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

[mickeynut1]

Here are some photos of RPC lounge area:

Thanks for the RPC pics, I never get tired of seeing pics of the GF grounds or RPC .

Here is a video of our room.

I apologize in advance for the video. I took a quick video when we arrived and it never occurred to me that I would be posting it so I am moving a bit quick in it and maybe a bit blurred at times. Sorry!

Queen Deluxe Main Building

Balcony View from Queen Deluxe Main Building

Great videos, thanks for sharing. That view is my favorite as I love looking out over the lagoon at the Poly, which I see is still visible even with the VGF building .

Thank you!

All the best.

Thanks for your live reports. Safe travels home .

I cannot like those turquoise velour chairs, yikes! The rest is OK, a bit bland (except for the loud carpet, lol) but the chairs, yeesh. Not much of a fan of the hard backed chairs, either, but I don't draw back in horror when I see them.

Exciting about the deluxe rooms, right?! Good luck with the May plans, I hope they work out. We really enjoyed our trip in May a couple years ago.

Christmas is definitely DD's favorite time in the World, and probably second fave for me - after October.

I am with you 100% on the velour chairs....they don't go at all and they don't look near as comfortable as the couch was . I also can't get over the cafeteria looking chairs at the tables .

Yes, I love those deluxe rooms . Thanks about the May plans. I was telling DH this morning what I was thinking and he didn't say too much. Then a few hours later he asked "Well, did you book the trip?"........I guess he does sometimes hear what I say when it's Disney related .

Loved the balcony view, VGF doesn't cover up nearly as much of the lagoon as I thought. Still miss seeing the Wedding Chapel, but the overall effect is not as glaring as I imagined.

I thought the same thing. I wondered how much of the lagoon/Poly view would be blocked with the villas, but I'm glad to see it's not obstructed much at all .

Hi all!

We just checked in. I got exactly what I requested. We are in a dormer room on the 5th floor of Boca Chica. I will say that I was not a big fan of the new room designs based on pics, but in person it really is gorgeous! Could there be a bit more Disney in the room? Yes. But it looks an feels luxurious. It really is looking to compete with the 4 Seasons or Waldorf.
Check-in was a breeze, our turndown Mousekeeper couldn't be nicer, and we're very happy here, even coming off a glorious, week-long CL stay at YC.

My one complaint? Storage. Thank goodness we're only here for 2 nights and only are living out of our carry-ons. I don't know where we'd put things for a week's stay!

Overall, he Epcot resorts fulfill our needs better, and we feel that there is our home, but The Grand is gorgeous, and I'd return anytime!

Glad check in went well and you got your requests met. Hope you have a grand stay .

And yes, we did enjoy the cabana and enjoyed a very nice meal at Narcoosees with the kids!

Glad you had a great cabana day as well as a nice dinner at Narcoossee's .

 

[k&a&c'smom]

You're welcome! Trisha was kind enough to post them. And yes, we did enjoy the cabana and enjoyed a very nice meal at Narcoosees with the kids!

Sounds like a perfect day at the Grand! Thanks again for the photos.

....

Yes, I love those deluxe rooms . Thanks about the May plans. I was telling DH this morning what I was thinking and he didn't say too much. Then a few hours later he asked "Well, did you book the trip?"........I guess he does sometimes hear what I say when it's Disney related .



I thought the same thing. I wondered how much of the lagoon/Poly view would be blocked with the villas, but I'm glad to see it's not obstructed much at all .

....

YAY about DH and the May trip, lol that he sometimes listens. Are you mulling over details?!

Ditto about the view across the lagoon, glad the Poly is still visible.

 

[davale4]

Sounds like a perfect day at the Grand! Thanks again for the photos.

You're welcome! I've learned so much through the years from you folks and I wanted to give back.

 

[mickeynut1]

YAY about DH and the May trip, lol that he sometimes listens. Are you mulling over details?!

Ditto about the view across the lagoon, glad the Poly is still visible.

Nothing is definite (or booked yet), but the wheels are turning....lol. We have been wanting to try the CR, so that is an option; however, a deluxe queen RPC room sounds very tempting . Of course discounts will play a big role, so if I do book something now, it's always subject to change depending on discounts .

