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

[bama belle]

Good evening! We checked in.. First we had a dormer room which wouldn't work for us.. We needed the day bed. But we were moved quickly and have a room overlooking the pool and sugar loaf entrance. It is amazing!

Glad you love your room! Do you mind me asking what building you are in?

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Could anyone please tell me what the best mode of Disney transportation would be for someone staying at the GF to get to the BWI for dinner at the Flying Fish?
I was thinking either Monorail to MK then bus to BWI? Or perhaps bus from GF to BWI? Or some other way altogether?
Alternatively, a cab would be about how much $$?
Thanks!

 

[Lisann]

Could anyone please tell me what the best mode of Disney transportation would be for someone staying at the GF to get to the BWI for dinner at the Flying Fish?
I was thinking either Monorail to MK then bus to BWI? Or perhaps bus from GF to BWI? Or some other way altogether?
Alternatively, a cab would be about how much $$?
Thanks!

************

I would do either of what you suggested. Free - monorail to MK and then hop on the bus to BWI. Costs - take a cab.

I would just do the free version. BTW....The Flying Fish is my favorite restaurant. The tomato mozzarella salad is the best on the planet. Not like anywhere else. And well worth the price.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Thank you Lisann.
Free is always good!
The tomato mozzarella salad is definitely on my list!

 

[baler31]

Does anyone know if the tennis courts are still around? If so, is there a charge to book a court for social play?

Sorry , they have been gone for quite awhile. You can use the other courts throughout the Disney resorts though. We prefer the clay courts at Saratoga Springs but usually do the hard courts at Bay Lake because it is closer. No fee for the courts as long as you are a resort guest and have your own equipment. There is a fee for equipment rental.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Glad you love your room! Do you mind me asking what building you are in?

We are staying in Sugar Loaf

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Good evening!

We checked in.. First we had a dormer room which wouldn't work for us.. We needed the day bed. But we were moved quickly and have a room overlooking the pool and sugar loaf entrance. It is amazing!

Yay! Glad you have a room you love. Have a Grand stay.

I changed our resort for summer...it was all me. The Grand is just Grand..but I can't do the rooms. I am so high maintenance. I will totally be sticking around as I love my GF friends..for now we are at Yacht Club, no CL and I am saving a ton much to my DH happiness. YC is not undergoing a refurb (for now) so I am playing it safe. My choice was almost Poly but the construction..I can't. Hoping for a WL discount as it is amazing there

Aww, sorry you are ditching the Grand, but we love the YC, too. And, of course, WL is awesome - I'm no help, lol.

Wheeee! Welcome to the dark side! We love the YC. We've stayed there twice in standard LV rooms, but this summer are going for CL-LV for a week and we can't wait! We will be there 8/17-8/23.


Clearly I'm on an " I love the Epcot Resort Loop" mission here, but YC and BWI are our two favorites, and while there aren't a ton of options, BC Marketplace, BW Bakery, and the BW Pizza Window are more than satisfactory!


Yes, the balconies at YC are a big win. No surprises.

Truth be told, I've been looking at the new rooms, and overall, I'm not thrilled but they're growing on me a little. I want a better, more elegant armoire, I want a few more Disney touches, (Peter Pan, Mary Poppins anyone?), and I'd love to subdue the red a bit, but I think I can live with it for a couple of nights in August.

I forgot to respond to your earlier post about BWI, I got sidetracked. (not sure how, hehe) We haven't had bad visits there, just nothing special. Well, I take that back - we stayed CL one year and the CMs were awesome! But I was sick that trip, so it colored our view of it a bit.

We do love YC, though, and the CL there is top notch.

Glad you will be able to make a GF visit in August, I wish I could say they were growing on me, but every time I look at the photos, I want to cry.

Forgot to say thank you for those pics, k&a&c'smom Being in that lobby is always a great feeling

Thanks about WL. We are excited. I agree - it is a beautiful resort.
Terrible about the changes at the Poly. It's too bad for us old-timers
Have fun with your research and trip planning - it's almost the best part

You're welcome - I know what you mean, we love that feeling, too. We love just sitting there, even without the music.

YAY for your WL stay, almost here!

Of course the "must have" for my boys is Mickey waffles.....LOL....which aren't available at the BC Marketplace or BW Bakery .

....
I feel the same way about the Poly GCH refurb/removal of the waterfall . I can't remember what (if anything) is going in its place, but from what I understand, they are going to make it so you can see straight through the lobby out the back. Disney, once again (IMO), is making a terrible choice for this refurb .

