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

[JoBird]

awesome review jobird and great pics too

Thanks!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hey everyone! I'm finally out of my GF induced coma -- so sad to be home!and wrote a review on SL. I was going to post it here but it got too long. I'm still downloading pics, so it's still a work in progress- but here's the link--

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=42615376&posted=1#post42615376

Thank you for the link - I love your photos, especially of the lounge and your detailed listing of all the offerings. Very helpful

 

[k&a&c'smom]

JoBird - welcome back, and thanks for the link to your review! What a wonderful, detailed report - do you mind if I add the food descriptions to the first page? If I don't have room, I will add a link to your thread, but I'd like to put the descriptions and photos, if I can; so many people ask about the food. I have a hard time getting photos without people in them, lol.

And thank you for the construction update, I know a lot of DISers are concerned about it.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

That's what I am doing. I never knew what smell all of you were talking about, until we stepped into our room Now we're hooked.


Your thread is AWESOME!

Ah, that smell is awesome, isn't it?! DD and I were in Bath & Body Works one day last year, and someone walked past me - I caught a whiff of the body wash scent! I asked DD, and she had smelled it, too, we tried to pinpoint where it had originated - a customer, or a waft of some new product in the store. Sadly, we weren't able to find it - I felt like a crazy stalker!

 

[pas130]

Ah, that smell is awesome, isn't it?! DD and I were in Bath & Body Works one day last year, and someone walked past me - I caught a whiff of the body wash scent! I asked DD, and she had smelled it, too, we tried to pinpoint where it had originated - a customer, or a waft of some new product in the store. Sadly, we weren't able to find it - I felt like a crazy stalker!

 

[s&k'smom]

Ohhhh that smell, when we first walk in we all take a big sniff. The only other hotel which we found smelled wonderful was AKL and let me tell you the delicious aroma's drifting from Boma.

JoBird your review was terrific, honest opinion we have requested Boca Chica as I always wanted to stay at that building, how bad do you think the noise will be in about 6 weeks time? And I totally agree once you go Grand, it's tough to go anywhere else!!

 

[JoBird]

JoBird - welcome back, and thanks for the link to your review! What a wonderful, detailed report - do you mind if I add the food descriptions to the first page? If I don't have room, I will add a link to your thread, but I'd like to put the descriptions and photos, if I can; so many people ask about the food. I have a hard time getting photos without people in them, lol.

And thank you for the construction update, I know a lot of DISers are concerned about it.

You're welcome! And please-- feel free to use anything you need that I posted! I would love if it helped someone out. When I was deciding whether or not to book SL I could never find any real info on the food in the lounge so anytime I saw that there was no one around, I'd snap a picture. That's why I don't have any at dinner time--- there were always people milling about and I didn't want to be obnoxious.

I have more pics of the construction- I just have to get them off of the cameras. The pictures I already posted were from my phone.

 

[JoBird]

Ohhhh that smell, when we first walk in we all take a big sniff. The only other hotel which we found smelled wonderful was AKL and let me tell you the delicious aroma's drifting from Boma.

JoBird your review was terrific, honest opinion we have requested Boca Chica as I always wanted to stay at that building, how bad do you think the noise will be in about 6 weeks time? And I totally agree once you go Grand, it's tough to go anywhere else!!

Did you see the picture of the big yellow thing in those pictures? It was not there one day and boom, there the next. I never heard a sound of it being put together. In 6 weeks, I think I read that is when some of the brides were having to move their weddings b/c of the cranes.

Would you be happy with a pool/courtyard view in Boca Chica?? The only thing you could do is try it out and if it is too loud, request a move. I'd hate for you to not be able to have your dream building if that's your hearts desire, but honestly I don't think there's a bad building there, if you did have to move.

 

[s&k'smom]

Oh those poor brides having to move. I guess we'll just wait and see, I would love a pool view my DS would think that's great. I know DH loves Conch Key (you could hear the wolf howl from the Haunted Mansion). And your right there really isn't a bad building. Thanks again, off to the our closing, don't you hate it when you have to do something other than plan our vacations.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

JoBird - thanks! I have added your review to the first page, in the "Club Level" section. I hope you don't mind, I made one tiny edit - you had posted pineapple twice in the list of morning fruits, so I changed one to watermelon!

I'm sure your info will be a big help to those looking for food info.

s&k'smom - I agree, AKL is another resort with a divine smell. We love it there, too. Why can't we all spend weeks and weeks at WDW, so we can visit all our favorite resorts each trip?!

 

[s&k'smom]

Don't I wish we could spend weeks and weeks there but apparently there some law that my kids have got to be in school???

 

[lin7]

Hey everyone! I'm finally out of my GF induced coma -- so sad to be home!and wrote a review on SL. I was going to post it here but it got too long. I'm still downloading pics, so it's still a work in progress- but here's the link--

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=42615376&posted=1#post42615376

Thanks for the review, you rarely see any reviews of SL, let alone such a great detailed report of all the offerings and the GF in general!

 

[KCmike]

From Boca Chica

 

[stitchlet]

As always, great pics KCmike . . . really making me wish I was sitting on a GF balcony takin' it all in . . .

 

[MommyGina]

JoBird - you stayed in the same room that we stayed in our first time in SL! Didn't you just love it? I would love to stay in that room again next year.

Thanks so much for all the pictures. It's like I'm at the GF again right now (wish I could be).

 

[lala3291]

Hello All!
So, I have gone back and forth between the Poly and GF for our November trip. We have finally decided on the GF- main building theme park room! I even paid it off last night!
We are so excited. It will just be me and my three daughters- DH couldn't join us on this trip due to work. We will be attending MVMCP twice during our trip as well!
I can't wait, looking forward to reading up on this thread!

