GF or YC for Disneymoon?

[GroupB]

Hello Everyone,

My DFi and I are going on our Disneymoon from August 19th to the 25th. When I initially booked our trip I had a reservation for a preferred king room at CSR. We like the relaxed and romantic feel it has and feel that it's a great way to wind down from a day at the parks.

Last week we had a few VERY generous honeymoon gifts come in and so I wanted to surprise my DFi and upgrade to a deluxe hotel. So I called the reservation number and had our trip switched to a standard garden view room at the GF. Then, I stumbled across the GF thread here...

I'm very nervous about all the construction and how it will affect our stay. So much so that I started looking at other deluxe hotels. I narrowed the options down to the YC mainly for the convenient location, excellent pool, and what seems like a romantic vibe.

So here's where I'd love to have your opinions and advice...

Should I stay at GF with my standard garden view room and request a room away from the construction? This trip being our honeymoon, romance is at the top of my list of necessities for the resort. Will the construction affect our trip much? Or is it hardly a problem?

Or should I, for the same money, change my reservation to a CL standard garden room at YC? Is this resort romantic? Does it feel like a retreat from the parks? Is it loud being in the area that it is?

How would you compare these two resorts for a honeymoon?

Thank you in advance for help in my decision!

 

[Sammie]

Gosh, hard one because you picked my two favorite resorts.

Honestly you can not go wrong with either one of them, and I would not let the construction make a difference. Unless you are at the pool with the slide you will probably not notice it.

Yacht club is very nice, fabulous pool but it is not the Grand Floridian as to view and being so close to the Magic Kingdom.

I would not do CL at Yacht Club, if staying there I would pick a better view and go with some room service.

 

[mariamouse]

As much as I love the GF and think the construction there is not the end of the world, I think I would go for the YC in your case.

The construction at the GF is not located in the center of the resort, but it does have an impact on the main themed beach pool (surrounded by walls) and what used to be a romantic beach area overlooking the Poly/lagoon. It just does not feel the same. Although noise was not an issue for us during our stay there this past December, this may not be the case in August. If you much prefer the GF location/decor, though, I would not let the construction alone dissuade you since it truly can be avoided- the courtyard pool is unaffected, most rooms do not overlook the construction, the lobby and restaurants are still the same, etc.

But the reasons I give the YC the edge are:
-Lack of construction
-Superior pool
-Access to the Boardwalk, which provides great night activities for a couple (i.e. Jellyrolls)
-Proximity to the more "adult" parks (Epcot and the Studios... a spur of the moment night stroll to the World Showcase for a drink/dessert at night can be so romantic)
-Lots of restaurant options between the YC/BC S/D, Boardwalk, Studios and Epcot
-Less expensive than the GF, so you could spring for a lagoon view and/or CL to make it extra special
-IMO, more sophisticated room decor.. the GF is a bit more girly/floral

I absolutely love both resorts, but think these pros plus the construction at the GF make the YC the winner. If, however, you will spend most of your time in the MK and much prefer the GF vibe, do not feel that the construction will ruin your stay! Perhaps a good compromise would be to visit the GF for a nice dinner? Victoria & Albert's or Citricos perhaps?

Congrats and have fun whatever you choose!

 

[hmillerbarilla]

I've stayed at both, in standard rooms. I'd go with the YC.

Sure, the GF is lovely. The rooms are stunning. The views are pretty. But... one thing I don't like, is how the rooms aren't all in the main building. Also, The YC is just better.

I think the resort is beautiful. The staff is fantastic. I used to love the GF, until I stayed at the YC. I had never loved a resort more. It was just fabulous.

I think it just being the two of you, you will enjoy the quick walk to Epcot rather than the monorail ride to the MK. My DH and I also love the restaurants and bars in the Swan and Dolphin and liked being right by the BoardWalk.

YC. That's my pick!

 

[robinb]

Hello Everyone,

My DFi and I are going on our Disneymoon from August 19th to the 25th. When I initially booked our trip I had a reservation for a preferred king room at CSR. We like the relaxed and romantic feel it has and feel that it's a great way to wind down from a day at the parks.

Last week we had a few VERY generous honeymoon gifts come in and so I wanted to surprise my DFi and upgrade to a deluxe hotel. So I called the reservation number and had our trip switched to a standard garden view room at the GF. Then, I stumbled across the GF thread here...

I'm very nervous about all the construction and how it will affect our stay. So much so that I started looking at other deluxe hotels. I narrowed the options down to the YC mainly for the convenient location, excellent pool, and what seems like a romantic vibe.

So here's where I'd love to have your opinions and advice...

Should I stay at GF with my standard garden view room and request a room away from the construction? This trip being our honeymoon, romance is at the top of my list of necessities for the resort. Will the construction affect our trip much? Or is it hardly a problem?

Or should I, for the same money, change my reservation to a CL standard garden room at YC? Is this resort romantic? Does it feel like a retreat from the parks? Is it loud being in the area that it is?

How would you compare these two resorts for a honeymoon?

Thank you in advance for help in my decision!

