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

[graceesmom]

Sorry if this has been previously answered, but I haven't made it through all 184 pages.

I seem to recall that you could walk from the GF to the Poly. Is my memory correct on this? If so, has the construction changed this? We will have dinner at the Poly 1 night, and I was thinking we would just walk instead of taking the full loop on the monorail if that is possible.

 

[Nicole786]

I posted a few questions regarding renting an ECV rental on the DISabiities thread, but one of them was GF specific so I thought I would try here!

We are going to HS one of the days so we'll need the bus, is there a designated area for ECVs to board? Does the GF board first for HS? I'm new at this ECV thing, it's for my grandma, who has problems with standing/walking for prolonged periods of time. Any help would be appreciated! And if you know some info about ECVs I posted some questions at this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2879452

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Nicole786]

Sorry if this has been previously answered, but I haven't made it through all 184 pages.

I seem to recall that you could walk from the GF to the Poly. Is my memory correct on this? If so, has the construction changed this? We will have dinner at the Poly 1 night, and I was thinking we would just walk instead of taking the full loop on the monorail if that is possible.

There definitely is a path! When I stayed at the Poly, I did my morning jog on that path, and then we used the path to walk to 1900 PF for breakfast! Not sure how the construction affects it though, hopefully someone can answer! I'd be curious myself.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

graceesmom - no need to apologize, ask anything you need! It can be difficult to find a specific answer.

There is a path, as Nicole786 posted, and it is supposed to remain open throughout the construction. For photos of the path with the construction walls up, look at this article on Mousesteps: http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=718&Itemid=65

The path isn't the only way to get to the Poly without taking the full monorail loop. If you hop on the boat launch, the Poly is the next stop, though you have to walk to the Great Ceremonial House - a perk for us, we love walking through the Poly landscaping.

Nicole786 - I don't remember a designated ECV spot at the bus stop, I'll post a couple photos below. The GF is the last to board before heading to the parks, so you may have to wait until the next bus if the first is full - I think the driver will alert another bus driver.

There are a couple of posters here who are very familiar with the process, so I hope they pop in. If not, the DISabilities board will quite likely give you plenty of answers.

I just noticed the little white square in the left bottom corner of this photo - this may be where the ECV's are expected to wait, so the driver can see them. There is quite a bit of real estate behind me in these photos, lol.

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

I just caught up on this wonderful thread about my favorite hotel! Just booked my flight for my trip in April . Can't wait to spend a week at SL! I am recycling pictures, so it's definitely time for a trip and some new pictures.

An oldie, but a goodie!

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

A perfect place to spend a relaxing afternoon!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I've been cheating on our thread, and reading elsewhere today. I found some info that I was woefully unaware of, and had to run over here! I posted to zad's mom that we usually make our dining reservations, then change when we see what is available at the club lounge. Apparently, there is a new policy that will make this much more difficult.

The new dining policy requires a cc at time of reservation and a 24-hour cancellation or forfeit $10/person! The restaurants on the list are all of the Signatures and character dining venues - even for the meals that don't include characters. This makes it difficult to book and then change last minute.

Sorry for the bad info, I guess this policy took effect on October 26, 2011. This will definitely change the way we vacation at WDW.

Jungle Cruiser - a new trip to plan, yay! Thanks for the photo, lovely.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

A perfect place to spend a relaxing afternoon!

Welcome! I agree, a very relaxing spot.

 

[bethclayton]

I posted a few questions regarding renting an ECV rental on the DISabiities thread, but one of them was GF specific so I thought I would try here!

We are going to HS one of the days so we'll need the bus, is there a designated area for ECVs to board? Does the GF board first for HS? I'm new at this ECV thing, it's for my grandma, who has problems with standing/walking for prolonged periods of time. Any help would be appreciated! And if you know some info about ECVs I posted some questions at this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2879452

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

I clicked on your other thread and I think you got great advice on there... And as usual, k&a&c's mom gave wonderful advice. I don't really have anything to add, so I will just ditto. We took my mom with a scooter almost exactly 2 years ago and it was soooooo much less painful than I was anticipating. It worked beautifully everywhere we went. At the GF, we were always first to load the bus (although we were off season so no real lines anyway). I believe they had her wait in the white square that k&a&c'smom referred to.

