Is The Waldorf Astoria A WDW Hotel?

[bellebride116]

It seems to be located on Disney property so I was wondering if it was considered a WDW hotel, kind of like the swan and dolphin are or no? I was looking on their website and it seems like they provide transportation to the parks too??? Anyone have any info on this?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Probably not. MANY non-Disney resorts provide varying degrees of transportation to the parks. Link?

 

[LindaR]

No. They are NOT a Disney hotel!!!! Waldorfs are WAY nicer than any Disney resort. They just managed to get a piece of land (had it for a long time) and built a super nice resort.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Absolutely NOT a Disney resort.
2) A Disney resort could not offer the level of service of the Waldorf.
3) They just bought land from Disney.
4) And, of course, pay a royalty.

 

[bellebride116]

Ooohhh okay good to know, thank you!! I got excited when I saw this and looked on the map! Hmm.... It seems like they provide transportation to the parks but not to/from the airport.

I've stayed at a WA before, which was great... however, their rates in the Orlando one are less then the GF rate... have any of you stayed at BOTH... how do you think they compare?

 

[kaligal]

A Disney resort could not offer the level of service of the Waldorf.

Why do you believe that Disney "could not" provide good service? Did you mean that Disney "will never bother" to do that, or do you really believe they simply cannot do it?

 

[LindaR]

I may open the floodgates but..........not even the GF is on par with WA properties! As much as I love Disney......they are very overpriced for what you get. There's just a different "level of service"...........example: once you check in, you are referred to by ALL staff as Ms. LastName. Not, ma'am.....your actual name. They will go out of their way to accomodate each and every request..........service goes hand in hand with their name.

Disney is more about volume than spectacular service.

Hard to really describe unless you have stayed at a facility like this, there is a difference. A big difference.

 

[sotoalf]

Why do you believe that Disney "could not" provide good service? Did you mean that Disney "will never bother" to do that, or do you really believe they simply cannot do it?

I suppose Disney COULD offer comparable service at the GF, but remember: the average GF guest isn't interested in a superlative service; he or she is interested in proximity to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[kaligal]

I suppose Disney COULD offer comparable service at the GF, but remember: the average GF guest isn't interested in a superlative service; he or she is interested in proximity to the Magic Kingdom.

Where did you get that info? Who said, "No, I don't want good service. I only want to be near the Magic Kingdom. Hold the good service, please."

And I don't see why good service would have to be limited to the GF.

 

[disneyfan67]

Where did you get that info? Who said, "No, I don't want good service. I only want to be near the Magic Kingdom. Hold the good service, please."

And I don't see why good service would have to be limited to the GF.

A lot of people think that paying 450 a night and even higher for a hotel room is going to be providing them with service that is on par with the Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, etc. In the real world that should be the case, but not so with Disney hotels. For what Disney charges for a lagoon view room at the GF, you could get a suite at the Waldorf and be treated like you're royalty. Don't get me wrong I love staying at Disney deluxe resorts, I'm just tired of seeing the rates go up and up each year, yet you just don't see the service, staff, and amenities that you would get at places like the Waldorf.

In WDW you're paying for two things. The Disney name and the location. Period. I have seen many people walk away from staying at a Disney deluxe and say while it was nice, they didn't see why all the hype and fuss about them. They don't understand why the price is so high for what they got. Disney has a growing problem on their hands with the Ritz and Waldorf open and the 4 Seasons hotel coming soon. These places were known for luxury and service long before WDW was built and the prices they charge are in some cases almost half of what Disney wants for a GV room at the Poly and GF. Disney knows they have a solid fan base and can get away with business as usual. One day it may catch up to them. We shall see.

 

[ntikos]

I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC and I stayed at BC.

As much as I enjoyed the BC and the proximity to Epcot - the level of service was well below the Waldorf.


I didn't even know they opened up a Waldorf in Orlando.

 

[avahoneybee]

I hate to bring up tripadvisor again, but on tripadvisor the latest reviews on the Grand Floridian are horrible. I'm really disappointed because we were thinking of staying there in the fall. Out of the first 5 reviews, 4 were bad.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

3) They just bought land from Disney.

