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

[BlueSkies]

Hi Blue

Hey there! I see a split stay in your near future...

k&a&c'smom I really am so excited about this last minute trip! And do love MNSSHP.. My DD and I were there the very first year they had it..what nice memories...

I think posting within the same hour constitutes posting at the same time...LOL...

I have a small list of things that I want to be sure to take a look at...and share with my fellow GF fans..

Which pool the activities are currently located at...

Anything and everything about the new VGF!

And..very important..lol..because shopping is always important! If there has been any improvement in the merchandise available in M.Mouse Mercantile...This really perplexed me on the last trip...it was so empty ...in comparison to what they usually have to offer...

I will be on the look out for any new resort specific merchandise too... I did get a nice turquoise GF tee on our last trip...maybe there will even be some VGF merchandise....

T G I F!!! Hope that everyone is having a nice day!

 

[buzznina]

Is there something specific you want to know about? The activities rarely change much, I can look at my April guide, or maybe someone here has their more recent activity list.

ETA: if you were looking for the movies list, build a better mousetrip has a listing for the GF and Poly (not sure how accurate it is, they still list the GF movies at the courtyard lawn) :

I found the movie list (same place), but I was looking for the activities on Halloween.

 

[trishadono]

Hey there! I see a split stay in your near future...

k&a&c'smom I really am so excited about this last minute trip! And do love MNSSHP.. My DD and I were there the very first year they had it..what nice memories...

I think posting within the same hour constitutes posting at the same time...LOL...

I have a small list of things that I want to be sure to take a look at...and share with my fellow GF fans..

Which pool the activities are currently located at...

Anything and everything about the new VGF!

And..very important..lol..because shopping is always important! If there has been any improvement in the merchandise available in M.Mouse Mercantile...This really perplexed me on the last trip...it was so empty ...in comparison to what they usually have to offer...

I will be on the look out for any new resort specific merchandise too... I did get a nice turquoise GF tee on our last trip...maybe there will even be some VGF merchandise....

T G I F!!! Hope that everyone is having a nice day!

When I was in Sandy Cove in August they had more GF stuff than is shown in pic on 1st page of thread. I was going to buy dh something but a group of conventioneers were in the way. Of course now I can't remember what they had but I will get a pic next month.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

k&a&c'smom I really am so excited about this last minute trip! And do love MNSSHP.. My DD and I were there the very first year they had it..what nice memories...

I think posting within the same hour constitutes posting at the same time...LOL...

I have a small list of things that I want to be sure to take a look at...and share with my fellow GF fans..

Which pool the activities are currently located at...

Anything and everything about the new VGF!

And..very important..lol..because shopping is always important! If there has been any improvement in the merchandise available in M.Mouse Mercantile...This really perplexed me on the last trip...it was so empty ...in comparison to what they usually have to offer...

I will be on the look out for any new resort specific merchandise too... I did get a nice turquoise GF tee on our last trip...maybe there will even be some VGF merchandise....

T G I F!!! Hope that everyone is having a nice day!

Posting within an hour is pretty close, I agree.

We love MNSSHP, too, so much fun! We haven't managed to go in several years, they made the discounts tough to get during the week my DD had days off from college.

Your list sounds good, I'd love to know the answer to all. I remember the discussion about M. Mouse, hope they've restocked, so odd. More GF merch is always great!! We do not buy a lot of souvenirs - when we fly, I hate to try to find a spot in my luggage for more than tees or small, non-breakable items. We did purchase a beautiful AKL print one year for DD's b'day, as she celebrated while there. (drove instead of flew that trip) I wish I hadn't missed out on the GF pillows. Maybe they'll bring them back!!

Good Friday back to you, glad someone knows what day it is.

I found the movie list (same place), but I was looking for the activities on Halloween.

Do the resorts have special Halloween activities? I didn't realize; I know when they have Christmas or NY's stuff, they keep it kind of quiet - they alert guests the night before, or so I've been told. We are rarely there on a holiday as we try to choose less busy weeks.

I hope someone can answer from past years, but if not, maybe someone there now or in the next week can answer.

