The *New* Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Frequently Asked Questions (FEB2004) Part 2

[conandrob240]

I am glad you found a place you love. It is also great that another person bumped from AKL to there LOVED it (though I do wonder if he would be honest with you given your enthusiasm and obvious sensitivity to any negative comments about the GF). We did not love it and had many bad experiences with service, food and housekeeping. I did speak to a manager a few times (mostly around the gift basket and ac) but I didn't want to spend my time on the phone complaining, so some of it I just let it go.

I travel extensively and I know good service from poor. I have stayed in some of the best resorts in the world. I expected more from Disney's "flagship". I have no reason to exaggerate or to bash a resort. I love Disney and will always return. I just didn't love (or even like) the GF. I wish those of you who love it many happy future visits there.

 

[Lives4Disney]

I am glad you found a place you love. It is also great that another person bumped from AKL to there LOVED it (though I do wonder if he would be honest with you given your enthusiasm and obvious sensitivity to any negative comments about the GF). We did not love it and had many bad experiences with service, food and housekeeping. I did speak to a manager a few times (mostly around the gift basket and ac) but I didn't want to spend my time on the phone complaining, so some of it I just let it go.

I travel extensively and I know good service from poor. I have stayed in some of the best resorts in the world. I expected more from Disney's "flagship". I have no reason to exaggerate or to bash a resort. I love Disney and will always return. I just didn't love (or even like) the GF. I wish those of you who love it many happy future visits there.

I don't even know the guy DH works with, so my love for the Grand is a moot issue there. He LOVED it and was so happy about his stay that he brought it up to DH.

Ya, I do love that place and know many CMs that work there and they are wonderful & always make our stays FABULOUS. So I'll be back to enjoy it time and again. I have alwyas had outstanding service at the Grand - if not, I would think differently about booking so many return stays.

You just come across very angry.... So much so that I thought your post was a joke. I'd write a letter to the GF manager or guest services and let them know how terrible the service was. They do need to know this stuff - hopefully they will care and make improvements. Or, just shrug it off and as you said, don't stay there again. I have done that with BWI and Poly.

Lives4Disney

 

[tidblgrrer]

We loved our stay at AKL and would stay there again in a minute. We are so looking forward to our GF stay and a chance to try something different.

I have to agree that these complaints are a bit exaggerated .... and why not let the manager know if you are so unhappy??? They may have been able to move you somewhere else.

For the record at AKL

we never received a towel animal ... but we didn't care (Never received a Towel animal at any deluxe resort )

there was only one daily "kids" activity -- not 5 and again we didn't care (my kids don't need entertaining at Disney)

A/C required a manual override -- ask the Maintenance guy, he'll tell you how Not a big deal to me since it happens at most nice hotels now --- those pesky monitors don't allow A/C when the room is unoccupied. There are instructions here on the boards on how to override the system BTW.

Pool was really crowded and warm --- and pretty dull compared to other deluxes. But then when you visit during HOT weather you get hot pools -- it's not like they are going to add a ton of ice to them to cool them down. (also... don't care about pools while at Disney) BTW -- Poly pool is super crowded nearly all of time. Great theming, but way to small for that resort IMO

Bird droppings ewww --- but we had those around the AKL pool during our stay. And some very agressive geese as well. Hopefully that has been cleared up.

My boys love going to Princess meals because the beautiful women pay a LOT of attention to them. They ask to attend them even when we don't have a "princess" to take along. (Come to think of it --- all of the men in my family like to go to Princess meals ) Now if Disney would come up with a Pirate meal -- maybe the women would be interested as well. Guess that depends on the pirate


Anyway.... what I'm trying to say is that different things are important to different people. I'm sorry this didn't work out for you --- and I certainly wouldn't take anything away from AKL we loved it there. I honestly don't know if I will like it better at GF than the other deluxe resorts -- but I certainly won't know until I try it.

But next time --- regardless of where you are... if you aren't satisfied try letting someone with real authority know about it. Maybe they can make it better --- you have nothing to lose by asking.

Hope you next trip is more satisfactory.

 

[tenbelow]

I don't even know the guy DH works with, so my love for the Grand is a moot issue there. He LOVED it and was so happy about his stay that he brought it up to DH.

Ya, I do love that place and know many CMs that work there and they are wonderful & always make our stays FABULOUS. So I'll be back to enjoy it time and again. I have alwyas had outstanding service at the Grand - if not, I would think differently about booking so many return stays.