As for the rides (the question on your other thread)... honestly, it is just much simpler to keep the scooter in the line with you. Even lines that look short can be a long wait unexpectedly. They always have you park the scooter somewhere extremely convenient, amd they will literally bring the scooter to you if the area to park it in is inconvenient. Once your grandma gets used to the scooter, there is no reason for her to ditch it unnecessarily. And frankly... You will all come to love how much of your stuff it can haul in its basket!

As for charging... We had looooong days at the parks every day and never needed to charge it. But, my mom always brought the charger with her JUST IN CASE. You never know when you might need it, and it eliminated any anxiety to have it with her.

 

[DrMomof3]

I clicked on your other thread and I think you got great advice on there... And as usual, k&a&c's mom gave wonderful advice. I don't really have anything to add, so I will just ditto. We took my mom with a scooter almost exactly 2 years ago and it was soooooo much less painful than I was anticipating. It worked beautifully everywhere we went. At the GF, we were always first to load the bus (although we were off season so no real lines anyway). I believe they had her wait in the white square that k&a&c'smom referred to.

As for the rides (the question on your other thread)... honestly, it is just much simpler to keep the scooter in the line with you. Even lines that look short can be a long wait unexpectedly. They always have you park the scooter somewhere extremely convenient, amd they will literally bring the scooter to you if the area to park it in is inconvenient. Once your grandma gets used to the scooter, there is no reason for her to ditch it unnecessarily. And frankly... You will all come to love how much of your stuff it can haul in its basket!

As for charging... We had looooong days at the parks every day and never needed to charge it. But, my mom always brought the charger with her JUST IN CASE. You never know when you might need it, and it eliminated any anxiety to have it with her.

My mom had an ECV in January and I totally agree that it was much easier than I expected. I was prepared to have to wait for another bus if the 1st one was full but we had no issues at all! It made the trip SO much more enjoyable for her!
In terms of the bus, we waited with everyone else but the bus driver would always board her first and then open the front door for everyone else. I will say that we never had very crowded buses so it might be harder at a busier time of year.

Amanda

 

[Nicole786]

Nicole786 - I don't remember a designated ECV spot at the bus stop, I'll post a couple photos below. The GF is the last to board before heading to the parks, so you may have to wait until the next bus if the first is full - I think the driver will alert another bus driver.

There are a couple of posters here who are very familiar with the process, so I hope they pop in. If not, the DISabilities board will quite likely give you plenty of answers.

I just noticed the little white square in the left bottom corner of this photo - this may be where the ECV's are expected to wait, so the driver can see them. There is quite a bit of real estate behind me in these photos, lol.

As usual, you have answered the question above and beyond! Thank you so much for the photos, they are really helpful!

I clicked on your other thread and I think you got great advice on there... And as usual, k&a&c's mom gave wonderful advice. I don't really have anything to add, so I will just ditto. We took my mom with a scooter almost exactly 2 years ago and it was soooooo much less painful than I was anticipating. It worked beautifully everywhere we went. At the GF, we were always first to load the bus (although we were off season so no real lines anyway). I believe they had her wait in the white square that k&a&c'smom referred to.

As for the rides (the question on your other thread)... honestly, it is just much simpler to keep the scooter in the line with you. Even lines that look short can be a long wait unexpectedly. They always have you park the scooter somewhere extremely convenient, amd they will literally bring the scooter to you if the area to park it in is inconvenient. Once your grandma gets used to the scooter, there is no reason for her to ditch it unnecessarily. And frankly... You will all come to love how much of your stuff it can haul in its basket!

As for charging... We had looooong days at the parks every day and never needed to charge it. But, my mom always brought the charger with her JUST IN CASE. You never know when you might need it, and it eliminated any anxiety to have it with her.

I agree that I got such amazing responses on the other thread, but thank you for chiming in and adding in! I love to hear opinions on the ECV thing, because it's the one thing that I'm a bit nervous about (and pulling off the GF surprise, and keeping my mouth shut! ) We'll bring the charger with us to the parks like you suggested just in case.

Riding the ECV down the line isn't the concern, it's being required to use the handicap accessible vehicle, for instance, like on winnie the pooh. Do they take the ECV from you at the moment of transfer so you can use a regular vehicle?

