The *NEW* Grand Floridian Resort and Spa FAQ thread (Nov 2007)

[NeverSayNever]

Hi Everyone!

GrannyMinnie and Lives4... So sorry to hear about your knee and tailbone! OUCH OUCH! Have you guys been doing heat? Well, Channing I think in the 1st 24hrs you are supposed to do ice though. No Fun... I have a really bad back so can relate in some ways... actually had to use one of those electrical thingys at MK for part of the last visit, felt beyond old and slightly demoralized. But there was no way I was going to get the back/walking interfere with see it all! I use biofreeze on my back often... similiar to a bengay, imo works better. Hope you both feel better and FAST!

BTW, no DVD player in our GV room in Sept. Didn't miss it though. Maybe if we were there for a longer time it would have been nice, but we are not big TV folks.. well DS is.

Still have not come up with something to bring to the CM... I am hoping to just bring a small token, and agree something indicative of my home state (NY) would be cool... but do you think I can come up with what that would be.. NOPE!! I keep thinking pizza and bagels... not really travel food!

Ok.. folks... help me decide what to pack for our trip next week. I am freezing so the thought of shorts is so hard for me to comprehend... Tell me what do I really need to bring for me and the little ones... shorts capris what?
Oh... and our we going to look silly donning more cold weather attire for our photo shoot.. DS in cords and DD in velvet sorta?

Alright, better get back to work here...

Be WELL!

Best,

 

[werfamily]

Oh my...so sorry to hear of the recent injuries to Lives4Disney and GrannyMinnie! Take care of yourselves ladies - those are both injuries that require lots of rest to heal. (Repeat this to your families often!)

Good news for us...after doing the GF review in February, we will be returning to Orlando for the Ritz stay during Easter week. We thought it would be best to do another busy week, so the comparisons were more accurate (and my kids have both weeks off of school!). Lots of planning to do now!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Werfamily - THAT is cool. We have spring break the week after Easter but was are most likely staying away from WDW during that time. It will be crowded. Hope you have fun & I would love to hear your findings regarding the two resorts when you get back.

Thanks for all the sympathy, guys.....I went out and did some retail therapy and I think it feels better just being that I wasn't sitting or bending. Just walking around slowly. GrannieMinnie! What a bummer!!!! I hope it heals and you don't have to go ahead and Xray it etc. You poor thing. What a way to start your WDW trip. You are a trooper!!

I found a picture of the front of the gingerbread house & one of our favorite CMs in it! I love that place. DD11 just ate the last of our gingerbread goodies we brought home with us. Sigh....I do have a stoellen in the freezer from the gingerbread house for Xmas morning, though!

Palm trees, blue skies and white sand sound really really good about now. So for all you going VERY SOON, have a great time!! Enjoy the beautiful weather....Never say Never I brought mostly capris, short and long slv tees and a light sweater & pair of jeans and a couple different weight jackets. You will need layers. It can be a nice day in the 70s but when that sun sets it quickly cools off.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

 

[werfamily]

Werfamily - THAT is cool. We have spring break the week after Easter but was are most likely staying away from WDW during that time. It will be crowded. Hope you have fun & I would love to hear your findings regarding the two resorts when you get back.

I think we will likely only go to Disney once or twice during Easter week. I want to check out what it's like to drive in from off-site. It's also likely, after spending a week there in February, that we will want to explore other parts of Orlando. I have to really start planning...but first we have quick trip to NY to arrange. We promised our oldest daughter a trip to see Broadway shows for her 13th birthday, so we'll be going to NY in early January. I'm currently in sticker shock adding up the cost of all four shows she wants to see. We might just have to sleep on the street!

 

[MomWith2Cinderellas]

Hi all! I love the new thread.

Lives4Disney: I love your pictures.

I just ordered a chocolate Mickey with chocolate covered strawberries for my family. We had a rough year (Dh's mother passed away, DH was in a pretty bad car accident, and our little one keeps getting sick ), so I wanted to do something special for all of us to kick off hopefully a very magical vacation!

