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

[Maxie86]

I’ll just add there was what appeared to be a small Bluetooth speaker in the cabana as well.

Honestly feel like I never should have left GF, and not just because of the pixie dust I got. The surprise fireworks the other night and convenience to 2 parks have been nice but as far as the actual resort goes I’ve had some issues with YC. I check out today and no DME info was left for me last night.

Sorry you were disappointed with the YC. The YC is our go to resort on the Epcot side, we usually do a YC/GF split. When doing a split with the GF it is almost always better to end with the GF. We had a disappointing stay there in May and will not return until CL and housekeeping are back. Safe travels home.

 

[sdk1231]

A short observation of the pool situation during Memorial Day weekend (Sun-Thurs): I'd been a bit concerned about pool capacity during this stay based on some commentary I'd read here. I'd also become interested in the Cabanas due to all of the Cabana love on this board. I'd called one day to inquire about reserving a Cabana during my stay, then hung up due to the long wait-times. I later decided I didn't want to spend the money for a Cabana, as I've never booked one before, and thought I'd just roll the dice on the pool availability. Well, as it happened, I had no trouble whatsoever getting my favorite spot at the larger Courtyard pool (group of chairs w/umbrella and 2 tables next to the hot tub and near the gate to the GF fountain). I went twice at 11:00 AM and stayed until 3:00 PM. Picked up lunch from the Beaches pool bar one day (lobster roll) and lunch from Gaspy's another day. In both cases, the pool was nearly empty. Families with children started to arrive at around 2PM. When I left the pool at 3, there were maybe a total of 12 children in the pool and many open lounge chairs. I noticed that most of the Courtyard Pool reserved "cabana" areas were unoccupied and available to reserve. The Courtyard cabana areas are not "cabanas" with a tent-like structure as they are at the Beaches pool. I just prefer the Courtyard pool. The Beaches pool always seems small and crowded and noisy to me. Of course it has the slide. Just a matter of taste. Here's a view of my favorite pool spot and the nearly empty courtyard pool.

 

[sdk1231]

Did you know? The entire Green Bridge on the Grand Floridian Walkway to the Magic Kingdom swings completely out to accommodate the Electrical Water Pageant? I was heading from the MK to the GF on the walkway one night after MK close and got stopped at the Green Bridge. The Electrical Water Pageant was heading in for the night, in the parking spot on the other side of the Walkway. I watched with great interest as the Water Pageant lined up for parking and sailed through. Even more interesting was watching the entire Green Bridge move back into place. Once it was back, the gates opened, and I continued on my way to the GF.

 

[sdk1231]

I’ll just add there was what appeared to be a small Bluetooth speaker in the cabana as well.

Honestly feel like I never should have left GF, and not just because of the pixie dust I got. The surprise fireworks the other night and convenience to 2 parks have been nice but as far as the actual resort goes I’ve had some issues with YC. I check out today and no DME info was left for me last night.

As a fellow GF die-hard, I'm interested in your opinion of YC. My daughter was part of the Disney College Program in 2020 and is now back PT at Oga's Cantina in SWGE. As such, I've been considering a stay at the YC, but find it hard to give up the GF. I have stayed at the BC in the past and enjoyed the whole Crescent Lake area (but not enough to book there again). The YC price point is, of course, advantageous vs. the GF, and with my daughter working at DHS, it's one to consider. Possibly. If I can give up the GF and the walkway to the MK... But you having done it... sounds like you'd prefer the GF. Hmmm...

 

[kylenne]

Sorry you were disappointed with the YC. The YC is our go to resort on the Epcot side, we usually do a YC/GF split. When doing a split with the GF it is almost always better to end with the GF. We had a disappointing stay there in May and will not return until CL and housekeeping are back. Safe travels home.

As a fellow GF die-hard, I'm interested in your opinion of YC. My daughter was part of the Disney College Program in 2020 and is now back PT at Oga's Cantina in SWGE. As such, I've been considering a stay at the YC, but find it hard to give up the GF. I have stayed at the BC in the past and enjoyed the whole Crescent Lake area (but not enough to book there again). The YC price point is, of course, advantageous vs. the GF, and with my daughter working at DHS, it's one to consider. Possibly. If I can give up the GF and the walkway to the MK... But you having done it... sounds like you'd prefer the GF. Hmmm...