You just come across very angry.... So much so that I thought your post was a joke. I'd write a letter to the GF manager or guest services and let them know how terrible the service was. They do need to know this stuff - hopefully they will care and make improvements. Or, just shrug it off and as you said, don't stay there again. I have done that with BWI and Poly.

Lives4Disney

I would recommend taking all the energy being put into posting numerous replies to regulars on this board and writing a single letter to the GM of the GF addressing all the issues encountered on your visit.

Too many issues to comment on without sounding defensive - although, I'm sorry to hear you had such an unmagical experience.

Good luck in your future Disney visits.

 

[1 goofy family]

Bummer. Most of us here on the GF thread really like the place. Sorry you were disappointed, but I think some of your complaints are ridiculous and even unbelievable.

I have stayed at the GF a lot and never ever ever had any problems that weren't quickly and graciously resolved. Also, I am the mom of 3 kids and we have never felt the GF was not kid friendly. OR that the GF was the least bit snooty. It is just casually elegant and it's Disney and very family friendly IMO. Every GF CM we have ever come across has been friendly - more so than any other WDW resort, even.

The towel animal thing is stupid. Sorry. I have stayed at WDW deluxe resorts for about 30 yrs now several times a year and guess what?? I didn't even know about dumb towel animals until I discovered this Disboard. They are stupid white washcloths with stickers on them. So what? We received ONE in all our visits. How would an 8 yr old even know to expect one? My dd's thought it was cute to get, but it wasn't a BIG deal & whether they receive one or not during any other stays didn't matter....if it were so important, I'd think that was kind of pathetic considering they are staying at the GRAND!!

Gasparillas is great compared to any other FF place in the WDW deluxe resorts. Have you read the reviews of Captain Cooks at the Poly???

The GF pools are much much better than the Poly pools - especially crowdwise. And, in all our stays at the GF, I have never seen them dirty or cloudy. That seems a bit of a stretch to me. We own a large inground pool so we are very aware of pool water quality and cleanliness. Maybe you just caught it on a bad day?

I can't way we've ever encountered any housekeeping or AC issues with our rooms at the Gf. We have at the Poly!! Our "welcome" chocolate bar was a melted mess on the pillows when we arrived in our room because the AC was not working, lol.

Housekeeping....you should have phoned them and set up a morning cleaning schedule. I have never not recieved gobs of toiletries from housekeeping at the Grand. I had trouble with this at the YC and BWI, but made a phone call and they were there with a large bag full of more than I could use the whole trip!

That is a shame about your gift basket, but at least they TRIED to make it up to you. Doesn't sound like it was possible to do that, though. I have had problems EVERY single time I ordered a gift basket - but not at the GF....at YC and BWI and Poly. I will admit once I did call the front desk and they were not very nice at all - I will give you that one. I have read, though, that you don't necessarily get the front desk when you push that button - it goes to a call center. Not sure HOW to get the front desk.

Good luck at the Poly. Now that place for us....... Maybe you'll fit in better??

As much as I love the GF, I know stuff happens, but your review seems really bitter and exaggerated. JMO. I thought you were kidding with most of your comments because they were SO far from what our GF experiences have been. At least you didn't let the nice upgrade to the beautiful Grand Floridian ruin your vacation, LOL.

Happy travels...better luck next time at the Poly.

Lives4Disney

I think you're being very harsh on someone that is just sharing their opinion on their vacation at the Grand. You accuse ConandRob of being angry.."so much so that the post seems a joke", your post seems much more angry (really for no reason) than ConandRobs. I think some of you need to realize that this thread is suppose to be for information regarding the GF, good and bad. And I highly doubt it's all good.

Conandrob, thanks for sharing your review with us. I am sorry you had an unpleasant stay, even worse to be under attack for sharing your views.

 

[conandrob240]

Guess you missed most of the AKL kid's activities. The ones daily that I remember were:

9:30am- animal thing poolside (one day it was observing flamingoes & recording their actions, another it was an exercise to see how flamingoes ate)

11:00- animal tracking at Arushka rock

?- cookie decorating at BOMA

?- arts 7 crafts- poolside

3pm- soprt in the pool (basketball one day, if I remember correctly)

5:30pm- musical instruments thing

6:30pm- kid's parade

7:00pm- story telling at Arusha rock.

