Would you stay at the GF for one night?

[lacrosse_lady72]

Would you stay at the GF for one night, especially one where we would have to leave at or before 6:00am the next morning?

Tentatively, our plan is to get in the first day via a red eye flight. We're coming from the west coast so this is the best options for us. This night, we want to stay at a Disney resort. The next day, we're switching to Universal's Hard Rock Hotel and we want to be there early enough to check into the HRH and head to IOA for the extra hour on-site guests get (starting at 8:00am).

We will have a rental car.

And for those who are curious, we are coming back to Disney for 9 nights after the Universal stay, and we're planning on staying at the WL (we're going next year so we're not worry about construction).

We were planning on getting a room just for one night at either OKW or SSR via our private DVC rentee so that we can spend on time at DTD and take the boat. Also, we're hoping we can use this day to adjust to the time change.

We've stayed at SSR and it's our ideal choice because it'll only be $120 and it's closest to DTD. OKW is in consideration because we want to try every resort, we can still take the boat, and it's only $100.

BUUUUTTT… we've always wanted to try GF and this may be a chance to stay there, get a taste of it, and not have to stay for a long (and expensive) period of time. If we went this year, with the room only discount, and we stayed with an outer building garden view it would be $384. And I know this will be different, and I can't rely on the discount, but this gives us an idea of the cost. If we choose GF, we'll either just spend a leisure day at MK and GF, or at DTD. We will not be driving to DTD (or MK obviously), but we know the bus from GF isn't bad at all, it's a fairly short ride.

What would you do?

ETA: Staying at a non-Disney resort is something we do not want to do whatsoever. It's either SSR, OKW, GF, or maybe Pop if the other three don't work out.

 

[MaleficentRN]

Frankly, I'd stay at the Hyatt in MCO if I had a 6am flight.
How much time will you actually be in GF to get a taste of it? I'd take some of that $384 and spend it on a nice dinner there, go to the lounge and have an after dinner cocktail and then go to an airport hotel. Much better experience than just sleeping in their bed for a few hours, IMO.

 

[Sue M]

I agree, you wouldn't be spending any time at GF to experience much. For that price I'd stay at WL and not be bothered moving hotels the last night. Why move at all? You can take the WL bus to DTD, or go to MK and hop on an OKW bus then take their boat to DTD.

 

[MEK]

I would wait until you can spend more time at the GF. It really seems like a lot of money for one night. Of course, that's me. I just wouldn't do it.

On the other hand - OKW is such a great resort. I would put my money there. You can take the boat to DTD. You can eat at Olivia's - its delicious for breakfast and dinner. You can have a turtle krawls at the gurgling suitcase. Request a studio near the hospitality house for greatest convenience, but if you have a car it doesn't really matter. The pools are great. It's got a great, laid back vibe.

Save GF for when you can stay longer.

 

[CoolPool]

Under those circumstances, no.

I'd stay in that hotel across the street from Universal...the Doubletree I think it is and call it a day. Or in one of the other Universal hotels.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Nope!
But I stayed there two nights and have no desire to EVER waste any money on that place again. It's beautiful, but service was horrid and the staff seems to think they are doing you a favor by allowing you in their hotel.

NEVER AGAIN! (And I have stayed at true Deluxe hotels. they don't have an attitude, a 45 minute wait for your valet parked car or furniture so dusty I could write "dust me" on it!)

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Frankly, I'd stay at the Hyatt in MCO if I had a 6am flight.
How much time will you actually be in GF to get a taste of it? I'd take some of that $384 and spend it on a nice dinner there, go to the lounge and have an after dinner cocktail and then go to an airport hotel. Much better experience than just sleeping in their bed for a few hours, IMO.

We aren't leaving on a flight at 6am, we are transferring to a Universal resort and leaving to go to HRH at 6am.

We would likely have about 24 hours, depending on when we arrived on our red eye. It's usually 5am, but sometimes we're forced to book one that gets in 9am. So assuming it takes one hour to get from MCO to a Disney resort, we'd have 24, maybe 19 hours.

Staying at a hotel that isn't a Disney one is not an option for us.

 

[skippingthrudisney]

I think it would be a great idea since you'll be there all day plus the whole evening! You'll have time to experience everything the resort has to offer and know whether or not you want to come back again! One night at a resort sort of gets it out of my system sort of like checking it off my Disney bucket list! ��

 

[mickeynut1]

Would you stay at the GF for one night, especially one where we would have to leave at or before 6:00am the next morning?

Tentatively, our plan is to get in the first day via a red eye flight. We're coming from the west coast so this is the best options for us. This night, we want to stay at a Disney resort. The next day, we're switching to Universal's Hard Rock Hotel and we want to be there early enough to check into the HRH and head to IOA for the extra hour on-site guests get (starting at 8:00am).

We will have a rental car.

And for those who are curious, we are coming back to Disney for 9 nights after the Universal stay, and we're planning on staying at the WL (we're going next year so we're not worry about construction).