When I was in Sandy Cove in August they had more GF stuff than is shown in pic on 1st page of thread. I was going to buy dh something but a group of conventioneers were in the way. Of course now I can't remember what they had but I will get a pic next month.

Good to know! I'm (im)patiently waiting to hear all about the upcoming visits.

 

[grannyminnie]

Hey there! I see a split stay in your near future...

k&a&c'smom I really am so excited about this last minute trip! And do love MNSSHP.. My DD and I were there the very first year they had it..what nice memories...

I think posting within the same hour constitutes posting at the same time...LOL...

I have a small list of things that I want to be sure to take a look at...and share with my fellow GF fans..

Which pool the activities are currently located at...

Anything and everything about the new VGF!

And..very important..lol..because shopping is always important! If there has been any improvement in the merchandise available in M.Mouse Mercantile...This really perplexed me on the last trip...it was so empty ...in comparison to what they usually have to offer...

I will be on the look out for any new resort specific merchandise too... I did get a nice turquoise GF tee on our last trip...maybe there will even be some VGF merchandise....

T G I F!!! Hope that everyone is having a nice day!

Hello, Blue... I'm really excited to see what you think about the new VGF! And I hope you get to see a room in the villas~
Not long til you need to pull out that suitcase!

I'm going to be interested in checking out the new Vera Disney bags. I've never gotten the Disney D&B, but may get one of the Veras.

ahcupcake, hope you're done with that nasty sinus infection! No trips in your future yet?

 

[trishadono]

I'm going to be interested in checking out the new Vera Disney bags. I've never gotten the Disney D&B, but may get one of the Veras.

I have a D&B but very heavy and not practical although I absolutely love the phone case

I think I will get a dis vera bag but I found a place online that shows a new pattern for December. It has navy, lt blue, lime green, and teal colors with Mickey icons. I think I will prefer those colors for with jeans BUT I will need one for November trip so I'll just have to have 2

 

[buzznina]

Do the resorts have special Halloween activities? I didn't realize; I know when they have Christmas or NY's stuff, they keep it kind of quiet - they alert guests the night before, or so I've been told. We are rarely there on a holiday as we try to choose less busy weeks.

I hope someone can answer from past years, but if not, maybe someone there now or in the next week can answer.

I do know that the Mods and Deluxes (not sure about values) have special halloween activities that includes some trick-or-treating and one or two characters in halloween costume for pictures and autographs. I was just trying to see what type of other halloween activities that GF had.

 

[buzznina]

Found it
http://www.themouseforless.com/tripplanning/resorts/wdw/pdf/GrandCalendar.pdf

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I didn't much care for the two patterns of VB so far, but I like the sound of the December print, trishadono!

I do know that the Mods and Deluxes (not sure about values) have special halloween activities that includes some trick-or-treating and one or two characters in halloween costume for pictures and autographs. I was just trying to see what type of other halloween activities that GF had.

Thanks, I didn't know the resorts have t-or-t! Cool.

ETA: thanks for the link, I'm sure anyone going for H'ween will appreciate it. Oh, and I notice you live in our favorite place in FL!!

 

[momatater]

Just tell your DS's the ESPN Club is a short walk down the boardwalk, and Beaches and Cream is at the Beach Club. Both are favorites of ours.



None of the buildings are very far from anywhere. I may be in the minority but I would not want to be in Sago, it is the furthest from everything except Gaspies, and the back way to the bus stop. Plus that is where most of the convention people are because it is close to the convention center. I'm on vacation, I don't want to be mixed up with a bunch of people working. Boca Chica is close to both pools, the beach and main building, but with the fence around the pool you would have to walk around it or go through gates to cut through. I don't think noise is a problem anywhere at the GF.



Sadly, the days of a quiet "quiet" pool are over. It is not a pool for adults any more. Most of the pool is under 3 feet deep, only a very very small area that is over 4 feet. It is more like a giant kids wading pool now. When we were there in May there was only three tables and they were by the pool bar. I never go in the water, DH did, but I loved to sit at a table and have a drink from the bar and sometimes eat lunch there. Since there were no tables there was also no shade.



Welcome back.

Hi ahcupcake.