My opinion? Neither. Go back to CSR and save the generous wedding gifts to start out your new life together rather than forking it over to The Mouse. You are on your HONEYMOON ... any place will be romantic. Trust me on this. You don't need the fanciest or most expensive resort to make your honeymoon special and romantic. You just need you and your new spouse. You want "romantic"? Heck, I think that POFQ is one of the most romantic resorts in WDW and it's half the price of the ones that you have mentioned.

This is no time to start allowing money to burn a whole in your pocket. You have your whole life ahead of you and the extra $$ will come in handy and you will miss nothing in the process.

ETA: To continue to be a wet blanket ... I also see a possible issue with "surprising" your fiance with spending twice as much money than you agreed to on your honeymoon. I don't think that starts off a marriage well. Of course, if you have a boatload of money tons of savings then I will gladly eat my words but it appears that you are spending the extra wedding gifts that could be used in better, albeit more boring, ways.

 

[danceintherain]

I think the decor in the rooms at the Grand Floridian is ugly (very grandma's house). I much prefer the Yacht Club. I also like the Boardwalk area better for a honeymoon. As nice as the monorail to the Magic Kingdom is DHS and Epcot are both more adult friendly parks.

However, I say you stick with CSR, which is what you were happy with initially, and surprise your new husband with something less expensive, and save the rest of the money.

I stayed at AKL on my honeymoon, and while I loved it, we would have been perfectly fine at a different resort. Luckily we got an excellent rate at AKL, so it wasn't an issue. My husband probably would have been perfectly fine camping at Fort Wilderness. While it is nice to splurge, it really depends on you.

 

[cjsm&d]

Hello Everyone,

My DFi and I are going on our Disneymoon from August 19th to the 25th. When I initially booked our trip I had a reservation for a preferred king room at CSR. We like the relaxed and romantic feel it has and feel that it's a great way to wind down from a day at the parks.

Last week we had a few VERY generous honeymoon gifts come in and so I wanted to surprise my DFi and upgrade to a deluxe hotel. So I called the reservation number and had our trip switched to a standard garden view room at the GF. Then, I stumbled across the GF thread here...

I'm very nervous about all the construction and how it will affect our stay. So much so that I started looking at other deluxe hotels. I narrowed the options down to the YC mainly for the convenient location, excellent pool, and what seems like a romantic vibe.

So here's where I'd love to have your opinions and advice...

Should I stay at GF with my standard garden view room and request a room away from the construction? This trip being our honeymoon, romance is at the top of my list of necessities for the resort. Will the construction affect our trip much? Or is it hardly a problem?

Or should I, for the same money, change my reservation to a CL standard garden room at YC? Is this resort romantic? Does it feel like a retreat from the parks? Is it loud being in the area that it is?

How would you compare these two resorts for a honeymoon?

Thank you in advance for help in my decision!

It's all about what you like, really...

...But for DW and I, we would take YC over GF. We found it romantic. We also loved that we could walk into EPCOT at our leisure for pastries and wine in France... EPCOT is our #1 destination in the world, and the number of great restaurants within walking distance is incredible!

 

[cjsm&d]

My opinion? Neither. Go back to CSR and save the generous wedding gifts to start out your new life together rather than forking it over to The Mouse. You are on your HONEYMOON ... any place will be romantic. Trust me on this. You don't need the fanciest or most expensive resort to make your honeymoon special and romantic. You just need you and your new spouse. You want "romantic"? Heck, I think that POFQ is one of the most romantic resorts in WDW and it's half the price of the ones that you have mentioned.

This is no time to start allowing money to burn a whole in your pocket. You have your whole life ahead of you and the extra $$ will come in handy and you will miss nothing in the process.

ETA: To continue to be a wet blanket ... I also see a possible issue with "surprising" your fiance with spending twice as much money than you agreed to on your honeymoon. I don't think that starts off a marriage well. Of course, if you have a boatload of money tons of savings then I will gladly eat my words but it appears that you are spending the extra wedding gifts that could be used in better, albeit more boring, ways.

Unless you know these people personally, you really shouldn't assume anything about their financial situation. She asked about YC and GF, not how to plan her financial future.

 

[Sam345]

My opinion? Neither. Go back to CSR and save the generous wedding gifts to start out your new life together rather than forking it over to The Mouse. You are on your HONEYMOON ... any place will be romantic. Trust me on this. You don't need the fanciest or most expensive resort to make your honeymoon special and romantic. You just need you and your new spouse. You want "romantic"? Heck, I think that POFQ is one of the most romantic resorts in WDW and it's half the price of the ones that you have mentioned.

This is no time to start allowing money to burn a whole in your pocket. You have your whole life ahead of you and the extra $$ will come in handy and you will miss nothing in the process.

ETA: To continue to be a wet blanket ... I also see a possible issue with "surprising" your fiance with spending twice as much money than you agreed to on your honeymoon. I don't think that starts off a marriage well. Of course, if you have a boatload of money tons of savings then I will gladly eat my words but it appears that you are spending the extra wedding gifts that could be used in better, albeit more boring, ways.

YIKES. He explicitly said that they had received honeymoon gifts. So in fact, it would be rude NOT to use them on the honeymoon.

