Resort Thread Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN Resort & Spa + Construction Updates!! **LOBBY REFURB STARTED 4/14**

[kimmar067]

Hi there! What room is this? Beautiful!

...check out Post #5976 <previous page>....

 

[brunette8706]

Scroll up a few messages!

Ha! I don’t know how I missed it. Thanks!

 

[brunette8706]

...check out Post #5976 <above>....

Thanks! I missed it originally. I guess scrolling too fast lol

 

[kimmar067]

Ha! I don’t know how I missed it. Thanks!

....no problemo!

 

[brockash]

We're at the end of our first (and most likely last stay at GF.) I have to say; we just really haven't been impressed. It's been fine and nothing really terribly wrong with the resort, but it has also been nothing special in our minds. We've stayed at a number of deluxe resorts and have enjoyed the others much more than the GF which I feel like is saying a lot, considering the GF has been the most expensive.

I know earlier in the thread someone asked about if it was hard to find seating at the main pool. In our opinion yes. The pool itself and the seating is just not big enough for the resort size. It hasn't been as bad at the courtyard pool, but still rough to find seats in the afternoon.

All the CMs have been very polite, however that's been our experience and expectation for any Disney resort (one of the biggest reasons we keep coming back).

There are no huge issues, just minor things, but again when thinking about the cost of the resort seems to just rub us the wrong way.

Not a fan of being the 2nd stop for bus pickup. Not a fan of how long it feels to get back from MK or Epcot vis monorail. Do enjoy being first stop to MK, however often times the monorail is pretty packed by the time it gets to us.

Food options have not been great.

Drink station has really kind of been a mess. - We've had a cpl. nights that we've come back late (after 11,) but want a drink, however they have routinely already closed down 1 of the only 2 drink machines which creates a long line at tge end of the night. - Again, how hard would it be for Disney to pay their workers for an extra 15 mins a night to close it down AFTER the closing time. They also had one of the doors locked before closing, along with a chain/bike type lock hanging on the unlocked door. - Just not very welcoming. The mobile orders have had a cpl. of really long waits also. Today tge soda machine at the main pool broke and it is a hike to get to Gasparillas from their. Some of the carpet/walls/railings seem very worn. The tvs went out twice. - Not sure exactly the issue, but when we callex they said it's been a known issue. Many of the towels we're getting at the pool are stained when we open them. All of the little fountains at the courtyard pool have at least 1-2 spouts broken. Again, none of thos is terrible, but just not what I would expect from a resort in this price range.

I do enjoy the boat yo the poly and backfrom MK. - That's definitely been helpful.

Only construction we've seen (other than the roads aroumd the area) has been the store upstairs being closed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[ThatDisneyGal]

Sorry to hear that. Thank you for the honest review. Had a question about the buses as we are going in July - did you mean that they stop at Poly first? Is that all day, even first thing in the morning for rope drop to Hollywood Studios? Thanks!

 

[brockash]

Sorry to hear that. Thank you for the honest review. Had a question about the buses as we are going in July - did you mean that they stop at Poly first? Is that all day, even first thing in the morning for rope drop to Hollywood Studios? Thanks!

Yes, they stop at Poly first - all day. In the mornings it can be hard to get a seat since it's already been at Poly. It also makes traveling with someone with a scooter more difficult. - My mom has a scooter and 2 of our days the bus showed up first thing in the morning with 2 scooters already on it, so we had to wait for another bus. - These were both old style buses that can only accommodate 2 at a time.

I feel like a downer and I'm sure others really enjoy the resort, but for us, we just don't see the value in it. Again, nothing wrong with it, just very average in our opinion.

 

[brunette8706]

Yes, they stop at Poly first - all day. In the mornings it can be hard to get a seat since it's already been at Poly. It also makes traveling with someone with a scooter more difficult. - My mom has a scooter and 2 of our days the bus showed up first thing in the morning with 2 scooters already on it, so we had to wait for another bus. - These were both old style buses that can only accommodate 2 at a time.

I feel like a downer and I'm sure others really enjoy the resort, but for us, we just don't see the value in it. Again, nothing wrong with it, just very average in our opinion.

What resorts do you prefer over the GF? Sorry you didn’t have a stellar trip.

 

[brockash]

What resorts to you prefer over the GF? Sorry you didn’t have a stellar trip.

Yacht/Beach Club, Poly, CR. - I know they are all higher priced deluxe resorts, but Grand has always been the highest when we've looked and this trip was no different, but we really would've preferred to be at any of the other 3. I do like the way they Grand looks and the Mary Poppins theming, but we didn't find it very practical/user friendly outside of our specific room and things just seemed a bit run down for a resort of it's caliber.

 

[Cfabar1]

I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal at GFC.