We are getting so excited for the Royal Palm. I have not had much time to read through all the threads (we are moving in 2 1/2weeks, so lots of packing to do!), but I do sneak some Disboard reading in after kids are asleep. The moving is helping with the time going quickly. I hope to be able to have most of the new home set up prior to leaving or at least enough so the pet sitter can find the things she needs to care for my fur babies!! lol

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I see some poeple have been hurt. I hope everyone is doing ok. I cant wait to see pics from all the people coming and going soon. I will be going over to the GF when I go next week to see some people. I cant wait.

 

[magical4us4]

Lives and Granny... hope the two of you feel better fast!!

I see we are in order for some new info, pictures, news on here!!! Let's get it rolling...I need to get my GF fix since we won't be going in January as planned.

Take care everyone.

 

[princessesrule4]

Love, love love benne wafers! And Sticky Fingers bbq sauce...
Channing, guess what happened to me within the first 5 minutes of entering MK? I tripped on the curb near Tony's while gawking at a huge nutcracker and not watching my step. Fell HARD on my right knee. Got plenty of attention, dropped my camera (didn't break it, thank goodness!) and bruised my left hand, too, trying to break my fall. A week later and my leg still hurts...one of the CMs asked me if I wanted to have medical attention, but I said, are you kidding? I've been waiting months to get back here and I'm not wasting time in the ER!! LOL
Seriously, I probably should have let somebody x-ray it, and may still need to. I am limping (my special souvenir from last week!) and by day's end, it hurts!! Sorry you fell, and bet that's a killer...
this thread has been quiet lately, hasn't it??

Hope your knee and hand are healed up SOON!

 

[grannyminnie]

Thanks, princesses...hand is fine, knee is still a big problem. I start out "normal" in the morning, but as the day progresses, it gets more sore. I hate to go sit in the ER to have it x-rayed!!! hate, hate, hate to....LOL

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Thanks, princesses...hand is fine, knee is still a big problem. I start out "normal" in the morning, but as the day progresses, it gets more sore. I hate to go sit in the ER to have it x-rayed!!! hate, hate, hate to....LOL

so does that mean you hate it?
it has been rather quite but it should pick up soon. I cant wait to get back next week. I am finally getting alittle excited.

 

[NeverSayNever]

Hey Everyone!

Well tomorrow my DS & BIL arrive for the weekend and on Saturday a box will arrive from Disney that will have Personalized Scarves, some candy from GF (THANK YOU!) and a Letter from Mickey telling our DS & DD that they are going back to GF & DISNEY on Thursday. It should be a lot of fun surprising them... Wanted to wait until Thursday.. but jsut can't pack on the sly... So the packing will start on Sunday! Thanks LIVES4 for the layering advice. For some reason even though it is onlya couple of days I always pack too too much... URGHHH I don't like packing!

So a week from now I will be enroute...

Does anyone have any requests for pictures of anything special or anything they would like me to try and check out for them? Let me know and I will do my best!

Enjoy

 

[werfamily]

NeverSayNever - How fun to do a surprise trip! I'd love it if someone did that for me...but I don't think my kids would appreciate it. For them anticipation is at least half the fun of a trip. Of course it might cut down on all the extra spending - I can't tell you how many times recently we've been shopping and one of my girls will say "this would be perfect for Disney"!

 

[BrianD]

Hey NeverSayNever, you are about a week ahead of us going down there! Not sure when you are getting back, so we may be on our way before you get back. But I'm interested in any Sago Cay refurb info. If you happen to notice any refurb work giong on, and can report on it, that would be awesome!

Have a great vacation!

 

[Tink rules]

I think we will likely only go to Disney once or twice during Easter week. I want to check out what it's like to drive in from off-site. It's also likely, after spending a week there in February, that we will want to explore other parts of Orlando. I have to really start planning...but first we have quick trip to NY to arrange. We promised our oldest daughter a trip to see Broadway shows for her 13th birthday, so we'll be going to NY in early January. I'm currently in sticker shock adding up the cost of all four shows she wants to see. We might just have to sleep on the street!

