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

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

Those pics are just beautiful! Thanks for posting I REALLY hope the new GF refurb reflects the same feel as the VGF room décor.

 

[imobsessedwithdisney]

Hi just wondering if anyone knows if the lodge tower rooms in SL are far from the elevator/lounge. Thanks so much for any info!

 

[Koh1977]

Booked 7/11-7/14!! Not sure if it will happen, but for now, there's a slight chance!

 

[Koh1977]

Those pics are just beautiful! Thanks for posting I REALLY hope the new GF refurb reflects the same feel as the VGF room décor.

When is the refurb planned?

 

[MommyGina]

When is the refurb planned?

I know that RPC refurb is planned for July. Went to book as soon as we came back last July for this July and there were no rooms available. So my thinking is that is when the refurb is going to take place in the main building. If you try to book SL for June, there are no rooms available. Tried this last July as well. Gets me to thinking that June is when the SL rooms will be done.

We have booked SL for this July. It will be nice to stay in a freshly done room!

 

[trishadono]

Hi just wondering if anyone knows if the lodge tower rooms in SL are far from the elevator/lounge. Thanks so much for any info!

We were just there!

The elevator is on one end of the building and LT rooms are just past the middle.
It didn't feel too far.

 

[trishadono]

1306 villa at 7am

 

[imobsessedwithdisney]

We were just there!

The elevator is on one end of the building and LT rooms are just past the middle.
It didn't feel too far.

Thank you!!

 

[trishadono]

Night time !
(See CR in the distance )

 

[trishadono]

The balcony was long! I stood in center and took pic of left and right .

 

[trishadono]

I quick walk-in closet teaser for PAS !

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

When is the refurb planned?

I don't think anyone has reported the concrete start date of the refurbs (someone correct me if I am wrong please) but the Notice of Commencement filings for the refurbs were last Fall meaning the work will start "soon." We have already figured out when SL and RPC will be refurbed (given their unavailability). Given that WDW discounts are usually smaller for resorts going thru a refurb because of lower room inventory and the new Spring discounts starting at the end of Feb show GF with only a 20% discount, I am willing to bet the refurbs will start at the beginning of March. Again, just my opinion GF, CR, and WL will have higher occupancy rates for the next 1-2 years because of the Poly DVC construction but WL did have some rooms at the 30% discount. Not surprising about CR also having the 20% discount given its size, popularity, and convention bookings.

Anyhoo.....that is my long answer to your short question as to when the refurbs are expected to start.....

 

[BlueSkies]

I am behind..and skimming as usual....

Dd and I were in Summer Lace and were told new Disney Vera pattern was to arrive for spring,

Did they know that the pattern would look like...?

Great pics..Thanks for sharing them! That view from the villa is beautiful... Looking foward to hearing your thoughts on staying in one...and if you preferred VGF over staying CL...

Good morning everyone!

It's been 11 years since we have stayed at the GF. We were in Boca Chica at that time. We booked a room in Sugar Loaf for this August but I called today to ask about possibly switching to a deluxe room and found that we had a pin code so we upgraded to a deluxe room in RPC with 2 queen beds. We're splurging for our 15th anniversary (thanks to a pin!)!

I saw some pictures on the WDW site of deluxe rooms in the outer buildings. My question is, do all deluxe rooms have a somewhat separate area with a couch/sofa bed and tv? Do they have balconies? The CM told me there are 2 queen beds but she wasn't sure about the sofa bed or balcony.

Thank you!

Congrats on the pin code! And on booking RPC...the deluxe queen room in RPC is different in layout than the deluxe rooms in the outer buidling..which do have that bump out..kind of like a seperate seating area...the deluxe queens in RPC are a much larger room..and as MickeyNut accurately described the small sofa, table and chair are incorporated in the larger space of the room..Its very well laid out...there is a wet bar in the room as well.. actually there are not too many of them..and not so easy to book...so double congrats to you!! A discount and an extra special room ...

How much of a walk is it from the outer buildings to the monorail? My mom has MS and I'm planning on what the best hotel would be for her by ease of transportation. She can walk fine, but in case she gets tired from the parks, I want to get back to the hotel as effortlessly as possible so she does not get too fatigued.

I think as KKTom suggested..Sago would probably be the best choice for your family..it is not far from the main building..and the monorail...and also very close to the bus stop...but..quite a distance from the boat dock if you were planning on using the water launches for transportation...Also the monorail will be undergoing some maintenence until the end of March..and have modified operating hours during the week...it will not be running from 11am ( I think??) till 7pm....

Hi just wondering if anyone knows if the lodge tower rooms in SL are far from the elevator/lounge. Thanks so much for any info!

Four rooms rooms from the elevator I believe ...very close! Just an FYI..there are only three lodge tower rooms in SL..the one on the second floor has an enclosed balcony (its part of the portico roof line)..the one on the third floor has the regular railing that most of the other rooms have and the fourth floor has NO balcony...so if a balcony is important I would request a lodge tower room on 2nd or 3rd floor...

Booked 7/11-7/14!! Not sure if it will happen, but for now, there's a slight chance!

Hope that you get to go!

k&a&c'smom Happy New Year to you too...and welcome back...You were missed!

MickeyNut Hey there!

