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

[Lives4Disney]

Garada - PS. the pics in my signature (the first one) was taken of my girls on the balcony of 4401. Love that view!

Lives4Disney

 

[Janet2k]

We called at 3:00pm and were told that the room was ready so we went back to the GF and into our room, 4401.

It appears that quite a few of us Dis'ers have stayed in Room 4401: click here.

Welcome home!

 

[Angel16]

We are looking forward to our Christmas holiday trip. I am putting together our ADR list. We are hoping and praying we will get the chef's table at V&A on night while we are there. However, just to be on the safe side we are planning on having dinner at the GF one other night. What is everyone recommendation for a sit-down dinner. What does everyone think of The Grand Floridian Cafe?

 

[TammiMcMan]

Welcome back Garada. So glad that you had an awesome time. I haven't shared your room, but I have had that view from room 4404. Truly magical. Did you book some time in the cabana?

Angel, the GF Cafe in a word, is "lovely". We always find time to have at least one meal here. It's not a dressy place though, very resort casual. I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for in case V & A is not available. If you go, the spinach/garlic dip is amazing and if Izzy is still serving, you have to ask for him. For the other options, Narcoossee's has a great view of the lake and the castle in the background. It can get noisy in here though. I haven't eaten in Citrico's. I don't know, the menu just didn't appeal to me. If you want to go completely crazy with the romance, you can book the Grand 1 for two hours and have dinner on board while watching Wishes go off .

 

[garada3]

Thank you for your warm responses - we had a great vacation!

We just loved our room! I had requested to be as close to the lounge as possible, but Disney had a better idea! At first I was disappointed to be walking down such a long hall, but then I saw the view!

It was a very quiet room as far as noise from neighboring rooms. Several private parties in front of the marina caused a bit of late evening noise but that didn't bother the sleeping family. I people watched those nights! I laughed when I looked at my trip photos and video because I took so many photos of my castle. My castle at 5:30am, my castle at 6:00am, my castle through the rain, my castle with clouds behind it, my castle with blue skies all around, etc., etc.

We enjoyed watching Wishes from our balcony several times and once from inside our room, all 5 of us snuggled up on the end of one bed.

The staff was excellent! All were very friendly and helpful. Vonnie spread pixie dust when she arranged for transportation to the MK before 7:00am for my DH and oldest DS. I went to ask for advice on how to get them over to the MK before Disney transportation started running for the day, she said let me find out and then spoke with Dora and said you are all set, have them be here at 6:45am. Bright and early the next morning Dora gave them a ride over to the MK. It worked out so well and they were grateful for the service as my DH said other participants on the train tour had been left to figure out their own way over to the MK.

One evening my middle son lost a tooth just as we were heading out for the evening. I stopped by the desk and asked the cm on duty, I think it was Joe (oops, might have been Joel ) if they had any glitter as I wanted the 'tooth fairy' to arrive during the night. He became very excited and said to let him take care of it. He said he knew exactly who to go see, The Fairy Godmother, and would take a field trip immediately. He told me that if we arrived back to the hotel after he was gone for the evening that I should look in the desk for the 'stuff'. When we returned there was an envelope filled with Mickey confetti, a Mickey toothbrush, Mickey toothpaste and a light-up wishing star! I think he had as much fun with the 'tooth fairy' as we did. My son was so happy and saved every last piece of confetti for his treasure box he keeps under his bed!

The cast members in the lounge were all wonderful too. Several commented on the nice behavior of my sons Guess they had them fooled! Any requested was greeted warmly and quickly responded to. Especially in the mornings when my three croissant loving sons would quickly deplete that plate. More always appeared along with a smiling comment to the boys that more were available. I love that coffee machine and happily worked my way down the list of offerings!

Evening offerings were wonderful! I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite, there were so many yummy choices each evening along a theme of sorts, Asian, Indian/Thai, Mexican etc. Each evening was a bit of heaven after a hectic day, enjoying a glass of wine or champaign (or both) with a delicious bite to eat while listening to the wonderful music! The way the light floods the lounge during the day time makes me happy just thinking about it. I fully believe it was worth every penny!

The cast members we encountered all over the resort were all very helpful and friendly. From the 'welcome home' from the guard and valets each time we drove in, the cm's at the pools (and pool bars)and at Gasparillas to the staff in the stores, especially the photopass cast members in the MM Mercantile. They were so eager to help me make the most of our photopass pictures, balancing color and adding fun borders. The entire staff (photopass and store staff) gathered around the computer looking at some very special photos of my family as Grand Marshals of the Share A Dream Come True parade!

We were chosen on 5/9 after my youngest son played hide and seek with a cast member on Main Street. He just started pin trading on this trip and saw the cm in front of a store and off he went. I was a bit frustrated with him because I wanted to take advantage of a rainy morning and get attractions accomplished. After the trade the cm continued to be very chatty with us and finally asked if our plans kept us in the MK all day. My heart stopped! I grabbed my husbands had because I hope I knew the next thing he could ask and it was would you be the Grand Marshals?! The cm knew that I was over the moon with excitement! It was just unbelievable! I guess I can no longer be upset about pin trading slowing us down!