I will just copy & paste what I wrote in the YC/BC thread:


For a report…I wish it was happier. I fly home tonight and rope dropped HS, but started later than I would have liked because of issues. I had no DME info on my door or in the room when I returned from Epcot last night and I was way too tired to make the 5 mile trek back to the front desk so I had to make an extra stop this morning for that. Really cost me time and I didn’t get to HS until nearly 8 and was way back in the security line. I was still able to walk on to RNRC and ToT was maybe a 10 minute wait.

In general YC is nice but I had a lot of little issues with my stay. I was in room 3027 and I did appreciate the Happy Birthday note left on my bed when I got in and the room view was incredible, but so many practical little problems…I had to ask for a room occupied sign as one was not in the room. The shower was awful with the lack of shelving and not having a bathtub was honestly a dealbreaker for me. SAB was just too crowded to enjoy whenever I attempted it too. I never actually got there. I think I’m just a quiet pool person at the end of the day, so that place is a bit lost on me.

Yesterday was a comedy of errors. In the AM I had to go all the way to the lobby to fix an issue with my credit card not carrying over to my continuing reservation, then went back to my room to discover my magic band suddenly stopped working and the app had signed me out and wouldn’t let me back in, then when I managed it I couldn’t use the unlock door feature because it said I had no room number. I was back and forth to the lobby three times trying to get that sorted. Turned out the battery on the door scanner was dead. After all this drama I barely had time to scarf down cereal before my BG was called.

Trying to get back from HS yesterday during the torrential thunderstorm was an experience too. I don’t blame the CMs for turning the boat back around but the wait for a bus was terrible. Tried to keep a positive attitude but I was exhausted and loaded down with stuff to ship home. Bus after bus for RIV and nothing for Crescent Lake resorts. Not having room service that night was really bad too, when everyone was stuck inside…A&C to Go time slots filled up so fast you were basically SOL. The app glitched on me while I was trying to order and I lost my slot, the next time was not until 8:50pm. Luckily the rain subsided considerably so I just went into Epcot for dinner but it was rough.

It was fantastic being so close to HS with the lines there being as bad as they are and the surprise fireworks were amazing but it was such a 180 here from my experience at GF earlier in the week. I would still stay here in the future but I don’t think until Epcot is back to some semblance of normalcy.

I will just add for here that I vastly prefer the GF, it’s not even a question. The food options are way better (B&C was mediocre at best), the resort is laid out better, and I liked my room better at GF (granted it’s not a fair comparison).

 

[ahcupcake]

Woohoo I'll be there too!! We check in on the 30th we are moving from a GV room so we will be checking in early on the 30th... I'll see you in the lounge!

YAY!!!!!

Well, the prices BEFORE knocked me for a loop so they must be just stupid out of reach for ordinary humans now! I won't even call. I was excited to read about this but too bad it's even worse now.

Yep. I just booked a FAUX trip for my birthday next year. I "booked" a package 11 nights RPC and it was 15K

I’ll just add there was what appeared to be a small Bluetooth speaker in the cabana as well.

Honestly feel like I never should have left GF, and not just because of the pixie dust I got. The surprise fireworks the other night and convenience to 2 parks have been nice but as far as the actual resort goes I’ve had some issues with YC. I check out today and no DME info was left for me last night.

I will just copy & paste what I wrote in the YC/BC thread:


For a report…I wish it was happier. I fly home tonight and rope dropped HS, but started later than I would have liked because of issues. I had no DME info on my door or in the room when I returned from Epcot last night and I was way too tired to make the 5 mile trek back to the front desk so I had to make an extra stop this morning for that. Really cost me time and I didn’t get to HS until nearly 8 and was way back in the security line. I was still able to walk on to RNRC and ToT was maybe a 10 minute wait.

In general YC is nice but I had a lot of little issues with my stay. I was in room 3027 and I did appreciate the Happy Birthday note left on my bed when I got in and the room view was incredible, but so many practical little problems…I had to ask for a room occupied sign as one was not in the room. The shower was awful with the lack of shelving and not having a bathtub was honestly a dealbreaker for me. SAB was just too crowded to enjoy whenever I attempted it too. I never actually got there. I think I’m just a quiet pool person at the end of the day, so that place is a bit lost on me.

Yesterday was a comedy of errors. In the AM I had to go all the way to the lobby to fix an issue with my credit card not carrying over to my continuing reservation, then went back to my room to discover my magic band suddenly stopped working and the app had signed me out and wouldn’t let me back in, then when I managed it I couldn’t use the unlock door feature because it said I had no room number. I was back and forth to the lobby three times trying to get that sorted. Turned out the battery on the door scanner was dead. After all this drama I barely had time to scarf down cereal before my BG was called.

Trying to get back from HS yesterday during the torrential thunderstorm was an experience too. I don’t blame the CMs for turning the boat back around but the wait for a bus was terrible. Tried to keep a positive attitude but I was exhausted and loaded down with stuff to ship home. Bus after bus for RIV and nothing for Crescent Lake resorts. Not having room service that night was really bad too, when everyone was stuck inside…A&C to Go time slots filled up so fast you were basically SOL. The app glitched on me while I was trying to order and I lost my slot, the next time was not until 8:50pm. Luckily the rain subsided considerably so I just went into Epcot for dinner but it was rough.

It was fantastic being so close to HS with the lines there being as bad as they are and the surprise fireworks were amazing but it was such a 180 here from my experience at GF earlier in the week. I would still stay here in the future but I don’t think until Epcot is back to some semblance of normalcy.

I will just add for here that I vastly prefer the GF, it’s not even a question. The food options are way better (B&C was mediocre at best), the resort is laid out better, and I liked my room better at GF (granted it’s not a fair comparison).

EEK. Sorry the YC portion of your trip was a bust. We really want to try the YC especially since our favorite RPC CM is now over there.
Your bus experience kinda sounds like ours when we stayed at AKL, no matter what park we were going to 2+ buses would come for every destination before 1 for ours would show up

Safe travels back home

 

[leannak]

Hi! Just curious - there aren't microwaves in the standard GF rooms, are there?

 

[Dispro1]

Hi! Just curious - there aren't microwaves in the standard GF rooms, are there?

We haven't needed a microwave for a long time, but we used to be able to request one. I would assume that is still the case??

 

[mrsap]

Hi! Just curious - there aren't microwaves in the standard GF rooms, are there?

Hey there! They do not come standard in the resort rooms, but I’ve had the same experience as @Dispro1... we’ve never we had any issues requesting one. I’m not sure if that’s changed with COVID, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to ask! Good luck!

 

[disneyfan150]

A short observation of the pool situation during Memorial Day weekend (Sun-Thurs): I'd been a bit concerned about pool capacity during this stay based on some commentary I'd read here. I'd also become interested in the Cabanas due to all of the Cabana love on this board. I'd called one day to inquire about reserving a Cabana during my stay, then hung up due to the long wait-times. I later decided I didn't want to spend the money for a Cabana, as I've never booked one before, and thought I'd just roll the dice on the pool availability. Well, as it happened, I had no trouble whatsoever getting my favorite spot at the larger Courtyard pool (group of chairs w/umbrella and 2 tables next to the hot tub and near the gate to the GF fountain). I went twice at 11:00 AM and stayed until 3:00 PM. Picked up lunch from the Beaches pool bar one day (lobster roll) and lunch from Gaspy's another day. In both cases, the pool was nearly empty. Families with children started to arrive at around 2PM. When I left the pool at 3, there were maybe a total of 12 children in the pool and many open lounge chairs. I noticed that most of the Courtyard Pool reserved "cabana" areas were unoccupied and available to reserve. The Courtyard cabana areas are not "cabanas" with a tent-like structure as they are at the Beaches pool. I just prefer the Courtyard pool. The Beaches pool always seems small and crowded and noisy to me. Of course it has the slide. Just a matter of taste. Here's a view of my favorite pool spot and the nearly empty courtyard pool.
View attachment 580002View attachment 580003

Thank you for your posts! My neighborhood has pools with slides, a lazy river, chairs in the water, and so forth. So I can go on a micro mini vaca all summer long. At Disney World, I just need a relaxing shady spot for a few minutes. What we don't have is a hot tub. That might me fun. I miss our back yard spa. I realize I am too easily influenced. All the cabana talk was making me wish I had one. I am only able to go once a year. I wouldn't be able to sit still knowing the parks were out there just waiting for me. Now the CL talk is a different matter. Hmm, maybe that is something I might NEED in the future.

