HAVING A GRAND OLD TIME! The 2013 Grand Floridian Resort & Villas FAQ

[dad2bkcs]

We love the GF for the "total package". Lobby, pools, shops, restaurants and monorail access. We spend very little time in room. A fresh, clean refurb is just icing on the cake.

 

[trishadono]

Sent dd link to see pics last insight.

"We ARE going to stay there, RIGHT?"


Hmmm I hope the main building gets done in time before my AP's expire.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Well, just so you know...the shower curtain at the GF Villas can be purchased at Target. I know. My sister bought it at Target and it's hanging in her bathroom. When we saw that the Villas had the same shower curtain (exactly, exactly the same), we just cracked up laughing! Maybe Disney bought the same fabric in bulk, don't know, but it's the same shower carpet (I knew there was some deeper meaning into why I love Target...).

I posted before about how the rooms didn't look Victorian to me (maybe it was a posting earlier in this thread, can't remember) and I was told that Victorian doesn't necessarily mean fussy, and over the top, etc. Victorian is a certain time period and there are various styles that fit within that.

I do think the rooms are very beautiful (not crazy about so much red), and they very well might be 'period correct' (goodness knows I don't have a degree in interior design), but I really do miss the rooms having a touch of Disney whimsy...touches that make me know I'm at a Disney hotel...teacups on the pillows like before...maybe some Mary Poppins touches, or maybe a tie in with the resort lobby decor (btw, I'm not a fan of that peachy-rose color either ).

What I do know is this. In the 'grand' scheme of things in life (pun intended), I can't complain about nice new interior furnishings.

I still love the Grand, it's just a happy place for me at Disney.

Oh, how I miss those teacup pillows!

Wow, how interesting about the Target shower curtains.

As far as Victorian decor and fussiness go - here are some quotes I've found about Victorian era decorating:

"there are four essentials of Victorian interior decor - color, pattern, opulence and romance"

"complex patterns covered every surface of the Victorian home. Victorians loved pattern and used it lavishly."

"Excessive can often be synonymous with Victorian"

"Restraint was not part of Victorian decorating"

"Romanticism is perhaps the strongest reason for the persistent popularity of Victorian decor. It evokes the imagery of European fairy tales, with its turrets and gargoyles."

"Victorian decor without the romance is simply fussiness and clutter"

Perhaps that last quote is what the respondents meant about it not necessarily being fussy. You can have sophistication with Victorian, the designer simply has to bring all the elements together in a harmonious way. The Main Lobby has the elements of Victorian style but doesn't look over the top or displeasing to the eye. The new villas are a much closer approximation to those elements without going over the top - though I hoped for more pattern in the resort rooms.

I didn't expect the new rooms to be an exact replica of a Victorian drawing room, or bedroom, as that would not have been functional. But I did not expect them to go completely the other way, either - which the new rooms look to me. And, as you so rightly have said, NO Disney touches!

This box CLEARLY shows there is supposed to be a nesting table. I am hoping that maybe the rooms were not loaded with everything before they started opening up the rooms for guests. Crossing my fingers as well for a padded bench at least....too.

As it stands now, I am seriously considering switching my reservations back to the Poly for July. The pool renos have been pushed off until August..ish and I am watching a current info thread that states that CCs will be closed from March thru June which means they will probably have a limited menu over near Tangarooo Terrace (sp?) during that time. If pool and CCs are open in late July....my friends, I will be next door curling up in the padded armchair with ottoman resting my adult beverage on the drum sidetable while my children are using the nesting table to draw or spread out their electronics....

Sounds like a plan!

It's quite possible there are still a few touches to be placed in the rooms. I hope the nesting table, benches and hamper are still to come. DisneyDreamingInMI said it doesn't look like enough room for a bench between the beds and daybed - doesn't it look like the new daybed is longer than the old one? I'm sure anyone who uses it for a bed will appreciate the extra leg room, but sounds like that may have been the demise of the benches.

Well after staying twice at gf then moving to VGF we felt the gf was old/dingy.

I LOVE the new decor

It's a nice mix of modern and Victorian.

Remember they always add some stuff later and will look better in person.

I hope you are right, and there are a few elements left to add to the rooms. The GF rooms were definitely in need of a refurb, I didn't have any room I would describe as dingy but the soft goods were getting a little worn. It has been 6 years since the last room renovations, so it was time, for sure.

I was wondering the same thing. Every resort needs a refurb every so often, but it's sad when the refurbs mean all of the Disney touches are taken away in the process .

I agree that the rooms should reflect the resort design, which like you said, this does not. It's funny you mention the look would be more appropriate for the CR because that's exactly what I thought when I saw the silver mirror over the daybed and the nightstand, neither one of which go with the GF theme (which, like k&a&c'smom said, if you can call it a "theme" anymore ).


.... I was thinking the same thing about the wood flooring and thought it was kind of silly to put that in a bathroom area .


