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

[melmsu]

I have a few questions. My husband and I are going to be staying at GF beginning on November 26th, staying 5 nights. We booked our entire trip, meals, tickets into the parks, etc. with AAA of Michigan as we got a discount.

As I read this thread, I am now nervous about what room I will get? This is a vacation for our 5th anniversary. I have never stayed at WDW and my husband loves Disney. What can you recommend to me?? I know for sure we have a King Bed requested. I want this vacation to be very special so now I want to know if I can request certain areas, can I ask for an upgrade because it is for my anniversary? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!!!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Princess & Prince Mommy, welcome to the GF thread! I don't know specifically what you are interested in, but I hope you have a great time! Concierge service at the GF is great.

Praline, we have not used DME but we always use Southern Elegance Limousines. For our trips SE costs about the same as a rental for the duration, and we don't care to hassle with 3 kids and tons of luggage and junk with a rental... (we've done it - limo is easier!!!) the limo driver meets us at the escalators and helps with the luggage and makes our lives easy. SE has just been great for us over a dozen times and my kids look forward to starting our vacation with them. We just breath a sigh of relief once we're in the limo.....They have Disney movies on in the cars, huge stuffed character ride a longs, soda/bottled water, and last Xmas they even gave my girls cute little Disney gifts! VERY nice owner and drivers & beautiful cars. Despite SE being great it's not so much a novelty because we've done it so much as it is a convenience. We don't usually leave WDW and if we do, we rent a car for a day or so from Alamo at the S/D.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

 

[Lives4Disney]

I have a few questions. My husband and I are going to be staying at GF beginning on November 26th, staying 5 nights. We booked our entire trip, meals, tickets into the parks, etc. with AAA of Michigan as we got a discount.

As I read this thread, I am now nervous about what room I will get? This is a vacation for our 5th anniversary. I have never stayed at WDW and my husband loves Disney. What can you recommend to me?? I know for sure we have a King Bed requested. I want this vacation to be very special so now I want to know if I can request certain areas, can I ask for an upgrade because it is for my anniversary? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!!!

WHy are you nervous about what room you'll get??? Is it that you don't like the new decor or that you booked with AAA?? What room category did you book???

More info!

Lives4Disney

 

[BrianD]

I have a few questions. My husband and I are going to be staying at GF beginning on November 26th, staying 5 nights. We booked our entire trip, meals, tickets into the parks, etc. with AAA of Michigan as we got a discount.

As I read this thread, I am now nervous about what room I will get? This is a vacation for our 5th anniversary. I have never stayed at WDW and my husband loves Disney. What can you recommend to me?? I know for sure we have a King Bed requested. I want this vacation to be very special so now I want to know if I can request certain areas, can I ask for an upgrade because it is for my anniversary? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!!!!

First of all, welcome to the DIS, and congrats on your 5th anniversary. Secondly, don't worry about it! One thing we've learned about these boards is that you have to take everything with a grain of salt. Things tend to "snowball" on here, if you know what I mean. I would say to make sure that it is noted on your reservation that you are celebrating your 5th anniversary and that you would like a king bed if possible, and then let Disney do the rest. This doesn't necessarily mean that you WILL get an upgrade, but they do look at the special request notes and they like to accommodate those celebrating a special occasion when they can. I do not recommend asking for an upgrade. Don't over think things (the Disboards tend to fuel that - I'm as guilty as anyone else), and just expect that you are going to have a great Disney vacation! And I bet you will!

 

[princessesrule4]

Evening All -

Tete.. Thank you for the info on IVY Trellis. I may look into the spa but I think it will be too extragavent (sp?) for my 4yr DD, although I am sure should would love the pampering.

CInderumbrella... I am really intrigued by your COnch room pictures... NO wallpaper on the walls... Hmmm... I thought our room in COnch in Sept. was the odd one.. but now yours too. Was yours a ground floor room? Ours was and on the end closest to SL. Curious now is it just Conch with no wallpaper or are all the GC rooms like this.

Channing... I will PM you.

Grannie.. From what I understand the GB house pin is only available at GF and it becomes available next week in a limited quantity. This site has more info about all the pins. www.DisneyPins.com


Ok, time to get the little ones off to bed.

Best.

Thanks for the link! The GF gingerbread house one is adorable - my DD will love it!

