My Grand Floridian REVIEW- 14 full days- Outer Building- Oct/Nov 2017

[ToffPrincess]

GRAND FLORIDIAN REVIEW​

Theme park view, outer building ‘Sago Cay”.
15 nights, 14 days excluding travel days. 2 bookings and they checked us out & in again without us needing to be involved. Same room no moving. When our guests arrived on day 4 of our visit, they were placed in the connecting room. 10/10 for the service and thought.

Room- lovely, bright, clean and spacious. The view is to die for. Really and truly a wonderful view where you can see Cinderella’s castle at all times and the best view of the fireworks. If you read my trip report on day 3 there are some photos.
The beds are very comfortable and they are generous with the pillows and bedding. Lovely sized fridge. Lots of drawers in the TV unit but very strangely sized.. as if they are half drawers? Great for kid’s clothes and things like socks/underpants but totally useless for adult’s clothes. Generous sized make-up table. A table hidden underneath for room service.. genius!! The walls are a bit on the thin side, you would think with the renovation they would have insulated them better but then again it is a resort on the Magic Kingdom area. We hear all the boats, parades, fireworks, cheering.. it’s not quiet. But it’s not ‘noisy.’ I know that doesn’t make sense but.. it’s not a bad noise. It’s like being in the centre of life. Not maybe great for those with noise-sensitive babies or people wanting a retreat vibe but as we don’t fall in that category it’s great for us.
Not very Victorian. I did love the previous rooms but you know what, the rooms are so comfortable it’s worth sacrificing a bit of theming in this case. A pleasure to stay here! 9.5/10


Bathroom- Need renovating! Can’t believe they belong to the bedrooms. The sink area/room is fine, if a bit dark but the separate room with the bath and toilet is far too cramped. The rubber sealing looks like it needs refreshing around the edges and the water is SLOW. You can run the water through the tap or via the shower attached to the wall but there is no handheld showerhead. Everyone in my group hated that. It makes it hard to wash kids. 6/10


Mousekeeping- The Mousekeeping keep the rooms in amazing condition but don’t expect your rooms to be done before 12 on a daily basis. If you have kids who take lunch time naps its worth knowing. There were two days when we came back at 3.30/4pm where the rooms still weren’t done. 9/10 for the quality of the service.


Room Service- a little on the limited side. For a hotel with so many dining options I would have liked to see more pasta options, more soup options and more sea-food. What we tried over our stay was great but each time we felt like we were settling as nothing really hit the spot. Aside from the deserts. Great selection of deserts. 6/10


Main Building- Stunning!! Clean, bright & shiny it is like a Victorian palace. DS kept calling the hotel ‘our castle.’ Truly the pretties lobby I have seen on Disney Property. I love the grand yet comfy sofas. The music is lovely and the shops are great. Also great selection of medicine on sale. Very helpful staff if a little bit on the slow side. They like to talk a lot here which is very warm and wonderful but not so great when you have small kids. 10/10


Dining- Lots of options which are relatively easy to book with the exception of 1900PF & V&As. I would say I had more luck getting 1900PF reservations when I was already checked in my checking my app daily than trying to do it in advance. We didn’t eat at V&A’s, Citricos or Narcoossees this time but there were always reservations available for the latter two and the menus look great.


1900 Park Fare- 1900PF is a 10/10 character experience for me (and we did a few.. Ohanas, Garden Grill, Tusker House & Crystal Palace.. so I can compare!) Service is great and the character interaction is some of the warmest I have seen. For food it’s a 7-7.5/10 for breakfast and 6.5-7/10 for dinner. Not exactly ‘fine dining’ but from what we have tried pretty delicious!! Because we stayed in the hotel we ate there about 7 times and we really enjoyed coming back. It was by DS's (3) favourite restaurant by far.


Gasparilla Island Grill- is one of the worst quick service restaurants at Disney. The food is pretty bad (aside from the sandwiches) but what really stands out is the terrible, rude service from pretty much every cast member you encounter. The first time I brushed it off thinking maybe everyone was having a bad day but I ended up there at least 2x a day to get tea/drinks and trust me.. it’s not a bad day it’s a bad year there. 3/10

Pools- great pools and service at the bar. Lovely staff manning the poolside and great lifeguards. After seeing Yacht/Beachclub's pool you just know it's not the best or even close though! 7/10

All in all for me personally The Grand Floridian is a strong 8/10. I love this place and it is just as beautiful as I remember it. I think standards have slipped a bit and the whole personal touch have very much been lost in the Disney money making machine. You feel very much like ‘just a number’ which is a pity because when you pay such a high price you do expect slightly better care. I know they have a huge amount of guests coming and going but I have stayed in bigger hotels in Dubai for less time and people actually remember you and your name. Here I spoke to the same receptionist about 6x in our 14 full days and they didn’t remember seeing us once. Same with 1900PF check in and we ate there 7 times and they kept explaining over and over how it works.