All of what you said is exactly how I feel about the new look. It all centers around the Disney touches for me and that they took out the victorian feel of the rooms. Like I've said in previous posts, it is nice that the rooms are being redone because it was time for updates, but they could have kept the fun and whimsical things and still made it a luxury room, IMO.

....

Now that would be a great room for the GF .

Isn't that a gorgeous room?! I really did expect something along those lines, after BlueSkies mentioned the RPC elevator reno in blue & green, like Gasparilla's, and then the villas had similar elements. Which is part of why I was so shocked with the new look!

I do not understand why all the deluxe resorts are taking the Disney out of the equation. For so many guests, I've heard the main reason they do not want to choose the Swolphin resorts (for instance) is due to the little Disney touches in the room. No longer an obstacle, apparently.

Not sure what to think about the new decor....I like it and I don't. DD definitely does not like it. Maybe we'll miss the refurb at RPC when we go. Regardless, I'll let it be a surprise for my husband and see how he reacts to the change.

What month are you booked in RPC? Those rooms are set to be started June 29, if the schedule continues to be on target. With fewer rooms than the outer bldgs., I doubt it takes them as long in the Main Bldg.

We love the GF for the "total package". Lobby, pools, shops, restaurants and monorail access. We spend very little time in room. A fresh, clean refurb is just icing on the cake.

That makes it a lot simpler for you, I'm sure. We do spend a lot of time in our room, there are many days we don't even go to the parks, so the room decor is a big part of the vacation for us. A switch from a pleasing room decor to a less pleasing one at the Poly is what made us switch to staying at the Grand in the first place.

 

[mickeynut1]

Isn't that a gorgeous room?! I really did expect something along those lines, after BlueSkies mentioned the RPC elevator reno in blue & green, like Gasparilla's, and then the villas had similar elements. Which is part of why I was so shocked with the new look!

I do not understand why all the deluxe resorts are taking the Disney out of the equation. For so many guests, I've heard the main reason they do not want to choose the Swolphin resorts (for instance) is due to the little Disney touches in the room. No longer an obstacle, apparently.

That room is gorgeous!! I was hoping the rooms were going to be somewhat along those lines as well. I'm with you not understanding why the Disney touches are being taken out of these deluxe rooms . We've never stayed at the Swolphin resorts, but have visited once or twice and it's just an average hotel that I can stay at anywhere. Even though it is sometimes a cheaper option than the BC/YC/BWI, I couldn't stay there as it's not Disney and doesn't have the little Disney touches that we enjoy as we, too, spend a lot of time at the resort/in the room. But like many of us have said, the Disney resort rooms are slowly turning into a run-of-the-mill hotel room .

 

[k&a&c'smom]

That room is gorgeous!! I was hoping the rooms were going to be somewhat along those lines as well. I'm with you not understanding why the Disney touches are being taken out of these deluxe rooms . We've never stayed at the Swolphin resorts, but have visited once or twice and it's just an average hotel that I can stay at anywhere. Even though it is sometimes a cheaper option than the BC/YC/BWI, I couldn't stay there as it's not Disney and doesn't have the little Disney touches that we enjoy as we, too, spend a lot of time at the resort/in the room. But like many of us have said, the Disney resort rooms are slowly turning into a run-of-the-mill hotel room .

This is what has me so shocked and dismayed, as much as anything. Losing that bit of Disneyana throughout the room.

We have stayed at the Dolphin and it is great! The pool was fun, the rooms were nice and the beds! My only complaint was the lack of Disney in the room - which may be a moot point, the way things are going. If the Y&BC rooms change drastically any time soon, I will definitely put the Swolphin resorts in the mix, as they are often quite a bit cheaper.

Speaking of beds - I hope we hear from someone about the comfort of the new mattresses at the Grand. (hint, hint, DisneyDreamingInMI! )

 

[pas130]

Thank you!

You are very welcome

Again, I'm glad I could share the pictures and help out with questions! Not a hard task when I'm doing it relaxing by the pool or on the balcony!!!

That sounds amazing!

Sorry your DDs are going to miss the couch and it now doesn't seem like a castle. But glad they still feel it's worth it to switch to the GF!

What an adorable photo of HRH! And congrats on your change of resort! I hope you and the fam enjoy the resort, even without CL; we enjoy all levels at the Grand. Your reasoning is spot on - it's exactly what we do when we plan to be in the parks or just away from the resort in general for much of the vacation.

