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

[lynr]

Lyn - Thanks for posting! Enjoy yourself. Sorry you didn't get the octagonal room again. How about watching Wishes from your balcony there on the 2nd floor? Is there anything good about being in the honeymoon floor?? I always thought it would be a bit of a hassle to get to. Is the room you have a "new" room"? Hope you meet Vonnie tomorrow. She is great & she'll help you with any issues you may have - Hopefully none, lol. Too bad about those you already had. At least service was quick and painless.

Enjoy!Lives4Disney

Channing:

We saw Vonnie today but she was very busy so I couldn't talk to her.

Watching wishes from the balcony is marvelous.

We have a new room, well sort of. The room itself has been redone but the sink area and bathroom have the old wallpaper. I am not sure if every room is like this or if these rooms are not completed yet. The decor is nice but there is no drawer space to speak of. Did I mention I miss the mini bar???

The location of the room is out of the way to get to. I feel like we are not part of concierge. However if we take the elevator from Gaspy's we get off right in front of our room. You can hear everyone in the hallway and outside since we are so close to the ground. I think we were spoiled in June by having that octagon room because it was so big and set back so far that we didn't hear anything.

We are having a great time and will be very sorry to leave tomorrow. December seems so far away but I know it will be here very fast and we will be back.

Lyn

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Quick question. How do you know who to conntact on the concerige floor? We are staying in the RPC at Christmas and I would like to talk to somebody about aranging something for my mom's birthday but not sure who. We booked our trip through AAA and nobody has contacted us like they say they do. Hope someone can help.

Lissa

 

[Lives4Disney]

Quick question. How do you know who to conntact on the concerige floor? We are staying in the RPC at Christmas and I would like to talk to somebody about aranging something for my mom's birthday but not sure who. We booked our trip through AAA and nobody has contacted us like they say they do. Hope someone can help.

Lissa

WDW.GF.Planning@disney.com is the email address for the IPO team. Contact them and either they can help you or direct you to the proper contact. Happy planning. We spent last Christmas in RPC and it was wonderful.


Lyn - I am going to miss the minibars, too!! I thought BrianD and I were the only ones bummed about them going away. I really liked the convenience. They probably just couldn't keep up with them.

Ya, I know what you mean about that section of RPC feeling disconnected. I would feel the same but I was just kind of curious if there was something you could say that was beneficial to being on that floor. Seems kind of a hassle, though to get to the lounge area etc. I think I would be disappointed to be over there on that 2nd floor. That Gaspie corner elevator is great and convenient, though. We often take that one up after the boat return from MK. Sorry you have to leave so soon! Well, you know you're coming back again soon, lol.

Keep having fun 'til the very last second!

Channing

 

[lynr]

Channing:

I got to meet Vonnie today after all. I ran into her in the elevator and I mentioned how highly you speak of her, seems genuinely fond of you also. Gosh she is soo nice. She gave me some advice about being able to switch from SL to RPC for my December trip. I hope it works out. I don't really care if we get a Deluxe room but I was really hoping for RPC.

I didn't mean to sound like there was nothing nice about this room. Sorry everyone that it sounded like that. The view is great and the size of the room is nice. The new decor isn't bad to me in person. I think it looked worse on the internet. This location just wouldn't be my first choice.

Tonight on our way back from Downtown Disney my DH asked why we don't stay at the Polynesian anymore. I told him that we just needed a change. The Polynesian is still his favorite.

Well it's late and tomorrow is packing and checking out. I have a feeling the airport is going to be crazy busy. Our flight is 6:55 PM so we have most of the day here.

Until later.

Lyn

 

[Suzanne74]

I am sure it is mentioned somewhere but I can not find it. I will be in a garden room in late Nov/early Dec. Will most of those rooms be done by then? This is our first time so I don't really have anything to compare to. I was just curious. Thanks!

 

[grannyminnie]

That's when I'll be there, but from what I've read on here, all the rooms won't be done by then. There is only one building finished now (Boca).

