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

[nonzerosum]

Thanks for the information and I have to agree with you on all of the above ... And we only ever stayed club level at Disney, including the main building at the Grand. We liked it, overall, and might go back because of the exterior amenities and proximity, but the quality-to-price ratio for the rooms is just so far below ANYTHING outside of Disney World, even other high-tourist, location-centric places like Paris, it's hard to swallow. (Next time we will definitely stay off site, likely at the Waldorf, so that we can more accurately compare.)

Granted, I've only had two Disney World on-site trips but both times, paying upwards of $500 night, and getting well-worn, extremely basic Hampton Inn-type rooms was hard to swallow. Even with the club lounge and lovely public areas just weren't enough to let me forget stained furniture, torn wallpaper, broken fixtures and lackluster housekeeping I experienced both times. That shouldn't really happen at any hotel price point, but most definitely not in a world-class resort's highest-price rooms. (And by "resort" I mean Disney World as a hotel, not the Grand itself.)

Oh and, had to comment on that second part too because we experienced the same when we stayed at the Grand in September. It was like an elevator or rolling cart right above/behind us at all hours of the night. Woke me up nightly, multiple times, throughout the whole trip. Never heard it during the day, which could be because it wasn't happening, or might also be because it wasn't so quiet overall so the lower level noise was masked. Never did figure out what it was, but am sure wasn't my imagination as my best friend (who shared the room for part of the trip) also heard it, as did my husband, who joined me after she left, even before I ever said anything to him.

I tried to ask about it, more because the "what the heck is that?" aspect was driving me almost as crazy as the noise itself. It was like there was a ride back there or something. But the Cast Member I spoke with had no clue what it could be and, frankly, I don't think even really believed me that it existed.

It's good to know I'm not the only one who heard the mystery sound!

My friend stayed at the Waldorf while we were at the GF and they had glowing reports. My friend is a self-professed princess and said there was no way she would pay Waldorf prices for Holiday Inn quality (ie GF).

 

[k&a&c'smom]

nonzerosum - thank you for the detailed and honest report. I'm glad you had many things about the resort that you loved, and will likely return because of them.

I have to agree with you on several points, most notably the cost/value issue. I would never pay over $500/night for a garden view room at the Grand, or any other WDW resort - I refused to book for next month at $400! If we can't get a decent discount, we don't book, simple as that. I know I've been harping on this topic, but the smaller discount for the GF during such a major renovation is very poor customer service.

It's very disappointing to hear the front desk didn't make any effort to move you, even if the resort was full. I am hard pressed to believe NO rooms with a better view/location opened up over your 12-day stay!

I have been in a couple WDW rooms with the noise you describe. One was a first floor room at BC, we were next to the mousekeeping room and heard carts being moved at a very early hour each a.m. The second was a WL CL room - we were next to the service elevator, and heard it running each night as we tried to drift off to sleep. Not much fun, I have to agree.

Sorry for the repeated questions, but are the Monorail closures hourly/daily/weekly closures, or it closed permanently until the work is complete?

No worries, we are here to help! The monorail is not shut down completely. From reports posted here, it is down intermittently between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day, due to construction safety issues.

 

[Nicole786]

Last sleep! Can't sleep! Leaving tomorrow at noon! CAAANT WAIT!! Will report in Thanks to everyone for their live reports, its been great! I've never stayed at the GF but I have stayed and loved the Poly, so we'll see how it compares!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Yay Nicole !!!! Have a safe trip.

We had another great day yesterday. Went to DHS then came back to relax at the pool in the late afternoon. By about 5:30 the activities quieted down and the courtyard pool was nice and relaxing.

Went to the Wishes dessert party at night. We loved the memories show - just awesome!!! Actually enjoyed it more than Wishes!!! Must've been too windy for Tink, which was a bummer because she would've flown right over us.

Hope my fellow travelers are having a blast!!

 

[bethclayton]

Well. There has been quite a problem. When my mother and I checked in, she met with the concierge for a while first because she was the one paying for the rooms, while I got the kids settled. I joined them after a bit. The concierge checking us in asked me if I wanted to link a credit card to my room key in case I wanted to charge anything, but said it was not necessary, just a convenience. I said no, but a few minutes later, I changed my mind and told her she could link my debit card to the room, and gave her the number.

