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

[Lives4Disney]

SL was different for us. In the past there were not the greeters at the curb. If our room had been ready, I wonder if checkin would have been at the desk or room. Kelly, we'll look forward to your report.

Isn't the 3rd floor RPC staff still there to help with reservations, etc..

Isn't it funny how much time we spend discussing these little changes.

BCV, what did you do if there were no curbside greeters?? Did you just go to SL on your own or check in at the front desk or tell bell svc?? We had SEVERAL times with no greeters over the years ourselves. I thought it was just us, lol. I would tell bell services that we were staying concierge and he worked it out and got somebody. Not as smooth though. The most recent few visits we were greeted right away by a CM with a clipboard that brought us up to 3rd floor desks where we were greeted with smiles and welcomes and checked in.

Yes, 3rd floor is still there for ticket & ressie help. I don't know why they took the large chunk of their jobs away. It used to be really nice to sit down and be offered a drink while they explained everything and did all the work. Then they would show us to our room. OR, if we had ordered surprised for in the room, they would excuse themselves while we had a drink/cookie etc and go check to make sure all was in order in the room. It made for a perfect check in for us. Also, getting to chat with and meet these regular CMs was welcoming and made return visits really nice with familiar faces.

Lives4Disney

 

[garada3]

Management has turned over from the great team they had for the past few yrs and while I was there, I saw something I thought was very very rude & disrespectful and didn't like seeing it at all. It was a small thing, but obvious and so rude & unprofessional to do in front of guests (me and DD)

Lives4Disney

Lives4Disney

I always await your opinions and reviews from your latest trip to WDW. I just wish we could go as often as your family

Please, do tell...what happened?

Thanks!

 

[BCV23]

Channing, I don't even remember what happened our first trip to SL. I do know it wasn't like this month. Second trip, we walked back ourselves. And our only stay in RPC in Sept of 06, we were escorted upstairs but without the CM having all the info on our family, communication about the room's readiness, etc.. This was a new layer of service for us.

 

[princessesrule4]

Kelly, they greet you at the curb -They take you either to your room if it's ready or drop you in the lounge to wait. They use the old fashioned CC slider machines to take a CC imprint. They don't give guests a "tour" and show them around. No drinks at 3rd floor concierge check in anymore. The drinks are gone for good until something maybe changes. Seems like they don't want the 3rd floor concierge CMs involved in much anymore. I like the 3rd floor concierge check in. We know them and they know us and they are great and knowledgeable and helpful. We'll have to wait and see how this whole new thing plays out good or bad. These new curbside check in CMs are new and inexperienced with WDW and the GF. Lots of errors and misinformation but lucky we Disers know most there is to know, lol.

Maybe Princessesrule can give us info based on her own experience after her stay.

Management has turned over from the great team they had for the past few yrs and while I was there, I saw something I thought was very very rude & disrespectful and didn't like seeing it at all. It was a small thing, but obvious and so rude & unprofessional to do in front of guests (me and DD)

Lives4Disney

We leave in 2 more days and can't wait!! Just trying to get through the kids last days of school and final exams - I am so ready for summer! I am packing and doing the usual 200 loads of laundry before a trip!

I will let you all know about check in. Do they just do a credit card imprint on the machine right there at the curb?

Is DJ still a manager there? He is great!!
Lives 4Disney, can you share the incident with us?

 

[Lives4Disney]

PMs sent.



Princesses Rule - Have a safe and WONDERFUL trip. Hope it's magical. Let us know so we can live thru you!!

PS....not sure exactly WHERE they do the CC imprint. Sometime between the curb and the room!

Have fun,

Channing

 

[Jen66]

Princesses Rule~ I cannot wait to hear about your trip! Have a magical time! Only 47 days till our first stay at the GF (and oh boy, are we counting the days down here!!!)
My DS (12) made the most darling Disney schedule in a table form on our computer. One side has all the info of where we are going each day, our ADR numbers, etc and the other has all the parks listed and what we want to make sure we get done at each. She also put tons of really cute Disney clipart on it! So I had 2 of them laminated to take with us! She is so excited!