 

[Lives4Disney]

That's when I'll be there, but from what I've read on here, all the rooms won't be done by then. There is only one building finished now (Boca).

Grannyminnie.....I am sorry to question you, but have you recently heard that Boca Chica is completed?? I haven't been really keeping up. The only one I know for sure is that Conch is finished. They have been working on the main building for a while and I think that's either done or about done and I know SL is going down very shortly for it's redo. I heard Big Pine was getting some work done - not sure about that timeline. I did not hear about Boca or Sago at all....maybe I missed something. ???

I am curious, too because we'll be there Nov 16 - 26 and I requested Sago, but now that reports are coming back with folks getting that convention center portapotty view I am AFRAID of Sago, haha. We won't arrive 'til about 11 pm on a Friday nt.....guess what we'll be viewing?? I think I need to call CRO and adjust my request!

Lyn - That is great you met my favorite CM. She is so Disney. She knows EVERYTHING and if by some odd chance she doesn't, she will find it out for you. My girls refer to the GF as "Vonnie's hotel". Hope you had another wonderful time - sounds like it! No comment on the Poly favorite thing, lol. I am lucky that my husband really really loves the GF and RPC. Thanks for the report - and you did not make it sound like your room was a drag. No apologies! I would be a bit let down after that octagon room, too.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

 

[grannyminnie]

I'm sorry...you're right..I got confused. It is Conch that I have read about. I shouldn't be shooting off my mouth when I haven't been there yet (!), only been reading up in preparation for our stay. You're one of the "experts" who helps, Lives4Disney. I appreciate all the good tips I've read on here!!

 

[Lives4Disney]

I'm sorry...you're right..I got confused. It is Conch that I have read about. I shouldn't be shooting off my mouth when I haven't been there yet (!), only been reading up in preparation for our stay. You're one of the "experts" who helps, Lives4Disney. I appreciate all the good tips I've read on here!!

Grannyminnie - I shoot my mouth off all the time! Don't worry about it. I hope I didn't come across snarky.... I just thought I might have missed something. I can't keep up!

Happy planning!!!

Lives4Disney

 

[conandrob240]

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!!!

 

[Lives4Disney]

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!!!

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

 

[TammiMcMan]

- way too stuffy and quiet. I like upscale but not "snooty" and not for a disney experience.

Definitely not an uncommon remark about the GF. If you can get past the "theme" then you're okay, otherwise people get the impression that it's snooty.

- Unlike the AKL, there weren't kid's programs during the day.

I think AKL really wins the programming award hands down. I know a lot of people who travel from their own resorts, just to take part in the activities that they offer.

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.

I wish I had a dollar for every trip I've ever made to any Disney resort and not gotten a towel animal. I could pay for a whole other trip. My advice, if towel animals are a big deal, take a cruise. They do some amazing creations and they even offer classes if guests want to learn that secret art.

- housekeeping was awful.

Sorry about the housekeeping. Sadly, this seems to be a fairly common complaint here on the DIS lately. Just for future reference, requests for a specific time should be made with the housekeeping manager. They're the ones who distribute the duty sheets and unfortunately, telling the person at your door, won't get it on those duty sheets.

- 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.

I made this exact statement when I saw the pictures of the renovated rooms. As much as I think that chair and ottomon look comfy, I was really disappointed to see them take out the nice large round table and seating. The YC was the same way, we ordered room service and all had to sit on the bed to eat.

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.

I've heard that the bird droppings around the CR wings was bad, I hadn't heard about the GF dormers. Maybe they can set up a few plastic owls to help alleviate that. In regards to the A/C, my DH likes the room somewhere around meat locker temperature and he often complains about the A/C at Disney in general.

- the hotel accidentally destryoed the gift basket I had ordered.

How did you know that they destroyed it? Did they eventually deliver it? Not sure who you used (Sarah maybe or Feralpeg), but you should probably pass along this information to them.

-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.

