(2014-2020) Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA + VILLAS Information & Questions

[aoconnor]

Question - is the Beach Pool currently open? I got an email in September saying it would be closed for refurbishment during my stay (next week). It was originally supposed to close mid-November, but then I saw on another Disney news site that it was postponed until January 2nd - early April. Not sure which is correct. Thanks!

 

[mrsap]

We are on the same wave length today - lol! I just posted a mini review in the CL thread!

I agree with so much of your thoughts above. We loved everything about RPC! Francisco was a favorite - he kept all drinks full. One night, he insisted my DHs beer must've been warm so he took it and replaced with a new cold one. He was just so great!

So we stayed at SL in April. I had the same vibes as you. And my DH had the same vibes as your DH - he said he'd stay there again, and my girls said the same thing! I was just like but I think I would book it for a summer-type trip because of the easy access to the pool.

That's hysterical!!!!!!!! Great minds think alike!!!

 

[baler31]

Thanks. View is appreciated, although I have enjoyed any view I've gotten there, which is why we stuck with GV for this particular trip ... also stuck with that because it's the pricier holiday season rates.

Our first time at GF, we were in Sugar Loaf (it was our honeymoon and we were upgraded from GV!). We had a view of the courtyard pool.

When we returned, this time with the kids, we stayed in Sago Key. Although it was GV, when were were on our balcony and looked to the right, we could actually see fireworks, which was a nice little perk. On that trip, it allowed us to enjoy some of the NYE show while the kids were asleep.

This time I just put in an upper floor request, and was curious what experiences others have had with GV rooms! I was thinking we might like Conch Key.

For GV Sago is my favorite. Quiet, nice views, close to bus and easy access to Gasparilla's and covered walkways most of the way to main building in inclement weather. Just be cautious with the higher floor request. Personally, I am not a fan of the dormer rooms with the vaulted ceilings, they are a bit smaller and I feel it. My requests are always: no connecting door, no dormer, quiet location.

 

[baler31]

We're booked for our 1st trip to GF, and I'm looking for a building recommendation as well. Looking at a map, it seems:
- Sugarloaf is closest to the main building and monorail
- Big Pine Key is closest to the beach pool
- Boca Chica and Conch are closest to the boat launch.
So my question is why would someone choose the Sago Key building? Sugarloaf is just as close to the main building, but Sago is further away from pools and boats. Am I missing any benefits of Sago Key? TIA

Sago is our favorite GV. Nice views, quiet, close to bus stop and Gasparilla's. Not far from main building with mostly covered walkway access to all those areas. For the bus stop you walk directly out the service type area and you are at the bus stop/convention area.

 

[rchampagne]

Sago is our favorite GV. Nice views, quiet, close to bus stop and Gasparilla's. Not far from main building with mostly covered walkway access to all those areas. For the bus stop you walk directly out the service type area and you are at the bus stop/convention area.

I appreciate the feedback on the buildings. I don't think I'll put in a building request, as there are pros and cons for each of them. And... every time I put in a request, I never get it anyways. Its our 1st time staying at GF, so we'll let Disney decide our fate. Thanks again.

 

[mickeynut1]

Hello everyone!! I wanted to write a little review for you guys about our stay at GF!!

So as I mentioned before, we were booked in a 2 br. suite. We were lucky enough to get some pixie dust and were upgraded to Theme Park view! We watched the MK fireworks every night from our room! It was great! Loved the room. It was spacious and beautiful.

RPC - staff was fabulous!!!! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Francisco and Ryan! They really were amazing! Always made it a point to ask if we needed anything, especially the kids, and always asked how our day was. My son has allergies, so they always made sure he had allergen free options. Food was good, but repetitive. I loved having waffles for breakfast, and the gentleman who was serving them (sorry forgot his name), was always so pleasant and nice to talk to (he was there 2 mornings). There was also a Chef there for dinner/dessert (One dinner was a beef dish and the dessert another was creme brûlée with rum). Each was only in RPC once during the week. Loved having a mimosa every morning!! You could ask for alcohol anytime of the day, which was nice. There was also always small bottles of water out, which was also very convenient. Loved the orchestra, it was such a nice added touch, along with looking at the tree every day! It was beautiful.

SL - same options as RPC, just a smaller lounge with no views. Staff was not as friendly as RPC. (there was one cm, I believe Justin?) who was very nice and always said hello and made a point to chat with us. I personally didn’t like it there, but my DH said he’d stay SL.

The GF itself was just so beautiful! Loved the fun activities for the kids (pool and outdoor games).
They loved roasting marshmallows there too, always very organized!! They were also picked to open the Gingerbread house, which was so exciting for them!!!

