Just back from WDW - GF (1/5-1/9)

[TigrLvsPooh]

Winter Getaway to the GF!

Cast: Myself (29), DH (30), DS (3), and DS (1)

Resort: GF – LV room in Conch Key

Restaurants: GF Café, 50’s Prime Time, Crystal Palace, Cosmic Ray’s, Main Street Bakery, Coral Reef, Tusker House, Restaurantasaurus, Chef Mickey’s, Gasparilla Grill, Sci-fi Diner, and Ohana.

Day One:

First I just want to say that Laura (Princess Angel) from Our Laughing Place Travel booked our room at the GF and took care of all our PS’s. She is amazing and incredibly nice. Even though I could have done it all myself it was so much nicer to let someone else handle everything. I HIGHLY recommend her to everyone!!!

We arrived at the airport in Orlando and met Your Ride at the baggage claim area. We were a little disappointed not to have Rabbit himself pick us up in his roomy Expedition, but the trip to the hotel was still great… right on time and very friendly. We love Your Ride!

We got to the GF around noon and checked-in. All the Christmas decorations were still up (Jan. 5) and the tree was as beautiful as ever. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we ate lunch in the GF Café. The food here is always good, but on this visit we had a not so great waitress. She never checked back with us, never refilled our sodas, and I’m not sure she spoke English very well. But the food was good, and the atmosphere was lovely. After that we headed to MK on the monorail. The weather was cooler than we expected and I started worrying I hadn’t packed enough warm clothes. We headed straight for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, ds’s favorite, and then over to the TTA. The park seemed pretty dead. The only long wait we saw was for the Pooh ride, which we skipped. We hit a few more rides and then took the boat back to the GF. I didn’t realize it was so convenient and FAST! We ended up using it more than the monorail.

Our room was in Conch Key, #7329, and the view was amazing!! The castle was straight in front of us… we could see the monorail coming around the side of the GF and follow it all the way through the CR and around toward the TTC. What a view! We could hear the shows from Cinderella’s castle, the train whistle, and had a perfect view for the EWP. We could also watch to see when the boat was coming from MK. I can’t say enough good things about that view. It was perfect. Conch Key is the only building I would request in the future.

After settling into our room we headed over to MGM to catch the final night of the Osborne lights. First we had dinner at 50’s Prime Time, we originally had planned Chef Mickey’s, but we were afraid we’d miss the lights. The food was great but our server was clueless. DH asked her if she had the key to Dad’s liquor cabinet and she looked at him like he was crazy. She must have been new and didn’t understand the theme of the restaurant… also there was a bit of a language barrier because she didn’t seem to understand us. It kind of ruined dinner because we like to joke around with our server there and play along.

So we headed over to the lights and they were spectacular, as usual! I think they get better every time I see them. We walked through 3 times and closed down the park! I seriously think we were the last ones out… it was about 8:30pm! (park closed at 7:00pm) We headed to the bus stop, but didn’t get back to our room until about 10:00pm. I know many people will disagree with me but I think it’s ridiculous that the GF, Poly, and CR have to share one bus. You’d think for the amount of money you’re spending you’d get your own bus. The wait times were always 20-30 minutes from the GF, and by the time the bus got there it was always full. And NOBODY got up to give my small children a seat. It really got on my nerves.

When we returned to our room that night turndown service had done an excellent job and we were able to catch the end of the EWP from our balcony. It was so nice to just sit and watch the castle turn colors… but very chilly!!!

Day Two:

We got up early and headed to MK for the Pooh breakfast at Crystal Palace. It’s nice to get into MK before anyone else… it’s a great time to take pictures and just enjoy the peace and quiet on Main St. We had a delicious breakfast and ate too much! The boys loved the characters and we took lots of pictures.

We stayed at MK until about 2:00pm and then headed back to the GF for naps. The boys slept until about 4:30, then we headed to Epcot for the night. We changed our Le Cellier PS to Coral Reef and we were glad we did! It was a great restaurant and the boys loved the giant fish tanks! Our food was excellent… I had the salmon, dh had the mahi-mahi… we also had the scallop appetizer, YUM! The kids menu wasn’t great, but the boys did end up eating pretty well. For dessert they got the “Shipwreck” and it was sooo cute! It looked just like a shipwrecked boat, and totally edible! After dinner we headed to the World Showcase and watched Illuminations. Then we took the monorail back to the GF. When we got to our room we noticed we didn’t have towels, shampoo, or toilet paper… so we had to call housekeeping.

Day Three:

We wanted to get to the AK early, but waited over 30 minutes for the bus to come, and when it finally came it was full. I just don’t understand. Anyway, we arrived at AK, got our fast passes for the safari and headed to Tusker House for some hot cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. It was the coldest day I’ve ever experienced in Florida. I don’t think the temperature ever got out of the 40’s or 50’s. Luckily I had hats and mittens for the boys.

