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

[Tinkerbell2017]

Thank you so much! I will request this room or one in the general area. Fingers crossed.

Good luck, if you get it you'll be very happy!

 

[sndral]

72f is 22.5 in real money. Which is pretty good. For reference, here today it is 12c, which is 53F. My son has been on a school trip surfing in the sea! We won't switch, the only possible better option is CR considering all of our needs, and that is totally unavailable. Plus my daughter wants to stay with Cinderella. But, as I have explained, this is our last big family trip, so...

I remember the days when my son & nieces would be shivering from the cold while swimming hoping it's one of those upper 70s early Decembers this year as we'll be there then as well and I enjoy the warmer Decembers over the freezing Decembers.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Could someone advise which building/ rooms provide the best view of the Electrical Water Pageant in the TPV category? I am not familiar with the exact route, but I am guessing BPK or Boca Chica. Would a room on a lower level give you a more direct view? Our family loves this night time show. It is one of our favorite things at Disney, for sure.

We had a great view in Pine Key. We could see it over at the Polynesian, again right in from of our room from the balcony and in the distance over in front of the magic kingdom.

We had a room in Big Pine Key that faced the Poly and we could see the Electric Water Pageant go past and hear the music. The pageant stopped in front of the Polynesian and did not face toward the GF. It wasn't a theme park view room, either, since I would think that theme park view rooms would face the MK, not the Poly.

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm taking my husband on his first stay at a Disney property. We arrive Saturday morning. I love GF and I hope he will too. I have to make sure things are extra special for him. He's never had a good time at the parks (no fast passes). I'm going to show him how it's done where you can have a wonderful time.

I'm sure he'll have a great time as the GF is a beautiful and relaxing resort .

I remember at 180 days out thinking how close it was getting, haha. Two days for me now, I'm so excited!

The time does go fast! Have a great trip .

We are staying at GF/Lagoon View 10/26--11/4. I just was able to switch from AKL to GF with the Holiday Discount. I'm so excited to be going back as it's my favorite resort.

Congrats on the change! Hope you have a great trip .

Thank you so much! I will request this room or one in the general area. Fingers crossed.

Have a great time!

 

[mamarrone]

Does anyone know if there are lagoon view rooms in Boca Chica?

 

[shairpdrh]

Does anyone know if there are lagoon view rooms in Boca Chica?

I don't know from experience, but it looks like there are based on the Touring Plans room finder: https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-grand-floridian-resort

 

[mamarrone]

I don't know from experience, but it looks like there are based on the Touring Plans room finder: https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-grand-floridian-resort

Thank you!

 

[vbarry]

Hello! Is there a pool closure between Christmas and New Year's? I read somewhere there was over Thanksgiving so wanted to check. Thanks!

 

[thumper*]

Yes one of the pools will be under construction between Nov-Feb. But the other pool will be open and so will the childrens splash area. Lot's on this in the past several pages of this thread. Details can be found by googling it as it been on many Disney News boards.

 

[katemcgowan1]

I'm checking in on October 9! Does anyone know if there is a Fuel Rod kiosk at the GF?

 

[BigGoof81]

29 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!

I have wanted to stay at GF since I was younger.
I remember passing it on the monorail and always saying WOW....one day.
To be going with DW and DD....I'm just so grateful.

We are going with friends who are DVC members, and we worked out an arrangement to split the room with them.
We have a 2 bedroom villa.
Is there anything as DVC members they should be asking for?
i.e. room location, floor, special service, etc?
They're relatively new to Disney like us, and they're new DVC members.

Any advice for GF would be awesome.
I always see some of the best tips on the boards that I would never know if you weren't for you awesome people!!

 

[MisplacedUnderwear]

...room location, floor, special service, etc?...

Congrats! I was in the same boat -- saw it as a kid and got told it's the "flagship hotel" of Disney World and thought "one day!" and sure enough, I loved it to pieces when that day came!!! I know you'll have a great time and I'm super excited for you!

Luckily, there's not a whole lot to know about DVC rentals at GF. Your view is decided by what you booked -- it'll be facing the lake if it's lake view or facing something else if it's not lake view. If they do online check-in, they'll be asked if they prefer an upper or lower floor, in addition to what time they expect to arrive and whether having the room ready as close to arrival time as possible trumps your other requests. For me, that meant that I requested an upper floor but cared more that a room be ready for me when I arrived around noon. We got floor 5 (out of a possible 6) and I got the text telling me my room number while we were on Magical Express from the airport.

