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

[alacazander]

Thank you again Janet2K for the pictures and descriptions! I very much enjoyed looking at them. We will be staying in the RPC one week from today and having never stayed at the GF before it was nice to get an idea of what we are in for!

 

[Janet2k]

I need to get the rest of my ADR's to them for our mid Dec. trip. Did you all fill out an Itinerary? Also, do they get back with you about what ADR's they were able to get you or did you get back in touch with them?

Princessesrule4, over the years I have used both the telephone and the Internet to communicate with the Grand Floridian's Itinerary Planning Office. Via those two methods, I have relayed my dinner and recreational activity reservation needs to them. Normally, I did not hear back from them once I had relayed my requests. However, if I had specifically requested a follow-up call or e-mail, they always responded in kind.

For those of you who haven't been a concierge guest at the Grand Floridian Resort just yet, I should note that any reservations that the Itinerary Planning Office has made for you will be printed on Grand Floridian paper and placed inside your concierge welcome packet. In my humble opinion, the Grand Floridian has some of the loveliest resort paper in all of Walt Disney World. If I can find one of my old concierge itinerary sheets, I'll try to scan it in so that you may see what it looks like.

 

[TammiMcMan]

In my humble opinion, the Grand Floridian has some of the loveliest resort paper in all of Walt Disney World. If I can find one of my old concierge itinerary sheets, I'll try to scan it in so that you may see what it looks like.

Janet, if you can't find yours, let me know. I happened to come across an old one while I was cleaning out my desk and I can have one of the kids scan it in for me to send along to you.

Tammi

 

[Janet2k]

TammiMcMan, please scan yours in and post it (I might not be able to scan mine in until much later on this evening). I think a lot of folks here would like to see what the itinerary sheet looks like since many of them will be concierge guests for the first time.

Also, thank you for the info the other day regarding the concierge welcome packet. I haven't been a guest of the Sugar Loaf yet so I was curious to know what their welcome packet looked like.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Well my kids aren't home, but I gave the scanner and updating our website my best shot. Here's the link if you want to take a look, GF personal itinerary .

Tammi

 

[triplefigs]

Well my kids aren't home, but I gave the scanner and updating our website my best shot. Here's the link if you want to take a look, GF personal itinerary .

Tammi

Thanks, Tammi. I'm so excited!

 

[princessesrule4]

Thanks Janet2k for the info on phone calls and emails to IPO! Thanks for scanning your itinerary Tammi! IPO got our MVMCP tickets for us for the 16th and they just came in the mail yesterday! Can't wait!

 

[Cris]

Well my kids aren't home, but I gave the scanner and updating our website my best shot. Here's the link if you want to take a look, GF personal itinerary .

Tammi

Oh my Tammi that letterhead is so old, that was used when they called it a Beach resort.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Oh my Tammi that letterhead is so old, that was used when they called it a Beach resort.

I noticed that title when I pulled it out of my desk drawer. I don't remember it being called that in 2002 , but that's the paper they printed my itinerary on. I kept on searching and found notepaper from a more recent stay. I scanned it in and posted it as well. Is this what they are currently using to print the itineraries on?

 

[Janet2k]

Like TammiMcMan, the only itinerary I currently can find is one from a few years ago. If I can track down a more recent version, I will post it.

On the vacation that I recently completed, I made all of my own dining reservations via the WDW-DINE telephone number. Because of that simple fact, there was no formal itinerary to hand to me when I checked into the Grand Floridian Resort. However, had I asked the concierge staff to print a list of my current dining reservations, they surely would have done so without question. In hindsight, I wish I would have done that. Then I could have shared with you what the current Grand Floridian Personal Vacation Itinerary looks like. (Tammi, I think you and I now have an excuse to stay concierge on our next Grand Floridian vacations, don’t you agree? )

As it was, I actually had the Grand Floridian’s Lobby Concierge print me a list of the dining reservations that I had made. I wasn’t a guest of the Grand Floridian at the time since I was still a guest of the Pop Century Resort (I wouldn’t be checking into the Grand Floridian for two more days), but I was at the resort due to a lunch commitment and I needed a list of my upcoming reservations. I walked up to the Grand Floridian’s Lobby Concierge desk and asked if they could print me a list of my dining reservations. They were happy to oblige.

The itinerary that they printed was on plain paper. I carried it around with me for the first couple weeks of my vacation. It got a lot of use since my memory just ain’t what it used to be.

 

[Janet2k]

One of the benefits of being a concierge guest at a Walt Disney World resort is that you have advance access to your resort’s Itinerary Planning Office. This office is staffed by Cast Members whose job is to help you plan your vacation.

A few of the arrangements that the Itinerary Planning Office can make for you are as follows: dining, childcare, transportation, and recreational reservations. Please remember that the more advance notice you give to the Itinerary Planning Office, the easier it will be for them to secure a reservation for you. Also remember that payment is often required in advance for certain reservations. The Itinerary Planning Office will request your credit card information in order to book those reservations.

When your vacation finally arrives and you check into the Grand Floridian Resort, you will be given a concierge welcome packet (click here). If you have asked the Itinerary Planning Office to make any vacation reservations for you, inside that packet you will find a Grand Floridian Personal Vacation Itinerary.