We managed to go to each of the major parks and DisneyQuest two times each and spent a great half day at Blizzard Beach (the extra magic hour here was wonderful - no lines at all for an hour made it like a private party). It was a wonderful vacation! But the most magical thing was...

Dear husband said those wonderful words- next time!

 

[princessesrule4]

So glad you had a wonderful trip! Very cool that you all were picked as Grand Marshals! We were in 4402 in December and just loved the castle view,also! You have gotten me very excited for our RPC/ SLC trip in 2 weeks!!
Did your room already have a frig in it when you arrived? We called up for one last time but wondered if they had them permanently in every room now. We will definitely need COLD water bottles in June! How was the weather while you were there?

 

[Lives4Disney]

Garada - Thanks for the wonderful review! I have goosebumps. I love that place. Aren't Vonnie and Dora just super? They really know how to go above and beyond. I am so glad you had a great stay and your husband said those words!!! Mine agrees, too. It is worth the cost because service is excellent. If it was Joe that you spoke to about the tooth, he is the concierge manager and a really nice person. The lounge staff is really great, too. Just so many nice people there.

I love the toothfairy thing!! My daughter lost a tooth when we were at BWI concierge. It was a BUST. They actually left a balloon bouquet in the room with a card signed by her favorite characters but addressed to a different (unknown) girl!!!! How awkward. Try explaining why the tooth fairy got her name wrong!

How cool to be chosen as Grand Marshalls!!! Wow!! I think of all the times CMs have asked about our plans for the day .....I never said we would be in the MK all day@@!!! Next time I KNOW what to say.

I know what you mean about the hike from the room to the lounge. I though the SAME thing until I saw the view. It is worth it. We (5 of us) did the same end of bed crowd thing to see the Wishes while we ate treats from the lounge. That 4401 is a great room.

I am soso excited to be going back in July for my 40th!! I love reading these great reports. If you think of more, make sure you post!!


Princessesrule4 2 weeks!! I bet you can't wait! Have a wonderful time!


Take care,

Lives4Disney

 

[cattrix]

This thread is just great I've learned so much from reading but I've only gotten to page 30

I'm staying at the GF for the first time in Sept and I've read about the Garden Lounge for Tea in the afternoon, do you book private seating for that just like any other ADR? Can I book that now for my trip in Sept?? Has anyone recently ran into the problem of them being booked up all the time, or can you walk up and get seated within 15 minutes?

I'm very sorry if this is covered somewhere between pages 30-120 but if I needed a priority seating I wanted to get it booked asap

 

[johnsonet]

cattrix
Afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge is one of our traditions. It's very relaxing and luxurious.
I just made an ADR there for my upcoming trip with my parents.
I have called before to try and change my ADR and been "shut out" so I would recommend making an ADR. Make your best guess as to when you can fit it in...
Also, depending on what you order there is a LOT of food. So don't make the mistake of scheduling this anywhere near your lunch or dinner
Enjoy!!

 

[cattrix]

Thank you so much for that information johnsonet, I called an am on hold with Disney Dining now

I can't wait as it all sounds so good!!

 

[Angel16]

Garada3, What a wonderful trip report. Thank you for sharing with us. I even read parts to my DH. We both loved the part about your DS and his toothfairy visit. How fun for all of you.

I am so glad you had such a special vacation. I hope you are planning on sharing your pictures. I would really love to see them. What a great ending to a wonderful vacation.

It was a wonderful vacation! But the most magical thing was...

Dear husband said those wonderful words- next time!

Now that was a They lived Happily Ever After ending.

 

[Steph H]

Dear husband said those wonderful words- next time!

That's wonderful! I was when my husband said that during our Sugar Loaf trip last year. I bet there's a LOT of that going on at the GF!

Sorry I've been MIA, but baby called...and called...and called...

Great to see so many trips planned to this wonderful place. I'm living vicariously through all of you until my (hopefully) trip in December 2007. Can't WAIT to take both my kids to Disney!

 

[misty9960]

Can anyone please explain to me the location of the garden view room. I have been reading about different buildings. Is the tower the main building at the GF? Are there any garden view rooms there? What is the best location for GV rooms and also is the design of the rooms different in each building? Most of the posts here only talk about concierge. I have always wanted to stay at the GF but, since we are not going to be in our room that much didn't want to pay for concierge.
Now I am wondering if I should have booked at the poly. Are the only nice rooms concierge? I don't want to be treated differently just because I didn't book concierge? SHould I change resorts?

Thanks,
Misty

 

[BunnieGene]

Misty, there are lots of different garden view rooms. We used to book lagoon view rooms and request a castleview, but getting a room with trees blocking our view stopped that practice. We've always been treated well no matter what level we chose...in fact we only book gardenview rooms now and that has never stopped us from enjoying our stay at the GF. We can't justify the extra money for the other views/levels of service (the GV rooms are pricey as it is and we feel that any room at the GF is splurge enough )

We're going back in August...have a GV room booked...and we can't wait

 

[TammiMcMan]

Can anyone please explain to me the location of the garden view room. I have been reading about different buildings. Is the tower the main building at the GF? Are there any garden view rooms there? What is the best location for GV rooms and also is the design of the rooms different in each building?

