The **NEW** Grand Floridian FAQ!(MAY 2011)

[followthatmouse]

pas130, now THAT'S a fine weekend! Well done.


Another beautiful photo, KCmike. Thank you.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Arrival day-check in GF and right to MVMCP
Dec 1st(my friend's Bday) Narcoosee's 740pm (Wishes is 8pm)-hope we get seated in time....asked for ressie during fireworks
Dec 2nd-Tusker House Breakfast and LeCellier dinner (it's gonna be a busy day)
Dec 3rd-1900PF breakfast....this is checkout day but we don't leave til 7pm so lots of resort hopping I hope

I think it's so cute that out of 4 ADRs for your girls-only trip (GOT!), two are for character breakfasts

Don't forget that you'll have full use of the CL lounge up to midnight of your check-out day

 

[k&a&c'smom]

KCMike - beautiful photo!

pas130 - I know what you mean about staring longingly at the GF, but it is very easy to hop over there on the monorail for some time in the lobby. And I'll bet you will enjoy your visit to the Poly - I've forgotten, have you stayed there before? We love it there, always visit for lunch and shopping when we are at the GF.

Which Universal hotel will you be staying in? We've stayed at the Hard Rock and Royal Pacific, and loved them. My DD and her friend thought the WW of Harry Potter was AWESOME, btw!

WDWKOOK - good point about the lounge.

 

[KCmike]

Views from our room. (Boca Chica Lagoon View)

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Views from our room. (Boca Chica Lagoon View)

Nice view! I really like those Boca Chica rooms that don't have trees infront of them. Just curious, you looked lagoon view and got in Boca Chica? I was thinking that they were calling all those theme park view rooms now. Could you see the castle or fireworks at all? Thanks for all the great pics!

 

[KCmike]

Nice view! I really like those Boca Chica rooms that don't have trees infront of them. Just curious, you looked lagoon view and got in Boca Chica? I was thinking that they were calling all those theme park view rooms now. Could you see the castle or fireworks at all? Thanks for all the great pics!

Not sure what they exactly called it. When we got there they upgraded us to what the lady said was a Lagoon View. We could see the fireworks but one tree was right in the way of Cinderella's Castle. You could see it through the branches. We went one night to the grass in front of our view down below and watched the fireworks from there. For the most part though we could see everything (Mainstreet Station, Astro Orbiter, etc..) We were very happy with the views.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Cali-D - I had been wondering if there were any rooms on the lake side of Boca Chica that were still considered lagoon view, too. We were in room 8315 in 2007, and were booked in TPV, but could only see the castle through a tree. We could see it - but you had to lean out a bit!

I hated to ask about moving, as we had 4 nights booked at TPV, but the first two of a 6 night stay were garden or lagoon - couldn't get those first two days with the discount. When I checked in, they said they put us in the same room for the whole stay, and I thought "hey, my first upgrade!" LOL! Not sure if that was an upgrade for the first days, or a downgrade for the rest.

 

[stitchlet]

As you can tell from my signature, we've recently been quite unfaithful to the GF but we had a good reason . . .

All three of our non-GF trip have been reconnaissance missions . . . we're moving to Celebration!

We close on our condo later this month. It will be for the late fall into spring to start; DH & I would like to eventually move there year-round . . . but starting as "snowbirds" is fine with us!

Sorry for the OT post, but we're just so excited, I had to share!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Cali-D - I had been wondering if there were any rooms on the lake side of Boca Chica that were still considered lagoon view, too. We were in room 8315 in 2007, and were booked in TPV, but could only see the castle through a tree. We could see it - but you had to lean out a bit!

I hated to ask about moving, as we had 4 nights booked at TPV, but the first two of a 6 night stay were garden or lagoon - couldn't get those first two days with the discount. When I checked in, they said they put us in the same room for the whole stay, and I thought "hey, my first upgrade!" LOL! Not sure if that was an upgrade for the first days, or a downgrade for the rest.

