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

Status
Not open for further replies.
I'm so excited for you - you're gonna love RPC!

Those small tables for 2 are our favorite spot.

:lovestruc We love that spot too...Sooo nice! There are new chairs now..same shape but with no arms...I will add that to the pics for Maxie so that you can see them...

We are planning a mother daughter weekend for the spring time too..:goodvibes Probably April...but..we might..~gasp~ e staying at the CR (DD's idea..not mine!??)...lol..not sure tho....

PS are you posting about now??? ;)

k&a&c'smom, you are making my heart skip a beat with those photos!!

I agree! :thumbsup2

I have CDs form CF and the GFSO too....and love getting a little GF fix by listeneing to them! :cloud9:

I'm glad people liked my pictures. Thank you again, and wishing you all lovely trips! Looking forward to seeing your pictures and reading your stories, too! :goodvibes

PS for those of you who may not know, trips from the GF to the MK are really quick taking the monorail there, and the boat home. I think both were 5 minutes or under. It is a REALLY nice feature of staying there. Someone mentioned this at check in, and we were glad they did, because we'd stayed at the Poly before and weren't too wild about the boat ride home, for some reason. We weren't planning to try it again, but we did, and it worked out great. If a short walk back to your room at the end of a night is important to you (and it is to us, when we're hot and tired, with sore feet), requesting one of the buildings near the boat ramp would likely make you very happy.

Also, before our trip there were reports here of the monorail being down during the day, but we never encountered that issue at all.

I still can't believe it's over. :sad:

Pea-n-Me We do the exact same thing...monorail to..water launch back....Such a nice way to travel! ::yes::


Budget? What Budget? :rolleyes1

Budget and GF...or even budget and Disney vacataion... :confused3 :rotfl: A few words that def don't belong in the same sentenance...

They are fun, aren't they? :goodvibes

Each time I went I had a great time, although I did miss my DH You did??? lol..are you sure??? ;)and both of my boys......but it was nice to get away with friends for some me time :).
:thumbsup2 Sure was!

I think there have been a few posters on the DVC forum that have posted about the 1 BR, and I think BlueSkies toured one. (hint, hint) If I'm not mistaken, everyone is saying the walk from the VGF to the Main Bldg. is 3-4 minutes and from the photos of the path, that sounds about right to me. You would have to add a couple minutes for the elevator in the Main Bldg., just in case, or of course you can take the stairs.

Good luck, sounds like a great trip!:cloud9: Oh, and I found a review of the 1 BR at VGF for you.:goodvibes

It really is a quick walk from VGF to the Main building...and I agree a little extra time to get up to the monorail platform..probably 5 -6 minutes in all...

Im sure you will :lovestruc the new villas..they are beautiful!

grannyminnie Hope that you are having and GRAND vacation!!:goodvibes

Trisha I think your trip is soon too...:yay:

MouseMommy Are you holding steady?? And change in plans!?? ;)

disneydreaming247 Your comment about your DD has me LOL...:rotfl:

mommygina Hi! :wave2: Hope all is well!

ElanaJane Whats nicer that a pic of the GF as your phone wallpaper! And that is a lovely pic!

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans are having another magical Monday!:earsgirl:
 
I am home from WL CL...Awesome and it made me REALLY excited for Sugarloaf in 95 days!!!!

We had tea in the Garden Tea room with Patrick..I love him! He was our server in June and he dished with us..he was funny!

When we got off the bus, Richard was outside..Kate loves Richard and he stopped for a picture with her. As I was taking the picture he saw my phone cover..it is a shot of DH and I at our wedding on the Wonder..he was so excited that I was a bride! lol..then he told Kate that he would be her "train" conductor when she was getting married!!! :scared1: She is only 15 Richard!! Slow Down!! LOL

1392428_10201420486847895_799416155_n.jpg
 
:lovestruc We love that spot too...Sooo nice! There are new chairs now..same shape but with no arms...I will add that to the pics for Maxie so that you can see them...

We are planning a mother daughter weekend for the spring time too..:goodvibes Probably April...but..we might..~gasp~ e staying at the CR (DD's idea..not mine!??)...lol..not sure tho....

