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

[DisneyNotes]

We've been here at GF for two days, and I have to say this is rapidly becoming the favorite resort we've stayed at....

How exciting that you are there right now! It's our favorite resort, too. What's not to love? Enjoy your vacation.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

The GF is stunning. I love it at night when taking the boat or monorail back to the GF and its all lit up. Its so nice. I also have stayed at all the deluxes but AKL and the GF is truly magical.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

We leave for the GF on August 27th. While we are there we are celebrating ds's 16th birthday . He still loves WDW so it is a great way to celebrate (he is dissappointed that we are staying at the GF as WL is his favorite, but I promised he would LOVE the GF LOL)!

Thanks to all the wonderful suggestions here I have ordered a mini castle cake, a chocolate mickey and truffles to be delivered to our room the first night .

I spoke to Danielle at the GF Bakery yesterday to place the order - she was super nice and very helpful. I'm a little concerned that I may have ordered too much food (just me and the kiddos this trip), but I want it all sooooo bad I couldn't help myself!!

Thanks for all the suggestions and pictures everyone!

I am already so psyched to go!! Can't wait !!!

 

[jenins121681]

I ordered cookies and they said ok. I didn't request anything special, so I don't have details for you.

They do!! You can get a little variety plate with the fancy, little ones or I believe the yummy larger choc chip/oatmeal/sugar/or peanut butter.

Enjoy!!!


DisneyplannerMama - I am so glad you are having such a nice time. We have stayed in almost all the WDW deluxes and GF is by far the best. Keep having fun!!!

Lives4Disney

Awesome, thanks, I will definately check into this...he is gonna be soooo surprised!!

 

[DisneyNotes]

Awesome, thanks, I will definately check into this...he is gonna be soooo surprised!!

I think it will be a great surprise, too.

 

[Lives4Disney]

We leave for the GF on August 27th. While we are there we are celebrating ds's 16th birthday . He still loves WDW so it is a great way to celebrate (he is dissappointed that we are staying at the GF as WL is his favorite, but I promised he would LOVE the GF LOL)!

Thanks to all the wonderful suggestions here I have ordered a mini castle cake, a chocolate mickey and truffles to be delivered to our room the first night .

I spoke to Danielle at the GF Bakery yesterday to place the order - she was super nice and very helpful. I'm a little concerned that I may have ordered too much food (just me and the kiddos this trip), but I want it all sooooo bad I couldn't help myself!!

Thanks for all the suggestions and pictures everyone!

I am already so psyched to go!! Can't wait !!!

Sounds great! We ordered a 10 inch Tinkerbelle bday cake for DD and it is DH's bday the SAME day so I had also ordered the white choco Goofy and strawberries and truffles together. Ya, it was too much, lol, but it was good!! We wound up giving the concierge CMs big chunks of the bday cake and still leaving 1/2 of it in the fridge when we checked out. We always go nuts & oversplurge on vacations. It's part of the fun.

Happy travels,

Lives4Disney

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

Hello one and all! Thanks to some gentle nudging, I am here to give a report on our somewhat unexpected stay at the GF.

Even though we checked out of the GF on 7/28, we did not return home until late Sunday evening 8/5. Then it was back to work and football practice for our family. Getting back has been hectic, and we had houseguests coming shortly after our return. Throw in an unexpected trip to NY for a funeral, and making plans for 2 upcoming WDW trips...So, I have not had much time to find the thread and post. Sorry.

We checked into the Grand around 4PM on 7/21. Despite the pouring rain, everything went smoothly at check in. We got 3 rooms together in Big Pine Key and just loved that location. We had lagoon view rooms on the 4th floor. Once we stepped off the elevators we were to the left, and down the hallway to the left. Not the end rooms, but pretty close. The building was being renovated while we were there, but other than some boards that were up outside the building, we did not notice anything.

Although there was no wait a check in, the luggage was a bit slow in arriving--about an hour. We were waiting for our garden grocer delivery as well, and as I predicted, the luggage and the groceries arrived at the same time. Due to the steady rain, we abandoned plans to go to the MK and just spent the time settling in. It was nice to have a lobby in BPK with tables and chairs and such. Our whole group met here the first evening for a "meeting". Then we were off to find just how convenient that monorail stop is!