Yesterday we returned from animal kingdom to a voicemail in the room that said something about our card being over the limit. To tell you the truth, I was really not too worried, as I figured there was just a mistake. I mean, I had just checked my bank balance that day and there was plenty in there and we had not used the debit card once since arrival. So we had some snacks and even shopped a bit before stopping at the front desk.

Well, they charged the entire balance of the room on my debit card!!! My debit card that was very clearly stated that it was only supposed to be used for incidentals! It majorly overdrafted. I was so upset, I was fighting back tears at the desk. This could go on for weeks, with things getting returned and overdraft fees. I had to wake my poor mother up out of a sound sleep to get her credit card (which was what was supposed to have been used to pay for the rooms, which she had already done with the check in concierge), the whole commotion woke the kids up, everyone was up and upset at 10:30 pm. I returned to the desk with her credit card and they corrected the error, but let me tell you something that is a disgrace.... I got not one apology. Not ONE. They said they knew it was their error, amd they said they would refund me, but never once said, "we are sorry for our mistake." Not at all the kind of customer service that I would expect from a McDonald's, let alone a hotel that costs almost $1,000 a night to stay in.

Then, ironically, the concierge called this morning and left a message asking for my debit card number, so he could expedite the refund. Are these people kidding me??? I already gave them that number! That is how we got in this mess in the first place! What did they do with it?? I will say that the concierge who called, did at least apologize.

Well, I am off to breakfast and the MK. Of course we are having an excellent trip, but wow, what a bump in the road.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Nicole786 - sorry, I thought yesterday was the day. Safe travels, have a magical vacation.

LittleStinkerbelle - Glad you are having a great time! Sounds like the pool has periods of calm, good to know.

Your dessert party must have been fun, sorry about Tink, that would have been the perfect spot! I hope you get another chance to see her, even if it isn't directly below her flight path.

bethclayton - Oh NO! I'm so very sorry to hear about your debit card mix up, very unprofessional. This is the second time I've heard of someone having the whole bill charged when it was not supposed to be. I think the last person had paid in full, rather than the wrong card used.

I certainly hope they make it right with your bank - there should be no overdraft fees charged for their mistake! If there is any more fallout from this, I would ask to speak with the GM.

Hopefully, this will be sorted out without you needing to make any further calls, etc. and you can get back to the important things - vacation!

 

[coopersmom]

Well. There has been quite a problem. When my mother and I checked in, she met with the concierge for a while first because she was the one paying for the rooms, while I got the kids settled. I joined them after a bit. The concierge checking us in asked me if I wanted to link a credit card to my room key in case I wanted to charge anything, but said it was not necessary, just a convenience. I said no, but a few minutes later, I changed my mind and told her she could link my debit card to the room, and gave her the number.

Yesterday we returned from animal kingdom to a voicemail in the room that said something about our card being over the limit. To tell you the truth, I was really not too worried, as I figured there was just a mistake. I mean, I had just checked my bank balance that day and there was plenty in there and we had not used the debit card once since arrival. So we had some snacks and even shopped a bit before stopping at the front desk.

Well, they charged the entire balance of the room on my debit card!!! My debit card that was very clearly stated that it was only supposed to be used for incidentals! It majorly overdrafted. I was so upset, I was fighting back tears at the desk. This could go on for weeks, with things getting returned and overdraft fees. I had to wake my poor mother up out of a sound sleep to get her credit card (which was what was supposed to have been used to pay for the rooms, which she had already done with the check in concierge), the whole commotion woke the kids up, everyone was up and upset at 10:30 pm. I returned to the desk with her credit card and they corrected the error, but let me tell you something that is a disgrace.... I got not one apology. Not ONE. They said they knew it was their error, amd they said they would refund me, but never once said, "we are sorry for our mistake." Not at all the kind of customer service that I would expect from a McDonald's, let alone a hotel that costs almost $1,000 a night to stay in.

Then, ironically, the concierge called this morning and left a message asking for my debit card number, so he could expedite the refund. Are these people kidding me??? I already gave them that number! That is how we got in this mess in the first place! What did they do with it?? I will say that the concierge who called, did at least apologize.

Well, I am off to breakfast and the MK. Of course we are having an excellent trip, but wow, what a bump in the road.

