The All New Grand Floridian FAQ - MAY 2009

[minniesota]

Basin White fans, there's a 20% discount on mail orders for the next five days. I ration my bath bombs to one per week and have enough to last until my next trip but may have to break down and order. It's always fun to get a package from the GF. Thanks to my friend who alerted me.

Scott MC, can't wait to hear about your stay. From your signature, it sounds like it was great.

k&a&c'smom, will you please share more about your dinner at V&A this month. We haven't dined there since January and I don't have it in the plans for our next two trips. I'm in withdrawal and would love to hear details.

BCV23 -Thanks for the heads up on Basin White!

Scott MC- Don't you toy with us!

k&a&c'smom - Details, details! Hoping to dine at V&A in January!

Cinderumbrella - Dare I say our teams are tied! Love this time of year! Did you get your ADRs handled by IPO? Hope that's going well!

 

[iluvepcot]

Scott M: I leave in a few days! HELP give me the word on construction. we check into the assp for free dining and then sept 4th we switch over to GF. I have called the photo pass guy to schedule our family photos there and he was located in the main blg. So I quized him. He didn't know too much but did say the second floor tile was being worked on, a little bit at a time.

I so want everything to be GRAND as this is our first stay. we have tried all resorts except villas, BW and FW. This is our trial run at GF. The good news is that we check in Fri before labor day weekend, so I think it is safe to say work may halt a bit at that time.

 

[MommyGina]

Hi all. I just came home from the GF yesterday. Here is the construction scoop. Sago is a mess. They are now painting the from of it. There were men on the balconies painting. The bad news, Sugar Loaf is starting to be worked on. The scaffolding was being put up on the side that faces the marina. It is on the very end closest to Gaspies.

The main lobby is still undergoing construction of the tile floor. The stairs that are near Sandy Cove gift shop have now been closed off because that is where the tile is now going to be put down. You can now access the monorail from the bird cage elevator of from the main stair case. You don't have to walk all the way around. The tile work on the right side of the main stairs is now complete. They are now working on the left side of the stairs. That has been closed off. I did not hear any noise while I was in the lobby for this construction work. If you are sitting right outside the door in back of this, you can hear noise. No noise at the pools. The luggage house looks like it is being added on to. No noise from there.

There is a huge crane in front of the buidling where the main pool is. It is either BC or CK. I always get those two confused. Anyway, they are painting the top of that. It is lowered during the night.

I am off to work so I will be back later. I just wanted to give you the construction update.

OH, I WAS UPGRADED TO LAGOON VIEW IN SUGAR LOAF!!!!!

More later.

 

[BlueSkies]

MommyGina Welcome Back!! Hope that you enjoyed your trip!! congratulations on the upgrade!! SL is soooo nice! Just curious...I know that there is GV and marina view there...which room is it that has a lagoon view..is there an end room???

BCV I have enjoyed some mother /son disney trips over the years and they were soo nice too...even stayed at the GF for some of those...just a different kind of trip though...more of a busy...keep on the move... thrill ride kinda trip!!! KWIM!

ScottMc...We are waiting....

Hi Minniesota!!

 

[Scott MC]

I'll keep you all waiting a bit longer...just to be evil.
But really, because I'm at work....before I go to bed tonight...I promise!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Cinderumbrella - Dare I say our teams are tied! Love this time of year! Did you get your ADRs handled by IPO? Hope that's going well!

Are we?! Those darn Bos Sox are really giving it to us this week I may have to give up on baseball for the year and switch to hockey soon... GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!

My ADR date is Saturday and IPO has all my stuff, so fingers crossed that I get what I want!

Scott- you're a tease!!!!!!!!!!

MommyGina- congrats on the upgrade!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I was just wondering no matter the rooms in the Royal Palm Club, do you hear the music from the piano player and the jazz band or are the rooms sound proof where you don't hear them? Earlier this month while walking around the stores in Royal Palm the jazz band was playing and at times it was loud and my family was wondering does it effect their rooms?