My mom had an ECV in January and I totally agree that it was much easier than I expected. I was prepared to have to wait for another bus if the 1st one was full but we had no issues at all! It made the trip SO much more enjoyable for her!
In terms of the bus, we waited with everyone else but the bus driver would always board her first and then open the front door for everyone else. I will say that we never had very crowded buses so it might be harder at a busier time of year.

Amanda

We are going during an off week in April, so i'm hoping for regular crowds! And I'm happy in the decision of the GF knowing that the only time we'll have bus issues (if we have issues) is the going to/from HS! Gotta love the Monorail! just thinking about it, gets me excited! 2 months to go from today!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Nicole786 - glad to help! Just for reference, there were guests at the bus stop when I took those photos, which is why I don't have a better angle for the loading area. The seats aren't as smack dab in the driveway as it might appear.

Last August, my DD and I headed right to the MK after our travel day, and I stood for MSEP and Wishes - not very smart, as I have a pinned ankle and bad knee. After 3 hours of standing, my knee wasn't very happy and I ended up needing a scooter for the rest of the trip. (we were at BC, which is why I'm unsure of the exact loading at GF)

As everyone else has posted, the CMs are great, they will direct you what to do at each ride. I was so nervous, but it was easier than I expected, and everyone was helpful.

bethclayton - lol - DD was so pleased with the basket, too, we could stow our stuff and she didn't have to lug anything around.

DrMomof3 - good to hear the buses are not too hard during the off season. I was glad, being at the BC, that I only had to use the buses minimally. Scooted into Epcot, boat to DHS and one bus - to AK. By our next MK day, I was able to walk there, as it isn't as spread out as the other parks.

 

[Dreamsdocometrue9112]

Hi! I read through this entire thread, learning the ins and outs of the GF, as my future husband and I will be staying here for our Disneymoon in September! Very excited!!

I have a question that I was hoping someone could help me out with (I may have missed this in the thread, it was so long I feel like I still missed a lot):

Could anyone give me some information about how to go about renting a poolside cabana? I've read that there are full day rentals and half day rentals. Could anyone tell me the cost of the rental? What's included?

Sorry for the abundant amount of questions. I am interested in doing this for a day or half of a day on our honeymoon. We aren't huge pool people, as we get bored by the pool pretty easily. So if there are "half day" rentals, this is probably what we'd go with.

TIA

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Dreamsdocometrue9112 - Best wishes for your upcoming wedding, and honeymoon at the GF!

Here is the info from the first page, post #5 (I know it is tough to remember everything):


Cabana Rental:

Rental Cabana amenities include:
. Two padded chaise lounge chairs
. Two padded straight-backed chairs
. Plush towels
. 22 inch LCD television with cable access and optional earphones
. Ceiling Fan
. Mini refrigerator stocked with complementary sodas and water
. Complementary fruit basket
. Private dining and poolside massages are available at an
additional cost.

A half day is $110.00+ tax, and is from 10am - 2pm OR 3pm - 7pm
A full day is $185+ tax for 10am - 7pm

Credit card needed to reserve; 24-hour cancellation policy; weather-related cancellation less than 24 hours, no fee, but any other reason and your CC will be charged.

Call 407 WDW-PLAY to reserve.

the following info contributed by CoachBagFanatic on 1/10/2012: "The cabanas can be rented 180 days out and all you have to do is give a CC # just to hold the cabana. You pay when you check in for the cabana. Last time I remember we were able to charge the additional cost of the cabana to our room."

HTH! Don't hesitate to ask anything else you need, this is a long thread, I'm amazed when anyone reads the whole thing! ETA: There are some beautiful photos of the cabanas at the bottom of post #10 on the first page, contributed by Lulu'sMom.

 

[Dreamsdocometrue9112]

Dreamsdocometrue9112 - Best wishes for your upcoming wedding, and honeymoon at the GF!

Here is the info from the first page, post #5 (I know it is tough to remember everything):


Cabana Rental:

Rental Cabana amenities include:
. Two padded chaise lounge chairs
. Two padded straight-backed chairs
. Plush towels
. 22 inch LCD television with cable access and optional earphones
. Ceiling Fan
. Mini refrigerator stocked with complementary sodas and water
. Complementary fruit basket
. Private dining and poolside massages are available at an
additional cost.