Oh, I feel soo badly for you, and know exactly what you're going through as an extremely similiar thing happened to me in September. Our room was paid in full but we changed, after a noisy night, to a deluxe room that cost a bit more per night. Should have been, roughly, $600 more than I'd already paid. No problem. (Well, not "no problem," it's still a good bit of money, but there would have been zero issue if they'd just charged that amount.) But, instead of charging that difference in cost, they tried to charge the whole new amount, which my card rejected because it put me over the limit. (We are lucky to have good credit and a high limit but, you can do the math, and two nine-night stays at Grand RPC does not equal chump change.) Then I started getting calls and threats and "you owe us" ... It was actually kind of scary.

What they had done is credit the original charge, but said it could take "up to two billing cycles" to process the credit. We pay our credit card balance in full, monthly, and I used this specific card for a reason and did not want to put it on another card. (I was told several times AFTER it happened, and couldn't be immediately fixed, that it never should have been done that way: credit and recharge vs. cost difference, as it was more work for them, too. What made it weirder is that they never quoted me a new total; just "an additional such-and-such amount", in every conversation I had before switching to a new room. So it just seemed natural that, that quoted amount is what they would charge.)


I won't rehash the whole story here (page back in this thread to September if you care), but I did escalate to mgt. and it was taken care of in 8 days, instead of the originally quoted two months. But that was only after I went to the desk every single day, morning and night. I never had charging on my key card and had to prove I could pay full balance with other card before they would even begin to help me sort this out. It was eventually resolved, but there were lots of little hassles. Among them, when I got back, being told I still owed them for the stay they'd already charged twice, because they had the credit record, but not the charges. Another oops that kind of blew my mind, even though, once I explained, they did solve that one quickly, calling me back the same day to say the "found" the charge. The scariest part is I was talking to people who had helped me while there--and, remember, I saw them twice a day for nine days--and they didn't recall the whole drama until I reminded them, making me wonder how often stuff like this occurs.

I can't even imagine the drama if it had been debit card and linked to my bank acct.

My only advice is to try to set a time each day to deal with it/check up and then just put it out of your mind and try to enjoy the rest of your vacation. It didn't ruin my trip, but I know the anxiety and time spent trying to fix their error was definitely stressful.

I also wanted to add that I did write a letter after I got home and Disney offered some tickets for future use to make up for all the hassles. I hadn't posted about that before, because I see people get pounced on for posting about compensation after issues and didn't want that to happen (plus, it all happened long after I'd posted about my trip), but figured that since I was posting about it again, it would be unfair not to point out that Disney did try to do something to make it right.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

coopersmom - I thought it might have been you I was remembering with this issue. So sorry you had this problem to deal with, not fun when you are supposed to be relaxing and enjoying your vacation.

Even 8 days sounds like a long time to me.

 

[pas130]

Last sleep! Can't sleep! Leaving tomorrow at noon! CAAANT WAIT!! Will report in Thanks to everyone for their live reports, its been great! I've never stayed at the GF but I have stayed and loved the Poly, so we'll see how it compares!

Yay today is the day!!!!! You are on your way!!!!

Well. There has been quite a problem.

I am SO sorry this happened to you. I had a similar situation at Portofino, which took a lot of tears and hours fix...not to mention the ripple effect of bounced bills. My debit card was never even on the room either It really is aggravating, to put it midly. Sorry it happened to you!

I spoke with very nice gentleman who laid out what he has been told about the construction and how it would affect the resort.

-Monorail closures will continue as they have for the last few months(seems to be the most complaints are about this)

-The pool/lagoon area will most likely remain as is with no further changes until August when a new round of construction is to begin. I was also told that the work around the pool was to add new amenities BUT that this pool may be shared with the new DVC. I did ask if it would be possible to add cabanas at the Courtyard pool as the activities have moved over there. I am sure that won't happen but he was very nice about my suggestion

-With regard to the main building and specifically rooms directly overlooking the construction, he indicated that worse case they would remove those rooms from inventory if the construction became too intrusive or loud and would contact those with effected reservations. This was the worst case or last result but I know he wanted to be thorough and I appreciated his honesty.

This may have no new information but I did want to post that they were very responsive to my concerns and I believe up front about what was going on (or at least what he has been told) about construction.

We are keeping our reservation as my kids love this resort and as they are getting older I know there are few opportunities to preserve some of their childhood wonder. My DH wants the extra space of the deluxe and is unconcerned about view.

I appreciate everyone with a recent trip that has reported on the construction, it has been invaluable while planning this trip and I thank you for taking the time to do so.

