The *New* Grand Floridian Resort and Spa FAQ thread (NOV 2008)

[Lives4Disney]

Oh I could have you wetting yourself with my WL tales. Here is a snippet from my first day:

Up at 6am for whatever reason. Everyone is sleeping. I go get coffee and want to get in my morning walk before everyone wakes up. I find there is a trail from WL to FW. I start out on the trail. I am startled by this flock 100 little red birds that come out of a bush. Then this monkey/squirrell type animal knocks a pine cone the size of my head off a tree and it nearly kills me. OK Liz.. I am saying.. Get over it. Oh how cute a baby deer. Said baby deer wont move off the path. I get a stick to bang on the ground to shoo it away. What should appear the mama deer ready to kill me for going near the baby. Liz RUNS ALL THE WAY BACK with mama deer following (charging in my mind) her. Never ever again. I am not a woodsy person. I am sure someone saw me and is laughing to this day.

That is just the first morning of an 8 day trip. It kind of continued on that way........

Dont get me started on the smell of the horse barn when everyone insisted we go for pony rides. Oh My Gawd..........

OK rant over.

Liz...you are so funny! I live in the woods! I live in the country....I have nasty animal tales. YES..I can see how if you're not used to it, it would not be the most pleasant. Right now I have a cardinal THROWING itself against a window...it THUDS thru the whole house....that nitwit has been doing that for MONTHS. MONTHS. We have tried all kinds of things to get rid of it...stuffed animals, DD made a scarecrow to hang in teh window...I have stained glass hanging there now...that dumb bird is suicidal.

The WL feels like home to me...same style...not as GRAND but that same wood & stone prairie style....I need FL style in FL though.

Happy day!
Channing
a gf gal going back!

 

[gonzo76]

I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a room/building request. We booked a garden view . Thanks.

 

[opraghst]

I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a room/building request. We booked a garden view . Thanks.

Ditto

 

[gonzo76]

Ditto

I see you you live in the Lehigh Valley. So do I.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a room/building request. We booked a garden view . Thanks.

It depends on what is important to you. Do you want to be near the main building and themed pool? Choose Big Pine Key. Gasparilla's and the bus stop - Sago Cay; the boat launch, quiet pool, Gasparilla's and marina - Conch Key; boat launch, Narcoossee's and the quiet pool (and relatively close to the themed pool)? Boca Chica.

It's important to note that any request is just that - a request. However, I'm surprised at the number of people who say that making a request is pointless; we usually get just what we ask for, when we remember to put in a request. I guess we've been lucky!

 

[johnsonet]

I am wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a room/building request. We booked a garden view . Thanks.

Ditto

We always used to request Boca Chica when we had Lagoon View or Garden View booked (this was before they created the additional category of Theme Park View). And we always got it. But last time I had a GV room reserved I made no requests and got upgraded before check-in to a theme park view in Big Pine Key. It is a great location as well

Good luck. You will love the GF

 

[gonzo76]

It depends on what is important to you. Do you want to be near the main building and themed pool? Choose Big Pine Key. Gasparilla's and the bus stop - Sago Cay; the boat launch, quiet pool, Gasparilla's and marina - Conch Key; boat launch, Narcoossee's and the quiet pool (and relatively close to the themed pool)? Boca Chica.

I'm surprised at the number of people who say that making a request is pointless; we usually get just what we ask for, when we remember to put in a request. I guess we've been lucky!

Thank You. That is exactly what I'm looking for.
I asked awhile ago if there were any bad views, I know someone said yes but never told me the building. Does anyone know?

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Grannyminnie- here are the Conch Key GV room views that you asked for!

This is on the courtyard side, looking to the left.

This was the marina view (first floor room). We were on the opposite end of the building from the lagoon. We could not see the MK from our room. Conch Key kind of "juts" out in the middle, which blocks the rooms on our end from seeing the castle. But those rooms in the middle in the "jutting" section should be able to see it, as well as the rooms on the other side of it. Check out the map of the resort in the beginning of the thread to see the shape of the building if my explanation seems strange...

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Thank You. That is exactly what I'm looking for.
I asked awhile ago if there were any bad views, I know someone said yes but never told me the building. Does anyone know?

THe back side of Sago Key has a couple of rooms that overlook behind the convention center. Those aren't the greatest...

 

[opraghst]

I see you you live in the Lehigh Valley. So do I.

What part? We live in Slatington.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

gonzo76 - Glad I was able to help! The only bad views I know of are the ones Cinderumbrella mentioned, and a few rooms in Big Pine Key that overlook the quiet pool building.

johnsonet - I know a lot of people say they have better success in getting an upgrade by making no requests. That doesn't work for us, we sometimes forget to make a request, and have never been upgraded at check in, lol. In that respect, we have no luck!

 

[johnsonet]

k&a&c'smom
I think it depends but it certainly worked to my advantage that time not to make any requests. Based on past experience, I would've asked for and been assigned Boca Chica and would've missed out on that killer TPV in Big Pine Key that they gave us. The room was also one of the corner rooms with two balconies and extra space
Also - BPK was the only building we hadn't ever stayed in so it was nice to experience it - it really is a very good location

 

[k&a&c'smom]

johnsonet - that sounds like an awesome upgrade! We had a TPV room in Big Pine before they were a bookable category. I think we had lagoon view booked, and asked for a castle view for DD, since she was still young at the time - they gave us an end room on the third floor in BPK. Your room sounds even better! Those corner rooms seem incredible, from the photos I've seen.

 

[PolynesianAlex]

Wait so if you Book RPC You will get Magic Kingdom view or Lagoon Pool view right you can never get a parking lot view?

If i book a deluxe standard RPC would i always get a magic kingdom view?

 

[PolynesianAlex]

I have the choice of 9 Nights at Sugar Loaf or 7 Nights at Royal Palm Club

 

[Alicnwondrln]

johnsonet - that sounds like an awesome upgrade! We had a TPV room in Big Pine before they were a bookable category. I think we had lagoon view booked, and asked for a castle view for DD, since she was still young at the time - they gave us an end room on the third floor in BPK. Your room sounds even better! Those corner rooms seem incredible, from the photos I've seen.

The corner rooms are amazing! I spoke with the IPO and cabanas are booking at CR starting after March 25th I was told. Anyone got news on the Poly ones.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Polynesian Alex - I will try to help. Standard RPC and deluxe RPC rooms are two different categories; if you book a standard RPC room, you might get a castle view; if you book a deluxe RPC room, you will not. As far as I know, there are no RPC rooms that look at the parking lot.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

the deluxe room I have stayed in over looked the pool and courtyard

 

[PolynesianAlex]

Polynesian Alex - I will try to help. Standard RPC and deluxe RPC rooms are two different categories; if you book a standard RPC room, you might get a castle view; if you book a deluxe RPC room, you will not. As far as I know, there are no RPC rooms that look at the parking lot.

is the Deluxe room bigger or is it just a king bed?
Because there both the same price

 

[Maxie86]

k&a&c'smom
I think it depends but it certainly worked to my advantage that time not to make any requests. Based on past experience, I would've asked for and been assigned Boca Chica and would've missed out on that killer TPV in Big Pine Key that they gave us. The room was also one of the corner rooms with two balconies and extra space
Also - BPK was the only building we hadn't ever stayed in so it was nice to experience it - it really is a very good location

What a great upgrade. We were in BPK once and had a nice view of the pool. I loved the location.

DeborahB, Thanks, we don't have anything special planned for Mothers Day. I think I read that they are not having the brunch this year. We do have an ADR for Narcoossee's for the night before. We have the TIW card and Mothers Day is one of the blackout days, so we probably won't do anything that day. I'll be there without my son too.