The All New Grand Floridian FAQ - MAY 2009

[JessicaW1234]

Hi!
We will be visiting Disney and staying at GF for the first time in November. We will be staying at SL with our 3yr old DD and DS. I saw that they will be doing some "stairway and handrail remediation" at SL through November. Does anyone know what this means, and where in the building this will occur? Would it be noisy? Would this affect getting to our room, and also will we see it?

I've read that some rooms may have partial firework views; does anyone know where? Since the twins will be in bed, we will not be able to go outside to see them.

I was thinking of bringing DD to the Perfectly Princess tea party; has anyone gone to it - what do you think? also, DS always wants to come along and may want to attend - has anyone seen boys there? If not, any suggestions on an equivalent that DH could bring him to? (DH would love to play golf, but we know DS would not sit patiently in a cart for 18 holes!)

We have made one ADR that I'm not sure we could make in time after a day at AK - if we missed it, does your credit card get charged?

One last question - has anyone used both concierge and the dining plan? Where we have the little ones, who need milk, etc., and full meals, we thought it might make sense, esp. where we will not have a car.

I also read through this entire thread - it is so great! Thank you so much for your photos and advice
I could not be more excited for our trip.

 

[Maxie86]

Oh that almond crusted cheese cake at Narcooses is incredible!!!

That sounds delish. We are having dinner there for our anniversary next month, I'll have to try it.

Yes we are,2 nights in a row.The day we arrive is the special F&W dinner at V&A and the next night is the "regular" dinner.Fav dessert there?......Grand Marnier Souffle.Six weeks till RPC.Gosh I can't wait.

Grand Marnier Souffle, sounds wonderful, maybe worth having dinner at V&A. I am a very plain eater though and not sure I would like the food. Please give us a review when you return. Is there anything on the menu that a picky plain eater would like.

 

[Dicecatt]

Hi!
We will be visiting Disney and staying at GF for the first time in November. We will be staying at SL with our 3yr old DD and DS. I saw that they will be doing some "stairway and handrail remediation" at SL through November. Does anyone know what this means, and where in the building this will occur? Would it be noisy? Would this affect getting to our room, and also will we see it?

I've spoken to both the general line at GF and with a concierge planner about the construction. They said that stairwell construction won't be a nuisance, and only the rooms very very close will be able to hear anything, and even then probably not much. There is a type of ladder or something outside where they are replacing things, but not full scaffolding and just one end, apparently.

I've read that some rooms may have partial firework views; does anyone know where? Since the twins will be in bed, we will not be able to go outside to see them.

I have twins too! But old enough to stay up late, they are 10. Fireworks views...I had a room on the top floor of Sugar Loaf, marina view, and could see fireworks. However, you'll also be able to see the work being done on Sago Cay across the marina, again not full scaffolding but like window washer boxes. I'm not sure when they'll be done with that side.

I was thinking of bringing DD to the Perfectly Princess tea party; has anyone gone to it - what do you think? also, DS always wants to come along and may want to attend - has anyone seen boys there? If not, any suggestions on an equivalent that DH could bring him to? (DH would love to play golf, but we know DS would not sit patiently in a cart for 18 holes!) Sorry, never done it, althoug the Garden View tea is great!

We have made one ADR that I'm not sure we could make in time after a day at AK - if we missed it, does your credit card get charged? Depends what restaurant. Usually not, but what restaurant?

One last question - has anyone used both concierge and the dining plan? YesWhere we have the little ones, who need milk, etc., and full meals, we thought it might make sense, esp. where we will not have a car. It is a TON of food, but I am doing it next week. The lounge is so convenient, and a lot of food, but we enjoy sit down meals as well.

I also read through this entire thread - it is so great! Thank you so much for your photos and advice
I could not be more excited for our trip.

Hope that helped!

 

[ILoveDisney-Angie]

Here is a question for all of you GF veterans out there. DH and I have the SL building booked in December but I was wondering if we should have booked RPC. Which one is better?