I'll start by saying that the concierge rooms are no different in size or amenities than standard rooms. We go back and forth between concierge and standard rooms at the GF quite a bit. Love them both.

Now, onto the very confusing terminology. The main building is called just that, the main building. It only houses concierge rooms & suites. The outer buildings can be referred to as "lodges" and Sugar Loaf specifically, is Lodge Concierge. Again, only concierge rooms & suites in this building. That narrows down standard rooms to Sago Cay, Conch Key, Boca Chica and Big Pine Key. Within those buildings, there are lagoon view & garden view rooms. Also, there is the standard room category here and the lodge tower room category. A lodge tower room is bigger than a standard, with a little separate living room area and 2nd tv. This category of room is obviously more expensive. Standard rooms on the 1st - 4th floor are all the same (although corner rooms are a bit bigger). The difference can be in the bedding and wallpaper. They have 4 different themes of bedding assorted around the resort. Rooms on the 5th floor are standard, but they are referred to as dormer rooms. Think of an attic room. It's slightly smaller, but has great cathederal ceilings. Some don't like these rooms because of the balcony though. They are private, but have a solid railing. It can make it difficult to see over if you're sitting.

Some guests like to request a certain building, personally, I like Sago Cay and Conch Key. They're a little quieter and I love their garden views. Don't worry though, you won't be overlooking a parking lot from any of the GF rooms.

Hopefully I haven't confused you more. The GF is lovely whether you're staying in a garden room or Walt's suite.

 

[misty9960]

Thank you so much for your explanation. You have helped me tremendously.

Misty

 

[Janet2k]

Sorry I've been MIA, but baby called...and called...and called...

Steph H, I haven’t been around much this year, either. My reason, sadly, isn’t as happy as your reason. My family experienced a bit of a stalker incident. It began upon our return home last summer from WDW and continued on until early this year. Things finally came to an end thanks to our police department (gotta love those men & women in blue). Thankfully, it wound up having nothing to do with the Internet, but while it was going on, I didn’t know who to trust and who not to trust. As you can imagine, the incident has changed how I handle certain things in my life.

On to a happier subject, I hope your new baby is doing well, as is the rest of your family. I hope you'll be able to plan a vacation to the Grand Floridian sooner than expected.

 

[Janet2k]

Even though I haven’t been on the Resorts Board very much, I’ve tried to pop into this thread from time to time in order to see what’s new at the resort. I’ve enjoyed reading all of the nice things that everyone has said about their recent visits. It sounds like the resort still has its magic. I’m counting on that because I have an upcoming stay booked there.

I’ll try not to bore you with too many details, but suffice it to say, it should be a fun vacation because I’ll be meeting up with a few friends. Some of those friends will also be staying at the Grand Floridian, while other friends will be staying at other Disney resorts. In order to keep my post “on topic,” our group has a few things planned at the resort, including a Grand 1 fireworks cruise and dinner at Victoria & Albert’s.

The Grand 1 cruise will be a first for me and I’m really looking forward to it. There will be food and beverages served aboard the boat. I’m not sure what that will be, though, since someone else is handling that. If any of you have photos to share of your Grand 1 cruises, please post your links here so that I may take a look at your photos. Also, if any of you have enjoyed food & beverages aboard the boat, please let me know what was served and what you thought of it. Thanks in advance.

The Victoria & Albert’s dinner will be a first for at least five members of our group. It should be an especially fun meal because it will be the first time that my daughter has dined there. She’s been begging to dine at the restaurant for the past couple of years, but I’ve never allowed it because I knew she’d have more fun in one of Disney’s childcare clubs. But when she saw a video several months ago of her brother preparing for dinner at Victoria & Albert’s, and once she realized that he was younger then than she is now, well, she put her foot down and demanded a dinner reservation. Okay, she didn’t really demand a dinner reservation (she knows better than to act that way), but I knew she was serious when she had asked to dine there. Since she is finally old enough to do so without bothering the other patrons, I told her I would make a dinner reservation for our next vacation. That pleased her to no end.

My current dinner reservation pretty much grew out of that. I had no intention of subjecting anyone else to dining with my daughter, but one by one my friends began asking if they could join us for dinner. Before I knew it, my reservation had grown to a nice size. I’m now awfully glad that they did that. It should be a very memorable dinner for my daughter (and for me too).

Again, if anyone has any Grand 1 information to share, I would love to hear all about your experiences. Please post them here in the GF FAQ thread. Thank you.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Janet, hugs to you and your family. I'm sorry you went through such a scary situation, but glad that it is behind you.

Sounds like your vacation plans are coming along and we have another infamous trip report to look forward to . How exciting for your DD to eat at Victoria & Alberts. Some people tend to think that there's an age limit, but I couldn't remember ever seeing one posted anywhere. Were you able to get the chefs table for your group?

 

[Lives4Disney]

Janet - How creepy.... Glad it is over for you.

I am also interested in any Grand 1 info. I booked it for the Wishes cruise on my bday. It will be a first for us, also.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney