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

[Lives4Disney]

I don't know for sure, but I think that you could still do without the charger. The iPod clock/ radio thingie that I have functions as a charger as well, so if you left it on there for a while, it would probably recharge your iPod and then you could listen to it with your headphones later!

Ya I know the GF ihome thingy does charge the ipod.

Just an FYI for any other techno dummies out there.....My ipod nano locked up on me as soon as I could use it on the flight! It was totally loaded up with all kinds of WDW podcasts and my music and I was sooo bummed & it had never happened before so I was bummed. People around me on the flt tried to mess with it but nobody knew what to do. After a boring flight - good thing for People magazine - I called DS17 and he told me how to fix it. If anybody else has theirs lock up on them - I mean it would do NOTHING - it wouldn't even shut off and I was worried about that when they tell you on the plane to shut off electronics etc...."Will the stupid lady in seat 12C shut off her ipod we can't land this plane with the interference...." OMG. It didn't happen though, haha....anyway to unlock it you hold the menu and center circle down together for about 10 seconds and it will reset itself. Everybody but me probably already knows this but just in case because the people on the plane didn't. DH's is a regular (not nano) and his is different though.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Thanks so much Lives4disney. You gave a great recap. I think with our small children and theirs I'll request Sago or Conch.
Thanks so much, I appreciate it!

Mr. Mike,
We were in a GV in Conch last August. Marina view, ground floor right by the Grand 1- it was a perfect location! Gaspy's was close, the boat dock was close, you could walk right outside to see Wishes. As much as I had wanted a dormer room, it was great to be on the ground floor with a stroller (one less elevator!!). For this year's trip we simply requested Marina view since I think both Conch or Sago would be great locations.
Kristin

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Wow! So in our case, staying in GF but having dinner at Kona Cafe (Poly) would also take us around 20 mins looping around the monorail. Shall we walk instead?

We had a 19:30 ADR in Artist Point (WL). What is the best transportation to take? Boat?

Thx!

I would probably allow close to 45 minutes to make that trip. I know- it sounds like a REALLY long time. From the GF to MK is probably 5 minutes tops (and that assumes that you have to wait on the platform for a monorail to show up). The real delay is in getting to WL. I believe the boats to WL/FW only come every 20 minutes or so and even then they go to FW first!! I was stunned last year when we were trying to get from MK to WCC for breakfast at how long it took us to get over there.
Enjoy the dinner- we love that place!!
Kristin

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Ya I know the GF ihome thingy does charge the ipod.

Just an FYI for any other techno dummies out there.....My ipod nano locked up on me as soon as I could use it on the flight! It was totally loaded up with all kinds of WDW podcasts and my music and I was sooo bummed & it had never happened before so I was bummed. People around me on the flt tried to mess with it but nobody knew what to do. After a boring flight - good thing for People magazine - I called DS17 and he told me how to fix it. If anybody else has theirs lock up on them - I mean it would do NOTHING - it wouldn't even shut off and I was worried about that when they tell you on the plane to shut off electronics etc...."Will the stupid lady in seat 12C shut off her ipod we can't land this plane with the interference...." OMG. It didn't happen though, haha....anyway to unlock it you hold the menu and center circle down together for about 10 seconds and it will reset itself. Everybody but me probably already knows this but just in case because the people on the plane didn't. DH's is a regular (not nano) and his is different though.

Thanks for the tip Channing!! I just got a nano for Christmas that I am still trying to learn to use and I just know this would happen to me!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

So we have decided to do Deluxe Dining this trip cool1: ) so we can finally go back to all the Signature restauarants we like but never want to spend the 2 credits on.