Anyway, I'd pick Yacht Club any day. You'll have a great time no matter what!

 

[Sue M]

I'd pick YC CL garden view room, it's only a few dollars more then standard view and worth it.
We had a GV Cl room at BC. And loved it. Can't beat the prox to Epcot, DHS and boardwalk area. YC is a beautiful resort, and you'd have sab too! Best pool on site.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I'd pick YC CL garden view room, it's only a few dollars more then standard view and worth it.
We had a GV Cl room at BC. And loved it. Can't beat the prox to Epcot, DHS and boardwalk area. YC is a beautiful resort, and you'd have sab too! Best pool on site.

ITA with this! I absolutely would take a YC CL room instead of a GF GV room (and I honeymooned at the GF 15 years ago that very week!). Like a PP said, I like the GF, but once we stayed YC there is no looking back for us...

Romance is in the eye of the beholder and it can be found ANYWHERE

 

[disneydee6]

Either resort will be great and romantic.
I would also go with YC. Both resorts will have a fun romantic feel, but I would like the proximity to Epcot and DHS and the Boardwalk, SAB is awesome, and there is no construction, so if that is a concern, it won't be if booked with YC.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Here's my 2cents. We have stayed at CS three times, once a few months before and once a few months after our disney wedding. It's our favorite moderate. I love the feel of the resort overall, except the rooms always feel really dark and I can't wait to get out of there!

For our wedding, we stayed at the GF, my ultimate resort. We just had a garden room, so nothing extra, but we loved every second of it. Loved walking around the resort (it's tiny compared to CS), loved having all the restaurants right there to choose from and loved the beach pool. This past january we stayed at the Beach Club (in DVC). While we were there a friend was at YC and we checked out their room, so I can say I like the decor just as well there as at GF. We enjoyed SAB a lot and really took advantage of being able to pop into EPcot whenever. but if you don't have an annual pass, that might not be as much of an advantage.

So, since I've stayed at all 3 in the past few years, even with GF being my favorite resort, in your situation, I'd do YC! The pool matters more in August, and SAB is the best. The rooms at CS rule it out for me, and the construction at GF right now, while not enough to ruin a regular visit, is enough that I would stay away for a honeymoon! Save that trip for a milestone anniversary!

 

[Karabee]

I love upgrading any vacation It's your honeymoon so it should be special. That being said, I would pick YC. Walking to EPCOT will be so nice since there are so many choices to eat there, and it's always so much fun in the evening. Also, the boardwalk is right there to walk around anytime of day. You can't beat the pool either! I feel that YC and GF both have a very adult feel to them, but YC has less of the visitor traffic, and therefore makes it feel more romantic and secluded in my opinion. Have fun!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I also say neither! I looked at both when I was booking our 10th Anniversary trip for January 2011, I really wanted the romantic feel, since we didn't get a honeymoon. The GF is beautiful, but so stuffy and the YC is so dark. I chose BWI and I am so glad I did. It is gorgeous, the room was incredible (would have preferred a King bed, but was still great).

I don't think we ever saw any other hotel guest, except in the lobby, we had a nice balcony and could see Epcot from there. I sat on the balcony one afternoon and listened to the people on the Boardwalk and just enjoyed the warm afternoon, then we got dressed up and went and had a really nice dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse at YC and knew exactly why I didn't choose it.

I think that was the best trip we have made so far.

 

[GroupB]

Wow! Thank you all so much for the excellent feedback! You all rock!

I love both resorts very much but I went ahead switched to the YC. I actually went ahead and told my DFi about my plans. I wanted to be sure that she liked the resort as well! I will instead surprise her with some nice things from the Disney Florist. I'm also considering some things at the spa or a fireworks cruise.

We chose YC in the end because we will not need to buy water park tickets with access to SAB, most of our dining reservations are within walking distance, and we plan to spend the bulk of our time at DHS and EPCOT.

I definitely appreciate the concerns some of you had with budgeting, but as someone else pointed out, these are honeymoon gifts. We are using the registry that Disney provides and want to be sure that we're honest with the gift money we receive. Getting married certainly has been more expensive than we had initially anticipated but we are fortunately just fine thanks to our very generous families. Seriously, they are the best!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[mariamouse]

Wow! Thank you all so much for the excellent feedback! You all rock!

I love both resorts very much but I went ahead switched to the YC. I actually went ahead and told my DFi about my plans. I wanted to be sure that she liked the resort as well! I will instead surprise her with some nice things from the Disney Florist. I'm also considering some things at the spa or a fireworks cruise.

We chose YC in the end because we will not need to buy water park tickets with access to SAB, most of our dining reservations are within walking distance, and we plan to spend the bulk of our time at DHS and EPCOT.

I definitely appreciate the concerns some of you had with budgeting, but as someone else pointed out, these are honeymoon gifts. We are using the registry that Disney provides and want to be sure that we're honest with the gift money we receive. Getting married certainly has been more expensive than we had initially anticipated but we are fortunately just fine thanks to our very generous families. Seriously, they are the best!

Thanks again everyone!

Congratulations!!! It sounds like the YC is a perfect fit.