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

[LaurinG]

Can I be super obnoxious and ask a question that I'm sure is in this thread somewhere?

I will be at the GF, 2 garden view rooms, in about 3 weeks, and I want to go ahead and call with my room preference...which I've been putting off until I can read this thread, which apparently isn't going to happen anytime soon.

We have 2 rooms for 6 people (3a, 3k). We need adjoining rooms, and we want to be off the first floor, but as close to the monorail and water slide as possible, does Big Pine fit that description? I'm thinking of requesting Big Pine, dormer rooms.

So, my request is, adjoining rooms, close to waterslide and monorail, off the first floor. Is that too much to request?

Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Can I be super obnoxious and ask a question that I'm sure is in this thread somewhere?

I will be at the GF, 2 garden view rooms, in about 3 weeks, and I want to go ahead and call with my room preference...which I've been putting off until I can read this thread, which apparently isn't going to happen anytime soon.

We have 2 rooms for 6 people (3a, 3k). We need adjoining rooms, and we want to be off the first floor, but as close to the monorail and water slide as possible, does Big Pine fit that description? I'm thinking of requesting Big Pine, dormer rooms.

So, my request is, adjoining rooms, close to waterslide and monorail, off the first floor. Is that too much to request?

Any recommendations? Thanks!

First, you will probably want CONNECTING rooms. Adjoining just means they are next door. They may not have the connecting door. It's only a request for connecting because you have 3 adults. Not sure you want connecting with the door betwn, but if you do, request it!!!!

Big Pine sounds like what you'd want. It is closest to the waterfall/slide pool, close to entry to main building. Maybe put your requests in order of importance. That might help. Remember that what they give you at check in is not written in stone. If you're not happy, see what else is available.

Have fun!!

Lives4Disney

 

[Cinderumbrella]

OK, ladies, despite having my ticker in place, we are still deciding on next year's dates at the Grand

Currently planning for 8 days starting 11/28, the Friday after Thanksgiving (and my birthday ) through the following Friday (12/5). But I think I would prefer arriving that Friday (12/5) staying through the following Sunday (12/14) since all the nights fall in value season and the airfare would be SO-O-O-O-O-O much cheaper away from the holiday (Thus my justification to squeak out a couple of extra days of vactaion ). But I fear that may co-incide with Pop Warner week.

Anyone have any experience with those 2 weeks? We went last year the week after Thanksgiving, but flew in on that Sunday so most of the crowds were gone by Monday. Is it crazy busy Thanksgiving weekend? What about the Pop crowds? Not worried about them at the hotel but their actual impact on park crowds....

All opinions are welcome (and requested!!)
Thanks!
Kristin

 

[TammiMcMan]

But I think I would prefer arriving that Friday (12/5) staying through the following Sunday (12/14) since all the nights fall in value season and the airfare would be SO-O-O-O-O-O much cheaper away from the holiday (Thus my justification to squeak out a couple of extra days of vactaion ). But I fear that may co-incide with Pop Warner week.

12/5 - 12/14 will actually coincide with two big events at Disney. Pop Warner dates are in that timeframe, but they have very little impact on the parks. Most of their time is taken up with practices and competitions. I know they closed MGM early one night for an exclusive Pop Warner party and we saw small family groups with cheerleaders or football players in the parks, but nothing that affects the crowd levels. The other event, which will have a bigger effect on you, is the filming of the Christmas parade. That definitely affects the availability of rooms at the GF, so I wouldn't wait too long to make your decision and book your room.

 

[tenbelow]

I have a quick question I'm hoping someone has an answer to. If I have a room only reservation and purchase my park admission from an outside vendor(reputable ticket discounter) is it still possible to have it activated at the GF and associated with my "key to the world" room key? It sure would be nice to have one less item to think about.

Thank you,
Mike

 

[tete01830]

I have a quick question I'm hoping someone has an answer to. If I have a room only reservation and purchase my park admission from an outside vendor(reputable ticket discounter) is it still possible to have it activated at the GF and associated with my "key to the world" room key? It sure would be nice to have one less item to think about.

