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

[k&a&c'smom]

Question - about how long does it take to get to GF on ME? What's the average and what's the best/worst case?

My family is arriving in the morning but my mother is flying in and arriving at Orlando at 4:30pm. At that time I think she'll need to pick up her own luggage right? (Or it might arrive pretty late?) I'm trying to figure out dinner reservation plans
Thanks!

Is this something new? Last I heard, you could get your bags delivered clear up to very late at night. I think they say to allow about 3 hours for the delivery, so if you needed it before then she can pick them up if she prefers.

GF has always been the last stop on the ME bus whenever we have used it. I think the best case is about 1-1/2 hours; worst - we once arrived at the Grand 3 hours after our plane landed. But that was an 11:00 p.m. landing, so that is not likely at 4:30.

HTH!

 

[JaimeK]

Is this something new? Last I heard, you could get your bags delivered clear up to very late at night. I think they say to allow about 3 hours for the delivery, so if you needed it before then she can pick them up if she prefers.

GF has always been the last stop on the ME bus whenever we have used it. I think the best case is about 1-1/2 hours; worst - we once arrived at the Grand 3 hours after our plane landed. But that was an 11:00 p.m. landing, so that is not likely at 4:30.

HTH!

Didn't mean to panic you! No you still CAN get the bag delivery up until some very late hour, just a question on if you want to, if the bag arrives hours later.

I mixed up my time info, my mom arrives at 6:30pm so no way would she meet us for dinner. She should be there for fireworks at least!

 

[misskerri]

Our adult older son took DME a day after we arrived and arrived in the evening....He physically retrieved his checked bag and brought it on the bus...

As for your mother, another option might be, pack a carryon bag for anything else she may need for the evening and save her some "muscle power" and time waiting for the baggage carousel and have her luggage brought to her room later in the evening. I have read that Bell Services will bring it to your room even if you are not present in the room!

Good Luck!

They will bring it even if you're not there. They'll also bring it at 1am. Ask me how I know...

 

[mickeynut1]

Leaving tomorrow...I should start packing.

Have a great trip .

Agreed

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Exactly that's what he should be concerned about and probably what he was secretly trying to say

LOL....now I'm going to have that song in my head all day .

Yes, he should be worried about himself not wanting to stay anywhere else .

There are times when I regret deciding to make the move from WL, as well. I was so excited for the kids to have those bunk beds! But we couldn't resist the free upgrade to the GF (well, my husband couldn't, anway...I was still leaning towards taking the $50/night credit to stay at WL), and so here we are. I am cautiously looking forward to it, since we probably never would have sprung for a room at a monorail resort, otherwise. I figure we'll just go to Yellowstone at some point, and stay at Old Faithful Inn, which is the lodge that WL is modeled after.

I think you will enjoy the GF . We have loved every resort we've stayed at and the WL is one of our favorites, but we also love the GF for different reasons .

I just said this same thing to DD, I am so looking forward to our YC trip next month but don't want to wish our summer away.

That's the one thing that's hard about late summer trips. You can't wait to be at Disney, but that also means summer is quickly coming to an end .

My family is arriving in the morning but my mother is flying in and arriving at Orlando at 4:30pm. At that time I think she'll need to pick up her own luggage right? (Or it might arrive pretty late?) I'm trying to figure out dinner reservation plans
Thanks!

Your mom can get her own luggage if she wants to, but the service is still available at the time she is arriving as only arrivals after 10 pm (and before 5 am, I think) do not have luggage service. With that said, it can take a few hours before luggage arrives at your resort, so if there are certain things your mom wants/needs to have handy without packing a carry on, she would be better off getting it herself. If she decides to get it herself, just make sure she doesn't put the DME luggage tags on, otherwise, it will go through DME.

 

[jerseygal]

WOW, 3 HOURS IS CRAZY!

That shoots the day for us...We arrive at 12:15 on a Saturday...I am hoping for 1 1/2 hours to GFV!!!