PS are you posting about now??? ;)



I agree! :thumbsup2

I have CDs form CF and the GFSO too....and love getting a little GF fix by listeneing to them! :cloud9:



Pea-n-Me We do the exact same thing...monorail to..water launch back....Such a nice way to travel! ::yes::




Budget and GF...or even budget and Disney vacataion... :confused3 :rotfl: A few words that def don't belong in the same sentenance...

[/B] :thumbsup2 Sure was!



It really is a quick walk from VGF to the Main building...and I agree a little extra time to get up to the monorail platform..probably 5 -6 minutes in all...

Im sure you will :lovestruc the new villas..they are beautiful!

grannyminnie Hope that you are having and GRAND vacation!!:goodvibes

Trisha I think your trip is soon too...:yay:

MouseMommy Are you holding steady?? And change in plans!?? ;)

disneydreaming247 Your comment about your DD has me LOL...:rotfl:

mommygina Hi! :wave2: Hope all is well!

ElanaJane Whats nicer that a pic of the GF as your phone wallpaper! And that is a lovely pic!

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans are having another magical Monday!:earsgirl:

I wasn't super strong....RPC only lasted less than 24 hours....I couldn't live with the cost! :lmao: Back to Sugarloaf we go...but I am super OK with that! :cool1:
 

:lovestruc We love that spot too...Sooo nice! There are new chairs now..same shape but with no arms...I will add that to the pics for Maxie so that you can see them...

We are planning a mother daughter weekend for the spring time too..:goodvibes Probably April...but..we might..~gasp~ e staying at the CR (DD's idea..not mine!??)...lol..not sure tho....

PS are you posting about now??? ;)

Aww, shoot. We seem to be out of sync after your trip.;):laughing:

Love to see the new chair photos, I prefer chairs without arms. There were a few of those older ones that way, I usually swapped mine out.:teeth: Can't wait to see all your photos, of course.

LOL about your DD choosing the CR. My DD sometimes thwarts my Grand plans and asks for Y&BC or AKL.

I am home from WL CL...Awesome and it made me REALLY excited for Sugarloaf in 95 days!!!!

We had tea in the Garden Tea room with Patrick..I love him! He was our server in June and he dished with us..he was funny!

When we got off the bus, Richard was outside..Kate loves Richard and he stopped for a picture with her. As I was taking the picture he saw my phone cover..it is a shot of DH and I at our wedding on the Wonder..he was so excited that I was a bride! lol..then he told Kate that he would be her "train" conductor when she was getting married!!! :scared1: She is only 15 Richard!! Slow Down!! LOL

Adorable photo of your DD with Richard, he's such a card!:laughing: We love watching him on train duty, or just chatting with him.

Glad you enjoyed your tea, one of our favorite activities at the Grand.~sigh~

I wasn't super strong....RPC only lasted less than 24 hours....I couldn't live with the cost! :lmao: Back to Sugarloaf we go...but I am super OK with that! :cool1:

:rotfl2: A change already, why am I not surprised!;) You will love SL, too, have no fear. We book various categories at the Grand, depending on our plans and budget, and love them all. If we are going to hit the parks with a newbie, we often book garden view or SL, as it seems silly to pay so much for the resort when we won't be there to enjoy it.
 
Aww, shoot. We seem to be out of sync after your trip.;):laughing:

Love to see the new chair photos, I prefer chairs without arms. There were a few of those older ones that way, I usually swapped mine out.:teeth: Can't wait to see all your photos, of course.

LOL about your DD choosing the CR. My DD sometimes thwarts my Grand plans and asks for Y&BC or AKL.



Adorable photo of your DD with Richard, he's such a card!:laughing: We love watching him on train duty, or just chatting with him.

Glad you enjoyed your tea, one of our favorite activities at the Grand.~sigh~



:rotfl2: A change already, why am I not surprised!;) You will love SL, too, have no fear. We book various categories at the Grand, depending on our plans and budget, and love them all. If we are going to hit the parks with a newbie, we often book garden view or SL, as it seems silly to pay so much for the resort when we won't be there to enjoy it.

