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

[Shaft41]

Our family is renting DVC points for the first time and staying for six nights in a Deluxe Villa at the Grand Floridian next June. We have never stayed in a deluxe resort before, so this is very exciting for us. We are staying seven nights total, and our first night is at the Poly, as there was nothing available at GF. The day we leave the Poly and go to the GF is a MK day for us, so it should be easy to leave our stuff at Bell Services at Poly for transport over to GF, and then pop over in the afternoon to get checked in and settled a bit before heading back. Any tips or pointers for a first-timer would be appreciated! Looking forward to reading up on this thread. Thanks for the great info.

 

[mrsap]

While I can’t seem to find any Blog posts with pictures yet, I was able to find a video posted 14 Hours ago on YouTube. It appears all decorations are up, including outdoor! Click the video link if you’re interested to watch a walk through of the GF Christmas Decorations HERE.

 

[mrsap]

Also wanted to note, I saw in the video posted above, work is still ongoing over at Gaspy’s. A section in front is still blocked off. I took a screenshot:

 

[mrsap]

Saw this posted on FB and wanted to share as an FYI…

The Gingerbread House is offering Express Pick-Up for select treats. I’m not sure if this is a separate stand/table, but I was hoping someone who was just there can share what they saw. Thanks.

 

[BlueGreen5]

Our family is renting DVC points for the first time and staying for six nights in a Deluxe Villa at the Grand Floridian next June. We have never stayed in a deluxe resort before, so this is very exciting for us. We are staying seven nights total, and our first night is at the Poly, as there was nothing available at GF. The day we leave the Poly and go to the GF is a MK day for us, so it should be easy to leave our stuff at Bell Services at Poly for transport over to GF, and then pop over in the afternoon to get checked in and settled a bit before heading back. Any tips or pointers for a first-timer would be appreciated! Looking forward to reading up on this thread. Thanks for the great info.

That's the right move. How exciting! Your biggest problem is that you - like most - may never be able to go back to the way things were before, lol. So, like so many before you, you may want to get a head start reading the threads on DVC membership .

My pointer is, as long as you've done it once from Main St. already, watch the MK fireworks from Gaspy's. They play the music over the speakers in sync with the show and you can see the whole show other than the castle projections. You'll feel like you cheated the system when you can casually walk back to the pool, lounge, or your room in under 5 minutes with no crowd. You're free to bring snacks and beverages over there too that, of course, you purchased via a grocery deliver service for a fraction of the WDW cost (we brought a bottle of champagne and charcuterie last time)!

 

[Shaft41]

That's the right move. How exciting! Your biggest problem is that you - like most - may never be able to go back to the way things were before, lol. So, like so many before you, you may want to get a head start reading the threads on DVC membership .

My pointer is, as long as you've done it once from Main St. already, watch the MK fireworks from Gaspy's. They play the music over the speakers in sync with the show and you can see the whole show other than the castle projections. You'll feel like you cheated the system when you can casually walk back to the pool, lounge, or your room in under 5 minutes with no crowd. You're free to bring snacks and beverages over there too that, of course, you purchased via a grocery deliver service for a fraction of the WDW cost (we brought a bottle of champagne and charcuterie last time)!

Thanks for the tip! That sounds like something we will definitely take advantage of. Trust me, with as much money as we've spent on Disney trips with our kids over the last 15 years, my wife and I have said many times we should have done DVC starting then. But, after going nearly every year when the kids were younger, as they've gotten older and more involved, our trips have been every 4 years or so. But, you never say never!

 

[mrsap]

Saw this posted on FB and wanted to share as an FYI…

The Gingerbread House is offering Express Pick-Up for select treats. I’m not sure if this is a separate stand/table, but I was hoping someone who was just there can share what they saw. Thanks.


View attachment 912828

Wanted to update:

Just saw a video. There is a little table separate from the Gingerbread House where you can pick up select treats without the long line. See TikTok video HERE.

 

[BlueSkies]

Good afternoon wonderful GF friends..it's been quite a while..but I wanted to say Hi! I did skim back a bit to try and catch up some..
@mrsap many thanks for all of the up to date detailed info on this thread I'll take one of everything from that gingerbread house..please and thank you!
Speaking of the Gingerbread House and it's anniversary..DH and I and our kids were there the first year that they put it up..it sure has evolved from the quaint decoration that it was!
@followthatmouse Condolences and big hugs to you..
@GADisneyDad14 ..What are you doing over there at the GF..lol
We had a brief and lovely GF stay this spring...as much as I love the new lounge spaces I still think the CL offering..most especially mid day are lacking compared to days of old...we do have a winter stay booked... again just a few nights..we've become huge fans of those split stays..so GF RPC/BWI CL..it's our current fave..
Hope that you all are having a magical Monday!! And hopefully planning Disney trips

 

[OKW Lover]

Visited the Grand this morning to see the tree.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

View attachment 914115
Visited the Grand this morning to see the tree.