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Well, I'm going to try to answer/comment on a few posts, if I can stop laughing long enough to wipe the tears from my eyes! cattywampus, your story takes the cake - hysterical!! I, too, will be laughing all day.



You are most welcome! You are sooo right, you are going to have a hard time going back after seeing gay Par-ee...or, I mean, RPC!

Looking forward to your trip report and photos.



Ohhh, I can so relate! I just said this same thing to DD, I am so looking forward to our YC trip next month but don't want to wish our summer away.



Sounds like your family is very similar to ours - 3 kids with 4 years between them. We have a 2300 mile r/t drive from here in Mid-Mo, and oh, what a fun time we had all those years of family trips.



Welcome! You've already gotten great answers, but I wanted to say - absolutely, ask any questions!! It's what why we are here.

You're going to love RPC, no matter which room category you choose. In my opinion, the GF rooms are pretty big anyway, so if you want to save the extra charges, just keep your std. room. Very pretty views and none are far from the lounge.



I know - I so wish we had gotten that color scheme and general look in the resort rooms. Little did I know at the time!

Good luck with your date search.



O.M.G. Another injury?!? And your DD. I don't blame you for wanting to use bubble wrap!! You poor thing, I hope this is the dark before the dawn and from here on out, everything goes smoothly for you and your family and you have the best trip ever!













I can't tell you if you did the right thing, and I certainly understand your regret at having to switch from a beloved resort. With the MCAT (good luck, btw) stress, it's no wonder.

I think you will love the GF.




Tomorrow!! Wooohooo!!! Safe travels - and yes, get that packing done. HAHAHA!

Thanks ! I'm sure we will love it once we get there..but you are right, I'm probably a bit kooky right now with the stress

I don't know how to multi-quote, but thank you to the other poster who said they weren't sure either (Can you tell I'm good with names? LOL...) You also got the free upgrade? I think we are in the minority with that!

 

[misskerri]

Thanks ! I'm sure we will love it once we get there..but you are right, I'm probably a bit kooky right now with the stress

I don't know how to multi-quote, but thank you to the other poster who said they weren't sure either (Can you tell I'm good with names? LOL...) You also got the free upgrade? I think we are in the minority with that!

Yes, we were offered a couple different free upgrades when we called (AKL Savannah view deluxe studio, GF lagoon view, and I think the other one may have been Boardwalk). If the AKL room had been a bunk bed room, we may have opted for that instead. But the studio wasn't suited to our family, b/c one of the two beds is a full size sleeper sofa. Yuck.

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

I have a friend that ALWAYS has a story to make you feel better, so in his honor, I present this:

We are DLR vets and always stay at the Grand Californian. Since we always drive, we belong to the "Kitchen Sink Club" bringing everything from a large cooler to a box fan, along with four times the luggage needed for our average trip. Bell Services has never batted an eye. Definitely seen luggage carts with similar contents to what you describe.

Fast forward to when DS was 12-18 mos (I can't remember exact age). We were trying to transition him to a toddler bed set up in a small alcove in our room. For some reason, he started dragging the dogs bed into the toddler bed and sleeping in it!

Appropriately horrified, we tried everything to convince him not to. As anyone with that age child can tell you, that didn't work so, to make it slightly better (?), DH went and bought said child a brand new dogbed, which he happily slept in on his own bed. Yes, that's right -- our child slept in a dog bed.

Knowing that we were taking him on his first multiple day trip to the Grand Cali and also knowing that he tended to reject the unfamiliar at that age, we realized quickly that we had no real choice but to drag the darn dogbed with us.

So, we drive up to the valet and open the hatchback for bell services (suddenly the giant cooler, fan, and mountain of luggage doesn't seem all that bad) and tell the bellman that everything goes with us. He starts pulling everything out and loading the cart, until just the dog bed is remaining. He goes to write the ticket and DH has to say "we need the dog bed too". Bellman looks around (no doubt wondering where the dog is) and dutifully pulls out the dog bed and puts it on the cart looking confused but not saying a word. Trying to make things better, DH says "we don't have a dog. Our son just likes to sleep in it.". Although he might have been considering calling Child Protective Services, bellman just nodded and loaded it on the cart.