Thank you for this informatio n

nonzerosum I agree that your DD should have been rewarded...a balloon..something. You are blessed with a wonderful young lady And thank you for your review!!!


being the true changer I am
I changed my Sept trip to Aug. mainly due to the discount. All that was available CL was a King room....for those who remember my November trip will know why I am nervous.....but there is no better was to brave the heat than the GF

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

LittleStinkerbell, sounds like we did similar things yesterday. We started at HS, spent some time by the pool and went to the MK last night. We were back at the resort by 9 for dessert and watched Wishes from the dock!

BethClayton, so sorry to hear about the debit card mix-up. They should be apologizing profusely!

It's another beautiful day at the GF! We went into the MK this morning and were surpized by the crowds. We just grabbed a bite to eat and are heading out to the pool! I am going to text LittleStinkerbelle in case they are out there this afternoon. I don't know how to find Bethclayton, but I am medium build, in my 50's, short light brown hair and will be down by the shallow end closer to SL if you read this and are going to the pool!

I found out last night, SL is completely booked. It is crowded here, this is traditionally a less crowded time of year, after Easter/Spring breaks and before the summer starts.

Off to the pool!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Jungle Cruiser - enjoy your day at the pool! Sounds blissful. Odd the GF, and the MK, are crowded now.

pas130 - lol about the change, but I can see why, I would do the same.

I'm glad you mentioned nonzerosum's DD, I had forgotten to respond to this part of the report. I agree, I would have expected some sort of recognition for her good deed.

 

[pas130]

It's another beautiful day at the GF! We went into the MK this morning and were surpized by the crowds. We just grabbed a bite to eat and are heading out to the pool! I am going to text LittleStinkerbelle in case they are out there this afternoon. I don't know how to find Bethclayton, but I am medium build, in my 50's, short light brown hair and will be down by the shallow end closer to SL if you read this and are going to the pool!

I found out last night, SL is completely booked. It is crowded here, this is traditionally a less crowded time of year, after Easter/Spring breaks and before the summer starts.

Off to the pool!

Enjoy!!!! Surprised they are packed! But Spring Breaks this year are all over the place I think!!!

pas130 - lol about the change, but I can see why, I would do the same.

I'm glad you mentioned nonzerosum's DD, I had forgotten to respond to this part of the report. I agree, I would have expected some sort of recognition for her good deed.

Very odd that would get missed....not loving some of the not-so-disney CMs in WDW lately.

Be forewarned if I get walked from GF again, they will have to get the SWAT team involved, no way will they walk HRH from her castle That will NOT happen ( I need to not change anymore.....seriously)

 

[Letterhead]

No worries, we are here to help! The monorail is not shut down completely. From reports posted here, it is down intermittently between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day, due to construction safety issues.

To me that sounds like a very minor issue to get annoyed over. Especially as peak traffic is outside those hours, so I'm sure getting one of the boats isn't difficult.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Just got back to the room after a busy morning. Short wait for the bus and got to HS right as it opened. We walked over to Toy Story and the wait was 25 min, we decided to go ahead and wait. In reality the wait was more like 10 minutes! We were off the ride before 9:30! We did a few more rides then walked to EPCOT and walked around the countries.

It is cloudy, now but the sun is supposed to come back out, so we are going out to the pool in a bit.

I have to say, other than the noise from the pool in the afternoon, we are in an amazingly quiet room. The picture below is the outside of SL from the pool. Our room is the dormer room on the left on the top floor next to the huge balcony for a suite. So on one side there is nothing and another a suite which we haven't heard a sound from, but we know is occupied.

Also, in terms of pool noise in the afternoons we hear in more in the room than actually by the pool. I guess it's just the way the sound travels. We don't think the music and the kid's games are that intrusive by the pool. The kid's game area is over by the baby pool.

We had a similar TSM experience. We got there a few minutes before AM EMH ended, walked over to get FPs and the wait was already posted as 30 minutes. We figured it was only going to get worse so we got in line and the wait was only about 15 minutes. What a pleasant treat! Thanks for the photo.

Well I'm finally getting around to posting my thoughts/review/observations of our first GF stay. We visited for 12 during Spring Break and departed just prior to Good Friday.