So I was showing DH the refurb pics (I haven't told him I changed yet). He said it looks like Disney is trying to copy from Universal. He said it's like Portofino, but red. SOOOOO, you like it? I asked, yep..DH likes GF, I'll take it

HRH will be 10 in September, I can't take it!!! I am hoping that I will like the rooms more in person, but honestly my favorite spot is the fabulous balcony. CL is great, but my kids will be happier with a funnel cake from MK or an ice cream from Gasparilla's more than a few cookies or cupcake from the lounge. They like the extra special treatment, quite honestly, they will get that anywhere at GF..we were constantly getting balloons or smiles from the CMs when we were there. (One day I will get my butt to RPC...way too poor to afford two rooms there LOL) I'll never forget Miss Kate chatting it up with the Manager, she was all but 4 I think and here's this man in a suit sitting there completely engaged. I can't wait to go back

Yeah, seems like a lot of us are not bowled over...your apt description of what you expect in a Victorian "boudoir" was spot on, in my opinion! Oh, and I also join you in bemoaning the loss of the hamper, benches and the chair (tho all we did with that was to put our "stuff" on it...it was handy for that!) I'm concerned about the lack of storage now.

My DH even asked where's the hamper?

The newly decorated rooms actually reminded me of a picture I saw of the rooms at Portofino Bay at Universal...a lovely resort, but not of the same theming as our beloved Grand.

My DH said the same thing. And you are very right, if GF used blue it would look exactly like PBH...my girls are really missing the pink.

Love the pic.....HRH is adorable (as are all of your kiddos ).

Congrats on changing to the GF . We've stayed at the BC and although that is a nice resort, it's hard to beat the Grand as it's such a beautiful and relaxing resort .

There's no feeling like walking around the GF grounds, Poly grounds are awesome...but you know how I feel about construction... I really liked BC décor, and activities..but the pool was a bit too expansive for us...and IDK the Grand kept calling me. Thank you, my kiddos are getting so big, I can't take it. I know you understand that..before I know it..graduation trips

We have stayed at the Dolphin and it is great! The pool was fun, the rooms were nice and the beds! My only complaint was the lack of Disney in the room - which may be a moot point, the way things are going. If the Y&BC rooms change drastically any time soon, I will definitely put the Swolphin resorts in the mix, as they are often quite a bit cheaper.

Speaking of beds - I hope we hear from someone about the comfort of the new mattresses at the Grand. (hint, hint, DisneyDreamingInMI! )

AHHHHH yes! Are they comfy???

BC starts it's refurb late summer is the word

 

[mickeynut1]

We have stayed at the Dolphin and it is great! The pool was fun, the rooms were nice and the beds! My only complaint was the lack of Disney in the room - which may be a moot point, the way things are going. If the Y&BC rooms change drastically any time soon, I will definitely put the Swolphin resorts in the mix, as they are often quite a bit cheaper.

Speaking of beds - I hope we hear from someone about the comfort of the new mattresses at the Grand. (hint, hint, DisneyDreamingInMI! )

I have to admit that the Swan/Dolphin is a great deal, especially for the location since you get the same convenience as the BC/YC/BWI, but at a much cheaper price. With that said, we did enjoy our BC stay, but we love the MK area and I always find myself being pulled that way .

I have always found the GF beds to very comfortable, so I hope the new mattresses don't disappoint . I would also like to know how comfortable the daybed is. My DS loved the Poly daybed, but thought the GF daybed was very uncomfortable. He slept in it one night and then resorted to share the queen with his brother, so it must have not been very comfortable .

So I was showing DH the refurb pics (I haven't told him I changed yet). He said it looks like Disney is trying to copy from Universal. He said it's like Portofino, but red. SOOOOO, you like it? I asked, yep..DH likes GF, I'll take it

HRH will be 10 in September, I can't take it!!! I am hoping that I will like the rooms more in person, but honestly my favorite spot is the fabulous balcony. CL is great, but my kids will be happier with a funnel cake from MK or an ice cream from Gasparilla's more than a few cookies or cupcake from the lounge. They like the extra special treatment, quite honestly, they will get that anywhere at GF..we were constantly getting balloons or smiles from the CMs when we were there. (One day I will get my butt to RPC...way too poor to afford two rooms there LOL) I'll never forget Miss Kate chatting it up with the Manager, she was all but 4 I think and here's this man in a suit sitting there completely engaged. I can't wait to go back

There's no feeling like walking around the GF grounds, Poly grounds are awesome...but you know how I feel about construction... I really liked BC décor, and activities..but the pool was a bit too expansive for us...and IDK the Grand kept calling me. Thank you, my kiddos are getting so big, I can't take it. I know you understand that..before I know it..graduation trips

Glad DH likes the rooms ......sounds like he will be just fine with the switch .

I have to agree about the GF. The grounds are beautiful and it's easy to get "lost" in the resort, whether staying CL or not . We don't stay CL every trip and we love our non-CL trips just as much as our CL ones. I can forgo CL, but I have to have my deluxe resort....that is non-negotiable . As far as the BC......we did like the resort, but it's not the GF. And I agree about the pool. We liked SAB and are glad we got to try it, but I found it very busy and not very relaxing as some of the others .

I sympathize with you about your little girl turning 10 . My two will be 21 and 19 this year and I have no idea where the years went .

