Grand Floridian shouldn’t allow non hotel guests

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Unrelated to Disney but when I travel for work and I’m alone I frequently decline one bedroom suite upgrades. Most one bed suites at hotels have a large living room and then a separate bedroom. I find these setups have a smaller bedroom area vs just a normal room and I never use the sitting areas as I prefer to just hang out in bed when done for the day

The bedroom area feels more closed off and I really dislike that

That's why I said unless the room is not to someone's liking You describing the layout is an example of that because you'd find that maybe not a downgrade but just not to your preference.

Conversely though when my husband travels he'll take the suite any day if offered for a while he was purposefully booking Embassy Suites due to that looking for ones that would have a separate bedroom if it was around.

 

[Minnie1222]

Imagine if they started letting people into the club level just to look around so they could consider maybe staying club level in the future…all while bringing down the value provided to the club paying guests.

Nah! The quickest way to discourage people from staying club is to let them tour the "facility".

 

[teamsamant]

We are on a message board full of people who own 100s of timeshare points claiming they are or are not peasants. The elite people own homes at Golden Oaks. Although anyone owning DVC certainly is no peasant.

That being said I agree the GF along with many other resorts suffer from overcrowding due to proximity to parks, special events etc. I will also say there's not much to be done about it, people can go where they please unless magic band entry becomes a thing. It could for certain areas but others it cannot
I think where Disney can change this is in the future at DVC exclusive resorts locking out those who are not resort guests to a gated or indoor area (like a lobby or BCV pool). That's not going to happen with an iconic display that's been up for 35+ years.

If the crowding bothers you, do not visit at certain times of the year or avoid certain places. I like to enjoy GF in the summer when there's no one around!

 

[twodogs]

I’m 100% ok with dining reservations as they are 1) paying for amenities and 2) limited in quantity based on number of reservations available

The non paying guests however consume the amenities in unlimited quantities

Disney has done the math on this, I think. The “non-paying” guests must be spending enough money for Disney to feel that the financial upside to allowing them into the resort outweighs any potential loss of guests of the GF who are put off by the current situation. If that financial calculus reverses, I am sure Disney would implement some of the suggestions on this thread.

Would anyone be willing to pay more to stay at the GF and/or to dine at the GF to make up the loss of revenue that Disney seemingly projects would occur, if they limited access of the resort to only guests of the resort or guests dining at the resort? If so, how much more would you be willing to pay?

For Disney, it is always about the money, at least these days!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Disney has done the math on this, I think. The “non-paying” guests must be spending enough money for Disney to feel that the financial upside to allowing them into the resort outweighs any potential loss of guests of the GF who are put off by the current situation. If that financial calculus reverses, I am sure Disney would implement some of the suggestions on this thread.

Would anyone be willing to pay more to stay at the GF and/or to dine at the GF to make up the loss of revenue that Disney seemingly projects would occur, if they limited access of the resort to only guests of the resort or guests dining at the resort? If so, how much more would you be willing to pay?

For Disney, it is always about the money, at least these days!

Yes, but if enough people don’t want to book the GF at the holiday time because they let crowds and transportation get out of control then they will either have to heavily discount rooms to get people in them or let them sit empty.

You have to be very careful when pushing a more affluent than average customer base that has MANY other travel and destination options.

 

[nuhusky123]

Disney has done the math on this, I think. The “non-paying” guests must be spending enough money for Disney to feel that the financial upside to allowing them into the resort outweighs any potential loss of guests of the GF who are put off by the current situation. If that financial calculus reverses, I am sure Disney would implement some of the suggestions on this thread.

Would anyone be willing to pay more to stay at the GF and/or to dine at the GF to make up the loss of revenue that Disney seemingly projects would occur, if they limited access of the resort to only guests of the resort or guests dining at the resort? If so, how much more would you be willing to pay?

For Disney, it is always about the money, at least these days!

I highly doubt gingerbread makes any significant revenue to the point Disney wouldn’t shut it down if gf occupancy dropped

Nor would Disney increase the price per night for their already most expensive hotel to cover the cost of a lost cookie sale. Bit laughable honestly

Let’s not forget gf is already the most expensive room at wdw

 

[Minnie1222]

I highly doubt gingerbread makes any significant revenue to the point Disney wouldn’t shut it down if gf occupancy dropped
 Nor would Disney increase the price per night for their already most expensive hotel to cover the cost of a lost cookie sale.

Yet Disney has been selling gingerbread and increasing the nightly rate. The AP rate for the cheapest mid-December room in the main building was ~$990 last year, whereas it's $1841 this year (before taxes).