My DH and I are already looking into adding DVC points at GF, we really did love it. Looked to stay for our July trip, but I waited too long (have it on waitlist though!)

That’s all I can think of mentioning right now. Any questions, I’ll be happy to answer!

Thanks for your review. Glad you had a great time and enjoyed the GF and RPC .

I appreciate the feedback on the buildings. I don't think I'll put in a building request, as there are pros and cons for each of them. And... every time I put in a request, I never get it anyways. Its our 1st time staying at GF, so we'll let Disney decide our fate. Thanks again.

I don't think you'll be disappointed as anywhere at the GF is great, IMO. Have a great trip .

 

[gulliesmom]

I just got the go ahead to start planning our trip for Christmas 2018! I am so excited. I want to make this trip extra special to honor my father's memory. He passed a week ago and I had always hoped we would be able to do a family trip to Disney and it never happened. He loves Christmas and I know WDW does an amazing job with getting into the holiday spirit with decorations, etc. I picked the GF because I wanted to be at a really nice resort, right in the middle of everything. Any tips, building recs, etc. pertinent to the resort are welcomed. My kids will be 11 and 13 when we travel. Is it generally warm enough to swim in the pools in December? Are they heated?

 

[MommyGina]

gulliesmom - I'm so sorry for the passing of your Dad. We always liked Sago with a marina view. It is close to Gasparilla's where the kids can get something to eat and not have to walk too far. Food is key with teenagers!

 

[mrsap]

I just got the go ahead to start planning our trip for Christmas 2018! I am so excited. I want to make this trip extra special to honor my father's memory. He passed a week ago and I had always hoped we would be able to do a family trip to Disney and it never happened. He loves Christmas and I know WDW does an amazing job with getting into the holiday spirit with decorations, etc. I picked the GF because I wanted to be at a really nice resort, right in the middle of everything. Any tips, building recs, etc. pertinent to the resort are welcomed. My kids will be 11 and 13 when we travel. Is it generally warm enough to swim in the pools in December? Are they heated?

I’m so sorry to hear that. My heart and prayers are with you and your family.

 

[mickeynut1]

I just got the go ahead to start planning our trip for Christmas 2018! I am so excited. I want to make this trip extra special to honor my father's memory. He passed a week ago and I had always hoped we would be able to do a family trip to Disney and it never happened. He loves Christmas and I know WDW does an amazing job with getting into the holiday spirit with decorations, etc. I picked the GF because I wanted to be at a really nice resort, right in the middle of everything. Any tips, building recs, etc. pertinent to the resort are welcomed. My kids will be 11 and 13 when we travel. Is it generally warm enough to swim in the pools in December? Are they heated?

I'm so sorry about your father .

 

[trishadono]

I just got the go ahead to start planning our trip for Christmas 2018! I am so excited. I want to make this trip extra special to honor my father's memory. He passed a week ago and I had always hoped we would be able to do a family trip to Disney and it never happened. He loves Christmas and I know WDW does an amazing job with getting into the holiday spirit with decorations, etc. I picked the GF because I wanted to be at a really nice resort, right in the middle of everything. Any tips, building recs, etc. pertinent to the resort are welcomed. My kids will be 11 and 13 when we travel. Is it generally warm enough to swim in the pools in December? Are they heated?

I was in the pool Saturday! It was really warm too. (courtyard pool)

My dad passed last year so I took Mom this year to put us in good spirits for this holiday season.

Check the rates, sometimes CL outerbuilding aka Sugar Loaf doesn't cost much more. It has a great location and all that fun food!

Sorry too, I know a bit what you are going through. First year is tough but it does get better

 

[gulliesmom]

Thanks everyone! So I got an email back from a local "Disney Planning Expert" that several friends have recommended to me. I am not one to have someone else do the planning but thought maybe this time I would. Anyway, she just emailed me asking if I was aware of how "intense" the crowds are this time of year and that oftentimes the park "closes to capacity by 10 am". Is this true? Are we crazy to go for Christmas? I am aware it is the busiest time of year to go, but if you have been the week of Christmas, what is the best way to tackle it? I am also posting this question on the forum regarding the parks, but figured I would ask here as well.

 

[gulliesmom]

My dad passed last year so I took Mom this year to put us in good spirits for this holiday season.