We had a GV in Big Pine Key and I loved it as it's convenient to the courtyard pool (and not too far from the beach pool), the main building, and Gasparillas. I don't remember having any trouble with noise.



Limited CS is really the only thing that keeps us from booking in the Epcot area again. We didn't have a good experience with the buses as they were shared among all 5 resorts, but that wouldn't be enough to keep us from staying in that area again....it's that darn CS . I wish Disney would have added a decent CS in at least one of the Epcot resorts instead of the limited Marketplace.

I agree about the YC being like the GF, I think that's why it appeals to me. It is also quieter and more laid back than the BC (IMO). I'm still working on my DSs, so hopefully one of these trips we'll be able to try another Epcot resort .



I hope you have a magical trip......November is a great time to go .



Welcome back . Congrats on booking RPC for your birthday. The GF is great in itself, but RPC is amazing .



Hi ahcupcake . I hope you are feeling better soon.



I've tried everything I can think of to get them to sway toward the YC, but they aren't having any of it . I will keep trying, though, because the Epcot area is nice and you can't beat walking to Epcot and DHS . Thinking maybe a split stay might be in order for a future trip so we can do Epcot/DHS with our YC (or BWI) stay and MK/AK with our MK resort .

Thank you both! It's really great to be back!

 

[momatater]

As bethclayton said the movies were back on the beach during our last trip too..not sure about the activities..but I will gladly check that in a few weeks!!!

Have you been lonely without me posting at the same time the last few days!!???



Welcome back! Nothing like a birthday celebration at the the GF .. Happy planning..ADR's FP+'s and all!

MickeyNut..Grannyminnie too!

ahc Sorry that you have been so under the weather...Glad that you are starting to feel better tho....

maxie I agree about the courtyard pool..and have lamented about it here before...we too miss being able to swim in a pool with a deep end... I also think that it had a kind of serenity..such a nice relxing way to spend an afternoon...dont think we'll be doing any swimming in February..LOL..but I do think that we need to think about some dining...I have a few ideas...how about you?? Its always about the food!


Hope that all of my fellow GF fans had a terrific Thursday!

ahcupcake - sorry you've been under the weather! Hope you are feeling much better.



I hope you can convince your family to give YC a shot, the split stay idea might just work! We recently did a split YC/GF stay, best of both worlds and YC CL is wonderful, the CMs treat you very well.

We like the rooms in BC but the public spaces of YC.~sigh~

About the buses - it seems the season dictates whether all 5 Epcot resorts are on the bus route. We have had all 5 in the past but lately we have had only Y&BC for MK - can't remember for sure about AK but I know it wasn't all 5.

As Maxie86 said, ESPN Club is so close and the prices are good (for WDW!).



Welcome back, Stephanie! Good to hear from you.

I get what you are saying, we took a year off from WDW after a disappointing trip - went to Europe instead. It made it all the sweeter when we returned, I hope you have an awesome trip. How could you not in RPC?!



Thanks, beth! I'll put that on the first page. When we were there in April, I saw the placards and set up for the activities at the courtyard pool and wondered why they were still there - the beach pool was open at that point.



You are welcome! I understand about not wanting to miss anything. Planning a WDW trip is like a job sometimes.



Yes, I absolutely have! Wondered where you had got to, not posting when I post.

Thanks for the update, I'll be looking forward to hearing all the details in a few weeks. I'll bet you can't wait!





I think most of us here are forlorn about the changes to the courtyard pool. I miss the deep end and the serenity, too. We do swim a lot when we are on vacation, now there is no "swimming" at the GF! Wading, more like.

When we are at USO, we play a game of "point Disney" vs. "point Universal"! LOL! The pool depth HAD been a "point Disney" as the Loews pools are more wading than swimming. We still have SAB's lazy river - for now.

"Always about the food" - I can relate!

Thanks you guys! I'm thrilled to be staying again in RPC! When making plans, DH said he already knew where we were staying, claiming he know me well! Well, he does, but I know that's his way of getting to stay there too, but I let him think he's outsmarting me! Silly man, I KNOW him too!

There is so much that has changed, so I'm trying to figure it all out. So far, so good. Very happy with the way the villas have turned out as well. Pics look great!