As far as "special service" I'm not sure what you're looking for. It seems like DVC is less likely than the normal disney hotels (in my limited experience) to allow things like a later check-out time. Also you should familiarize yourself with the DVC cleaning schedule. It's not daily like a normal hotel room and you'll need to pay if you need additional cleanings, trash & towel service, or even little things like extra towels or additional little shampoos. I was a little thrown by all that and I actually assumed I'd need to spend a little extra to get more toiletries and extra towels at some point. What I didn't know is they really do give you a good amount of stuff at the outset! In a studio, we got two complete sets of the disney h2o products (one in the tub and one in the separate shower) and we had so many towels that we actually discovered two extra bath towels hidden in cubbies under the sink as we were in the process of packing to check out!

If you need something even special-er, like if somebody's having a special occasion, I recommend Disney Floral for two purposes. (1) They do great work and, though it's obviously overpriced, they'll make your special someone feel truly special if you can afford it. (2) Some of their stuff is super cute but totally generic so you can look at their site for ideas, and then assemble something really similar for much cheaper and just bring it with you when you travel.

I hope you enjoy every day of your countdown and have a truly magical trip!

Edited to add a disney newbie pro-tip: set up you magic bands and PIN numbers and all that good stuff online before you go! Since you're going with two families, you'll probably need to stop by the front desk to have your family's magic bands linked to your credit card because they'll be charging to your friend's card by default if you don't fix it. They'll get asked for their card during the online check-in and there won't be a way to get your card linked and the appropriate bands separated out until you're at the front desk. And that whole thing's easier if you've already got your bands under control within your online My Disney Experience accounts. Also it's just so much more magical when you can arrive "home" and walk straight to your room instead of making a vacation feel like work by incorporating desks and paperwork as soon as you arrive!

 

[CarolynFH]

29 DAYS TO GO!!!!!!!!!

I have wanted to stay at GF since I was younger.
I remember passing it on the monorail and always saying WOW....one day.
To be going with DW and DD....I'm just so grateful.

We are going with friends who are DVC members, and we worked out an arrangement to split the room with them.
We have a 2 bedroom villa.
Is there anything as DVC members they should be asking for?
i.e. room location, floor, special service, etc?
They're relatively new to Disney like us, and they're new DVC members.

Any advice for GF would be awesome.
I always see some of the best tips on the boards that I would never know if you weren't for you awesome people!!

Congrats! I was in the same boat -- saw it as a kid and got told it's the "flagship hotel" of Disney World and thought "one day!" and sure enough, I loved it to pieces when that day came!!! I know you'll have a great time and I'm super excited for you!

Luckily, there's not a whole lot to know about DVC rentals at GF. Your view is decided by what you booked -- it'll be facing the lake if it's lake view or facing something else if it's not lake view. If they do online check-in, they'll be asked if they prefer an upper or lower floor, in addition to what time they expect to arrive and whether having the room ready as close to arrival time as possible trumps your other requests. For me, that meant that I requested an upper floor but cared more that a room be ready for me when I arrived around noon. We got floor 5 (out of a possible 6) and I got the text telling me my room number while we were on Magical Express from the airport.

As far as "special service" I'm not sure what you're looking for. It seems like DVC is less likely than the normal disney hotels (in my limited experience) to allow things like a later check-out time. Also you should familiarize yourself with the DVC cleaning schedule. It's not daily like a normal hotel room and you'll need to pay if you need additional cleanings, trash & towel service, or even little things like extra towels or additional little shampoos. I was a little thrown by all that and I actually assumed I'd need to spend a little extra to get more toiletries and extra towels at some point. What I didn't know is they really do give you a good amount of stuff at the outset! In a studio, we got two complete sets of the disney h2o products (one in the tub and one in the separate shower) and we had so many towels that we actually discovered two extra bath towels hidden in cubbies under the sink as we were in the process of packing to check out!

If you need something even special-er, like if somebody's having a special occasion, I recommend Disney Floral for two purposes. (1) They do great work and, though it's obviously overpriced, they'll make your special someone feel truly special if you can afford it. (2) Some of their stuff is super cute but totally generic so you can look at their site for ideas, and then assemble something really similar for much cheaper and just bring it with you when you travel.

I hope you enjoy every day of your countdown and have a truly magical trip!

Edited to add a disney newbie pro-tip: set up you magic bands and PIN numbers and all that good stuff online before you go! Since you're going with two families, you'll probably need to stop by the front desk to have your family's magic bands linked to your credit card because they'll be charging to your friend's card by default if you don't fix it. They'll get asked for their card during the online check-in and there won't be a way to get your card linked and the appropriate bands separated out until you're at the front desk. And that whole thing's easier if you've already got your bands under control within your online My Disney Experience accounts. Also it's just so much more magical when you can arrive "home" and walk straight to your room instead of making a vacation feel like work by incorporating desks and paperwork as soon as you arrive!