A half day is $110.00+ tax, and is from 10am - 2pm OR 3pm - 7pm
A full day is $185+ tax for 10am - 7pm

Credit card needed to reserve; 24-hour cancellation policy; weather-related cancellation less than 24 hours, no fee, but any other reason and your CC will be charged.

Call 407 WDW-PLAY to reserve.

the following info contributed by CoachBagFanatic on 1/10/2012: "The cabanas can be rented 180 days out and all you have to do is give a CC # just to hold the cabana. You pay when you check in for the cabana. Last time I remember we were able to charge the additional cost of the cabana to our room."

HTH! Don't hesitate to ask anything else you need, this is a long thread, I'm amazed when anyone reads the whole thing! ETA: There are some beautiful photos of the cabanas at the bottom of post #10 on the first page, contributed by Lulu'sMom.

Thank you SO much for all of the information! This helps a lot. It's really good to know that we only need a CC# to hold, because I was worried about the weather issue. You never know what to expect in September

 

[KCmike]

I just caught up on this wonderful thread about my favorite hotel! Just booked my flight for my trip in April . Can't wait to spend a week at SL! I am recycling pictures, so it's definitely time for a trip and some new pictures.

An oldie, but a goodie!

It's always good to recycle isn't it?

Don't think I posted this one...

 

[bethclayton]

As usual, you have answered the question above and beyond! Thank you so much for the photos, they are really helpful!



I agree that I got such amazing responses on the other thread, but thank you for chiming in and adding in! I love to hear opinions on the ECV thing, because it's the one thing that I'm a bit nervous about (and pulling off the GF surprise, and keeping my mouth shut! ) We'll bring the charger with us to the parks like you suggested just in case.

Riding the ECV down the line isn't the concern, it's being required to use the handicap accessible vehicle, for instance, like on winnie the pooh. Do they take the ECV from you at the moment of transfer so you can use a regular vehicle?




We are going during an off week in April, so i'm hoping for regular crowds! And I'm happy in the decision of the GF knowing that the only time we'll have bus issues (if we have issues) is the going to/from HS! Gotta love the Monorail! just thinking about it, gets me excited! 2 months to go from today!!

i hope i am correct about this, as it has been two years, but i do not recall ever being required to ride any handicap accessible vehicle, other than possibly on the AK safari. i believe for all the other rides, they asked us if my mom could transfer to the ride vehicle, and since she can, we rode in a normal vehicle. for the safari, i believe everyone with a scooter had to get in a separate area to park their scooters and then we all boarded the same vehicle so the scooters would all be waiting for us when we returned. but that is the one and only ride i recall that on. i think the disabilities forum will definitely know the answer. just ask them if people who can transfer are required to ride a handicapped accessible vehicle.

 

[Ali]

Have a rainbow bright day!

I loved the toiletries!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Dreamsdocometrue9112 - You're welcome! You are so right about the weather - in any month, but especially late summer.

i hope i am correct about this, as it has been two years, but i do not recall ever being required to ride any handicap accessible vehicle, other than possibly on the AK safari. i believe for all the other rides, they asked us if my mom could transfer to the ride vehicle, and since she can, we rode in a normal vehicle. for the safari, i believe everyone with a scooter had to get in a separate area to park their scooters and then we all boarded the same vehicle so the scooters would all be waiting for us when we returned. but that is the one and only ride i recall that on. i think the disabilities forum will definitely know the answer. just ask them if people who can transfer are required to ride a handicapped accessible vehicle.

This is exactly what they did for me last July/August, although I don't remember the AK Safari issue. Sorry, Nicole786, I did not see your comment about the ride vehicles - for me, we asked the CMs at each ride if we should take the ECV; they always said it was up to us, but it was easier to take it. When we arrived at the head of the line, the CM there would ask if I could transfer on my own, and they would take the ECV (or direct us where to park it) and we boarded a regular vehicle. As we exited, the CM at the exit would either have the ECV, or direct us to it. Easy!

Ali - Love the photos, how awesome you were able to capture the rainbow!

KCmike - Great photo, I always love photos of the fencing and angles, too! I have one at the end of that walkway, it's one of my favorites:

 

[KCmike]

KCmike - Great photo, I always love photos of the fencing and angles, too! I have one at the end of that walkway, it's one of my favorites:

Thanks k&a&c'smom! Great photo. You complete me!