Resort question

[jmclester]

I am planning to treat my DW on our 25th anniv. to a stay at the Grand Floridian (late Aug '05 during the value season). I know I will be shelling out the big bucks but does anyone know if Disney includes the GF in the resort discount codes? If so, how much of a discount is usual on a standard room? Need to start my financial planning now. Thanks for any help.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Originally posted by jmclester
I am planning to treat my DW on our 25th anniv. to a stay at the Grand Floridian (late Aug '05 during the value season). I know I will be shelling out the big bucks but does anyone know if Disney includes the GF in the resort discount codes? If so, how much of a discount is usual on a standard room? Need to start my financial planning now. Thanks for any help.

GF is included, but unfortunately I cannot help with an exact amount. I can tell you that we stayed there with an email code (which was the same and/or less than the AP rates) for $278 inc tx, garden view room. It was value season, mid September, 2004. I think our savings was about $90 a night.

Some of the garden view rooms have beautiful views, so if you do stay there be sure to read the faq thread and request a view.

Have you booked the room yet? You could book with one of the DIS mentioned travel specialists who will keep an eye on any codes that come out and update your reservation. Or you can do it yourself, if you have the time to keep checking.

Good luck! What a wonderful treat!!

 

[jmclester]

Thanks for the info. That is good news indeed. No, I have not booked yet. Usually the codes come out 2-3 months in advance so I'm expecting to book May-June-ish. I was just looking at the calendar and her B'day is 9/6. I may try to incorporate this with our anniv. with some spa treatments and dinner at someplace special (will leave this for a surprise). How were the crowds after Labor Day? Any better or worse on weekdays/weekends? Have lots flexibility here. This will not be our normal Disney trip so it should be one for the books......but, aren't they all?!!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Have you stayed at GF yet? if not, it's a perfect choice for an anniversary!

The lounge is is nicely lit, music fantastic etc etc..

Crowds should be thin if nothing special is going on. We were there for the fist nnight of the Food and Wine Festival. I did find the parks more crwded than expected, but I think it was due to folks who had to rebook due to the hurricanes. Also, an ESPN Golf weekend at the GF and the Food & Wine.

It'll be a wonderful visit!

Congrats!

 

[DizBelle]

The best rate (in recent months) that I've heard for a GF standard room is $277.

 

[jmclester]

lfontaine, I'm envious!! 2 days and counting! One week ago today I was down there soaking up the sun and now I'm shivering and scraping frost off my windshield. Thanks for the info. Have a great trip!!
BaciBecky, We haven't stayed at GF but we visited it a couple of years ago one afternoon and my wife was bitten by the "fairy tale" bug. Dude playing the baby grand in the lobby did it, I think. My dream from our very first visit has always been the Contemporary (guess it was the monorail thing) so I may ask her to split the week with me and stay a couple of nights there first. If I drop a spa treatment, a manicure and a pedicure on her she might roll over for that, huh?

 

[Minnie&Nana]

You can get some great rates for CR! I called the other day for December and with my email code it was $149 for a north wing and $245 for Tower room. We've stayed in both so decided to try something different and save some money.

I actually never wanted to stay at GF but was enticed by the incredible rate. Was surpised how much we love it there..a 3 night stay easily felt like we were away a good 5 nights! You just sink into another world and every day worries slip away! The service was very good (not impeccable as at a Ritz or Westin),but so much better than my expectation.

We also like CR, but you do feel like you're in a city - we could see CR from our GF room, the monorail, MK , Wishes and the Lagoon. It was quite a view. Even in the CR Tower with a MK view you also get to see the entire parking lot. Of coruse, there is the lake view which would be nice.

Poly also feels like you've been away longer than a few nights...but if you're going for several days it won't matter anyway. If you do decide to split the stay - and why wouldn't DW go along with all the goodies thrown in be sure to stay at the CR first. Very important!

 

[jmclester]

Yeah, I was thinking of CR for the first two nights and GF for the next 3. It's the "saving the best for last thing" like so many other things we prioritize @WDW. What exactly is an email code?

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Originally posted by jmclester
What exactly is an email code?

Good Morning,

An email code is one that Disney sends out via email with a pin number. I received my first one this summer and then received 2 more by Fall! If you haven't already, be sure to register on
www.disneyworld.com - that's the only way they would have had my email.

Also, last summer Disney sent me a post card mail code, but sent it in my name to my friend's address. We had traveled together to Disney in 2001, so they somehow got the address (or name) mixed up.

It was with that code I stayed at the GF for $255 ($278 inc tx.) Returning in December using one of the email codes for $54 inc tx, at the POP for 5 nights. I might never get any again, but I certainly used (and enjoyed) the ones they sent this year!

Over the years I've received mail codes, but usually threw them out because it was not for a time we could travel. Years ago I did not realize that these codes were like gold!!

From what I've read on the board the email/mail codes give about the same discounts (sometimes better) as the AP rates. Advertized discounts, like the ones found on the wdw site are not much more - meaning a few dollars more.

The POP with the advertized code would be $55 a night ($61 inc tx), or $49 ($54 w/tx) with the email/mail code.

Hope I did not over explain!!

 

[Scoootch]

We stayed at GF with an AP code for 4 nights back in Feb. of 2001 (we went the 1st thru the 4th) and paid $221.00 per night for GV - it was more like Garden/lagoon view as we had a view of both. Anyway, I'm sure the rates have gone up some since but that is what we paid last time we stayed there and with a code.

HTH's

 

[jmclester]

Great, thanks for the advice. I'll sign up for the e-mail code.