 

[JoBird]

k&a&c'smom- That picture is EXACTLY what I had in mind. You nailed it. It looks luxurious without being too over the top.

My favorite quote you posted about the Victorian era is this:

"Restraint was not part of Victorian decorating"



I think that the update was done the way it was because too many people say that the Grand reminds them of Grandma's house, that it's too stuffy, that they feel like they are in a nursing home. I've read all of those comments before here on the DIS, as I'm sure most of you have as well.

What they've done is completely modernize the look, and I suppose they are hoping to get away from those comments about it being old looking, to attract more (new) guests to the Grand.

I just wish it had been more on the lines of the VGF. And the Disney touches that have disappeared… well if you blindfolded someone and walked them into that hotel room and asked them where they were, there is nothing other than the Alice picture to give them any of that magical, whimsical feel that is purely Disney. It could be a hotel in Anywhere, USA- just like you said. And to me, that is sad.

 

[pas130]

Glad DH likes the rooms ......sounds like he will be just fine with the switch .

I have to agree about the GF. The grounds are beautiful and it's easy to get "lost" in the resort, whether staying CL or not . We don't stay CL every trip and we love our non-CL trips just as much as our CL ones. I can forgo CL, but I have to have my deluxe resort....that is non-negotiable . As far as the BC......we did like the resort, but it's not the GF. And I agree about the pool. We liked SAB and are glad we got to try it, but I found it very busy and not very relaxing as some of the others .

I sympathize with you about your little girl turning 10 . My two will be 21 and 19 this year and I have no idea where the years went .

My family has honestly been happy at every place we have stayed (except CBR). And I really think it's me who was bitten the hardest by the CL bug and the girls just follow suit. They are all so picky food and snack wise (except me) that the offerings aren't a big deal. It's great having extra space like in the lounge. But the 2 GF rooms are a lot of space! I'm getting that really great Labor Day deal from the secret travel agency ...but my poor poor agent The fact there are 2 sweet pools and the splash area is big for the kiddos!!!

I think that the update was done the way it was because too many people say that the Grand reminds them of Grandma's house, that it's too stuffy, that they feel like they are in a nursing home. I've read all of those comments before here on the DIS, as I'm sure most of you have as well.

What they've done is completely modernize the look, and I suppose they are hoping to get away from those comments about it being old looking, to attract more (new) guests to the Grand.

I just wish it had been more on the lines of the VGF. And the Disney touches that have disappeared… well if you blindfolded someone and walked them into that hotel room and asked them where they were, there is nothing other than the Alice picture to give them any of that magical, whimsical feel that is purely Disney. It could be a hotel in Anywhere, USA- just like you said. And to me, that is sad.

What she said... I also assumed it would be similar to VGF décor. My DD said the red matches the red roof now. Too cute, I think I am still in shock at HOW different it is from what I had imagined. We still have our Victorian lobby and touches there with the piano and orchestra

 

[davale4]

What month are you booked in RPC? Those rooms are set to be started June 29, if the schedule continues to be on target. With fewer rooms than the outer bldgs., I doubt it takes them as long in the Main Bldg.

We always have to go in the middle of August due to my DD"s activities. I wouldn't mind if they fall behind schedule a little . I know we'll adapt for sure. We love GF too much to let that stop us from going .

 

[pas130]

We always have to go in the middle of August due to my DD"s activities. I wouldn't mind if they fall behind schedule a little . I know we'll adapt for sure. We love GF too much to let that stop us from going .

 

[mickeynut1]

I think that the update was done the way it was because too many people say that the Grand reminds them of Grandma's house, that it's too stuffy, that they feel like they are in a nursing home. I've read all of those comments before here on the DIS, as I'm sure most of you have as well.

What they've done is completely modernize the look, and I suppose they are hoping to get away from those comments about it being old looking, to attract more (new) guests to the Grand.

I just wish it had been more on the lines of the VGF. And the Disney touches that have disappeared… well if you blindfolded someone and walked them into that hotel room and asked them where they were, there is nothing other than the Alice picture to give them any of that magical, whimsical feel that is purely Disney. It could be a hotel in Anywhere, USA- just like you said. And to me, that is sad.

You make a good point as to the possibility of why the decor was so drastically changed. I just wish they would have kept the Disney touches and made it less generic .

My family has honestly been happy at every place we have stayed (except CBR). And I really think it's me who was bitten the hardest by the CL bug and the girls just follow suit. They are all so picky food and snack wise (except me) that the offerings aren't a big deal. It's great having extra space like in the lounge. But the 2 GF rooms are a lot of space! I'm getting that really great Labor Day deal from the secret travel agency ...but my poor poor agent The fact there are 2 sweet pools and the splash area is big for the kiddos!!!