Yeah, I think we will be hitting the parks pretty hard this trip since we only have 4 park days before our cruise...I felt bad paying all that money when we probably won't utilize the room as much as we normally do. :worried:

I am sure Sugarloaf will be fantastic though!!! ::yes::
 
:lovestruc We love that spot too...Sooo nice!
I can't wait to try that spot!!


Trisha I think your trip is soon too...

My signature for anniversary part 2 is that we canceled our May trip to visit FIL who was ill. Turned out to be the right thing. We had dear FIL funeral Saturday. Been busy helping dh and dmil with arrangements. Can't think of a better time to take dh to first RPC after losing his daddy:(

*** one of my favorite Disney FIL memory was 2 years ago at Epcot when he ordered "pumpkin ravioli " , this from a meat and potato Irish man:rotfl2:****

*** ds first trip at age one would cry when grandpa would go under water in pool at ASM , "where my grandpa!!!":sad:***

*** dd at 4 eating cinnamon rolls at MK with side of nesquick, mom says no but grandpa said yes.:p

Enjoy that family time... Memories are priceless and disney memories are truly magical:goodvibes
 
When we got off the bus, Richard was outside..Kate loves Richard and he stopped for a picture with her.

DisneyDmbNut, isn't Richard wonderful? The weather was quite frosty last Christmas. They had a gas heater placed near the entrance, just for him while he was on duty. If anyone deserves to be warm and cozy, it's Richard.
 
I am home from WL CL...Awesome and it made me REALLY excited for Sugarloaf in 95 days!!!!

We had tea in the Garden Tea room with Patrick..I love him! He was our server in June and he dished with us..he was funny!

When we got off the bus, Richard was outside..Kate loves Richard and he stopped for a picture with her. As I was taking the picture he saw my phone cover..it is a shot of DH and I at our wedding on the Wonder..he was so excited that I was a bride! lol..then he told Kate that he would be her "train" conductor when she was getting married!!! :scared1: She is only 15 Richard!! Slow Down!! LOL

1392428_10201420486847895_799416155_n.jpg

Sweet pic! Thanks for posting:goodvibes
 
Looking for some tips from all of you GF experts.......
We will be there for the first time in 2 weeks:cool1::cool1:
We have booked a garden view room.
My husband has bad back problems so we were hoping for a building that was close to the main building so we requested Big Pine Key.
Would others say that would be the closest and best? And what floor ?
Looking for any and all advice
 
DisneyDmbNut, isn't Richard wonderful? The weather was quite frosty last Christmas. They had a gas heater placed near the entrance, just for him while he was on duty. If anyone deserves to be warm and cozy, it's Richard.

My DD is excited to be there in February.. She is hoping richard is out roasting chestnuts! Lol
 
I can't wait to try that spot!! My signature for anniversary part 2 is that we canceled our May trip to visit FIL who was ill. Turned out to be the right thing. We had dear FIL funeral Saturday. Been busy helping dh and dmil with arrangements. Can't think of a better time to take dh to first RPC after losing his daddy:( *** one of my favorite Disney FIL memory was 2 years ago at Epcot when he ordered "pumpkin ravioli " , this from a meat and potato Irish man:rotfl2:**** *** ds first trip at age one would cry when grandpa would go under water in pool at ASM , "where my grandpa!!!":sad:*** *** dd at 4 eating cinnamon rolls at MK with side of nesquick, mom says no but grandpa said yes.:p Enjoy that family time... Memories are priceless and disney memories are truly magical:goodvibes
So sorry for your loss! We lost my MIL in January after a sudden illness and it is still so hard. We planned a last minute trip to the World after her loss and it was so nice to have that family time together :)
 
So sorry for your loss! We lost my MIL in January after a sudden illness and it is still so hard. We planned a last minute trip to the World after her loss and it was so nice to have that family time together :)

We have a trip planned for VGF in January with my MIL! And thanks .
 