Who are the two suits next to the tree with briefcases - Disney beancounters with the day’s haul from the gingerbread house?

 

[Tinks]

Just for information-- we booked GF for October 2025 and just got an email that it will be under construction (still!!). I was thinking that the lobby would be done by then. Ugh. Do we have any information on that??

 

[mrsap]

Just for information-- we booked GF for October 2025 and just got an email that it will be under construction (still!!). I was thinking that the lobby would be done by then. Ugh. Do we have any information on that??

No, we do not. Rumor is, the lobby refurb will start after the holidays. Nothing has been announced by Disney, so no one knows for sure whether it’s still happening or not. Only reason I believe it will still happen is because of the construction emails everyone is still receiving. The only work being done, at this time, is happening in front of Gaspy’s. If you go back a few pages, or visit Page 1, you should be able to see the latest info/pic. I’ll update this thread as soon as we find out anything.

 

[mrsap]

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Not sure if they’ve done this in the past but new to me temporary electronic sign up on World Drive heading north past Epcot - “Grand Flo Gingerbread Park at MK”.

Found it kind of funny.

 

[PinkPixel]

Not sure if they’ve done this in the past but new to me temporary electronic sign up on World Drive heading north past Epcot - “Grand Flo Gingerbread Park at MK”.

Found it kind of funny.

This has me nervous to arrive in 3 weeks! Have never been during Christmas.

 

[trishadono]

Our family is renting DVC points for the first time and staying for six nights in a Deluxe Villa at the Grand Floridian next June. We have never stayed in a deluxe resort before, so this is very exciting for us. We are staying seven nights total, and our first night is at the Poly, as there was nothing available at GF. The day we leave the Poly and go to the GF is a MK day for us, so it should be easy to leave our stuff at Bell Services at Poly for transport over to GF, and then pop over in the afternoon to get checked in and settled a bit before heading back. Any tips or pointers for a first-timer would be appreciated! Looking forward to reading up on this thread. Thanks for the great info.

That is a plan that works.

Depends on how much stuff you have , which building at poly you are at but we have walked our bags from poly to gf before . Another option is to ride share poly to gf and check before heading to the park.

If you don’t need anything until 1-5 you could have poly ship to gf via bell services. The vans that do transports start at 1p and hopefully you’d get ok but not guaranteed.

Assuming path is open by then it’s currently closed.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

This has me nervous to arrive in 3 weeks! Have never been during Christmas.

Personally I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if at all. That gingerbread house definitely does bring the crowds, but it’s really only a lobby thing, no real impact to anything else about staying at the resort. One could maybe point to the increased burden on transportation options as a nit, but to me, with five popular restaurants, longes, shops, the “flagship lobby”, etc, you sort of always have that every day of the year (same as the other monorail resorts), so on some level it just is what it is.

Now in fairness, I do find the increased foot traffic and lines in the lobby take away from my enjoyment of the space, but I’m not sure I’d really feel strong enough about that statement to really sway my resort decisions. The tree and overall vibe is still one of the best in WDW.

Have fun!

 

[PinkPixel]

Personally I wouldn’t worry too much about it, if at all. That gingerbread house definitely does bring the crowds, but it’s really only a lobby thing, no real impact to anything else about staying at the resort. One could maybe point to the increased burden on transportation options as a nit, but to me, with five popular restaurants, longes, shops, the “flagship lobby”, etc, you sort of always have that every day of the year (same as the other monorail resorts), so on some level it just is what it is.

Now in fairness, I do find the increased foot traffic and lines in the lobby take away from my enjoyment of the space, but I’m not sure I’d really feel strong enough about that statement to really sway my resort decisions. The tree and overall vibe is still one of the best in WDW.

Have fun!

Thank you! We have stayed several times in last 5 years but this is our first time staying club level. Excited for this trip!

 

[Wojodis]

We have a trip planned early January and just remembered that resort guests had to shuttle to their vehicles in a remote parking lot earlier this summer as the normal parking area was restricted—does anyone know if this has changed?

 

[trishadono]

We have a trip planned early January and just remembered that resort guests had to shuttle to their vehicles in a remote parking lot earlier this summer as the normal parking area was restricted—does anyone know if this has changed?

We rarely have a car but did in September after visiting MIL. We did not have any problems with parking that trip.