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

[trishadono]

Thanks Blue, waiting patiently for more.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

BlueSkies - thanks for the start of your review! Can't wait to hear more, but I'm sure you have lots to do at home. We'll be glad to read when you have time to post.

Oh, and thanks for the info on the bedding. Glad to hear it is heavier than it looks; I still feel it looks decidedly "un-luxurious", lol, but I'll reserve judgement until I see it in person.

Is the fridge replacement done for Sago yet?

I'm not sure, most of the reports we've had have been anecdotal and about individual rooms. Hopefully, someone who has read about the fridge program will pop in with an answer.

 

[grannyminnie]

Good Evening fellow GF fans! Forgive me for dragging my feet on posting my trip review...Things have been just crazy here... I think I might need another vacation!

Review-Part 1 LOL..

Think I will start with..

Magic Bands

I read plenty here on the boards about peoples experiences..and I admit I was kind of worried about the possiblility of the glitches...But..there were none... Wearing the band made things super easy... Walked over to check in for DME..and with just a tap of my band I was directed to the line for the bus..the bus made the typical loop..WL CR Poly and then finally the GF..took about 45 minutes ...when I tapped my band to board the but the CM actually addressed my by name...Hi "Blue".. which was a nice touch..This did not activate my band though..It actually is activated once your tap it to enter your room...made room access so easy...no more digging around in my bag trying to find the room card! Giving this a

the GF

Was as lovely as ever..there really is something about the sights.. sounds and smells of arriving at the GF and strolling into that incredible lobby...

As I previously posted we had the "new" bedding on our beds..this was similar to the usual triple sheeting..sheet..blanket..but the difference was the top sheet (k&a&c you will be happy to hear this) the top sheet was a thicker ..heavier.. patterned sheet..which made the bedding heavier..and there was a medium blue bed scarf at the foot of the bed..also a nice weight... While I will not miss the old bed spread..I was worried about this bedding being too light weight..but it really was not... giving the new bedding a also...

Ok need to run..but I will be back later with some more reviews!

Hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday!!

Hi Blue... welcome back! Sounds like a good trip...all it takes for me is to walk into that gorgeous lobby! Then, I'm "home".

It's definitely good news that those Magicbands are helpful. You haven't said yet, but we'll see how you felt about using them in the parks...

As for the bedding, what you have reported is good news! Sounds very comfortable..what we have come to expect from the GF!

 

[bethclayton]

thanks for the review, blue! can't wait to read more! i totally agree... walking into that lobby when you arrive is just amazing... and for me, the feeling just gets bigger with each trip. :good vibes i can definitely say that by our last trip it certainly felt like coming home.

 

[Circusgirl]

I'm counting down to my first Grand stay in just a few weeks.

I've appreciated being able to hang out here and soak up the news and reports, and hope to get lots of photos to share back.

I've abandoned my beloved Poly due to the construction and have already lost a couple of my all time favorite quiet time spots on property to the bulldozers. I won't be going back until the dust settles. I'm hoping to fall in love with the Grand and have a new set of favorite places!

I have a question for anybody who stays Big Pine Key or Boca Chica lagoon view in the next few weeks. Aside from the visual devastation of the Poly construction, what I'm most concerned about is noise. I am wondering if the noise is loud enough to be disturbing over at the Grand. I'm booked lagoon view, and I requested Boca Chica, but wonder if I should switch to standard so as to be more insulated from any racket. Any input appreciated!

Can't wait to be there!

 

[ElenaJane]

I just booked Studio Villa room for May and am so excited! Never stayed at GF before! Can someone help me out? I wanted to use Sense's facilities one half day, just the whirlpool and sauna. Is that only available if you also pay for a service (like massage)? Thanks so much!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I'm counting down to my first Grand stay in just a few weeks.

I've appreciated being able to hang out here and soak up the news and reports, and hope to get lots of photos to share back.

I've abandoned my beloved Poly due to the construction and have already lost a couple of my all time favorite quiet time spots on property to the bulldozers. I won't be going back until the dust settles. I'm hoping to fall in love with the Grand and have a new set of favorite places!

I have a question for anybody who stays Big Pine Key or Boca Chica lagoon view in the next few weeks. Aside from the visual devastation of the Poly construction, what I'm most concerned about is noise. I am wondering if the noise is loud enough to be disturbing over at the Grand. I'm booked lagoon view, and I requested Boca Chica, but wonder if I should switch to standard so as to be more insulated from any racket. Any input appreciated!

Can't wait to be there!

I saw a photo today of the bulldozers taking out the hill at Sunset Point, a long time favorite of ours as well. It's hard to see much loved places change, I know.

I think you will end up loving the Grand almost as much as the Poly. We are Poly lovers who were converted to GF lovers over the years. For us, they seem almost like sister resorts as it is so easy to move between them for dining, shopping, etc.

