Maybe we'll see you there...we are getting there tomorrow morning!
I am thinking of changing our Tgiving trip to a Xmas one. I am bummed that the AP rates don't include check ins after Dec 15. I would need Dec 19 at the earliest. That darn ap website stinks, too.
Does anybody know if AAA rates would be a possibility for holiday period or did Disney remove that too??
I just am concerned about DS 17 missing 3 days of his jr yr in HS over Tgiving. The girls have that whole week off. He doesn't.
We'll see.....
Lives4Disney
When my girls came home from WI w/my parents I asked them about Xmas at GF again and my littlest one cried. She needs Xmas at home so that's where we'll be - which is a bummer, but we'll just keep our Thanksgiving ressie at the 40% off which is really too good to dump anyway! 
I remember just a little while ago that the rooms that were always available were at the Grand. They couldn't FILL them. Now, probably thanks to all our gabbing and giving away the secret of the magic at the GF we can't get ourselves in unless we book a half a year out. * Good grief * 
Brian, thanks for that input & info....I was curious if discounts were even available. I was running into that same garbage regarding Disney not letting us check in on dec 19 and continue our stay into their holiday rates for value rates. They had it open but I couldn't do a continuing stay.
I was less than thrilled w/how Disney is handling the AP rates nightly. They way they jump up during holiday season it's almost a wash betwn booking rack and having the rate hold at value for the duration than booking AP and having it jump up so high w/ their new nightly system. I am just not feeling the Disney love lately at all. Their new changes really do stink and it is just so many changes all at once. Now I found out that you can't even put an AP room on courtesy hold anymore, either. Little by little their new crackdown rules are becoming known to me and I am not liking it.
Good luck! Hope you can eek your way into the Grand for your Dec trip!
We chose the room discount over the dining plan, too, for the GF. Gasparilla's is good. The kids get the chicken strips and pizza. I like the soup. They are very accommodating about special orders, which we always seem to have. I don't know why we have so much trouble ordering off a menu. Oh, they do have burgers and good breakfast sandwiches, too.
You call the GF private dining at 407-824-2474. I believe they only need a couple days notice, but I'd call a week or so ahead of time. The strawberries are delicious and you can have them on a platter with a white choc character, too, if you want. I did a white choc Goofy and a mix of the strawberries and truffles. (the truffles are pretty yummy!) They have other characters available & can fill you in if you're interested. They also can do strawberry brides in white chocolate - I forgot about that - we had those once....the tuxes are milk w/a touch of white, the little pearly brides are all white and cute. Have fun planning.
Kelly, ya, I have been out all day and just saw AP rates were released. Lots of complaints regarding the "deals" and availablity seems VERY limited in deluxes.I wish they would.
Happy planning,
Lives4Disney
Thanks for the info, I think I will call a week or so before we leave, do you know if they also do cookies?? My Hubby is a cookie fanatic...
We have stayed in almost all the WDW deluxes and GF is by far the best. 
Keep having fun!!! 