 

[sdk1231]

Thank you for your posts! My neighborhood has pools with slides, a lazy river, chairs in the water, and so forth. So I can go on a micro mini vaca all summer long. At Disney World, I just need a relaxing shady spot for a few minutes. What we don't have is a hot tub. That might me fun. I miss our back yard spa. I realize I am too easily influenced. All the cabana talk was making me wish I had one. I am only able to go once a year. I wouldn't be able to sit still knowing the parks were out there just waiting for me. Now the CL talk is a different matter. Hmm, maybe that is something I might NEED in the future.

You're welcome - and your pool sounds great! I take those afternoon resort pool breaks when it's super hot and ride lines are super long. Keeps me from getting crabby in the evenings, ha ha. Cabana... I ended up glad that I hadn't spent the money. Club - I've done Club Level at the GF (Sugar Loaf), at the Poly and at Animal Kingdom. I would do GF Sugar Loaf and Poly again, assuming pricing is similar to 2019 levels. Would not do AK. The AK Club was a very far hike from my room, multiple elevators, and I didn't like the food or ambiance. Actually, I disliked AK in general and would not stay there again. Just not to my taste. I know many people love it. Now... the Grand Floridian Main Building Royal Palm Club level, I have never done. I've looked into it (as recently as this morning) and the pricing is so off-the-charts astronomical I just can't justify it. I feel like I'm pretty open to spending "a lot" at WDW, but for me, GF RPC pricing is a hard stop.

 

[disneyfan150]

You're welcome - and your pool sounds great! I take those afternoon resort pool breaks when it's super hot and ride lines are super long. Keeps me from getting crabby in the evenings, ha ha. Cabana... I ended up glad that I hadn't spent the money. Club - I've done Club Level at the GF (Sugar Loaf), at the Poly and at Animal Kingdom. I would do GF Sugar Loaf and Poly again, assuming pricing is similar to 2019 levels. Would not do AK. The AK Club was a very far hike from my room, multiple elevators, and I didn't like the food or ambiance. Actually, I disliked AK in general and would not stay there again. Just not to my taste. I know many people love it. Now... the Grand Floridian Main Building Royal Palm Club level, I have never done. I've looked into it (as recently as this morning) and the pricing is so off-the-charts astronomical I just can't justify it. I feel like I'm pretty open to spending "a lot" at WDW, but for me, GF RPC pricing is a hard stop.

I think that I would feel the same way about AK. I've always thought about heading over for a quick look, but I have never made it. Thank you again for sharing!

 

[goofynut41]

Ok I have never stayed club level before, what should I expect and what will they do for me?

 

[disneyfan150]

Ok I have never stayed club level before, what should I expect and what will they do for me?

I'll chime in until the experts arrive. I have only stayed at YC CL. Here is some things that I remember. For me, it was mostly the fun factor. We used our Magic Band to reach the special floor. There are concierge services, but we didn't use them. There is a CL lounge. At YC, there isn't a view as some of the lounges have. There is breakfast, light snacks during the day, more snacks in the evening, and evening wine. One day, supply and demand will be in my favor again and we will try a new CL experience.

 

[Dispro1]

Ok I have never stayed club level before, what should I expect and what will they do for me?

Well, it's almost as if none of us have stayed CL before because what we expected before, we may not get now...it's a bit of a wait and see situation. If your trip is a bit farther away, perhaps it will be more like it used to be. In the past, DSS (Disney Signature Services) has really been able to help with scheduling things for my trips, but things are not like they used to be, at least for now. I called signature services this morning to see if they would be able to make dining reservations before the 60 day mark and the answer was no, and since they don't open at 7 am like the dining does, they would likely not be able to help with any hard to get dining! They weren't able to book ahead of the 180 day mark before, but I was hoping things had changed since it's at 60 days now and everything is hard to get now! Historically, the concierge in RPC (once you have arrived) has been able to get me a last minute reservation at Narcoosee's since it's at GF, but who knows how things will be now?! I hope more restaurants open soon! And since there are no fast passes available right now, there won't be any CL passes available for purchase either. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but for now, I wouldn't expect much more than the food/beverage options that were there before, but served differently. For us, it is still worth it for the convenience of having food/beverages right there (especially coffee, and I'm assuming still the Nespresso machine) and a lounge to hang out in for extra space. The RPC lounge is especially beautiful since it overlooks the lobby below and also has some peek a boo views of Cinderella's caste outside. In the past, you have been able to ask for wine, a mimosa, a beer, etc anytime of day even though it's only officially out in the evening. There's plenty of food throughout the day. I love the soup mid-day! They often have Mickey waffles for breakfast too (maybe 3 times a week). I hope none of that changes! I'm not exactly sure how they will do some things in the lounge yet (nobody really knows). I guess we'll all learn a lot when they open Sept. 16th! BTW, there's plenty of CL talk over on the CL thread if you haven't checked that out yet...

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

 

[goofynut41]

Well, it's almost as if none of us have stayed CL before because what we expected before, we may not get now...it's a bit of a wait and see situation. If your trip is a bit farther away, perhaps it will be more like it used to be. In the past, DSS (Disney Signature Services) has really been able to help with scheduling things for my trips, but things are not like they used to be, at least for now. I called signature services this morning to see if they would be able to make dining reservations before the 60 day mark and the answer was no, and since they don't open at 7 am like the dining does, they would likely not be able to help with any hard to get dining! They weren't able to book ahead of the 180 day mark before, but I was hoping things had changed since it's at 60 days now and everything is hard to get now! Historically, the concierge in RPC (once you have arrived) has been able to get me a last minute reservation at Narcoosee's since it's at GF, but who knows how things will be now?! I hope more restaurants open soon! And since there are no fast passes available right now, there won't be any CL passes available for purchase either. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but for now, I wouldn't expect much more than the food/beverage options that were there before, but served differently. For us, it is still worth it for the convenience of having food/beverages right there (especially coffee, and I'm assuming still the Nespresso machine) and a lounge to hang out in for extra space. The RPC lounge is especially beautiful since it overlooks the lobby below and also has some peek a boo views of Cinderella's caste outside. In the past, you have been able to ask for wine, a mimosa, a beer, etc anytime of day even though it's only officially out in the evening. There's plenty of food throughout the day. I love the soup mid-day! They often have Mickey waffles for breakfast too (maybe 3 times a week). I hope none of that changes! I'm not exactly sure how they will do some things in the lounge yet (nobody really knows). I guess we'll all learn a lot when they open Sept. 16th! BTW, there's plenty of CL talk over on the CL thread if you haven't checked that out yet...

Wow I didnt know they made dining and fast pass reservations!!! I would be scared to let some one else do them if!!! maybe they are better though? My reservation isnt until June 2022 so maybe things will be back to how it used to be....

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Wow I didnt know they made dining and fast pass reservations!!! I would be scared to let some one else do them if!!! maybe they are better though? My reservation isnt until June 2022 so maybe things will be back to how it used to be....

DSS has historically offered that as a service, but major caveat as the PP said, they don't open until after reservations go live and you have no control over when they get to your request. They may start working on your request right away, or they may not.

The service was used much more back in the days when you couldn't do much online, but over time as you could do almost everything online and the rush to start booking things first thing in the AM became a frenzy, fewer people use them for ADRs and especially FPs.

It can be a nice alternative if you're traveling / unavailable to do things yourself, or just prefer to not mess with it. Reports are usually positive, although some occasional folks not happy.

The main takeaway is that it's generally not a magic/pixie dust service that can get anything/everything at their command - they still have to deal with the same availability challenges as anyone, so just know that going in when using them.

I'm basing the above on pre-COVID experiences, FWIW.

 

[goofynut41]

DSS has historically offered that as a service, but major caveat as the PP said, they don't open until after reservations go live and you have no control over when they get to your request. They may start working on your request right away, or they may not.

The service was used much more back in the days when you couldn't do much online, but over time as you could do almost everything online and the rush to start booking things first thing in the AM became a frenzy, fewer people use them for ADRs and especially FPs.