Just remember: DVC is a timeshare. It's sort of like renting someone's cabin at the lake - you're not staying at a hotel with daily maid service, etc. Yes, it's a very nice cabin, located very, very close together with a lot of other very nice cabins, and there are wonderful restaurants and swimming pools and other activities very close by, so it sort of feels like a hotel, but it's not a hotel!

Like you, I've dreamed of staying at the GF ever since our first family trip (in 1994). When we bought DVC in 1997 I thought maybe someday we'd use points to stay at the hotel. Now, finally, DH and I will stay in the villas for the first time this coming February, and I can't wait!

 

[MisplacedUnderwear]

Just remember: DVC is a timeshare....so it sort of feels like a hotel, but it's not a hotel!

Truly not trying to be argumentative, but can you clarify what you think we should take away from that distinction? Like I get there's a big difference for owners in terms of fees, taxes, voting on changes, etc, but I just rent points second-hand and OP is going with friends who are owners. Are you mostly reiterating the "no daily housekeeping and pay for your extra services & toiletries" thing, or is there something else about it that feels very different from a hotel to you? (Again, I'm just trying to learn from the perspective of an owner, not trying to be derisive in any way.)

 

[CarolynFH]

Truly not trying to be argumentative, but can you clarify what you think we should take away from that distinction? Like I get there's a big difference for owners in terms of fees, taxes, voting on changes, etc, but I just rent points second-hand and OP is going with friends who are owners. Are you mostly reiterating the "no daily housekeeping and pay for your extra services & toiletries" thing, or is there something else about it that feels very different from a hotel to you? (Again, I'm just trying to learn from the perspective of an owner, not trying to be derisive in any way.)

As you inferred, it's the no daily housekeeping, pay for extra towels/toiletries/coffee, can't get free dining issue that distinguishes DVC from the hotel side. Those are the comments I most frequently see from people renting points or contemplating a DVC purchase - some of them seem surprised that they won't get those things. And even some owners complain that they can't get free dining! We used to get a free copy of the Orlando Sentinel every morning, but that stopped when owners complained that they didn't read it, didn't want it, and didn't want to pay dues for it.

But otherwise I've actually always felt that I was staying at a luxurious hotel, no matter which DVC resort we've stayed in over the years!

(PS - owners don't get to "vote on changes." All members of the condo boards of directors [there's a separate board for each resort since they're each a separate condominium] are DVC/DVD employees, and the "votes" are highly scripted. If you can attend the annual meeting one year, you'll probably find it interesting.)

 

[BigGoof81]

Congrats! I was in the same boat -- saw it as a kid and got told it's the "flagship hotel" of Disney World and thought "one day!" and sure enough, I loved it to pieces when that day came!!! I know you'll have a great time and I'm super excited for you!

Luckily, there's not a whole lot to know about DVC rentals at GF. Your view is decided by what you booked -- it'll be facing the lake if it's lake view or facing something else if it's not lake view. If they do online check-in, they'll be asked if they prefer an upper or lower floor, in addition to what time they expect to arrive and whether having the room ready as close to arrival time as possible trumps your other requests. For me, that meant that I requested an upper floor but cared more that a room be ready for me when I arrived around noon. We got floor 5 (out of a possible 6) and I got the text telling me my room number while we were on Magical Express from the airport.

As far as "special service" I'm not sure what you're looking for. It seems like DVC is less likely than the normal disney hotels (in my limited experience) to allow things like a later check-out time. Also you should familiarize yourself with the DVC cleaning schedule. It's not daily like a normal hotel room and you'll need to pay if you need additional cleanings, trash & towel service, or even little things like extra towels or additional little shampoos. I was a little thrown by all that and I actually assumed I'd need to spend a little extra to get more toiletries and extra towels at some point. What I didn't know is they really do give you a good amount of stuff at the outset! In a studio, we got two complete sets of the disney h2o products (one in the tub and one in the separate shower) and we had so many towels that we actually discovered two extra bath towels hidden in cubbies under the sink as we were in the process of packing to check out!

If you need something even special-er, like if somebody's having a special occasion, I recommend Disney Floral for two purposes. (1) They do great work and, though it's obviously overpriced, they'll make your special someone feel truly special if you can afford it. (2) Some of their stuff is super cute but totally generic so you can look at their site for ideas, and then assemble something really similar for much cheaper and just bring it with you when you travel.

I hope you enjoy every day of your countdown and have a truly magical trip!

Edited to add a disney newbie pro-tip: set up you magic bands and PIN numbers and all that good stuff online before you go! Since you're going with two families, you'll probably need to stop by the front desk to have your family's magic bands linked to your credit card because they'll be charging to your friend's card by default if you don't fix it. They'll get asked for their card during the online check-in and there won't be a way to get your card linked and the appropriate bands separated out until you're at the front desk. And that whole thing's easier if you've already got your bands under control within your online My Disney Experience accounts. Also it's just so much more magical when you can arrive "home" and walk straight to your room instead of making a vacation feel like work by incorporating desks and paperwork as soon as you arrive!

Thank you so much for the tips!!
I don't think we have a lake view...actually positive we don't.
Is there any benefit of having a higher floor? Views of fireworks or whatnot?
As for services...wasn't really looking for anything over the top.
Just wasn't sure if there were some little perks we don't know about.
And like you suggested, we plan on assigning credit cards to our separate bands.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[BigGoof81]

As you inferred, it's the no daily housekeeping, pay for extra towels/toiletries/coffee, can't get free dining issue that distinguishes DVC from the hotel side. Those are the comments I most frequently see from people renting points or contemplating a DVC purchase - some of them seem surprised that they won't get those things. And even some owners complain that they can't get free dining! We used to get a free copy of the Orlando Sentinel every morning, but that stopped when owners complained that they didn't read it, didn't want it, and didn't want to pay dues for it.

But otherwise I've actually always felt that I was staying at a luxurious hotel, no matter which DVC resort we've stayed in over the years!

(PS - owners don't get to "vote on changes." All members of the condo boards of directors [there's a separate board for each resort since they're each a separate condominium] are DVC/DVD employees, and the "votes" are highly scripted. If you can attend the annual meeting one year, you'll probably find it interesting.)

We've heard about the toiletry, towel, etc. not being a standard every day service.
Kinda weird if you ask me.
But nothing major.
Making a bed and keeping the room clean isn't hard to do.
And paying for and extra towel? Eh...stinks...but whatever.
We're just extremely grateful for the opportunity our friends have given us.
To stay at a place like this for full price is something I couldn't even dream of.
We're so over the top excited.

 

[MisplacedUnderwear]

Is there any benefit of having a higher floor? Views of fireworks or whatnot?
As for services...wasn't really looking for anything over the top.
Just wasn't sure if there were some little perks we don't know about.

I generally think higher floors have better views, though there are probably exceptions to that. I mostly request upper floors when booking lodging out of habit -- if it's an old building rooms on lower floors sometimes come with people stomping around above you! Obviously, a beautiful newer building like GF DVC doesn't have that issue. I don't believe there are any DVC rooms with anything more than a majorly obstructed view of fireworks and I'm fairly certain that would be lake view though I suppose someone maybe can correct that if I'm wrong? Is that a perk of one of the grand villas or something? My lake view had amazing views of the Poly, Contemporary, and the Wedding Pavillion. It was gorgeous and romantic and exactly what I signed up for. But I also know that rooms at the DVC with views of the parking lot also have views of the monorail and landscaping so I don't think there's a truly bad view available in that building. The grounds of the GF are gorgeous and I'd encourage you to enjoy them as part of the service provided by the hotel. Late one night I happened to catch some gardeners changing out the greenery in a planter near the porte cochere; the next morning I found a group of beautiful local butterflies visiting the newly planted flowers. I'm pretty sure that's not a coincidence. These Disney people are amazing at what they do and the touches truly come off as magical for those who take the time to notice and enjoy them. And the GF is literally the best of the Disney folks. It's not Cosmic Ray's; CMs want to work there, they're excited to be part of the GF. I hope that's the type of special service you're looking for. I guess one other perk is that minor favors from other Disney establishments are quickly answered when the call comes from a CM at the Grand Floridian. They might not be able to score a last minute reservation at the most popular restaurants, but they can sometimes get a couple of seats held in the lounge if they're available and you're "on your way." And they did a good job begging forgiveness for me when I was going to be extremely late for a reservation due to a Disney transportation snafu. So basically, what I'm saying is that the place is the bee's knees. Nearly everything in your line of sight is gonna be pretty darn awesome, the service is top notch and, if you fully understand the few limitations/trade-offs that come with the DVC thing, I think you're gonna have a great time!

 

[holden]

We had a standard 2BR in June and had a clear view of the fireworks! Our long balcony overlooked the fountain/pool area. We loved the room so much we plant to book it again. I think we were on the 5th floor (whatever the highest floor is).

 

[Wood Nymph]

Just wasn't sure if there were some little perks we don't know about.

We always bring our own coffee and baskets filters from home when we stay in a villa. We'll also pack some breakfast items. When we stayed at OKW we used a grocery service that was available to DVC guests. It cost us $10 and it was for food that was available in the resort market. They brought our order to our room and put the food away for us. It was very convenient and well worth the $10. We had breakfast in the room every day. I don't know if they still offer that service.