I just love that lagoon/Poly view .

I've learned so much through the years from you folks

I couldn't agree more, the people on this thread are very helpful .

 

[Scott MC]

Hey, Scott, good to hear from you. I've read a couple of your reports over on the Y&BC FAQ, sounds like you've had a wonderful time and some great meals.

Thanks for your impressions of the room, glad you are enjoying it. Storage has always posed a problem at the Grand, I don't know why they can't get it right. We usually just ask for extra hangers and put everything in the closet.

Which of the Epcot resorts is your favorite? We very much love the YC, although the room decor in BC is more to our taste. Not that it matters, as they are preparing for a refurb.

Have a Grand time!

It's almost goodnight time here at The Grand. I really am digging the decor. Again, I'd like a little more Disney whimsy, but it's so plush and fancy. It really lives up to its "Flagship Resort" status.

As for the Epcot loop...I'd say my favorite is a dead tie between YC and Boardwalk. If absolutely forced to pick, I'd go with YC, but only because I think I'd not be happy without a BW view at BWI.

I must say though, GF is giving YC and BWI a strong run for their money!

 

[grannyminnie]

I have a question: I don't see the TV in the lounge photos you posted, cinmell. (near the chair/sofa grouping) Have they removed it? I don't care for those vinyl chairs either!

Mickeynut, what a great way to spend Mother's Day!!
Sounds like a plan!!

Scott, enjoy your GF stay! I feel the same as you, and some others that the room looks better in person but still lacks the Disney touches we "need").

 

[mommyrosa2]

We are back home and I "finally" finished with laundry from our trip.

Wanted to take a moment to share a few things about the rest of our trip:

We had room 8322 & it was right next to the elevator. At first, I thought being so close to the elevator was a good thing but soon realized it was not good at all. Between the noise there, the noise from toilets flushing and neighbors above us and on the side of us yelling at their kids at all hours, we had quite a few sleepless nights (didn't realize the walls were so thin).

Sadly, mousekeeping was another real bummer. Our room was never cleaned before 4p (which puzzled me bc we'd see her cleaning the rooms next to us every morning when we'd leave for the day ). Our room was also never vacuumed and our sheets were only changed once on day 6 of our 9 day stay and that was after I finally had enough and complained to a manager bc repeated requests to mousekeeping were ignored.

The courtyard pool: We enjoyed this pool over the beach pool and spent most of our time here. I really wish that there were CM's checking bands though because there were families clearly from other resorts using this pool which made finding seats very difficult on some days (we literally overheard a dad coaching his kids on what to say if they were asked where they were staying). We also witnessed a very heated conversation between one family and a CM. The family was complaining there was no place to sit and were clearly pointing to a family who they said were Poly guests taking up 5 chairs and all the CM kept saying was there nothing he could do about it . The father got so heated that he said he was going to speak to a manager and stormed off!

Despite the few "bummers", we really did enjoy our stay at the Grand. The resort itself is beautiful and so not as "stuffy" as some may think it is. We also really liked the convenience of the monorail & boats...made MK and resort hopping a breeze. In our quest to try all deluxes, it may be a little bit before we return to The Grand but I know we'll definitely be back.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

WDW Info has just posted some new monorail hours info & I thought I'd post it here because there are so many of us wondering about it.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/transportati...dates+(Disney+Updates+-+wdwinfo.com)#schedule

Who thinks this schedule change will be complete before the Thanksgiving rush?

 

[davale4]

I have a question: I don't see the TV in the lounge photos you posted, cinmell. (near the chair/sofa grouping) Have they removed it? I don't care for those vinyl chairs either!

Sorry, this is not cinmell but I thought I'd let you know that both TVs are still on the lounge floor. We also don't care for the vinyl chairs and I have never seen RPC as crowed as the past three days.

 

[grannyminnie]

Sorry, this is not cinmell but I thought I'd let you know that both TVs are still on the lounge floor. We also don't care for the vinyl chairs and I have never seen RPC as crowed as the past three days.

Thanks for responding, davale. I was wondering if the tvs had been removed as a part of the general trend of cutbacks!!