So, 5 per day is actually an UNDERESTIMATE. I care and it was a big deal that there was NOTHING planned at GF. My kid enjoys those little things during the day and it sucked that there were NONE at a Deluxe rsort that commands top dollar.

I DID let a manager know at various times. I did NOT want ot be moved somehwee else and drag my family to another hotel. We had a nice time- none of these things were earth-shattering- I just had some bad service experiences.

The maintenance guy could NOT tell us how to override the system ourselves- there was something WRONG with it. They had to keep coming anfd fixing it. I did complain about this multiple times and continued to call every day and was constantly told ' the room has a motion sensor". I said "I KNOW it does but it never gets below 74." they'd come and look at it and say "something seems to be wrong with this and they'd fix it". This happened every day and it was realy annoying. Again, not the end of the world but annoying.

The main pool was hot- it was like a warm bath or a cool hot tub. The other pool was at least 15 degrees cooler. Again, no big deal but I have never experienced such a hot pool in my 7 years of traveling ot Disney the last week of August. Why would I lie or exaggerate this?

Glad your boys like the princess meals- mine wouldn't be caught dead at one. What does that have to do with anything anyway? My point was that when the only dining options at such a large resort are signature, they should expland the choices at the counter service to offer more variety and quality.

Just because there were bird droppings at AKL doesn't make it okay that they were on my balcony at GF. It was gross and made it impossible to use the balcony for more than a quick step outside.

I am not angry at all. I had a GREAT trip. I just found the GF to be over-rated, over-priced & stuffy hotel with sub-par service.

 

[dingoballs]

I am glad you found a place you love. It is also great that another person bumped from AKL to there LOVED it (though I do wonder if he would be honest with you given your enthusiasm and obvious sensitivity to any negative comments about the GF). We did not love it and had many bad experiences with service, food and housekeeping. I did speak to a manager a few times (mostly around the gift basket and ac) but I didn't want to spend my time on the phone complaining, so some of it I just let it go.

I travel extensively and I know good service from poor. I have stayed in some of the best resorts in the world. I expected more from Disney's "flagship". I have no reason to exaggerate or to bash a resort. I love Disney and will always return. I just didn't love (or even like) the GF. I wish those of you who love it many happy future visits there.

Like some other posters said, you really should let them know about your disappointing experience at the GF. It doesn't help them improve their service if they don't know about the problems. Here's the email address:

wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

 

[mr.mike]

Now, the GF. We were bumped from AKL to the GF. It was a nice upgrade ($-wise) and I went in excited because I always wanted to try the GF but didn't want to spend the $.

At least you go to experience without spending the extra money.

- way too stuffy and quiet. I did not get a Disney vibe from it at all. It was all very uptight and stuffy for me. People were way too quiet, bars were empty. I like upscale but not "snooty" and not for a disney experience.

- not kid-friendly at all. Unlike the AKL, there weren't kid's programs during the day. When it rained, it was just too bad. At AKL, they had at least 5 daily activities (free of charge) for kids and when it rained, they did extra things like crafts (some for a small fee). In our 7 nts, we did not get a single towel animal. At other WDW resort stays (even at moderate resorts), we got towel animals almost nightly. This is a big deal for an 8 year old.

These strike me as funny since we just got back a week ago after 10 days. I just didn't find it like this at all and I'm sorry you did. With all the people in the lobby and the music playing it was never quiet and the kids at the pool including mine were definately not quiet. When Mizner's lounge was open we always saw people in there. Not packed but definately not empty.
They do have games for the kids daily at the pool around 3pm but if its raining that doesn't help of course.

- housekeeping was awful. Typically didn't come until 2-3 pm, sometimes later. Never left new toiletries.

Our housekeeping was usually around 1pm and I was amazed at the amount of toiletries given during the day and at turndown. The one night we needed more shampoo I called up and was brought a bag full of soaps, shampoos, lotions and other bottles.

- service in general was poor. aboout 1/3 of the time we called, the front desk never answered the phone. When they did, 1/2 the time they were rude, abrupt or otherwise unprofessional. They very often did not know the answers to basic questions. They did not go out of their way to answer questions or help with anything.

I didn't deal with the front desk in person or on the phone but the cast members were 99% friendly and helpful. Got one wonderful guy from bell sevices who got us a hotel car and driver to take our luggage to the airport when the airline check in desk wouldn't take any more bags. It was close to 1pm and they said they had too much too handle already.