We were planning on getting a room just for one night at either OKW or SSR via our private DVC rentee so that we can spend on time at DTD and take the boat. Also, we're hoping we can use this day to adjust to the time change.

We've stayed at SSR and it's our ideal choice because it'll only be $120 and it's closest to DTD. OKW is in consideration because we want to try every resort, we can still take the boat, and it's only $100.

BUUUUTTT… we've always wanted to try GF and this may be a chance to stay there, get a taste of it, and not have to stay for a long (and expensive) period of time. If we went this year, with the room only discount, and we stayed with an outer building garden view it would be $384. And I know this will be different, and I can't rely on the discount, but this gives us an idea of the cost. If we choose GF, we'll either just spend a leisure day at MK and GF, or at DTD. We will not be driving to DTD (or MK obviously), but we know the bus from GF isn't bad at all, it's a fairly short ride.

What would you do?

ETA: Staying at a non-Disney resort is something we do not want to do whatsoever. It's either SSR, OKW, GF, or maybe Pop if the other three don't work out.

I'm in the minority as I would stay at the GF if it's a resort you really want to try. With that said, I think I would spend my time relaxing and enjoying the resort instead of going to MK or DTD. Since you will be going back to Disney after Universal, I'd spend that first day at the resort and save the parks for after Universal (but that's just me).

 

[Sue M]

Sorry, I didn't quite understand your plans. The leaving at 6:00 am confused me as I thought that was GF stay in question, not arriving day! Then yes, if you are going to spend the day enjoying GF and not going to a park it would be fun.

 

[HairyChest]

ABSOLUTELY!

Its convenient to MK, YOU WILL FEEL PAMPERED, AND YOU WILL KNOW IF ITS WORTH A FULL STAY NEXT TIME.
Your senses will be overloaded and you will get this magical nostalgic feeling when you leave.

Be prepared to miss it

 

[jperrot1]

We aren't leaving on a flight at 6am, we are transferring to a Universal resort and leaving to go to HRH at 6am.

We would likely have about 24 hours, depending on when we arrived on our red eye. It's usually 5am, but sometimes we're forced to book one that gets in 9am. So assuming it takes one hour to get from MCO to a Disney resort, we'd have 24, maybe 19 hours.

Staying at a hotel that isn't a Disney one is not an option for us.

Well then I say.... go for it. You're only dropping the extra cash for one night, and you'll know from the experience of staying there for the 19 or so hours wether or not you want to return to the GF or not. Plus, you can tell people you stayed at yet another WDW resort which, for us WDW fans, is a pretty neat thing.

 

[Babsy]

I don't know....we arrived at the GF once after a red eye, our room wasn't ready until that evening, we were soooo tired - it didn't give a very good impression of the GF to us at the time. We stayed more days afterwards, but that first day was a killer.

Will you sleep on the red eye and be ready to drop your bags and operate out of a suitcase until the room is ready? Will you stay at the resort to enjoy the amenities or plan to go to the MK?

I remember that long tiring day waiting to get to a room to wash up and rest and i wonder if that is the kind of day that would show what the GF is really like to stay in as a resort.

On the other hand, the GF is a very comfortable resort with easy access to the MK if you are up for it or amazing pools and grounds if you just want to veg at the resort. It might work.

Arriving so early would give you lots of time if you will be OK at arrival and are fine with maybe not having a room until somewhere between 3 and 6 pm. You might be lucky and have a room ready upon arrival, but you can't count upon it. I know not getting a room until 6 pm is a worst case scenario, but it does happen - it happened to us!

Sorry this is rambling, but I am thinking it through. Bottom line, I wouldn't choose to stay at the Gf for that one night. I would try to find a less expensive alternative that would allow me to pay for the night before or would guarantee an early check in. that way I would be able to rest and settle in upon arrival. I might be inclined to go straight to Universal and perhaps leave to go to WDW a day earlier at the end of the trip. A single day along with moving twice hardly seems worth the hassle. I love split stays, but I try to get at least 3 nights per resort as a minimum.

Of course the main issue is that I am a person that isn't comfortable until I have a room and I am also not able to sleep on red eye flights so I would need a nap to get my day started. You might very well feel differently.

Ggod luck! I hope that if you go for it that it all works out well for you. The GF is an amazing resort!

