Anyone actually stay at GF, and NEVER going back?

[cinderlexa's mom]

It seems GF just isn't very popular. Not sure if it's the price or themeing--or lack of?

I'm unsure, myself.

If you've actually stayed the night there, not just visited, and you wouldn't be willing to go back--please list your reasons.

TIA!

 

[micmacmissy]

Okay, I like this game! I'll play!

We stayed there on our last visit in a 2-bdrm concierge suite in the Sugar Loaf buliding. (Grandpa treated us all and wanted the best of the best!) It was very....nice. But honestly, we've stayed beachfront in Hawaii for less money! I know, I know, it's Disney....but wow, it was just really expensive for what we felt was an average hotel room.

The concierge was great, especially with little kids, to be able to start off the day with a quick breakfast, and to grab snack for them when they needed them, very convenient. But is it worth it for the price??

It was also fantastic to be on the monorail, easy on and off with the stroller...but still...the price...

We are heading back to WDW in January...and staying at Shades of Green. We have a 2 bedroom suite there, which is costing us $250 a night. The GF suite was six times that amount per night...so basically, we're staying six nights at SOG for what one night cost at GF.

It's a no brainer for us--we qualify to stay at SOG, so that is where we'll stay for now. If there was no SOG option, we'd probably go back and stay in a garden room at the Poly or CR. Or maybe we'd try WL or AKL...but GF, it was fun for our first trip, but I doubt we'll be back.

 

[gydell]

We stayed there the 1st week of Dec last year and won't be staying there again. The rooms were flowere on top of flowers which made them seem small. The buses went to resorts before they came to the GF so if they were full then they skipped the GF and if not you did stand because they were nearly full. We waited over 55 minutes one day to get to AK. The lobby was always busy so it was hard to manuever a stroller through it. We love the CR and WL and that's where we will be from now on!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

We stayed there in Dec. of 05 and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas!You gotta give them that. But...unless we really wanted to go all out and just to be able to stay there, we won't go back. It was just not enough extras for the extra $$$. I really felt guilty! We could have just finished our stay at the Contemporary and been just as happier. (We did a split between the 2). It was -for us- not worth the cost. Our children weren't very impressed with it either. They did love the tree and the gingerbread house but that was all. And we could have just dropped in to see those.

Also, the laundry machines were the pits-& for that much $ you would expect them to work. Just my 2 cents!!!

 

[jmkrat]

We stayed there once and I won't go back. I thought the resort was beautiful, the concierge CM's nice, but it just seemed too elegant to me. We like our things just a bit more casual. We just didn't feel like we fit. I am glad I went, I don't regret it for one moment, I just won't go back.

 

[Sammie]

What would make you think the Grand Floridian is not popular?

It has one of the highest occupany levels of any Disney resort and is very popular with return guests.

Their suites stayed booked up to a year in advance or more.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I know that I am one of the few that really, really dislikes the GF. In fact, if I had to stay there, I would rather just not go to WDW. Before anyone flames me, think about this......this is GREAT for GF lovers - I would never be taking up one of the coveted reservations there....

I think for WDW's "flagship" resort, the rooms should be larger. The rooms at the Polynesian (especially in the newer longhouses) and the Contemporary are larger. The items in the resort shop were more expensive, I did NOT like the theming, the pools were nothing special, and the TV in my room was a 19 inch.

I feel my money is better spent at the other monorail resorts....but I hope everyone else feels differently and rushes to stay at the GF!!!!

 

[cinderlexa's mom]

To clarify, it seems somewhat unpopular on the resorts section of the Disboards!

 

[kelscross]

We stayed there two years ago..and will NOT be going back.

The service was practically non-existant and when it did exist it was very poor.

The grounds were lovely, however the common areas were dirty. The lobby...filthy...the bathrooms in the lobby...unbelievable..gross...the themed pool...filthy. We stayed at the pool by the main building mostly and even that was questionable. The CMs would not enforce the no eating in the pool area and there was floating food in the pool. Also there were young kids using the hot tub as their baby pool so you couldn't enjoy that.

I don't recall the bus service being that terrible.

Yes we went at a busy time, but those conditions would not be acceptable at our local Holiday Inn much less Disney's "flagship" resort.

 

[LoriZH]

We stayed there the 1st week of Dec last year and won't be staying there again. The rooms were flowere on top of flowers which made them seem small. The buses went to resorts before they came to the GF so if they were full then they skipped the GF and if not you did stand because they were nearly full. We waited over 55 minutes one day to get to AK. The lobby was always busy so it was hard to manuever a stroller through it. We love the CR and WL and that's where we will be from now on!

Just to let you know the CR and WL share buses and it took us 1 hour and 34 minutes to get to AK one day from CR, however, I am a HUGE fan of CR .