Grace&Carolinesmom The unofficial word that we got on our last trip was that the refurbs were starting in January...not sure if that has happend yet...and that they would start in Conch??? ...but my trip is not too far away..and I will inquire again...or just snoop around and see whats going on around the property ...LOL...

grannieminnie, mommygina, mariamouse ,Candy,Beth mousemommy and all the rest of my fellow GF fans... Hope that you have a terrific Thursday!

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

NOC's are usually filed before the permit is issued (here in Palm Beach County, we can't file for a permit until the NOC has been filed) so it could still be in plan review depending on the extent of the refurb.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

trishadono, thanks for all the photos - love them!

I hope you are having a good start to 2014 as well .

Sorry that your kids have gone back home, but glad you had a great time wth them while they were here .



Thanks for confirming about the sleeper sofa . I thought they did away with those, but wasn't 100% sure. For some reason I didn't think daybeds were in any of the deluxe rooms, but wasn't sure on that either....LOL.

Thanks about the kids.

LOL about not being sure - even when I have known the answer to a question for years, I sometimes space it and can't remember. I'm getting old.

Anyone have pics of the rollaway beds??

I think so, give me a minute to check.

Booked 7/11-7/14!! Not sure if it will happen, but for now, there's a slight chance!

I'll keep my fingers crossed!

I don't think anyone has reported the concrete start date of the refurbs (someone correct me if I am wrong please) but the Notice of Commencement filings for the refurbs were last Fall meaning the work will start "soon." We have already figured out when SL and RPC will be refurbed (given their unavailability). Given that WDW discounts are usually smaller for resorts going thru a refurb because of lower room inventory and the new Spring discounts starting at the end of Feb show GF with only a 20% discount, I am willing to bet the refurbs will start at the beginning of March. Again, just my opinion GF, CR, and WL will have higher occupancy rates for the next 1-2 years because of the Poly DVC construction but WL did have some rooms at the 30% discount. Not surprising about CR also having the 20% discount given its size, popularity, and convention bookings.

Anyhoo.....that is my long answer to your short question as to when the refurbs are expected to start.....

LOL about a long answer to a short question - that's my norm.

Thanks for the insight, especially about the lower discounts for resorts under refurb. It always seems to be backwards, doesn't it? I'm sure you are right about the occupancy of CR, GF & WL due to the Poly construction. So many people will want to stick with the MK area.

k&a&c'smom Happy New Year to you too...and welcome back...You were missed!


Grace&Carolinesmom The unofficial word that we got on our last trip was that the refurbs were starting in January...not sure if that has happend yet...and that they would start in Conch??? ...but my trip is not too far away..and I will inquire again...or just snoop around and see whats going on around the property ...LOL...

grannieminnie, mommygina, mariamouse ,Candy,Beth mousemommy and all the rest of my fellow GF fans... Hope that you have a terrific Thursday!

I've missed all of you, too.

LOL about the snooping - looking forward to your results.

I'm tagging onto your shout out to everyone, I hope you all are having a great week and staying warm.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Mizzgolitely - here is a photo posted on the first page, it shows part of a rollaway. It was provided by Lulu'smom and I think I have more of those photos in a previous thread - if you want me to, I can search for them.

 

[cinmell]

I am behind..and skimming as usual....



:
Congrats on the pin code! And on booking RPC...the deluxe queen room in RPC is different in layout than the deluxe rooms in the outer buidling..which do have that bump out..kind of like a seperate seating area...the deluxe queens in RPC are a much larger room..and as MickeyNut accurately described the small sofa, table and chair are incorporated in the larger space of the room..Its very well laid out...there is a wet bar in the room as well.. actually there are not too many of them..and not so easy to book...so double congrats to you!! A discount and an extra special room

Thank you! We were booked in Sugar Loaf but I called yesterday to ask about the deluxe rooms in the outer buildings and the CM told me I had a pin and asked if we wanted to check to see if there was a deluxe room in RPC available. There was a room so we switched from SL. When I looked on the WDW site prior to the call, that category wasn't listed so I assumed those rooms were already booked or didn't exist in RPC.

 

[trishadono]

Thank you! We were booked in Sugar Loaf but I called yesterday to ask about the deluxe rooms in the outer buildings and the CM told me I had a pin and asked if we wanted to check to see if there was a deluxe room in RPC available. There was a room so we switched from SL. When I looked on the WDW site prior to the call, that category wasn't listed so I assumed those rooms were already booked or didn't exist in RPC.

Not all of the rooms are listed on the website. You can't book The Tower CL rooms on the 14th floor at CR on the web and have to call for those too.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Thank you! We were booked in Sugar Loaf but I called yesterday to ask about the deluxe rooms in the outer buildings and the CM told me I had a pin and asked if we wanted to check to see if there was a deluxe room in RPC available. There was a room so we switched from SL. When I looked on the WDW site prior to the call, that category wasn't listed so I assumed those rooms were already booked or didn't exist in RPC.

BTW - the photo I posted above is of the main building deluxe (2 queen) in the rectangular layout (there are 2 for the 2Q rooms - rectangular and triangular). There are more deluxe photos on the first page, post #5.

 

[Mizzgolitely]

Mizzgolitely - here is a photo posted on the first page, it shows part of a rollaway. It was provided by Lulu'smom and I think I have more of those photos in a previous thread - if you want me to, I can search for them.

AWESOME thank you so much! how much do they charge for it ?