Grand Floridian in September?

[GADisneyDad14]

I’m shocked by the optimism here.

Personally, I agree.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Ok, I have a bit of an update! I got an email from Disney Destinations warning about construction happening during my travel dates at the Grand Floridian, so I got nervous and called the main Disney World travel phone number. I spoke to a CM who looked into the construction schedule for September and said there is one building that will be under construction then, but it's not the lobby! He said during daytime hours we will be able to see and hear construction around the resort and we'd be able to see/hear it from the lobby, but no construction in the lobby itself. He also said all the amenities will be available. Sooo sounds like the main building will be okay in September?! Fingers crossed!!

Hate to say it, but the only building left to renovate IS the main building. Both the rooms and whatever they have planned for the lobby and aforementioned untouched lobby restaurants. After that, that’s it for GF buildings to work on, unless they were to do stuff to the convention center or wedding pavilion, but those would be non-issues for guests. And while I’m sure the CM had best of intentions, phone CMs are notoriously many steps removed from actual resort details and can at times have a tendency to make things up.

Sorry to be a pessimist, I just personally would be prepared for anything the balance of the year with GF. It was one thing with the one at a time outer building work which wasn’t all that intrusive relatively speaking, but the lobby pretty much impacts everyone, so just be prepared. And if it turns out to be nothing, bonus.

And to be fair, I’ve had no issues with past stays with heavy construction at places like Poly and WL, just have to keep abreast of posts around these boards/current conditions and be prepared with proper expectations.

 

[wegotodisney]

Ok, I have a bit of an update! I got an email from Disney Destinations warning about construction happening during my travel dates at the Grand Floridian, so I got nervous and called the main Disney World travel phone number. I spoke to a CM who looked into the construction schedule for September and said there is one building that will be under construction then, but it's not the lobby! He said during daytime hours we will be able to see and hear construction around the resort and we'd be able to see/hear it from the lobby, but no construction in the lobby itself. He also said all the amenities will be available. Sooo sounds like the main building will be okay in September?! Fingers crossed!!

I don't want to burst your bubble, but over the weekend I spoke with a CM who told me he wasn't allowed to give out information on the construction schedule and that any information he did have was only speculative.

 

[focusondisney]

I don't want to burst your bubble, but over the weekend I spoke with a CM who told me he wasn't allowed to give out information on the construction schedule and that any information he did have was only speculative.

Yep. CMs can only give you whatever information has already been announced by Disney management. Even if they know something not already announced, they’d lose their jobs for telling you. But usually phone CMs are given information the same time it’s made public.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ok, I have a bit of an update! I got an email from Disney Destinations warning about construction happening during my travel dates at the Grand Floridian, so I got nervous and called the main Disney World travel phone number. I spoke to a CM who looked into the construction schedule for September and said there is one building that will be under construction then, but it's not the lobby! He said during daytime hours we will be able to see and hear construction around the resort and we'd be able to see/hear it from the lobby, but no construction in the lobby itself. He also said all the amenities will be available. Sooo sounds like the main building will be okay in September?! Fingers crossed!!

Omg. Stop. You cannot trust Disney phone reps AT ALL unless you’re like booking a trip and making a payment and getting emailed confirms. Aside from that specific scenario they give out wrong info all the time. For the sake of your trip do not believe anything about that call- it’s not that they aren’t trying to help you, it’s that they aren’t given that sort of info.

 

[wegotodisney]

Omg. Stop. You cannot trust Disney phone reps AT ALL unless you’re like booking a trip and making a payment and getting emailed confirms. Aside from that specific scenario they give out wrong info all the time. For the sake of your trip do not believe anything about that call- it’s not that they aren’t trying to help you, it’s that they aren’t given that sort of info.

A lot of the phone reps seem to have a need to make you feel that they have exclusive information to share, when in fact they often know less than a frequent guest. I know I've enlightened a few. It's the same with the reps on the chat feature.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Thank you. But isn't a hurricane just a three day things and that's it? We will be staying two weeks and the end of September. I'm ok if it just rains a bit in the afternoon and that it or if we get an hurricane for three days, but I would like it to be reasonable weather for the rest of the time is this gonna be the case or will it be like England?

As long as no lasting damage hits the infrastructure of the area and unless another hurricane rolls in after it (yep, that happens). And as long as you weren’t scheduled to fly on a day it hits, then you could be looking at a couple day delay to get in or out if there is no damage. There are also Tropical Depressions & Tropical Storms so the option isn’t exactly Hurricane or light rain. And no, it’s not English weather. Tropic summer temps with tropic humidity. I would do some serious research about FL in Sept because it doesn’t appear you are quite in the know and it’s a lot of money to spend to be miserable from the second you exit your room in the morning because you didn’t know what the weather situation was. A number of people won’t touch FL Jun-Sept due to heat, humidity and rain. Things like ponchos sound like a great plan until you end up in the thing sweating your rear off because it’s raining and 90 degrees.

 

[WishUponAStar3]

Omg. Stop. You cannot trust Disney phone reps AT ALL unless you’re like booking a trip and making a payment and getting emailed confirms. Aside from that specific scenario they give out wrong info all the time. For the sake of your trip do not believe anything about that call- it’s not that they aren’t trying to help you, it’s that they aren’t given that sort of info.

Oh wow. That is so weird that the phone CM put me on hold for several minutes and said he was checking the schedule and then returned 5 mins later with that info, if it turned out to all be untrue?! Why on earth would he make it up? So weird and a bummer!

I'm still thinking it makes sense to keep my stay at GF unless I hear on these boards that major construction is happening that'll take the lobby and other amenities out of commission. A girls' trip like this might be my only chance to stay there anytime remotely soon, since my husband is not at all into GF theming--we are more a Polynesian-vibes family. But I personally love the historic-elegance look and feel of GF and do want to experience it! So I'm thinking unless I hear the magic and vibe are going to be ruined by construction, or a much more discounted room comes up at Contemporary or Poly, I should stick with it? WWYD?

 

[Mle8308]

Oh wow. That is so weird that the phone CM put me on hold for several minutes and said he was checking the schedule and then returned 5 mins later with that info, if it turned out to all be untrue?! Why on earth would he make it up? So weird and a bummer!

I'm still thinking it makes sense to keep my stay at GF unless I hear on these boards that major construction is happening that'll take the lobby and other amenities out of commission. A girls' trip like this might be my only chance to stay there anytime remotely soon, since my husband is not at all into GF theming--we are more a Polynesian-vibes family. But I personally love the historic-elegance look and feel of GF and do want to experience it! So I'm thinking unless I hear the magic and vibe are going to be ruined by construction, or a much more discounted room comes up at Contemporary or Poly, I should stick with it? WWYD?

Stick with it and hope for the best! Keep up to date with all the posters here, they are more often way better sources of information than the CM's who answer the call center phones (who are not even located on Disney property). Maybe, if you can, book a back up room at another resort while there are still discounts - just in case there is major construction at the GF. Then you can change to a resort you also like and not be disappointed by walking into a construction zone at the GF (if it happens). You may have to pay the $200 deposit, but if you cancel in the allotted time, it is refunded.

 

[wegotodisney]

Stick with it and hope for the best! Keep up to date with all the posters here, they are more often way better sources of information than the CM's who answer the call center phones (who are not even located on Disney property). Maybe, if you can, book a back up room at another resort while there are still discounts - just in case there is major construction at the GF. Then you can change to a resort you also like and not be disappointed by walking into a construction zone at the GF (if it happens). You may have to pay the $200 deposit, but if you cancel in the allotted time, it is refunded.

Booking a back up room sounds like a good idea, until they call you and tell you that you need to choose one because you can't hold two different rooms for the same people for the same dates. It doesn't always happen, but it does happen, especially if you need to call in for anything where the rep pulls up your account.

 

[Mle8308]

Booking a back up room sounds like a good idea, until they call you and tell you that you need to choose one because you can't hold two different rooms for the same people for the same dates. It doesn't always happen, but it does happen, especially if you need to call in for anything where the rep pulls up your account.

Wow! I've never had that happen and I tend to book two different resorts fairly often, then cancel one as plans come together. I do know (from past experience as a CM) that sometimes Disney will call guests if they think there are duplicate reservations in the system, but as long as you tell Disney you want both, they don't cancel or make you choose one. At least not in my experience. We would put a note in the reservation indicating the guest was called and advised of the two reservations and that they indicated they needed both. Then if they were a no show for one, they were charged. It was generally 50/50 whether it was accidental or intentional. Things may have changed!

 

[focusondisney]

I’ve had 2 resorts booked several times too & never had any issues. Even when getting calls from DSS or calling for something no one has ever mentioned our other reservation. There was a poster a few years ago who was booked at CL AK I think it was. She would also would book a CL room at a MK resort so they didn’t have to travel back there for her kids naps. Expensive way to avoid the bus, but to each their own.

I do remember someone posting they were made to choose by a CM. But I think that was an overzealous CM.