Wh-y-y-y?! I kept hoping this was only a rumor and it wouldn't happen.

(cute about the Mickey waffles! our one complaint at Y&BC is the dearth of quick service options)

I have a question where is the best location for a theme park view room . What building and what floor is the best. Where should I request to be . For the best tp room

The best theme park views are in Sago Cay and Conch Key, probably an upper floor.

Glad you love your room! Do you mind me asking what building you are in?

I'm pretty sure she's in Sugar Loaf (club level).

Could anyone please tell me what the best mode of Disney transportation would be for someone staying at the GF to get to the BWI for dinner at the Flying Fish?
I was thinking either Monorail to MK then bus to BWI? Or perhaps bus from GF to BWI? Or some other way altogether?
Alternatively, a cab would be about how much $$?
Thanks!

As Lisann said, free is a good choice. If time is important, I would go with the cab. It will cost around $20, but worth it if you are running behind.

We have a link on the first page for a transportation calculator for anywhere on property. Sometimes, you have to put in the nearest theme park as either beginning or end point.

Sorry , they have been gone for quite awhile. You can use the other courts throughout the Disney resorts though. We prefer the clay courts at Saratoga Springs but usually do the hard courts at Bay Lake because it is closer. No fee for the courts as long as you are a resort guest and have your own equipment. There is a fee for equipment rental.

Good to see you! How have you been? Thanks for the tennis courts info, I did not realize they had them at Bay Lake - were they always at CR, or added with the new building?

 

[baler31]

Good to see you! How have you been? Thanks for the tennis courts info, I did not realize they had them at Bay Lake - were they always at CR, or added with the new building?

We returned on Jan 26th from an 8 day at WL. We had a nice trip though the weather was quite cold for FL. We visited GF and some favorite CM's.

We were last at GF in Nov. and knew from some test room info. that the new rooms were not going to be a big hit with many GF lover's. I do believe they did change some things from the test rooms as silver wallpaper was one thing that was mentioned as something everyone disliked.

Our room in RPC in Nov. was in very poor condition as were the rooms on are last few visits. The furniture was really destroyed with deep gouges. We knew this from prior visits but if it were my one and only, I know I would not have had a very high opinion of the rooms. My DD took a friend on this trip and I was a bit bothered as we had a guest and it was her first visit.

Many CM's expressed surprise that they were doing the RPC refurb during the July 4th holiday. They had many regular guests that they had to move to SL. The RPC CM's will also be working over at SL during the refurb.

We will be back at GF for Memorial weekend for a short 3 night trip. I have tried to keep up with the thread and have been thinking about you and your DS.

There were clay courts at CR many years ago in approx the same location (at least from my recollection on the location) the new hard courts are. When I was much younger we took lessons there back when I believe Disney still had tennis pro's for the lessons. I think the lessons are outsourced now. The new courts are just to the north of BLT.

 

[Circusgirl]

It is snowing where I am, not a frequent occurrence, but still it prompts me to celebrate sun and warmth!

 

[Circusgirl]

Some monorail photos:











Monorail line maintenance:

 

[Koh1977]

It is snowing where I am, not a frequent occurrence, but still it prompts me to celebrate sun and warmth! http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_6010_zps88beab3b.jpg.html http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_6897_zps1e0fb737.jpg.html http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_7263_zpsc0e1529a.jpg.html http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_6876_zpsfee7ef7b.jpg.html http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_6079_zpsae7a670d.jpg.html http://s251.photobucket.com/user/Ci...ngs and grounds/DSC_6392_zps9346500b.jpg.html

Thanks for those!!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Circusgirl]

Wildlife moment - this bird landed on top of a hedge outside Conch Key and did some tricky bush walking.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Circusgirl - thanks for the photos, they are gorgeous, as usual. Love the bird photos, I usually have some of those mixed into my WDW shots, too. He is quite the acrobat!

I can't get used to that fountain having a fence behind it! It disorients me for a second.

baler31 - Sounds like you had a great time last month, even with the cool weather. Thanks for the info from the CMs - I was sure they had a test room, couldn't figure out how they got enough to agree these new rooms were the way to go. I wonder who got to vote?!

I'll bet there are a lot of RPC regulars who are disappointed about the 4th. We had to move from a deluxe room out to SL in 2007, when the last refurb started in the Main Bldg. They were removing items as we walked out!