Yeah, I have to say, most Florida pools are not refreshing in hot weather. I remember throwing ice cubes in our cousins pool. They have heaters, maybe they should figure out a way to cool them too.

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

Sounds like that would have been a much better fit for your family. Well, at least now you know the GF is not for you and luckily it didn't cost you any extra to find that out.

 

[dingoballs]

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.

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.

I can't way we've ever encounered 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....... 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. At least you didn't let the nice upgrade to the beautiful Grand Floridian ruin your vacation.

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

Lives4Disney

ConandRob240

I agree with Lives4Disney. It's a shame that you didn't seem to enjoy the casual elegance of the GF. We always stay at the GF and have never encountered the problems/issues that you described. Personally, I would not choose the Poly for the exact reasons that they appeal to you. I guess that's why WDW provides such a broad range of resorts to choose from... there's something for everyone!

 

[irisbud]

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!!!

Wow, sorry that you had such a bad stay. I have never encountered any of these issues with the GF before, and am really surprised that you did. We love the GF and do not find it at all snooty or stuck up.

Also, just so you know for future reference should you ever visit the hotel again, not all of the restaurants at the GF are signature restaurants.

Thanks for stopping by to review. I hope you enjoy your next stay a lot more!

 

[werfamily]

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!!

I totally agree with you on this! The first time we encountered towel animals was our one and only time on Carnival Cruise Lines back in '96. Since then, we've equated towel animals with cheesy hotels and cruise lines! Nothing about a towel animal says luxury to me. We have had the housekeepers at Disney arrange the kids stuffed animals in fun vignettes, which to me seems more entertaining.

 

[conandrob240]

Glad you love the GF. I didn't. I have nothing to be bitter about. The hotel was only 1 piece of an othwerwise perfect trip. I am not mad about it and I didn't let it interfere with my fun in any way. I had a lovely time with my family and I am very sad to be home. I didn't let anything ruin my vacation for even one second. We actually had the best vacation we ever had. However, I think the GF sucks and the people who pay $500 a night to stay here are out of their minds. JMO.

Now, what part exactly do you think I exaggerated?

Housekeeping was as bad as I said. Typically, we had 1 shampoo and 1 conditioner in our room at all times. Even when it was 1/2 full, they failed to give us a new one. Bars of soap they typically left every day. When I called, they brought us more but I had to call. The rude night guy was exactly as I described. I DID call housekeeping twice with a request to have the room cleaned before 12pm. It didn't happen so I gave up asking. The balcony (even when asked) was hardly ever cleaned- it had bird feathers and poop all over it the entire 7 nights.

Just because your ac worked well doesn't mean mine did- geesh! It read 74 degrees at all times unless the maintenance guys came to override it. Then it read 71 or 72 which is still a bit warm to me. I like a cold hotel room. It was ridiculous to have to call every single day to have the ac adjusted below 74 degrees.

I didn't say people were rude to my kid but I stand by my opinion that it wasn't as "kid-friendly" as other WDW resorts. I cited a few examples such as lack of any planned kid's activities like at AKL. The towel animal thing wasn't a big deal- just another example of not being as kid-friendly. He knows about the towel animals because on every WDW stay over the past 5 years, we have had multiple towel animals made for us doing funny things like wearing his sunglasses, etc. They are a fun treat for him- he is a kid after all!

I can count on one hand the number of friendly CMs we encountered there. Most were disinterested, inexperienced and unknowledgeable and quite a few were down-right rude. I noticed lots of "earning my ears" pins on the CMs- perhaps they lack of knowledge stemmed from the newness of the CMs.

The destruction of the gift basket was unfortunate, true. It shouldn't have happened but everyone makes mistakes. However, the rudeness I encountered about it was unacceptable. I was accused of not ordering it for the right day, they accused the gift basket maker of not delivering it, and generally gave me the run-around for a full day. That is the part that was unacceptable. The front desk manager who finally gave me the true story (it was thrown out with the trash and left in the rain) was nice and her replacement of the basket and the gifts she sent us were very nice.

