Grand Floridian Sugar Loaf Questions (YAY!!)

[Lives4Disney]

I just booked the SL concierge at the GF for a few nights in February. Couple of questions....

1. Where do you check in?? Is there a separate check in like there is for RPC??

2. Is the concierge phone number the same as RPC??? Does anyone have that contact number??

3. What are the rooms like? I am staying with my two daughters and we would LOVE an Alice room?? Also should I request a tower/turret room?? Are those a separate category or just by request?

4. What are the views??? Could I have a castle view if I am lucky enough?? What should I request for a view if not? Or anyother suggestions...

I am so excited to be going!!!! Thanks for any info!!

 

[BCV23]

I just booked the SL concierge at the GF for a few nights in February. Couple of questions....

1. Where do you check in?? Is there a separate check in like there is for RPC??

Yes, there is a seperate checkin right in Sugar Loaf.

2. Is the concierge phone number the same as RPC??? Does anyone have that contact number??

I believe it is the same.

3. What are the rooms like? I am staying with my two daughters and we would LOVE an Alice room?? Also should I request a tower/turret room?? Are those a separate category or just by request?

The theme is Cameo. The Lodge Tower rooms are by request only. We've never stayed in one.

4. What are the views??? Could I have a castle view if I am lucky enough?? What should I request for a view if not? Or anyother suggestions...

The views are either of the marina or the courtyard. We've had marina both stays and could easily see the fireworks from our room but not the castle.

I am so excited to be going!!!! Thanks for any info!!

I have no suggestions other than have fun!

 

[jel0511]

I'll answer what I can.

1. Where do you check in?? Is there a separate check in like there is for RPC??

You should be met when you arrive at the GF by a concierge staff member. They will escort you to the Sugar Loaf Building and you'll complete check-in there.

2. Is the concierge phone number the same as RPC??? Does anyone have that contact number??

The GF does share pre-planning staff between the two concierges. I forget the number, but if you call the GF and ask for the concierge pre-planning staff, you should get connected.

3. What are the rooms like? I am staying with my two daughters and we would LOVE an Alice room?? Also should I request a tower/turret room?? Are those a separate category or just by request?

The theme in all concierge rooms is Cameo, so no Alice theme. The tower/turret rooms are by request only, so if you want one, have it noted on your reservation.

4. What are the views??? Could I have a castle view if I am lucky enough?? What should I request for a view if not? Or anyother suggestions...

The views are garden view or marina view, there are no views of the castle from Sugar Loaf. Some of the rooms near the Conch Key end on the Marina side have a partial view of the fireworks.

 

[micmacmissy]

We stayed in Sugar Loaf last month--we were in the suite on the 4th floor. We looked over the marina directly, but on the balcony, if you looked to the right and stretched a bit, you could see the castle and fireworks. It was a great place to stay--we loved the food there, and the hotel was immaculate. Have a great trip!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Thanks for the good wishes and the info! Just another question - I will be transferring luggage from the YC - so I will just be showing up in the morning at the GF with my kids. Should I just go to the front desk and let them know I am checking in SL?? Will they send a concierge member to me? Do I speak to the bell men??

My last stay at RPC the check in was kind of botched. They couldn't find my ressie or something. It was awkward. We arrived by limo and the valet kind of directed us where to go, but it didn't work out. I posted about our stay and (kind of funny) a concierge member phoned me about 2 weeks later and had read my post. He said to call him if we ever stay there again and he would make sure things went great. What do you think??? SHould I call him?? I lost his number and wonder if it is the same as the concierge contact number. Would it really make a difference?? Anyone have this experience?

Thanks so much!! I am so excited to be going back!!!

 

[TammiMcMan]

Lives4Disney, sounds like you have a nice trip upcoming. First of all, here is the e-mail address for the GF pre-planning department wdwgfplanning@disney.com. If you haven't contacted them already, I would definitely drop them an e-mail and let them know if you have any arrangements that need to made and any special room requests. Here is the phone number for the pre-planners 407-824-1775 and the contact information is for both RPC and SugarLoaf guests.

