The All New Grand Floridian FAQ - MAY 2009

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks. That was fun to see.

CRResortFan - thanks for the link!

You're both welcome.

 

[gbanshee]

I really really want to try GF Royal Palm for our anniversary. How hard is it to get? I know discounts are rare, but who cares!

gb

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I really really want to try GF Royal Palm for our anniversary. How hard is it to get? I know discounts are rare, but who cares!

gb

If you were travelling during a busy time of year it might be hard to get, although if you made a reservation well in advance then you should be ok. Also if your travelling during a slow part of the year then you shouldn't have problems getting a reservation.

 

[johnsonet]

I had always stayed at the CR. When my twins were little we brought them to WDW for their 3rd bday and have been back every year since. We always stayed offsite at Windsor Hills because we liked the space.

We are surprising them with a 6th trip in December. We are going to tell them on the way to the airport and we are staying at the GF! I booked a lagoon view.

I have a few questions.

1. Was the lagoon view a good choice or should I have picked garden.

2. Doe anyone have pictures of the rooms

3. Building wise do you think Boca ort Big Pine or something else?

Thanks!

Hi. Sounds very fun. How exciting to surprise the children. I could never do that
I posted some pics of my lagoon views from Big Pine Key on this page http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2158108&page=92

Also, here are some room pics from various posters:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=31880138#post31880138

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1768829&page=9

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1768829&page=10

Just recieved my final invoice in the post just to make it really seem close!
Balance Remaining: $0.00

WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any tips on requesting a King Bed room?? We're booked GV and to be honest not massively concerned by the view.

Thanks

Just make sure your #1 request is "King Bed, please"! Have you added that through CRO or your travel agent? And then ask again at check-in. See whether you can possibly wait for a King room if one hasn't been assigned to you. Good luck.

I really really want to try GF Royal Palm for our anniversary. How hard is it to get? I know discounts are rare, but who cares!

gb

I recently looked at some August dates and there was LOTS of availability at the GF. Given the "economic downturn" I think resorts everywhere are suffering. But you'll just have to see, based on your dates.
Around the holidays it might be difficult.
Disney currently has a 35% off club level special but it ends soon: http://bookwdw.reservations.disney....onCode=fy09augseptclub&market=fy09augseptclub

There are also often Passholder rates available. That's usually what I book... Good luck! RPC is very nice ANY room at the GF is very nice

 

[praline3001]

We just got back in from our trip RPC. We had a great time.
I have millions of photos but no energy to download them lol

1. The floor work in the main building was no issue at all! I didn't even see workers working on them. I did get to see the area finished in front of Minzers and its very nice. I have photos and will upload them tomorrow. My main concern with removing the carpet is the noise level. Carpet diffuses noise and tile makes it echo... egads its loud enough with the carpet LOL the noise of construction was NADA ... didn't effect us one bit!

2. It looks like they are doing a lot of work on Conch and sugar loaf. I saw construction workers with lunch boxes going there every day. If we were on the grounds during the day we saw front end loaders and they had areas in both buildings screened off. By evening everything was removed until the next day. I didn't ask what they were doing but there was a large crew working in the area.

3. The Basin is selling bath salts now woohooo no more of that nasty germ filled kid make up ... its nice pretty bathsalts.

4. We had room 4401, with a great castle view. LOVED IT!

Tons of stuff and photos but those were the highlights I wanted to pass on for anyone leaving soon.

Off to rest for the next 18 hours or so

 

[BlueSkies]

Welcme Back Brook! Glad that you had a great trip...

 

[brunette8706]

Welcome Back Brooke!

Did you happen to meet up with Julia aka jkstewart1800

 

[Carol'sDisney]

Does anyone know what the construction is around Sugar Loaf and when it will end? We will be there the last week of September, and would hate for heavy construction equipment and noise to ruin our trip!

 

[WUVmyDISNEY]

Finally going to stay at GF in December! We booked 3 nights Sugar Loaf and then onto BC Club level. I went ahead and cancelled my Swan reservation once we decided on this! I am so excited first to stay at GF and club level to boot! We'll be at GF 12/13-12/16. Most likely will do MVMCP on one of those nights and AK proabablu that morning. We will concentrate on Epcot and DHS while at the Beach Club. I am soooo excited! We didn't go with free dining as I only plan on maybe 2 ADRs. This will be our first trip without the DP but we always seem to stuff ourselves way too much with the DP so I won't miss it. Did I mention how excited I am??? lol

 

[Scott MC]

I'm so happy that you had a magnificent stay at the Grand!

2. It looks like they are doing a lot of work on Conch and sugar loaf. I saw construction workers with lunch boxes going there every day. If we were on the grounds during the day we saw front end loaders and they had areas in both buildings screened off. By evening everything was removed until the next day. I didn't ask what they were doing but there was a large crew working in the area.

:

So, would you say that people staying in Sugar Loaf and Conch would be inconvenienced by this?

 

[billnang]

Does anyone know what the construction is around Sugar Loaf and when it will end? We will be there the last week of September, and would hate for heavy construction equipment and noise to ruin our trip!

we will be there in 4 weeks and feel the same way...

 

[BCV23]

Brook, I'm glad you had a great trip. Can't wait to hear more details and see your photos.

