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

[Lives4Disney]

hey does anyone know when sugar loaf is getting rehabbed
I booked Spet 7-10 at the GF sugar loaf but I dont wanna be their ifs it gonna be under construction.

anyone ....

Kelly, you are great! I just read that Sammie posted SL is scheduled for rehab in Sept actually.

So, did you have a totally wonderful time or what?? How'd you all do with the heat?? Everything go well??

We did the late night thing and swam all day til the storms came thru. Had a blast and now thinking of November and planning that.

Channing

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Kelly, you are great! I just read that Sammie posted SL is scheduled for rehab in Sept actually.

So, did you have a totally wonderful time or what?? How'd you all do with the heat?? Everything go well??

We did the late night thing and swam all day til the storms came thru. Had a blast and now thinking of November and planning that.

Channing

It was great
we were going out in the am and the breaking and going back out at night
we loved the cabana and the resort
I know some people really like the values and I do like POP but it feels to go home at night and it feels like home.
the rooms, atmosphere and food really make a difference.
Did Sammie post that schedule here on this thread? I emailed Calvin at his other email to ask him, the Poly is available to and I was thinking of switching it to that if the GF is being rehabbed. Also BWI is available and thats great to.

 

[Lives4Disney]

It was great
we were going out in the am and the breaking and going back out at night
we loved the cabana and the resort
I know some people really like the values and I do like POP but it feels to go home at night and it feels like home.
the rooms, atmosphere and food really make a difference.
Did Sammie post that schedule here on this thread? I emailed Calvin at his other email to ask him, the Poly is available to and I was thinking of switching it to that if the GF is being rehabbed. Also BWI is available and thats great to.

Sammie didn't say exactly when, but there was another thread asking about GF rehabs and Sammie said the only known thing is that SL is going down in Sept. Not sure how accurate that info is, but Sammie seems to be in the know re GF.

Good luck, you lucky duck!!! Glad you had fun and get to go back so soon.

Channing

 

[TxTiggergal]

Hi fellow GF lovers! We just returned last night from a 7 night stay at the GF (July 8 - 15). We were in Sago, lodge tower room #5313. Our room was *not* refurbished, but nice nonetheless. At the first of the week, they were constructing a pergola onto the front of the building. We didn't find the noise to be too bad at all and they were through with it before the end of the week. Other than that, we didn't see any evidence of refurbishment going on in Sago. We did see them carrying furniture out of Conch, but we didn't see any being removed from Sago, nor was there any evidence of interior-type rehab going on in our building. Service was terrific and we had a great time. Sago was a great location for us...just a quick walk to Gasparilla's and we liked the marina view. We also took the little shortcut via the service entrance to access the bus stop. We saw the Cinderella's carriage, complete with white ponies and footmen, coming through for brides on 2 occasions, which was pretty neat to see. Anyway, now it's on to the mountain of laundry we brought home. To all that are headed down soon to the GF, you will have a wonderful time!!!!!

 

[Cmbar]

Hi fellow GF lovers! We just returned last night from a 7 night stay at the GF (July 8 - 15). We were in Sago, lodge tower room #5313. Our room was *not* refurbished, but nice nonetheless. At the first of the week, they were constructing a pergola onto the front of the building. We didn't find the noise to be too bad at all and they were through with it before the end of the week. Other than that, we didn't see any evidence of refurbishment going on in Sago. We did see them carrying furniture out of Conch, but we didn't see any being removed from Sago, nor was there any evidence of interior-type rehab going on in our building. Service was terrific and we had a great time. Sago was a great location for us...just a quick walk to Gasparilla's and we liked the marina view. We also took the little shortcut via the service entrance to access the bus stop. We saw the Cinderella's carriage, complete with white ponies and footmen, coming through for brides on 2 occasions, which was pretty neat to see. Anyway, now it's on to the mountain of laundry we brought home. To all that are headed down soon to the GF, you will have a wonderful time!!!!!

So glad you had a great time!!!

One question, if you don't mind.... What is a Lodge tower room? Or better question would be what level room did you book? Was it GV or LV? I know Sago isn't a Conceirge level so I assumed you booked one of those two views. Just trying to get an idea if a Lodge room is different in some way. We have a GV booked for November and are hoping that Sago will be refurbished by then and want a higher floor. But just not sure what is available to a GV booking. I feel like I booked a "Slum" room because it is only a GV but that is all we can afford!!! Just want to know what would be our best request for a nice GV room! We would like to be close to Gasparilla!Thanks!

 

[BCV23]

TxTiggergal, thanks for the report. Glad you had fun. What could you see from your lodge tower room?