We did not have a problem adding my friend's 82 yr old mom to their room when we arrived, and as promised we did not have to put her on the same package as the rest of us. I think my friends just paid an extra $25 per night and that was that. Mammaw, as we call her, was able to join us when we went to dinner at Chef Mickey and breakfast at 'Ohana. She also joined us on our Epcot day and we all went to Coral Reef. Other than that, my friend usually ordered room service if we weren't around the resort for dinner. In hind site, the dining plan would have worked well for her since she could have used it for private dining and her one day ticket could have been used at Epcot. Oh well. Live and learn.

My friends were hoping for a room with a day bed since there was 5 of them and we thought the 2 year old could sleep on that, but they did not get a room with a day bed. They worked it out by having a roll away sent up. On the day we checked out we happened to see a room on the first floor of our building open with housekeeping inside and saw the day bed arrangement. My friend said that it would have been nice, but they did fine just standing the roll away up and sliding it between the wall and the bed each day. Really the buildings were a perfect size, and we would have been fine even if our friends were down on the first floor.

Our whole group loved the place. Other than me and my husband, the rest of our travel party spent many more waking hours at the resort than at the parks. So, they loved the luxury and convenience of the Grand. Particulary being on the monorail.

On our last day there, we canceled our Hoop De Doo reservations and opted to rent a cabana by the beach pool and have a pool party. That was a lot of fun. Other than GG, I don't think any of us ate at any of the other places on site. My husband and I had a reservation at Narcoosssee, but decided to go to Jiko instead. We made a reservation for the character b'fast that was being held at the Grand Cafe since 1900 is under renovation, but ended up canceling that too in favor of going over to Ohana for the Character b'fast. We thought the atmosphere was more suited to our needs.


Overall, everyone loved the resort. My son loved the fact that the pool was open 24 hours. He would stay out there playing ping pong with his buddies from England. I think he would have stayed out there all night if we let him, but since I would not go to sleep until he was in, he didn't stay out all night. I must say, however there were nights that I was out there in the hot tub until 1 or 2 in the morning, so, he was out pretty late as well.

If pressed to say something bad about the place, I would mention that the elevators in our building were very slow. Also, the regular concierge was not always helpful and on a couple of occasions gave incorrect information. Fortunately my fears about transportation were not realized and we never waited more than 10-15 minutes for a bus. Usually more like 5 minutes. Only once did we have to get on a full bus and stand for our trip to the park--AK I think.

I guess I should add that our friend's little girl had her purse stolen when down by the beach pool. Her dad had put a towel over it, but that did not deter. And yes, some very kind CM searched the used towel bins to see if the purse accidentally ended up there..nope. It did not end up in the laundry room either.

Well, it is getting late. Sorry I did not get this posted sooner. Thanks again to all of the info on the front end.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Imgonnabe40
Glad to hear that you had a great trip!

I have been trying to decide between Big Pine Key and Sago for a while. I really like the location of Big Pine Key. Was it quiet? I guess my worry with that building is ending up with a view of the pool cabana.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Imgonnabe40

Glad to hear that you had a great trip! We also had a cabana when we went and it was great.

 

[BCV23]

Hi everyone. Back from vacation and haven't had time to catch up with the whole thread but noticed two questions.

Yes, you can see the Electrical Water Pageant from Conch Key if your room is TPV. I love that show.

You can see the monorail from lagoon side rooms in Sugar Loaf. You see it emerge from behind Sago Cay and can watch it almost to the MK. But the view is at a distance of course.

 

[DisneyNotes]

Yes, you can see the Electrical Water Pageant from Conch Key if your room is TPV. I love that show.

I love that show, too. I'm so glad they've kept it all these years.

 

[greenpea89]

Sorry if this has been asked a million times before but I was wondering if anyone knows when they start taking the Christmas decorations down at the GF? We will be arriving at the GF on the 5th of January and we are hoping some of the decorations will still be up. I know Osbourne Family lights ends on the sixth so we are crossing our fingers that we will be able to see the GF in all of it's finery for at least a day! On a completely different note we will be staying in a suite beginning on the 6th but it isn't available on the 5th so we will be staying in theme park view rooms on that night. I know some of you have done this sort of internal resort switch before and I was wondering if you had any tips for a smooth transfer? Thanks!