As previously posted, the room type and view can be requested. I've been trying to remember if the marina side had any turret/tower rooms. For some reason, I think they were only on the garden side. You might need to choose which is more important, the larger room or the possibility of seeing the fireworks from your balcony. I also thought that the rooms we had the furthest away from Conch Key had a better view. Our last one was 6315 and we could see the old Fantasy fireworks just fine. Unfortunately, there is no good castle view from SugarLoaf. The Conch Key building sticks out and pretty much blocks it.

If you are planning on leaving the YC and going right over to the GF, I would ask the front desk or guest services at the YC to call over and let them know you'll be arriving shortly. Perhaps you can ask them to meet you at the portico, or inside the lobby. If you can remember the CM's name who offered to assist you, ask your pre-planner for his contact information. I would absolutely take him up on his offer.

Hope everything works out for you.

Tammi

 

[micmacmissy]

Our check in for Sugar Loaf was an AWFUL experience. We paid an insane amount of money for the 2 bdrm suite, and considering the money spent, we were treated terribly by the staff and made to wait almost 2 hours (!) to check in, despite arriving well after 4pm. We thought the concierge staff was TOTALLY lacking.

So if you have a contact there to help things go smoothly, I would call him--pull every string you can to ensure a smooth trip!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Sorry for the BAD stay, micmacmissy. That is a BUMMER. We also had an awful check in for the RPC when we were there in Nov.

What exactly do you suppose I could ask of the concierge member that contacted me after our not so great Nov stay at RPC? It turns out we will be not staying at the YC first, but with the inlaws in Clearwater. (frown) We won't be able to arrive at GF until after 8pm on Sunday eve. I am afraid of getting a bum room at that hour. I am thinking of definitely mentioning the later check in to him, but what else should I bring up???

I am just always not sure about what these WDW concierge can do for us - other than make PS. My sister is a concierge at a Ritz resort and she goes OUT of her WAY for guests. I just have never really had that experience at any WDW resort - EVER. I stay concierge for our own convenience, really. Any ideas of what I can ask of him, and what he really could do for us to make our stay special - that is sort of what he alluded to in our phone conversation. I don't want to seem demanding and like a spoiled brat - that is not me. I just want a nice roomnice view, and an easy check in. No hassles. Any other ideas for specifics that I could ask??

THANKS MUCH for all you help already!!! I think the DIS is great!!!

 

[TammiMcMan]

Lives4Disney, were you able to get the contact information for that CM who offered to help? If so, that's terrific. If he's on the concierge team, I would absolutely put all your requests through him. If not, then I would still ask him to be the go between for you.

You're paying a premium for the concierge service, so you shouldn't feel bad about asking them to make your vacation plans easier. Possibly requesting a bowl of M & M's with all the red ones picked out might be considered demanding though . They can assist you with town car transfers if you need them, either between the airport or while your staying at the resort. Of course take care of your priority seating arrangements and although it's not a guarantee, they are usually very good at the hard to get ones like Cindy's breakfast, or fireworks cruises. Would you like some items purchased ahead of time and placed in your room? They offer that service, you just need to give them your credit card information. Planning a special celebration? Maybe private dining on your balcony while watching the fireworks go off.... that's right up their alley. Spa appointments. Do you like down pillows, maybe enough bathrobes for everyone in your party? These are some samples of what they can take care of for you.

I'm always a little concerned about late check-in myself. I'm not sure how big of a registration day Sunday is though. I would think it's more popular for check outs. Definitely let the CM know what time you are expected to arrive, along with any other requests.

Hope you have a great time.

Tammi

 

[Lives4Disney]

Thanks, Tammi. I love the m&m thing!! Too funny. Thanks for the good ideas!! I know his name. I believe he is a concierge manager. I am going to email using the email address you gave me and mention his name and our situation and see if I can get his contact info. When he phoned me I was STUNNED. I wrote down his number and of course LOST it. (augh)

He actually just was checking out these boards and put two and two together and figured out who I was from my post. (He may be reading these) I was SHOCKED to get the call, but if I do take the chance on the GF again, (I am also looking at BW - as you know!) I think I should do myself the favor of contacting him and working toward a great stay.

Thanks so much for the great suggestions! Very much appreciated!