 

[praline3001]

Praline, we have not used DME but we always use Southern Elegance Limousines. For our trips SE costs about the same as a rental for the duration, and we don't care to hassle with 3 kids and tons of luggage and junk with a rental... (we've done it - limo is easier!!!) the limo driver meets us at the escalators and helps with the luggage and makes our lives easy. SE has just been great for us over a dozen times and my kids look forward to starting our vacation with them. We just breath a sigh of relief once we're in the limo.....They have Disney movies on in the cars, huge stuffed character ride a longs, soda/bottled water, and last Xmas they even gave my girls cute little Disney gifts! VERY nice owner and drivers & beautiful cars. Despite SE being great it's not so much a novelty because we've done it so much as it is a convenience. We don't usually leave WDW and if we do, we rent a car for a day or so from Alamo at the S/D.

Happy planning,

Lives4Disney

Thanks! The kids heard DH and I talking about going this route (we have 3 too) and now they are totally on the band wagon for the limo.
We aren't planning on driving off the property for anything so I don't see the need to rent a car (and get lost as we USUALLY DO) on our vacation.
If we do use the limo service, I am assuming the bell hop will take our luggage to our room without us having to go to our room first?
Our flight lands at 1:55pm. We have ADR's for the Princess Storybook dinner in Epcot for 6:30. I don't want to waste time (even if the room is ready) I want to be able to check in and jump on the monorail in the main building to get to Epcot. Doable?

 

[BCV23]

Great advice, Brian!

Channing, how do you get to other resorts for dinner...other than monorail restaurants of course. We enjoy going to YSH, Jiko, AP, etc and can't imagine doing that via WDW transportation. Of course, we could cab it but having a rental makes that so much easier. Anyway, have a great trip. We're not far behind you although not at the GF.

Of course, we now have a couple of favorites in Celebration....people and restaurants so need a car for that as well.

melmsmu, one other thought besides Brian's great advice. Supposedly there are not many rooms with kings at the GF (unless that has changed with the recent rehab). So try as they might, that part of your request may not work out. But all buildings have advantages. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Happy planning.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Thanks! The kids heard DH and I talking about going this route (we have 3 too) and now they are totally on the band wagon for the limo.
We aren't planning on driving off the property for anything so I don't see the need to rent a car (and get lost as we USUALLY DO) on our vacation.
If we do use the limo service, I am assuming the bell hop will take our luggage to our room without us having to go to our room first?
Our flight lands at 1:55pm. We have ADR's for the Princess Storybook dinner in Epcot for 6:30. I don't want to waste time (even if the room is ready) I want to be able to check in and jump on the monorail in the main building to get to Epcot. Doable?

They won't bring your luggage up to your room until you are there in the room and call for it.

When you arrive to check in, the limo driver & bell svc CM will unload and put your luggage on a cart and they can store it for you (very common because often the room isn't ready anyway until late afternoon). Once you get back from Epcot and into your room you can call bell svc for your luggage.

Lives4Disney

 

[praline3001]

I know this time going my family made me promise if we eat at another resort besides the GF it must be on the monorail

They don't want to be running all over the place like we have done in the past.
So our ressies include eating in the parks or a resort on the monorail.

 

[Lives4Disney]

Great advice, Brian!

Channing, how do you get to other resorts for dinner...other than monorail restaurants of course. We enjoy going to YSH, Jiko, AP, etc and can't imagine doing that via WDW transportation. Of course, we could cab it but having a rental makes that so much easier. Anyway, have a great trip. We're not far behind you although not at the GF.

Of course, we now have a couple of favorites in Celebration....people and restaurants so need a car for that as well.

melmsmu, one other thought besides Brian's great advice. Supposedly there are not many rooms with kings at the GF (unless that has changed with the recent rehab). So try as they might, that part of your request may not work out. But all buildings have advantages. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Happy planning.

We love to not have to leave Disney and we use their transportation.....never been an issue for us yet - KNOCK ON WOOD ....except the buses on the Epcot resort side when heading to MK, but the resaurants have been extremely understanding if we have been a little late & tell them why. Usually we plan our days around our ADRs and if we need to dress nicer for dinner we work around that. Been doing it for years and no trouble for us. If we drive to Clearwater, DH and DS head over to the S/D and pick up a car for us for the day. For us, limo has been the way to go. And now that we have discovered SE it just a wonderful way to start and end the vacation.

Channing

 

[BCV23]

praline, I'm not trying to push ME since your kids are so excited about the towncar service. But with ME, your luggage is delivered right to your room regardless if you're there or not. It does take a bit longer to get it but once you drop it at your home airport, the next time you see it is in your room. The time we used it to the GF, we met the rest of our family for dinner at the GF and by the time we got to the room, the luggage was there.

You do still have to leave your carryons somewhere though.

 

[praline3001]

They won't bring your luggage up to your room until you are there in the room and call for it.

When you arrive to check in, the limo driver & bell svc CM will unload and put your luggage on a cart and they can store it for you (very common because often the room isn't ready anyway until late afternoon). Once you get back from Epcot and into your room you can call bell svc for your luggage.

Lives4Disney

I have stored my luggage in the past when the room wasn't ready. I just wasn't sure if they would store it if the room was ready or if we had to follow the bell service to the room before we started in the parks.

I have changed the plans for this trip so many times I hear a collective groan in the house whenever I mention that the plans have changed

 

[BCV23]

Yep, we don't leave WDW either other than my errands and now our side excursions to Celebration. We also plan our days around dining reservations. But other than Epcot, we don't do dinner in the parks so really enjoy having a car to get to the other WDW resorts. Different strokes, I guess.

 

[praline3001]

praline, I'm not trying to push ME since your kids are so excited about the towncar service. But with ME, your luggage is delivered right to your room regardless if you're there or not. It does take a bit longer to get it but once you drop it at your home airport, the next time you see it is in your room. The time we used it to the GF, we met the rest of our family for dinner at the GF and by the time we got to the room, the luggage was there.

You do still have to leave your carryons somewhere though.

I told the kids that since they want the limo they get to huff their own luggage to said limo I have my own personal pack mule oops I mean DH... They think the trade off is worth it.

When you call bell service to bring your luggage up... how long of a wait is it typically? It will be late evening (around 10pm) before we get to our room. Is it another 2-3 hour wait after we call?

 

[Lives4Disney]

I have stored my luggage in the past when the room wasn't ready. I just wasn't sure if they would store it if the room was ready or if we had to follow the bell service to the room before we started in the parks.

I have changed the plans for this trip so many times I hear a collective groan in the house whenever I mention that the plans have changed

Even if the room is ready they will store it.

BCV it's just so much easier for us to limo it. You haven't seen the amt of stuff we pack. I am a chronic over packer and each time I promise myself I will cut back it doesn't happen.

When DH and I get to go to WDW alone, we do rent a car. We don't use it at all once we're at WDW, but we don't have as much STUFF to lug thru to the rental garage and load in as when we are with our 3 kids and when it's just the two of us we can rent a smaller vehicle so it's does cost less than the limo. We have to rent a much larger van or SUV when the kids are with for them & the luggage & it costs the same or more and the convenience factor of the limo just wins out.

Lives4Disney

 

[Lives4Disney]

I told the kids that since they want the limo they get to huff their own luggage to said limo I have my own personal pack mule oops I mean DH... They think the trade off is worth it.

When you call bell service to bring your luggage up... how long of a wait is it typically? It will be late evening (around 10pm) before we get to our room. Is it another 2-3 hour wait after we call?

MOST of the time for us it's been about 20 - 30 minutes.

Oh, we just have rolling carryons that we schlep thru the airport. Once we get to the luggage area the limo driver meets us and gets a cart and loads our luggage on and he takes it to the car. It's a breeze.

Lives4Disney

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I have seen Channings back pack and its contents. Based on that I cant imagine her suitcases.
LOL

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Praline
I think that there are many ways to go. If you arrive they will take your luggage and give you a tag for them. Then when you check in you can go to the roomand they will bring them up it usually happpens quickly. ( or it has for me) Then I freshen up and head out to the parks.

When I take DME I pack a carry on and then check in hopefully got ot my room, freshen up and then take off to the parks. When I come back my room the luggage is there.

 

[HockeyMomR]

Channing - looking forward to your report on GF garden view room. We are booked at CR atrium club for next June as my DSs have been wanting to stay there, but reports on the CR thread are not very positive lately, maybe we will switch to GF!

 

[BCV23]

I hear you about too much stuff although that is actually another good argument for ME. They handle all the stuff and you don't even go to baggage.

But we have 3 children too. When everyone was traveling we had too much luggage as well as two sets of golf clubs and in later years a wheelchair. Yikes! It took bungee cords for the limo at home and the larger cars we typically rent. But we did have a system. DS1 and I would gather the luggage and DD stayed with us. DH and DS2 got the car. It worked out well timewise.

Now the clubs stay down there, we pack somewhat lighter due to DVC for part of the stay and there are only 2,3 or 4 of us traveling.

We do love RAC for the return trip. I broke down and booked SW for a short trip with DS2 but usually will only book participating airlines because it is such a wonderful service.