My last TPV in Boca Chica you could only see the castle by looking through the trees. The bellman said most of them were like that now, so we didn't bother trying to switch. For a LV price, I would have loved the room but not quite for the TPV price.

 

[thehighprincess44]

I am looking for a couple of room number recs. for SL. We are going for my daughter's autumn break, in October, and my mom's 62nd birthday during F&W.
We are all booked, but we are usually BWV or Poly CL. Decided to do this to celebrate!!

TIA

Stacey

 

[britfish]

Has anyone done the couples massage at the spa? DH and I were going to do massages and they signed us up for a couples massage. What is the difference between individual and couples massage?

 

[katieandrob]

Hello, I am new to posting on this board. Am really enjoying reading all the info on GF. My husband, 2 younger sons, my parents, and myself are staying here for the first time this Sept. We are booked a Garden View room. Can you please give me a recommendation on if their is a specific building I should request. Is their much difference between the buildings other then the distance to things? My parents are somewhat picky about location and their view. I think they would be terribly disappointed if they looked out at another building. Please help I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this resort and what to request. Thanks so much.

 

[TinkTatoo]

Hi Guys

I'm returning to this thread as we're back at GF this summer, previously we were in Sugar Loaf, which we loved and this time we're in RPC in a theme park view. We're over in Florida for 5 weeks again and this trip includes a week off site in a villa, then 2 x inn rooms at Vero for 4 nights, a studio at VWL for 3 nights, 2 weeks at BLT in a 1 bed, 5 nights on the Disney Dream and then a last couple of nights at the GF before flying home

I'm really looking forward to seeing how RPC compares to Sugar Loaf and excited t be going back

 

[k&a&c'smom]

stitchlet - YAY for you!! How exciting! I don't blame you for cheating, anything to get that goal accomplished. I'll bet it feels like a dream come true.

Cali-D - I agree, we felt the same way. For the LV price, it was a great room; for TPV prices, not so much.

thehighprincess44 - Welcome! I rarely suggest requesting specific room numbers, as that makes it more difficult for the room assignor to give you a similar room if that particular one is occupied. For us, we usually ask for a second floor or above (we like the higher view), non-dormer (we don't like the enclosed dormer balconies) and might request either pool side or marina side, depending on our preference at the time.

Last trip, we asked for pool side, but to get the non-dormer request, they could only offer a marina side room. So glad we chose it, the view was beautiful and quiet.

Since you will be doing a club level check in, you can easily discuss your room preferences with the CM. Be sure to call or email IPO now, and add your request through them - they are able to add it to your reservation info there at the resort.

Enjoy your celebration, I think you will LOVE the GF.

britfish - Welcome! I have only done the individual massage, but from what I've heard, the only real difference is that the two of you will be in the same room, on separate tables, with separate massage therapists. There is a couples instructional massage listed on the website that seems a bit different: http://relaxedyet.com/gf_treatments.asp

Tink Tatoo - Welcome back! Sounds like you have a very full vacation schedule. Wonderful! I think you will love RPC, if you enjoyed SL, as it is every bit and some would say, more. Lovely to be in the main bldg. for the afternoon/evening music, while you have hors d'oeuvres and wine.

katieandrob - Welcome! I know all the info seems overwhelming, but there really are very few bad views at the GF. I'll give you my standard answer about building locations, and you can look at the map on page 1 to get the layout!

If you would like to be near the main bldg. (with all the shops, most of the dining, and the monorail), Big Pine Key is a good choice. It is also the closest to the themed pool. Some of the garden view rooms in this building overlook the pool house, and the lower rooms will have a more blocked view.

If you would like to have a pretty view of the main building, with good proximity to the boat dock and courtyard pool, Boca Chica is a favorite of many. It also has a few pool building views.

Conch Key, my personal favorite, is close to the boat dock, courtyard pool, marina and a short walk to Gasparilla's Grill (quick service restaurant and arcade). Sago Cay is in a more removed location, being the furthest from the pools, but is quite close to the bus stop, Gasparilla's and the marina - and some of the rooms on the back side of the building have a view of the monorail line, which is fun for kids. (Parents who would rather have a prettier view would probably want to request the marina side of Sago.)