After my time away, I feel like a newbie planning my first trip! well, maybe not my first, but I've got all the excitement of newbie!

Thanks everyone for all your posts in this thread, I've caught up on a bunch of the changes because of you all!

 

[grannyminnie]

I have a D&B but very heavy and not practical although I absolutely love the phone case

I think I will get a dis vera bag but I found a place online that shows a new pattern for December. It has navy, lt blue, lime green, and teal colors with Mickey icons. I think I will prefer those colors for with jeans BUT I will need one for November trip so I'll just have to have 2

I'm surprised they're already coming out with another pattern when they just debuted! Those colors do sound nice, but I'll be there in Nov., so I guess I will have to either buy what's there or wait and see if I like the Dec. pattern well enough to order it sight-unseen.

 

[mickeynut1]

I hope you can convince your family to give YC a shot, the split stay idea might just work! We recently did a split YC/GF stay, best of both worlds and YC CL is wonderful, the CMs treat you very well.

Thanks.....I'm going to keep working on them . I agree.....a YC/GF split is the best of both worlds .

I've never gotten the Disney D&B, but may get one of the Veras.

I have a few Disney Dooneys and I love them, but I think I will also check out the Vera's .

Thank you both! It's really great to be back!

You're welcome.....glad you're back .


Hi to everyone else....hope everyone is having a good night .

 

[buzznina]

IThanks, I didn't know the resorts have t-or-t! Cool.

ETA: thanks for the link, I'm sure anyone going for H'ween will appreciate it. Oh, and I notice you live in our favorite place in FL!!

Destin area use to be our favorite vacation spot also, which led us to move to the area

 

[BlueSkies]

Hello, Blue... I'm really excited to see what you think about the new VGF! And I hope you get to see a room in the villas~
Not long til you need to pull out that suitcase!

I'm going to be interested in checking out the new Vera Disney bags. I've never gotten the Disney D&B, but may get one of the Veras.

ahcupcake, hope you're done with that nasty sinus infection! No trips in your future yet?

Suitcase is out!! I will be on the look out for the new VB's.. as I said I think that DD might "need" one for Christmas!

I happen to like the original D&B pattern and I have the backpack which is nylon..so its its pretty light weight...and has room for all that I need with me to tote around the parks! Gotta have my "stuff" ..rain ponchos..sun screen.. and other just in case stuff! LOL...

I do know that the Mods and Deluxes (not sure about values) have special halloween activities that includes some trick-or-treating and one or two characters in halloween costume for pictures and autographs. I was just trying to see what type of other halloween activities that GF had.

Thanks for that info...in all of our trip to Disney at this time of year I never knew that there were resort happenings just for Halloween day! Its always great to learn something new!

k&a&c'smom I agree about Disney shopping being a challange when you are flying..especially now a days..when there are so many limits on what you can take along without paying lots of extra $$...

but..I have found a pretty reasonably priced solution... Yes I do...LOL...

the buisness cneter at the GF will ship your purchases home...packed up very nicely..bubble wrap and all...and doesnt charge an arm and a leg either...

mommatater Happy planning...There are so many nice ways to celebrate a birthday at WDW..and especially at the GF...and RPC to boot!!

MickeyNut ahcupcake mommygina and all the rest of my fellow GF fans!

Have a super Saturday!

 

[Belle72]

We just returned from a week at the Grand Floridian. We had a lagoon view room which gave us an obstructed view of the MK. We still were able to enjoy the fireworks and the view of the castle/space mountain and loved our room. We thought GF was very open and airy. The grounds were beautiful. The service was amazing! We loved the shops, too! It may be our new favorite! Our kids thought the character bf at Park Fare was so much fun. The characters were very engaging.

I had been unsure of booking GF after we stayed at the Boardwalk last spring and posted a question on this board asking how the resorts compared. Boardwalk Inn was very nice but not our favorite. I was worried that GF would have a similar feel to Boardwalk. They were very, very different from each other aside from similar décor----and we loved our stay at the GF and will stay again! I would like to thank all who responded to my questions. I know it is difficult to try to answer as to whether or not someone will like a particular hotel but many of you took the time to answer my concerns.