I saw a few other hotels during my stay but yes in my heart this is the one for me. I do want to come back and I already can’t wait to! See you in 5 months GF!!

 

[buzznina]

I agree with a lot of what you said, GF is our favorite resort but we do not stay there unless we get a GREAT deal, else for us, we just cannot justify the cost. We really like 1900 and GF Cafe, we think the CS's at all the Deluxes that we have stayed at to be adequate at best. Loved their pools and splash zone, but now the Mod resorts are starting to get the splash zones as well. Loved the room and the 2 times we stayed had good mousekeeping. DW and I found the beds to be to soft for our liking, but not to uncomfortable. Also; loved the view of the castle and we would leave our balcony door open a bit so we could hear the sounds of the boats and MK Like you, I also feel that you are just another guest, no real difference then our stays at Mods.

 

[trishadono]

I agree with most except gaspies. I have found them to be very friendly.

I like the new rooms. They have some nice touches without looking too "old lady" lol.

Unlike many I do not care for SAB at bc/yc. Far too many young kids in and out of the hot tubs not being supervised. Also the area is too spread out to watch kids. For adults it's too ... ? Not relaxing like the courtyard pool at GF.

I find with each of disney's resorts I find something I like from each and something I may miss from another.

I am glad your rooms all worked out, that sure helps to make for a great vacation!

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ToffPrincess]

Unlike many I do not care for SAB at bc/yc. Far too many young kids in and out of the hot tubs not being supervised. Also the area is too spread out to watch kids. For adults it's too ... ? Not relaxing like the courtyard pool at GF.

Ahh you see I didn't get to swim in it or see it at its busiest. I can imagine it gets pretty crowded and what you have just described does not sound like fun at all. What a pity they don't run it well as it has all the makings of a great area. But visually how they have constructed it.. stunning!!

 

[ToffPrincess]

I agree with a lot of what you said, GF is our favorite resort but we do not stay there unless we get a GREAT deal, else for us, we just cannot justify the cost.

Yes it is so expensive!!

Me and my husband were discussing at great great length if we think its worth it for the money. This year we went to Sani Beach Resort kids hotel in Greece and payed the same amount for these tiny filthy rooms and bathrooms. The buffet there was 90 euros per person and the staff were so, so rude. There were pretty much no kids activities that were safe enough for DS. The only thing that was better was the coffee and there was a beach. So we came to the conclusion that after that horror experience that it is worth the money, the problem is.. affording it!!

I think we will need to start a disney fund as DS gets older because it is a totally unexpected expense to our life but we want to come back. Thank god you only pay per room and the tickets.. if we have any more kids we are all bunking up till they can pay for themselves!!

 

[buzznina]

Yes it is so expensive!!

Me and my husband were discussing at great great length if we think its worth it for the money. This year we went to Sani Beach Resort kids hotel in Greece and payed the same amount for these tiny filthy rooms and bathrooms. The buffet there was 90 euros per person and the staff were so, so rude. There were pretty much no kids activities that were safe enough for DS. The only thing that was better was the coffee and there was a beach. So we came to the conclusion that after that horror experience that it is worth the money, the problem is.. affording it!!

I think we will need to start a disney fund as DS gets older because it is a totally unexpected expense to our life but we want to come back. Thank god you only pay per room and the tickets.. if we have any more kids we are all bunking up till they can pay for themselves!!

I only compare it to the other WDW resorts and we find that the Mods offer everything we really need for a much less cost. $150-$200 per night more adds up fast over a 9 night stay.

 

[SamanthaH]

I enjoyed reading your review. We were in a theme park view room in Sago Cay last month. I thought the view was lovely. All TPV rooms in Sago Cay have an unobstructed view of the castle and fireworks with the monorail clearly visible.

I agree that the rooms are noisy, especially ours since we were on the first floor right next to the outer staircase. We could hear the boat horns, private parties set up along the marina, and guests in the hall and rooms. The walls were not well insulated. We were so tired that it didn’t phase us, but I agree, those sensitive to noise should request another building.

I also agree that the personal touch is missing. I miss the chocolates and nightly turn down service. I also was a little disappointed by our room placement. We had paid for a TPV and my only request was to be able to have a view of the water pageant. There are views of the pageant from Boca Chica, Big Pine Key, and Conch Key, so I was surprised when they put us in Sago. I realize a request is a request, but my request would have been fulfilled by a good chunk of rooms in our room category. So, I did feel like personal consideration was not acknowledged.

We also thought mousekeeping did a great job! We got lucky. Our room was always done by 2pm and super clean. Gasparilla’s Grill could offer more selections. It was always packed in there and a stressful situation just to get situated. Someone always managed to get jostled and drop something. My son’s special Mickey cupcake somehow ended up smashed in the exit door handle. That was a fun clean up and yes, he still insisted on eating the bottom half. Gross, I know, but by this time, I was too tired to argue, and my germophobia had flown out the window after a week at Disney.

And like you, we love the grand main building, and the whole atmosphere surrounding it. It is very welcoming after a long day in the park.

Glad you had a nice stay!

 

[JerseyJanice]

All you people need to check out the Swan.

Glad you had a nice trip, OP.

 

[Disneyhenry]

Wow! I am so jealous lol 14 days at GF! Thx for the detailed review.
We stayed there 14 months ago, and found every thing amazing. I am surprised the bathrooms it that condition, ours was in great shape, but we had a top floor maybe that was the difference

 

[ToffPrincess]

I also agree that the personal touch is missing. I miss the chocolates and nightly turn down service. I also was a little disappointed by our room placement.

I so agree. Those small touches really make the world of difference. Such a pity!! Is Sago Kay the one right behind the swimming pool? I can imagine the noise is louder there.. ugh so annoying to have to compromise with the noise issue isn't it? Especially when your like, 'I'm apparently paying for one of the best..'

 

[ToffPrincess]

All you people need to check out the Swan.

Glad you had a nice trip, OP.

Whats the difference between Swan and Dolphin? I can ask you as you've been to at least one!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Whats the difference between Swan and Dolphin? I can ask you as you've been to at least one!!

I have stayed in both.

The beds are bigger at the Swan. It’s two queens versus two doubles, but you are allowed a roll-away bed at the Dolphin and 5 people in a room there versus 4 at the Swan. There are two sinks in the Swan’s rooms versus one at the Dolphin. The Swan’s shower attachment includes a handheld wand.

These are the biggest differences since recent room renovations. At one time, the decor and colors were different between the two hotels, but now the decor is the same throughout the resort.

Tim Tracker on YouTube recently made a video showing the rooms in both resorts. If you’re interested in the resort and want to see the comparison between them, that video is a great place to start.

 

[Disneyhenry]

I also agree that the personal touch is missing. I miss the chocolates and nightly turn down service. !

You can still get this service you just have to call and request it

 

[ToffPrincess]

You can still get this service you just have to call and request it

I know but its just not the same. Especially on the days when your room has only just been made up a hour before turn doen service should start! It sucks to come back to the room at 4 and find it still hasnt been done from the first service!!

 

[ToffPrincess]

I actually really like the look of swan!! I did watch a few videos and I like the sound of so many restaurants and Epcot being so close!!

I have stayed in both.

The beds are bigger at the Swan. It’s two queens versus two doubles, but you are allowed a roll-away bed at the Dolphin and 5 people in a room there versus 4 at the Swan. There are two sinks in the Swan’s rooms versus one at the Dolphin. The Swan’s shower attachment includes a handheld wand.

These are the biggest differences since recent room renovations. At one time, the decor and colors were different between the two hotels, but now the decor is the same throughout the resort.

Tim Tracker on YouTube recently made a video showing the rooms in both resorts. If you’re interested in the resort and want to see the comparison between them, that video is a great place to start.

oo

 

[JerseyJanice]

I actually really like the look of swan!! I did watch a few videos and I like the sound of so many restaurants and Epcot being so close!!

The Swan is fabulous.

I stayed there this year and last year with big family groups and suites and several rooms between us. All of our rooms were perfect—new, beautiful and immaculate.

Every aspect of our stays was top notch—the dining options, pool complex, transportation, service, location.

 

[SamanthaH]

I so agree. Those small touches really make the world of difference. Such a pity!! Is Sago Kay the one right behind the swimming pool? I can imagine the noise is louder there.. ugh so annoying to have to compromise with the noise issue isn't it? Especially when your like, 'I'm apparently paying for one of the best..'

Sago is the building to the far left when you are looking towards the Magic Kingdom and the boat dock. I would have assumed it to be one of the quieter locations. For us, I think there were a few factors that made the room noisy: being on the 1st floor, a patio area near the dock that was set up for private parties that was close to our room, the hall door was left open several times for an extension cord powering speakers for music during the private parties, being next to a stair well, and the walls are just not well insulated. We were so tired that the noise did not keep us awake, but if I had little ones, I would have been annoyed. It was room 5145. It just isn’t the same having to call for turn down. Will check out the Swan. I like the location close to the Boardwalk.