I have not eaten at Narcooses in almost 11 years (since the dreaded bad seafood/start of my seafood allergy night that followed after eating there) but DH really wants to go back so I have agreed (just plan on sticking with a steak this time! )

Anyway, we have never been to Citrico's. What is it like? Will DS5 feel out of place there? (He is definitely a seasoned restaurant veteran and been to nice places up here without any issue). How long would the meal take? (thinking about doing this before MVMCP if possible)

TIA! Kristin

 

[typhoonlagooner]

I'm really liking the idea of this "marina view"... I guess we'll have to decide on which request is more important to us: King bed, dormer, or marina view. I know the chances of us getting all three are slim to none.

I had no idea it takes the monorail that long to get from the Magic Kingdom to the GF! I'm so glad I caught that tip about the boat! Would this still be the case even at times like closing of the Pirate and Princess Party? Or would the monorail be faster? What about when we're trying to get to Epcot... should we walk to the TTC or would the monorail be faster?

For trying to get to the WL from GF...
Wouldn't it just be easier/faster to take the monorail to the MK and a bus to the WL? Not as "pretty" as a boat ride of course...

 

[irisbud]

Ya I know the GF ihome thingy does charge the ipod.

Just an FYI for any other techno dummies out there.....My ipod nano locked up on me as soon as I could use it on the flight! It was totally loaded up with all kinds of WDW podcasts and my music and I was sooo bummed & it had never happened before so I was bummed. People around me on the flt tried to mess with it but nobody knew what to do. After a boring flight - good thing for People magazine - I called DS17 and he told me how to fix it. If anybody else has theirs lock up on them - I mean it would do NOTHING - it wouldn't even shut off and I was worried about that when they tell you on the plane to shut off electronics etc...."Will the stupid lady in seat 12C shut off her ipod we can't land this plane with the interference...." OMG. It didn't happen though, haha....anyway to unlock it you hold the menu and center circle down together for about 10 seconds and it will reset itself. Everybody but me probably already knows this but just in case because the people on the plane didn't. DH's is a regular (not nano) and his is different though.

OMG! I had an old nano and got one of the new ones for Christams. When I went to load it (or whatever you do with it) on the computer, it locked up completely before I could ever even use it. I thought, oh, I will let it run out of batteries, sicne it wouldn't shut off (my dad works on computers, and says to shut them off if they get screwy, and if that dosen't work to pull the plug). Well, it had to be out of batteries after 3 days, but it was still stuck on the same screen! I took it to an apple store like 1 1/2 hrs from my house, and they told me to do just what Channing said! Then the guy said "It's on the internet, you know" Well, it wasn't on DIS until now, so no, I didn't know!

 

[irisbud]

I'm really liking the idea of this "marina view"... I guess we'll have to decide on which request is more important to us: King bed, dormer, or marina view. I know the chances of us getting all three are slim to none.

I had no idea it takes the monorail that long to get from the Magic Kingdom to the GF! I'm so glad I caught that tip about the boat! Would this still be the case even at times like closing of the Pirate and Princess Party? Or would the monorail be faster? What about when we're trying to get to Epcot... should we walk to the TTC or would the monorail be faster?

For trying to get to the WL from GF...
Wouldn't it just be easier/faster to take the monorail to the MK and a bus to the WL? Not as "pretty" as a boat ride of course...

I think the monorail to TTC is faster than walking all the way from GF, but I could be wrong. My dad and I walked to TTC one day because we had gone to the Poly to get him some coffee anyway, and thought we might as well try it. It was a little bit of a hike by the time we were done. It didn't really matter, you walk all day, afterall, but it is pretty far and I wouldn't do it again unless I had to for some reason (like every form of transportation broke down...)

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I'm really liking the idea of this "marina view"... I guess we'll have to decide on which request is more important to us: King bed, dormer, or marina view. I know the chances of us getting all three are slim to none.

I had no idea it takes the monorail that long to get from the Magic Kingdom to the GF! I'm so glad I caught that tip about the boat! Would this still be the case even at times like closing of the Pirate and Princess Party? Or would the monorail be faster? What about when we're trying to get to Epcot... should we walk to the TTC or would the monorail be faster?