 

[dbaker375]

We just got back in from our trip RPC. We had a great time.
I have millions of photos but no energy to download them lol

1. The floor work in the main building was no issue at all! I didn't even see workers working on them. I did get to see the area finished in front of Minzers and its very nice. I have photos and will upload them tomorrow. My main concern with removing the carpet is the noise level. Carpet diffuses noise and tile makes it echo... egads its loud enough with the carpet LOL the noise of construction was NADA ... didn't effect us one bit!

2. It looks like they are doing a lot of work on Conch and sugar loaf. I saw construction workers with lunch boxes going there every day. If we were on the grounds during the day we saw front end loaders and they had areas in both buildings screened off. By evening everything was removed until the next day. I didn't ask what they were doing but there was a large crew working in the area.

3. The Basin is selling bath salts now woohooo no more of that nasty germ filled kid make up ... its nice pretty bathsalts.

4. We had room 4401, with a great castle view. LOVED IT!

Tons of stuff and photos but those were the highlights I wanted to pass on for anyone leaving soon.

Off to rest for the next 18 hours or so

Brook, thanks for the update on the tile and the noise (or lack of it!)! We leave in 2 DAYS!! I requested your room number! I hope we get it!!

Can't wait to meet up with the rest of the DIS gang at Mizners after the fireworks on Thursday!!

 

[Tam1067]

Please tell me I will not regret this!

I had a garden view room for Dec. 19-23 at the AP rate. But then I was able to get a Sugar Loaf room for those dates for only $3.00 more per night! Yes, that's true. So I switched.

However, we are then booked at an excellent group rate through a travel agent for the remainder of our trip (till Dec. 28). The bad part of that is that we'll be in a standard garden view room (though the rate is so good that I can't pass it up--$369 plus tax per night for Dec. 23-28) which is just incredible for that timeframe.

So I'll be losing the concierge level for the last five days of the trip, but the cost savings are so great! I just worry that we'll feel really bummed about switching "down" to a garden view after four days in Sugar Loaf?

 

[praline3001]

Here are the first of a million photos. I want to add that all of my photos are legal copyrights through my photography instructor who files them for me. They also have hidden watermarks to identify the photos as my own. Please do not attempt to use any of them without my permission. I know its silly but my instructor has advised me to do this. If you would like a copy, please feel free to PM me.

This is our arrival to the GF. I just started my Trip report~ I wanted to add the GF photos to this thread. As I add more photos to the trip report, the ones of the GF I will add here. I think I took 10,000 photos so it will take me forever to go through them all... for those who have never been to the GF, these are the first sights you see when pulling up...

FRONT GATE

Monorail shots

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Welcome back, Praline3001, thanks for the info and the photos, looking forward to more! I'm glad you had a great trip.

WUVmyDISNEY - Congratulations! I'm sure you will love the GF.

Tam1067 - You may miss the amenities in the SL building, but as long as you go in knowing that you are switching, I think you will be fine. The incredible Holiday season rate alone should make you feel great about the move, and you could always do some special things for your GV stay, like room service breakfast, chocolate strawberries, etc. And you'll get to try another building, so you know for the future which is your favorite!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Please tell me that there's nothing "wrong" with Sugar Loaf club level at the GF.

I was able to book for October 25 - October 31 at 40% under the room only code.

The Poly and CR club levels are already booked up for the week but Sugar Loaf is still available

 

[brunette8706]

Can't wait to meet up with the rest of the DIS gang at Mizners after the fireworks on Thursday!!

*******
hahaha! Me either! I can't wait to see Brook's photo's of the Grand Floridian also.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Please tell me that there's nothing "wrong" with Sugar Loaf club level at the GF.

I was able to book for October 25 - October 31 at 40% under the room only code.

The Poly and CR club levels are already booked up for the week but Sugar Loaf is still available

It's hard to answer specifically, since I'm not sure what you mean by "wrong". If you mean, does the SL club level have the same amenities and service as the RPC, yes, it does. Same food offerings, same advance planning assistance. The biggest difference between SL and RPC is the location - SL is in an outer building, with views of the courtyard pool or the marina. RPC is located in the main building, with views of either the MK, the courtyard or the themed pool/wedding chapel/Poly.

We've had a couple very nice stays in the SL building, and enjoyed it very much!

 

[PrincessTrisha]

It's hard to answer specifically, since I'm not sure what you mean by "wrong". If you mean, does the SL club level have the same amenities and service as the RPC, yes, it does. Same food offerings, same advance planning assistance. The biggest difference between SL and RPC is the location - SL is in an outer building, with views of the courtyard pool or the marina. RPC is located in the main building, with views of either the MK, the courtyard or the themed pool/wedding chapel/Poly.

We've had a couple very nice stays in the SL building, and enjoyed it very much!

I just want to make sure that I won't be disappointed. This is my mother's first trip since she had a stroke and then struggled with a very severe illness. I've booked SL - a wheelchair accessible room BUT the one they had available doesn't have a daybed which means it's four adults, one room, two per bed. I also cancelled the DDP (but will pay OOP for meals) because we don't really need tickets (have non expiry left over) so it's kind of a trade off:

I had - Polynesian, garden view, 2 queen beds and a day bed, 1 day tix and DDP for 6 nights.

I now have - Grand Floridian, Sugar Loaf (outer lodge), 2 queen beds (no day bed) and about $675 food budget for the 6 nights.

I guess I'm just having second thoughts - though I was super excited when I booked it.