 

[MommyGina]

I'd like to know if the food in SL is any different from RPC. We were in SL last month and was not impressed with the food. They actually ran out one night at dessert time. They came back with chips and dip!

 

[mmmears]

I'd like to know if the food in SL is any different from RPC. We were in SL last month and was not impressed with the food. They actually ran out one night at dessert time. They came back with chips and dip!

The food and drinks are the same in RPC and in SL -- if they ran out in SL, they must have also run out in RPC.

 

[BCV23]

We just finished a short but great stay at the GF.

The marble floors are lovely. The entry is complete other than the surround. Pluto, my personal favorite, is front and center a little beneath the GF logo. Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael are in flight at the doors behind the grand stairway. Tinkerbell is soaring on the second floor near the double elevators with the brass doors. The area in front of Mizner's where the band used to sit now has comfy seating areas. I don't know if it's a permanent change but I think it's a great setup.

We enjoyed several meals at the GF, rented a pontoon boat and generally had a fantastic time.

Anyone going soon, don't worry about construction. At least for us, it was a non issue.

 

[mmmears]

We just finished a short but great stay at the GF.

The marble floors are lovely. The entry is complete other than the surround. Pluto, my personal favorite, is front and center a little beneath the GF logo. Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael are in flight at the doors behind the grand stairway. Tinkerbell is soaring on the second floor near the double elevators with the brass doors. The area in front of Mizner's where the band used to sit now has comfy seating areas. I don't know if it's a permanent change but I think it's a great setup.

We enjoyed several meals at the GF, rented a pontoon boat and generally had a fantastic time.

Anyone going soon, don't worry about construction. At least for us, it was a non issue.

BCV,

I'm so glad you had a great trip! They were just starting on the floor when we were there, so we didn't get to see the characters done in marble. Glad to hear it's coming along and looking beautiful!

 

[dax248]

We just finished a short but great stay at the GF.

The marble floors are lovely. The entry is complete other than the surround. Pluto, my personal favorite, is front and center a little beneath the GF logo. Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael are in flight at the doors behind the grand stairway. Tinkerbell is soaring on the second floor near the double elevators with the brass doors. The area in front of Mizner's where the band used to sit now has comfy seating areas. I don't know if it's a permanent change but I think it's a great setup.

We enjoyed several meals at the GF, rented a pontoon boat and generally had a fantastic time.

Anyone going soon, don't worry about construction. At least for us, it was a non issue.

Thanks for the update. We are going next week and I am kinda worried that the construction will ruin our hopefully perfect platinum plan trip, my parents 44th anniversary surprise.

Does anyone else know what kind of construction is going on? We are staying in SL and spending a whole day at GF and kinda nervous about all the construction.

THANKS!!!

 

[jlx2]

We just booked the Grand Floridian for next May! This will be our first stay here, and we are in a standard room. For those who have been here before what should we try to make for room requests? A certain building/floor/ corner room etc? We would like to be closer to the main building I think, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. It's going to be my 40th birthday and I've always wanted to stay here. Thanks again!

 

[scampagna6]

I have a garden view booked next December (2010) and was wondering which building has the best garden views or are they all good? Which do you prefer and why?
TIA

 

[s&k'smom]

Hi, we just changed our plans to stay at the GF in 10/10. Even my kids are willing to wait just so we can stay there. We sometimes stray and think of another resort but always, always go back to GF. It's just heavenly.

 

[BCV23]

BCV,

I'm so glad you had a great trip! They were just starting on the floor when we were there, so we didn't get to see the characters done in marble. Glad to hear it's coming along and looking beautiful!

Thanks, mmmears. Our trip is far from over but the GF segment of it was wonderful. The character silhouettes are lovely.

Thanks for the update. We are going next week and I am kinda worried that the construction will ruin our hopefully perfect platinum plan trip, my parents 44th anniversary surprise.

Does anyone else know what kind of construction is going on? We are staying in SL and spending a whole day at GF and kinda nervous about all the construction.

THANKS!!!

We haven't been back over to the GF since we checked out this Sunday but I can tell you what was going on at that point. There are cranes in front of Sago Cay which were raised for painters on Sunday. No cranes by any other buildings. No construction was visible in the courtyard at all. The exterior stairwell of SL is under construction. A temporary escape stairwell is erected by the rooms closest to that stairwell on the marina side (at least I'm quite confident that it is that). I found this fascinating. If it bothers anyone in your family, it's just as easy to walk through the courtyard rather than along the marina.

When we arrived in the lobby, workers were placing the tiles in the GF logo area. It was cordoned off but you could see the work and the lovely tiles. The half barricades were gone by Saturday am. That area is complete. It didn't impact foot traffic. There are several other very small areas that are blocked off by higher tarps or something. One was up stairs near the brass elevators and another near the band not far from the monorail doors. There was a third near Sandy Cove and I think another near 1900. For certain, some of the molding has been removed in part of the hallway near 1900. These are all small areas and do not impact walking in the least.

We'll be back at the GF at least two more times this trip and I'll post if I see anything different. I wouldn't worry. What a great surprise for your parents!

We just booked the Grand Floridian for next May! This will be our first stay here, and we are in a standard room. For those who have been here before what should we try to make for room requests? A certain building/floor/ corner room etc? We would like to be closer to the main building I think, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. It's going to be my 40th birthday and I've always wanted to stay here. Thanks again!

Based on what you've written, I would just request close to the main building. Almost all standard views are great IMO. Enjoy planning your birthday trip!

I have a garden view booked next December (2010) and was wondering which building has the best garden views or are they all good? Which do you prefer and why?
TIA

They're all good. well, I wouldn't want those on the monorail side of Sago Cay closest to the convention center but even those would have a nice view if you look directly out from your room I think.

Hi, we just changed our plans to stay at the GF in 10/10. Even my kids are willing to wait just so we can stay there. We sometimes stray and think of another resort but always, always go back to GF. It's just heavenly.

Happy planning. It will be here before you know it.

 

[scampagna6]

Thanks for the info BCV23

 

[karebear1]

I just made my final payment for our November trip! I'm so excited!! BUT- I ahve a question for you. I reserved a MK view room for my dates- and that is what has always been posted when I looked up my ressie, but today it didn't say that. It said 1 bedroom villa. Does anyone know what that means??

 

[barrysprot36]

I just made my final payment for our November trip! I'm so excited!! BUT- I ahve a question for you. I reserved a MK view room for my dates- and that is what has always been posted when I looked up my ressie, but today it didn't say that. It said 1 bedroom villa. Does anyone know what that means??

By coincidence I checked my reservation on line today and it states 2 bedroom villa and I've got a room at the CR Atrium for 3 nights in December

Caron

 

[TinkTatoo]

By coincidence I checked my reservation on line today and it states 2 bedroom villa and I've got a room at the CR Atrium for 3 nights in December

Caron

Sounds interesting I wonder if it's an upgrade, fingers crossed it is

 

[barrysprot36]

Sounds interesting I wonder if it's an upgrade, fingers crossed it is

I'm sure it's just a glitch on the site, it just made me check we still have a MK view Atrium room which I have a confirmation for.

Caron

 

[sydneysmom]

Hi everyone ! I'm new to the boards, so I apologize if a question like this has been asked before. We're planning our trip for Sept 2010 w/ our 4 year old daughter. Is the GF too fancy for kids? we chose it because of the monorail and 1900 Park Fare and the wonderful looking pool. ( that and a million other reaons) but I don't want to feel out of place? can someone offer some advice please?
also, when do they normally announce the offers for 2010? I'm dying to know what's coming !! (hoping for free dining!) Thanks to all !!!

 

[s&k'smom]

My kids love the GF! Next year will be their 3rd time. My son in particular likes to see the monorail go by when we are at the pool (the one with the waterfall) and my daughter just loves the gift shop on the 2nd floor. I don't think kids are out of place at all, the housekeepers always put my daughters stuffed animals back on the bed in some funny way that she can't wait to see every day.