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

[MommyGina]

If you check room availability for the GF for June and July, no pictures of the rooms show up, which leads me to believe that there is going to be room refurbishments done soon and Disney does not want to mislead folks on the room décor.

 

[BlueSkies]

Of course I understand, Blue!
I think I am in a constant state of planning!

I really think there is something wrong with the Disney website. I checked our reservations on line and it said that my reservations needed attention. I called TA and she could not find anything wrong on her end.

Yikes...Glad that your ressie is all in order...

If you check room availability for the GF for June and July, no pictures of the rooms show up, which leads me to believe that there is going to be room refurbishments done soon and Disney does not want to mislead folks on the room décor.

We have our detective caps on MommyGina and will get it figured out...eventually...LOL...We both have summer trips to be booking..lots of others do too...I sure hope we find out soon though...

trishadono Thanks for those screen shots! Didnt realize you had the option of selecing first available room...

 

[micknme]

Hi there,

Was just wondering if anyone else has received notice about qualifying for the Magic Band trials while staying at the GF? We are staying in a garden view room during the last week of October and yesterday I received a letter from my TA telling me I was chosen for the trial. Sure enough, I have now selected my Magic Band colours for those travelling with me, confirmed my address to have them mailed out to me as well as being able to book my fast passes.

I am still very surprised since I did not think the GF was in on this trial. Oh, and if this means anything, I received the trial offer a day or two after I did our online resort check-in (which also surprised me to be able to complete the online check-in 6 weeks before our stay???).

Did anyone else get this opportunity to take part?

 

[hbun04]

Hello micknme,

We (DH, DS17m) will be staying at the VGF starting Sunday Oct 27; I pretty much gave up on MagicBands since GF wasn't listed anywhere (I could find) for being part of the trial in October. But today when I logged into DME, a pop-up window announced I could customize MagicBands and make FastPass+ selections. Needless to say, I was thrilled and will be choosing MagicBand colors and FP+ rides tonight.

 

[micknme]

So happy for you too. Did you have to do a double take when you saw the pop up window? I know I had to reread my TA's email a couple of times before it sunk in that I was allowed to take part.
Are you able to do the online check in yet? I thought it was suppose to be done 10 days before you arrived. I guess I need to get caught up on Disney's new policies!

Have fun choosing your colours and fastpasses!

 

[mickeynut1]

What ARE you two up to?!?

Like Blue said, we are always trying to plan something ....sometimes it doesn't work out, but sometimes it all comes together nicely .

LOL...I know its gonna have to be a split...at least!

You might be right .

I think I am in a constant state of planning!

Me too......it's always nice to look ahead .

 

[trishadono]

So happy for you too. Did you have to do a double take when you saw the pop up window? I know I had to reread my TA's email a couple of times before it sunk in that I was allowed to take part.
Are you able to do the online check in yet? I thought it was suppose to be done 10 days before you arrived. I guess I need to get caught up on Disney's new policies!

Have fun choosing your colours and fastpasses!

Online check in is now 60 days prior. There will be blue letters saying "check in online" on the right side underneath your confirmation number in my ME section "my reservations".

Hope that helps. I checked in yesterday for November

 

[micknme]

Online check in is now 60 days prior. There will be blue letters saying "check in online" on the right side underneath your confirmation number in my ME section "my reservations".

Hope that helps. I checked in yesterday for November

Wow. That is quite a change. I wonder how this new info managed to slip by me? . Thank you for letting me know!

 

[hbun04]

So happy for you too. Did you have to do a double take when you saw the pop up window? I know I had to reread my TA's email a couple of times before it sunk in that I was allowed to take part.
Are you able to do the online check in yet? I thought it was suppose to be done 10 days before you arrived. I guess I need to get caught up on Disney's new policies!

Have fun choosing your colours and fastpasses!

DH couldn't believe how excited I was about being able to get MagicBands and FP+ (he shares the excitement over DS17m's first trip to Disney and he only stared for a few minutes when I told him how $$$ VGF would be, but he lets me do all the travel research/obsessing - recently he almost went to Reagan Airport instead of Dulles Airport on a solo business trip because it was me who made the reservation/did online check-in/printed out the boarding pass - he never even read the boarding pass and just assumed he was going out of Reagan - thankfully he made his flight). He didn't understand what FP or FP+ really was and when I told him FP+ meant that we wouldn't have to hightail it to Dumbo first thing in the morning, he started to understand why I had been so bummed before yesterday about no MagicBands/no FP+. When I saw the pop-up window I was in such disbelief that I logged out and then logged back into MDE and then I squealed and then I sent DH a text message using all capital letters - it was just fabulous - thank you! Oh and I did do online check-in just after I made the final payment last week; I read all about the possible pro's and con's but I'll try anything that could possibly shorten the time DH has to spend in line.

