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

[mommyrosa2]

Help needed.... So I don't normally make any room requests, well, maybe other than "upper floor" mostly because I have a weird phobia of being on a ground floor where certain "critters" could potentially slither in the room much quicker but that's entirely another story for another day . This time around, being our first time staying at the Grand too, I think I would like to put in a request but am not quite sure which building I'd be better off in. Looking at the map, I think that either Big Pine Key or Boca Chica would be my two choices for what looks like a closer proximity to the pool and main bldg.. I also noticed in a previous post that it sounds like most of the garden views in BPK are pool views? But, what could we expect from a garden view in Boca Chica? Is one building really any better than the other or is it really a matter of preference? I know requests are never guaranteed (that's why I don't usually make them) but I figure, why not, this time. Suggestions on the two buildings?

 

[BlueSkies]

Have you tried calling at all? In the past, I've had issues where the online system showed nothing but had much better success over the phone...worth a shot.

We have had better success calling than finding availability on line at times too....

I just used the room finder tool on touringplans to get an idea of room views/locations!

Thanks for letting us us know about that... what a great tool!

Yes, I've called more than once. No dice.. I will continue to call.

I just sent you a PM...been checking your dates for you...and some things have opened up!! Hope that you can book something.. The next best thing to booking a Disney vacation is helping a friend book one!!

Help needed.... So I don't normally make any room requests, well, maybe other than "upper floor" mostly because I have a weird phobia of being on a ground floor where certain "critters" could potentially slither in the room much quicker but that's another story for entirely another day . This time around, being our first time staying at the Grand too, I think I would like to put in a request but am not quite sure which building I'd be better off in. Looking at the map, I think that either Big Pine Key or Boca Chica would be my two choices for what looks like a closer proximity to the pool and main bldg.. I also noticed in a previous post that it sounds like most of the garden views in BPK are pool views? But, what could we expect from a garden view in Boca Chica? Is one building really any better than the other or is it really a matter of preference? I know requests are never guaranteed (that's why I don't usually make them) but I figure, why not, this time. Suggestions on the two buildings?

I think that BPK is the closer of the two to the main building.. both BPK and BC are equally close to the courtyard pool..but..the proximity of the buildings to each other is close...and would only be a bit of a difference in distance to the main building...I know that MickeyNut is a BPK fan...I think that the views from Boca Chica are so nice..even if it is a little further from the main building...also it is closer to the boat dock ..which is another plus at the end of a MK day... GV in BC is mostly of the courtyard pool...there are some rooms that face Conch..and I think that you can see a some of the lagoon also... Both lovely..don't think you could go wrong with either...

k&a&c'smom Our posting schedule seems to be out of sync again... lol...Hope all is well....

MickeyNut and to you too Lisann..I agree with k&a&c great avatar!



Just a heads up on the Orbitz discount..thanks for sharing that Trish I noticed that not all of the rooms listed have both the Disney and the additional discount...some only have the 15% Orbitz discount...which would make the Disney spring offer of 20 to 30% depending on which resort that you are booking...a better offer and the the AP discount which is 5% more the the GP discount even better... of course the rooms with the Disney discount and the additional discount is a super offer..

Happy planning..hope that who ever is planning an upcoming trip can get one of those great deals...


TGIF fellow GF fans..

 

[trishadono]

I just used the room finder tool on touringplans to get an idea of room views/locations!

That tool was fun! Thanks

 

[trishadono]

Just a heads up on the Orbitz discount..thanks for sharing that Trish I noticed that not all of the rooms listed have both the Disney and the additional discount...some only have the 15% Orbitz discount...which would make the Disney spring offer of 20 to 30% depending on which resort that you are booking...a better offer and the the AP discount which is 5% more the the GP discount even better... of course the rooms with the Disney discount and the additional discount is a super offer..

Happy planning..hope that who ever is planning an upcoming trip can get one of those great deals...


TGIF fellow GF fans..

You do need to be careful. I ALWAYS check prices at Disney at the same time for exact dates with taxes included to be sure I am comparing apples to apples.

It tends to go back and forth between Orbitz and Cheaptickets for the extra discounts. Right now "cheap" has 20% off but not with combination with Disney's sale prices but sometimes they do offer it.

Good luck!

 

[maiapapaya]

While we're on the subject of room requests, what building would you recommend for TPV?

 

[BlueSkies]

While we're on the subject of room requests, what building would you recommend for TPV?

Conch Key has very nice TPV rooms...there are some in Boca Chica too... not sure when you are going Maia..but Conch is recently refurbed...and Boca Chica is currently undergoing refurbishment... I know that Sago also has TPVs..but is more removed on the grounds than the other outer building that offer that view...