Thank you,
Mike

In March we stayed at the Yacht Club and bought our tickets at Shades of Green. I brought them to the cocierge desk and they were able to transfer them to my room key....Hope this helps

 

[tenbelow]

Second, dining at Narcoosee's...DO NOT dine there for a "fireworks view". The outside deck fills up right about that time and the only view you have is of people's backsides. NOW, I will admit it was a beautiful castle view before the people lined up to watch the fireworks outside...however, watching the fireworks from our table was not possible due to the people watching on the deck right outside the window. Next time, I would eat earlier and then plan on finishing up a few minutes BEFORE the fireworks so that we could have a clear view of the fireworks from outside. Still, the food was good and the view was very nice until fireworks time...so it's not really a negative so much as a warning if you are planning on viewing the fireworks from your dinner table there. Hope that helps someone out!

Thank you for the "heads up" on the fireworks window seating at Narcoossee's. DW and I will be dining at Narcoossee's on our upcoming trip and I had planned the ADR to coincide with the fireworks - it is good to know that if I want to see the fireworks, we'll have to time our dinner ordering and wander out to the dock if we want an unobstructed view of the fireworks.

Now that I think of it on our last stay at the GF I must have been one of those butt views that I'm sure no one was expecting, when they requested a window seat...

Thanks,
Mike

 

[tenbelow]

In March we stayed at the Yacht Club and bought our tickets at Shades of Green. I brought them to the cocierge desk and they were able to transfer them to my room key....Hope this helps

Thanks tete - I'll bet they will be able to do the same for me at GF. It should be similiar to as if my tickets were purchased at the Disney Store. I have heard the concierge at Disney can work wonders.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[jaycns]

Hi, well....no. Once they were throwing little "fish" into the pool and the kids went crazy trying to catch them & they got to keep them. That was it. I know what you mean....we were at the YC for several days this summer and my girls also had fun with some of the games and crafts. You'd think with such a cool pool (SAB) they'd just leave it at that and do the extras at the other resorts.

Jacyns, oh ya, the RPC lounge is much much much nicer. There is seating on 3 floors and I have never felt overwhelmed trying to get a spot to seat. The SL lounge was tight and always full of guests when we stayed. That's one reason we like RPC so much better....it is much more stress free and peaceful because so often it's empty! Glad you had a grand time, though! That is a shame about Narcoosees. I booked it for 7:30 pm with those fireworks view hopes. Thanks for the heads up. We will arrive early and hopefully get ourselves a view.

Channing

That was our experience as well with the SL lounge. It was cramped feeling. Not so much because it was cramped but because so many guests were sitting all over with plates/glasses balanced on every knee and table. I am going to be booking our stay for next year sometime in January. If anyone has any RPC lounge pictures that you could post before then... I would be much obliged. And of course any feedback on RPC would be so very welcome!!

It's not hard to grab a view outside at Narcoosees (at least while we were there). People didn't start arriving until just a few minutes before the fireworks. And the view you have of the castle/water at sunset is really beautiful!

I know it's a seafood place, however, I highly rec. the steak. Dh had it while I had the surf and turf. Both dishes were very good. In fact, dinner was so good that we had NO ROOM at all for dessert so dh got coffee and I got tea (green tea with pear, very good) as our after dinner treat. Dh also said the ceasar salad was very good and I really enjoyed the crab cakes to start our meal.

 

[jaycns]

Wow this is a great review...we are leaving this Thursday and we are staying in Sugar Loaf. Tell me more, tell me more....
How crowded was it? How was the food? How about the beverages?
thanks!

It was crowded while the food was out (not all of the time but the majority of it). There didn't seem to be enough seating for all of the guests that wanted to partake of the offerings. I thought the food was great. Breakfast was bagels, toast, fruit, muffins, cheese,cereal, stuff like that. The tea was nice. I loved the warm scones with butter and jam. YUM! And at night, I remember a few of the offerings: roasted lamb kabobs, meatballs, cheese assortment, dips/veggies/crackers/breadsticks, buffalo mozzerlla, marinated veggies, quiche, cold cuts, and chicken nuggets. Not all of that was out at the same time and I am missing a lot of things...however, that is a good starting point. As far as alcohol, I didn't partake (I will be having a baby in January), however, I did notice it was available. And as far as nonalcoholic drinks they had tea, lemonade, Perrier, Evian, iced tea, coffee, hot water for tea or hot chocolate, cans of soda (Coke products) out. During the breakfast period, milk, apple juice and orange juice were also set out.

As far as sweets...cookies, cake, tarts, brownies, rice krispie treats, strawberry shortcake and lots more that I cannot place right now. If you like oatmeal cookies, the ones there are VERY good! YUM!

