Is GF really worth it?

[Brett Wyman]

Grand Floridian rooms are kind of disappointing but the Grand Floridian Vilas are very nice and can be had at a big discount if renting points doesn't scare you. If it does you are better off at a recently remodeled room at the Contemporary or Poly. 100% of the Grand Floridian amenities are available to anyone, expect the pool and gym. So you don't need to stay there to enjoy it. Especially if you are staying at another Monorail resort.

 

[Sue M]

I had to change our May trip to June. I had Poly GV booked for 5 nights but now not available for my new dates. I am now planning on 6-7 nights. I have the option of WL, Contemporary Garden view, and AKL in addition to GF. I would like a monorail resort but wow GF has a hefty price. Will we be happy for the splurge or should I pick another option? It is me, dh and our just turning 16 yo dd. Please only helpful positive advise, thanks in advance.

We love GF. I was hesitant about staying there unsure if we’d like it so our first time we did a split stay with YC which we know we like. Just did 2 or 3 nights at GF before moving to YC. Turned out we loved GF! So next few trips we booked GF.
Having said that, I’m sad that we’ll probably never stay at GF again. They raised the price ridiculously and I just won’t pay it.

We also love WL, and it does have the boat to MK (or bus). It also has a boat that loops around WL, FW & CR. Making it handy to get to ADRs or just resort hop for shopping etc.

AKL is also very enjoyable with great dining options.

Ive never stayed at CR (or BW) due to lack of appeal. -

 

[Bahamontes]

The St Regis Atlanta is markedly more affordable than any Deluxe, and absolutely puts them to shame in terms of luxury and amenities.
It just takes FOREVER to get to the parks.

Location is everything; no deluxe is close to a good value.

 

[PalmettoPath]

I don't think its possible for anyone else to tell you whether or not you would be happy at GF. But I can share that we have stayed there several times and always enjoyed the resort immensely

Agreed. Our hands-down favorite (and we stay at all Deluxe resorts on a rotating basis).

 

[Dug720]

Of your options, my personal choice would be AKL.

* I'm not into the "northwest" themeing of Wilderness Lodge. It feels more western to me, and I'm not into the western theme.
* IF they had done a more Mary Blair theme like the Contemporary lobby for the renovation, I'd be down for that. But the Incredibles theme doesn't do it for me, and the pictures and videos I've seen don't look all that "Deluxe" to me - more like something that should be another suite or room category at AoA.
* The GF just feels WAY too fancy for me. I'm so not fancy. I felt awkward even going to see a friend play piano in the lobby there, so I know there is no way I'd feel comfortable staying there.

 

[Jacq7414]

What’s the price difference? We stayed at WL two times and loved it. I’d do it again but wanted to try somewhere else.

the boat to MK is really nice and I like how you feel away but are close. Everything was easily walkable at the resort. I haven’t stayed at any of the others though. My husband did not like the look of the contemporary which is why I never stayed there

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Instead of staying on the hotel side of GF, maybe consider renting DVC points to stay on the villa side. The dvc GF is one of the best resorts imo. If staying on the hotel side i am not sure if it's worth the price tag, unless you can snag a good discount in the price

 

[jacksmom]

All of your replies have been very helpful, I did just want to clarify that GF rooms have NOT had a recent makeover?
The pictures make the rooms look nice and new?

 

[mrsap]

All of your replies have been very helpful, I did just want to clarify that GF rooms have NOT had a recent makeover?
The pictures make the rooms look nice and new?

The GF DVC rooms have just received a soft goods refurb. Not the resort side.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

The DVC rooms were just refurbished. I am not certain about the hotel side.

 

[johnnyr]

It used to be worth it. It’s definitely not a 5 star resort anymore with all the cut backs. None of deluxe resorts are. Sad to watch what they have become. IMO until they bring back the services they once offered in all their resorts and parks the value is just not there anymore and I used to be a Disney cheerleader. Now I give my honest opinion when someone asks.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I found the GF looking on the old side. Needs an update for sure. WL is my home resort and we love it there. Enjoy taking the boat over. If monorail is a must, go with the Contemporary.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I’d go WL because it’s newly refurbished and more convenient than AKL. I will not stay at GF until the hotel has been refurbished.

I stayed 2 nights at GF in Nov ‘20. I was excited to share it with my fam as we hadn’t stayed there before and I picked GF when Disney moved us from Poly and asked me what we wanted. Our room was very beat up, heck even the beds were beat up. Super lumpy and broken down, like they needed to be replaced two years earlier bad. It was the most disappointing Disney stay I have ever had. Thankfully I had planned to move to Riv after 2 days for the majority of the trip.

There may be hope for Poly. Make your pick now and then start checking for Poly a month out. People start cancelling then and the cancellations snowball up until your trip pretty much.

 

[toodycat]

I love the GF for its restaurants and public spaces as well as the location, but unless you can afford it without thinking twice, I would say it’s overpriced. This is not to say that I don’t think it’s a beautiful resort, but is it worth $800 night? No. I’ve stayed at Ritz Carltons for less than the GF.

 

[kylenne]

GF was always my dream resort ever since it was built, so I’m probably pretty biased. Once I finally got to stay there, I can’t imagine staying anywhere else. We almost decided to stay at BC or YC this time due to cost, but I just couldn’t do it. GF just has the restaurants, location, and style that appeals to my family the most. Plus, Poly is a short walk or monorail ride away, so we visit the restaurants there often too.

WL looks too much like Bass Pro for me…which looks like so many of the nicer resorts within 30 minutes of me, so even though it’s pretty, it’s not where I want to stay at Disney.

AKL is ok, but the location for me is a dealbreaker. If you have a car on property, then it may work for you as it is unique.

Contemporary…oh, the Contemporary. To me, it’s nice to visit, but I don’t want to stay there. It smells too much like a musty mall for my tastes.

I agree completely…GF lived up to my childhood dreams and then some when I finally stayed there for my birthday last year (in fairness, I got an awful lot of pixie dust). I still give a slight edge to Poly just because that resort is our “home” and it is so special to me and my partner but I love GF arguably just as much. My one regret on that trip was leaving it and going to YC tbh.

Bolded has me on the floor though because I could never put my finger on why WL’s theme has never really appealed to me and you just summed it up in one hilarious line.

 

[sdk1231]

For what it's worth - I've stayed at the GF many times. Stayed there 4 times in 2021. My rooms have always been lovely. I've never experienced a lumpy bed or a room that appeared "beat up". I'm attaching some room photos from Sept 2021 to give you an idea of wht they look like. This particular room was a 1 bedroom suite, Sago Cay, top floor (hence the dormer/vaulted ceiling). Decor is similar to any other room. *Editing post for full disclosure. My daughter is a CM and I am AP. I never stay rack rate. Daughter always books me with her CM discount and if none is available, I book using whatever sale rate is available.

 

[Avery&Todd]

Just for another 2cents....

We stayed at VGF this past November and LOVED IT - I also paid OOP for our 1br at VGF and paid out the nose but we loved every minute of our stay there and to us it was worth it!! We've also stayed in the resort side (2016) and loved it just as much! We love having the monorail right there which is so convenient and taking it to MK and Epcot. We don't prefer the buses and like the idea of only having to take a bus to HS - we also took the walking path to MK and it was a great addition. And...the food options at GF are yummy however you do have to walk outside to get to your resort to the main building if that's an issue for you..from the VGF there is a covered walkway. Its a little fancy-pants for some folks but I don't mind a little fancy in my pants!

We've stayed at WL many, many times - both the hotel side and also CCV (we own DVC there) and BRV - we LOVE the location and being able to ride a boat over to MK. It used to be more convenient to ride the monorail when there was a boat from WL to CR but that's not running now, so you do have to take a bus more often..the resort is smaller (or feels smaller) and you can access the food options by walking inside the building.

CR - we've only stayed in BLT for DVC, but we LOVED the location to MK and having the monorail right there - just like GF you only have to bus to AK.. The food options are once again great and you don't have to go outside to get food - unless you're in BLT and you can take the outdoor covered walkway from BLT to CR....but I'm hoping to rebook our Oct trip from CCV to BLT so we'll see!

AK - I can't speak to this one as we've never stayed there - although the theming is fabulous and we've eaten there years ago the idea of only being able to get to a park by bus alone is not appealing so I can't imagine we'll ever stay there...

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[holden]

"Worth it" is so relative.

I grew up staying at the Poly (there were only two other options - Contemporary or Ft. Wilderness). Poly will always be my favorite for that reason. I don't like some of the changes that Disney made there (bye bye fountain), but it holds a special place in my heart. Unfortunately Poly no longer works for our family unless we get two rooms.

We've stayed at GF, in the DVC building - a 2BR unit that was heavenly! We really enjoyed our stay there (9 nights). We found the resort to be relaxing, and we liked the food selections (all pre-Covid).

For us, it was worth it. We used our points, so didn't feel the hit of paying per night (though we know we paid up front when we purchased and pay maintenance fees every year).

We also love WL. I don't like the food selections as much, but the atmosphere is nice.

We haven't stayed in the Contemporary, but we often stay at BLT. We love it there! I don't like the decor, but love walking to/from MK. Food selections are good too.

We've stayed at AK too (both Jambo and Kidani). We like it there. It's usually our "go to" if we are trying to stretch our points to get a big room for a short trip.

Take a look at videos on youtube, read reviews and make the best choice you can. You'll probably wind up liking wherever you stay.

 

[westie55]

I happen to love the GF. Is it worth it? That is a personal question that will vary depending on your situation. If you are expecting 5 star luxury, it is not that. The rooms are OK. Clean and perfectly fine, but not truly luxurious and they lack character. I actually much prefer the rooms at the GF villas, but they're impossible to get unless you rent points or own DVC. The food options at the resort are great and one of its biggest draws, but 1900 Park Fare is currently closed as is V&A, so that's unfortunate and IMO detracts from the value. I personally don't think I'll pay the money to stay at GF again until everything is reopened.

I stayed in the Contemporary garden wing and did not care for it. I dislike the aesthetics of the CR. A lot of the resort is downright ugly IMO. I much prefer the theming at the other resorts, and since we go in the summer the walk to and from MK was brutal without any shade. We ended up taking the monorail most of the time because it was either storming heavily or it was just too hot out to walk.

AKL is beautiful. IMO it is Disney's best themed resort. The lobby has real wow factor, IMO even moreso than WL. The food is also great. However you need to take a bus everywhere, and at this point with young kids I'm willing to pay a premium to be closer to MK and avoid folding a stroller whenever possible.

My family stayed at WL last summer. We loved it. Good dining. Artist Point is hard to get since it became a character meal but the food is great. Geyser Point is my husband's favorite bar on property. We absolutely loved the convenience of the boat to MK. To me, WL offers a lot more bang for the buck being only a fraction of the price of GF.

All of the resorts are wonderful and you can't go wrong. One of my favorite aspects of Disney is trying new things so my vacations all have different flavor and always feel fresh. You might miss the Poly, but sometimes it's good to try something different!

 

[tgarre06]

The St Regis Atlanta is markedly more affordable than any Deluxe, and absolutely puts them to shame in terms of luxury and amenities.
It just takes FOREVER to get to the parks.

Location is everything; no deluxe is close to a good value.