 

[maiapapaya]

Conch Key has very nice TPV rooms...there are some in Boca Chica too... not sure when you are going Maia..but Conch is recently refurbed...and Boca Chica is currently undergoing refurbishment... I know that Sago also has TPVs..but is more removed on the grounds than the other outer building that offer that view...

We won't be going until the end of October, so everything should be renovated by then from what I understand.
Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

When you choose an "Outer Bldg - Garden View", which buildings could that include? Just looking at a map and wondering.

 

[mag73]

Garden View rooms can be located in any one of outer buildings except for Sugar Loaf which is concierge only.

 

[mmkenn]

Yes, everyone's kind words are very comforting. I thank you all for your sweet expressions of sympathy.

Blue, I never thought about this situation in the light you mentioned it (my being a caring daughter); I just know that each visit I had with her, I counted as a bonus!

And yes, k&a&c'smom, we have many happy memories to help carry us through.

Sorry for your loss. May happy memories comfort you.

 

[grannyminnie]

Conch Key has very nice TPV rooms...there are some in Boca Chica too... not sure when you are going Maia..but Conch is recently refurbed...and Boca Chica is currently undergoing refurbishment... I know that Sago also has TPVs..but is more removed on the grounds than the other outer building that offer that view...

Agree totally on Conch Key! Probably one of the top 2 nicest rooms we have had was a dead center view of MK. Nothing like sitting on your own balcony with a view of the fireworks!

Thank you,mmkenn.... my memories already are comforting me!

 

[WishesQueen]

Good Morning!!!

Boy oh boy its been a long time since I posted here. I am Annette and I am an old time poster from the past.

I love the Grand, go every July with family and friends and LOVE Big Pine Key!!! (Other then RPC of course)!!

Just wanted to come out of lurkdom and say hi, I miss my friends...Blueskies, Grannyminnie from other sites. I am glad we can all meet up here to catch up.

Can't wait to chat with everyone else...I always have so much to learn from year to year from all the experts since we're a once a year family. Sometimes in a rare occasion I can answer a question or two...lol lol!!

Hope everyone in NYC area is enjoying this beautiful day!!

 

[mickeynut1]

I am planning to scope out cheaptickets as soon as (if) Disney releases discounts for our vacation dates in late July. Hoping to get a deeper discount using one of these sites as we want a RO discount anyway. We are not interested in the dining plan...especially in the heat of summer when we tend to be less hungry. It would be a total waste of food and time for our family

Good luck.....I hope a great discount comes out for your July trip .

I'm not familiar with Cheaptickets.

Good luck to you, too, grannyminnie .

Sorry to hear so many are having trouble finding rooms in May - we hope to go late April/early May and it does seem oddly booked up. (I say oddly, because it is just after the big Spring Break/Easter crowds!) Good luck, I hope you are all able to get what you need or want.

I hope you are able to go this spring and I hope you find what you want .

Help needed.... So I don't normally make any room requests, well, maybe other than "upper floor" mostly because I have a weird phobia of being on a ground floor where certain "critters" could potentially slither in the room much quicker but that's entirely another story for another day .

You are not the only one...LOL. I now always request "upper floor" anywhere I stay after reading reports of those slithering creatures getting into rooms .

MickeyNut

Just a heads up on the Orbitz discount..thanks for sharing that Trish I noticed that not all of the rooms listed have both the Disney and the additional discount...some only have the 15% Orbitz discount...which would make the Disney spring offer of 20 to 30% depending on which resort that you are booking...a better offer and the the AP discount which is 5% more the the GP discount even better... of course the rooms with the Disney discount and the additional discount is a super offer..

Hey Blue

I agree about those Orbitz discounts. I must always pick the wrong room categories because whenever I've priced out those deals, the total cost has always come out $30-40 more than what I can get through Disney . That, of course, is a very minimal difference, but it's definitely not enough to make me book through them over Disney.

Good Morning!!!

Boy oh boy its been a long time since I posted here. I am Annette and I am an old time poster from the past.

I love the Grand, go every July with family and friends and LOVE Big Pine Key!!! (Other then RPC of course)!!

Just wanted to come out of lurkdom and say hi, I miss my friends...Blueskies, Grannyminnie from other sites. I am glad we can all meet up here to catch up.

Can't wait to chat with everyone else...I always have so much to learn from year to year from all the experts since we're a once a year family. Sometimes in a rare occasion I can answer a question or two...lol lol!!

Hope everyone in NYC area is enjoying this beautiful day!!

Hi Annette ......welcome back, it's good to "see" you here .

I agree about BPK.....I loved it when we stayed there back in December 2010. I think any building at the GF is great, but BPK seems to be very close to everything .

 

[mag73]

While we're on the subject of room requests, what building would you recommend for TPV?