 

[magical4us4]

I too would like to see if there are any new pictures of the lounge in RPC.

Anyone?

 

[grannyminnie]

Can anyone comment on being in Sugarloaf and the lounge NOT being "cramped" at certain times of the year? We'll be there the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and my thought is that if a lot of people leave that day, we'll luck up and not encounter those crowded conditions...

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Can anyone comment on being in Sugarloaf and the lounge NOT being "cramped" at certain times of the year? We'll be there the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and my thought is that if a lot of people leave that day, we'll luck up and not encounter those crowded conditions...

It does get crowded and unfortunately many do not clean up after themselves. I dont know if it will get bigger after the rehab. It depends on how full the building is. I know I always take some sodas and a water up to my room the first day so they are there for nights when the lounge is closed. SOme mornings I would go down and get food and bring it back to the room. BC lounge is also really small and the BWI is bigger but there isnt tons of table space compared to the Poly and WL. I would think that with people leaving after thanksgiving you should be ok. They have a great staff of Robert, Suzanne and others. I hope you have a great trip.

 

[3for Me]

Can anyone comment on being in Sugarloaf and the lounge NOT being "cramped" at certain times of the year? We'll be there the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and my thought is that if a lot of people leave that day, we'll luck up and not encounter those crowded conditions...

Unfortunately, both of our experiences were that it was crowded. We just ended up taking the food to our room. However, your thoughts on your timing could be right...I bet it could "empty out" a bit and you may find it less crowded. That said, it was not unpleasant, just a little like getting kids off to school in the morning - hectic!

I think you'll really enjoy it!

 

[grannyminnie]

Thanks for your comments, 3for Me, and Alicnwondrln. It's always good to get first-hand information! I am so looking forward to the concierge experience, and heck, who knows...we might even get upgraded to RPC!!! That would be awesome!! At any rate, I will hope that things have calmed back down crowd-wise and we can enjoy a peaceful time in the lounge...

 

[idreamdisney]

Hi,

I need some help. I want to request a certain building for our check in next week. We have a MK view room(s) and are travelling w/ my parents. We want:

1) connecting rooms
2) close to monorail
3) of course, we're paying for the MK view

What building should we request? It'd also be nice if we could see the electrical water parade too. Also, my mom and dad are not doing great health-wise, so any non-elevator issues in any buildings I should know about? Is the MK view better the higher up you are?

Thanks!

 

[JoeSam]

I have just heard that 2 family members will be in Orlando for 1 night co-inciding with our stay at the GF, so I am hoping we can book a meal together at the GF Cafe possibly, do a boat rental before hand, and watch fireworks from the GF grounds. Will they be able to park in the GF car park? Also, we are staying SL concierge, obviously they can't come into the lounge, but would they be able to visit our room? I'm sure they will want to see it! They are not park-goers, and are heading out to Sanibel the next morning. Thanks.

 

[minniesota]

I have just heard that 2 family members will be in Orlando for 1 night co-inciding with our stay at the GF, so I am hoping we can book a meal together at the GF Cafe possibly, do a boat rental before hand, and watch fireworks from the GF grounds. Will they be able to park in the GF car park? Also, we are staying SL concierge, obviously they can't come into the lounge, but would they be able to visit our room? I'm sure they will want to see it! They are not park-goers, and are heading out to Sanibel the next morning. Thanks.

That should not be a problem. They can give the guard at the entrance gate your name (assuming the GF Cafe ressie is in your name) and can park in the lot. They can also visit your room, no worries. Enjoy your stay!

 

[minniesota]

Hi,

I need some help. I want to request a certain building for our check in next week. We have a MK view room(s) and are travelling w/ my parents. We want:

1) connecting rooms
2) close to monorail
3) of course, we're paying for the MK view

What building should we request? It'd also be nice if we could see the electrical water parade too. Also, my mom and dad are not doing great health-wise, so any non-elevator issues in any buildings I should know about? Is the MK view better the higher up you are?

Thanks!

I would request Sago or Conch, higher floor. You will have a perfect view of the EWP from either building. All the lodges have elevator service as does the main building. Have a wonderful stay!

 

[Maxie86]

Can anyone comment on being in Sugarloaf and the lounge NOT being "cramped" at certain times of the year? We'll be there the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and my thought is that if a lot of people leave that day, we'll luck up and not encounter those crowded conditions...

We were there in April and the lounge never felt cramped, we always found a place to sit without any trouble.