GF BWI or WL for February?

[arbonnette]

I am struggling to pick a resort and stick with my decision for my family's Feb 4-10 trip. The includes my parents (ages 65 and 71 who are very used to staying in the best of the best with top-notch service and treatment!), my DD4 and myself (age 27).

I have narrowed down my choices to GF BWI or WL. Whichever we choose, we would want a deluxe concierge room definitely. We stayed in a CR tower room with a lagoon view last December and we were underwhelmed overall by the resort. We would like to upgrade a bit (larger room) and I am not sure I would be willing to give up the monorail for convienence, but I would be willing to do it for a better room size/quality.

Also, does anyone know the status of the GF renovation and is the BW planning a refurb as well? If so, when would these changes be completed?

So ... all opinions/help/advice is greatly appreciated. I find it sooo difficult to choose a resort!!!

Thanks in advance for your help ...

 

[Cmbar]

While I have not stayed at the BWI or GF yet, the WL is lovely but the rooms are small. That being said, if you are choosing some kind of suite, I cannot comment on that. I seriously doubt you would be unhappy with the GF especially if you parents are used to having a little more upscale. We are staying there in November and from what I hear the rooms are roomy and the monorail just can't be beat with a 4 year old. I think BWI is beautiful, (we stayed in the Villas) but the Epcot area is only wonderful if you are planning on going to Epcot and STudios a lot. Otherwise getting to MK is a bit of a hike. We did not like that we didn't have any kind of quick food option there either.

Just my opinion. OH and I was told that renovations are underway at the GF and should be mostly done by December so there is a good chance that in February you would get a renovated room.

Good luck!

 

[arbonnette]

bumping ...

 

[CanadianGuy]

As noted, the WL is pretty much done renovation and construction stuff.. so you're good to go there.

GF is undergoing soft-rehab on sections of rooms at a time.. this fall and winter.. might stretch in February.. hard to know at this point but it *should* be done by then.

As for BWI - I would think it may be the full throes of rehab then. There's nothing officially announced.. but my sources (and my gut) tell me it will be.

Knox

 

[simonkodousek]

The WL is an excellent resort. We had a lot of fun when we were there! The only drawback is the room size. I think if you go there, you should book the junior suite/deluxe room.

 

[arbonnette]

Thanks for your advice, everyone. Even though I love the looks of the lobby at the WL (love!), I have a gut feeling that the room size/decor even in the deluxe room (junior suite) would not be the best choice for us. What do you think the chances are of e getting an accurate response about refurbs at GF and BWI if I call CRO and/or my AAA travel agent?!

I have heard lots of people indicate that Disney never made them aware of construction going on at their resort ahead of time ... I know my parents would hate to be at BWI and have them be in the middle of a refurb!

Best wishes to everyone!

 

[Cmbar]

Was the Poly out? That has just been completely refurbished so you won't have to worry about that and the room sizes are good.
just a thought!

 

[TammiMcMan]

If you are narrowing it down to the GF or BWI, then you may want to just consider these things.

It's being reported now that the GF's main building, which houses the deluxe concierge rooms, will be completed last. Those dates seem to project a completion date in December, but we all know that dates can change.

Deluxe rooms at both the BWI and GF are simply one room that's about two hundred square feet bigger than a standard room. Here is the layout at the BWI:

and this is the GF deluxe:

With the exception of the Bellvue Lounge, restaurants for the BWI are all located on the Boardwalk. You need to walk outside and then into a restaurant.

Location could be a key factor as well. Depending on which parks you may be visiting more, convenience to the MK or Epcot and MGM may help with your decision. While the MK might be where you spend most of your time, your parents could be very happy being close enough to Epcot that they can wander in and out for meals and shopping.

On site amenities may be a consideration as well if your parents want to spend more time at the resort than in the park. BWI is convenient to the Boardwalk for restaurants and shopping. The GF has more of a resort setup and it's probably quieter.

 

[arbonnette]

Thanks so much, Tammi. It is very helpful to have the factors laid out like that in one place.
I think we would be better off at the GF because of the proximity to MK, the monorail, the relative compactness of everything in one place, restaurants especially. (My dad frequents Treasure Island in Las Vegas and he never even leaves the hotel/casino the whole time he is there!!) While I believe they would be happiest in the main building, I am also considering the Lodge Tower rooms strictly because of the extra TV. I know that this room type is not available in the main building, but I believe I read there are 3 of these type (request only, not guaranteed) in SL. Is this accurate? If so, what is the best way to go out requesting this?

Also, do you think it would be at all possible to request an extra TV or even just a DVD player in a deluxe concierge room if I decided to go with that? Just a thought?

 

[TammiMcMan]

I know that this room type is not available in the main building, but I believe I read there are 3 of these type (request only, not guaranteed) in SL. Is this accurate? If so, what is the best way to go out requesting this?

You are correct. There are 3 in the Sugar Loaf building, all garden views, with the top floor not having a balcony. You need to put in a request with the concierge pre-planning department. Unfortuntely, you won't know until you arrive if you got it. There is a really big difference in the two lounges as well. SL is very much like a bed & breakfast. It's cozy, but small and doesn't really offer a view. There have not been any tv's placed there yet either. The lounge in the main building is huge by comparison, has lots of windows, a few tv's and overlooks the main lobby. In the evening, the piano player is in the lobby, followed by the GF Orchestra on the balcony below you. The main building is more expensive, but I think it's probaby the area your parents would appreciate the most.

Also, do you think it would be at all possible to request an extra TV or even just a DVD player in a deluxe concierge room if I decided to go with that? Just a thought?

You can always ask. I believe all the concierge rooms do come with a dvd player and the staff has an available library of movies that you can choose from. Another option is the lounge itself. There are two televisions, which also had a dvd player. One of the tv's is surrounded by two sofa's, so it was very comfortable to sit there and relax.