It can be a nice alternative if you're traveling / unavailable to do things yourself, or just prefer to not mess with it. Reports are usually positive, although some occasional folks not happy.

The main takeaway is that it's generally not a magic/pixie dust service that can get anything/everything at their command - they still have to deal with the same availability challenges as anyone, so just know that going in when using them.

I'm basing the above on pre-COVID experiences, FWIW.

Ok I think I'll stick with doing dining and fast passes myself, but its good to know...

 

[sndral]

I will just copy & paste what I wrote in the YC/BC thread:


For a report…I wish it was happier. I fly home tonight and rope dropped HS, but started later than I would have liked because of issues. I had no DME info on my door or in the room when I returned from Epcot last night and I was way too tired to make the 5 mile trek back to the front desk so I had to make an extra stop this morning for that. Really cost me time and I didn’t get to HS until nearly 8 and was way back in the security line. I was still able to walk on to RNRC and ToT was maybe a 10 minute wait.

In general YC is nice but I had a lot of little issues with my stay. I was in room 3027 and I did appreciate the Happy Birthday note left on my bed when I got in and the room view was incredible, but so many practical little problems…I had to ask for a room occupied sign as one was not in the room. The shower was awful with the lack of shelving and not having a bathtub was honestly a dealbreaker for me. SAB was just too crowded to enjoy whenever I attempted it too. I never actually got there. I think I’m just a quiet pool person at the end of the day, so that place is a bit lost on me.

Yesterday was a comedy of errors. In the AM I had to go all the way to the lobby to fix an issue with my credit card not carrying over to my continuing reservation, then went back to my room to discover my magic band suddenly stopped working and the app had signed me out and wouldn’t let me back in, then when I managed it I couldn’t use the unlock door feature because it said I had no room number. I was back and forth to the lobby three times trying to get that sorted. Turned out the battery on the door scanner was dead. After all this drama I barely had time to scarf down cereal before my BG was called.

Trying to get back from HS yesterday during the torrential thunderstorm was an experience too. I don’t blame the CMs for turning the boat back around but the wait for a bus was terrible. Tried to keep a positive attitude but I was exhausted and loaded down with stuff to ship home. Bus after bus for RIV and nothing for Crescent Lake resorts. Not having room service that night was really bad too, when everyone was stuck inside…A&C to Go time slots filled up so fast you were basically SOL. The app glitched on me while I was trying to order and I lost my slot, the next time was not until 8:50pm. Luckily the rain subsided considerably so I just went into Epcot for dinner but it was rough.

It was fantastic being so close to HS with the lines there being as bad as they are and the surprise fireworks were amazing but it was such a 180 here from my experience at GF earlier in the week. I would still stay here in the future but I don’t think until Epcot is back to some semblance of normalcy.

I will just add for here that I vastly prefer the GF, it’s not even a question. The food options are way better (B&C was mediocre at best), the resort is laid out better, and I liked my room better at GF (granted it’s not a fair comparison).

Interesting that many of the issues you had while at the YC are not unique to the YC.
DME not leaving the envelopes - Wherever I stay I’ve just called DME when I notice they haven’t been left the night before & then swing by the front desk on my way out where they are waiting for me the morning of. W/ DME sadly going away, this particular glitch will disappear as well.
More often than not for me w/ split stays I have to ‘re-up’ my credit card. Indeed, I just make it a point to buy something small soon after check in at the new resort to see if the credit card needs re-validation.
Door batteries die at all of the resorts & when it happens it seems to be a hassle - how much of a hassle being proportional to how far your room is from the front desk it seems & how many treks you need to make before they figure it out.
The room service/food ordering issue I assume would be tied to the current restrictions & will be less of an issue as things return to normal, I hope.
IME, whenever they have to add buses for unplanned situations it’s a mess - the worst I’ve experienced are when the Epcot monorail goes down & you have to scramble to bus to the MK resorts.
SAB can be crazy, I personally like the YC quiet pool.
All of that said, if I’m doing a split stay which includes the GF, I make the GF my last stay. One time I started at the GF then moved to the YC - after I left the GF I spent the rest of the trip gazing wistfully @ the GF whenever I saw it, wishing I was still there