 

[honeypot36]

So I was able to get a AAA rate ($368 with tax) for a gv GF room July 21-31 and a AAA rate ($376 with tax) for a waterview YC room July 31-August 5

Is it true that AAA rates/AP rates only apply to rooms and not packages including DDP?

thanks.

 

[DisneyNotes]

So I was able to get a AAA rate ($368 with tax) for a gv GF room July 21-31 and a AAA rate ($376 with tax) for a waterview YC room July 31-August 5

Is it true that AAA rates/AP rates only apply to rooms and not packages including DDP?

thanks.

I got the AAA rate and I had to choose that or the free dining plan.

 

[WoodysRoundup]

Thanks for the responses!

BrianD...Lots of info. on views.....very helpful and thanks so much!

BCV...Looking forward to more news about your trip! You mentioned being able to see the EWP from Conch. How about the MK fireworks from there?

DisneyPlannerMama We've stayed at both the GF and Poly. I swore we'd go back to the Poly next time but now I'm thinking maybe GF again. What made you decide to switch?

Regarding RPC rooms......When I tried to book online, they offer Club Level Theme Park View now in the main bldg. I think this is a new thing? I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge about where these rooms are and what views of the MK they afford?

Also, anywhere on GF property where you can see Wishes where the music is also piped in?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[DisneyNotes]

Regarding RPC rooms......When I tried to book online, they offer Club Level Theme Park View now in the main bldg. I think this is a new thing?

Wow - I had no idea that had changed. That's good to hear.

Also, anywhere on GF property where you can see Wishes where the music is also piped in?

The music is piped in at the dock. Maybe available other places, too, but I know I've heard it there.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Thanks for the responses!

Regarding RPC rooms......When I tried to book online, they offer Club Level Theme Park View now in the main bldg. I think this is a new thing? I'm wondering if anyone has any knowledge about where these rooms are and what views of the MK they afford?

Also, anywhere on GF property where you can see Wishes where the music is also piped in?

Thanks again everyone!

The RPC rooms that have MK views are over Gasparillas Grill, facing the marina. They are down the hall from the lounge on the 3rd and 4th floor. Honeymoon rooms are on the 2nd and suites on the 5th. Wow.....I am bummed to hear this new booking thing. We have ALWAYS had our request for MK view honored and now I feel PRESSURE to book so far in advance to get AAA rates, to get the resort I want and now to get that view I want. I really miss being able to book 2 months out.

I just checked July dates that I am thinking about and won't book yet because I have a Thanksgiving trip and then a March spring break trip....one thing at a time - and it just came up standard club room for RPC. I wonder if that means the MK views are already gone or if the system is just whacky as usual. I'd think this far in advance those MK rooms wouldn't be already booked up. Crazy.

Lives4Disney

 

[DisneyNotes]

Maybe this new pricing policy is to take the pressure off of the CMs from all of the requests that they must receive. When I requested a MK view, I remember telling the CM that I would have gladly paid for it just so that I didn't have to wonder if I would have one. Now that I've had one, I can relax and take whatever view I get. The resort is beautiful and any view is lovely.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I havent seen that yet in the system. I am sure if it is new the RPC staffs will make sure regulars get their requests. I know know someone who goes to BWI all the time and even when booking a regular concierge room they get a deluxe one.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Maybe this new pricing policy is to take the pressure off of the CMs from all of the requests that they must receive. When I requested a MK view, I remember telling the CM that I would have gladly paid for it just so that I didn't have to wonder if I would have one. Now that I've had one, I can relax and take whatever view I get. The resort is beautiful and any view is lovely.

I always felt like if we requested it there was some magic for repeat guests. I know LOTS of hotels take care of their repeat guests. I am sure they get plenty of requests, but I always loved that I felt like we were given a bit extra. Just one way they've kept us coming back.

I put in several 08 dates and nothing other than standard club came up - no MK club view. Maybe just a flukey thing. I am curious about it.

Whatever.... Time will tell.

Lives4Disney