- the room was not great. I didn't really love the decor 9too frilly for me). The a/c was terribel. The room did not get below 74 degrees without having to call maintenance and have them override the system. When they came, it would go down to 71 or so but then re-set itself every day until maintenance came again. Very annoying. The room set-up was also poor IMO. the workdesk just wasn't useful for us- and there was not table and chairs if we wanted to eat in the room we had to all sit on the bed.

These are great points.
I hate that the AC shuts off in there is no movement and luckily i remembered how to override the system. Have to press power and the temperature down arrow. Then 6P is displayed and the override is in effect. My room stayed at 66-67 the entire trip. Thanks to whoever on the Dis posted this tip.
We had room service a few times and it was annoying not to have chairs except the one at the desk. Now that I think of it the Poly room we had a few weeks ago was the same. And there is not enough drawer space for clothes.

- Gasparilla's (counter service) food was not very good and had little variety. In a hotel where the other options are al signature restaurants, I'd expect the counter service option to be a bit more varied and good.

We ate there only twice but the food was very good and I thought there was a nice variety although not as much as the POP's food court but thats the only place the POP offers to eat.
I had a great roastbeef sandwhich with tomatoes and lettuce and italian dressing and a cucumber cup on the side. I so wish i was eating one of these now. I might get board if I had to eat there the entire trip though.

-pools. the large pool was way too quiet and boring and HOT. The water was like a bathtub- very unpleasant. The smaller pool was fun and a god temp but always very dirty and cloudy.

I didn't use the larger pool but my family did and enjoyed it. As for it being too quiet; Isn't it called the quiet pool? The Poly and Contemp have quiet pools too. The smaller pool was a lot of fun and never crowded and as of the 26th was not at all dirty or cloudy. I wonder what happened?

Again, sorry you didn't have great service but at least it was on an upgrade and you won't have to spend extra money to find out you don't like it.

 

[DisneyNotes]

. . .override the system. Have to press power and the temperature down arrow. Then 6P is displayed and the override is in effect. My room stayed at 66-67 the entire trip. Thanks to whoever on the Dis posted this tip.

Do I set the temperature that I want before I press the buttons to display the 6P or do I set the temperature after or will it work either way?

 

[wdhinn89]

I think you're being very harsh on someone that is just sharing their opinion on their vacation at the Grand. You accuse ConandRob of being angry.."so much so that the post seems a joke", your post seems much more angry (really for no reason) than ConandRobs. I think some of you need to realize that this thread is suppose to be for information regarding the GF, good and bad. And I highly doubt it's all good.

Conandrob, thanks for sharing your review with us. I am sorry you had an unpleasant stay, even worse to be under attack for sharing your views.

Well said

 

[ampip]

I think the OP should be entitled to her opinion without anyone getting upset about it. She didn't like the GF and there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone has different tastes and they should be entitled to their opinion. I happened to love the GF when I went last August but I also loved the Boardwalk when I went there and to be honest, I felt the Boardwalk had more to offer for my family than the GF.

 

[Suzanne74]

Just jumping into say that although I have not stayed at GF yet, I appreciate ALL comments good or bad. I think if someone takes the time to write a report on their personal experience it should be taken seriously and just excepted for what it is - 1 personal experience. I like hearing everyone's opinions on the WDW hotels, the ones I haven't been to and even the ones I have already been to. It is interesting what some places people think are great, others do not like which is why a million people here on the DIS say "that is why WDW offers such a different variety of hotels."

My ONLY pet peeve is people who come on and completely bash a resort with quick and mean statements and don't really back up their reasonings. They are few and far between and the previous poster is obviously not one of them.

I try and use this board to figure out thru pictures and varied personal reports which hotels I may or may not like. If someone ends up hating a place I liked, I don't take it personally but realize they just didn't have the same experience I did - whether it is just a lack of services similar to what I received or that our tastes are just not similar.

Anyway, I stayed at Poly concierge and was even upgraded and was not impressed with it. TOO crowded would be my opinion from the pool to the lobby to the restaurants and bars. It was never relaxing - ever. So since the previous report stated the bars were empty and the pool was too - that sounds like heaven to me after being at hectic parks all day long. BUT.... I can understand how it may not be for others.