The resort monorail was down for some of our trip between 11a and 6p which proved to be inconvenient for dining options and getting back from Epcot. The courtyard pool was down for a few days too. The beach pool was very nice and not very crowded most of the time, and my little guy loved the water feature/ splash play area.

 

[grannyminnie]

Yay, for getting the suitcase out, Blue!! If I was where you are in my countdown, mine would have been out for days!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Thanks.....I'm going to keep working on them . I agree.....a YC/GF split is the best of both worlds .

Destin area use to be our favorite vacation spot also, which led us to move to the area

Lucky you! We love the whole Panhandle area, we've stayed at Pensacola, Destin, Seaside, Watercolor, Seagrove Beach, Panama City Beach...gorgeous. My kids have grown up with those sugar white beaches and emerald waters, so when we visited CA, they were confused by the yellow sand.

Suitcase is out!! I will be on the look out for the new VB's.. as I said I think that DD might "need" one for Christmas!

I happen to like the original D&B pattern and I have the backpack which is nylon..so its its pretty light weight...and has room for all that I need with me to tote around the parks! Gotta have my "stuff" ..rain ponchos..sun screen.. and other just in case stuff! LOL...

....

k&a&c'smom I agree about Disney shopping being a challange when you are flying..especially now a days..when there are so many limits on what you can take along without paying lots of extra $$...

but..I have found a pretty reasonably priced solution... Yes I do...LOL...

the buisness cneter at the GF will ship your purchases home...packed up very nicely..bubble wrap and all...and doesnt charge an arm and a leg either...

....

Suitcase out, yay! So close!

Thanks for the tip on the shipping, I hadn't thought of the business center - don't know why?! I'll try to keep that in mind, next time we want to purchase something that doesn't pack well.

I like the D&B patterns, but haven't bought any for myself. Got a wristlet for DD, so cute.

We just returned from a week at the Grand Floridian. We had a lagoon view room which gave us an obstructed view of the MK. We still were able to enjoy the fireworks and the view of the castle/space mountain and loved our room. We thought GF was very open and airy. The grounds were beautiful. The service was amazing! We loved the shops, too! It may be our new favorite! Our kids thought the character bf at Park Fare was so much fun. The characters were very engaging.

I had been unsure of booking GF after we stayed at the Boardwalk last spring and posted a question on this board asking how the resorts compared. Boardwalk Inn was very nice but not our favorite. I was worried that GF would have a similar feel to Boardwalk. They were very, very different from each other aside from similar décor----and we loved our stay at the GF and will stay again! I would like to thank all who responded to my questions. I know it is difficult to try to answer as to whether or not someone will like a particular hotel but many of you took the time to answer my concerns.

The resort monorail was down for some of our trip between 11a and 6p which proved to be inconvenient for dining options and getting back from Epcot. The courtyard pool was down for a few days too. The beach pool was very nice and not very crowded most of the time, and my little guy loved the water feature/ splash play area.

Welcome back, glad you had a magical trip! Nothing like the Grand.

Sorry about the monorail issues and the courtyard pool, when I read about those things I felt for anyone there last week. Hopefully it didn't impact your visit too much, but how annoying.

Which building were you in? Sounds like you got a great view!

Yay, for getting the suitcase out, Blue!! If I was where you are in my countdown, mine would have been out for days!!

LOL - I looked at the countdown after reading this, and she is way ahead of where I would be. I'm a notorious last minute packer.

 

[trishadono]

Happy weekend all.

Just had to comment on my upcoming GF trip. I received my MB's

Then the next day I got an "invitation" in the mail to customize (I already have) and do my FP+s.

Then 3 days later, today I received an email "invitation"

So. If you have a reservation in November or December check daily for FP+ and MB's. I have a res for 1/1/14 and am keeping an eye out for that too.

Not sure why disney so behind with notification

 

[DrDoodle]

Just back from 8 nights at GF. Had a great time, magic bands and FP+ worked great for us. I I Lu wish the movie each night was in a better spot. It's impossible to watch the movie and still catch the water pageant and fireworks. Otherwise we had a really liked the grand, not sure if we would choose it over the poly though for our next trip. I guess that depends in construction at the poly. Maybe it's time we think about contemporary.