Tammi, maybe that's it and it was during construction although I still can't figure out where a garbage truck would go.

A boat captain once told us that during renovations to the GF years ago, they ferried things in and so had to build concrete pads to receive the materials.

 

[BCV23]

Cmbar, a Garden view room is sooooo far from slumming it and really makes the most sense IMO. The GF views are gorgeous and the difference is price is enormous. You can have some very nice meals, room service, or nice souvenirs for the difference. Have a great trip!

 

[hmp2z]

Can someone 'splain to me the location of the dumpster that Heather saw from Conch Key. We've stayed in Conch Key three times and have dined (or lunched) at Narcoossee's dozens of times and I just can't picture a dumpster much less a road for a garbage truck to use. Senior moment I guess.

I know, I've been causing consternation with this! But I know it was Conch Key, because on the 3-4 stays at the GF when we didn't stay in the main building, we were put in Conch Key every single time. We've never been in any other building!

There was some kind of construction going on, now that you mention it, because there was a crane in our line of vision. I remember it because, again, it was more evidence of the outside world intruding. We were both so unhappy about our room that we decided not to stay in the outer lodges again with a GV room. It was several years back, so I'm sorry that I can't provide better details. We didn't have the digital camera then, so I can't even upload pictures if we took them (which I doubt, with a view that ugly).

We just have bad room luck, though; when we stayed at the BC concierge level, we were put in a room that, when I posted pictures, everyone said was much smaller than normal. There was nowhere for us to sit and eat our snacks from the lounge, so we had to eat them on the extra bed - yech...

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[HockeyMomR]

As promised here are pictures of our renovated room as GF. My poor family - "Don't move, let me take pictures first!"

Conch Key - Theme Park View Room

My DSs thought the room was nice, I do think next time I would like to stay in Sugar Loaf or Main Building for closer proximity to amenities, but the view from our room was wonderful.

This chair and ottoman were favorite of DH. What a great idea to have a "comfy" chair in the room!

The daybed:

and slept in - very similar to Poly renovated room daybed:

Our wonderful view (once they exterminated the hornets or mud somethings living on the balcony )

Lives4Disney as per my signature, we are big fans of YC / BC and this trip did not disappoint once again. Glad to hear you enjoyed your YC stay as well! We like to split our stays to try new resorts and glad we did - GF is beautiful and location to MK is great.

Our original plan was 5 nights at BC and 2 nights GF Sugar Loaf, our plans changed when my family decided to keep the dining plan for one more day. So, in the end we booked 6 night BC w/ dining and one night GF Magic Kingdom View. We stayed 6 nights (was to be BC, but at check-in the CM asked if we would switch to YC, of course we said that was fine and we received a wonderful waterview room #4175 at YC). We then switched to our one night at GF Magic Kingdom View (wish we had stayed one more night at GF - switch was too much for just one night stay). We had the opportunity to stay until later afternoon Sunday as our flight was not until 6:45 PM, we were hoping for a late check out time, but the Grand was fully occupied and they could not accommodate the request.

Thank you to all on this thread for your valuable information in planning our first stay at the GF. Next time we will spend more time there!

 

[Lives4Disney]

So glad you had a great time!!!

One question, if you don't mind.... What is a Lodge tower room? Or better question would be what level room did you book? Was it GV or LV? I know Sago isn't a Conceirge level so I assumed you booked one of those two views. Just trying to get an idea if a Lodge room is different in some way. We have a GV booked for November and are hoping that Sago will be refurbished by then and want a higher floor. But just not sure what is available to a GV booking. I feel like I booked a "Slum" room because it is only a GV but that is all we can afford!!! Just want to know what would be our best request for a nice GV room! We would like to be close to Gasparilla!Thanks!

We are a family of GF concierge lovers, but for our upcoming Thanksgiving trip booked a GV room!! You are not slumming it....I always thought if concierge wasn't available, I'd just book the GV and that's what I did. The views are lovely and I personally don't think it's worth the extra money to look at the brown Seven Seas Lagoon. The lodge tower rooms are a category you can book - I think almost as expensive as SL concierge.....anyway, there are only a few of them, they are in the turrets and have two queen beds and an extra little seating area (in the turret) with sofa, table & chairs and a second TV. A few pages back Kelly posted some pics of her lodge tower room in SL (in sugar loaf, these rooms are request only, but in all the other buildings you book that category)

Happy travels,

Lives4Disney

 

[HockeyMomR]

One more I forgot:

 

[HockeyMomR]

We are a family of GF concierge lovers, but for our upcoming Thanksgiving trip booked a GV room!! You are not slumming it....I always thought if concierge wasn't available, I'd just book the GV and that's what I did. The views are lovely and I personally don't think it's worth the extra money to look at the brown Seven Seas Lagoon. The lodge tower rooms are a category you can book - I think almost as expensive as SL concierge.....anyway, there are only a few of them, they are in the turrets and have two queen beds and an extra little seating area (in the turret) with sofa, table & chairs and a second TV. A few pages back Kelly posted some pics of her lodge tower room in SL (in sugar loaf, these rooms are request only, but in all the other buildings you book that category)

Happy travels,

Lives4Disney

I think the GV rooms would be great. The grounds at GF are lovely!