 

[jerseygal]

The courtyard pool: We enjoyed this pool over the beach pool and spent most of our time here. I really wish that there were CM's checking bands though because there were families clearly from other resorts using this pool which made finding seats very difficult on some days (we literally overheard a dad coaching his kids on what to say if they were asked where they were staying). We also witnessed a very heated conversation between one family and a CM. The family was complaining there was no place to sit and were clearly pointing to a family who they said were Poly guests taking up 5 chairs and all the CM kept saying was there nothing he could do about it . The father got so heated that he said he was going to speak to a manager and stormed off!

Despite the few "bummers", we really did enjoy our stay at the Grand. The resort itself is beautiful and so not as "stuffy" as some may think it is. We also really liked the convenience of the monorail & boats...made MK and resort hopping a breeze. In our quest to try all deluxes, it may be a little bit before we return to The Grand but I know we'll definitely be back.[/QUOTE]

What does that "mean from the CM's perspective..."There is nothing that he can do about it"...Not fair to the "Paying customer"!

IMO, there should be a "universal Disney Policy" of MagicBand check somehow!
Unfair to have a "Paying customer" not being able to get chair, when an outsider obviously "doesn't belong"! Disney REALLY needs to do something about that, imo!

 

[cinmell]

I have a question: I don't see the TV in the lounge photos you posted, cinmell. (near the chair/sofa grouping) Have they removed it? I don't care for those vinyl chairs either!

Yes the tvs are still there.
[URL=http://s58.photobucket.com/user/cinmell/media/IMG_2076.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s58.photobucket.com/user/cinmell/media/IMG_2077.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[quakechicago]

Quick question before I place a grocery order. I usually bring a coffee aeropress and coffee but if there's a keurig I can bring my own kcups which would save a ton of space. Is there? There was in BLT.

 

[cinmell]

Forgot to add this to the previously posted pictures. A little touch of Mickey in the curtains.

[URL=http://s58.photobucket.com/user/cinmell/media/IMG_6578.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[mickeynut1]

Mickeynut, what a great way to spend Mother's Day!!
Sounds like a plan!!

Thanks .....hopefully there will be some good discounts for that time .

We are back home and I "finally" finished with laundry from our trip.

Wanted to take a moment to share a few things about the rest of our trip:

We had room 8322 & it was right next to the elevator. At first, I thought being so close to the elevator was a good thing but soon realized it was not good at all. Between the noise there, the noise from toilets flushing and neighbors above us and on the side of us yelling at their kids at all hours, we had quite a few sleepless nights (didn't realize the walls were so thin).

Sadly, mousekeeping was another real bummer. Our room was never cleaned before 4p (which puzzled me bc we'd see her cleaning the rooms next to us every morning when we'd leave for the day ). Our room was also never vacuumed and our sheets were only changed once on day 6 of our 9 day stay and that was after I finally had enough and complained to a manager bc repeated requests to mousekeeping were ignored.

The courtyard pool: We enjoyed this pool over the beach pool and spent most of our time here. I really wish that there were CM's checking bands though because there were families clearly from other resorts using this pool which made finding seats very difficult on some days (we literally overheard a dad coaching his kids on what to say if they were asked where they were staying). We also witnessed a very heated conversation between one family and a CM. The family was complaining there was no place to sit and were clearly pointing to a family who they said were Poly guests taking up 5 chairs and all the CM kept saying was there nothing he could do about it . The father got so heated that he said he was going to speak to a manager and stormed off!

Despite the few "bummers", we really did enjoy our stay at the Grand. The resort itself is beautiful and so not as "stuffy" as some may think it is. We also really liked the convenience of the monorail & boats...made MK and resort hopping a breeze. In our quest to try all deluxes, it may be a little bit before we return to The Grand but I know we'll definitely be back.

Thanks for your review . I'm sorry about all of the little mishaps, but glad you liked the resort overall.

We also don't care for the vinyl chairs

They are definitely not what I expected to go in there .

IMO, there should be a "universal Disney Policy" of MagicBand check somehow!