Sago also has perfect TPV rooms. We had 2 different TPV rooms in Sago, one of them being a corner dormer room which was perfect: 2 different balconies and a much larger room. Both rooms at Sago had perfect view of MK. I guess it just depends what you like, if you want to be closer to Gaspies and the bus stop you should request Sago. If you want to be right by the pool and the boat launch then request one of the other buildings.
When my kids were younger we always requested Sago because it was quiet, now they older and we have been staying in Boca Chica since its close to the boat and the pool.

 

[grannyminnie]

Good Morning!!!

Boy oh boy its been a long time since I posted here. I am Annette and I am an old time poster from the past.

I love the Grand, go every July with family and friends and LOVE Big Pine Key!!! (Other then RPC of course)!!

Just wanted to come out of lurkdom and say hi, I miss my friends...Blueskies, Grannyminnie from other sites. I am glad we can all meet up here to catch up.

Can't wait to chat with everyone else...I always have so much to learn from year to year from all the experts since we're a once a year family. Sometimes in a rare occasion I can answer a question or two...lol lol!!

Hope everyone in NYC area is enjoying this beautiful day!!

Hi there, Annette! Great to "see" you! Welcome back...good bunch of peeps here!

 

[BlueSkies]

We won't be going until the end of October, so everything should be renovated by then from what I understand.
Thanks for the suggestions.

You're welcome!

Good Morning!!!

Boy oh boy its been a long time since I posted here. I am Annette and I am an old time poster from the past.

I love the Grand, go every July with family and friends and LOVE Big Pine Key!!! (Other then RPC of course)!!

Just wanted to come out of lurkdom and say hi, I miss my friends...Blueskies, Grannyminnie from other sites. I am glad we can all meet up here to catch up.

Can't wait to chat with everyone else...I always have so much to learn from year to year from all the experts since we're a once a year family. Sometimes in a rare occasion I can answer a question or two...lol lol!!

Hope everyone in NYC area is enjoying this beautiful day!!

Hey there!!! So glad that you finally made it over here! Or came out of lurkdome..lol...

I agree always new things to learn...no matter how many trips we have taken...

mag73 Do you generally get TPV rooms in Boca Chica...?? Just wondering about the views..I know there seem to be more trees in front of that building.. I do think the the GV in BC are beautiful...but am not that familiar with the TPVs...

MickeyNut and grannyminnie

k&a&c'smom So..are you posting about now??? LOL...

~ My GF tought for today ..lol..the thing about the views..is that just about every one is so lovely ...be it garden..landscaped.. lagoon or TPV.. just one of the nice things about this elegant and charming resort...

Hope that you are all having a super Saturday!

 

[mickeynut1]

the thing about the views..is that just about every one is so lovely ...be it garden..landscaped.. lagoon or TPV.. just one of the nice things about this elegant and charming resort...

I agree.....I don't think there is a bad view to be had at the Grand as they are all great .

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Me, three!! All the room view categories are excellent, there are very, very few rooms with a bad view at the Grand. No parking lot views at all, the only less than stellar views are a few rooms in Sago that partially overlook a loading area and the rooms in BPK that look into the back of the pool house. The rest have a pretty view of pools, marina, lagoon, MK and surrounding resorts.

I agree, Boca Chica has some beautiful garden views. Big Pine is great, too, but there's always a chance you'll get that pool house view.

Welcome to all the new posters!

BlueSkies - I'm throwing a wrench in everything! I've been posting at odd times, and we've been busy so I'm not on as many times a day lately.

 

[bama belle]

Me, three!! All the room view categories are excellent, there are very, very few rooms with a bad view at the Grand. No parking lot views at all, the only less than stellar views are a few rooms in Sago that partially overlook a loading area and the rooms in BPK that look into the back of the pool house. The rest have a pretty view of pools, marina, lagoon, MK and surrounding resorts. I agree, Boca Chica has some beautiful garden views. Big Pine is great, too, but there's always a chance you'll get that pool house view. Welcome to all the new posters! BlueSkies - I'm throwing a wrench in everything! I've been posting at odd times, and we've been busy so I'm not on as many times a day lately.

I'm worried about getting stuck behind the pool house! We have two rooms reserved and I put in my request for BPK, middle floor (my mom doesn't like to be up too high, but doesn't want ground floor). Should I add 'unobstructed view if possible' to my requests? We also are requesting that our rooms be nearby- is that too many requests? We love to sit on the balcony and relax, so I really don't want a bad view!

 

[grannyminnie]

I'm worried about getting stuck behind the pool house! We have two rooms reserved and I put in my request for BPK, middle floor (my mom doesn't like to be up too high, but doesn't want ground floor). Should I add 'unobstructed view if possible' to my requests? We also are requesting that our rooms be nearby- is that too many requests? We love to sit on the balcony and relax, so I really don't want a bad view!

Don't worry too much! As has been observed, there really is not a bad view at the GF. We were in BPK once, behind the pool house, but because we were on an upper floor, we could still see beauty all around us.. I don't recall which floor we were on tho...