I am so sorry for your loss. It is indeed a crummy club to be a member of

 

[baler31]

Thanks everyone! So I got an email back from a local "Disney Planning Expert" that several friends have recommended to me. I am not one to have someone else do the planning but thought maybe this time I would. Anyway, she just emailed me asking if I was aware of how "intense" the crowds are this time of year and that oftentimes the park "closes to capacity by 10 am". Is this true? Are we crazy to go for Christmas? I am aware it is the busiest time of year to go, but if you have been the week of Christmas, what is the best way to tackle it? I am also posting this question on the forum regarding the parks, but figured I would ask here as well.

We go at Christmas or NYE every other year or so and while crowded we enjoy it immensely. Other than planning and standard get there early...best advice is simply don't try to do everything. Pick 3 or 4 attractions you must do every day and think of everything else as a bonus. Enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the resort, do things most won't. A tour like Behind the Seeds, Marceline to Magic Kingdom, or Caring for Giants. Do the MVMCP if offered for your dates. Also, while the parks can and do close to capacity, I don't recall them ever closing by 10am it typically is a bit later. Buy the hopper so you can change parks, AK is typically not as busy later in the day although Pandora has changed that somewhat. As mentioned go early, often MK opens at 7am and you can accomplish a lot by 11am, eat lunch and leave before the madness starts. Or stay and do some of the less traveled attractions: Country Bears, Tiki Room, COP, Laugh Floor etc.

Yes you can swim, but as southern transplants we find it too cold. The resort pools and water parks are heated. We think of it as a resort area rather than just a theme park. Our kids have enjoyed the recreation: parasailing, guided fishing excursions, golf, tennis, renting the water mice. In general any trip outside of something unfortunate happening (had one of those trips once) is what you make it. Yes it will be crowded, you won't be able to ride back to back or do as many attractions as you would during a slower time but we do find it all magical including the crazy crowds.

 

[qwerty2k]

Can anyone reassure me about transportation?

Thinking about gf be apart from mk it seems that transportation to other parks is actually quite long? Is gf worth it if a lot of your time won’t be in the mk? Also heard that gf often shares busses with other resorts?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Can anyone reassure me about transportation?

Thinking about gf be apart from mk it seems that transportation to other parks is actually quite long? Is gf worth it if a lot of your time won’t be in the mk? Also heard that gf often shares busses with other resorts?

I don’t really think GF is all that different transporation wise than any other resort, in my humble opinion.

GF will almost always share a bus with Poly. When the bus arrives at GF, it will have already stopped at Poly and the next stop will be your destination. Coming back, it will stop at Poly first to drop off, then on to GF. I actually don’t mind this all that much because sometimes I like to get off at Poly and walk (maybe grab a drink or do some shopping along the way, or just enjoy the nice stroll between resorts).

My one small, tiny complaint with GF is I do have a ‘slight’ feeling of being isolated from Epcot since monorail is the only form of transportation and involves transferring both coming and going. But for me this is not enough to NOT stay at GF, only a passing thought I occasionally have. At times, we have used Taxi/Uber/Lyft (and now Minnie Van) for either the going or return trip to Epcot, just to save a few minutes. Regular Uber/Lyft is not typically very expensive going to Epcot.

Busses to/from HS or AK seem pretty normal to me, no different than anywhere else.

Hope that helps!

 

[barbliny]

Can anyone reassure me about transportation?

Thinking about gf be apart from mk it seems that transportation to other parks is actually quite long? Is gf worth it if a lot of your time won’t be in the mk? Also heard that gf often shares busses with other resorts?

We just returned from a long-weekend stay at GF.

Monorail to and from MK - no issues and we used it all times of the day. We were pretty lucky in the respect that we almost always walked right into a waiting train. The one time things were pretty backed up was our MVMCP night - we went to leave the Grand around 4:15 and the line was backed up into resort - had to wait for a2nd monorail (which came just 5 minutes later).

I think GF could do a better job of letting guests know that if they do not have a bag to check they can go straight to the metal detector- it would move people much more efficiently through security.

Monorail to Epcot - it would be nicer if you didn't need to transfer, but it was fine. On the flip side leaving Epcot at the end of the night and the long monorail line and knowing you still have a transfer in front of you - ugh. It took us almost an hour to get back to GF that night between the mass of people and door problems with one of the trains.

Bus to HS on EMH morning - easy - did not share with Poly. We took the bus to FW for brunch after, so I can’t comment on return trip to GF.

Bus to and from AK - no problem, short wait - shared with Poly around 4 pm. Took bus to WL on the way back to see Christmas decorations and have a cocktail at Territory Lounge (Disney ruined this place - changed the drink menu less than 2 weeks ago - it is now filled with tropical vacation drinks - took away every single bourbon or whiskey based cocktail)

We found our favorite way of moving Between the GF and MK - monorail to and boat back. That put us with only one stop each way. We took the monorail back from MK once and the boat was much more convenient (we did not have a stroller or scooter)

All in all we found all of the modes of transportation to/from the Grand to be great. We only drove to and from Disney Springs - so, I can’t comment on that bus ride.