Same here.....we have loved every resort we've stayed it and wouldn't hesitate to return to any of them . I also love the lounge for the extra space and a little down time. The food offerings are nice, but when we stay CL we also do it mostly for the lounge and having someplace else to go rather than in the room or around the resort.

I've seen that TA deal......that's hard to beat .

 

[Scott MC]

This is what has me so shocked and dismayed, as much as anything. Losing that bit of Disneyana throughout the room.

We have stayed at the Dolphin and it is great! The pool was fun, the rooms were nice and the beds! My only complaint was the lack of Disney in the room - which may be a moot point, the way things are going. If the Y&BC rooms change drastically any time soon, I will definitely put the Swolphin resorts in the mix, as they are often quite a bit cheaper.

Speaking of beds - I hope we hear from someone about the comfort of the new mattresses at the Grand. (hint, hint, DisneyDreamingInMI! )

I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but all rooms at BC and YC are due to be remodeled this year and next, and now I'm really worried as the Epcot loop is my favorite place to stay. Let's hope they go with a different designer, or else I can see myself spending a lot of time at The Swan and Dolphin in the future!

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I like the STYLE of the new rooms, but the curtains aren't my favorite...not liking at all.

Sadly, I will be in a rehab needing SL room...in 2 days!!!! BAHAHAHAH!!!! I know, feel sorry for me!

 

[Candy Orlando]

Red and white are very important elements of Victorian decor.

Wikipedia, Coronation of the British monarch, Dress, Sovereign's robes, Portrait of Queen Victoria.

Her robe was made of crimson velvet lined in white ermine with gold lace and heavily embroidered with gold and silver thread.

This is a painting of Queen Victoria.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Victoria_in_her_Coronation.jpg

 

[k&a&c'smom]

So I was showing DH the refurb pics (I haven't told him I changed yet). He said it looks like Disney is trying to copy from Universal. He said it's like Portofino, but red. SOOOOO, you like it? I asked, yep..DH likes GF, I'll take it

HRH will be 10 in September, I can't take it!!! I am hoping that I will like the rooms more in person, but honestly my favorite spot is the fabulous balcony. CL is great, but my kids will be happier with a funnel cake from MK or an ice cream from Gasparilla's more than a few cookies or cupcake from the lounge. They like the extra special treatment, quite honestly, they will get that anywhere at GF..we were constantly getting balloons or smiles from the CMs when we were there. (One day I will get my butt to RPC...way too poor to afford two rooms there LOL) I'll never forget Miss Kate chatting it up with the Manager, she was all but 4 I think and here's this man in a suit sitting there completely engaged. I can't wait to go back

My DH even asked where's the hamper?

....
BC starts it's refurb late summer is the word

Aww, 10! Can't believe it, where does the time go?!

Glad your DH is now on board with the Grand. That's something, anyway.

We've enjoyed all the resorts we've stayed in, too, at various levels. My least favorite is probably BWI, we've never had a great stay there.

I have to admit that the Swan/Dolphin is a great deal, especially for the location since you get the same convenience as the BC/YC/BWI, but at a much cheaper price. With that said, we did enjoy our BC stay, but we love the MK area and I always find myself being pulled that way .

I have always found the GF beds to very comfortable, so I hope the new mattresses don't disappoint . I would also like to know how comfortable the daybed is. My DS loved the Poly daybed, but thought the GF daybed was very uncomfortable. He slept in it one night and then resorted to share the queen with his brother, so it must have not been very comfortable .
....
I sympathize with you about your little girl turning 10 . My two will be 21 and 19 this year and I have no idea where the years went .

Maybe your DS will like the new GF daybed better than the old, it does seem longer in the photos.

Time flies, right?! those kids grow up before you know it - the way it's supposed to be, but, boy, is it hard!

k&a&c'smom- That picture is EXACTLY what I had in mind. You nailed it. It looks luxurious without being too over the top.

My favorite quote you posted about the Victorian era is this:

"Restraint was not part of Victorian decorating"



I think that the update was done the way it was because too many people say that the Grand reminds them of Grandma's house, that it's too stuffy, that they feel like they are in a nursing home. I've read all of those comments before here on the DIS, as I'm sure most of you have as well.

What they've done is completely modernize the look, and I suppose they are hoping to get away from those comments about it being old looking, to attract more (new) guests to the Grand.

I just wish it had been more on the lines of the VGF. And the Disney touches that have disappeared… well if you blindfolded someone and walked them into that hotel room and asked them where they were, there is nothing other than the Alice picture to give them any of that magical, whimsical feel that is purely Disney. It could be a hotel in Anywhere, USA- just like you said. And to me, that is sad.

LOL about restraint. Understatement!

You may be right about the designers wanting to get away from the comments about "grandma's house" - but it didn't seem to sway anyone away from staying there! I don't know how many times over the last few years I've been shut out of a room at the Grand for the dates I wanted.

We always have to go in the middle of August due to my DD"s activities. I wouldn't mind if they fall behind schedule a little . I know we'll adapt for sure. We love GF too much to let that stop us from going .