I can also understand their frustration with room services. At the Poly, we had the worst out of any other WDW hotel we stayed at, even at a concierge level. It is hard to stay at value and have great maid service and then go to a deluxe and have below average service. It is well known WDW hotels are VERY hit or miss on maid service so your complaints are best well served by telling the hotel or WDW customer service relations directly.

For quick food, Poly was the worst as well. The deluxes definitely seem to be much more in tune to their sit down restaurants while mods and values have MUCH better food courts and quick meal services. I will probably expect that at GF although the cafe looks great and I feel there is much more variety offered at GF then at Poly, WL, CR, YC, BC and AKL.

As far as kid services, I think AKL has more because there is really not much else to do in the area - the hotel is secluded. At GF, you can hop on the monorail and go to a variety of places, rent equipment on the lagoon, or do the kids pirate cruise, cooking classes, or tea party. Obviously you have to pay for a lot of those but there are things offered. Also, many people at the AKL, like to stay at the resort a lot more, see the animals and such. Many people who pick the monorail resorts like to come and go and don't seem to spend a ton of time there looking for activities.

As far as decor I am undecided by the pictures, I will let you know after I go...

Until the.... thanks for the reviews and RELAX everyone. Where is the WDW love??

 

[princessesrule4]

Just returned from a one-week stay at the GF. First of all, let me say our vacation was absolutely wonderful. We had a great time together and thoroughly enjoyed our magical time. The parks (if you got up early and planned well) were relatively uncrowded, we did well with our ADRs so we ate everywhere we wanted to and we just had lots of laughs and made some great memories.

Now, the GF. We were bumped from AKL to the GF. It was a nice upgrade ($-wise) and I went in excited because I always wanted to try the GF but didn't want to spend the $.

I did not like the GF at all. I wouldn't stay there again even if it priced the same as AKL or the moderates. Here are my observations/thoughts on the GF:

- way too stuffy and quiet. I did not get a Disney vibe from it at all. It was all very uptight and stuffy for me. People were way too quiet, bars were empty. I like upscale but not "snooty" and not for a disney experience.

- not kid-friendly at all. Unlike the AKL, there weren't kid's programs during the day. When it rained, it was just too bad. At AKL, they had at least 5 daily activities (free of charge) for kids and when it rained, they did extra things like crafts (some for a small fee). In our 7 nts, we did not get a single towel animal. At other WDW resort stays (even at moderate resorts), we got towel animals almost nightly. This is a big deal for an 8 year old.

- housekeeping was awful. Typically didn't come until 2-3 pm, sometimes later. Never left new toiletries. Consistently forgot to clean the patio table & floor (which was constantly covered in bird "poop") Turn-down service was a nice feature but we had the grumpiest guy ever. the first night he knocked around 5:30pm, we were in the room getting ready. he said "need any towels?". I said, "yes, and we'd like full turn-down service please come back in about an hour or more." and I told him I'd like turn-down service every night after 6:30pm. Every night, he knocked at 5:30 or so and grumpily tried to hand us a few towels and every night I asked him to come back in an hour or so.

- service in general was poor. aboout 1/3 of the time we called, the front desk never answered the phone. When they did, 1/2 the time they were rude, abrupt or otherwise unprofessional. They very often did not know the answers to basic questions. They did not go out of their way to answer questions or help with anything.

- the room was not great. I didn't really love the decor 9too frilly for me). We did have a renovated room with a flat screen tv which was pretty nice. The beds were VERY comfortable. We had a dormer room which was nice but had a very small balcony which (because of the eave) was a haven for birds and their droppings. The a/c was terribel. The room did not get below 74 degrees without having to call maintenance and have them override the system. When they came, it would go down to 71 or so but then re-set itself every day until maintenance came again. Very annoying. The room set-up was also poor IMO. the workdesk just wasn't useful for us- and there was not table and chairs if we wanted to eat in the room we had to all sit on the bed.

- the hotel accidentally destryoed the gift basket I had ordered. To make matters worse, they argued with me for a day and insisted it was never delivered. They wound up replacing it and giving us champagne & strawberries as an apology but it was a real hasle and we were treated rudely about it.

- Gasparilla's (counter service) food was not very good and had little variety. In a hotel where the other options are al signature restaurants, I'd expect the counter service option to be a bit more varied and good.

-pools. the large pool was way too quiet and boring and HOT. The water was like a bathtub- very unpleasant. The smaller pool was fun and a god temp but always very dirty and cloudy.