Example: For one of my vacations a few years ago, I asked the Itinerary Planning Office to secure the following reservations for me:

Victoria & Albert’s for 2 adults & 1 child
Never Land Club for 1 child
Fishing Excursion for 5 people (on 4 different days)
Cinderella’s Table for 9 people
Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise for 9 people
1900 Park Fare for 9 people (breakfast)
1900 Park Fare for 9 people (dinner)
Polynesian Luau for 9 people
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue for 9 people
Pirates Cruise for 3 children
Grand Adventures in Cooking for 3 children
Wonderland Tea Party for 3 children

Upon check-in, I was given a copy of my Grand Floridian Personal Vacation Itinerary:
Personal Vacation Itinerary (Page 1)
Personal Vacation Itinerary (Page 2)

The itinerary was broken down into the following categories for each of the reservations that had been made for me:
Day, Date, Time, Function/Location, Party Size, Confirmation Number

Notes were also stated on the itinerary for a few of my reservations:
Cancellation Policy, Pre-Check-In Requirement, Ticket Pick-Up Information, Dress Code

Having all this information in one handy document was a wonderful benefit of being a concierge guest. I have found the Personal Vacation Itinerary to be an important document to have in my possession. I place a copy of it in a noticeable location in my resort room. That way my family always knows exactly what is planned for each day of our vacation.

 

[Janet2k]

For those guests who aren’t staying in a concierge room, have no fear. Earlier this year, Disney implemented the Lobby Concierge program. Each Disney resort now has a Lobby Concierge desk that is staffed by Cast Members from early in the morning until late in the evening. These folks can help answer any questions that you might have about the theme parks, the transportation system, and even special events. Amongst other things, they can make your dinner reservations, childcare reservations, and recreational reservations. They also are the folks who you should see when it comes time to purchase your theme park tickets, or to pick up your Luau and Hoop-Dee-Doo tickets.

For those guests who have made their own dining reservations prior to their vacations, if they stop by the Lobby Concierge desk, they can request a printout of those reservations. That is what I did during my recent vacation. The Lobby Concierge was happy to print me a copy of my Guest Itinerary:
Guest Itinerary (Page 1)
Guest Itinerary (Page 2)
Guest Itinerary (Close-Up)

Since I had forgotten to take my list of reservations with me on vacation, having the list that the Lobby Concierge printed for me was a true lifesaver. It stated the dates and times that I needed to have my daughter at the Grand Adventures in Cooking Class, the Wonderland Tea Party, and both the Grand Floridian’s Pirate Cruise and the Yacht Club’s Albatross Cruise. Without that Guest Itinerary, I probably would have forgotten to take my daughter to a few of her activities.

Please don’t forget to use the Lobby Concierge’s services during your next vacation. The Cast Members who staff that desk are wonderful resources for any Walt Disney World guest.

 

[KrisTX]

Tammi-I love your site that the letterhead was posted on. I clicked the room layouts and was thrilled to see there are in fact King/Queen Sleeper rooms. I will be calling in the morning to see if they will let me stay in one with a 4 & 6 y.o.

Thank you!

 

[alacazander]

Does anyone have a general idea on how much it costs to send out clothes to be washed? I KNOW i'm not going to do laundry while there unless it's $15 a pair of shorts to clean which it just might be at the GF - I really have no idea.

Ladies thanks again for the itinerary information! That is very helpful! I have taken advantage of the IPO office making ressie's for me and that has been so nice. At first I didn't think i'd like that "perk" since i'm a planner myself but it's been fantastic. I love the fact that they email you an updated copy of your itinerary when you add or change something. It's nice just printing a copy out instead of writting it all down.

Last night we got a personal call from wdw asking if we are all set and how we will be arriving! To let them know when we arrive that we are in the RPC and someone will be sent down for us. I thought that was a nice touch!

It's starting to get hard to sleep at night!

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Does anyone have a general idea on how much it costs to send out clothes to be washed? I KNOW i'm not going to do laundry while there unless it's $15 a pair of shorts to clean which it just might be at the GF - I really have no idea.

I had the same thought. We are doing 4 nights at GF and 4 nights at AKL Concierge. I don't know if the prices are the same at all of the resorts but I asked IPO at AKL to fax me a copy of the laundry price list...

 

[MNSusan]

Does anyone know if they're still do the lady bug release? If so, when and where do they do it? We're going in November and I'm sure my grandkids would love it.

 

[KrisTX]

There was a post about this recently at this site or another and the answer was no. I am not sure if they are correct or not. That was just the reply. I thought my kids would love this too.

 

[MNSusan]

I just called the Grand Floridian Front Desk and was told they no longer do the lady bug release. Rats!

 

[alacazander]

I had the same thought. We are doing 4 nights at GF and 4 nights at AKL Concierge. I don't know if the prices are the same at all of the resorts but I asked IPO at AKL to fax me a copy of the laundry price list...

Thanks Lollipop Mom! Not bad. I think that is close to what my dry cleaners charges.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I just got a copy of my itinerary from IPO. Everything was perfect except our last reservation for Le Cellier was for Monday, Dec. 8, 2025! Now I plan ahead but not that far ahead!

Can I give IPO my travel times to send to DME? Would they handle that for me?

Thanks,

Lori