2014 Grand Floridian Resort & Villas FAQ: Vacationing in Grand Style!

[jhaig]

Does the GF ever have anything special going on at the resort to celebrate Halloween (characters, etc)?

 

[TxTiggergal]

You want to choose the one that begins and ends with .:) In my account, the choices are named "Direct", "HTML" and "IMG". HTH!

Sorry about the musical chairs with the room, hopefully you are set now and can get on with your Grand vacation!pixiedust:[/QUOTE]

Thanks! Quick question: what size is best for posting pics?

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Does the GF ever have anything special going on at the resort to celebrate Halloween (characters, etc)?

When we were there in 2012 they had a party set up in the late afternoon/early evening in the couryard between Gaspy's and the marina. In addition to a DJ and CMs giving out candy, western garbed Mickey and Minnie made an appearance.

HTH

Tom

 

[twoolle]

Aww, thanks for sharing your story! Adorable. Hey, I have a red haired, blue eyed baby girl, too! Mine is 25. A stool would probably be a good idea. I think the sinks are normal height, so if they need them at home, they will need one at the Grand. The self parking is now located in front of the resort again. For a few years, it was relocated across Floridian Way, in the employees parking, so valet could have the entire front parking lot. Guests must have made enough noise, lol. I have a link on the first page to an aerial map of the GF, brb.

Wow so many similarities! Thanks for the info on the parking...across Floridian Way would be a hike! It looks like since we have outer building GV it still might be a bit of a walk...but we would have to walk to the bus stop anyways. Thanks again for all the help!

 

[twoolle]

Yes, on the stool for the little ones. My 48" one can barely reach and I remember trying to hold him up, so he could wash his hands. Another tip: pack an unopened pump liquid handsoap. Not having to deal with a slimy bar soap is so much better and easier for everyone! I saw that tip on this board and thought "oh, that would be nice". Nope... it's GREAT!! Everything feels cleaner and a little more homey!

Thank you! Will add stool and soap pump to the never ending packing list that is still in my head!

 

[marlaine8]

That sounds awsome! Im doing universal for the first time next week and then the GF as well. How was portofino? How many days/nights is good? How do you feel switching to disney after universal? Or did u wish u had done universal last?

We stayed at The Poly CL for 4 days and then Portofino for 3 days last year. I decided to go to Universal after WDW because I was afraid that my son wouldn't want to leave Universal (because of all of the big rides). My worries were totally unfounded. My son loved Universal, but the whole time he kept pointing out their lack of "detail". (Except for HP. That was very detailed!) We had a Deluxe room, Harborside view. Really beautiful resort! The room was beautiful--loved the bathroom--and the view was great. Restaurants were good, pool was nice, and shops were good. We felt that 3 days was the perfect amount of time to see both parks, explore the resort and eat in CityWalk. This year we aren't going to Universal at all. We're staying all 8 days at GF and going to enjoy the parks at a more relaxed pace!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

September will be here soon. Also are those deluxe rooms only king beds?

If you mean the diagrams that coopersmom posted, there are 2 types - king deluxe (BP) and deluxe with 2 queens (BO). There's a description of each on the first page, in the "Guest Rooms" post and photos in the "Deluxe Room Photos" post.

Thanks! Quick question: what size is best for posting pics?

I think mine are set to 800 x 600, which seems a good size.

Does the GF ever have anything special going on at the resort to celebrate Halloween (characters, etc)?

When we were there in 2012 they had a party set up in the late afternoon/early evening in the couryard between Gaspy's and the marina. In addition to a DJ and CMs giving out candy, western garbed Mickey and Minnie made an appearance.

HTH

Tom

Thanks for that info, Tom, I had no idea they did anything for H'ween at the resort!

Wow so many similarities! Thanks for the info on the parking...across Floridian Way would be a hike! It looks like since we have outer building GV it still might be a bit of a walk...but we would have to walk to the bus stop anyways. Thanks again for all the help!

Yeah, I think it would be slightly further out to the parking than to the bus stop, but not by much. I have a series of photos that show the path to the parking, I'll try to post them later. (it was taken to show how to get across F. Way to the previous self park, but you can still get an idea)

 

[disney meema]

Wow so many similarities! Thanks for the info on the parking...across Floridian Way would be a hike! It looks like since we have outer building GV it still might be a bit of a walk...but we would have to walk to the bus stop anyways. Thanks again for all the help!

hi hi jumping in here as another Mom of a blue eyed red haired girl, she's 36 yrs. old and my oldest child. We have several age brackets of these red haired beauties too on here which is a reflection of our ages I'm sure ... I'm knocking on 55 years old yikes! My other daughter & son have blonde hair and blue eyes, even with my Irish dark brown hair and blue green eyes and husbands brown hair not one kiddo or grandkiddie has dark hair. Lots of red heads way back 3 generations in my family so I was happily surprised the day she was born : ) What are your other children's hair color?
Have fun planning your trip : ) One great thing about the GF is there is really not a bad room location, so your GV room will be an easy beautiful walk to the monorail or bus stop. It's the most amazing resort (( swoon ))

 

[Mrsdonaldduck]

We just checked into SL yesterday!!! I love the rooms they are so fresh. I am focusing on all of the new things in the rooms I like and not the things I miss. I love the high back chair and the sheer curtain design. The rooms are very elegant. This is the 5th year we have been here this time of year and I don't recall the pools ever being this crowded. They are not checking magic bands at the pools. Is anyone else here now and experiencing the this.

 

[disney meema]

I think mine are set to 800 x 600, which seems a good size.

Thanks so much k&a&c'smom I was wondering what size would work on here well as I've seen some pictures soooo big. I'm surprised the site doesn't have an automatic maximum sizing feature for pictures ... One site I use to go on a Gymboree clothing type of site used to have it and it was nice since you could click on a persons pictures and enlarge them : )
Ok so not only do you have a red haired daughter but by your user name it looks like your 3 kids have the same exact first initial as my 3 kids. Mine would be K&C&A so a different order but same letters : )

 

[twoolle]

hi hi jumping in here as another Mom of a blue eyed red haired girl, she's 36 yrs. old and my oldest child. We have several age brackets of these red haired beauties too on here which is a reflection of our ages I'm sure ... I'm knocking on 55 years old yikes! My other daughter & son have blonde hair and blue eyes, even with my Irish dark brown hair and blue green eyes and husbands brown hair not one kiddo or grandkiddie has dark hair. Lots of red heads way back 3 generations in my family so I was happily surprised the day she was born : ) What are your other children's hair color? Have fun planning your trip : ) One great thing about the GF is there is really not a bad room location, so your GV room will be an easy beautiful walk to the monorail or bus stop. It's the most amazing resort (( swoon ))

Wow so funny! My 2 boys have blonde hair and blue eyes but we think their hair will be brown. My husband has dark brown and I have light brown hair. My mom has red hair but she always frosted it when I was growing up so I completely forgot...and then our little Minnie was born and shocked us all...not just with the red hair but she made her surprise delivery appearance in the front seat of our Expedition! Haha, and yes it is the same car we will be driving to the world...lots of great memories in that car. . Soon to be many more.

Thanks for the tips on walking at the resort.

 

[twoolle]

I seem to remember reading some in-room literature during our recent stay that you can request a stool from housekeeping for little ones who need just a little boost at the sinks Hopefully, someone who is there currently can confirm what I "think" I read so that you do not have to pack the stool for your trip. I am sure you will need all the available space for other gear given the ages of your cuties!

I would LOVE to confirm this...I am afraid my husband will have a heart attack when he sees everything ready to be loaded in the car, so one less thing to pack would be awesome!

 

[TxTiggergal]

We just checked into SL yesterday!!! I love the rooms they are so fresh. I am focusing on all of the new things in the rooms I like and not the things I miss. I love the high back chair and the sheer curtain design. The rooms are very elegant. This is the 5th year we have been here this time of year and I don't recall the pools ever being this crowded. They are not checking magic bands at the pools. Is anyone else here now and experiencing the this.

Yes! They are def not checking magic bands. I wonder if that is something they are going to start doing?? Yesterday I started out at the courtyard pool around 3:00 and no chairs were available! I moved on to the beach pool however & there were several to choose from. But this afternoon about the same time I found a chair at the courtyard pool with no trouble.

 

[ahcupcake]

Good Evening to my fellow GF lovers!

Sorry I've been MIA again, I have no excuses other than laziness...Everything is fab here, still planning my imaginary BIG b-day trip . I may have hinted in one of my last posts about a four legged patient, that is my DA's dog who she had taken for a walk and was severely attacked by another dog, I'm happy to say she had surgery yesterday and it went fabulous, the Princess(not her name but what I call her) came home earlier this afternoon & doing well

It sounds fantastic to me! There is just something about the Grand Floridian lobby that I love its so beautiful and relaxing to just sit and soak up the atmosphere! We are getting in around 9 am so the plan is to spend the whole day at the resort then over to Boma for Dinner Then grab breakfast in the lounge in the morning before heading to Port

Yes the lobby is so relaxing....Listening to Gran Floridian Society Orchestra's cd, it's taking me back all I need is a glass of champagne!

Good Morning Everyone!!!

I've been MIA since school ended!!! We had a family wedding in Jamaica for 7 nights....came home and repacked for the GF for 6 nights. July is a beautiful blur!!!

I've been visiting and trying to keep up when I can!!

I am now in the process of planning an 8 night trip to the GF in July 2015 with a group of 14. CAN'T WAIT!!!

The GF was beautiful, I liked the new rooms, but its not Disney themed!! As always we had the cabana and Holly for 3 days and it was wonderful!!

I always stay garden view, big pine key.....every requested was done on line, we did the on line check in and every request was meet.

The hotel was filled 100%, I assume because of the work at the Poly. This is the first time ever in all the years that I didn't get at least one room out of the group to dump our stuff in while running to the parks.

The gym was busier then usual, but I got a treadmill every time!! Always got a seat in Gaspies so the 100% wasn't a problem at all. The only time it really felt crowded was up at Mizners.....I think the people from the villas are regulars now and it was packed!!!! Besides a lot of weddings and wedding parties hanging out too!!! I noticed a lot of people using the large round table in the lobby for snacking and drinking while listening to the great music.

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer....I'll definitely be around regularly again...life is back to normal!!!

Hi Wishes Sounds like you've had a super busy summer. Sounds like you had a grand time at the Grand. Thanks for the mini review!.....Congrats to your family member on their wedding

I agree . It's a tough job and very time consuming to keep an FAQ updated, but I think k&a&c'smom does a great job .

Agree my Nutty friend she does a fab job and it looks like a new one will need to be started soon

~ Calling all foodies...lol...Love to know what everyones "must" have snack is in each park ..or at the resorts...At the GF..since this is the GF thread...the almond crusted cheese cake at Narcoosees is sooo delicious!

Hope that all of my fellow GF fans are having a magical Monday.... preppy GF gal.. who is now compiling a list of must have snacks in each park/resort!! lol... (~ anybody ever try the sweet cream cheese pretzel from the Lunchig Pad in Tomorrowland....) ..

Hmm sorry Blue can't help with park snacks, we're not usually in the parks long enough to snack unless it's F&W time then we eat around the world

This was said in another thread. I would love for you guys to tell me that this person is wrong about the GF. One of the reasons I hadn't even considered GF before the WL pool closure was because I was afraid it might be "stuffy."

I was amused by the general air of haughty that I found pervading the Grand Floridian. The service at the GF was awful throughout our stay. I had been to the "real" Grand Floridian (the Hotel Del Coronado in California) many times and the staff truly couldn't have been nicer. It was almost embarrassing how far they bent over backward to anticipate the guests needs. Whenever I see that the GF is considered a 5 star hotel I have to laugh. Must be "Disney Stars" like "Disney Dollars"...but I digress. Except to say that it appears all level of resorts are capable of dropping the ball. And then fumbling it. And then blaming the fans.

That person is very wrong. We've never come across any snobbishness there

Just checked into GF after 3 amazing days at Portofino! I booked SL but got upgraded to RPC!! Wow. I'm not going to want to leave. But only booked. 2 nights CL then moving to Boca Chica if I get request.
TL day now just relaxing on beach but dessert is calling!
Tomorrow is a resort day sadly one daughter leaves tomorrow to go home. Which is main reason I booked CL.
I also think we got a deluxe room. They are going to have to pry my cold dead hands off the door to get me out !!!

YAY congrats on the upgrade!

Morning grannyminnie.. and to all the rest of my fellow GF fans...or as pas would say GF groupies..lol...

Hope that everyone is having a terrific Thursday!!

Hey Blue, hoping to plan a day trip to your part of the world soon!

 

[TxTiggergal]

I would LOVE to confirm this...I am afraid my husband will have a heart attack when he sees everything ready to be loaded in the car, so one less thing to pack would be awesome!

I checked out the in-room literature & did not see this addressed. So I just called housekeeping to inquire about this for you. My husband is the exact same way so I can totally relate! I asked them if they have stools for guests with small children to use so that they can reach the sink. She said they have "standard stepping stools." I then asked if they were available in all buildings & she said yes. HTH!

 

[davale4]

Thanks for the update! Was this the queen deluxe or the king octagon deluxe? Was it an actual pull-out sofa or a daybed like the regular rooms have (AKA a twin-bed sized sofa)?

And, just to verify, this was in RPC, correct? I ask because I don't know if the outer building deluxe rooms did or did not previously have day/sofa beds.

Sorry I didn't answer sooner! We've been busier than other years. Yes, this is a queen deluxe in RPC. They actually have a queen pullout couch not a daybed. I took pictures and will try and post when I get home.
HTH

 

[coopersmom]

Sorry I didn't answer sooner! We've been busier than other years. Yes, this is a queen deluxe in RPC. They actually have a queen pullout couch not a daybed. I took pictures and will try and post when I get home.
HTH

Thank you, that's great information to have. Unfortunately, we've had a last minute change of plans and won't be staying at the Grand next month after all. So if anyone is looking for an AP rate deluxe room there might be one available. Our loss could be someone else's gain.

 

[davale4]

BC1836 & Davale Hope that you are both enjoying your Grand vacations!

~Speaking of food... ... I am contemplating changing our Narcoosees ressie to Citricos...lol...Love em both...but only have so many nites alotted for resort dining...on our other resort night we have a ressie for CG...Sooooo...what do you'll think???

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday! preppy GF gal who is always tinkering with those ADRs!!

Thank you! I believe this, so far, has been our best vacation ever. In the past, we really have not done much because my DS has Autism Spectrum Disorder with sensory issues. He is also on a special diet, multiple supplements, and needs shots every three days.
However, he has done AWESOME!!! He's enjoyed the parks, got on many rides without a problem, loves the pools....soooo we are just taking advantage and riding the wave.

BC1836 Still hoping that we eventually catch up at the lounge before 8/24.

 

[Sue M]

We just checked into SL yesterday!!! I love the rooms they are so fresh. I am focusing on all of the new things in the rooms I like and not the things I miss. I love the high back chair and the sheer curtain design. The rooms are very elegant. This is the 5th year we have been here this time of year and I don't recall the pools ever being this crowded. They are not checking magic bands at the pools. Is anyone else here now and experiencing the this.

I'm here now. Was at beach pool around noon. Not too bad. But remember now GFV is opened up so that adds a lot more people.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Could anyone tell me if it would be do-able to attend the 6PM performance of La Nouba (I'm told it lasts about 90 min), and make it back to Narcoossee's for a 9PM ADR? We would take a taxi.
TIA