Are grand floridian rooms dated?

blackacex2

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
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351
I have been reading reviews and over and over again they say the Grand Floridian has dated rooms, poor service, and obnoxious construction going on. I thought this was supposed to be the pinnacle of Disney perfection? I really want to stay there for a few nights but now I am second guessing. Would be for my wife and I on our anniversary trip in april of this year.
 
They have a Victorian theme. So some may feel it looks dated :confused3 We are looking forward to our 1st stay there in August. I have been to GF many times for dining, and have never ran into obnoxious staff. We were just there a few weeks ago and I needed help from the Lobby Concierge. They were very gracious, even though we weren't staying there.

Allears.net has lots if photos. There is construction as they are putting up a new DVC building next to GF. And at the moment the quiet pool is being refurbed. Slated to reopen in March.

If you're looking for a more modern look, maybe consider a theme park view room at Contemporary?
 
Sue M said:
They have a Victorian theme. So some may feel it looks dated :confused3 We are looking forward to our 1st stay there in August. I have been to GF many times for dining, and have never ran into obnoxious staff. We were just there a few weeks ago and I needed help from the Lobby Concierge. They were very gracious, even though we weren't staying there.

Allears.net has lots if photos. There is construction as they are putting up a new DVC building next to GF. And at the moment the quiet pool is being refurbed. Slated to reopen in March.

If you're looking for a more modern look, maybe consider a theme park view room at Contemporary?

Glad to hear you've had good experiences at the grand floridian. Contemporary theme park view is also a tempting choice. I wish I could stay at the poly but alas it is not offering any affordable options for our dates.
 
I have enjoyed all my stays at the GF. I've read things about "snobby" staff, but haven't experienced it. Everyone there was very nice, and we like the rooms.

There is construction going on, though... so we chose not to stay there on our last trip. When they are building large DVC buildings there will be construction noise and dust and I'd rather not have to deal with it on my vacation. But other than that, my family and I really do like the GF.
 

I have been reading reviews and over and over again they say the Grand Floridian has dated rooms, poor service, and obnoxious construction going on. I thought this was supposed to be the pinnacle of Disney perfection? I really want to stay there for a few nights but now I am second guessing. Would be for my wife and I on our anniversary trip in april of this year.

construction- i am pretty sure it will still be very noticeable by april.

poor service? i'm not sure what "service" people have found to be poor. what have you read? mousekeeping and bell services have been wonderful and the cm's are pleasant. the whole place is extremely clean.

rooms- do you mean the decor or the wear and tear? take a look at some pics of the decor and see if you like the look. it is not my cup of tea but it is bright. none of our rooms have looked worn.

what is it that makes you want to stay there?
 
We stayed at GF in '11. It was amazing!
Besides the location, the biggest reason why I personally loved it was the service. Every CM we encountered there was kind and several went out of their way to serve.
Ex- My daughter lost a Mickey visor somewhere in MK. We stopped in a few gift shops to replace it but could not find it. Upon returning to the GF, I mentioned it to a CM in a gift shop there after not seeing it again. This gentleman tracked one down for us the next day!
I could go on and on, but let me just assure you, the service is outstanding!
 
I read those comments and loved the Grand when we stayed there. NO snobbiness at all. BUT I did cancel a resent stay there to the Poly due to the construction of the main pool. So once that is open in March I would not hesitate to book the Grand again.
 
I have been reading reviews and over and over again they say the Grand Floridian has dated rooms, poor service, and obnoxious construction going on. I thought this was supposed to be the pinnacle of Disney perfection? I really want to stay there for a few nights but now I am second guessing. Would be for my wife and I on our anniversary trip in april of this year.

We stayed at GF last year, and I felt the rooms looked a bit worn. I'm fine with the Victorian style, but our room had stained carpeting & upholstery and a mattress so lumpy I thought someone had left a pillow or stuffed animal under the covers. IMO the rooms need refreshing, but maybe we just got a bum room?

And the construction is a bummer. I would personally avoid staying there until it's complete.

Service, however, was exceptional. VERY friendly CMs and a lot of them, to boot. Of all the Disney resorts we've stayed at, I would put GF at the top for service. No complaints there.

If you're open to suggestions, I'd recommend BWI for your anniversary trip. Turn-of-the-century vibe not too dissimilar to GF and the rooms are a bit fresher looking (though smaller). Still great service, but without all the construction.
 
Our rooms at GF have always been in excellent condition. They are not dated, IMO, the decor is simply Victorian and romantic. The beds are the bomb -- basically the highest quality and best beds at any property on site, including the often vaunted Swan/Dolphin beds.