For trying to get to the WL from GF...
Wouldn't it just be easier/faster to take the monorail to the MK and a bus to the WL? Not as "pretty" as a boat ride of course...

We left the P&P last August as it ended and the boats weren't running anymore. Surprisingly, the wait for the monorail wasn't too bad.

As for getting to Epcot, it would probably take you just as long to walk to the TTC as it would to monorail it.

As for a bus to WL, yup, I am sure it would have been quicker had I realized that we were going to take the boat to FW first

 

[Lives4Disney]

I'm really liking the idea of this "marina view"... I guess we'll have to decide on which request is more important to us: King bed, dormer, or marina view. I know the chances of us getting all three are slim to none.

I had no idea it takes the monorail that long to get from the Magic Kingdom to the GF! I'm so glad I caught that tip about the boat! Would this still be the case even at times like closing of the Pirate and Princess Party? Or would the monorail be faster? What about when we're trying to get to Epcot... should we walk to the TTC or would the monorail be faster?

For trying to get to the WL from GF...
Wouldn't it just be easier/faster to take the monorail to the MK and a bus to the WL? Not as "pretty" as a boat ride of course...

Once you're on the monorail it only takes maybe 10 - 15 minutes to get from MK to GF....and that might even be a stretch....sometimes less than 10 depending on time of day and crowds. It's not bad...not sure what you read.

Sometimes they don't run the boats past a certain hour. Both times we were at the Xmas party the GF/Poly resort boat had stopped running before the end of the party. As for Epcot, geeze...that walk from GF to TTC would take probably a good 1/2 hour. I would take the monorails for sure.

I don't know about FAST from GF to WL. You can't count on "fast" for any of the WDW transportation. The WL MK bus lines can be pretty hideous. I don't think the WL runs the MK bus as a priority since they have the boats. We usually make a trip to the WL part of the fun & do the CR shopping visit and then take that boat. Once in a while we catch the MK-WL boat and it's not too long about 10 min.

Lives4Disney

 

[biggroofy]

When we ate at AP we took the monorail over to the CR because my kids LOVE that place and hung out there, shopped, etc. and then took the boat from the CR dock in back to the WL. It is a smaller resort boat, like the one used btwn the Poly and GF, and not usually crowded when we've been on - and a really pretty ride over.

Thank you Lives4Disney

Where is the CR dock located? We drove and parked at CR two years ago for breakfast @ Chef Mickey, and not too family with CR.

Does the boat go directly from CR to WL, or will it stop at MK?

Lastly, what would you suggest about WL -> FL? How about taking the boat from WL -> MK, and then another boat MK -> FL? Do both boats stop at the same (or nearby) dock in MK?

 

[Lives4Disney]

Thank you Lives4Disney

Where is the CR dock located? We drove and parked at CR two years ago for breakfast @ Chef Mickey, and not too family with CR.

Does the boat go directly from CR to WL, or will it stop at MK?

Lastly, what would you suggest about WL -> FL? How about taking the boat from WL -> MK, and then another boat MK -> FL? Do both boats stop at the same (or nearby) dock in MK?

Sorry, I am not clear on this last question.....what is FL??? Do you mean GF??? The WL boat will go to MK but you will just have to move to a different nearby dock for the MK to GF boat....usually. Once in a while during very busy times I have seen them use the same dock for WL and the GF/Poly boats. There are just so many diff combinations but we usually do the CR to WL boat thing and the same back to CR and then hop the monorail to the GF.

Hi, the CR boat dock is on the lobby level straight out the back of the resort....so if you take the monorail to CR, you will go down the escalator one floor and you'll be on the 4th floor concourse where Chef Mickey's and all the neat shops and the arcade is located. Honestly, I think the CR shops have some of the neatest stuff and things you won't see other places (resorts or parks) so it's fun to look. The CR arcade is fun, too, because the kids win tickets by playing the games and get to pick prizes. Anyway....from the 4th floor concourse there are elevators and escalators that you will take down to the lobby floor. Then once on the lobby floor just head toward the back of the resort and you'll see a wall of glass doors that lead out to the pool deck area and go straight and you cannot miss their boat dock. It is also a fantastic place to view the EWP if you happen to be around the CR pretty late.,...I am thinking 10 pm ish but not positive.