 

[Lives4Disney]

HockeymomR Thanks for the gorgeous pictures!!! It looks like you were in a top floor, dormer room?? (the slanted ceilings?).....these used to only sleep 4, but now they put the daybed in. Cool. Would you say the daybed is larger than the YC/BC ones?? Was it twin size or really close do you think?? My DS 16.5 is getting kind of squashed on the "old" GF and YC daybeds.....he can pretty much sleep anywhere, but they way he fits doesn't look comfy to me at all, lol!!

THANKS again - LOVE the pics! YC is a fun resort and we love the BW/Epcot/MGM area. The only bummer was the bus transportation and housekeeping was better this year than last, but still not on par with GF for us.

Lives4Disney

 

[KristenHoneymooner]

Hockeymom, your room was georgous!

What building and view was it? Do you know if there will be a substantial number of rehabbed rooms by mid-August?

Thanks

 

[Cmbar]

HOCKEYMOMR,

Great Pics!!! Thank you for posting them.

Did you have a dormer room? How did the size of this room compare to the BC/YC room. YC/BC always look bigger in the pictures, probably due to decor.

I was surprised to see that one bed looked like it butted up against the wall. Is that true or just the way it looks in the picture?

Also, forgive me if I missed it, but what builiding were you in?

Thanks!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Hockeymom, your room was georgous!

What building and view was it? Do you know if there will be a substantial number of rehabbed rooms by mid-August?

Thanks

Not Hockeymom, but she was in a MK/Theme Park View in Conch.

Nobody is sure about the rehab schedule. Conch seems to be the only building being worked on inside at this point.

PS.....I do like these pics better than the ones posted on another thread.....maybe the room is growing on me....That picture over the sofa/daybed bugs me, though. I am all for asymmetry, but they hung it too low and I think a wider picture would have looked more appropriate.

 

[princessesrule4]

Thanks for the pix Hockeymom!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Sorry, double post.

 

[HockeyMomR]

HockeymomR Thanks for the gorgeous pictures!!! It looks like you were in a top floor, dormer room?? (the slanted ceilings?).....these used to only sleep 4, but now they put the daybed in. Cool. Would you say the daybed is larger than the YC/BC ones?? Was it twin size or really close do you think?? My DS 16.5 is getting kind of squashed on the "old" GF and YC daybeds.....he can pretty much sleep anywhere, but they way he fits doesn't look comfy to me at all, lol!!

THANKS again - LOVE the pics! YC is a fun resort and we love the BW/Epcot/MGM area. The only bummer was the bus transportation and housekeeping was better this year than last, but still not on par with GF for us.

Lives4Disney

Yes, it was a top floor dormer room. When we checked in originally they said there was no daybed in this room, but it did have one!

We also like to the YC / BC location to Epcot and MGM.

Funny how things go with housekeeping - we had great housekeeping at YC, our room was spotless upon check-in and was always cleaned by the time we got back from the parks early afternoon around 1:30. I mentioned to DH that we must have a room that was one of the first to be taken care of daily. One day we did not leave the room until 10:30 and housekeeping had already stopped by to see if they could clean yet, so, I think we wer lucky on our room location! Unfortunately, when we checked into our GF room there were finger prints all over the slider and refrigerator furniture piece and the sink had overflowed at some point (they think during housekeeping before our check in) and the rug under the sink on the left was soaked. The response to correct these problems was prompt. The GF management did call us and take care of these things and the "hornet" nest problem on the balcony. The sign of a well run resort - resolving problems quickly.

 

[HockeyMomR]

Hockeymom, your room was georgous!

What building and view was it? Do you know if there will be a substantial number of rehabbed rooms by mid-August?

Thanks

We were in Conch Key room 7429 Theme Park View room, loved the view! We did not ask about the extent of the rehab to date, but it did seem as though Conch Key was fully rehabbed by the looks of the hallways. There was a construction sign and wall at Sugar Loaf.