A Grand Vacation: The 2012 Grand Floridian FAQ!

[itisamymc]

Is it faster to drive to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and AK from GF? What's best way to get to these parks? (We have a 5 year old child.)

If we eat at Poly on Epcot morning, may walk to TTC to get on Epcot Monorail. The late return to GF with us tired may be too slow.

Any ideas?

 

[Tink rules]

Convention rooms are booked out at special rates. Often lower than Rack rates...

Upgrading to a room with a view you might like better, may cost you...

But I can guarantee... that upgrading to a suite... would give you sticker shock!!!

Here are the rates

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disney-rates-deluxe-2013.htm#grand

 

[Chrisrokc]

We arrived yesterday and the GF is really nice. Just as nice if not nicer than I remember it being over 10 years ago. The construction doesn't bother us, but the pool walls are still up and the beach is blocked off completely. I will take some pictures today/tomorrow and post them.

We were also upgraded from our standard room to a club level king bedroom suite at no charge. It is my girlfriend's birthday week and I asked how much it would cost to upgrade when we arrived. They came back with free!

Needless to say, the staff is very accommodating and nice.

 

[BayGirl22]

baler31 - How bad were the conference rooms you got? What made you prefer to upgrade? Did you call conference services or the GF to make requests?

I really have no desire to be adjacent to others from the same conference! Its a business event, my room/family vacation are the personal part. I'd actually prefer to have my family in a different building. But if Sago is the one, that may be fine with me. DS would love a monorail view so that works out!

Tink rules - Thanks. I knew the rack rates when we decided to book and how $$$ Suites are. View isn't important to me, I'm more wondering if I can upgrade to club for less than full rack (i.e. apply the discount or lose it). I thought at some resorts you could at CL for $100/night or something.

We're paying about 1/3 what we would if I booked online right now, so we doubled the length of our stay. I know I really can't complain. Just wondering what I can expect.

 

[DetTigsGal]

Hi - We are driving to Disney in June (from WI )...it will be our first time at GF. Can someone explain a little about the valet parking at the resort? We are not planning on leaving the grounds for the 6 days we are there, so how much will it cost total? I read somewhere that it is $15 a day. Does that mean we pay $15 a day to park or just each day they have to park our car for us? Are we better off just parking in a lot by ourselves, or is it super far from the resort buildings? Thanks for any info!

I am so far behind, you might have already received an answer. We drive down from CT and always self-park. We do tend to go somewhere everyday, but stay in Sago so it's not really that far. It is 15- a day plus a couple bucks everytime they get your car for you. If you aren't using your car, it would be better to self park. We do use bell service when we arrive

 

[DetTigsGal]

Love this thread, you GF fans have so much great info. I've read through the first 30 and last 10 pages but probably won't make it through the rest in time so I'm posting my questions.

I'm going to the GF in May to speak at a conference. Since my travel is covered and we have a great rate we decided to bring the family and add on a few days, which turned into a week and extended family...you know how it goes. So trying to figure out what room to request, whether I should do online checkin, and whether I have any chance to upgrade. I'm booked in a standard garden view with 2 adults 1 child 1 infant and a 3rd adult joining us for the last 3 nights. We'll have a double stroller and want to avoid multiple slow elevators and being far away from transportation and the conference center. So my specific questions:

1. What are the 1st floor patio's like? Are there high railings that will contain adventurous little ones? I only saw balcony pictures. Any downsides to requesting 1st floor if I don't care about the view?

2. Is requesting Sago Cay a good bet to be close to the monorail, buses, and conference center and away from the construction? (Close to the pool is less important to me)

3. Has anyone had success upgrading a conf. rate room to a suite or club when its not part of the negotiated deal? I'd consider paying in advance instead of relying on a CM-fairy godmother.

4. Will checking in online give me the option to pay the 3rd adult fee for only certain nights? Or can I specify this with the GF in advance? (Conf. Svcs said to work with the hotel) Seems like reversing the fee is harder than preventing it so I don't want to get charged automatically for the entire week.

Thanks in advance for any tips on all this! Can't wait to see the GF in person!

We had first floor sago the last time we were there. Actually if you look at the entrance, it was the second to the right. The patio does have an enclosure

We always request sago garden view marina view.

 

[BCV23]

We arrived yesterday and the GF is really nice. Just as nice if not nicer than I remember it being over 10 years ago. The construction doesn't bother us, but the pool walls are still up and the beach is blocked off completely. I will take some pictures today/tomorrow and post them.

We were also upgraded from our standard room to a club level king bedroom suite at no charge. It is my girlfriend's birthday week and I asked how much it would cost to upgrade when we arrived. They came back with free!

Needless to say, the staff is very accommodating and nice.

Awesome upgrade! Congratulations.

Thanks for the live update. Hope the courtyard pool opens while you are there.

 

[BCV23]

Is it faster to drive to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and AK from GF? What's best way to get to these parks? (We have a 5 year old child.)

If we eat at Poly on Epcot morning, may walk to TTC to get on Epcot Monorail. The late return to GF with us tired may be too slow.

Any ideas?

We usually drive to DHS and DAK but the bus may be just as fast or faster if one pulls up as you arrive. We just prefer driving. Yes, it's very easy to walk to the TTC after breakfast at the Polynesian. The return from Epcot via monorail is not bad IMO. Two rather quick monorail rides. But if it's too much for you, there are cabs.