We have stayed Royal Palm Club several times. We have always found the concierges to be superb -- always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. One even took our son's watch home with her to have the band repaired at her jeweler's! That is superb service.

As for service from the rest of the club level staff (other than the concierges) and hotel in general, I would only rate it spotty at best. There were several issues with one of our stays in particular that left me less than thrilled, particularly given the price.

Overall, however, it is a lovely resort and we enjoy staying there. The monorail convenience is great. But, I do not think I would choose to stay there during the construction.

For an anniversary trip, I would consider an Epcot resort. We recently stayed at the Yacht Club, Club Level and it was superb. Great staff, surprisingly tasty evening appetizers, very nice room, fabulous pool area and convenient to lots of great dining options, including Shula's, Il Mulino and Blue Zoo -- three of our favorites.

Another option that has always seemed romantic to me though we haven't tried them are the honeymoon cottages at BWI. They are two level with living area down and king bed and luxurious bath on the second floor. They come with club level services too.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!
 
I'm trying to decide between the GF or POLY for the first week of June. Stayed at the Poly in the 90's but have never stayed at the GF. I'd like to try the GF but not if construction is going on....
 
I have been reading reviews and over and over again they say the Grand Floridian has dated rooms, poor service, and obnoxious construction going on. I thought this was supposed to be the pinnacle of Disney perfection? I really want to stay there for a few nights but now I am second guessing. Would be for my wife and I on our anniversary trip in april of this year.

Personally, I'm not planning on staying at the Grand Floridian until after their next major refurbishment (even then it may be a while before we can afford it). Maybe nothing significant will change, but I don't like the look of the rooms as they are. This has nothing to do with reviews I've read, just preference. I didn't use to like the look of the rooms at the Beach Club and the Boardwalk, but now I could really see myself staying there assuming the budget allowed it.

I've visited the Grand Floridian and thought everything to be quite lovely.

Everyone develops their own opinions. If the service and atmosphere at the Grand Floridian were really that awful, I doubt they'd be able to get people to stay there at all.
 
We had our first stay at GF last year. From looking at the photos, I wasn't sure if it would be my favorite, but I rebooked GF again for our upcoming trip. The location was fabulous, the rooms were very nice and one of the nicest group of cast members I have ever encountered at a Disney resort.

It didn't at all feel snobby to me. Everyone we encountered was friendly and pleasant.

Now, I did encounter a snobby check in host castmember at 1900 Park Fare once, but that was back in 2009. That encounter was one of the main reasons I hesitated to book at the GF. I incorrectly assumed that his attitude was the norm at the GF. I am happy to report it was not. We even had bfast at 1900 Park Fare and no snotty CM's there this time either.
 
We stayed at the GF in 2010 and LOVED it. It was beautiful and the service was impeccable. I'm not sure about other experiences, but ours was amazing. They went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful vacation and sprinkled lots of pixie dust on us. :lovestruc

We debated going to the YC / BC for our trip in June. Ultimately we decided to go back to the GF because it was so beautiful and we enjoyed just about EVERYTHING about it. The courtyard pool should be completed by April, and all that's really left is the DVC construction. If that's going to bother you, I'd go somewhere else...I think in April, they'll probably still be working on the exterior of the DVC...chances are you won't even see it unless you're over by the beach pool.

Even "the pinnacle of Disney Perfection" needs to be updated and repaired.... I would definately NOT say that service was lacking...quite the opposite. It's just absolutely gorgeous.
 
the only rooms that I have stayed in are the suites and they are beautiful


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My last stay at GF was 2 years ago, the room did feel a little dated. By dated I mean the theming felt a bit *late 80's*, I think it's those bedspreads?

The room itself was very clean & well maintained. Service was fantastic, cast members were very polite and attentive. I do find the overall mood at GF to
more formal but that doesn't equal *snobby* to me.

Even though I think it's a lovely resort I likely won't stay there again because it's too expensive. I like the Epcot resort area better & it's cheaper.
 
Asking if the Grand Floridian rooms look "dated" is sort of like asking if the Polynesian rooms look "south seas islandy" or the Yacht Club rooms look "nautical."

Late breaking news: the Coronado Springs rooms all look "Mexican." :)
 
Good responses everyone this is just what I was looking for. We are staying 5 nights at BWI so the Floridian would only be for 2 nights of our trip, just for the experience and convenience to MK.

My concern is the Floridian would never feel like "home" but more like you are sleeping over at an attraction or something. Hard to explain. $623 could be saved of we stay at the swalphin on Starwood points for free instead of the grand, but it feels like a "once in a lifetime" opportunity!
 


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