The All New Grand Floridian FAQ - MAY 2009

[billnang]

I was wondering about this!!!.......

We booked SugarLoaf back in February with the 40% PIN we received in the mail. This week I paid our balance in full.

My question is - do I still have the option to upgrade to RPC and still get the 40% discount? I was assuming that since my 40% PIN booking window expired long ago, that I would lose it if I cancelled one reservation and replaced it with another? Or can they just upgrade my reservation without losing my PIN?

Yes they can, ad if you happen to find someone who says they can't.. ask for a supervisor... I have changed dates 3 times... I have changed resorts twice and then last week did the upgrade from SL to RPC!!!!

Just make sure you tell them you have to 40% off code.. I have had it figured out and then say ooops, I forgot to give you the discount!!!

Last week though I had not problems with the switch, as long as it is available!!!
Go for it!!!

Angela

 

[dbaker375]

We just stayed at the GF 7/30-8/3. It was our first trip staying on property.
We were able to get a RPC (mail building concierge) room through Magical Vacations Travel for a steal compared to some of the offers for the other types of rooms.

SO WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!! I was concerned that I was paying for stuff we wouldn't use. When the cast member (Meagan from MN) welcomed us at the entrance door as we exited the DME and escorted us to our room and we checked-in from our room, I was IMPRESSED. She had questions answered and a dinner reservation made for us within minutes of leaving the room. The room was clean and spacious and afforded a view of the waterfall pool and Poly with Spaceship Earth in the background. Mousekeeping was excellent.

We watched Wishes that first night from the Marina area outside Gasparilla's Grill. WOW! The music was piped in but it was soft. So cool to be able to see the fireworks over the castle!!

The food offerings in the Club, although the same selection each day, were plentiful. It was wonderful to walk out of your room and take breakfast back while getting ready. We enjoyed the evening snacks before heading back to the parks for the fireworks. During which we enjoyed the pianist and the GF Orchestra....made the moments seem very magical indeed.

The Itinerary Planning Office that is part of Club Level was so helpful in planning ADRs and making the reservations before our arrival and answering questions while we were there. Package delivery to our room was so convenient.

The convenience of being the first stop at the MK on the monorail and the first stop on the launch on the way back meant a lot to us, especially in the heat. EPCOT was two monorail rides, but, still not that bad, although we chose not to return to the GF midday because of the transport time. Busses to AK and DHS were frequent and the ride to each was about 15 minutes tops.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at GF and will definitely stay there again on our next visit.

 

[BlueSkies]

dbaker So glad that you had a good trip!! The GF really is terrific!

I also read on your other thread that you got to meet with brunette and some other disers too!!! How nice!! I bet you are thinking now about when you can go back again...I know I always do!!!

 

[dbaker375]

dbaker So glad that you had a good trip!! The GF really is terrific!

I also read on your other thread that you got to meet with brunette and some other disers too!!! How nice!! I bet you are thinking now about when you can go back again...I know I always do!!!

Yes, that funny, I just said to my husband last night... "can we go back next year!?"!! I told him this trip would be paid off by then!!!!

 

[Tink rules]

Does anyone know if there are any codes out there for the GF.. especially if there is one for CL?

 

[BlueSkies]

Does anyone know if there are any codes out there for the GF.. especially if there is one for CL?

Tink rules I read about some discount codes on mousesavers and then went and checked on the official disenyworld site...there are some really good ones out right now...from I think 10/4 to 12/24!!! the dates that I was looking at in December has these CL rates $312 for SL and $414 for RPC...that is an exceptional savings...if you are looking to go during those dates you could really save alot! good luck...I hope it works out for you!!!

 

[Tink rules]

Thanks... I think I may be going around then too, but I have to plan for the end of the month...

 

[MommyGina]

For all thoes who just got back from the GF, I hope you had a wonderful time. Can you please update us on the "construction" that is going on there right now. If you know, which buildings are being worked on and are there lifts or cranes on the property? This has been a concern of mine since we leave in 12 days for the GF. Thank you for any update you can provide.

 

[Kanga1]

I took those pictures over the course of last week. The main building getting the brunt of it was Conch Key - that is the one with the staircase closed off and all that.
Boca Chica was next to have the most junk sitting on and around it...

Big Pine key had lots of little worker cars around it and even Sugar Loaf was not left alone. Literaly all of the out buildings were getting worked on. It was horribly loud and quite an eye sore.

To come back from the parks and have to listen to power washers cleaning off the buildings all day while you are trying to relax at the pool was horrible.

Inside the main lobby the construction started off well hidden... but as it approched the main stairs it started to get ugly. Big white net looking barricades blocking half of the right side of level two.

But the worst of it was sitting in the lobby in the afternoon trying to listen to the piano while the tile cutting was going on... I don't know if you have ever heard a table saw/tile cutter.... they are LOUD LOUD LOUD....

It was overwhelming. The working and construction was everywhere... at least that is what it felt like to me. Our first day there I kinda ignored it, thinking it was a fluke. But as the week wore on it got worse and then I started taking the pictures....

Our last day there we went to get ice cream at Gasparillas (around 4PM) there was a worker with a ladder right in the middle of the door way... they had CM there directing people to a whole other back door.

After we got our ice cream we sat down for a view of the castle and to visit and listen to the music being piped through the patio.... NO GOOD... the work on Saco Cay was so loud that you could hardly hear the music at all... it sounded like a motor boat just idling right next to your ear... it was some kind of genorator or something.

When I inquired I was told that the work had just started the day I got there....

I will post my trip report later....

Julia, You were definitely NOT told the truth!! We checked in on 7/21. Arrived around 11:00am and decided to grab a bite at Gasparilla's and sit outside to take in the atmosphere. IT WAS SOO NOISY!!! You could "faintly" hear the music, but it was definitely not relaxing. When we went to our room they had put us in one of the end rooms of Conch Key (we had a MK view booked) but the room was right next to the stairwell and the noise was MADDENING!! (Plus there was no view of anything besides a tree!) Even the bellhop was embarrassed to be taking us to that room. We were moved to the lagoon side of Boca Chica where we had a dormer room (with no couch...very small, but the view was nice and it was quiet.) The noise in the main lobby is also annoying. We checked out on 7/30 and I was trying to listen to the pianist with the loud construction in the background.

I loved the GF, but if I had known about all this construction beforehand, I would have saved money and booked the Poly or CR.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Well, we leave tomorrow. I am trying to stay positive and hope for the best, but as I continue to read about others' experiences with noise and construction, I wonder if we are making a huge mistake. Not much I can do about it anyway as there is apparently no availability at the Poly or CR for people like me who booked the 4/3 this week.

Wish me luck!

 

[dbaker375]

For all thoes who just got back from the GF, I hope you had a wonderful time. Can you please update us on the "construction" that is going on there right now. If you know, which buildings are being worked on and are there lifts or cranes on the property? This has been a concern of mine since we leave in 12 days for the GF. Thank you for any update you can provide.

MommyGina, we were up and out on all our days except Monday, 8/3, our last day. We stayed in the main building and yes, we could hear construction that day. The barricades were near the main staircase on the second floor although the staircase was open and you could still get to the Gentleman's Shop and the PhotoPass area on the other side.

We did not notice the noise by the pool however. We used the waterfall pool before lunch and the pool by Gasp's after lunch.

The main doors to Gasp's were being worked on (possibly installing automatic doors?) around 5pm and we were directed into the restaurant through the back....not horrible....just a few extra feet of walking.

 

[KimDis]

I did it! I found availablitity to switch my BD trip to GF SL from the Contemporary Tower Club. Now I have to stop lurking and start actually reading this thread, lol...

 

[billnang]

OMG, Disney is on the phone with me (they called me) to tell me the Main building is under refirbushment and they need to move me!!!

I am CRUSHED, I just upgraded last week...

more details to come as I am on the phone now!!!!

Starts in 2 days...

 

[annakate27]

OMG, Disney is on the phone with me (they called me) to tell me the Main building is under refirbushment and they need to move me!!!

I am CRUSHED, I just upgraded last week...

more details to come as I am on the phone now!!!!

OMG...I am so sorry...I hope they find a way to make it right for you...keep us posted

 

[KimDis]

OMG, Disney is on the phone with me (they called me) to tell me the Main building is under refirbushment and they need to move me!!!

I am CRUSHED, I just upgraded last week...

more details to come as I am on the phone now!!!!

Starts in 2 days

 

[MommyGina]

I can't believe this. Didn't the GF know that all this construction would be going on now? When our reservations were made, we or our TA's should have been told. This work have had to been scheduled for a while. What kind of work is being done in the Main Building?

I am not happy. I am supposed to be there in 12 days. I cancelled my reservation that I had for July 18 and rebooked for August 19.

 

[billnang]

Ok, so she said the refirb..is starting in 2 days.. she said we could be moved to the SL or another building...The refirb is to the Main building.. I said I have seen pics that there is constrution to other buildings... she said NO this is the only refirbishment going on at the GF...
I can go to the POLY, they have openings... but the food there was not of intrest to us at the CL...

I would say ok move us back and we would save the money.. but we moved from SL because of pictures we saw.. and if the MAIN building how will it be going in and out of there everyday?

This is sad...
Angela

 

[billnang]

OK, my husband just said:
that now we took the 40% discount.. and lost out on FREE dining.. so if we decide to take a non CL the free dining would have been a better deal...

So basiclly we are being asked to be inconvinced and get nothing for it.. really losing my faith in Disney

 

[MommyGina]

What could they possibly be doing to the Main Building except the floors? This was all done over only 2 years ago! When I called last week to find out what was going on, I was told that they were painting on the outside of the buildings. All the "high reach" areas are finished and that there were no lifts or cranes. However, if you look back a few pages here, there IS construction work being done. There is a lot of work activity..

I really feel like cancelling. I think my vacation this year was doomed from the beginning.

 

[billnang]

What could they possibly be doing to the Main Building except the floors? This was all done over only 2 years ago! When I called last week to find out what was going on, I was told that they were painting on the outside of the buildings. All the "high reach" areas are finished and that there were no lifts or cranes. However, if you look back a few pages here, there IS construction work being done. There is a lot of work activity..

I really feel like cancelling. I think my vacation this year was doomed from the beginning.

I just called IPO, they are supposed to call me back.. I want to know what exactly is going on at the whole building...

has anyone else received a call?

Oh they said BC is getting a Refirb too, cause I asked about moving there.. although she could give me a reg room, not CL

we want a monorail resort with having strollers!!!

Angela