The CR boat dock runs boats between the CR/WL and Fort WL Campground....they are color coded by flags and I believe there are signs. Just double check of course with the captain. I am not sure which order the boats run - if they do WL before the campground...but I do think WL is first. My kids just usually like this plan & it is a little more adventure and breaks up an evening a little bit. We used to be devoted CR fans and stay there many times/yr every year so it is like visiting their old WDW home when we go.

Enjoy!

Lives4Disney

 

[3for Me]

Hey Guys! I swear I tried to look this up...what is up with the search funciton? It hasn't been working at all for several days for me??

I thought I read (not that long ago) about calling the GF to get some balloons delivered for my DS's birthday. Of course we are willing to pay since we are not staying RPC or SL this time but who do I call ahead of time?

Did I dream this? It seemed like someone did this fairly recently, but maybe they were staying on the CL. If so, my bad! BTW, I did search through about 20 pages before I asked! TIA!


Praline - My DH may come and join you for that CC. He is addicted. Every day someone tells me they saw him at CC's or PJ's getting his start to the day!

 

[typhoonlagooner]

Wow thanks for the fast responses! I wasn't sure if they still ran the boats that late or not, so we'll just stick with the monorail. I don't think 15-20mins is that bad... but for some reason I was under the impression that it was quicker than that. I guess everything just "looks" faster as you look up from the hr long bus lines at park closing lol.

I figured the walk from the GF to the TTC would be long, just didn't know if it would be any shorter than taking the monorail.

After thinking about the WL and how they have a bus to the MK, do the monorail resorts have a bus to Epcot? The monorail would be our first choice... but considering the wait, ride, switch, wait, and ride times to Epcot... I was just curious if we have another option.

 

[mr.mike]

Mr. Mike,
We were in a GV in Conch last August. Marina view, ground floor right by the Grand 1- it was a perfect location! Gaspy's was close, the boat dock was close, you could walk right outside to see Wishes. As much as I had wanted a dormer room, it was great to be on the ground floor with a stroller (one less elevator!!). For this year's trip we simply requested Marina view since I think both Conch or Sago would be great locations.
Kristin

Isn't Marina view part of Lagoon view? If not then i'll def request that.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Isn't Marina view part of Lagoon view? If not then i'll def request that.

Not that I am aware of...

 

[Lives4Disney]

Isn't Marina view part of Lagoon view? If not then i'll def request that.

The Sago and Conch marina views are considered GVs.

Lives4Disney

 

[mr.mike]

The Sago and Conch marina views are considered GVs.

Lives4Disney

That is great news!

When i was at the beach club my water view consisted of trees blocking the storm along bay pool, so i just figured the marina would be lagoon view.

Great news!

 

[praline3001]

Praline - My DH may come and join you for that CC. He is addicted. Every day someone tells me they saw him at CC's or PJ's getting his start to the day!

Sounds like a good man

i am at the 2 week mark and am getting rather

I am just hoping it won't be too cold!!!! We had sleet this morning

I went to Walmart and got the last of the stuff I wanted to get for our trip so I am set to pack... I always HATE packing but it seems packing for Disney is fun for me ... go figure

 

[Babyboo]

Anyway, we have never been to Citrico's. What is it like? Will DS5 feel out of place there? (He is definitely a seasoned restaurant veteran and been to nice places up here without any issue). How long would the meal take? (thinking about doing this before MVMCP if possible)

TIA! Kristin

Citrico's is one of our favorite restaurants which we make our last night meal. We have always had great service and excellent food.

We normally take around 2hrs for our meal but that is our choice and we always slow the service down. I would say that you should be able to have a meal in 1hr 15 to 1hr 30.

Here are some photos from last month