Phooey! Well, good luck, maybe the schedule will be delayed. I hope you are able to get a non-refurbed room, if that is your wish.

I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but all rooms at BC and YC are due to be remodeled this year and next, and now I'm really worried as the Epcot loop is my favorite place to stay. Let's hope they go with a different designer, or else I can see myself spending a lot of time at The Swan and Dolphin in the future!

Oh, woe is me!! I love the current BC rooms, and though I am not as big a fan of the YC rooms (too white and red!), we like the YC lobby more than the BC lobby. I'd rather have the current YC rooms than something similar to what they've done in the GF rooms.

....
Sadly, I will be in a rehab needing SL room...in 2 days!!!! BAHAHAHAH!!!! I know, feel sorry for me!

Oh, yes - what a shame. Safe travels, I know you don't have far to go but be safe, anyway, and enjoy your trip.

 

[mickeynut1]

My least favorite is probably BWI, we've never had a great stay there.

Maybe your DS will like the new GF daybed better than the old, it does seem longer in the photos.

Time flies, right?! those kids grow up before you know it - the way it's supposed to be, but, boy, is it hard!

I'm sorry you've never had a good stay at BWI. I have always wanted to try it, but with the limited CS options, the Epcot resorts are never in the running with my guys. I think the rooms look very nice, but I have to agree with DH and the boys that we are so used to having CS at our finger tips, that staying in the Epcot area again just wouldn't do .

I agree, the couch/daybed does look longer in the photos. Maybe we'll just have to suck it up and book another stay there to test out the daybed .

You are right....time goes way too fast and it seems our babies become adults over night .

 

[Scott MC]

Aww, 10! Can't believe it, where does the time go?! Glad your DH is now on board with the Grand. That's something, anyway. We've enjoyed all the resorts we've stayed in, too, at various levels. My least favorite is probably BWI, we've never had a great stay there. Maybe your DS will like the new GF daybed better than the old, it does seem longer in the photos. Time flies, right?! those kids grow up before you know it - the way it's supposed to be, but, boy, is it hard! LOL about restraint. Understatement! You may be right about the designers wanting to get away from the comments about "grandma's house" - but it didn't seem to sway anyone away from staying there! I don't know how many times over the last few years I've been shut out of a room at the Grand for the dates I wanted. Phooey! Well, good luck, maybe the schedule will be delayed. I hope you are able to get a non-refurbed room, if that is your wish. Oh, woe is me!! I love the current BC rooms, and though I am not as big a fan of the YC rooms (too white and red!), we like the YC lobby more than the BC lobby. I'd rather have the current YC rooms than something similar to what they've done in the GF rooms. Oh, yes - what a shame. Safe travels, I know you don't have far to go but be safe, anyway, and enjoy your trip.

I'll add also that I'm sad you never had a great stay at The Boardwalk. Currently, it is our favorite resort. Staying club level, and having a balcony facing the boardwalk itself is like a dream.

 

[mariamouse]

Hi all! Well, I stayed home from work today due to the snowstorm last night and realized that this was finally the perfect opportunity to share my GF trip report with you all! We returned exactly two weeks ago, but better late than never, right?!

We checked in to the GF late on Thursday night before MLK weekend (around 10:30pm or so) and, upon arriving at our GV room, were surprised to see that the GF had accommodated our EXACT room request—Boca Chica, high (but not top) floor, facing Narcoossee’s. We were assigned room number 8241 and it was perfect!! Looking straight out from our room, we could see Narcoossee’s and the sliver of the lagoon in between the boat dock and Conch Key. Looking right when we stepped out on the balcony, we could see a large sweep of SSL (including the Contemporary and BLT). Narcoossee’s blocked Space Mountain and the castle, but we could see the tippy top of the castle above the restaurant! Unfortunately, we never stayed in the room to watch fireworks, but I could tell that the view of the higher fireworks from this room would be fantastic. We could also see and hear the Electrical Water Parade when it came by nightly when we looked toward SSL on the right. From my pillow in bed, I pretty much exclusively saw Narcoossee’s, which I loved! The lights around the building were so pretty to fall asleep to at night and it was a lovely sight to wake up to as well. The one thing I would note about a room in this location is that the sounds of MK and the lagoon are VERY easily heard. We loved it since we like feeling like we are truly in the middle of the magic, but it might not be the best fit for a light sleeper since that train whistle in the morning was pretty darn loud!