As for sharing - it has been our experience (here and at other resorts that share buses) that the bus is dedicated to the resort at ropedrop (peak time). Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[qwerty2k]

I don’t really think GF is all that different transporation wise than any other resort, in my humble opinion.

GF will almost always share a bus with Poly. When the bus arrives at GF, it will have already stopped at Poly and the next stop will be your destination. Coming back, it will stop at Poly first to drop off, then on to GF. I actually don’t mind this all that much because sometimes I like to get off at Poly and walk (maybe grab a drink or do some shopping along the way, or just enjoy the nice stroll between resorts).

My one small, tiny complaint with GF is I do have a ‘slight’ feeling of being isolated from Epcot since monorail is the only form of transportation and involves transferring both coming and going. But for me this is not enough to NOT stay at GF, only a passing thought I occasionally have. At times, we have used Taxi/Uber/Lyft (and now Minnie Van) for either the going or return trip to Epcot, just to save a few minutes. Regular Uber/Lyft is not typically very expensive going to Epcot.

Busses to/from HS or AK seem pretty normal to me, no different than anywhere else.

Hope that helps!

We just returned from a long-weekend stay at GF.

Monorail to and from MK - no issues and we used it all times of the day. We were pretty lucky in the respect that we almost always walked right into a waiting train. The one time things were pretty backed up was our MVMCP night - we went to leave the Grand around 4:15 and the line was backed up into resort - had to wait for a2nd monorail (which came just 5 minutes later).

I think GF could do a better job of letting guests know that if they do not have a bag to check they can go straight to the metal detector- it would move people much more efficiently through security.

Monorail to Epcot - it would be nicer if you didn't need to transfer, but it was fine. On the flip side leaving Epcot at the end of the night and the long monorail line and knowing you still have a transfer in front of you - ugh. It took us almost an hour to get back to GF that night between the mass of people and door problems with one of the trains.

Bus to HS on EMH morning - easy - did not share with Poly. We took the bus to FW for brunch after, so I can’t comment on return trip to GF.

Bus to and from AK - no problem, short wait - shared with Poly around 4 pm. Took bus to WL on the way back to see Christmas decorations and have a cocktail at Territory Lounge (Disney ruined this place - changed the drink menu less than 2 weeks ago - it is now filled with tropical vacation drinks - took away every single bourbon or whiskey based cocktail)

We found our favorite way of moving Between the GF and MK - monorail to and boat back. That put us with only one stop each way. We took the monorail back from MK once and the boat was much more convenient (we did not have a stroller or scooter)

All in all we found all of the modes of transportation to/from the Grand to be great. We only drove to and from Disney Springs - so, I can’t comment on that bus ride.

As for sharing - it has been our experience (here and at other resorts that share buses) that the bus is dedicated to the resort at ropedrop (peak time). Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

Wow. Thank you both for the information, very kind and informative!

 

[TIME2DISNEY]

Hello to all GF friends!
I just wanted to share my excitement! We will be in the Disney bubble in 8 days! The first night we are checking in POR and plan to take the boat to Disney Springs, eat dinner and shop. Then check in December 17 at the Grand Floridian! Woohoo first time staying here and we are so excited! I booked a garden view room, requesting marina view. I just bought our 12/19 MVMCP tickets, expensive but I just had to do it . Grabbed a Be our Guest and California Grill dinner, by stalking everyday, still working on my sons favorite, ‘Ohana.
Thanks for letting me rant about my Disney plans!
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you and yours have a beautiful holiday filled with love!

 

[barbliny]

Hello to all GF friends!
I just wanted to share my excitement! We will be in the Disney bubble in 8 days! The first night we are checking in POR and plan to take the boat to Disney Springs, eat dinner and shop. Then check in December 17 at the Grand Floridian! Woohoo first time staying here and we are so excited! I booked a garden view room, requesting marina view. I just bought our 12/19 MVMCP tickets, expensive but I just had to do it . Grabbed a Be our Guest and California Grill dinner, by stalking everyday, still working on my sons favorite, ‘Ohana.
Thanks for letting me rant about my Disney plans!
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you and yours have a beautiful holiday filled with love!

Enjoy!!

We just got back from a long-weekend trip to soak in Disney Christmas - our first time staying at Grand Floridian too. Loved it!!