 

[micknme]

I read all about the possible pro's and con's but I'll try anything that could possibly shorten the time DH has to spend in line.

This made me LOL...I totally do the same thing

 

[grannyminnie]

This made me LOL...I totally do the same thing

I think that's why we all love the boards! Because we can totally immerse ourselves in all things Disney!!

I will say tho that I am just now reading about the Fastpass plus and Magic bands. I have not received an invite, but was curious as to all the "hoop-la", so I went to My Disney Experience and did some reading. It looks as tho Disney has certainly made the planning more fun as I see it. When we go, we love to enjoy the resort just as much as the parks, so there's not as much angst over Fastpasses as some might have.

 

[MommyGina]

but he lets me do all the travel research/obsessing - recently he almost went to Reagan Airport instead of Dulles Airport on a solo business trip because it was me who made the reservation/did online check-in/printed out the boarding pass - he never even read the boarding pass and just assumed he was going out of Reagan - thankfully he made his flight).

He must be related to my husband!!! I love doing all the planning for our trips. I already have a spreadsheet for where we are going to eat at approximately what times. Oh, our trip is only 304 days away!

 

[mickeynut1]

I think that's why we all love the boards! Because we can totally immerse ourselves in all things Disney!!

I will say tho that I am just now reading about the Fastpass plus and Magic bands. I have not received an invite, but was curious as to all the "hoop-la", so I went to My Disney Experience and did some reading. It looks as tho Disney has certainly made the planning more fun as I see it. When we go, we love to enjoy the resort just as much as the parks, so there's not as much angst over Fastpasses as some might have.

I agree, even if I don't have a trip planned, it's still fun to be on here .

I don't know much about the magic bands and fastpass plus and although we have taken advantage of fastpasses on our trips, we have been so many times that there's never anything we have to do.....if we get to it, fine; if not, that's ok too because we know we will be back. Our trips are more go-with-the-flow and we usually spend more time at the resort than we do the parks anymore, so the new system probably won't effect us too much .

I love doing all the planning for our trips. I already have a spreadsheet for where we are going to eat at approximately what times. Oh, our trip is only 304 days away!

I am the planner for our all of our trips and I love it . As soon as I book a trip, I start a Disney trip folder and start making lists for ADRs, etc. It's a sickness for me, but it's one sickness I don't mind having .

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I'm behind a couple pages, need to get caught up - but wanted to post these beautiful photos sent to me by our dear friend, BCV23, who visited the GF yesterday.
Walkway near VGF

VGF from Beach Pool

Splash area, Beach Pool and VGF, from the Main Bldg.

 

[grannyminnie]

I like the foggy pre-Halloween eerie aspect of those pictures! No matter what the weather, the GF is gorgeous!

Your sentiments sound like mine, mickeynut.
Our visits are like yours in that even tho I plan, we've been enough times that we are more laid-back. The new system will probably not affect us either.

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm behind a couple pages, need to get caught up - but wanted to post these beautiful photos sent to me by our dear friend, BCV23, who visited the GF yesterday.

What beautiful pics. Thanks to BVC23 for sending them to you and thanks to you for posting them .

I like the foggy pre-Halloween eerie aspect of those pictures! No matter what the weather, the GF is gorgeous!

Your sentiments sound like mine, mickeynut.
Our visits are like yours in that even tho I plan, we've been enough times that we are more laid-back. The new system will probably not affect us either.

I agree about the Grand being beautiful regardless of the weather .

We are more resort-oriented with each trip we take. We do love the parks, but in all honesty, we don't hit a park every day and we're lucky if we spend 3-4 hours in a park when we do go. Our boys are older and kind of like the laid back trips as much as we do .

 

[samnbilly]

Thanks so much for posting these pictures from BCV23.
I haven't been to Disney since 2008!
We are visiting in Oct. & how I would love to be staying here again! We're taking the kids, so its our first trip to BWI.
We're coming here for dinner though to Narcoossee's, so i'll get to check out the changes!! Excited!!

 

[garada3]

I'm behind a couple pages, need to get caught up - but wanted to post these beautiful photos sent to me by our dear friend, BCV23, who visited the GF yesterday.

Walkway near VGF

Any guesses about the purpose of the small "stumps" located between the lights along the walkway?

 

[trishadono]

Any guesses about the purpose of the small "stumps" located between the lights along the walkway?

I visited GF 3 times this year and walked on that path. I think they were smaller lights for at night to light up the walkway.

If someone else knows for sure, please post. Otherwise I will "investigate" on my next trip.

 

[meredith1]

Just finished paying our trip to Disney from Nov. 29 through Dec. 6-GF here we come!!!! I'm so stinking excited about our first stay at The Grand! We'll have DxDP and in two standard rooms with MK view-I've requested Sago Cay.

Whoo Hoo!!!!