Lives4Disney

 

[Michelle2]

We stayed at the SL in October 2003. We had a marina view and loved it! Since your other questions have been anwered, just wanted to tell you that we loved the GF, and although their concierges I found a little stuffy, we still had a great time and are hoping to stay RPC on our next visit! And this is just my experience, but I am a very picky organizer. I actually found doing all the PS, even the hard to get ones, on my own. Only because I wanted very specific times, days etc. It all worked out great in the end though!
Have a great trip and a great stay at the GF!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Uh oh. I emailed the concierge planners yesterday and mentioned the name of the nice guy that called me after our stay and apologized and told me to let him know when we come back....

I received an email response from the concierge manager that we had trouble with. (groan) She sounds very sweet, can't wait for us to get there, etc. but now I am bummed. She was VERY unhelpful during our last stay and the problems we had upon checking in, having to switch rooms, etc. Her name has been mentioned on the DIS before in the context of people having issues with the RPC and CMs there.....

I was hoping to get to talk to someone different!!!

I just am having a bad moment.

Oh well. We'll see. Maybe it will be Boardwalk for me afterall......

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I feel so sorry for all of the problems that you are having prior to your vacation. Is the nice guy no longer with the GF or she didn't even mention him? I would guess that your reservation will be flagged. You should get great treatment since a CL manager is aware of your previous problems. Even if she was part of the problem. LOL

Did you ever get your last night at a discount? One thing that you could do is move to a GV room and you would still be allowed access to SL until 12:00 pm on the day you checked out of SL. You wouldn't have CL access on your departure day. I can understand not wanting to move though.

Please take some pictures of the lounge. I have researched every website I can think of and there doesn't seem to be any pictures of SL.

I hope you have a magical trip and I'm sure the SL CMs will take very good care of you and your family.

Lori

 

[TammiMcMan]

Lives4Disney, did she mention the CM that you were looking for? And more importantly, does she remember you? I can see where it make you a bit nervous. I would still try to get the other CM's name out of her and work from there.

Lori, I've searched everywhere for SL pics also. Unfortunately, we didn't take any when we were there. I can try to be as descriptive as possible, but I know that pictures are so much better. If you've ever stayed in any of the GF buildings, you'll already know what the lobby looks like. Kind of like a big plus sign (+). The front and back line signify the entrance and exit alcoves, the side lines represent the hallways. When you enter the front alcove, you'll see the big round food table in front of you (basically right where all the lines meet). Over to the immediate right is the beverage station, then a hallway to get to the first floor rooms. On the other side of that hallway there are the 2 concierge desks with a few chairs set up. Around the food table are some sofas and chairs and in the exit alcove, they have a few tables and chairs set up. I know some folks really prefer the coziness of this building, but I think it definitely lacks the spaciousness, seating and light that you find in the RPC lounge.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Lori - thanks for the good wishes. I will ask her about Joe. He seemed very kind on the phone and concerned about the incidents with our last stay. I believe he was sincere. I haven't tried to phone back re the last night, yet. Thanks for the reply. I will take photos of the lounge. You are right - that lounge is a mystery! It is giving me that contageous RAD. I just hate to be paying lots and be disappointed. I have the RPC in my head and now I am afraid I will regret not booking it!!! I refuse to pay over $800/night, though and I don't know about ap rates at this point.

Tammi - I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!! You are great! Kathy didn't mention him at all. I asked the original email to be directed to him, but she is the one who replied. Don't know what that's all about. I kind of asked on the other thread about the SL lounge, but you answered some of my questions already, here.

Ugh! Too many things to think about. Now I am thinking RPC for 2 nights and sl for the last two. Maybe I should just do BW ffor the last two.

I am going nuts over this dumb 4 day getaway. Now that it is getting closer, I feel the pressure to make up my mind!!!! My family will be happy in either place, I just feel like it is all on me to make it great. They just sit back and let it happen.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I am going nuts over this dumb 4 day getaway. Now that it is getting closer, I feel the pressure to make up my mind!!!! My family will be happy in either place, I just feel like it is all on me to make it great. They just sit back and let it happen.

LOL, I am exactly the same way. I've totally obsessed about some of these vacations and when I get upset that something didn't go right, my family looks at me like I'm crazy. Why? Because they are having a terrific time. If BW is going to throw a monkey wrench into your ps plans, then just stay at the GF. You'll have use of the RPC lounge on the day you move rooms until 11:59pm, so technically your only talking about one night right? You know you want to stay at the GF and 2 nights before moving to another resort entirely is just not enough time. Stay and enjoy and hope for some pixie dust.

Tammi