Gardenview at the GF

[lts862]

Hi!
We will be staying at the GF for the first time and have a Garden View room. Can anyone give any information about the buildings where Garden View rooms are located, your building preferences and why? We are not sure which building to request. Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

The last time we stayed at the GF, we had a GV room in Conch Key on the 1st floor. I liked it because it was close to the boat dock and a short walk to the main building. Our room was on the side facing Narcoossee's and we could even see part of the lagoon.

We have also stayed in Sago Cay and Boca Chica, but I liked Conch Key the best.

The Grand Floridian is a beautiful resort.

 

[PartyOf5]

We just got back and I had a gardenview room booked. However, upon check-in, we were given a complimentary lagoon view room (not sure why but it made us very happy!). We were in Big Pine Key. This building is great if you will be spending a good amount of time in the themed pool as this building kind of sits between the two pools. It is also close to the entrance to the main building. This comes in handy when it's storming out!

However, if pools aren't a big deal for you and you will get better use of the marina and want to be close to the food and arcade court (for refillable mug refills), I think Sago Cay, Boca Chica or Conch Key would be a good option (a bit less of a walk). I was suprised at how close Sago Cay was to the food court because all of the maps I have seen make it seem like it's off to the left a bit. Actually, all the buildings are fairly close together so where ever you end up shouldn't be too bad of a location.

If I could make a suggestion. All the buildings have thier own little lobby and it goes floor to ceiling. I found the lobby at Big Pine Key could get a little loud at times when people were coming and going, waiting for the elevator etc. (especially on the first floor). Voices seem to travel. If you think this will bother you, you may want to ask to be put on
either side of the building, not in the lobby. We were on a wing and it was very quiet.

You are going to love GF...it is a beautiful resort. Enjoy!

 

[Janet2k]

Here is the link to the map of the GF: click here for the Dis' GF MAP. As far as I remember, every single GF building has rooms that are garden view. I don't think there is a bad building in the bunch. Have a wonderful stay. By the way, I'll soon be in the GF’s main building, staying in a handicap-accessible room. My room’s view? Pool/garden. It will be a lovely view, I am sure.

 

[Tinkbell]

We stayed in Big Pine Key and faced the quiet pool. It was really nice and close to everything. There are some GV rooms in Big Pine Key that directly face the side of another building, not offering much of a view. If you choose Big Pine Key, ask for a pool view.

 

[ead79]

We stayed in a garden view room at the GF in 2000. We were in the Sago Cay building, which was a good location. It was right next to the main building, and our garden view had a view of the monorail, which I thought was really neat.

 

[momto2]

Partyof5
Did you send a room request in for any reason? Just wondering if any room request for a special occasion helped?

 

[crazywig]

we stayed in a gv room at the GF in sept. of 2001. we were in conch key, facing the marina. great view and you could see the monorail too. we were on the 4th floor, i believe it was room 7402?

 

[PartyOf5]

Hi Momto2 - no, we did not send in a fax. Our only request was non-smoking. Originally we were going to be put on the 2nd floor facing the pool but then the CM (for whatever reason) said hold on a minute, I think I can do something magical for you. Boy, did he ever! We found all the CMs at the GF to be wonderful. After we checked in our room, I made sure to go back and thank the front desk CM for the wonderful room. He was so appreciative that I made the effort to say thanks.

 

[momto2]

Partyof5

WOW! Now that really is Disney Magic!

I was just wondering because we are going to stay at GF for the first (and maybe only) time -thanks to the FTP. We got a GV room . I kept debating whether or not to try to upgrade to wait until we got there or just be happy to be staying at ANY room at the GF. I opted for the last. Just neat to know that magical things do happen sometimes.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[PartyOf5]

Momto2 - you are in the same boat as me. This was probably our first and last time thanks to the FTP as well. I think you are going to love the GF...we sure did! The only two things I didn't like about it was the inefficient laundry facilities (each building has a laundry room with only 2 washers and 2 dryers) and the inconvienent self parking location. All the parking you see on the map is for valet parking. If you want to self-park, you have to cross the street and park in a lot where the CMs also park. Valet parking is $6/day plus tips. Had I known this, I would have used a town car service like we did last year.

We also loved the pools. We did not go in the quiet pool as the kids opted for the waterslide pool. It was great! The slide was a little on the fast side and kind of long. It was perfect for us.

We also took advantage of the length of stay family boat rental for $199 + tax. In fact, this is the first thing we did and we actually went out on a pontoon boat while we were waiting for our room to become ready. Very relaxing after getting up early to catch our flight, etc.

If you want a refrigerator, go ahead and ask. They are available upon request at no additional charge. We also liked the safe they have in the room. It was almost the size of the refrig. Had I known that I would have let my son bring his laptop like he wanted to. The toiletries are very nice as well.

OK, I'm rambling - sorry...I hope you have a great time!

 

[Sammie]

Glad you enjoyed your trip, it is a beautiful resort.

For any future guests, as to the parking situation and the laundry. Most of the guests to the Grand do not use self parking or the laundry service so you are not going to get the better offerings for these amenities such as you do at moderate resorts. Most either do not have a car or valet and send their laundry out for service.

Personally I like having the car parking removed from the front the resort. Visually it is much more pleasing.