We did the Festival of the Lion King, Dinoland USA, and had lunch at restaurantasaurus, then headed back to the GF for naps. We noticed right away that all the Christmas decorations were gone. Boy they sure are fast! It’s too bad they aren’t as efficient with housekeeping! (ha ha) That night we headed back to MK for Spectromagic and then over to CR for dinner at Chef Mickey’s. The boys were in heaven and could hardly eat they were so excited. The food is a little blah, but the characters are worth the visit. After dinner we went back to our room and caught the EWP again! LOL Once was probably enough for me, but the boys love it. Oh, I almost forgot… again we had no towels, shampoo, etc., so we had to call housekeeping for the second night in a row. Overall we were disappointed with our housekeeping. It was much better at Yacht Club.

Day Four:

MGM day! DH and I did baby-swap for Rockin’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. The lines were really short at all the other rides and attractions. I love going in the off-season. Then we caught Beauty and the Beast and headed to Al’s Toy Barn for the Buzz and Woody meet and greet. That’s always the highlight of our trip.

We had lunch at the Sci-fi Diner, which was AWESOME! It was our first time and we were so surprised. The atmosphere is terrific, and the food was great. Our service was slow though, but luckily the boys were kept entertained by the giant screen. I highly recommend this as a “must do”. That afternoon we stayed at MGM all day and didn’t go back for naps. We hit The Great Movie Ride, Playhouse Disney, the playground, the backstage area (which was loaded with characters), Stars and Motorcars Parade, etc. Probably a big mistake, but actually the boys did well. I guess one day with no nap won’t kill them. LOL

After that we took the bus to Poly and had dinner at Ohana. We got a nice table right by the window and saw the fireworks. The food was amazing and so delicious… I could live off those shrimp wontons and chicken wings. LOL Our server was really nice and it was a great last meal at WDW. After that we headed to DTD for shopping. I got a little carried away and had a heck of a time getting all my souvenirs home on the plane! LOL

Day Five:

Slept in! LOL That long day with no naps just about did us in, and we all needed the extra rest. We had breakfast at Gasparilla (gotta love those Krispy Kremes) and headed to MK for one last time. We did Buzz 3 times and our three year old got 999,999!!!!!! It was amazing!!! I don’t know what he hit, but I sure wish I knew. LOL I was jealous, I admit, because my best was 953,300. LOL

It was awful having to leave when the weather was finally perfect and WARM. But we had to get going so we could meet Your Ride at 12:45. On our way back to our room we saw a bellman coming out of our building so we grabbed him and brought him up with us to get our luggage. It was lucky because we were cutting it close for leaving on time. Your Ride got us to the airport right on time and we had a nice flight back home on ATA.

As usual we’re already planning our next trip to WDW in April and can’t wait to get back. LOL If anyone has any questions about WDW, the GF, where we ate, or anything, feel free to ask.

 

[Nanajo1]

Great trip! Your DS did amazing at Buzz. I'm lucky to hit anything! We are leaving 1/14 for BWV. I hope the weather is warmer. Thanks for posting.

 

[crs7568]

Thanks for such a detailed trip report. My kids love the Sci-Fi Dine In, too. I am a teacher, so we have to wait untill summer to go back and your report has made me even more anxious to get there! Aside from the inconsistent housekeeping, how would you rate the GF? We are either staying there or the Polynesian...you have to love the monorail resorts when travelling with children. I am shocked that noone would give up a seat for your boys, especially since they are so young. I can't imagine what people are thinking.
Were the rooms relatively large at the GF? I'm glad you had such a nice vacation. Will you stay at the GF again in April?

 

[princess angel]

thanks for the compliment
and for the great trip report! I'm glad to hear you had such a great time, and that you loved your room!

one question... was there an autographed picture of Mickey in your room when you checked in???

Laura

 

[Misti]

Thanks for the detailed report, Erika.

I found the breakfast service at the GFC "off" during my visit, too. It seemed like there were lots of new servers? We used to see the same faces and we noticed many were gone.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I would definitely stay at the GF again, but only with the AP rate. To me it's not even close to being worth the rack rate. Our room was good sized... bigger than our room at YC. I've never stayed at the Poly, but we're considering giving it a try once it's completely renovated. I also want to try the CR tower club.

Laura, we did not get an autographed picture of Mickey. Were we supposed to?

Misti, I agree totally, I didn't see any of the servers I'm use to seeing there or in the shops. Also, around the grounds, the pool area, and in Conch Key we hardly ever saw any CM's. Very strange. Maybe all the old regulars got mad and quit? Or maybe they are all on break since it's the off-season? I don't know.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by TigrLvsPooh
I know many people will disagree with me but I think it’s ridiculous that the GF, Poly, and CR have to share one bus. You’d think for the amount of money you’re spending you’d get your own bus.

Well, here's the misconception... You're paying a premium price for a premium room... Not for transportation. In actuality, the All-Stars pay more for transportation.

As for sharing, They don't always share with Co/Po... during the morning rush, Busses run as follows:

Contemporary/Polynesian
Wilderness Lodge/Grand Floridian
Fort Wilderness

DAK runs like this all day long, however, Studios will return to CO/PO/GF and WL/FW at 11am.

If the DAK test goes well, the rest of the hubs might convert to all-day routing like this.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Coming back to the GF from DTD we also had to stop at CR and Poly first.

What I don't understand is... if a bus headed for AK stops at WL first and the bus is full (standing room only) why send that bus to GF? Wouldn't it make more sense to send an empty bus, especially when there are 20 people at the GF waiting. I guess there is no way of knowing... but it's just frustrating for the people waiting to finally see the bus coming but there are no seats. My kids are 1 and 3 and nobody would even get up and give them a seat.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by TigrLvsPooh
Coming back to the GF from DTD we also had to stop at CR and Poly first.

Technically, the DTD bus is supposed to be routed Poly -> GF -> Contemporary... However a lot of drivers don't do this.

 

[LilyLake]

On my last 2 stays at WDW (Beach Club and Contemporary), I've found the Disney transportation to be very frustrating. The bus service for the Contemporary was bad. I've gotten to the point that I'm looking at resort maps to see which ones have parking near each room, so we can rent a car and do our own driving. I don't want to park my car at a place like the Beach Club and have to walk all the way to the parking lot, so I'm looking at the moderates. Maybe Old Key West would be a good option, too.

I also have an uncanny knack for being assigned to the room farthest away from the lobby. This is another reason I'd like to be able to park close to the room.

 

[colleen costello]

You can park very close to some of the rooms at Riverside. We stayed a few years back and had a room that opened right to the parking lot. This may not sound very scenic but it wa SOOOOO convenient to our car. The landscaping outside the room was really nice and there was a large bird -- a heron or crane-type critter -- who lived out there. We got such a kick out of seeing him right there every morning! Anyway, I think the building was #24. We were close to a quiet pool and not far from the food court but to us that building was PERFECT. We love having our own vehicle and always like to park close to the room. We're headed to OKW this March for just that reason.

 

[niks81]

Hey Erika, nice trip report! Sounds like you had a great time!!! Perhaps we will go next year for that week in January like we had planned SEE...I told you Sci Fi was good

As for the transportation....I totally agree with you. I realize we have a transportation cast member involved in this thread so I do not want to spark a debate....but I just can't understand that the deluxe resorts would have their own bus. I realize you pay for a premium room, but in my opinion you're also paying for premium service!

 

[LilyLake]

Colleen - I've never been to Riverside, but it seems like a lot of people love it. I'm considering that, or maybe POFQ. FQ seems smaller, so maybe even if we are put the farthest away from the lobby, it still wouldn't be too far to walk to some of the common areas.
OKW looks pretty nice, too. Have a great time!

 

[luvaladdin]

Thanks for posting your trip report - really enjoyed reading it and glad you had a wonderful time. I always stay at the value resorts, and while I fantasize about what it must be like to stay on the Boardwalk or the Poly or GF, at least the All Star resorts have excellent bus service. Sure doesn't make sense, though, like you say.

 

[Lynn CC]

It sounds like you had the room on the commercial with the Castle view! How Lucky...that is our dream some day(maybe for our 25th anniversary).

Thanks for writing your report I really enjoyed it. I'm surprised that housekeeping and bus service wasn't that good. We have stayed in value, moderate and WL and never had any trouble with housekeeping.... we just thought WL was far away from everything so it took longer to get anywhere.

Thanks again

 

[hpygrll]

I loved your trip reports! We have a 1 year old little boy who has not yet been to Disney (we went without him this year). Can't wait for him to experience all the fun!

We are DVC members and I feel the same way about the busses. Especially the Contemporary which seemed to share with the transportation ticket center. OKW and BCV aren't bad for busses. But we just grin and bear it.

Thanks for your reports!!

Jenny

1977 - offsite
1995 - CBR
1997 - Boardwalk
1998 - Contemporary
1999 - Port Orleans
2000 - Dixie Landings
2001 - OKW
2002 - VWL and BCV
2003 - I don't think we're going this year (frown)

 

[MinnieGi]

Erika - your Conch Key rooms sounds just awesome!!!! If we ever stay at GF, I'll have to remember to request it!

Gi