Overall, we were very pleased with our stay and will definitely stay at the GF again. In fact, I booked a Future Stay Offer for the GF while there, so obviously we liked it, but as with all WDW properties, I do have some issues. My primary criticism of all Deluxe resorts, GF included, is that the standard rooms are not worthy of the price. We have stayed at many 5 star hotels and resorts and always find that the value of WDW resorts, as it pertains to the room itself, falls short. $550/night gets you something very different at a non-Disney property and I always feel this sting a bit at WDW resorts. However, we always have, and will continue to, stay at Deluxes for the obvious other great features. As an FYI, we have never stayed CL.

And now onto our room....we stayed second floor Boca Chica and our room was directly over the entrance way into the building. Terrible location for many reasons and I asked to switch but couldn't be accommodated due to Spring Break full capacity. Our balcony railing was solid, even though we were second floor, and we looked directly onto the roof of the entrance to Boca Chica. Needless to say, I only sat out there once as there was nothing to see except the top of the railing. Construction was in full swing which meant that the courtyard pool was very noisy at naptime with pool music and activities, and at bedtime with the pool movie (the screen was in front of us on the pool deck). I could think of worse sounds, and we lived with it, but it certainly wasn't peaceful. A further annoyance when it came to sound was that our room was next to what we think was a housekeeping corridor and/or service elevator. Bell services carts and housekeeping carts were frequently parked out in front of a door beside us marked "Cast Members Only". At night there were alot of mechanical sounds coming from the other side of that wall, almost like an elevator shaft in motion every minute or so. I didn't sleep well for the first 5 nights and next time I'll bring earplugs. Again, not a HUGE issue, but also not something I've ever experienced at the Four Seasons.

We all loved the Main Building! From the music, to the smells, to the Easter Eggs and beyond. It was a wonderful place to roam and take it all in. My kids LOVED the Main Building and we had constant requests to visit it. My son thought M. Mercantile was THE BEST and my daughter loved Basin White. It was so refreshing to walk through every night.

The Courtyard Pool was never packed, but certainly was bustling. As the Beach Pool construction got worse over our stay, you could see the impact on the Courtyard Pool and it was hard to get a lounge chair. 90% of lounge chairs were occupied with towels only, which always annoys me when I actually want to sit down. The CP was really fun for our kids and not overly chaotic.

Of course the location of the GF can't be topped IMHO. We used all forms of transportation while there and found them all to be relatively speedy. The layout of the resort is great and of course, very beautiful. It was much smaller then I anticipated which made me very happy. Even though I looked at the map several times before departing, I envisioned something much larger, I'm not sure why.

We frequently grabbed snacks and quick service from Gasperilla's which my kids thought was great and DH and I were pleased with.

One thing that I was quite surprised about was the extreme queue jumping with the busses first thing in the morning, not something that I would associate with the GF. Lineups were always very long for the busses, and a few times not all passengers were able to board. Despite this, each time we waited in line for a bus several people simply ignored that fact that many others were already there first. Perhaps it's a cultural thing, but where I come from, it's considered very bad form to do this when queueing for public transportation.

I can't sign off without mentioning this one last thing. One afternoon my daughter and I were returning from the pool and as we walked into Boca Chica my 8 year old daughter spotted a men's wallet on the floor. It was full of cash and credit cards, and was a designer wallet. I suggested that we take a walk to the front desk and turn it in there, just to make sure it got into the owner's hands. As we walked she said, "please let me do the talking" and seemed quite excited to do so. When we got to the front desk she "did the talking" and explained the situation very maturely and confidently. The CM merely said thank you and hardly even smiled. I wasn't expecting a parade or confetti, but clearly this was a very good deed and an important event for a young child. He seemed quite dismissive of her, so I stepped in and basically repeated what she said and highlighted the fact that we would feel better if the owner was contacted right away given the amount of cash in the wallet and the fact that this person is obviously on vacation and likely panicking. He merely said okay. I thought it was a bit strange that in a place like WDW where a Mickey sticker is given for everything, the CM only said thank-you and okay. I was a bit suspicious of what was going to happen with the wallet (no other CMs were around), but I chose to have faith in humanity instead.

So that is my review. We will stay at the GF again and would love to try CL next time. Happy travels to all those lucky enough to experience the GF!!

Though I haven't stayed at the GF, I can explain (I think) what you're hearing. Could it be a service elevator? Our favorite room at the WL has the housekeeping room with a service elevator behind it. You can hear the whirring of the elevator going up and down. While it can be annoying, we find it better than listening to other guests. This room doesn't have any room on one side of it, is that like yours?