 

[disneyholic family]

just as a counter post - we've stayed there many times and LOVE it...

i don't know what you mean about lack of theming...perhaps you don't like the theming, but it definitely is themed....

that's the great thing about WDW, different theming for different tastes...

and the service has been outstanding every time we've been there (7 times), whether in standard rooms or concierge....

 

[pepe of ohio]

We stayed there long ago, got a free up grade from CR, they must have over booked so we opted to try it for the price of a CR room. That was the year WL just opened. We didn't care for the resort, it itself and everyone just fwlt so cold and where our room was located was a good walk to the main building, again, seemed no Disney spirit anywhere especially the house our room was in. We like visiting the resort but as for another stay, no. We visited the WL while we were there and fell in love with the place and wished we were staying there. We finished that vacation, glad we had the opportunity to give it a go, won't be going back and apend our Disney stays between the Poly and WL now, mostly WL, Poly has gotten alittle to pricey for what you get and the monorail there isn't all that fast for exploring.

 

[fla4fun]

Never say never, but . . .

GF is next to the last choice for us when it comes to deluxe resorts (AKL is last). First, I don't think you get enough extra service to justify the extra expense, other than housekeeping coming by every five minutes to see if you need towels (that got old real fast). Second, I don't like the fact that the self parking is across the street (and it's not always a safe street to cross on foot - they should provide some sort of golf cart shuttle every so often). We liked staying there more when there was some self parking near the hotel. Third, although I usually like Victorian decor, the rooms have always been a little over the top for me (although I'm interested to see how they look after the current re-do). Fourth, and this applies to several Disney resorts, I really prefer resorts that aren't separate buildings, or at least have covered walkways between the buildings. There's nothing worse than being trapped in your room because of one of Florida's infamous deluge rain storms (where even a poncho doesn't really help). I know there are rooms in the main lobby building, but those are usually way out of my price range. That's why you'll find me at WL, CR, Y&BC and BW before any other resort, especially during the rainy season.

Don't get me wrong - I don't hate GF. But if I can get a room at one of the resorts I prefer, I will. If GF is all that's available, or if I can get a good discount there, then I consider it.

 

[Cee]

We stayed there once and I won't go back. I thought the resort was beautiful, the concierge CM's nice, but it just seemed to elegant to me. We like our things just a bit more casual. We just didn't feel like we fit. I am glad I went, I don't regret it for one moment, I just won't go back.

That was my feeling exactly. Wonderful, beautiful, elegant, and just not for me.

 

[grannyminnie]

IMO, the main thing that would put most people off is the unreasonable price. As one of the above posters commented, you can stay in Hawaii for less!

 

[alldiz]

I'm cheating.....cause I didn't stay there but.....

GF is the ONLY wdw hotel I have no interest in staying in
Too fancy smanz for me
Kerri

 

[CarolA]

ME!

I stayed there once. NEVER AGAIN!!! It was the worst service of any Disney hotel ever.

Front desk staff overcharged me. Response "We don't make that type of error" Luckily the credit card company was able to fix it. (I found error while AT hotel, but front desk and management refused to deal with it so I called Visa FROM the hotel LOL!)

Valet???? Hmm... Call for car. Show up, go ask about car. THEN they start going to get it. I think it was parked in Epcot. Avg wait well over half an hour.


Valet/Bell Services. Return car. CHASE someone down to give car too. After I had hauled my luggage out of car and into hotel to check in, THEN someone races over to take my luggage while I waited at the front desk. (hmm.. I did the hard part and now you want a tip?? NAH!)

Self Parking.... (which after two experinces with the useless valet I began using) is too far away. Apparently you are not suppose to use it, but to wait happily for the valet to go to Epcot to get your car.

I was not impressed with bus service or the "worshipped" monorail.

Room quality... IMHO it's about equilvalant to a Marriott Courtyard (NOT a full service), but they charge as if it's the Ritz.

The worse part. The CMs faces would probably break if they had to smile!

People think the hotel is "fancy" or "snobbish" it's neither. I have stayed at much nicer places.


All in all it was a RIP OFF!!!!

 

[GovieMom]

The rooms were flowere on top of flowers which made them seem small.

What does that mean??

 

[esk]

It was OK. We stayed there 2 nights before moving to the BCV and there was not very much room between the two beds, the walls and the TV cabinet. The beds were nice and high, and fluffy, but for the money....and maybe that is the big issue for me...for that kind of money, I can get a 1BR villa with so much more space, a kitchen, etc. Sure, the monorail was nice and all that, but I didn't think GF was "the best ever".

 

[adisneynut]

The first time was great. However the second visit started off bad and got worse. Tool over 1 hour to check-in and there was no line just a new CM who was training. Then we were put ina room for 4 people when we had 5 people. Then the showever was moldly this I found unacceptable for a *****star hotel.
I have no desire to ever return!