Grand 1 yacht - some questions

[JoJo1980]

I was just wondering for those who have used the yacht before, especially for a wishes cruise - were you able to be picked up & dropped off at the wilderness lodge or will it only do it from the Grand Floridian?

What time do people normally hire it for a wishes cruise - is 8.30 til 9.30 ok if the fireworks are at 9?? or would you do 8.45 til 9.45?? do they give you options or are the times set?

I'm just trying to plan my photo and video hours to include the cruise

 

[Malibelle]

We just did a wishes cruise at Christmas and we had to meet at the dock at the Wilderness at 8:15pm. We got off the yacht around 10pm.

 

[Janet2k]

I was just wondering for those who have used the yacht before, especially for a wishes cruise - were you able to be picked up & dropped off at the wilderness lodge or will it only do it from the Grand Floridian?

This is a question that only Disney can answer, but for the cruise that I was on a year or so ago, the answer was yes. We were staying at the GF; however, a bunch of us had dinner reservations at the Wilderness Lodge that night and thus it was pre-arranged that the Grand 1 would pick us all up there. It worked out well.

What time do people normally hire it for a wishes cruise - is 8.30 til 9.30 ok if the fireworks are at 9?? or would you do 8.45 til 9.45?? do they give you options or are the times set?

They'll be able to answer this for you as there is only one Grand 1 Wishes Cruise each night. Once the MK's fireworks schedule is determined, your cruise time may be adjusted to reflect that but they will inform you of this in advance. Definitely give them a call and ask them how things work.

 

[JoJo1980]

Thankyou so much for your replies! I'm so happy now thinking there may be a chance we can get picked up from the WL - thats where we got engaged so I really wanted some photos there too

I will definately give them a call and find out properly - do you know how many days in advance you can book?

 

[DigitalLove]

Thankyou so much for your replies! I'm so happy now thinking there may be a chance we can get picked up from the WL - thats where we got engaged so I really wanted some photos there too

I will definately give them a call and find out properly - do you know how many days in advance you can book?

Hi Jo

You can book the Grand 1 90 days out. This is the telephone number for the Grand Floridian Marina (where the Yacht lives) who should be able to give you some extra information 001 407 824 2326. This is the reservation number to book a cruise 001 407-939-7529. You just need to be on the phone bang on midday our time as their lines open at 7am. Do it a few days earlier in advance as practice runs as you'll be given various prompts as to what key you need to hit. When it asks for your 10 digit phone number, just knock the 0 off your landline number

 

[Maddiesmum03]

we booked the grand one a couple of weeks ago for our wedding in may and we were asked if we wanted it for one hour or one and a half hours. DF was all set to say, oh we might as well have it for the one and a half hours, until I reminded him it's $400+ PER HOUR!!!!!

 

[Janet2k]

I will definately give them a call and find out properly - do you know how many days in advance you can book?

Here's the most recent info that I can find on one of Disney's official websites (it's a press release):

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Grand 1 yacht sails from Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

0719AT_1855GD35055639.jpg

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Grand 1, the most luxurious watercraft at Walt Disney World Resort, offers a VIP boating experience on the waters of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake just outside Magic Kingdom. A personal captain and deckhand launch the 52-foot Sea Ray yacht from the marina at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Guests can book morning, afternoon or evening excursions, each of which offer spectacular views of Walt Disney World Resort, including the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Wedding Pavilion and several Walt Disney World resorts. On select nights, guests can view "Wishes," above Magic Kingdom from the boat deck, or the dining and salon areas that feature panoramic, wrap-around windows. For the ultimate cruise, private-dining staff can whip up an evening snack or gourmet five-course meal with wine pairings. A private butler can also cater to guests' every need. Up to 18 guests can sail for $450 per hour plus tax. Dining service and butler are available for additional fees. Reservations for Grand 1 can be made by calling 407/WDW-PLAY. (Gene Duncan, photographer)

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[Skylarr29]

Yes, the yacht can pick up at different locations. We celebrated our anniversary in Oct and we were picked up at the Contemporary after dinner at the California Grill.

Just be specific that you want it for one hour only. We got billed for two. Now we did have it for 2 hours but we had an issue and the captain said he would give us a little extra time because of this so we assumed that was why we kept sailing around the lagoon lol! We had to tell them we wanted to wrap it up!

When my fiance checked the credit card statement a few weeks later we had a bill for over 1k and at that point it was too late to argue it. We didn't mind, it was just the principal of the matter.

 

[JoJo1980]

Thankyou everyone All the info is great! I'm gonna keep that number safe and do some practice runs like you said My fingers and toes are going to be crossed from now until 90 days out

 

[Mermaid_Ariel]

Here's what I'm confused about. According to ADR calculator, my 90-day mark for 12-12-08 is 9-13-08. Am I doing the math wrong or shouldn't it be 9-12-08 for me to call?

Here's a link to the ADR calculator I'm referencing. Hopefully, I'm allowed to post it.

http://pscalculator.net/allearsnet/pscalcae.php

 

[DigitalLove]

Here's what I'm confused about. According to ADR calculator, my 90-day mark for 12-12-08 is 9-13-08. Am I doing the math wrong or shouldn't it be 9-12-08 for me to call?

Here's a link to the ADR calculator I'm referencing. Hopefully, I'm allowed to post it.

http://pscalculator.net/allearsnet/pscalcae.php

Its been a LONG night at work so please forgive me if I'm sounding incrediby dense and stupid but could the extra day be because of this year being a leap year and they haven't reset the calendar for a year when Feb is the normal 28 days?!

Scrap that last suggestion... I just counted the days on the calendar and i'm getting 13th Sept as the day for you to call. I actually called everyday for a few days earlier than I needed to on the off chance the CM I spoke to would take pity on me and just book me on but to no avail!! However, each CM I spoke to went on to tell me exactly what date I needed to call... So I would probably do that just to be on the safe side that you get exactly the right day. I used the calculator on allearsnet too, and it was accurate for the date I needed!