I found gasparilla's to be the worst food and the fewest choices of any WDW hotels I have stayed at (I have stayed at AKL, CB, POFQ & CS as comparisons). It wasn't terrible, it just wasn't very good and I didn't find there to be enough variety for a week's stay. I am glad you like it.

The other part of my review is personal preference. I found the GF to be too quiet and reserved. It felt too conservative and felt "snooty" to us. I like a lively crowd with people who seem to be having fun. At the GF, I did not see that at all.

I have never stayed at the Poly so what you say may very well be true. However, when we visited it, it seemed much more laid-back and people seemed to be having more fun there. They had a variety of kid's activities during the day and we did eat at the counter service there and it was better than Gasparilla's.

 

[conandrob240]

By the way, Tammi, thanks for your post. It sure doesn't feel very nice to be attacked for sharing my opinions and experiences but your reply was very nice.

Also, guys, it is especially rude to insult a person's child! He isn't cheesy or silly, he just gets a kick out of the towel animals and was dissappointed to not see a single one in 7 nights.

And at this time, they all were signature because the GFC was closed thus leaving only Park Fare (princess theme not for an 8 year old boy!) and Citricos & Narcosees (both of which were very good, by the way).

 

[Lives4Disney]

Conandrob - I actually thought you must have been kidding regarding all the issues you had.

As far as housekeeping, if I had called twice and had no improvement, I would have gone for a manager. I am sorry, I just find it hard to believe that people would put up with bad service continually without speaking to the right person to get it resolved. So, I thought - exaggeration. Same with the AC.

The pool thing. Stretch. They constantly monitor the water.

Gaspies - thought it had to be a stretch. Although if you have only stayed at mods, which do have more of a full counterservice convenience restaurant - OK. The deluxes just do not have that. Gasparilla's is by far much better than any of the others IMO. AND it's open 24 hrs.

Friendliness of the CMs....in all our GF stays, we've never had an issue with any. We have always left feeling like we were spoiled at the Grand. We have experienced nothing buy kindness and helpfulness and I wouldn't say that if it weren't true. I like to vent, too - but have nothing on the GF to vent about. Although I do understand that the "Earning my Ears" CMs may be abundant and they are not always as "Disney" which is a SHAME. We have been lucky regarding them.

I never meant to be rude to your kid or insulting. I just think the whole towel animal thing is crazy and far overblown. Who knew a white washcloth with stickers on it shaped like who knows what would be so important? It's Disney and the best hotel they offer, so a towel animal is kind of minimal..KWIM?

I am going thru this too quickly to comment on every one of the issues you had - but there are just so many.

Somebody DH works with had this same AKL to GF upgrade and they LOVED the place. Came home raving about it and now said they cannot see staying anywhere else. As I said, to each his/her own.

Better luck next time. Just know that none of the hotels is perfect and if you're not happy, go to a manager pronto. I think several of your challenges would have been fixed beyond your expectations if you would have talked to a manager.

Lives4Disney

 

[TammiMcMan]

Everyone needs to take a deep breath here. It's apparent that the GF is a favorite for many of the regulars who post here, but bad experiences do happen, even there. My family has vacationed at the GF many times and we've had some unpleasant experiences, dare I say, even rude cast members. Because it's my favorite and the incidents have been fairly isolated, it hasn't stopped us from going back.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Everyone needs to take a deep breath here. It's apparent that the GF is a favorite for many of the regulars who post here, but bad experiences do happen, even there. My family has vacationed at the GF many times and we've had some unpleasant experiences, dare I say, even rude cast members. Because it's my favorite and the incidents have been fairly isolated, it hasn't stopped us from going back.

Yep, I went back and edited my posts because believe me - we have had BIG issues at Poly and BWI and I KNOW those are some Dis favorites & every time I go there with my issues with them, I get people all up in arms, lol. I honestly thought WHAT THE HECK?? This must be a joke whe I read that long post.

Oh well.....it's just a shame.

Lives4Disney