 

[magical4us4]

Kelly, they greet you at the curb -They take you either to your room if it's ready or drop you in the lounge to wait. They use the old fashioned CC slider machines to take a CC imprint. They don't give guests a "tour" and show them around. No drinks at 3rd floor concierge check in anymore. The drinks are gone for good until something maybe changes. Seems like they don't want the 3rd floor concierge CMs involved in much anymore. I like the 3rd floor concierge check in. We know them and they know us and they are great and knowledgeable and helpful. We'll have to wait and see how this whole new thing plays out good or bad. These new curbside check in CMs are new and inexperienced with WDW and the GF. Lots of errors and misinformation but lucky we Disers know most there is to know, lol.

Maybe Princessesrule can give us info based on her own experience after her stay.

Management has turned over from the great team they had for the past few yrs and while I was there, I saw something I thought was very very rude & disrespectful and didn't like seeing it at all. It was a small thing, but obvious and so rude & unprofessional to do in front of guests (me and DD)

Lives4Disney

Hi Lives4disney!

Well......my husband broke down and we are now going RPC soon... in two weeks!!!

I can't wait to return, but I hope we are not dissapointed in the few changes. Maybe it will be a good thing, since we too have always received different arrival routines with the CM's. Maybe this will have them get the idea of greeting all concierge guests the same way all the time. There has always been an inconsitency with arrivals....my sister even experienced it when she went twice.

As for the 3rd floor....taking that little extra serving of drinks away is a shame. We enjoyed this while making our dining reservations and so on.

Also, I too would like to know what happened at the GF with your daughter. Please let us know so we can avoid it!!

Hope your next trip will be magical at GF. I can only imagine how you felt at S/D!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Hi Lives4disney!

Well......my husband broke down and we are now going RPC soon... in two weeks!!!

I can't wait to return, but I hope we are not dissapointed in the few changes. Maybe it will be a good thing, since we too have always received different arrival routines with the CM's. Maybe this will have them get the idea of greeting all concierge guests the same way all the time. There has always been an inconsitency with arrivals....my sister even experienced it when she went twice.

As for the 3rd floor....taking that little extra serving of drinks away is a shame. We enjoyed this while making our dining reservations and so on.

Also, I too would like to know what happened at the GF with your daughter. Please let us know so we can avoid it!!

Hope your next trip will be magical at GF. I can only imagine how you felt at S/D!

That is awesome!!!! Have a wonderful time! I sent you a PM. I know.....curbside had always been really sporadic for us until the past couple stays. All of a sudden they knew who we were! I thought it was just us because everybody seemed to be so cordially greeted and swept up to the 3rd floor for their magical check in. We had to basically beg to be taken up. Um......losers? So glad it wasn't just us!

Happy travels!!! Hope it's magical! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Channing

 

[BCV23]

Oh, Channing...can you PM me too, please?

OK ladies and Brian D, I think I'm spending too much time on this thread. Over the weekend I had a dream. I was reading an article in Allears format about the new decor at GF....you know indentations and darker print, etc.. There was stuff about pink and green armoires, Tinkerbell and Fairies themes as well as two others that my dream didn't let me read. But the kicker was that each room would have a piano. Then there was something like , "We know our guests enjoy playing their favorites while on vacation....."

Do you think I need to take a DIS break or what!

Princessrule4 and magical4us4, have magical trips!

 

[SLDL]

I have 2 new questions...

Does anyone know anything about the ladybug release held each morning at GF? Anyone ever done that? Our kids would love it but other than seeing it on the Travel Channel, I haven't found much info on it.

Also, how hard is it to get a late check out there? I'm guessing this is something I wouldn't know until that day but I am trying to plan Chef Mickey's for our last day & deciding on what time for that.

Thanks!!

 

[Lives4Disney]

I have 2 new questions...