Interesting about the tennis courts. As I read your post, I had such a clear image of photos in my old Birnbaum books of happy tennis players preparing to serve.

BTW - thanks about DS.

 

[pas130]

Aww, sorry you are ditching the Grand, but we love the YC, too. And, of course, WL is awesome - I'm no help, lol.

You sound like me I am going with the best deal for my pocketbook. I need to just be happy DH is no longer complaining we are going to WDW and leave it alone...MUST NOT CHANGE

I totally get the uncertainty with the Poly. I think you made a good choice going with YC, especially if you really want a balcony . I agree about the spending as it seems to never end. I don't have too much control when it comes to Disney, so it's a little scary once I get there and start shopping....especially since we don't have to worry about fitting everything in our luggage as we ship everything home from the resort . With that said, I think the Princess Tea Party is a great idea for your girls . We have boys, but if we had girls, that is something we would definitely do .

My DS13 will probably want to come too...for the food of course, boys.....

Wheeee! Welcome to the dark side! We love the YC. We've stayed there twice in standard LV rooms, but this summer are going for CL-LV for a week and we can't wait! We will be there 8/17-8/23.

We are checking in on 8/24 Too funny you mention the "dark side" as Epcot...it always makes me think of Universal. I love that so many people enjoy YC. I don't think I gave it a fair shake as when we stayed there (DH & I) it was because RPC overbooked our room

circusgirlGreat pics as always

 

[mmjones1021]

Hello,
I'm fairly new to the DISboards but my fiance and I will be staying at the GF for our honeymoon in June (6/23-7/1). Neither of us have ever stayed there before so we're not very familiar with it. I know when we looked at the pictures of the room we weren't thrilled with the old decor (sorry!). But I love the new decor that I've seen in some pictures on this thread!
I know we have a "theme park view" room, but I'm wondering if those building will be renovated by June? (I don't even know which buildings are theme park view). I would love to get a room with the new decor!!
Thanks!

 

[mickeynut1]

Wh-y-y-y?! I kept hoping this was only a rumor and it wouldn't happen.

(cute about the Mickey waffles! our one complaint at Y&BC is the dearth of quick service options)

I wish I knew . We've only stayed at the Poly once, but that was enough for us to fall in love with it. Even though we've only had one stay there, we visit multiple times a trip for one reason or another, so it's going to be really sad walking through there without the waterfall . The volcano pool is due to be closed sometime in August for 8 months to a year. I'm kind of nervous as to what they'll do to that as that pool is our favorite on property.

I do believe they did change some things from the test rooms as silver wallpaper was one thing that was mentioned as something everyone disliked.

Many CM's expressed surprise that they were doing the RPC refurb during the July 4th holiday. They had many regular guests that they had to move to SL. The RPC CM's will also be working over at SL during the refurb.

Glad they didn't go with silver wall paper .....but wish they would have thrown the silver mirror over the daybed in the "not do" pile as well (along with many other new things).

I was surprised at the RPC refurb schedule as well as July is a very busy time (especially over the 4th) to be doing a refurb . I would be a very unhappy camper if I booked RPC and was told I was being moved to SL due to a refurb. I didn't care for SL (sorry SL fans) and that wouldn't be acceptable to me, especially if Disney decided to do a refurb after allowing people to book that room category for that specific time .

It is snowing where I am, not a frequent occurrence, but still it prompts me to celebrate sun and warmth!

Love the pics, Circusgirl, thanks for posting them . The GF grounds are just so beautiful .

I'll bet there are a lot of RPC regulars who are disappointed about the 4th. We had to move from a deluxe room out to SL in 2007, when the last refurb started in the Main Bldg. They were removing items as we walked out!

I'm not an RPC regular as I've only stayed RPC once, but I would be very disappointed. I'm sorry, but I'm just not a lover of SL. I love the location of the building as it's right next to the courtyard pool, but other than that, I just didn't get the "I love this" feeling when I stayed there . And the deluxe RPC rooms are hard to get, so I definitely wouldn't be happy if I booked one of those and got moved to SL like you did.

 

[mickeynut1]

My DS13 will probably want to come too...for the food of course, boys.....

There's nothing wrong with that.....take him along if he doesn't mind sitting there with his sisters .