I agree . From what I understand, guests of the BC/YC have to scan their MBs upon entry to SAB, so not sure why the other deluxes don't have the same type of set up .

Quick question before I place a grocery order. I usually bring a coffee aeropress and coffee but if there's a keurig I can bring my own kcups which would save a ton of space. Is there? There was in BLT.

I think it might be a Cuisinart, but I'm not positive. Hopefully someone else will be able to answer for sure .

Forgot to add this to the previously posted pictures. A little touch of Mickey in the curtains.

Thanks for the close up pic .

 

[tiger4me2]

I know I posted earlier but can't seem to find it. I am debating rather to do a outbuilding deluxe room for one night in Dec. or I can get a outbuilding club level >> Sugarloaf.

If I did the outbuilding deluxe room which building would you request? And view? Same for Sugarloaf.

I think someone posted a trip report about her stay but can't find it. Yes I looked. Any suggestion will be appreciate it.

Also will Disney hold a room for you like they do for the package for a couple of days? I know they don't if book online. Thanks !!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

You're welcome! I've learned so much through the years from you folks and I wanted to give back.

I'd say you did that, and then some. Loved your onsite updates, thanks for taking the time to let us share your vacation.

Nothing is definite (or booked yet), but the wheels are turning....lol. We have been wanting to try the CR, so that is an option; however, a deluxe queen RPC room sounds very tempting . Of course discounts will play a big role, so if I do book something now, it's always subject to change depending on discounts .

I just love that lagoon/Poly view .



I couldn't agree more, the people on this thread are very helpful .

Everyone IS very helpful. CR is definitely getting a lot of love recently, but that deluxe queen is hard to beat.

It's almost goodnight time here at The Grand. I really am digging the decor. Again, I'd like a little more Disney whimsy, but it's so plush and fancy. It really lives up to its "Flagship Resort" status.

As for the Epcot loop...I'd say my favorite is a dead tie between YC and Boardwalk. If absolutely forced to pick, I'd go with YC, but only because I think I'd not be happy without a BW view at BWI.

I must say though, GF is giving YC and BWI a strong run for their money!

The Grand is very hard to resist, I agree. We love the YC, the decor of the rooms is not much to my taste (have I mentioned I'm not a fan of red?), but it isn't offensive and we do like the nautical touches. Love the paper in the sink area! The overall resort is really soothing, we love all the wood in the lobby.

We are back home and I "finally" finished with laundry from our trip.

Wanted to take a moment to share a few things about the rest of our trip:

....
Despite the few "bummers", we really did enjoy our stay at the Grand. The resort itself is beautiful and so not as "stuffy" as some may think it is. We also really liked the convenience of the monorail & boats...made MK and resort hopping a breeze. In our quest to try all deluxes, it may be a little bit before we return to The Grand but I know we'll definitely be back.

Glad you liked the overall resort and had a mostly great stay. Very sorry to hear about the mousekeeping issues, that is not at all the norm.

Sadly, the pool issue is a long running one. In years past, it wasn't as bad at the Grand because so many guests were conventioneers - but with the addition of DVC (and, I suspect, the construction at the Poly, maybe even WL pool closure) I'm sure this summer has been a difficult time for the lifeguards.

Who thinks this schedule change will be complete before the Thanksgiving rush?

I would be very surprised if they were finished by the end of November, but I certainly don't have any facts to back that up. Just the current trend with the monorail makes me suspicious this will take some time.

Sorry, this is not cinmell but I thought I'd let you know that both TVs are still on the lounge floor. We also don't care for the vinyl chairs and I have never seen RPC as crowed as the past three days.

Thanks for that update, good to know!

Thanks for responding, davale. I was wondering if the tvs had been removed as a part of the general trend of cutbacks!!

It wouldn't surprise me, would it you?!

What does that "mean from the CM's perspective..."There is nothing that he can do about it"...Not fair to the "Paying customer"!

IMO, there should be a "universal Disney Policy" of MagicBand check somehow!
Unfair to have a "Paying customer" not being able to get chair, when an outsider obviously "doesn't belong"! Disney REALLY needs to do something about that, imo!