I would have wondered, too whether the CM had given the wallet back to its owner. But, with all the cameras they have everywhere these days, I'm sure he did locate the owner. I do agree that DD's good deed should have been recognized by the CM. But, the important thing is that I'm certain you told her how proud of her you were and that sometimes others can take acts of kindness for granted.

Well. There has been quite a problem. When my mother and I checked in, she met with the concierge for a while first because she was the one paying for the rooms, while I got the kids settled. I joined them after a bit. The concierge checking us in asked me if I wanted to link a credit card to my room key in case I wanted to charge anything, but said it was not necessary, just a convenience. I said no, but a few minutes later, I changed my mind and told her she could link my debit card to the room, and gave her the number.

Yesterday we returned from animal kingdom to a voicemail in the room that said something about our card being over the limit. To tell you the truth, I was really not too worried, as I figured there was just a mistake. I mean, I had just checked my bank balance that day and there was plenty in there and we had not used the debit card once since arrival. So we had some snacks and even shopped a bit before stopping at the front desk.

Well, they charged the entire balance of the room on my debit card!!! My debit card that was very clearly stated that it was only supposed to be used for incidentals! It majorly overdrafted. I was so upset, I was fighting back tears at the desk. This could go on for weeks, with things getting returned and overdraft fees. I had to wake my poor mother up out of a sound sleep to get her credit card (which was what was supposed to have been used to pay for the rooms, which she had already done with the check in concierge), the whole commotion woke the kids up, everyone was up and upset at 10:30 pm. I returned to the desk with her credit card and they corrected the error, but let me tell you something that is a disgrace.... I got not one apology. Not ONE. They said they knew it was their error, amd they said they would refund me, but never once said, "we are sorry for our mistake." Not at all the kind of customer service that I would expect from a McDonald's, let alone a hotel that costs almost $1,000 a night to stay in.

Then, ironically, the concierge called this morning and left a message asking for my debit card number, so he could expedite the refund. Are these people kidding me??? I already gave them that number! That is how we got in this mess in the first place! What did they do with it?? I will say that the concierge who called, did at least apologize.

Well, I am off to breakfast and the MK. Of course we are having an excellent trip, but wow, what a bump in the road.

You are right to be very angry and upset. I won't relate the gory details, but we had an accounting/billing screw-up once upon departure from the CR where we were billed for nights we weren't at the Poly because we had switched mid-trip to the CR. Accounting was closed as it was Sunday, so we got nothing resolved in the 3 hours we spent trying to correct the billing problem before we left for our 14-hour drive home. As it turned out, all was resolved the next day. But, it left us very angry about the CR's desk manager. I wrote an email to Guest Communications and the CR's GM called me and they even compensated us for their mistake and for causing a 3-hour delay in our departure. We did go back after that incident and never had another problem.

I know that right now you're embroiled in this so you're really angry. I think it would help if you go to the front desk and ask to speak to the GM. Please don't wait until you get home to address this with someone in management. This shouldn't have happened and you should go as high up as you can so that they know what happened while you're still there. It's much better to get this resolved face to face.

LittleStinkerbell, sounds like we did similar things yesterday. We started at HS, spent some time by the pool and went to the MK last night. We were back at the resort by 9 for dessert and watched Wishes from the dock!

BethClayton, so sorry to hear about the debit card mix-up. They should be apologizing profusely!

It's another beautiful day at the GF! We went into the MK this morning and were surpized by the crowds. We just grabbed a bite to eat and are heading out to the pool! I am going to text LittleStinkerbelle in case they are out there this afternoon. I don't know how to find Bethclayton, but I am medium build, in my 50's, short light brown hair and will be down by the shallow end closer to SL if you read this and are going to the pool!

I found out last night, SL is completely booked. It is crowded here, this is traditionally a less crowded time of year, after Easter/Spring breaks and before the summer starts.

Off to the pool!

Where is dinner tonight?

 

[nonzerosum]

WDWKook: I'm glad to hear that the type of room we stayed in was your favourite. If I had earplugs to drown out the whirring noises, I would absolutely stay in this type of room again. It is easier to dampen this sound than the unpredictable noisy neighbour, which we did not have to contend with at all. Earplugs will always be added to my suitcase from now on.