Hello,
I'm fairly new to the DISboards but my fiance and I will be staying at the GF for our honeymoon in June (6/23-7/1). Neither of us have ever stayed there before so we're not very familiar with it. I know when we looked at the pictures of the room we weren't thrilled with the old decor (sorry!). But I love the new decor that I've seen in some pictures on this thread!
I know we have a "theme park view" room, but I'm wondering if those building will be renovated by June? (I don't even know which buildings are theme park view). I would love to get a room with the new decor!!
Thanks!

Welcome to the Disboards as well as the GF thread .

I'm not sure which rooms have theme park views, but it looks like all of the outer buildings (except SL, which is CL) should be done by your trip, with the last outer building being started April 27th. This was taken from the first page of this thread:

The Conch Key building began January 5th. Boca Chica begins February 4th; Big Pine Key begins March 9th; Sago Key begins April 27; Sugar Loaf begins June 1; and the main building begins June 29."

These dates are always subject to change, but you should be ok as I think the refurbs are on schedule right now .

 

[BlueGiraffe]

Could anyone please tell me what the best mode of Disney transportation would be for someone staying at the GF to get to the BWI for dinner at the Flying Fish?
I was thinking either Monorail to MK then bus to BWI? Or perhaps bus from GF to BWI? Or some other way altogether?
Alternatively, a cab would be about how much $$?
Thanks!

Is it not possible to get the monorail to Epcot from GF?

If so, I'd imagine it would be a pleasant walk through the International Gateway to the BW.

May not be a quick journey though.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

You sound like me I am going with the best deal for my pocketbook. I need to just be happy DH is no longer complaining we are going to WDW and leave it alone...MUST NOT CHANGE


.... I love that so many people enjoy YC. I don't think I gave it a fair shake as when we stayed there (DH & I) it was because RPC overbooked our room

LOL! good luck with sticking to your current reservations.

It's understandable you would have been disappointed with YC on your last stay, when you had a beautiful deluxe room booked in RPC.

Hello,
I'm fairly new to the DISboards but my fiance and I will be staying at the GF for our honeymoon in June (6/23-7/1). Neither of us have ever stayed there before so we're not very familiar with it. I know when we looked at the pictures of the room we weren't thrilled with the old decor (sorry!). But I love the new decor that I've seen in some pictures on this thread!
I know we have a "theme park view" room, but I'm wondering if those building will be renovated by June? (I don't even know which buildings are theme park view). I would love to get a room with the new decor!!
Thanks!

As mickeynut posted, all non-club level outer buildings will be finished by the time of your trip, so no worries there. The best theme park views are in Sago Cay and Conch Key, but there are a few good ones in Boca Chica and Big Pine Key.

I wish I knew . We've only stayed at the Poly once, but that was enough for us to fall in love with it. Even though we've only had one stay there, we visit multiple times a trip for one reason or another, so it's going to be really sad walking through there without the waterfall . The volcano pool is due to be closed sometime in August for 8 months to a year. I'm kind of nervous as to what they'll do to that as that pool is our favorite on property.



Glad they didn't go with silver wall paper .....but wish they would have thrown the silver mirror over the daybed in the "not do" pile as well (along with many other new things).



I'm not an RPC regular as I've only stayed RPC once, but I would be very disappointed. I'm sorry, but I'm just not a lover of SL. I love the location of the building as it's right next to the courtyard pool, but other than that, I just didn't get the "I love this" feeling when I stayed there . And the deluxe RPC rooms are hard to get, so I definitely wouldn't be happy if I booked one of those and got moved to SL like you did.

Me, too (walking through the GCH without the waterfall).

To be fair, I knew when I booked in 2007 we would have to move part way through our trip - so it wasn't a surprise. I tried really hard to stay in the Main Bldg., but no go.

HAHAHA about the silver mirror - no kidding.

Is it not possible to get the monorail to Epcot from GF?

If so, I'd imagine it would be a pleasant walk through the International Gateway to the BW.

May not be a quick journey though.

Yes, it's absolutely possible to take the monorail to Epcot (with a transfer at the TTC), but that would require using park tix. If they have park hoppers and/or plan to use a ticket that day, no big deal.

Personally, I don't care for that route, walking up the hill at the entrance of Epcot, then through the entire park when I'm trying to get to a dinner reservation is too much for me. I know lots of DISers love it.

 

[BlueGiraffe]

Yes, it's absolutely possible to take the monorail to Epcot (with a transfer at the TTC), but that would require using park tix.

Ahh yes, that hadn't occurred to me