I haven’t either, and don’t understand why it gets so much hate from folks… I find it to be a terrific value…

 

[Cfabar1]

I know earlier in the thread someone asked about if it was hard to find seating at the main pool. In our opinion yes. The pool itself and the seating is just not big enough for the resort size. It hasn't been as bad at the courtyard pool, but still rough to find seats in the afternoon.

I agree… I think the beach pool needs to be expanded (somehow, maybe by relocating the splash pad elsewhere), and they likely need a third pool on top of that…. For a Disney Deluxe Flagship resort, the pool area is too small and underwhelming… It looks at times no different than people in the pools on cruise ships…. They can do much better on this front, should they care to… However, I think their real desire is to get you to buy a ticket to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach….

Not a fan of being the 2nd stop for bus pickup. Not a fan of how long it feels to get back from MK or Epcot vis monorail. Do enjoy being first stop to MK, however often times the monorail is pretty packed by the time it gets to us.

Agreed… the transportation is not as ideal as it could be… Really though, all the MK resorts have subpar offerings for one reason or another, and yes, GF seems to be the weakest… I feel like they could solve it by just offering direct boat launches from GF to MK and TTC… but once again, I’m not sure Disney thinks it matters….

Food options have not been great.

Sorry you didn’t care for them… We recently stayed and ate in every dining venue except for the pool bars/grilles and Victoria & Alberts… Enjoyed all our meals…

 

[lowlight]

We're at the end of our first (and most likely last stay at GF.) I have to say; we just really haven't been impressed. It's been fine and nothing really terribly wrong with the resort, but it has also been nothing special in our minds. We've stayed at a number of deluxe resorts and have enjoyed the others much more than the GF which I feel like is saying a lot, considering the GF has been the most expensive.

I know earlier in the thread someone asked about if it was hard to find seating at the main pool. In our opinion yes. The pool itself and the seating is just not big enough for the resort size. It hasn't been as bad at the courtyard pool, but still rough to find seats in the afternoon.

All the CMs have been very polite, however that's been our experience and expectation for any Disney resort (one of the biggest reasons we keep coming back).

There are no huge issues, just minor things, but again when thinking about the cost of the resort seems to just rub us the wrong way.

Not a fan of being the 2nd stop for bus pickup. Not a fan of how long it feels to get back from MK or Epcot vis monorail. Do enjoy being first stop to MK, however often times the monorail is pretty packed by the time it gets to us.

Food options have not been great.

Drink station has really kind of been a mess. - We've had a cpl. nights that we've come back late (after 11,) but want a drink, however they have routinely already closed down 1 of the only 2 drink machines which creates a long line at tge end of the night. - Again, how hard would it be for Disney to pay their workers for an extra 15 mins a night to close it down AFTER the closing time. They also had one of the doors locked before closing, along with a chain/bike type lock hanging on the unlocked door. - Just not very welcoming. The mobile orders have had a cpl. of really long waits also. Today tge soda machine at the main pool broke and it is a hike to get to Gasparillas from their. Some of the carpet/walls/railings seem very worn. The tvs went out twice. - Not sure exactly the issue, but when we callex they said it's been a known issue. Many of the towels we're getting at the pool are stained when we open them. All of the little fountains at the courtyard pool have at least 1-2 spouts broken. Again, none of thos is terrible, but just not what I would expect from a resort in this price range.

I do enjoy the boat yo the poly and backfrom MK. - That's definitely been helpful.

Only construction we've seen (other than the roads aroumd the area) has been the store upstairs being closed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

As an owner, I agree with most of your points. The monorail issue especially, although that has become somewhat moot with the walking path. I do think the Poly tower is going to aggravate an already burdened transporter system- buses and monorail at GF will be more of a nightmare. With all that said, it’s still my favorite monorail resort (except during holidays with all the gawkers). I’ve found no resort is perfect, they all seem to have pros and cons.

 

[No_strings]

I agree… I think the beach pool needs to be expanded (somehow, maybe by relocating the splash pad elsewhere), and they likely need a third pool on top of that…. For a Disney Deluxe Flagship resort, the pool area is too small and underwhelming… It looks at times no different than people in the pools on cruise ships…. They can do much better on this front, should they care to… However, I think their real desire is to get you to buy a ticket to Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach….

Agreed… the transportation is not as ideal as it could be… Really though, all the MK resorts have subpar offerings for one reason or another, and yes, GF seems to be the weakest… I feel like they could solve it by just offering direct boat launches from GF to MK and TTC… but once again, I’m not sure Disney thinks it matters….

Sorry you didn’t care for them… We recently stayed and ate in every dining venue except for the pool bars/grilles and Victoria & Alberts… Enjoyed all our meals…

First off we love the GF and will always be one of our preferred resorts. The expansion of GF and Poly DVC will only further stress monorail and transportation options. Having the GF walking path and boat is great but they need to consider another boat in the rotation, or have Poly and GF not share.

The pool situation can be frustrating at times. Too many people “claim” chairs and never use them. I don’t know why staff can’t monitor chairs that have just towels on them and clear them after a few hours. Maybe they need to start thinking about chair reservations (LOL). Vacation should be relaxing. GF needs to continuously focus on the details (maintenance, amenities, service, etc). It doesn’t take much, but it does require management that sees the little things. When the housekeepers make the towel art that makes a lasting child memory. Takes about 2 mins. That is what keeps customers to come back and spread the word.

 

[trishadono]

Thx for pics . That suite is rarely mentioned.

 

[trishadono]

First off we love the GF and will always be one of our preferred resorts. The expansion of GF and Poly DVC will only further stress monorail and transportation options. Having the GF walking path and boat is great but they need to consider another boat in the rotation, or have Poly and GF not share.

The pool situation can be frustrating at times. Too many people “claim” chairs and never use them. I don’t know why staff can’t monitor chairs that have just towels on them and clear them after a few hours. Maybe they need to start thinking about chair reservations (LOL). Vacation should be relaxing. GF needs to continuously focus on the details (maintenance, amenities, service, etc). It doesn’t take much, but it does require management that sees the little things. When the housekeepers make the towel art that makes a lasting child memory. Takes about 2 mins. That is what keeps customers to come back and spread the word.

My rule with towels on chairs? I ask people sitting on either side if it’s their group? Yes they are in the pool or on their way? Ok

If they say I’ve been sitting here X time and haven’t seen any people I then look for personal belongings. If it’s 4 or more towels and no shoes, bags , personal belongings I remove the towels and use the chairs. No one walks from the room to the pool barefoot!

In all the years I have done this no one has ever said anything to me. I would say it’s rare I need to do it. . Oddly I feel like CSR and Poly quiet/oasis pool come to mind as pools I have needed to do this. Poly ? 6 people in the pool and like all the chairs are taken. Like how ? Yep no shirts , no shoes? The chair is now mine.

 

[walt34]

If they say I’ve been sitting here X time and haven’t seen any people I then look for personal belongings. If it’s 4 or more towels and no shoes, bags , personal belongings I remove the towels and use the chairs. No one walks from the room to the pool barefoot!

Good approach but in my opinion this should be done by cast members. With the number of employees at the pool it would be easy to put a card on chairs with only towels and remove the towels if the card isn't touched in 30 minutes or so.

 

[trishadono]

Good approach but in my opinion this should be done by cast members. With the number of employees at the pool it would be easy to put a card on chairs with only towels and remove the towels if the card isn't touched in 30 minutes or so.

Well ya I would love that too but I go several times a year and generally don’t see that happen. I want to say 10 years ago or more it was a common practice. I think GF courtyard pool staff sometimes does it. I don’t go to the beach pool, don’t need the slide anymore/kids grown.

 

[vinotinto]

*Construction Notes*

Updated 5/21/24

​

*5/20/24 - M. Mouse Mercantile NOW CLOSED for Refurbishment at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. Expected to Reopen July 13.


*Work has NOT started on the lobby as of today.

Hi all! I quickly scanned the last few pages. Now that we are mid-June, are there any additional updates on the refurbishment? Is there an update on when the Lobby refurbishment will start? Are there still construction walls and equipment outside?

I have a reservation at YC for end of July to celebrate my DD's birthday, and just curious about what is happening with the main building at GF this summer. I probably will keep YC, but just curious about GF. TIA!

 

[mrsap]

Hi all! I quickly scanned the last few pages. Now that we are mid-June, are there any additional updates on the refurbishment? Is there an update on when the Lobby refurbishment will start? Are there still construction walls and equipment outside?

I have a reservation at YC for end of July to celebrate my DD's birthday, and just curious about what is happening with the main building at GF this summer. I probably will keep YC, but just curious about GF. TIA!

Hi! So I follow a page on Facebook, and they have been keeping track of the refurbishment. As of Monday, which was the last post, no work has been done in the lobby. I’m not really sure what the delay is or what they’re waiting for, but I will definitely update this page as soon as anything is going on! Unfortunately, just no new news as of yet!

Not really sure about the outside construction, but I will try to find out and get back to you. If anyone is there now, I would appreciate it if you could maybe take a few pictures for us. Thanks!

 

[vinotinto]

Hi! So I follow a page on Facebook, and they have been keeping track of the refurbishment. As of Monday, which was the last post, no work has been done in the lobby. I’m not really sure what the delay is or what they’re waiting for, but I will definitely update this page as soon as anything is going on! Unfortunately, just no new news as of yet!

Thank you! I appreciate that you're keeping us informed! I think I'm going to stick with YC.