As for the wallet issue, you're right about cameras and such. DD did know how proud I was of her and she certainly wasn't expecting anything else other than a thank-you and really all I was looking for was a really big enthusiastic Disney thank-you with a comment about being a good citizen or something like that. A few days after this event, DD left her mini backpack on Star Tours, only realizing it an hour or so later. It was filled with all of her pressed pennies she has been carefully collecting, at least 20 pins, all of her autographs in a very special one of a kind homemade autograph book, and several other little things like stickers and confetti. DD is very sentimental and immediately realized that these items were irreplaceable. To her losing this backpack was the kid version of a man losing his wallet. Of course she freaked out and we ran back to Star Tours. The first CM we encountered at the ride knew exactly what the backpack looked like and knew it's whereabouts (I was shocked and very impressed that he knew this!!). He was so good with my DD and calmed her down immediately. He reassured her the whole way through the hallways until he retrieved the backpack. He continued to be great with her as we walked back out of the ride area. We all left the encounter feeling really good, and all for different reasons. It turned out to be a great way to discuss honesty, compassion, and the interesting way in which the universe sometimes works. I think I even mentioned karma. I regret not noted the CMs name as I really wish he could be recognized for his kind and gentle approach. Kids really remember this stuff.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

nonzerosum - thank you for the story about your DD's backpack, what a wonderful followup! Definitely more like what you expect from WDW cast members.

WDWKOOK - We had the whirring service elevator thing going on during our WL CL stay. I think we were in room 7061? It was the first door on the right after turning down the north hallway. I didn't love it, but it didn't ruin our stay, either.

Love the Lodge, so cozy. I hope they bring back the cute wallpaper in the sink area during the renovations. (lost hope, I know, but it was such a nice detail)

Be forewarned if I get walked from GF again, they will have to get the SWAT team involved, no way will they walk HRH from her castle That will NOT happen ( I need to not change anymore.....seriously)

I consider it very, very unlikely for it to happen to you twice! I don't blame you for being leery, though, especially with the info from baler31. At least you should be warned in advance if they have to close those rooms.

To me that sounds like a very minor issue to get annoyed over. Especially as peak traffic is outside those hours, so I'm sure getting one of the boats isn't difficult.

In the scheme of things, it probably isn't a huge deal. However, for many people the monorail is THE reason for booking at the GF, Poly and CR. If it is down every day, that must get old after a while. Especially if guests are unaware of the boat option, and keep returning to the monorail only to be told it will be down again.

DD and I use the monorail a lot during off peak, as we rarely stay until close. We hop to the MK for a couple hours, then return to the resort for a swim, maybe use it again to go back to the MK or the CR - or head to Epcot for dinner.

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

Realistically there are two different issues with the monorails. The periodic closings due to construction that are planned should mean Disney will have buses and boats ready. The problem we are experiencing is breakdowns that send everyone scrambling. I took the resort monorail to the TTC the other night only to see them unloading the EPCOT monorail which had broken down, so we had to go the the bus area. Two buses were filled before I got on one. It took almost an hour and a half to get to EPCOT. Another night we were trying to get to the Contemporary and sat at the MK for 15 minutes on the monorail. I asked to be let out and they said no, even though the doors were open. I explained I was on a break from chemo and couldn't stand on a packed monorail and they did let me out. It turns out the monorail sat for another 15 minutes. This is the stuff that is frustrating.

We are having a leisurely day today. Slept in, went to the GFC for breakfast, then walked over to the Polynesian. Tonight we are having dinner at Narcoossees, which we love.

Yesterday the pool games area was really loud. We figured out it all depends on who is running the games. Yesterday was a girl who seemed to love the microphone, the day before the guy didn't feel the need to talk as much. It really makes a difference!

We are going out on sea racyers in a bit. So much fun!

 

[Stasieki]

She is heading to the Grand Floridian this Sunday and booked a theme park view. Can she request main building? Or is main bldg all concierge? Opinion from the GF experts... what requests should she put in. I do know she doesn't like ground floor.

 

[BamaTigger]

Hey everyone! phew...its been a while! I have some pics I need to share from our January trip


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2511156184936.2112985.1434077539&type=3&l=9bd798a88d


I know, im such a slacker! Anyway, our next trip to the Grand is in FOUR weeks! Im so ready for a fix right now I cant stand it!

Enjoy the pics and I gotta go read this whole dang thread cause I have missed alot!!!!

 

[BamaTigger]

and here are some more from the GF...it was our 20th wedding anniversary dinner at Narcoossee's...so yummy!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2511307628722.2112992.1434077539&type=3&l=89f908669c