So yes, they have seen it all. Feel better?

OMG!!!!!!!!!! Laughing!

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Yes, we were offered a couple different free upgrades when we called (AKL Savannah view deluxe studio, GF lagoon view, and I think the other one may have been Old Key West). If the AKL room had been a bunk bed room, we may have opted for that instead. But the studio wasn't suited to our family, b/c one of the two beds is a full size sleeper sofa. Yuck.

We were offered AKL too - I don't like how far it is from the parks. That was where we were originally going to stay on our honeymoon last year before I found that out and switched to WL...

 

[misskerri]

We were offered AKL too - I don't like how far it is from the parks. That was where we were originally going to stay on our honeymoon last year before I found that out and switched to WL...

And I didn't really even consider AKL at all when I was originally booking b/c we have NO plans to even go to AK this time around, and AK would be the most convenient park.

 

[BlueSkies]

Leaving tomorrow...I should start packing.

...I think you do...and hurry!!! lol...

Thanks Blue! I'm so excited and all packed. I'll take lots of pictures for all the GF fans here.

Thanks abk.. Excited for you too!! Looking foward to the pics!!

I hope it is sooner than later, too.

Sorry about the BOG reservation, good luck!

Me too.... As for BOG...I will just keep on tyring..things seem to pop up more often when I check during the middle of the nite...so occasionally insomnia can be a good thing....

Question - about how long does it take to get to GF on ME? What's the average and what's the best/worst case?

My family is arriving in the morning but my mother is flying in and arriving at Orlando at 4:30pm. At that time I think she'll need to pick up her own luggage right? (Or it might arrive pretty late?) I'm trying to figure out dinner reservation plans
Thanks!

ME typically takes about an hour..hour and a half tops..The route is usually WL ,CR, Poly then GF...but on a recent trip the order was changed up a bit with WL Poly GF CR...

WOW, 3 HOURS IS CRAZY!

That shoots the day for us...We arrive at 12:15 on a Saturday...I am hoping for 1 1/2 hours to GFV!!!

No worries jerseygal An hour or so is the norm....

~Wow lots of upgrades for the WL peeps due to the pool construction..wonder if peeps booked at the Poly were offered the same opportunities... haven't really heard too much about that from any around here... I guess as the saying goes..Squeaky wheel....

I would say to anyone trying the GF for the first due to construction at another resort..You are in for a treat..it is truly the flagship resort for a reason...

That being said...if there are things that you absolutely love about your "home" resort..I would think twice about changing...especially IF the things that you enjoy the most will not be affected...like your room..amenities..restaurants... We have tried other resorts from time to time...but our hearts are always at the GF....and we do always wonder why we decided too try something else...no matter how nice the stay...lol..

We have stayed at the GF during all phases of construction over the last few years..but for us..for example....the lovely lobby was still there for enjoyment..and most of the restaurants...We didn't choose to rent a cabana due to DVC noise..and the closed off beach...so we did alter our plans some..but the construction walls really didnt make too much of a difference..Gaspys was closed so QS was moved to to Mizners with modified hours..not such a big deal either IMO...

Just food for thought from someone who has stayed at a fave resort during all of those happenings and still found each stay magical....as I said JMO though..YMMV....

 

[grannyminnie]

Blue, what is this I am reading that you are planning on a "sooner rather than later" trip to check out the new decor?? Inquiring minds want to know! By the way, wise words above to those who are second-guessing their switching over from WL to GF (or anywhere else). For us, the wakeup was trying out the YC right before the GF, and just being so ready to check in to the GF! YC was nice, but it was not our first love!

 

[misskerri]

That being said...if there are things that you absolutely love about your "home" resort..I would think twice about changing...especially IF the things that you enjoy the most will not be affected...like your room..amenities..restaurants... We have tried other resorts from time to time...but our hearts are always at the GF....and we do always wonder why we decided too try something else...no matter how nice the stay...lol..

We don't have a home resort, since this is just our second trip. We were just looking forward to staying deluxe, and I thought Wilderness Lodge seemed the most family-friendly of the MK resorts (and it had the bunk bed rooms). But the pool being closed...that was a pretty big deal for us, obviously. My kids would not have been very happy, and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of traveling to another resort in order to have access to a feature pool.

I'm sure we will love GF! I probably have never stayed at such a nice hotel in my life. Heck, DH and I thought POR was probably the prettiest resort we'd ever stayed in when we were there last March. We might be easy to please. LOL.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Didn't mean to panic you! No you still CAN get the bag delivery up until some very late hour, just a question on if you want to, if the bag arrives hours later.

I mixed up my time info, my mom arrives at 6:30pm so no way would she meet us for dinner. She should be there for fireworks at least!

OK, gotcha! Well, too bad she will miss dinner with the fam, but arriving in time for Wishes is good.

WOW, 3 HOURS IS CRAZY!

That shoots the day for us...We arrive at 12:15 on a Saturday...I am hoping for 1 1/2 hours to GFV!!!

If you mean 12 noon, then I don't think you have anything to worry about. On the trip where it ended up being 3 hours, we arrived at 10:30 or 11:00 pm, and due to the late hour, had to wait for the bus to fill up. They added on the PO resorts to top it off, so we had 5 stops with ours being the last.

I sincerely doubt you will have any of those things affecting your ME trip. I just wanted to point out it has happened, as someone asked for "best and worst case scenario"!

Thanks ! I'm sure we will love it once we get there..but you are right, I'm probably a bit kooky right now with the stress

I don't know how to multi-quote, but thank you to the other poster who said they weren't sure either (Can you tell I'm good with names? LOL...) You also got the free upgrade? I think we are in the minority with that!

You are welcome. I can't imagine having such a tough test coming up, take care of yourself.

To multi-quote, look at the bottom right of the post you want to quote - there is a box with a quotation mark in it; click that for each post you want to quote, then hit the reply button like usual.

....

Me too.... As for BOG...I will just keep on tyring..things seem to pop up more often when I check during the middle of the nite...so occasionally insomnia can be a good thing....



ME typically takes about an hour..hour and a half tops..The route is usually WL ,CR, Poly then GF...but on a recent trip the order was changed up a bit with WL Poly GF CR...


....

Good point about the middle of the night, although sorry about the insomnia! DD often has it, too.

That is a weird route for the ME driver to take (WL - then bypass CR to go to Poly & GF, backtrack to CR...odd), wonder if he messed up and forgot the CR?!

I agree about the construction; we, too, have stayed at the Grand during all sorts of renovations, but I threw in the towel when they dug up the courtyard pool. Couldn't do it, lol, we skipped our fave that trip and waited until the new pool was opened. With so many rooms looking right down into the courtyard pool area, I couldn't take a chance we'd have to look at that mess. Not to mention, laying by the courtyard pool is a big part of our trip.

We don't have a home resort, since this is just our second trip. We were just looking forward to staying deluxe, and I thought Wilderness Lodge seemed the most family-friendly of the MK resorts (and it had the bunk bed rooms). But the pool being closed...that was a pretty big deal for us, obviously. My kids would not have been very happy, and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of traveling to another resort in order to have access to a feature pool.

I'm sure we will love GF! I probably have never stayed at such a nice hotel in my life. Heck, DH and I thought POR was probably the prettiest resort we'd ever stayed in when we were there last March. We might be easy to please. LOL.

The PO resorts ARE very lovely, such pretty landscaping. You will really enjoy that aspect of the Grand, the grounds are gorgeous.