As for the room itself, it had both its pros and cons. We stayed at the GF a little over two years ago in Boca Chica and felt that our room looked run down then, so did not go into this stay expecting a particularly luxurious hotel room. As expected, the furniture was extremely worn down (I posted pictures of the scrapes on the armoire and desk a few days ago) and dated looking. On the plus side, the bathroom and vanity area looked surprisingly decent and we did not have any issues with regard to room cleanliness. Our maid was fantastic (although we tipped nightly and said hello to her several mornings, so that may have contributed) and we even received the renowned towel animals (more specifically, a duo of kissing swans sitting on the bench at the end of the bed as well as mickey ears). We had issues with a dirty balcony during our last stay, but that was thankfully not an issue this time. We were four adults and the room size was plenty spacious, so it suited our needs well. All the above, of course, is now (almost) moot since the rooms are finally receiving their much overdue overhaul, but just thought I would share regardless. Just a tad bummed that we missed the brand new rooms in Conch Key, but no big deal. ETA: After just seeing the new Conch Key rooms, I think I might have to take this back...

The GF resort grounds were as gorgeous as ever. We loved strolling around the resort every day and exploring the lobby, marina and pool areas. The highest temperature we ever experienced during our stay was about 72 degrees one day, although my dad still did take advantage of the courtyard pool a couple of times. I was a bit worried about the impact that the fencing around the courtyard pool would have on the openness of the grounds and have to say that it wasn’t really a huge deal. It was definitely more annoying to walk to Boca Chica than our last stay since we could not just walk through (had to walk around past Big Pine Key or Sugar Loaf), but the look/feel of the grounds was quite similar IMO. I love the lit-up jets that they added at the zero entrance to the courtyard pool. Very pretty.

With regard to the Conch Key room refurbs that had just gotten underway when we arrived, we really did not experience any noise or visual issues (which is saying something since our room view to the left was the Conch Key entrance). The only complaint we had was the additional traffic around the resort pathways. Between the resort employees and the workers, we felt like we constantly had to be conscious of walking on the side of the paths and looking behind us, etc. Not a big deal, but it did have a somewhat negative impact on the usually serene feel of the grounds. All of the workers were courteous, though, and I really wouldn’t hesitate to return to the GF during the refurbs because of this issue alone.

Transportation during most of our stay was great. We never had to wait more than a couple minutes for a monorail to arrive and appreciated the convenience of the boat due to our room’s proximity to the dock. The mid-day monorail shutdown went into effect on our second to last day, though, and I have to say that it was pretty inconvenient if you do plan on traveling to/from the resort during those hours. Instead of being able to hop on the monorail for the 2-min ride over to the MK, it took us about 20 minutes or so to get to the MK on the boat (that we had unfortunately just missed). We did notice that the larger boats were in service on our last day, which did appear to help with crowd control. Our biggest annoyance, though, was traveling to Epcot since we had to wait for a bus that didn’t even take us directly to the TTC (which, IMO, it should have at minimum since I expected it to take us directly to Epcot in the first place). Instead, it stopped at the CR before dropping us off at the TTC, which I didn’t really consider acceptable. It may be that the Epcot transportation process has changed since we left, but just thought I would share our experience. If you don’t plan on taking the mid-day breaks, then it is obviously no big deal, but you will feel a difference in your transportation times otherwise. We would likely still stay at the GF even with the transportation issues, although I would give the Epcot resorts more thought if I didn’t plan on spending a lot of time at the MK.

We ate at Grand Floridian Café for breakfast three times (clearly we enjoyed it!) and had a FANTASTIC dinner at Narcoossee’s our last night. We had never dined at the latter and I seriously couldn’t get over how good everything we ate was—especially the renowned almond cheesecake! The restaurant ambiance doesn’t really merit the menu pricing, but we loved the MK view and all truly enjoyed our meals, so we would likely return despite the expense. We are hoping to try Citricos next time and have never been huge fans of 1900PF, so did not dine there. We popped into Gasparilla Grill once to look at breakfast options, but didn't end up getting anything since my mom was set on Greek yogurt and they didn't have it (really surprising to me given its current popularity). MommyGina- I did take a look at the mugs for you and, as I am sure you are already aware by this point, they were the same as the old ones. That may have changed in the two weeks since we left, but just FYI!

The other restaurants we dined at during our stay were as follows: Crystal Palace (breakfast), Be Our Guest (lunch), Kona Café (breakfast and dinner), Jiko, Il Mulino, Via Napoli (lunch), and San Angel Inn (dinner). We enjoyed our dining experiences at all of these restaurants, but just let me know if you would like any further details and I will be glad to share! This was an adult-only trip and the only opportunity my sister, mom and I had to see my dad when he was not golfing was for dinner, so we chose to book nicer restaurants in general. Not surprisingly, Jiko, Narcoossee’s and Il Mulino were the overall favorites.

As some of you may remember from my posting here during our trip, we were forced () to stay at the GF an extra night due to a flight cancellation (yay never ending NYC snow!) and the GF was wonderful about accommodating us. We went down to the front desk around midnight the night before our originally scheduled flight and they were able to keep us in our same room at the same discounted rate we had booked with (35% RO). Given that this was the Tuesday night following MLK weekend and crowds were beginning to die down considerably, we were lucky. Not sure that this would have been the case had it been a more crowded time like President’s Week, for example. We were also pleased that the Grand gave us a late check-out time of 1pm on our last day, which was way more generous than we were expecting.