Here's a link to Broadway Box.com... It's a site that just lists discounts, etc. I've used them and when you click on to purchase the tickets, it SHOULD take you to either Telecharge and or Ticketmaster to get the tickets. You may not be able to find everything you need... but it's worth a try... What shows does she want to see?

http://www.broadwaybox.com/

 

[phyllis1966]

Channing and GrannyMinnie, hope you both feel much better soon!

The streets here in NJ were totally iced over this morning, so when I walked DD to the bus (only a 15 foot walk from my car that was parked at the busstop, nice and toasty), I felt like I was ice skating! I was terrified that one of us (mostly me) would fall...the bus driver was laughing at me as I shuffled to the bus and back to the car!

...I am seriously mssing the GF and those beautiful palm trees right now...

 

[grannyminnie]

OMG, that photo of the GF is awesome, Phyllis!!! I didn't take pictures with a digital camera, but my sister did. She got a really good one, but none of mine (of the resort) turned out as pretty!
Thanks for the well-wishes...I probably should have my knee area x-rayed, but don't want to waste the time...
hate to, hate to, hate to (Alicnwondrln)!!!!

 

[werfamily]

Here's a link to Broadway Box.com... It's a site that just lists discounts, etc. I've used them and when you click on to purchase the tickets, it SHOULD take you to either Telecharge and or Ticketmaster to get the tickets. You may not be able to find everything you need... but it's worth a try... What shows does she want to see?

http://www.broadwaybox.com/

Thanks! I was able to find several discounts, but this should help with the last set of tickets. She's narrowed it down to Legally Blonde (even though she's already seen it!), Mary Poppins, The Color Purple and Les Mis. Thank goodness she's over her Wicked phase, because we've seen that show WAY too many times.

The good thing about planning a GF trip is that it makes the NYC hotels seem like a bargain by comparison!

 

[werfamily]

OMG, that photo of the GF is awesome, Phyllis!!! I didn't take pictures with a digital camera, but my sister did. She got a really good one, but none of mine (of the resort) turned out as pretty!
Thanks for the well-wishes...I probably should have my knee area x-rayed, but don't want to waste the time...
hate to, hate to, hate to (Alicnwondrln)!!!!

Not sure how it works where you are, but around here you can just call your doctor and get an order to go to the imagining center or directly to the radiology department at the hospital for an x-ray. That way you don't have to wait in the ER. Good luck!

 

[Tink rules]

Thanks! I was able to find several discounts, but this should help with the last set of tickets. She's narrowed it down to Legally Blonde (even though she's already seen it!), Mary Poppins, The Color Purple and Les Mis. Thank goodness she's over her Wicked phase, because we've seen that show WAY too many times.

The good thing about planning a GF trip is that it makes the NYC hotels seem like a bargain by comparison!

I can HIGHLY recommend MP and Le Miz...(seen Le Miz 4 times...) I believe there are discounts for both right now. After the strike... they are going to be offering the world to get people back in.

If you get MP... don't get too far back in the orchestra - you will miss alot - especially the end - and it's a not to miss one!!!

I sat in the front Mezz and it was good. Also MP is at the New Amsterdam... beautiful theater, but it's a high one. Try to get tickets lower down in the Mezz... You;re going to LOVE the sets...

 

[werfamily]

I can HIGHLY recommend MP and Le Miz...(seen Le Miz 4 times...) I believe there are discounts for both right now. After the strike... they are going to be offering the world to get people back in.

If you get MP... don't get too far back in the orchestra - you will miss alot - especially the end - and it's a not to miss one!!!

I sat in the front Mezz and it was good. Also MP is at the New Amsterdam... beautiful theater, but it's a high one. Try to get tickets lower down in the Mezz... You;re going to LOVE the sets...

Oh good, we have front Mezz for Poppins. It's the only one we bought in advance because we were not sure about the strike. Thanks again for all your tips!