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I don't know....we arrived at the GF once after a red eye, our room wasn't ready until that evening, we were soooo tired - it didn't give a very good impression of the GF to us at the time. We stayed more days afterwards, but that first day was a killer. Will you sleep on the red eye and be ready to drop your bags and operate out of a suitcase until the room is ready? Will you stay at the resort to enjoy the amenities or plan to go to the MK? I remember that long tiring day waiting to get to a room to wash up and rest and i wonder if that is the kind of day that would show what the GF is really like to stay in as a resort. On the other hand, the GF is a very comfortable resort with easy access to the MK if you are up for it or amazing pools and grounds if you just want to veg at the resort. It might work. Arriving so early would give you lots of time if you will be OK at arrival and are fine with maybe not having a room until somewhere between 3 and 6 pm. You might be lucky and have a room ready upon arrival, but you can't count upon it. I know not getting a room until 6 pm is a worst case scenario, but it does happen - it happened to us! Sorry this is rambling, but I am thinking it through. Bottom line, I wouldn't choose to stay at the Gf for that one night. I would try to find a less expensive alternative that would allow me to pay for the night before or would guarantee an early check in. that way I would be able to rest and settle in upon arrival. I might be inclined to go straight to Universal and perhaps leave to go to WDW a day earlier at the end of the trip. A single day along with moving twice hardly seems worth the hassle. I love split stays, but I try to get at least 3 nights per resort as a minimum. Of course the main issue is that I am a person that isn't comfortable until I have a room and I am also not able to sleep on red eye flights so I would need a nap to get my day started. You might very well feel differently. Ggod luck! I hope that if you go for it that it all works out well for you. The GF is an amazing resort!

I understand your concern. We almost always fly red eye, in fact I can only think of one time we didn't. And the time our room has been ready is all over the board. Once it was ready before 7am, another time, it was after 6. Usually, it's around the 2pm hour. But really, it can be any time.

The one time it wasn't ready until after 6 was at BC and I almost had a meltdown because I was so tired. Ideally for a red eye, we like to hit the parks early but leisurely (like only a few rides, a few shops, and lunch) and head back, relax and get to sleep early to adjust to the time change.

But I do sleep on the plane for usually at least two hours but my mom doesn't.

So it's a tough call.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I guess in thinking about it, it's less the arrival day, more of the next day that I'm worried about. Getting up before 6am when we are still jet lagged seems really torturous.

We thought about staying somewhere besides Disney but not Universal and decided it wasn't something we wanted to do... but we never thought about just staying another night at Universal.

We will have a Comcast employee rate so it's only $181 per night. The only difference is that you have to pay $20 for parking but I think that will make us less stressed and more willing to want to go to IOA at 8am the next morning.

The only thing I'm really nervous about is being in the Orlando area and not staying at Disney. I think I'll really be 'home' sick. Thoughts?

 

[DisneyDan71]

Pre renovation I would say go for it. Now, I say don't worry with it.

 

[sndral]

I guess in thinking about it, it's less the arrival day, more of the next day that I'm worried about. Getting up before 6am when we are still jet lagged seems really torturous.

We thought about staying somewhere besides Disney but not Universal and decided it wasn't something we wanted to do... but we never thought about just staying another night at Universal.

We will have a Comcast employee rate so it's only $181 per night. The only difference is that you have to pay $20 for parking but I think that will make us less stressed and more willing to want to go to IOA at 8am the next morning.

The only thing I'm really nervous about is being in the Orlando area and not staying at Disney. I think I'll really be 'home' sick. Thoughts?

Since you are heading to Disney after your Universal stay, I think the 'home sick' for Disney will be manageable.
So you'll sleep maybe 2 hrs. and your mom none on a 5-6 hr. flight or do you have a connection as well? I assume you'll be awake the day & evening of your departure flight. You'd arrive @ the GF and perhaps wait for your room several hours and then check out the following day to leave for Universal by 6 am (which will be 3 am your time.) I suspect your concerns about that 6 am wake up are valid and the smart move is to go directly to Universal and get situated there. I think you'll enjoy that 8 am IOA entry w/ a longer nights sleep following the red eye flight.

 

[Babsy]

I guess in thinking about it, it's less the arrival day, more of the next day that I'm worried about. Getting up before 6am when we are still jet lagged seems really torturous.

We thought about staying somewhere besides Disney but not Universal and decided it wasn't something we wanted to do... but we never thought about just staying another night at Universal.

We will have a Comcast employee rate so it's only $181 per night. The only difference is that you have to pay $20 for parking but I think that will make us less stressed and more willing to want to go to IOA at 8am the next morning.

The only thing I'm really nervous about is being in the Orlando area and not staying at Disney. I think I'll really be 'home' sick. Thoughts?

I wouldn't worry about being 'homesick' because you are going to WDW after Universal. Right? When I am really tired all I want is sleep and be in a private place to get myself together. Some people can keep going regardless and still have a great day.

I think that you are right that the early morning the second day is something to consider. Getting up to be on the road by 6:00 am after jet lag the day before doesn't sound like fun to me, but for many people it would be fine. You know the sleeping habits and energy level of your family the best. If your Mom doesn't sleep well on the plane, perhaps get her input if she is travelling with you.

I try to make plans based upon the lowest energy person in the group. That way no one is tired or stressed and we all have a better time. But that is, of course, just what works for us.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I'd check into the universal hotel one day early or get 2 nights at pop or a DTD resort for cheap. This way when you arrive at 6am you will have a room and not wait till 3-5pm for a room. The GF room won't be ready till 4. Twice at Disney deluxe resorts the room was not ready till 5. Spend the $384 on two nights for $100 per night and the extra $184 on a character meal at the GF.