I certainly understand about the pool, we could have booked the Poly for our upcoming stay at a killer rate, but that just won't happen. No way we'll go with the main pool demolished AND the GCH torn up. WL, either, as we can't do without a main pool and schlepping to another resort to swim is not my cup of tea.

 

[twoolle]

Sounds like your family is very similar to ours - 3 kids with 4 years between them. We have a 2300 mile r/t drive from here in Mid-Mo, and oh, what a fun time we had all those years of family HAHAHA!

Yes we do sound similar! We are also from MO, but we are about 50 miles west of STL.

We did online checking today and under our options it said to pick 2 room options. One of them was adjoining room(no connecting doors). But this one was already checked and could not be unchecked. It was the same on 3 out of 4 of our family's rooms. So my mom called the GF and they said to call 10 days before check in and give all our requests, since we want 2 sets of connecting rooms.

Question about the pools...are we allowed to bring our own adult beverages? We plan to bring one of those beach style cooler bags we got at sam's and add some ice and canned beer perhaps. Just wasn't sure if we can bring our own or if we should plan on buying from the bar. Although those fruity drinks on the menu picture sure looked good to me!

 

[mickeynut1]

As for BOG...I will just keep on tyring..things seem to pop up more often when I check during the middle of the nite...so occasionally insomnia can be a good thing....

~Wow lots of upgrades for the WL peeps due to the pool construction..wonder if peeps booked at the Poly were offered the same opportunities... haven't really heard too much about that from any around here... I guess as the saying goes..Squeaky wheel....

I would say to anyone trying the GF for the first due to construction at another resort..You are in for a treat..it is truly the flagship resort for a reason...

That being said...if there are things that you absolutely love about your "home" resort..I would think twice about changing...especially IF the things that you enjoy the most will not be affected...like your room..amenities..restaurants... We have tried other resorts from time to time...but our hearts are always at the GF....and we do always wonder why we decided too try something else...no matter how nice the stay...lol..

We have stayed at the GF during all phases of construction over the last few years..but for us..for example....the lovely lobby was still there for enjoyment..and most of the restaurants...We didn't choose to rent a cabana due to DVC noise..and the closed off beach...so we did alter our plans some..but the construction walls really didnt make too much of a difference..Gaspys was closed so QS was moved to to Mizners with modified hours..not such a big deal either IMO...

Just food for thought from someone who has stayed at a fave resort during all of those happenings and still found each stay magical....as I said JMO though..YMMV....

Definitely keep trying for BOG.....there's always a chance for something to open up, especially closer to your trip since everything needs a cc guarantee now .

I haven't heard of any Poly guests getting any kind of upgrades, either .

I agree that anyone trying the GF for the first time due to construction and/or pool closures are trying a great resort . For those that love the WL or Poly, the GF is a great alternative, IMO (and this from a HUGE Poly lover who also fell in love with the GF ). With that said, I think Disney does a great job of making sure guests enjoy their stays, even during construction. Yes, sometimes things are a huge mess, but Disney does the best they can and I think if a particular resort is a favorite, one can/will find the good in it, even if it means overlooking some construction (just my opinion ).

Blue, what is this I am reading that you are planning on a "sooner rather than later" trip to check out the new decor?? Inquiring minds want to know!

She's always up to something, isn't she .

We don't have a home resort, since this is just our second trip. We were just looking forward to staying deluxe, and I thought Wilderness Lodge seemed the most family-friendly of the MK resorts (and it had the bunk bed rooms). But the pool being closed...that was a pretty big deal for us, obviously. My kids would not have been very happy, and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of traveling to another resort in order to have access to a feature pool.

I'm sure we will love GF! I probably have never stayed at such a nice hotel in my life. Heck, DH and I thought POR was probably the prettiest resort we'd ever stayed in when we were there last March. We might be easy to please. LOL.

The WL is very family-friendly, but the GF is as well . Some people see it as too classy and upscale, but there are just as many kids running around the resort and it is just as Disney as any other resort. The WL and GF are totally different, but I think you will enjoy the GF .