mickeynut, mousemommy, and k&a&c'smom, i, too, agree about rack rate. i won't pay it, period, and i also do not believe i would ever go during peak season. i can't see paying a fortune to deal with those crowds (i really, really, really hate crowds, and i also have no patience for long lines, lol).

mousemommy1 and mickeynut, i, too, have a dh that leaves all the planning to me. including determining a budget. the downside is that if i somehow mess up our finances by "going too big," i would also be the one to get us out of that mess! :lmao: it's ok, though, i am totally the tightwad between the two of us, so he knows i'll never overdo it.

it's a beautiful, crisp day here today! i have the day off today and am looking forward to the mere fact that i won't be at work! :rolleyes1 i'm off to drop the kids at school, take a nice 3 mile walk with a neighbor through the pretty fall leaves, and then some cleaning and maybe even some crafting. have great day, everyone!

I'm starting to think that way about going in March/peak season. The more I think about end of May/June (or possibly end of April), the more appealing it's becoming with the lower rates as I can get the same vacation for less money just by pushing it back 2 months. Crowds don't bother us as we usually go to a park for 2-3 hours in the morning then back to the resort for swimming/relaxing then back to a park after dinner for a maybe an hour or two....so we pretty much miss the high crowd times in the middle of the day when they're at their worst.....but the cost is what is making me rethink it.

LOL on "going too big"......I would also be the one held responsible for getting finances back on track if I ever over did it :rotfl:.

Our day was similar.....sunny and in the mid 50s. I hope you enjoyed your day off :flower3:.

We're taking the WHOLE family next Oct and they want to stay at BLT. Sounds great; monorail resort yadyadayda. We've never stayed so that would be nice...however, we MAY have to split our group up because the chance of getting 3 rooms at 7 months out is slim. That being said, I thought how much I've always wanted to stay at the Grand Floridiaun but it was just out of our budget. With our DVC it's now a reality. Has anyone stayed in the 1 bedrooms and how far of a walk is it to the monorail?

How exciting to be planning a big trip :yay:. We've taken two family trips (14 of us) and rented a house both times. Some people couldn't stay in one house with that many people, but we had a blast (of course it was easy for me as it was MY family and not DH's....LOL....but my DH loved it and had a blast....and wants to do it again :goodvibes). Have fun planning and I hope you are able to get a 1 BDRM at VGF.

LOL about possible changes. I don't blame you, paying those incredibly high peak rates are maddening. Good luck, I hope you are able to work it so you end up with the best deal all around - air, resort, etc. That's always my goal!

LOL - I had to quote this after the budgeting discussion, as that was my response, too. Budget, schmudget! I set mine, then it inches up...and up...and up.

Thanks.....I'm really starting to like the idea of May/June. I was just starting to rethink March and then it really kicked in when I rechecked airfare......I've never paid anywhere close to $300/pp for roundtrip, so I'm definitely not even entertaining the idea of paying that for one way :sad2:. I am also considering the end of April (after Easter) when rates go down, so I'm tossing around a few ideas.

LOL on your budget inches up and up as time goes on. I do the same thing, especially with discounts. After awhile my Disney brain starts thinking "with this discount I can do this resort", which turns into "well now I can do this resort and this room type".....it never ends :rotfl2:.

We are planning a mother daughter weekend for the spring time too.. Probably April...but..we might..~gasp~ e staying at the CR (DD's idea..not mine!??)...lol..not sure tho....

When in April are you thinking?? I was considering April before I started looking at May/June. My oldest DS asked if we could go after basketball season ends but before playoffs start :faint:. It sure was easier to plan and take trips when they were younger :rotfl:. How great it would be if we were there at the same time ::yes::.

I wasn't super strong....RPC only lasted less than 24 hours....I couldn't live with the cost! Back to Sugarloaf we go...but I am super OK with that!

Oh no.....you were so excited to try RPC!!

Yeah, I think we will be hitting the parks pretty hard this trip since we only have 4 park days before our cruise...I felt bad paying all that money when we probably won't utilize the room as much as we normally do.