Hopefully someone can help with your question about the noise in the next couple weeks.

Oh, I'm sure you know this, but the lowest room category at the Grand is garden view - no standard room views. Very few bad views at the Grand! A handful of rooms with what most would term "less desirable" is about it.

I just booked Studio Villa room for May and am so excited! Never stayed at GF before! Can someone help me out? I wanted to use Sense's facilities one half day, just the whirlpool and sauna. Is that only available if you also pay for a service (like massage)? Thanks so much!

YAY for May! Very exciting!!

For regular resort rooms, the health club is free - no additional services required to use it. I'm unclear how that works with DVC, hopefully someone more informed on the details can post. I would assume DVC guests are included, but I do not know.

 

[MommyGina]

Hi BlueSkies! Welcome home. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.
I am also happy to hear about the heavier cover on the bed.

Grannyminnie, safe travels. I am looking forward to hearing about your trip as well.

Have a Grand day my friends. I have a ton of errands to do today. Off to work tomorrow.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I am excited!! I am at 100 days today!!!

I also have my WL trip in 3 days to tide me over...We have tea on Friday afternoon and I plan to walk over to the Sugarloaf building to see it (not inside..just the grounds, as we have never been outside of the main building)

Sadly, I was looking at my tracker wrong yesterday (it counts Days, Hours, Minutes) and TODAY I am at 100 days...

But that means I will be single digit dancing tomorrow and only be 1 day away from my WL trip! LOL:

 

[grannyminnie]

Hi BlueSkies! Welcome home. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.
I am also happy to hear about the heavier cover on the bed.

Grannyminnie, safe travels. I am looking forward to hearing about your trip as well.

Have a Grand day my friends. I have a ton of errands to do today. Off to work tomorrow.

Thanks, MommyGina!

DisneyDmbNut...safe travels and a magical trip to you too!

 

[ElenaJane]

I saw a photo today of the bulldozers taking out the hill at Sunset Point, a long time favorite of ours as well. It's hard to see much loved places change, I know.

I think you will end up loving the Grand almost as much as the Poly. We are Poly lovers who were converted to GF lovers over the years. For us, they seem almost like sister resorts as it is so easy to move between them for dining, shopping, etc.

Hopefully someone can help with your question about the noise in the next couple weeks.

Oh, I'm sure you know this, but the lowest room category at the Grand is garden view - no standard room views. Very few bad views at the Grand! A handful of rooms with what most would term "less desirable" is about it.



YAY for May! Very exciting!!

For regular resort rooms, the health club is free - no additional services required to use it. I'm unclear how that works with DVC, hopefully someone more informed on the details can post. I would assume DVC guests are included, but I do not know.

Thanks so much! I will email Disney and ask and post the response here in case others were curious. I am excited to be come a part of the GF family!

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks! I am just gonna check in an enjoy my expensive sleep!! Lol

I don't think you will regret it .

Good Evening fellow GF fans! Forgive me for dragging my feet on posting my trip review...Things have been just crazy here... I think I might need another vacation!

Review-Part 1 LOL..

Think I will start with..

Magic Bands

I read plenty here on the boards about peoples experiences..and I admit I was kind of worried about the possiblility of the glitches...But..there were none... Wearing the band made things super easy... Walked over to check in for DME..and with just a tap of my band I was directed to the line for the bus..the bus made the typical loop..WL CR Poly and then finally the GF..took about 45 minutes ...when I tapped my band to board the but the CM actually addressed my by name...Hi "Blue".. which was a nice touch..This did not activate my band though..It actually is activated once your tap it to enter your room...made room access so easy...no more digging around in my bag trying to find the room card! Giving this a

the GF

Was as lovely as ever..there really is something about the sights.. sounds and smells of arriving at the GF and strolling into that incredible lobby...

As I previously posted we had the "new" bedding on our beds..this was similar to the usual triple sheeting..sheet..blanket..but the difference was the top sheet (k&a&c you will be happy to hear this) the top sheet was a thicker ..heavier.. patterned sheet..which made the bedding heavier..and there was a medium blue bed scarf at the foot of the bed..also a nice weight... While I will not miss the old bed spread..I was worried about this bedding being too light weight..but it really was not... giving the new bedding a also...

Ok need to run..but I will be back later with some more reviews!

Hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday!!

Thanks for your partial review......can't wait to hear more .

thanks for the info on the bedding. Glad to hear it is heavier than it looks;

Me too .

all it takes for me is to walk into that gorgeous lobby! Then, I'm "home".

Just a few more days ......it won't be long before you are relaxing at the Grand .

I'm counting down to my first Grand stay in just a few weeks.

I've appreciated being able to hang out here and soak up the news and reports, and hope to get lots of photos to share back.