To multi-quote, look at the bottom right of the post you want to quote - there is a box with a quotation mark in it; click that for each post you want to quote, then hit the reply button like usual.

Great instructions on how to multi-quote, very simple and to the point .

 

[BlueSkies]

Blue, what is this I am reading that you are planning on a "sooner rather than later" trip to check out the new decor?? Inquiring minds want to know! By the way, wise words above to those who are second-guessing their switching over from WL to GF (or anywhere else). For us, the wakeup was trying out the YC right before the GF, and just being so ready to check in to the GF! YC was nice, but it was not our first love!

grannieminnie What can I say..lol...Thinking maybe an end of summer or mid September quick trip..maybe ??? We shall see..or our fall trip will be a Poly (that DD of mine is really want to spread her wings) GF split...We always get that kind of "buyers remorse" when ever we switch things up..lol..and its not as if we don't like any of the resorts that we have tried..they are all wonderful...just not Grand...

We don't have a home resort, since this is just our second trip. We were just looking forward to staying deluxe, and I thought Wilderness Lodge seemed the most family-friendly of the MK resorts (and it had the bunk bed rooms). But the pool being closed...that was a pretty big deal for us, obviously. My kids would not have been very happy, and I wasn't thrilled with the idea of traveling to another resort in order to have access to a feature pool.

I'm sure we will love GF! I probably have never stayed at such a nice hotel in my life. Heck, DH and I thought POR was probably the prettiest resort we'd ever stayed in when we were there last March. We might be easy to please. LOL.

I really do get it about the pool...especially if you are pool peeps..we are too..but fortunately the GF has two..so one being refurbed was really not such an inconvenience..just less of a choice...Something tells me that after this stay the GF will end up being your "home resort too! Have a great trip!! I hope you will come back and let us all know what you think after your stay...

We did online checking today and under our options it said to pick 2 room options. One of them was adjoining room(no connecting doors). But this one was already checked and could not be unchecked. It was the same on 3 out of 4 of our family's rooms. So my mom called the GF and they said to call 10 days before check in and give all our requests, since we want 2 sets of connecting rooms.

Question about the pools...are we allowed to bring our own adult beverages? We plan to bring one of those beach style cooler bags we got at sam's and add some ice and canned beer perhaps. Just wasn't sure if we can bring our own or if we should plan on buying from the bar. Although those fruity drinks on the menu picture sure looked good to me!

Don't think that bringing your own beverages out to the pool would be a problem... I can say from experience that some of those fruity drinks on the bar menu a yummy..and refreshing..did I mention yummy! lol..

k&a&c'smom Boy that must have been some ME trip... Yikes! As for the change up of order on the ME route..I was so perplexed..!!!?? Maybe a new driver...we have never had the order changed up before..and of course for that trip our drop off was at the CR.... ...lol...

Oh the courtyard pool...we are still lamenting over the changes... and while as you know it still looks so nice..it was so much grander before..IMO...but changes will continue to happen..makes the world go round... !

During the construction of the CY pool...or re construction??? lol..We asked for a room with that view.. And had fun taking pics..and watching the changes happen...funny thing was in the evenings...when just the tall lamp posts were lit..you really didn't even notice the all that was going on..and the area looked almost as nice as usual... and now we do have some pretty cool before ,during and after pictures...

 

[BlueSkies]

Hey MickeyNut I see that we were posting at the same time...!

Yep..gonna keep trying for that BOG ressie...last trip I think that we got it at about a month before hand..You are right the CC guarantee has made availability improve....

 

[mickeynut1]

Hey MickeyNut I see that we were posting at the same time...!

Yep..gonna keep trying for that BOG ressie...last trip I think that we got it at about a month before hand..You are right the CC guarantee has made availability improve....

Yes, looks like we were both composing our novels at the same time .

Good luck with BOG, but I know you're going to get it .