 

[coopersmom]

We are at the Grand now. We are staying in a RPC deluxe room (paid upgrade after check-in) overlooking the beach, Poly and, in the distance, Spaceship Earth.

Overall, I'm much more impressed than the Poly last year. The club level food is always fresh, tasty and fully stocked no matter what time of service you come to (all unlike my Poly experience). The lounge is always very clean and the atmosphere extremely relaxing. It may sound like a small thing but for this addict, being able to grab a cold diet Coke, no matter what time of day we return from the park, as soon as you step of the elevator, on the way to your room (same floor as lounge) is a welcome luxury.

The deluxe room is spacious an clean, and the view from our quite large balcony lovely, but the room does have more wear and tear than you'd expect at this price point: Broken (ceramic) lamp with big missing piece and sharp shards clearly visible on check-in (took 3 housekeeping calls to get removed, as I was worried about 3 & 4 year old cutting selves, and said no replacement
available); wonky shower head; fridge had to be replaced (was done promptly); and just a few scuffs and scrapes (big chips in furniture, torn wallpaper), as well as some soft furnishing stains that detract a bit when you start to live in the room and notice more and more small items amiss. Nothing like the major functional issues we had at the Poly last December and not in any way "ruining" anything, but still disheartening at this price point especially.

We're also having a pretty serious billing issue (charged me full cost for second room, instead of diff, without transferring or crediting paid-in-full balance from other) some other small things (missing Halloween party ressies, being billed for long cancelled dining reservations as no shows, housekeeping accidently
threw away my flip-flops, etc.) that are working towards being resolved but have caused me to spend what feels like way too much of my trip so far at desk "proving" all of above (husband had to fax email confirms and creit card statements from home). Still, I do think these things will, eventually, get resolved and after I proffered proof they became much more apologetic.

Construction at GF, which I was worried about, has been non-issue. Construction at Magic Kingdom, on other hand, which I wasn't, is pretty obtrusive and makes us a little sad.

The biggest frustration so far, billing issues aside, has been the monorail. Even when supposed to be running it's been down for hour-plus--one day from about 4 PM on--EVERY day of our trip so far. We waited 25 minute for bus to Conemps that never came before just taking taxi (had Pirates & Pals cruise ressies) and finally had to take taxi, both ways. Waited 45 minutes, plus, during EMH at MK for boat that, when it came, could hold only 30 ... With more than 200 in line. Leaving Halloween party took about 30 minutes waiting. At Studios watched 7 (we started to count) buses for All Star resorts come
after Fantasmic before 1 came for Poly, Contemp & GF.

The good news: those transpo lines are longest we've been in. Yesterday parks seemed reasonably crowded but other days have done things like walk into Fantasmic 15 min before show and get 3rd row just-off-center seat or walk into MK AT 3 PM and find wide open empty curb spot for parade.

 

[pas130]

Hello All!
So, I have gone back and forth between the Poly and GF for our November trip. We have finally decided on the GF- main building theme park room! I even paid it off last night!
We are so excited. It will just be me and my three daughters- DH couldn't join us on this trip due to work. We will be attending MVMCP twice during our trip as well!
I can't wait, looking forward to reading up on this thread!

Yay for RPC TPV And double yay for paid in full

KCMike We saw the EWP for the first time ever (not from our room but from the boat dock) The pics bring me back there-and the"dinosaur" song is in my head now

coopersmom Sorry about the billing issues, we had similar issues at Portofino this past visit. But I am very glad you are enjoying the main building And being there without the lines is great. We basically walked on to everything except Peter Pan when we were there..Enjoy the rest of your trip. Hope the monorail issues improve!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

KC Mike - LOVE the photos of the EWP, thank you! I have some video that I took from the ferry, but I can't find it. Other than that, no photos.

coopersmom - So glad you arrived safely and are enjoying the Grand! I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a hard time getting the billing and housekeeping issues resolved, no one wants to spend their WDW time fixing problems. I hope that is resolved to your satisfaction, and you can proceed with the rest of your vacation without any more headaches.

I'm glad to hear the construction is not an issue, I'm sure others will be happy to hear it, too. It's too bad the transportation is so frustrating, I had a feeling closing the monorail during EMH would be a hassle, but had hoped I was wrong.

Best of luck with the rest of your trip, here's wishing you a magical time!

Don't I wish we could spend weeks and weeks there but apparently there some law that my kids have got to be in school???

Darn those laws, don't they know we have important things to do?!

Hello All!
So, I have gone back and forth between the Poly and GF for our November trip. We have finally decided on the GF- main building theme park room! I even paid it off last night!
We are so excited. It will just be me and my three daughters- DH couldn't join us on this trip due to work. We will be attending MVMCP twice during our trip as well!
I can't wait, looking forward to reading up on this thread!

Welcome!

How exciting that you and your DDs will be heading to the Grand in such a short time. I'm sure you will love the main building, and the TPV rooms.

 

[andrea2289]

Sooooo....my hubby agreed to go back to Disney YAY!!!! (I knew I could talk him into it haha)

We are thinking of GF, using the 40% code but are still on the fence about the $$ - last time, we stayed a BC and didn't feel we got as much as we did at POR. The lack of quick dining and the poor transportation were huge issues! We love the Food Court at POR!!

Any information on the week prior to Christmas 12/14 through 12/21? We are only doing two parks days...gonna just relax this time. Also, how are the food choices if you just want a quick bite to eat?