The All New Grand Floridian FAQ - APRIL 2010

[WDWKOOK]

Well one is never too old to enjoy surprises.

This morning we had an Easter Egg hunt for our 16 year old daughter.
In the last egg was directions to go to the Micro wave and look inside.

There she found a card with the itinerary for our Grand Floridian stay when we visit WDW this June. Need I say she was surprised. My husband too was surprised because I was able to keep this secret for almost 4 weeks.

The look on her face made me cry, it was priceless.

Can't wait till Disney!
Can't wait to be back at the Grand Floridian!!

Safe travels.

Sue,

As BCV23 said, that is a wonderful story. I'm so glad you don't have to keep it a secret anymore. Now you can all enjoy planning and anticipating together. What a cherished memory

 

[DanielleandBrady]

Hello all!! Just returned from a wonderful vacation at the GF yesterday But have to say I am so sad it's over..

DS and I had a wonderful time! It was my first trip to the GF and it was truly magical!!! What a beautiful resort! And you were all right...the smell when you walk into the lobby and into the building is heavenly!!!

We stayed in Boca Chica on the 5th floor. I have to say, I was a little disappointed with the room because we ended up with a dormer style room..and I like to sit on the balcony, especially in the early morning..but with the dormer rooms, the balcony is more enclosed and you cannot see when sitting down..so I was a little sad about that..but other than that, everything was perfect!

DS loved the pool, especially the one without the slide actually! Even though it was spring break, we had a wonderful time. We went early and came back mid-day to swim and rest, and go back later. Being off the monorail was so great!!

The Cast Members were so amazing and friendly! I couldn't help but walk around with stars in my eyes!!!

The only thing I did not like was the bus service from GF. DS and I did the EMH in the morning to beat the crowds. We were told that the HS bus would begin running at 620am. We were down there at 610am just in case..and at 6:55am the bus still hadn't shown up so we took a cab. The same thing happened the next day with the AK...so we had to take a cab again. But I have to say, it really wasn't that annoying because I think we were so happy to be in Disney regardless!

We stayed until Monday, and it was amazing to see how less crowded it was on Monday lol!!

Watching DS throughout this entire trip really made my vacation! He was so happy to be there and to see everything! Mickey, Minnie and Goofy made an appearance there on Easter Morning, which was so great!!! They had a candy hunt as well! Which I have to say was extremely well run!! We even had a magical moment at the AK..We were picked to be in the parade!!! We were on a float right in front of Goofy!!! We got to see all the characters get on their floats it was amazing!! It was a little surreal to be sitting up there waving to people and having people wave back and take our pics!! DS was loving every minute of it! A photopass photographer took our pics while were in the parade and as a thank you for us being in the parade, disney gave us the pics for free!!

Thank you all who contribute to this board..you truly helped make our vacation the most magical one I have ever had!! DS turned to me while watching the MK Wishes Firework show and said "mommy, my wish is that I will always be with you"..yes, I cried tears of joy right there!! Thank you! I will try and post some pics of the GF when I get organized!!

Have a magical day!!!

 

[pas130]

Hello all!! Just returned from a wonderful vacation at the GF yesterday But have to say I am so sad it's over..

DS and I had a wonderful time! It was my first trip to the GF and it was truly magical!!! What a beautiful resort! And you were all right...the smell when you walk into the lobby and into the building is heavenly!!!

We stayed in Boca Chica on the 5th floor. I have to say, I was a little disappointed with the room because we ended up with a dormer style room..and I like to sit on the balcony, especially in the early morning..but with the dormer rooms, the balcony is more enclosed and you cannot see when sitting down..so I was a little sad about that..but other than that, everything was perfect!

DS loved the pool, especially the one without the slide actually! Even though it was spring break, we had a wonderful time. We went early and came back mid-day to swim and rest, and go back later. Being off the monorail was so great!!

The Cast Members were so amazing and friendly! I couldn't help but walk around with stars in my eyes!!!