I've abandoned my beloved Poly due to the construction and have already lost a couple of my all time favorite quiet time spots on property to the bulldozers. I won't be going back until the dust settles. I'm hoping to fall in love with the Grand and have a new set of favorite places!

You will LOVE the GF . The Poly is our favorite and as much as I'd love to stay there for our upcoming trip in March, the construction wouldn't bother me, but the closure of the volcano pool is a deal breaker . With that said, the GF is a great alternative . The grounds are beautiful and the overall feel of the resort is .

I just booked Studio Villa room for May and am so excited! Never stayed at GF before!

Congrats on booking a villa . The GF is an amazing resort.....you're going to love it .

I think you will end up loving the Grand almost as much as the Poly.

I agree .

 

[BlueSkies]

Trying to catch up a bit..you chatty gals!

Thanks for the Sago pictures! I'm torn about which side to request. Think I will just say upper level quiet room and leave it up to them. I'm just really happy about being able to stay there in the first place!!

Congrats on booking the GF...

Hi Blue... welcome back! Sounds like a good trip...all it takes for me is to walk into that gorgeous lobby! Then, I'm "home".

It's definitely good news that those Magicbands are helpful. You haven't said yet, but we'll see how you felt about using them in the parks...

As for the bedding, what you have reported is good news! Sounds very comfortable..what we have come to expect from the GF!

grannyminnie!!!! Just a few more days for you!!! Adding more to my review later... Which will include using the MBs in the parks.. I promise!

thanks for the review, blue! can't wait to read more! i totally agree... walking into that lobby when you arrive is just amazing... and for me, the feeling just gets bigger with each trip. :good vibes i can definitely say that by our last trip it certainly felt like coming home.

Beth The GF really does have the ability to make us all feel at home! On your last trip..home was an extra special place for sure!!! They would have had to drag me out of that Grand Suite at the end of the trip...LOL...

Thanks Blue, waiting patiently for more.

I promise to be back later with some more review!

I'm counting down to my first Grand stay in just a few weeks.

I've appreciated being able to hang out here and soak up the news and reports, and hope to get lots of photos to share back.

I've abandoned my beloved Poly due to the construction and have already lost a couple of my all time favorite quiet time spots on property to the bulldozers. I won't be going back until the dust settles. I'm hoping to fall in love with the Grand and have a new set of favorite places!

I have a question for anybody who stays Big Pine Key or Boca Chica lagoon view in the next few weeks. Aside from the visual devastation of the Poly construction, what I'm most concerned about is noise. I am wondering if the noise is loud enough to be disturbing over at the Grand. I'm booked lagoon view, and I requested Boca Chica, but wonder if I should switch to standard so as to be more insulated from any racket. Any input appreciated!

Can't wait to be there!

I don't have an exact answer for you..but having stayed at the GF a few timse during the construction there..and having a room overlooking the VGF during the height of construction..we never heard a thing in the room...so I would think that you would be ok in Boca Chica since it would be quite a distance away from the work going on over at the Poly.. enjoy your first GF stay..I bet it wont be your last!!

I just booked Studio Villa room for May and am so excited! Never stayed at GF before! Can someone help me out? I wanted to use Sense's facilities one half day, just the whirlpool and sauna. Is that only available if you also pay for a service (like massage)? Thanks so much!

No help from me sorry! Just wanted to say enjoy your stay! I just toured the studio at the villas at it was quite lovely!

Hi BlueSkies! Welcome home. Can't wait to hear more about your trip.
I am also happy to hear about the heavier cover on the bed..

Hi MommyGina I was glad about the bedding being heavier than expected too ....I don't like to be cold! More review coming later!

Sadly, I was looking at my tracker wrong yesterday (it counts Days, Hours, Minutes) and TODAY I am at 100 days...

But that means I will be single digit dancing tomorrow and only be 1 day away from my WL trip! LOL:

Woohoo two trips !! Lucky you!!!

k&a&c'smom Are we in sync again and back to posting at the same time???

Mickeynut How are you doing??? What vacation plans have changed since we last caught up!!??

V Last but certainly not least...Congrats on booking the GF for your marathon adults only weekend! And what better way to rest up than in RPC..Both king deluxe room types are lovely..although I usually love a room with a balcony..those deluxe turret rooms are so very nice!! : Either way..you cant go wrong!

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans are having a wonderful Wednesday!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

BlueSkies - almost! Can't wait to hear the rest of your review.

grannyminnie - four days to go, I'll bet you are about to die of excitement!

MommyGina - Enjoy your day.

DisneyDmbNut - Only two more sleeps!

Thanks so much! I will email Disney and ask and post the response here in case others were curious. I am excited to be come a part of the GF family!

We're glad to have you. I'm sure all the DVC newbies will be glad of the info when you get it.

 

[grannyminnie]

k&a&c'smom, you are right about me being super-excited!! When the countdown gets down this low, I just feel a happy glow!!
Waiting patiently, Blue, for more trip report...

You'll enjoy our GF family, ElenaJane. Welcome!!

 

[BlueGiraffe]

Hi all. I've read through the FAQs (and Googled it) and didn't find the answer, so I'm hoping this hasn't already been asked.

Is it possible to book a room at GF for one night only, or are there some minimum number of nights restrictions in place?

I only ask because DH and I were looking to stay for only a night, just to experience the hotel, while we're in Orlando next summer. But when I was going through the motions on the Disney site to see if a deposit was required (and if so, how much), I got a 'system error' page.

Sorry, an error has occurred.
The system has encountered an unexpected error. Please return to the homepage and start a new search, or call our Disney Experts on 0800 16 90 730* to book your holiday.

I wasn't sure if there was an actual error, or if what I'd requested wasn't allowed...

Thanks for any help.

 

[ahcupcake]

Good Evening

Good Evening fellow GF fans! Forgive me for dragging my feet on posting my trip review...Things have been just crazy here... I think I might need another vacation!

Review-Part 1 LOL..

Think I will start with..

Magic Bands

I read plenty here on the boards about peoples experiences..and I admit I was kind of worried about the possibility of the glitches...But..there were none... Wearing the band made things super easy... Walked over to check in for DME..and with just a tap of my band I was directed to the line for the bus..the bus made the typical loop..WL CR Poly and then finally the GF..took about 45 minutes ...when I tapped my band to board the but the CM actually addressed my by name...Hi "Blue".. which was a nice touch..This did not activate my band though..It actually is activated once your tap it to enter your room...made room access so easy...no more digging around in my bag trying to find the room card! Giving this a

the GF

Was as lovely as ever..there really is something about the sights.. sounds and smells of arriving at the GF and strolling into that incredible lobby...

As I previously posted we had the "new" bedding on our beds..this was similar to the usual triple sheeting..sheet..blanket..but the difference was the top sheet (k&a&c you will be happy to hear this) the top sheet was a thicker ..heavier.. patterned sheet..which made the bedding heavier..and there was a medium blue bed scarf at the foot of the bed..also a nice weight... While I will not miss the old bed spread..I was worried about this bedding being too light weight..but it really was not... giving the new bedding a also...

Ok need to run..but I will be back later with some more reviews!

Hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday!!

Yay Blue is back......Thanks for the review..Too cool that they address by your name when you board DME Glad to hear that the top sheet is heavier than a regular one and the beds looks so much better without those spreads

I just booked Studio Villa room for May and am so excited! Never stayed at GF before! Can someone help me out? I wanted to use Sense's facilities one half day, just the whirlpool and sauna. Is that only available if you also pay for a service (like massage)? Thanks so much!

Congrats on your upcoming trip..May is a fab time to go,been there a few times for b-day trips..You might be able to catch the end of Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot depending on what part of the month you're going! As fas as I know you'll be able to use the spas facilities

k&a&c'smom, you are right about me being super-excited!! When the countdown gets down this low, I just feel a happy glow!!
Waiting patiently, Blue, for more trip report...

Get packing grannyminnie and safe travels to you1

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I have never heard this.. I have stayed at Disney for one night many times

 

[BlueGiraffe]

I have never heard this.. I have stayed at Disney for one night many times

Thanks, that's just the answer I was hoping for. I just wasn't sure if there were any restrictions, given that it's one of the most expensive hotels. I'll try again in the morning, and see what it says then.

Thanks again.

 

[mickeynut1]

Mickeynut How are you doing??? What vacation plans have changed since we last caught up!!??

Hey Blue ....things here are good, thanks....hope things are well with you and hope you're getting back into things after being gone . No changes yet, although I may have to tweak things a little bit, but nothing major .

you are right about me being super-excited!! When the countdown gets down this low, I just feel a happy glow!!

Very soon

Hi all. I've read through the FAQs (and Googled it) and didn't find the answer, so I'm hoping this hasn't already been asked.

Is it possible to book a room at GF for one night only, or are there some minimum number of nights restrictions in place?

I only ask because DH and I were looking to stay for only a night, just to experience the hotel, while we're in Orlando next summer. But when I was going through the motions on the Disney site to see if a deposit was required (and if so, how much), I got a 'system error' page.

Sorry, an error has occurred.
The system has encountered an unexpected error. Please return to the homepage and start a new search, or call our Disney Experts on 0800 16 90 730* to book your holiday.

I wasn't sure if there was an actual error, or if what I'd requested wasn't allowed...

Thanks for any help.

It must have just been a glitch in the system at the time you tried to get a quote as you can book at little as 1 night . As far as the deposit, a deposit equal to 1 night's room rate + tax is required for a room only reservation, with the balance due at check in (which, in your case, would be the whole thing since it's only 1 night).

Good Evening

Hi ahcupcake .....hope things are well with you .