 

[bethclayton]

We arrived yesterday and the GF is really nice. Just as nice if not nicer than I remember it being over 10 years ago. The construction doesn't bother us, but the pool walls are still up and the beach is blocked off completely. I will take some pictures today/tomorrow and post them.

We were also upgraded from our standard room to a club level king bedroom suite at no charge. It is my girlfriend's birthday week and I asked how much it would cost to upgrade when we arrived. They came back with free!

Needless to say, the staff is very accommodating and nice.

that is so cool! a similar thing happened to us at the poly a few years ago, i cried when they told me it was at no charge!

can't wait to see pics. there is just something i love about seeing pics posted by people who are there currently. i have a coworker at wdw right now and i asked her to text me a pic of anything, just something from disney, lol.

 

[DetTigsGal]

We usually drive to DHS and DAK but the bus may be just as fast or faster if one pulls up as you arrive. We just prefer driving. Yes, it's very easy to walk to the TTC after breakfast at the Polynesian. The return from Epcot via monorail is not bad IMO. Two rather quick monorail rides. But if it's too much for you, there are cabs.

We also usually drive to the other parks. If we are going to world showcase, we tend to park at dhs and walk or ride the boat over.

 

[cm8]

We arrived yesterday and the GF is really nice. Just as nice if not nicer than I remember it being over 10 years ago. The construction doesn't bother us, but the pool walls are still up and the beach is blocked off completely. I will take some pictures today/tomorrow and post them.

We were also upgraded from our standard room to a club level king bedroom suite at no charge. It is my girlfriend's birthday week and I asked how much it would cost to upgrade when we arrived. They came back with free!

Needless to say, the staff is very accommodating and nice.

Congrats on major pixie dust, I guess we might be neighbors I hope to see you and other Dis'ers

 

[MommyGina]

19 weeks from today our family will be at the GF. We booked through AAA. Yesterday I received some type of offer in the mail direct from Disney. My TA called Disney to see what the offer was. No offer available and it was for the dates indicated on the advertisement from Disney and at the time we are at the GF.

Still no discount on our trip, yet. Keeping fingers crossed!

 

[bethclayton]

19 weeks from today our family will be at the GF. We booked through AAA. Yesterday I received some type of offer in the mail direct from Disney. My TA called Disney to see what the offer was. No offer available and it was for the dates indicated on the advertisement from Disney and at the time we are at the GF.

Still no discount on our trip, yet. Keeping fingers crossed!

that's odd. if i were you i would absolutely call disney myself to inquire. perhaps the deal is only good if you book through disney.

 

[jillmc40]

19 weeks from today our family will be at the GF. We booked through AAA. Yesterday I received some type of offer in the mail direct from Disney. My TA called Disney to see what the offer was. No offer available and it was for the dates indicated on the advertisement from Disney and at the time we are at the GF.

Still no discount on our trip, yet. Keeping fingers crossed!

I didn't have a discount on my trip until about 30 days out. I was freaking out . The wait was worth it. I got 35% room discount! Yay! I would call yourself. What did the offer say?

 

[jillmc40]

I was asking dh today what he thought. In 2015 (so far away, I know!!) we are going to go for Christmas decorations and party. I was thinking the first weekend of December. I asked if we should rent points and go to blt, or stay at one of the other monorail hotels. He said, whichever has the best Christmas decorations. Gf it is!!! Yay!! For a long weekend, and doing the party I would prefer to be on the monorail. That guy knows me too well . Plus, I need to experience all of gf since last time we were there the whole darn place was under construction!!

 

[Sue M]

Does anyone know if the walls will be down for August?

 

[MommyGina]

I didn't have a discount on my trip until about 30 days out. I was freaking out . The wait was worth it. I got 35% room discount! Yay! I would call yourself. What did the offer say?

The offer said call the WDW number on the card and indicate this offer code for a savings on dates July 1 to July 31. We will be at the GF on July 16 to July 23.

Last year we did get a discount on our room. I think it was offered in May before our final payment was due. Any savings will help at this point!

 

[cgulls]

Does anybody have any photos or reports about the progress on the Courtyard Pool? The last I saw (onliine), the concrete was being poured inside the pool and the deck area was still dirt.

 

[cgulls]

Hello,

Somebody posted on another thread that laundry machines now can use a card (I assume credit card not KttW card?) instead of coins. Is that the case at GF, too? Thanks.

 

[thisismyusername]

We're very excited: just booked one night only at the GF. Our flight got moved, so we added on a day at the start of our trip. Initially, we were going to stay at POR before we pop over to BC to start our package, but we decided that it would be a great opportunity to check out the Grand Floridian, which we have always wanted to do. We also rented a pool cabana for our arrival day from 10-2 (let's hope our flight and ME is on time as our flight touches down at 9:15 and I don't want to miss much more than a half hour). We're so excited to have reservations at Narcoossee's for that evening, too!

Any tips that anyone can share? We booked this totally on a whim and without knowing much about the resort. Obviously, we won't be there very long: We know we'll be poolside from 10:30ish to 2. Where would you recommend we get lunch from (hopefully some place that we can eat poolside?) Following that, we're going to go to the MK for a few hours before we need to pop back to shower and get ready for dinner at Narcoossee's at 7:30. The kids will probably be ready for bed following dinner since our flight is so early, but my husband and I are hoping to find a spot somewhere where we can watch the fireworks from the resort. Any suggestions? Is there a place where you can get a drink and sit and see Wishes? In the morning, we'll be headed out for breakfast at Kona and then to check out and head over to the BC--I hope it's not too hard to leave!