I wish we had chosen the Poly. We visited there several times and the atmosphere seemed much more laid back, kid-friendly and fun!!!

Your post of your OPINIONS was a little strange!

You say that " the people are too quiet". Sorry - but that is the strangest comment that I've ever heard about a resort!

It sounds like you really missed the AKL and the moderates and that you were really searching for extra things to complain about... not getting a towel animal as a reason for not liking a hotel also doesn't give you much credibility.

You have to call Housekeeping to ask for turndown at a certain time. Telling the guy at the door does nothing .

Gasparillas has a much larger selection than Capt. Cooks at the Poly or Food and Fun at CR. Don't know about the mods or AKL - I have no desire to stay at any of them.

I've never heard of kids activities during the day at any resorts except for pool games, which the GF has. DVC also has activities some times. There is also a story time and an activity weekly in M. Mercantile - times are listed in the newsletter. We are too busy at the parks and pool or enjoying the orchestra/pianist, shopping to worry about kids activities!

Certainly , you are entitled to your opinion , but you sound like your expectations were a bit unreasonable - GF and AKL and the moderates are all very different resorts.

 

[jenins121681]

Hey everyone, haven't been on here for a while.....looks like I've missed quite a bit ...Anyhoo just wondering if there is a place at the GF that you can do your laundy.....I am weird and have this thing about bringing home dirty clothes .....and any idea how much it costs??

Also I have a question about WiFI (wireless internet services) are they included complimentary or is there a fee and if so how much? TIA

 

[Lives4Disney]

Well said

I don't usually bash anybody for what they say on the Dis but when somebody makes silly comments about the importance of not getting a towel animal, pool water being warmish the last week in August in Florida, the fast food was an issue for them, people were too quiet, housekeeping awful every day, pool water dirty, no kids programs, etc....come on. That whole thing just sounds silly to me. I DID think it was a joke or some troll person. I promise you I am not angry. Actually found the post amusing. I also know that if I EVER had that amount of dissatisfaction with a hotel I would ask to move. Hassle or not. One couple hours of packing and moving and it would be behind me and I'd start fresh and be happy. It just doesn't make sense to stick it out and be that unhappy and then come on the GF thread where I don't think he's ever posted before to ask questions etc. (maybe I am wrong and just don't remember), but to just come here to make all these complaints and then say if people pay $500/nt to stay there, they are out of their minds....ok, well welcome to the GF Thread.

The OP's comments should have been made WHILE AT THE HOTEL to the RIGHT people and maybe stressed his feelings enough while there by saying "I want to move to the Poly because..(I think the words he used was the GF sucks)..." to a manager and then explained why. Problem solved = happy time at Disney . (Or he would have wound up on the Poly thread complaining about the towel animal situation, and the dirtiness of Captn Cooks, how the AC at the Poly doesn't work, and how hot and crowded and SMALL the Poly theme pool is etc.)

Happy day,

Lives4Disney

 

[Timon_n_Pumba]

I don't usually bash anybody for what they say on the Dis but when somebody makes silly comments about the importance of not getting a towel animal, pool water being warmish the last week in August in Florida, the fast food was an issue for them, people were too quiet, housekeeping awful every day, pool water dirty, no kids programs, etc....come on. That whole thing just sounds silly to me. I DID think it was a joke or some troll person. I promise you I am not angry. Actually found the post amusing. I also know that if I EVER had that amount of dissatisfaction with a hotel I would ask to move. Hassle or not. One couple hours of packing and moving and it would be behind me and I'd start fresh and be happy. It just doesn't make sense to stick it out and be that unhappy and then come on the GF thread where I don't think he's ever posted before to ask questions etc. (maybe I am wrong and just don't remember), but to just come here to make all these complaints and then say if people pay $500/nt to stay there, they are out of their minds....ok, well welcome to the GF Thread.

The OP's comments should have been made WHILE AT THE HOTEL to the RIGHT people and maybe stressed his feelings enough while there by saying "I want to move to the Poly because..(I think the words he used was the GF sucks)..." to a manager and then explained why. Problem solved = happy time at Disney . (Or he would have wound up on the Poly thread complaining about the towel animal situation, and the dirtiness of Captn Cooks, how the AC at the Poly doesn't work, and how hot and crowded and SMALL the Poly theme pool is etc.)