Does anyone know anything about the ladybug release held each morning at GF? Anyone ever done that? Our kids would love it but other than seeing it on the Travel Channel, I haven't found much info on it.

Also, how hard is it to get a late check out there? I'm guessing this is something I wouldn't know until that day but I am trying to plan Chef Mickey's for our last day & deciding on what time for that.

Thanks!!

Hi, well, I am sorry to say I really don't think they have the lady bug release anymore. I saw that on the TVL channel show yesterday, too. It's an old show and things have changed. Maybe somebody else knows for sure, but I am pretty sure it is a thing of the past.

Late check outs are hard to come by even more so now that hotel occupancy is so high. You can pack up, call bell services, and they will take and store your luggage for you until you're ready to leave the hotel. That has always worked out great for us. If you prefer a late check out, ask at check in and they will tell you to call the night before you are scheduled to check out to see if it's available. If they allow it, usually it is 1 pm.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

 

[magical4us4]

BCV23.....Thanks!!! I know we will have a great time!!!! Can't wait!!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I have 2 new questions...

Does anyone know anything about the ladybug release held each morning at GF? Anyone ever done that? Our kids would love it but other than seeing it on the Travel Channel, I haven't found much info on it.

Also, how hard is it to get a late check out there? I'm guessing this is something I wouldn't know until that day but I am trying to plan Chef Mickey's for our last day & deciding on what time for that.

Thanks!!

I dont think they do the ladybug release there anymore
I havent seen or heard anything about it in a long time.
It looked cool and fun for the kids though

 

[TammiMcMan]

Does anyone know anything about the ladybug release held each morning at GF?

I've been trying and trying to get accurate information on this activity. Someone I know was there a few weeks ago and said that it was offered one of the days. When I pressed for more information though, she wasn't able to give me any specifics. I'm still waiting for her to check the GF newsletter that she got at check-in and see if it's listed there or maybe it was done as part of the daily pool activities .

 

[BCV23]

I checked my newsletter from this month and it was not listed.

There were two activities listed that I had not seen before. Both apparently take place in M. Mercantile. One is a Story Time and in the other children can make a simple craft. I would check "Around & About" for days and times.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I checked my newsletter from this month and it was not listed.

I was kind of beginning to think that it never really happened and this person maybe just thought she heard something about it.

There were two activities listed that I had not seen before. Both apparently take place in M. Mercantile. One is a Story Time and in the other children can make a simple craft. I would check "Around & About" for days and times.

I actually have a 2002 Around & About sitting next to me on my desk.... on it, it does list the story time and the crafts (available for kids ages 4-7).

 

[BCV23]

I actually have a 2002 Around & About sitting next to me on my desk.... on it, it does list the story time and the crafts (available for kids ages 4-7).

That is so funny, Tammi. We stayed at the GF twice in 2002 and several times in between then and now and I don't remember it at all! Of course, I probably read about it and discussed it sometime earlier in this thread and have just totally forgotten about it.

At any rate, there are no longer any ages listed for those two activities.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

thye really need t update that GF show
send Sam Brown back and do a new one
once the remodel is done of course

 

[SLDL]

Have any of you ever done the b'fast with Alice in Wonderland or the dinner w/ Cinderella in the 1900 Park Fare? We are considering both since we will be at GF and I want to know your opinions of them. Also, I saw an Alice costume when I was there last time & I can't remember if it was in the GF gift shop or not. Has anyone seen one there? Would love to get one for DD2. Thanks!

 

[BCV23]

My DS2 and I did the Alice breakfast in January. It was good. The characters were great and the service was fine. Food was typical breakfast buffet. But we're not a buffet family anyway...we did it just becasue he gets a kick out of the characters.

Sorry I didn't notice the costumes in the shop. Around a year or so ago, the back section of Summer Lace ws all costumes but thankfully that area is back to women's apparel. Any costumes would be upstairs in M. Merchantile.

But you could always call WDW Merchandise and order one. Then you won't have to scurry around looking while on vacation.