For reference, I have a few photos from this March of garden view rooms in both Big Pine Key and Sago Cay. As you can see, we had the dreaded pool view in BPK, but the room was high enough that it wasn't an issue:
Big Pine Key, overlooking pool:

BPK view, right:

BPK view, further right:

Sago Cay, marina view:

SC, left:

SC, right:

 

[spreadingpixiedust]

Hello, I am new to posting on this board. Am really enjoying reading all the info on GF. My husband, 2 younger sons, my parents, and myself are staying here for the first time this Sept. We are booked a Garden View room. Can you please give me a recommendation on if their is a specific building I should request. Is their much difference between the buildings other then the distance to things? My parents are somewhat picky about location and their view. I think they would be terribly disappointed if they looked out at another building. Please help I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this resort and what to request. Thanks so much.

Copied from the Unofficial Guide....

"Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

The resort is spread over a peninsula jutting into Seven Seas Lagoon. In addition to the main building, there are five dispersed, rectangular buildings also hosting guests. Most rooms have a balcony, and most balconies are enclosed by a rail that affords good visibility. Rooms just beneath the roof in each building (dormer rooms) have smaller, inset, solidly enclosed balconies that limit visibility when you’re seated. Most dormer rooms, however, have vaulted ceilings and a coziness that compensates for the less desirable balconies.

If you want to be near the bus and monorail stations, most of the restaurants, and shopping, ask for a room in the main building (all concierge rooms).

Of the five lodges, three (Conch Key, Boca Chica, and Big Pine Key) have one long side facing the lagoon and the other facing inner courtyards and swimming pools. At Conch Key, full-balcony rooms 7228–7231, 7328–7331, and 7425–7431 offer vistas across the lagoon to the Magic Kingdom and castle. Less expensive rooms in the same building that offer good views are 72-, 73-, and 7411, -13, -15, -17, -19, and -21, and 72-, 73-, and 7412 and -14. (grand Floridian room numbers are coded. Take Room 7213: 7 is the building number, 2 is the floor, and 13 is the room number.) In Boca Chica and Big Pine Key, ask for a lagoon-view room on the first, second, or third floor. Many garden-view rooms in Big Pine Key, and a few in Boca Chica, have views obstructed by a poolside building. These are the worst views from any Grand Floridian room.

The remaining buildings, Sugar Loaf Key (concierge only) and Sago Key, face each other across the marina. The opposite side of Sugar Loaf Key faces a courtyard, while the other side of Sago Key faces a finger of the lagoon and a forested area. All these views are pleasant but not in the same league as those from the rooms listed previously. Exceptions are end rooms in Sago Key (Rooms 5139, 5144, 5145, 5242–5245, 5342–5345) that have a view of the lagoon and Cinderella Castle."

Others on this board may have better advice as they are the true experts!!!

 

[britfish]

thanks for the reply on the massage. It looks like the individual massages would be cheaper and then we could each use a coupon, so even cheaper. And honestly after 9 days of vacation I don't know if need to be in the same room for a massage!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

spreadingpixiedust - Welcome! Thanks for that info from the Unofficial Guide, I haven't bought one in years so had no idea how they now describe the resort.

I was amused by the Guide's advice to "ask for a room in the main building", as those rooms are the most expensive in the resort and must be booked as such! They also suggest "asking" for a lagoon view room, or end rooms that have a castle view - it would be nice if they explained that these are bookable categories, with higher rates than the garden view rooms. Anyone can certainly request to be upgraded, but guests are much more likely to get their room/bldg. request met if it is within their rate category.

britfish - LOL! I see your point.

 

[stitchlet]

stitchlet - YAY for you!! How exciting! I don't blame you for cheating, anything to get that goal accomplished. I'll bet it feels like a dream come true.

Thank you so much k&a&c'smom! We are very excited!

 

[KCmike]

 

[stitchlet]

Have really been enjoying your photos, KCmike - please keep 'em coming!