Happy day,

Lives4Disney

Is there an applause smiley?

Well said, Channing!!! You echo my thoughts in reading the OPs posts (the first one and its follow-ups) exactly. They should have complained there; doing so here, with no apparent intention of sharing the problems with GF management so they can be corrected, is pointless. Unless it's just to vent, which I can understand, too. But then to later say that the Grand Floridian "sucks" and that people who pay rack (or discounted, as they're not cheap either) rates to stay there are "out of their minds," well, that's just not very Disney-like .

My mom always says something about a new rope and complaining...I mean, it *was* a free upgrade, and I am inferring that the OP chose the GF from a few possibilities. If the problems they encountered were that onerous, then they should have asked to be moved or sought management for an explanation and/or correction. If the problems weren't that big of a deal, then why mention it as if it was the end of the world?

Just my two cents. YMM(and probably does)V.

Best Regards,

Scott in MO (now only a semi-lurker)

 

[TammiMcMan]

Well, it was settling down there for a minute, but somehow we've gotten all riled up again. People have bad vacations, even at the GF. We had one that came pretty close to what the previous poster reported. I went to the front desk and asked to speak with the manager. I was handed a piece of paper, so that I could write out my complaint and they would turn it in . If everyone read all the replies from the poster, they did talk to the housekeeping manager, they did go to the front desk manager. They did have the override for the A/C, the A/C was clearly broken and needed daily service from maintenance. Maybe I'm reading the wrong report, but I hear somebody venting when they came home. It doesn't sound like anything they encountered made it move worthy, just some average expectations of good service, that never happened. Unfortunately, this seems to be one of those Murphy law vacations, where anything that can go wrong, does. I chalked mine up to the law of averages and moved on. Sounds like the poster has done the same thing. We all value different things on our vacations and have different tolerance levels. Kelly is a huge GF fan, but I remember how bad one of her visits to the GF was. It may have been Sugar Loaf.

I think what we need to remember is that this is the GF FAQ thread and not the GF Fan club thread. Like Suzanne, I want to hear the good and the bad when researching a resort. Then I can decide for myself if it's a good fit for me.

I'd hate to see this thread end up on the Mod's watch list for being argumentative. It's a valuable resource for those wanting information about the GF. Please, guys, let it go.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I've never heard of kids activities during the day at any resorts except for pool games, which the GF has.

AKL has a whole list of activities available throughout the day. FW has nightly campfire singalongs & a movie, the YC/BC are now offering a movie on the beach and a few resorts are in a trial program right now that's offering pool parties, dances, arcade games, even movies. Programming is available 7 days a week, from 1pm until the 9pm movie ends. I know there are more, I just can't think of them right now. The GF has some unique activities, but they do come at an additional charge and both their story time and arts/crafts are for a limited age group.

 

[Dis Ohana]

^^Well said, Tammi .

This is usually such a nice thread to read, everyone here is so generous in sharing their knowledge of the GF, it's obvious how much you all love the resort. I for one appreciate the advice you regular posters have contributed to the thread. That said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you shouldn't take it personally when their views do not match yours. People will become reluctant to share here, and that would be a shame.

I agree with Tammi, lets bury this topic and move on. This is a question that got buried in the hot topic of the day, giving it a bump up :

Hey everyone, haven't been on here for a while.....looks like I've missed quite a bit ...Anyhoo just wondering if there is a place at the GF that you can do your laundy.....I am weird and have this thing about bringing home dirty clothes .....and any idea how much it costs??

Also I have a question about WiFI (wireless internet services) are they included complimentary or is there a fee and if so how much? TIA

 

[minniesota]

Hey everyone, haven't been on here for a while.....looks like I've missed quite a bit ...Anyhoo just wondering if there is a place at the GF that you can do your laundy.....I am weird and have this thing about bringing home dirty clothes .....and any idea how much it costs??

Also I have a question about WiFI (wireless internet services) are they included complimentary or is there a fee and if so how much? TIA

Well it has been awhile since I've done laundry at the GF (1998 when my kids were little!), but I know Big Pine had a nice laundry room right on the first floor off the lobby. I assume the other buildings do as well (with the exception of the main building). At the time, washers and dryers were $1 per load.

I think there is a charge for WiFi - maybe $9.95 per day. Someone jump in and correct me if I'm off base on this!

Wishing every one a good week (school starts for us today!!!)