The only thing I did not like was the bus service from GF. DS and I did the EMH in the morning to beat the crowds. We were told that the HS bus would begin running at 620am. We were down there at 610am just in case..and at 6:55am the bus still hadn't shown up so we took a cab. The same thing happened the next day with the AK...so we had to take a cab again. But I have to say, it really wasn't that annoying because I think we were so happy to be in Disney regardless!

We stayed until Monday, and it was amazing to see how less crowded it was on Monday lol!!

Watching DS throughout this entire trip really made my vacation! He was so happy to be there and to see everything! Mickey, Minnie and Goofy made an appearance there on Easter Morning, which was so great!!! They had a candy hunt as well! Which I have to say was extremely well run!! We even had a magical moment at the AK..We were picked to be in the parade!!! We were on a float right in front of Goofy!!! We got to see all the characters get on their floats it was amazing!! It was a little surreal to be sitting up there waving to people and having people wave back and take our pics!! DS was loving every minute of it! A photopass photographer took our pics while were in the parade and as a thank you for us being in the parade, disney gave us the pics for free!!

Thank you all who contribute to this board..you truly helped make our vacation the most magical one I have ever had!! DS turned to me while watching the MK Wishes Firework show and said "mommy, my wish is that I will always be with you"..yes, I cried tears of joy right there!! Thank you! I will try and post some pics of the GF when I get organized!!

Have a magical day!!!

Aww........Welcome home, what a Magical Easter. Thank you for the report, and I am so glad you had a Grand vacation

 

[k&a&c'smom]

DanielleandBrady - What a wonderful, magical vacation you have had! I'm glad you loved the GF, sorry to hear you did not like the dormer balcony - I don't, either. I always add "no dormer" on my requests, as I do not like the enclosed feeling. Did you enjoy the location of Boca Chica?

The quiet pool is our favorite as well, we love the location and the feel - the themed pool is great, but it is more peaceful at the courtyard pool.

How incredible that you and your son were picked to participate in the parade, what a special memory.

DizneyDreams - everyone can be transported to their building in the golf carts, it depends on the circumstances when you arrive. If you arrive early, and are storing your luggage until the room is ready, you can either head to your room from the parks or resort when the front desk calls (or texts) that the room is ready, calling for your luggage to be brought up; or you can go to the bell services desk and ask for your luggage, and have them transport you and the luggage together. (we always go to the room, then call for luggage, as we like to inspect the room in case we need to ask for a change)

If you arrive later in the day, and have bell services assist you with unloading, just tell them you would like a lift to your building after checking in. They will probably hold your luggage near the stand, and you can walk back out there after check in.

vettegirl - I agree, the dormer balconies are not good for sitting and enjoying the view. Pretty much a stand up balcony!

We have had good luck in requesting an upper floor, no dormer. Lately, we've left our requests at that, then asked which building we were assigned at check in.

KCMike - as others have posted, we have had no trouble adding days to our tickets on arrival. The price was the same as if we had done it at the time of booking. For instance, we booked the 4/3 pkg. for DD, me and a guest a few years ago. Since DD and I had APs, I booked it with one day passes, and on arrival, upgraded the guest's one day ticket to a seven day, saving the other one day passes for later. No problems at all.

sydneysmom - Congrats on your return to the GF, even if it is a bit in the future. Gives you plenty of time to plan.

 

[tobin04]

Lyons Family-I love that story!!! Glad your dd was so excited!

Danielle and Brady-Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!

For those that know about RPC-I do NOT want a dormer room or turret room. I just have a standard CL-is there a chance that's what I would get? I want a room with a normal balcony, b/c I'm looking forward to sitting on the balcony with DH while my girls are sleeping!

Also-what are the odds of being able to see the fireworks from our room? Obviously-we didn't pay for a MK view, so does that mean we won't be able to see them at all? Just wondering.

I didn't make any room requests yet. I can't decide if I want to request a king size bed or not! Is there an advantage to that in regards to where your room would be? I would love to be on the level the monorail is on, I think. Or do I? I just don't know what I want!!! Anyone want to give me suggestions?