I am sure Sugarloaf will be fantastic though!!! ::yes::

I think you made the right decision if you won't be at the resort much. We spend way more time at the resort than we do the parks no matter how many nights we go, so it's never a question for us whether or not we'll get a lot out of the resort and its amenities.

My signature for anniversary part 2 is that we canceled our May trip to visit FIL who was ill. Turned out to be the right thing. We had dear FIL funeral Saturday. Been busy helping dh and dmil with arrangements. Can't think of a better time to take dh to first RPC after losing his daddy:(

*** one of my favorite Disney FIL memory was 2 years ago at Epcot when he ordered "pumpkin ravioli " , this from a meat and potato Irish man:rotfl2:****

*** ds first trip at age one would cry when grandpa would go under water in pool at ASM , "where my grandpa!!!":sad:***

*** dd at 4 eating cinnamon rolls at MK with side of nesquick, mom says no but grandpa said yes.:p

Enjoy that family time... Memories are priceless and disney memories are truly magical:goodvibes

So sorry about your loss :hug:. What great memories you have of previous trips with your FIL.

The weather was quite frosty last Christmas. They had a gas heater placed near the entrance, just for him while he was on duty. If anyone deserves to be warm and cozy, it's Richard.

I agree. I love that man....he is so cute :goodvibes.

Looking for some tips from all of you GF experts.......
We will be there for the first time in 2 weeks:cool1:
We have booked a garden view room.
My husband has bad back problems so we were hoping for a building that was close to the main building so we requested Big Pine Key.
Would others say that would be the closest and best? And what floor ?
Looking for any and all advice

It's getting close :cool1::cool1:. I think BPK is a good choice. We stayed there in December 2010 and I thought it was very convenient to the main building and Gasparillas :thumbsup2.

We lost my MIL in January after a sudden illness and it is still so hard.

So sorry for your loss :hug:.

We have a trip planned for VGF in January with my MIL! And thanks .

I'm sure it will be a great trip with a lot of wonderful memories :wizard:.
 
Blue Thanks for your trip report! Your experiences were wonderful to read about, especially with my upcoming trip and all the changes that taking place. It makes me a little nervouse

Pea-n-Me What wonderful pictures . . . Makes me wish I was there now!

DisneyDmbNut I can't wait to meet Richard. I have read all about him and he looks like a sweetheart!

trishadono So sorry to hear about your FIL. It is so tough to lost a family member. You definitely need to spend some time at Disney. Hugs

All the talk about budget was making me cringe about what it costs when we are going . . . LOL We are going in the peak of the peak seasons . . . The good thing about our trip this year is that my inlaws are taking us as a gift. My MIL has always wanted to take all the grandkids to Disney and so I get a free trip this year! pixiedust:
 
My signature for anniversary part 2 is that we canceled our May trip to visit FIL who was ill. Turned out to be the right thing. We had dear FIL funeral Saturday. Been busy helping dh and dmil with arrangements. Can't think of a better time to take dh to first RPC after losing his daddy:(

*** one of my favorite Disney FIL memory was 2 years ago at Epcot when he ordered "pumpkin ravioli " , this from a meat and potato Irish man:rotfl2:****

*** ds first trip at age one would cry when grandpa would go under water in pool at ASM , "where my grandpa!!!":sad:***

*** dd at 4 eating cinnamon rolls at MK with side of nesquick, mom says no but grandpa said yes.:p

Enjoy that family time... Memories are priceless and disney memories are truly magical:goodvibes

trisha, I'm so very sorry for the loss of your FIL. May the warm arms of love and peace envelop you and your family at this difficult and heartbreaking time.:grouphug: I hope you, your DH and your children are able to think of those happy Disney memories as you proceed through the coming days, and that they sustain you throughout your lives.:rose:
 
trisha, I'm so very sorry for the loss of your FIL. May the warm arms of love and peace envelop you and your family at this difficult and heartbreaking time.:grouphug: I hope you, your DH and your children are able to think of those happy Disney memories as you proceed through the coming days, and that they sustain you throughout your lives.:rose:

That is sweet of you to say, thanks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.







New Posts









Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter DIS Bluesky

Back
Top