I'm pretty sure that's untrue. The Waldorf was built on land that Disney never was able to obtain while buying up land in the 60s.

 

[avahoneybee]

I'm pretty sure that's untrue. The Waldorf was built on land that Disney never was able to obtain while buying up land in the 60s.

I think you are correct DDD. Disney did sell land to Four Seasons though.

 

[ols386]

The Waldorf Astoria is located in that Bonnet Creek area. There is also a Hilton Bonnet Creek and a Wyndham Bonnet Creek. We drove by the Waldorf earlier this month, when we stayed at the Wyndham BC, and the Waldorf looked gorgeous. I think it's pretty new.

You can get a 2-bedroom condo at Wyndham BC for 2 1/2 times less, than a 2 bedroom villa at WDW. And the 2-bedroom condo we were in was realllllly nice.

When you stay at a WDW resort, you aren't just paying for a hotel room, you're also paying to stay on Disney property.

 

[CanadianGuy]

For the record, the majority of the Bonnet Creek property was a 'hold out' who refused to sell to Disney back in the day.

Eventually, a sale did occur to the folks developing the resorts there. But to my knowledge that land is not and never was "Disney" land.

In fact, Disney went to some county to try and avoid building a connecting road to those resorts and their access road and they were denied and HAD to build the connecting road.

And the W/A while very nice - is not a Disney property. And as such, I'll be moving this thread to the Orlando Area Hotels & Attractions board.


K

 

[bellebride116]

A lot of people think that paying 450 a night and even higher for a hotel room is going to be providing them with service that is on par with the Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, etc. In the real world that should be the case, but not so with Disney hotels. For what Disney charges for a lagoon view room at the GF, you could get a suite at the Waldorf and be treated like you're royalty. Don't get me wrong I love staying at Disney deluxe resorts, I'm just tired of seeing the rates go up and up each year, yet you just don't see the service, staff, and amenities that you would get at places like the Waldorf.

In WDW you're paying for two things. The Disney name and the location. Period. I have seen many people walk away from staying at a Disney deluxe and say while it was nice, they didn't see why all the hype and fuss about them. They don't understand why the price is so high for what they got. Disney has a growing problem on their hands with the Ritz and Waldorf open and the 4 Seasons hotel coming soon. These places were known for luxury and service long before WDW was built and the prices they charge are in some cases almost half of what Disney wants for a GV room at the Poly and GF. Disney knows they have a solid fan base and can get away with business as usual. One day it may catch up to them. We shall see.

Thank you for this info! We stayed at the Waldorf in NY and it was fantastic. We were thinking about booking GF for our next Disney stay... however, the price is actually LESS at the Waldorf... I think we will choose the Waldorf then. It IS nice being so close to the Magic Kingdom, but I think I prefer service over location, plus the lower price tag. We stayed at a deluxe this past Jan and it was nowhere near the service we expected from a deluxe.

 

[snappy]

The Waldorfastoriaorlando opened in October 2009. My DH and I stayed there in November. It is a wonderful place to stay, particularly for a couple. Thr rooms and common areas are top notch, and the service is in my opinion fantastic.

For a family, I think the Wyndham bonnet Creek is probably a better choice.

There is a very informative thread here. I'll try and find it and link it. It has many details, pictures and reviews.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2262762&highlight=waldorf+astoria+orlando

 

[gatorchinsky]

We are staying at the Waldorf and the Hilton Bonnet Creek in the next couple of months and are really looking forward to it. We recently stayed a weekend at GF and while nice, it was not worth the money. We didn't even pay the outrageous price for the room since we stayed during Value season and got 45% off the room rate. Even with all that, the price was more than the Waldorf. Getting to the MK was great, but going to the other parks was not so great. Also, if we did the self park and the walk back to the hotel was very long. I have always wanted to stay at GF and now that I have, I can save my money and stay someone else.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

OOPS! Sorry, I thought I had started a new thread but I really replied here.