That is amazing, and I very much agree DISpeeps are some of the finest peeps I have ever met. I haven't posted much here (I'm booked at Poly with a great discount trying not to change) but I do lurk often...and other than the resort changers thread..I consider here and WL my "home" threads
Agreed! And one of the reasons this thread rocks is the GRAND hostess.
Wishing my GF friends a very
Grand holiday
Hey, you, so glad to "see" you here.
Good luck with your Poly booking, lol, I hope you are able to hold strong!
(Thanks for the sweet compliment, btw.)
Just was drooling over the pictures on Facebook of the Grand at Christmas. We were only there once in December, but hoping we can come back next year. What a magical place!
It is magical, isn't it?! Hope you can book for Christmas next year.
Have just changed my May YC CL trip to the GF RPC (don't even ask how many times I've changed my booking), I haven't stayed there since 2007 so I'm going to start at the beginning of this great thread to refresh myself on everything the GF offers
I'm going 'solo' for 7 nights and have already booked a few spa treatments, I intend this to be a selfishly indulgent/pampering trip
The Grand is the perfect place for a pampering trip, especially RPC.
Enjoy your read-a-thon, hehe.
At 6:00 pm we sat in the Grand foyer on a big comfy couch listening to the piano player and the band. At 7:00 pm a choir came to sing Christmas carols. We spent a very relaxing day at the Grand because it was our last day of our fabulous vacation.
Now I know how all of you have felt about the Grand all these years. Having a villa with my food allergies has made me very happy.
I will be back in January for a week.
The Grand is now my home!
It feels so Grand!!!
Thank you everyone! It was fun reading your responses to my lovely vacation. We ended with the Christmas fireworks at Epcot. The view from Italy is perfect.
I'm sitting here in my Massachusetts home with my eyes closed picturing the beautiful row of palm trees outside the front door of my Florida home at the Grand. Then my mind wonders into the foyer and there stands that whimsical water fountain and stunning cream colored marble floor.
Now I have to look on my iPhone at the photos I took!!!
Your last day at the Grand sounds perfect.~sigh~ Sorry you had to leave, but you will be there again soon. Thanks for the wonderful posts during your magical vacation!
....
Hope you had a nice time in Chicago and hope you were able to keep warm.....Chicago winters can be brutal.
Not a very nice thing for your DH to do to you.....LOL.....but I hope you were able to catch some warmer temps when you returned home.
....
I did a little baking the other day, but I'm planning to get more done today and tomorrow.
I hope your DS's surgery went well. Sending good thoughts for a good post op visit.
Glad the follow up went well and I'm happy for you that all of your kids will be home for Christmas.
LOL about DH and the short sleeves. He's a card.
Thanks about DS.
He is here at home now and seems to be doing very well.
Can't wait for DD and DS2/fiance to get here, but I have a couple days to get everything ready.
How did your baking go, or are you still in the thick of it?! I have more cookies to bake, but will wait until Christmas Eve, when the other kids will start to arrive. DH, DS1 and I have been eating far too many of those I froze last month, lol.
k&a&c'smom So happy to hear that your DS's follow up visit went well! Sounds like you are going to have a nice fullhouse for Christmas... I know thats the best present of all..Better get baking some more pecan tassies at your house too...LOl..It is funny how quickly that they disappear! Thanks again for the recipe!
LOL - you are right, we've eaten most of them, I'll have to make more. Glad you are enjoying the recipe.
The family together is, indeed, the very best present.
You were asking about split stays, and I know we've discussed this in the past, but I wanted to comment, anyway.
We've done a split with nearly every resort, and our favorites are AKL and YC. With AKL, you get a completely different feel from the Grand - dark wood and jewel tones, animal viewing, the smell of fire. At YC, you get some of the same colors as AKL but more nautical, and though there is a similar vibe to the Grand (quiet, luxurious) it is different enough to feel like two vacations, and you have access to SAB, which we love. The YC CL staff are on a par with the GF CMs, very good service there.
BC is another favorite, but can be more hectic in the lobby and the colors are closer to the GF - so, if you want a similar feel, you have that option. We've not done CL at the BC, we always book a garden view.