 

[tobin04]

You're welcome!

Also, there are some great photos and descriptions of WDW Resort/GF suites and regular rooms here:

http://www.wdwluxuryguide.com/ex/accom/mk/floridian.php

I'd never see this site-thanks for sharing!

 

[WDWKOOK]

I'd never see this site-thanks for sharing!

You're welcome, tobin04. You'll be at the GF in just about two weeks - how exciting! Happy birthday to Sarah

 

[k&a&c'smom]

For those that know about RPC-I do NOT want a dormer room or turret room. I just have a standard CL-is there a chance that's what I would get? I want a room with a normal balcony, b/c I'm looking forward to sitting on the balcony with DH while my girls are sleeping!

Also-what are the odds of being able to see the fireworks from our room? Obviously-we didn't pay for a MK view, so does that mean we won't be able to see them at all? Just wondering.

I didn't make any room requests yet. I can't decide if I want to request a king size bed or not! Is there an advantage to that in regards to where your room would be? I would love to be on the level the monorail is on, I think. Or do I? I just don't know what I want!!! Anyone want to give me suggestions?

Several thoughts: you can't really be on the same level as the monorail; the monorail is located on the second floor of the lobby, and the standard rooms in RPC are mostly on the 3rd and 4th floors. There are 9 deluxe king rooms on the second floor, but they are separated from the rest of the second floor lobby areas, you have to go up to the third floor elevators, and back down to the monorail.

The deluxe king rooms are a separate category from the standard rooms, so you would have to book that category to be placed in either the king deluxe rooms on the second floor, or the king deluxe turret rooms.

Other than the deluxe rooms, I'm not sure how many standard rooms with king beds there are in the main bldg. You could certainly check with IPO, they will be able to note your preferences.

Due to the minimal number of standard rooms (just a couple, I think) on the 5th floor (it is mostly suites), you are unlikely to get a dormer room. If you are worried about it, contact IPO and ask that "no dormer" be added to your reservation.

If you are in a standard room overlooking the courtyard, you have some chance of seeing the highest of the fireworks. You won't see everything, but you might catch a few of the bursts, which is nice. If, on the other hand, you are overlooking the themed pool and Polynesian, you will not see any of the fireworks.

Hope that helps!

 

[DizneyDreams]

DizneyDreams - everyone can be transported to their building in the golf carts, it depends on the circumstances when you arrive. If you arrive early, and are storing your luggage until the room is ready, you can either head to your room from the parks or resort when the front desk calls (or texts) that the room is ready, calling for your luggage to be brought up; or you can go to the bell services desk and ask for your luggage, and have them transport you and the luggage together. (we always go to the room, then call for luggage, as we like to inspect the room in case we need to ask for a change)

If you arrive later in the day, and have bell services assist you with unloading, just tell them you would like a lift to your building after checking in. They will probably hold your luggage near the stand, and you can walk back out there after check in.

Thank you for your response! We were planning to do Valet Parking when we arrive and we didn't really want to check in and have to drag 3 suitcases with us in the lobby (thats not what we ever do) because we are never sure if our room will be ready.

4 days till our first GF stay!!! I'm a bit nervous because I don't know what to expect, but still excited!!!!

 

[tobin04]

Thank you for your response. So what you are saying is I would've had to have booked a deluxe King room to have a King bed, right?

I kind of feel like winging it and just seeing where we land, you know?

The only other thing I can't decide about is whether to order a case of water from a grocery delivery service. I can't drink Disney water (the smell!), and their are conflicting reports as the whether or not there is bottled water in the RPC. So, I'll probably end up ordering water to be delivered! *sigh*

 

[k&a&c'smom]

DizneyDreams - you are welcome!

tobin04 - you may be able to request a king bed in a std. room in the main bldg., I'm just not sure of the number of king beds vs. queens. The only way to guarantee a king bed is to book a king deluxe. I hope that isn't more confusing!

Your best bet is to contact IPO, and ask them to add "king" to your requests. You might also like to ask what your chances are of getting a king in a std. room.