 

[eandt]

I highly doubt gingerbread makes any significant revenue to the point Disney wouldn’t shut it down if gf occupancy dropped

Nor would Disney increase the price per night for their already most expensive hotel to cover the cost of a lost cookie sale. Bit laughable honestly

Let’s not forget gf is already the most expensive room at wdw

You nailed it with ‘if occupancy dropped’ which apparently it hasn’t so though the hifalutin bemoan the unwashed stealing ‘amenities’ (ie lobby space and their special train) they don’t seem to mind it enough to vacation elsewhere which means the issue isn’t really an issue but a mere annoyance of which there are plenty of to go around for every guest at every hotel on the property.

 

[eandt]

Yet Disney has been selling gingerbread and increasing the nightly rate. The AP rate for the cheapest mid-December room in the main building was ~$990 last year, whereas it's $1841 this year (before taxes).

Wow really? What do you think caused a 100% increase in rack rate? Couldn’t be gingerbread supply side economics could it?

 

[nuhusky123]

Yet Disney has been selling gingerbread and increasing the nightly rate. The AP rate for the cheapest mid-December room in the main building was ~$990 last year, whereas it's $1841 this year (before taxes).

Yes room rates, annual passes, cost of food at wdw have all gone up because gf failed to meet their gingerbread quota

Bet the mouse has their bakers working overtime to make quarterly results

Look forward to seeing q4 investor call and seeing the mouse miss earning because gingerbread sales are down

 

[Minnie1222]

Wow really? What do you think caused a 100% increase in rack rate? Couldn’t be gingerbread supply side economics could it?

Also worth mentioning is the $1841/night rooms are the less desirable ones. The more desirable & more costly rooms such as the Theme Park View and some Suites are all sold out for the same period.

 

[eandt]

Also worth mentioning is the $1841/night rooms are the less desirable ones. The more desirable & more costly rooms such as the Theme Park View and some Suites are all sold out for the same period.

Really? I’m seeing hotel availability in 3 different categories for less than $1200 rack (less than $900 discounted) … did you mean club level? Those are the only ones I see at the rate you are mentioning … those are only for the highest of hifalutins … I think they might have their own private gingerbread house up there

 

[Marrila]

Also worth mentioning is the $1841/night rooms are the less desirable ones. The more desirable & more costly rooms such as the Theme Park View and some Suites are all sold out for the same period.

The resort view rooms in the main building for 1841 a night ( mid-Dec current general public discount) include access to The Royal Palm Club.

 

[Minnie1222]

Really? I’m seeing hotel availability in 3 different categories for less than $1200 rack (less than $900 discounted) … did you mean club level? Those are the only ones I see at the rate you are mentioning … those are only for the highest of hifalutins … I think they might have their own private gingerbread house up there

The resort view rooms in the main building for 1841 a night ( mid-Dec current general public discount) include access to The Royal Palm Club.

"Yet Disney has been selling gingerbread and increasing the nightly rate. The AP rate for the cheapest mid-December room in the main building was ~$990 last year, whereas it's $1841 this year (before taxes)."

Yes, I said "main building". That's where Royal Palm and the majority of all the club rooms are located.

 

[Marrila]

"Yet Disney has been selling gingerbread and increasing the nightly rate. The AP rate for the cheapest mid-December room in the main building was ~$990 last year, whereas it's $1841 this year (before taxes)."

Yes, I said "main building". That's where Royal Palm and the majority of all the club rooms are located.

It appeared to be left unclear for those who don't know.

 

[DebbieB]

Every resort has issues. One thing that bugs me is people staying at Swan/Dolphin guests use the Boardwalk MK bus because theirs only goes to TTC. The other night after MVMCP, the line was huge, not everyone got on the first bus, I was standing by the back door hanging on. We were walking from the bus stop to the lobby and a large group took the steps down to the boardwalk. They were not Boardwalk guests, it was after midnight, nothing was open.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Nah! The quickest way to discourage people from staying club is to let them tour the "facility".

Yeah maybe this ACTUALLY makes me sound like an unwashed peasant but I've seen videos of various club levels at Disney resorts and I'm like.............dang that looks really sad LOL. Absolutely not worth the inflated price tag.

 

[Lewisc]

The other night after MVMCP, the line was huge, not everyone got on the first bus,

Too many people follow internet tips. In the length of time it took to walk to the Boardwalk bus stop the Swan guests could have taken the ferry and boarded a direct bus to the Swan.

 

[zavandor]

I like gingerbread, I just don't care for Disney's gingerbread. Now you've got me in a baking mood. I need to look up my grandma's recipe. Served warm with ice cream or whipped cream it is yummy.

Ok, you won this thread!
BUT, now we want the recipe.

 

[gmi3804]

Yeah maybe this ACTUALLY makes me sound like an unwashed peasant but I've seen videos of various club levels at Disney resorts and I'm like.............dang that looks really sad LOL. Absolutely not worth the inflated price tag.

The spread, or the nasty people wearing baseball caps?