 

[MommyGina]

MommyGina Welcome Back!! Hope that you enjoyed your trip!! congratulations on the upgrade!! SL is soooo nice! Just curious...I know that there is GV and marina view there...which room is it that has a lagoon view..is there an end room???

BCV I have enjoyed some mother /son disney trips over the years and they were soo nice too...even stayed at the GF for some of those...just a different kind of trip though...more of a busy...keep on the move... thrill ride kinda trip!!! KWIM!

ScottMc...We are waiting....

Hi Minniesota!!

Hi BlueSkies: We had room 6319. It was in the middle that sleeps 5. I was originally in a dormer roon on that side of the building, I think 6323, or something like that, but it was too small for all of us. It also had a nice tree in the way of the view!

 

[BlueSkies]

MommyGina So happy about that upgrade you got...sorry about the darn tree being in the way though...

We are a family of five also...so we have never stayed in a dormer room either...they look so nice though...

So how did you like staying at the GF...and what did you think of SL?? It really is in the middle of everything on the property...we love the location!

Cinderumbrella Let me guess what some of those restaurants are on your ADR list...ummm Teppan Edo, Chef Mickeys... good luck I hope you get everything you want...especially Yachtsman!!

Scott We are waiting......

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Cinderumbrella Let me guess what some of those restaurants are on your ADR list...ummm Teppan Edo, Chef Mickeys... good luck I hope you get everything you want...especially Yachtsman!!

You know me so well! (don't forget about Narcoosee's, Citrico's, Cali Grille and Jiko!! ) I am probably the only person hoping that IPO CAN'T get Le Cellier so we can go to Yachtsman instead

 

[mmmears]

I was just wondering no matter the rooms in the Royal Palm Club, do you hear the music from the piano player and the jazz band or are the rooms sound proof where you don't hear them? Earlier this month while walking around the stores in Royal Palm the jazz band was playing and at times it was loud and my family was wondering does it effect their rooms?

We couldn't hear any of the lobby "noise" from our room in RPC. It was very quiet and peaceful there.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Our dinner at V&A's was incredible, just as it was the first time we ate there on our Christmas trip in 2006.

We were greeted at the door by the maitre d', and she escorted us to a table in the middle of the main dining room, under the dome, and sort of facing the harp. She seated us, and draped my wrap over the back of my chair, so that it was handy in case I got a chill. When I started to sit my handbag on the table, she said "just a moment!" and returned with the cutest little stool, and placed my clutch and DD's camera on it. I had forgotten about that little touch!

For anyone who is wondering, we asked if it would be a nuisance to take photos, and were assured that many people do, in fact our servers took a couple of us together. I think I have a few that I can post, but DD has them, so I'll try to upload them when she comes home this weekend.

Our servers were the same as our first dinner, two wonderful ladies who made our evening so elegant, yet so much fun! You determine the type of service, if you prefer it to be silent and efficient, that is what you will get. We prefer to interact with our servers, ask questions and they were very accommodating - whenever we asked about a wine, or a particular course, they talked with us in depth and were so kind and knowledgeable. I believe that your servers do not serve anyone else during the meal, DD and I looked around the room, and couldn't see any servers that served more than one table! Incredible. BCV23, do you know this for sure? You've eaten there many times, I think.

Each of the six courses was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, the wine pairings just right and we had a thoroughly delightful dinner. You have to do the coffee service at the end, if only to see the apparatus that appears at your table to brew it! There is harp music playing softly, unobtrusively throughout, your menu is personalized and presented to you as a souvenir and every lady is presented with a rose at the end of the evening. DD was also given a small date nut cake baked by the head pastry chef, as we were celebrating her birthday - it was delicious, btw. The whole experience leaves you feeling special and pampered, it is hard to describe what an experience this restaurant is!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Figment - I think you will really enjoy AKL, it is such a beautiful resort. And I think that a split stay gives the perfect opportunity to try something new, but still have the security of staying at your favorite. A couple days at the beginning for the new resort, and a Grand finish!

Oh, and I agree, traveling companions have a huge influence on resort choice. Our Spring Break trip this year, we chose the WL, thinking DD's boyfriend would prefer something resembling the Pacific Northwest, where his uncle lives. While we were staying there, we made several trips to the GF for dinner, shopping, etc. He said "why didn't we stay here?" Gaaah!

CR Resort Fan - we have had rooms that were right off the atrium, and you could hear the band well when the door was open, but only faintly when it was shut. And we had a deluxe room that was 2 or 3 doors down the hall, and didn't hear it at all, except for when we were returning to the room.

 

[Figment1990]

Thanks for the update mommygina! Scott ill check back later for your update. I feel bonded to you guys as we worried together about the construction pretrips!

This is off topic but I had to share. I've been very annoyed at my job lately and this afternoon I was brainstorming ideas of businesses I could start or career changes. Well, inspired by all the tea talk on this thread a few pages back, I was thinking of investigating opening a tea room/small event venue! I will find a more appropriate place on dis to post but wanted to share my excitement. Even if I don't end up doing it, its sure fun to imagine! I would definately incorporate some sort of princess tea idea - like for birthday parties or something. And of course a "tea" that includes champagne.

My experience at the gf tea inspired me for my sisters (someday) bridal shower. She's a tea fanatic but more of a pirate type than princess. So if any of you are familiar with the princess bride movie, I was thinking more along the lines of a "princess bridal" tea for the shower. A pirate sash + tiara for the bride, some gold medalions for decor, medieval flatware,etc.

So a tea room would let me host lots of tea parties!

Okay. Sorry for the hijack. Just had to share my exciting idea with people who might want to patronize the tea room - if u lived here!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I was just wondering no matter the rooms in the Royal Palm Club, do you hear the music from the piano player and the jazz band or are the rooms sound proof where you don't hear them? Earlier this month while walking around the stores in Royal Palm the jazz band was playing and at times it was loud and my family was wondering does it effect their rooms?

The piano and band are actually two of the things we love when staying RPC. The music definitely doesn't disturb you in your room, and it adds a lively atmosphere to the lobby. We love sitting in the lounge just listening to the music.

The closest thing at Contemporary is probably the Chef Mickey's music, which is loud and obnoxious and echoes through the Grand Canyon Concourse. When you're in your room, you can barely hear it.

 

[mmmears]

The piano and band are actually two of the things we love when staying RPC. The music definitely doesn't disturb you in your room, and it adds a lively atmosphere to the lobby. We love sitting in the lounge just listening to the music.

I have to agree with this. The live music and the atmosphere of being above the lobby made our RPC stay very special. It is something unique to the GF and the pianist and the band made the lounge feel more "elegant" than the other ones we've been in. We tended to spend extra time in the lounge, just listening to the music and soaking in the ambiance of the place.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We couldn't hear any of the lobby "noise" from our room in RPC. It was very quiet and peaceful there.

Thank you for your answer.

CR Resort Fan - we have had rooms that were right off the atrium, and you could hear the band well when the door was open, but only faintly when it was shut. And we had a deluxe room that was 2 or 3 doors down the hall, and didn't hear it at all, except for when we were returning to the room.

Also thanks for your response.

The closest thing at Contemporary is probably the Chef Mickey's music, which is loud and obnoxious and echoes through the Grand Canyon Concourse. When you're in your room, you can barely hear it.

Well that's only true if your room is over Chef Mickey's and I can honestly say the times when our room was around there the noise was not a problem.

 

[Scott MC]

Hello kiddies!
Sorry for the delay, but I was really hoping that I'd have pictures to accompany my post, but sadly, they're not ready yet. I should have some by later tonight or tomorrow.

We arrived at the Grand last Wednesday at approximately 11:45 A.M. We had a garden view room booked. We got off of the Magical Express and a woman asked my last name, I told her and she motioned to another man and said "Frank, this is the ______________ family." Frank came right up to us and introduced himself and escorted us in the main door. At this point, I had a feeling that something good was happening, and as soon as we entered the lobby, Frank proved me right, by turning to us and saying, something about the year of a million dreams, and the celebration theme, but the punchline was, "YOU'VE BEEN UPGRADED TO OUR ROYAL PALM CLUB AND WILL BE STAYING HERE IN THE MAIN BUILDING WITH A LAGOON VIEW." I don't remember much after that because, honestly, I thought I might pass out. We were whisked onto the elevator and shown how to use our pass key to get beyond the 2nd floor. We were introduced to the concierge staff and then brought up to see the food and lounge on the 4th floor. Afterward, we were into room 4323 which seemed bigger than the rooms I've seen in other pictures. You walked in to face a mirror/hat rack and to your right was the vanity room, and beyond it, the bathroom. To your left was the actual room, which was as breathtaking as I had hoped it would be. The only difference I saw between our room and the other rooms I've seen is that there was a set of closet doors hiding a little shelf area with the coffee maker and extra storage, which was nice. We had a mouse towel waiting for us, and while Frank went on, I couldn't help but sneak out to the balcony, and if I had managed not to faint in the lobby, the balcony did me in. It was a gorgeous, sweeping view of the beach, the wedding chapel, the beach pool, and the stunning Polynesian. We also frequently saw the new hot air balloon from Downtown Disney. Over the course of our stay, we saw Illuminations fireworks, the Electrical Water Pageant, and Cinderella's pumpkin coach-all from our balcony. I'll treat you to one pic now....

That's right....It's great to be able to look at pictures and show people the room you stayed in. I am eternally grateful for the GF's generosity concerning our upgrade, it's hospitality I won't soon forget. The easiest way to go on is to do it by category, so here goes...

Our Room/Mousekeeping: Perfect. The room was always cleaned by noontime, and always turned down by 8:00 P.M. (loved the goodnight cards-going to frame them next to my own bed). We got an abundance of toiletries as well.

The view: Breathtaking-see above

The staff: Ok, this is the only place where I was a wee bit disappointed. The front desk/check-in staff was delightful, the mousekeepers and ladies who laid out the food in the RPC lounge were a dream. The employees at Gasparilla's and Citrico's were fantastic. I personally found the actual concierge staff to be a little snippy. I thought they were a little full of themselves. At one point, I asked a concierge CM about adding 2 people onto our dinner reservation for 3, and rather than checking, the advice I got was, "Go in with 5, and pretend like the reservation was always for 5...they'll have to seat you." Maybe I'm being picky, but that left a bit of an odd taste in my mouth. Rather than attempt to help me, he tipped me on how to cheat the system. On our last day at the Grand, I went to another concierge CM and asked about our transition to Coronado Springs (where we spent our last night), and there is no doubt in my mind that he judged my leaving the Grand for a moderate. Believe me, I didn't want to leave either, but for financial reasons, we had to move. I didn't appreciate my financial situation being judged.
Ok, all the negative is out of the way, back to the glory of the Grand...

Atmosphere: Lovely, tasteful, elegant, not stuffy at all.

Transportation: unmatched

Food: All great. Loved all the food in the RPC lounge, had a few great lunches at Gasparillas, ended a few nights at Mizner's (thanks Joe!) and had one of the best meals of my life at Citrico's

Construction: Shame on all of you who were worrying the rest of us! The lobby construction was right in front of M. Mouse Mercantile and was very unobtrusive. The new tile is gorgeous. On the outer grounds, the only lodge under construction was Sago and I honestly didn't think it looked too bad. Dust!

I'm in love with this place, and can't wait to go back. I'll post more, including some pictures later. I'm still trying to dig out of the pile of Pixie Dust that Disney heaped on us!

Have a magical evening!

 

[karebear1]

Nice report Scott! CONGRATS ON THE UPGRADE!! I can only hope such magic comes my way in November!!!

 

[MommyGina]

Hi BlueSkies. We loved the GF Club level. We have always been in bulding 5 which is Sago. Never had a dormer room, so I was a bit surprised when they tried to put us in there. Anyway, we had a ball.

Scott MC - I had a feeling you would be upgraded! How was it staying in the Main Building? That is our dream. Maybe next year! LOL. I didn't see you. However, we were neve there.

More later. I have to go to work.