There is no bottled water in individual bottles in RPC (like you would need to carry into the parks). There is filtered water - they used to have large glass bottles of Evian, but last year they switched to a large quantity water service, and they had carafes of water out for guests to pour into individual cups. We usually pour ice and water into a to-go cup with lid to take with us.

 

[tobin04]

Thank you! That clarified perfectly! I would love a king bed, but then, I feel like I ant to take a chance on maybe getting a room that we could catch a glimpse of the fireworks in, so maybe I don't want to request a king room! Apparently I've taken to gambling!

Hmmm. Maybe I should bring refillable water bottles then, instead of ordering bottled water. We could refill them before we go to the parks every day, right? That's an idea. Thanks for all your help! I'm just now realizing I need to figure out the logistics of our trip, b/c it's coming up quick! Thanks!

 

[pas130]

tobin04 and Dizneydreams Both of your trips are so close, how exciting

sydneysmom Time really goes fast, I started planning last August and we are down to less than 4 months....

Lyons family How did I miss your post? Sorry.That's fantastic! I am surprising our crew when we check-in. They think I booked Pop, and it's killing me...I don't think you'll ever beat that Easter surprise BTW

 

[Laurafoster]

Does anyone have an email address for GF Private Dining? I called a few weeks ago and left my number but no one called me back.

It would be so much easier for me to email someone from the UK as the time difference and the hours i work make it difficult to call. (well difficult to call when DH isnt around anyway)

 

[WDWKOOK]

Does the GF health club have before/after hours KTTW card access?

 

[smithgrandchild]

We're looking forward to spending 5 nights at the GF for DH's birthday week in late August, again. This thread has been so helpful. I wanted to post my thanks to eveyone who regularly posts.

The GF is our chosen resort for an adults only summer getaway. We are DVC members who generally stay at the BCVs on points but during the hot summer months, love to stay at the GF .

The splendor of the GF and the convenience of the monorail can't be beat when pacing yourselves in the hot Florida sun. We really lucked out two years ago when we vacationed in late August and had weather in the 80s.

I used DVC points for two nights and am paying cash for the remaining three nights. I can only hope the AP rates for late August will save us some cash in the end. In the meantime, I have a rack rate ressie just in case.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Welcome, smithgrandchild! We're going in late August, too. 115 days and counting.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Laurafoster - Welcome! Sorry, but I don't have an email address for Private Dining. There is a fax number for the resort you might try using: 407-824-3186. It has been a long while since I've faxed them, I hope that number is still valid.

I would probably bite the bullet, and just call again. I know it can be frustrating, especially calling from overseas. Hopefully, you can get someone to answer next time.

WDWKOOK - there is key card access, and the last I checked, the health club hours are 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Reservation and treatment hours are 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., for anyone wondering.) You can call 407-824-2332 for more info.

smithgrandchild - Welcome! Glad you decided to join us. Your plans for August sound wonderful; we were there in mid-August last year, and it was blazing hot, but we enjoyed our vacation immensely. Great for the pool, at least.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the AP rates for late summer are out before long. Paying rack won't be much fun - do you happen to have AAA? You can at least maybe get a little discount that way.

We, too, love the location of the GF for a summer visit. Much easier to hop the monorail for a mid-day break, and again for a late night MK visit.

 

[tobin04]

Good afternoon everyone!

Another random question-is there a hair wrapping place at the GF? I assume if there is, it would be near the pool? If there is, what are the hours it's open? My oldest want her hair wrapped, and I'd like to do it the morning we leave (ME should pick us up around 12:30 that day).

 

[k&a&c'smom]

tobin04 - there is a hair wrap station located at the themed pool, though I'm not sure of the hours. They are changeable, I think. ETA: allears states the hours for GF hair wrap is 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weather permitting. I'm not sure how recent that info is, though.

Below are some photos.

Back to pool, looking past water jet play area to building housing towels, restrooms and hair wrap station:

Cabanas in background: