std main building.

Good luck! Hope you get what you wish for

I agree about the Tree View Room being in the wrong category! I think DH would react worse than me with that view! But as k&a&c'smom says we know the room number and can right then ask for a different one!

So the way I figure it, we have an 8/15 chance of a room on the second floor with a MK view (eliminating 4201, with the tree view), a 3/15 chance of a turret room with a slightly less desireable MK view, and a 4/15 chance of no MK view at all (4201 and the 3 other turret rooms). This gives me a 11/15 chance of a room with at least some view of the MK and wishes, so that doesn't seem too bad. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Maybe I will alter my request to read MK/wishes view, not 4201. I tried not to get too specific, we just want to be able to see wishes from the room (I think we'll be missing the wishes view from the Poly CL room, which is what we've had the past couple of visits. That had sound as well and we loved it, particularly Hallowishes, which we'll be there for again this year! )

I like your odds calculation better!

Ooh, what's the Cake cup? We'll have to look for that, lol.

I downloaded the Ears and Beers app for DH on his iPad so when he got me a sub to Disney Food Blog which I'm reading now! Linky for Cake Cup:

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/07/28/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate-in-disney-snacks-vol-ii/

I'm devouring it right now (and wiping drool off my iPad!)

Hope everyone has a Grand evening!

Liz

 

[BC1836]

I'm by no means an expert which is why I was SO thrilled to find this board None of the room choices are made easy because of some numbering weirdness that uses X0XX for the 5th floor instead of X5XX. (Someone correct me if I am wrong on this!)

Liz

The suites wing on the fifth floor (where we are now) consists of three two-bedroom suites (4008, which includes a turret room; 4005 and 4002 (both of which include three balconies) and the Presidential/Grand Suite (4001).

Alas, we are not sure about the "numbering weirdenss" that you noted. Please advise.

All the best.