 

[baler31]

We are back home for awhile following a two week Disney trip followed by 5 days at home to do laundry and an unexpected stay at the beach due to a last minute cancellation.

Anyway, after listing the twitter account for the Sugarloaf photos I promised a review and here goes. Do not let my review spoil your trip, I promise that I am extremely high maintenance and what bothers me would not bother the other 99% percent of the population. Also, keep in mind my review is based only on comparing Sugarloaf to RPC as prior to this trip we had only stayed RPC.

Our trip was our longest at two weeks and we began with 4 nights RPC followed by 10 in Sugarloaf. We were in a standard in RPC located on the 4th floor, for this stay I did not receive any of my requests which were no connecting door, quiet location, not on lounge floor. They did apologize profusely but indicated that not only were there no other rooms available but that due to the closure of RPC no other rooms were checking out so we were not able to move either. Luckily, we were not there for a very long time as the location and neighbors were very noisy. The lounge, food, staff were wonderful as always.

We checked into Sugarloaf as they were packing up the RPC and carts were being moved over to the newly renovated lounge. This was a tremendous amount of work in one day and the staff did a fabulous job getting everything ready for the next service in such a short amount of time.

We were granted our request of a tower room , the tower rooms now have daybeds(and I was told the dormers do as well, but I did not stay in one and cannot verify). While the decor was more generic upscale hotel, in person it did not bother me as much as in the photos. Perhaps because we did not have the mirror over the daybed that I find so odd and out of scale. The room was nice, the heat lamps in the bathroom are gone and yes I really miss that retro item. Loved the new lit makeup mirrors. Loved the "Once Upon A Time" pillow that was on a chair in our room, should be made available in one of the stores.

Well it was all downhill from there. I really disliked Sugarloaf, the best way I can describe it was chaotic. Very loud, not enough seating, staff right in the middle of the seating, guests in no shoes and sometimes no shirts. I felt like we were at a roadside Hampton Inn, the food service and lounge area seemed comparable if not more crowded at times. Now this was over a holiday weekend and I was told they were completely sold out and had guests from suites and some who were comp'ed due to reservation errors using the lounge.

They ran out of some categories of food every single day for at least one service and often multiple services. There was often a long line at the start of the evening and dessert service. If you waited until the last 45 minutes of service they were usually out of most of the items. Several days they ran out of the rolls and bread of all things. Much food was thrown away, It was not uncommon to see staff clearing 20 or more plates from one table. I have never seen this before. The staff could not clear the tables as they were constantly trying to replenish the food. The concierge staff had to run between assisting guests and trying to clean tables (or rather everyone but one concierge staff member did).

The highlight was the staff and most were members I knew from RPC, they worked tirelessly in attempting to assist guests with EVERYTHING, including food service. I did speak with one of the management to make them aware of the food service issues and point out that having to give my credit card to book tours etc, while people were eating within 2 feet of the concierge area was not the most ideal.

Transportation: Hit or miss, we never had any trouble early in the morning there were buses and boats running early. We actually took the monorail at 8:30 on July2nd and had no trouble being near the front underpass at the train station and I was surprised by that. Several days buses were very slow to show in the middle of the day and late in the evening leaving the parks.

We used the Spa and fitness centers as well as the marina for renting the water mice. This was our first spa visit since the remodel, it was very nice but I still prefer the spa at the Dolphin. We walked over to the Poly and even I was surprised at the mess over there. Not apparent until you get over towards GCH but wow after you enter.

The turndown cards were back, housekeeping was satisfactory in Sugarloaf but outstanding with Samang in RPC. The need to leave more paper coasters or the paper lids for the glasses or the wood topped furniture will be ruined quickly.

We would not return to Sugarloaf, we will continue to stay in RPC but if we were looking for a more budget friendly option we would simply book an Outer Building. I still love the GF but more and more the reasons are dwindling. The outstanding staff and location in relation to MK are the biggest factors at this point for us. Any questions please let me know.