WL is a favorite for the lobby and ambiance, but if you plan to do CL, it is not my fave in that area (sorry,
WDWKOOK!
). The enclosed balconies make the rooms too dark for us, and DD and I are too short to see over the railing. Not to mention the lounge closing between service - if they still do that, we haven't been since 2007, I think.
I am also enjoying
Candy Orlando's live report! How lovely you were just there!! We are having a Jersy heat wave..and DH joked that it feels like Florida. The first week of December was in the 80s..and we came home to snow and 20 degree weather
Multi-quote-a-palooza
I was actually on the telephone with someone from Poly yesterday discussing the construction (Poly IPO rocks) and I was reminded Poly guests will have the use of the GF pools So even though I am staying a monorail stop away...we can use the pools so I can sneak in the Grand ambience Best of both worlds IMO, my DS12 prefers the GF pool
Is it summer yet
Multi-quote-a-palooza!
I WISH!
Summer is my favorite time of year, I hate winter. Ugh. I know exactly what you mean about the 80s and then snow and cold. We had that experience this past week - I barely got here in time for warm weather, the day after I got home it dropped into the 30s and we now have ice on everything.
I'm glad the Poly guests have an option during the renovations, pay back for the GF guests who were able to visit the Volcano pool - but I fear the Grand pools will be packed, with the recent addition of VGF guests!
.... (not to mention the announcement of the closures of the monorail during the day...that's a downer to me)
Hi, MickeyNut. Would you believe I have yet to do a bit of baking?? I did very little last year, and this year it looks like it may be the same. And as much as I love goodies.... Just cannot get motivated.
I don't blame you, I imagine the monorail closure is putting a damper on many a GF guest's plans!
Sorry you haven't felt motivated for your baking - I can relate! There have been many years I haven't accomplished nearly the same level of "Christmas cheer" as usual. Hope you are having a great time with the season, baking or not.
Hello! New to this thread! We just secured our first VGF reservation for next Thanksgiving and are over the moon excited. My husband and I will have our 3 DS: ages 8,6,2 and will also be celebrating our 10 year anniversary! We've previously stayed at AKL and WL and are so excited to try something new. Look forward to reading all the incredible things about the grand!
Welcome!
We love AKL and WL, gorgeous resorts in their own right. I think you will fall in love with the Grand. Very exciting for you to all be there at Thanksgiving.
Subscribing! Oh my goodness I have been here since October 2012 and I miss it so much. Have fun everybody who is there or leaving soon!
Welcome!
Sorry it has been so long since you've been to the Grand, I know how you must long to return. Here's hoping you'll have a trip booked before you know it.
Just checking in to say hello while waiting for the boat back to the grand! It is absolutely stunning. Our room is in Sago Cay... Haven't been to it yet... But can't wait!!!
Glad to hear from you, how was the dark side?! Enjoy your stay, have a magical vacation.
Just booked last minute trip RPC first week of January! So excited. It will be out first RPC trip!
A last minute trip, I LOVE those! You will fall in love with RPC, so very Grand.
Enjoy!!
I really would like to go in the winter, but so far, have not broached the subject to my sister (and with her, the $$ is the big thing). (not to mention the announcement of the closures of the monorail during the day...that's a downer to me)
Just cannot get motivated.
. You know how the holidays are.....there's always a lot of extra things to do on top of the every day things.....but thankfully things are quieting down. I miss chatting here too so I'm hoping after Christmas I'll have more time to post 
So even though I am staying a monorail stop away...we can use the pools so I can sneak in the Grand ambience 
Best of both worlds IMO, my DS12 prefers the GF pool
. We've stayed at WL and AKL and while we love both resorts, the GF is just 
.
I am trying to keep an open mind that despite the construction the Poly will be fab! I'd love to do a GF stay...7 months is a long time for a resort changer to think
Kook is at WL now, so that is always on the radar 
I just can't get the Grand off my mind 
Enjoy!!
holy moley! those pictures are GORGEOUS! thanks so much for sharing them, and just in time for christmas!! and thank you again for your kindness and generosity towards our family/ my dog. we appreciate it so much! your guidance has been so helpful.