The pool crowding/hopping issue has been going on for as long as I've been going to WDW (longer, I'm sure) and I doubt it will be fixed any time soon. Many thought the addition of a fence at the courtyard pool, at least, would change things, but since they didn't add a band reader it hasn't helped.

CMs have a tough position, as they are not supposed to say anything negative to guests. Hard to shoo people away in that instance, especially since they don't have a way to bar them in the first place.

The only thing you can do is feedback to GF management.

Quick question before I place a grocery order. I usually bring a coffee aeropress and coffee but if there's a keurig I can bring my own kcups which would save a ton of space. Is there? There was in BLT.

Which type of room will you be in? If at the resort, the regular rooms (non-suites) have Cuisinart coffee makers with pods - not k-cups. There should be a photo on page 1, in the Guest Room Photos post. Bringing k-cups for a GF room would be pointless, sorry.

If VGF, I'm not sure as we haven't stayed and I don't own DVC, but there is a section for the VGF at the bottom of the first page with descriptions of the rooms and amenities. I'll check it out and brb.

 

[mickeynut1]

I know I posted earlier but can't seem to find it. I am debating rather to do a outbuilding deluxe room for one night in Dec. or I can get a outbuilding club level >> Sugarloaf.

If I did the outbuilding deluxe room which building would you request? And view? Same for Sugarloaf.

I think someone posted a trip report about her stay but can't find it. Yes I looked. Any suggestion will be appreciate it.

Also will Disney hold a room for you like they do for the package for a couple of days? I know they don't if book online. Thanks !!

A deluxe (turret room) can be requested in SL, but it's only a request and is not guaranteed (it's not a booking category for SL). With that said, CL is always nice if you will take advantage of the lounge and the food offerings/drinks; however, the deluxe rooms are quite a bit larger than standard, so more space is sometimes nice, too. I would try to decide which is more important, a larger room or a lounge/offerings, and go with that (I'm probably not helping much, I know...lol). It really is a personal preference as some people want/need more space, while others prefer CL .

Yes, you can put a room on hold and have 7 days in which to make the deposit. You have to call to do this as booking online (like you said) requires the deposit at time of booking. Keep in mind that if you do book with a hold, if the deposit isn't made by the 7th day, the reservation will automatically cancel.

 

[mickeynut1]

Everyone IS very helpful.

CR is definitely getting a lot of love recently, but that deluxe queen is hard to beat.

Which type of room will you be in? If at the resort, the regular rooms (non-suites) have Cuisinart coffee makers with pods - not k-cups. There should be a photo on page 1, in the Guest Room Photos post. Bringing k-cups for a GF room would be pointless, sorry.

Hi k&a&c'smom ....we were posting at the same time .

I love this thread for that very reason, very friendly and helpful posters .

Your are right, the CR is getting a lot of love lately .....but you do bring up a very good point that the deluxe queen is hard to beat (you just have to make it harder for me, don't you ).

Thanks for verifying about the coffee maker, I knew you would know .

 

[k&a&c'smom]

quakeChicago - here is a VGF photo I found on the web, I'm not an expert on coffee makers (don't drink it) but can you tell what kind it is from this image?

I know I posted earlier but can't seem to find it. I am debating rather to do a outbuilding deluxe room for one night in Dec. or I can get a outbuilding club level >> Sugarloaf.

If I did the outbuilding deluxe room which building would you request? And view? Same for Sugarloaf.

I think someone posted a trip report about her stay but can't find it. Yes I looked. Any suggestion will be appreciate it.

Also will Disney hold a room for you like they do for the package for a couple of days? I know they don't if book online. Thanks !!

Well, let's see if I can sort this out. If you book a deluxe outer building room, you will have garden view, so no real view request is necessary. I'm not sure which building would be best for your family, what is your most desired location? Near Main Bldg.? Pools? Gasparilla's?

If you book a Sugar Loaf room, you will have access to all the CL amenities and you can request a deluxe room in that building. It is non-bookable and only a request, and as there are only 3 of these rooms, not in any way guaranteed - but it is possible.

I can't say about holding the room over the phone. The used to do this years ago, but I haven't asked in a very long time. Maybe someone else can answer this question.

HTH!