This was our first experience with the magic bands and I have to say that we didn’t really have any major complaints. We really loved being able to use the bands to open our room and never experienced any issues using them to enter parks or rides either. We also did find it quite easy to pay for items and meals with them. I won't go into a long review of the bands since this is the GF FAQ, but my main complaints were the inability to book rides in different parks on the same day, the tiering of rides in Epcot and DHS, and the difficulty of changing our FP+s after noon or so due to limited availability. Even so, I do think the system could work well once Disney adjusts their policies and works out the kinks. The one thing I did notice about this trip, though, was that I was on my phone a lot more, which made me feel a little bit sad. Of course, it didn’t help that I left my iPhone charger at home and could not find one to purchase anywhere in the World! I finally decided to visit the GF front desk on our last night to inquire about charging it and they were able to hold my phone for me and charge it in the back somewhere, so FYI to those of you who may forget your charger on a future trip (but hopefully not)!

We have visited WDW during MLK weekend the past two years because my dad is a teacher and has a rare 4-day weekend then- plus it is a nice quick getaway after the holidays die down- but I have to say that we felt the tour groups MUCH more this year than last year. We only experienced a couple rude moments and certainly don’t feel that they impacted our trip in a majorly negative way, but we felt seriously outnumbered by South Americans most of the time and did notice the impact that the large groups had on ride wait times—especially in DHS for the major attractions like Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, etc. I always felt that the tour group issue was overhyped before this trip, but I get it now. Like I said, it was not a big deal for us since they were not staying at our resort and we sort of expect chaos in the parks anyway, but just a heads up that they are indeed quite prevalent this time of year.

On the last (unexpected) day of our trip, we decided to take a tour of the VGF. I am pleased to report that the VGF blends in better with the resort grounds than I expected it to and we also did not notice that the resort felt more crowded because of the extra guests, etc. The rooms at the VGF are truly stunning and the lobby is lovely as well. We didn’t realize just how thorough the official tours are (approximately 2 hours) and had to cut ours a bit short so that we could check out on time, but enjoyed learning more about whether or not DVC is for us and, of course, seeing the brand new rooms.

The one other thing I would add is that we had such a great time just hanging around the resort at night. The pianist and orchestra in the evenings are so talented and, while hanging on a couch in the lobby at one point, we were greeted by the evil stepsisters, evil stepmother, Cinderella and the prince for literally 20 minutes! I guess they had just wrapped up their shift at 1900 PF (this was around 9:30ish or so) and just decided to mess with the few guests that were hanging in the lobby. It was so hilarious and memorable to hang with them and watch them interact in such a funny way with other guests and the orchestra (looking over guests' shoulders at their phones, dancing with random men, etc). Does anyone know if this is a common occurrence or did we just get lucky?

I’m sure that I am forgetting to include so many details about our stay (this is what happens when you wait two weeks to post a trip report!), so please do not hesitate to post any questions you guys may have. We truly had a wonderful stay and would not hesitate to return to the GF, which now ranks among our favorite resorts (along with the BC and Poly). We will likely try out another resort for our next trip, but will inevitably return to the GF at some point.

I have several photos from our stay that I will post separately (room view, grounds, etc.) since they are only on my phone and I am posting this from my laptop.

Thank you all for reading this book of a report and sorry again for the delay! I am so appreciative of all of the advice and well wishes that all of the great posters on here provided me with. I can’t stress enough how great the posters on this particular FAQ are.

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi all! Well, I stayed home from work today due to the snowstorm last night and realized that this was finally the perfect opportunity to share my GF trip report with you all! We returned exactly two weeks ago, but better late than never, right?!

I’m sure that I am forgetting to include so many details about our stay (this is what happens when you wait two weeks to post a trip report!), so please do not hesitate to post any questions you guys may have. We truly had a wonderful stay and would not hesitate to return to the GF, which now ranks among our favorite resorts (along with the BC and Poly). We will likely try out another resort for our next trip, but will inevitably return to the GF at some point.

Thank you all for reading this book of a report and sorry again for the delay! I am so appreciative of all of the advice and well wishes that all of the great posters on here provided me with. I can’t stress enough how great the posters on this particular FAQ are.

Thank you for the thorough review . Sounds like you had an amazing trip. The GF ranks near the top of our list, too. It's just a gorgeous resort and it's nice just walking the grounds taking in the beautiful surroundings. It's also nice sitting in the lobby watching the hustle and bustle of people coming and going. Congrats on getting your requests met. I think all of the outer buildings are in great locations, but Boca Chica is one of the best, IMO. Thanks again for your review and I'm glad you had a great trip and enjoyed the Grand, now it's time to start planning the next one .