The *New* Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Frequently Asked Questions (FEB2004) Part 2

[twinmum]

Janet2K! Thank you for the pictures. I just showed the water slide video to 1 of our sons and he was thrilled. We knew there was a water slide, but WOW!!!

You are correct, one of our sons has cerebral palsy as a result of these fellows being born > 3months early (their 8th birthday is tomorrow!). He is very bright and verbally typically developing, but his mobility is quite challenged and he has other medical issues. He uses a walker, and a wheelchair for long distances (Like WDW!) We are hoping to use the walker around the GF. This is the first time we have travelled as a family without the car (we live in Toronto), so it makes it harder to pack up the medical supplies (he has a feeding tube for extra nutrition), w/c, etc etc. I am so used to being able to prepare for everything!

The CMs at WDW have been wonderful in helping us plan. The GF IPO (CAlvin in particular) has been very helpful. The most surprising thing to me is when I ask a question to which I'm used to hearing "oh I don't think we can do that" because of DS's disability, the WDW response is "that's fine." He's being welcomed in the Mouseketeer CLub for an evening (DH and I are going to V&A's while our twins enjoy an evening of kid fun). Usually, if I don't provide 1:1 support, there is all kinds of hedging around.

The only place at all like WDW that we've been to is ultra-accommodating to kids in W/C's because they are rare. Our kids aren't used to waiting in line, I'm afraid, spoiled as this is! I supect with more w/c's at WDW we'll have to teach them anout the joys of waiting patiently...

My other hope is that CMs realize that our able-bodied son is every bit as special as his disabled twin. DS with CP does "stand out" and is often treated specially as a result. I know people have good intentions, but they don't realize how uch this hurts our able-bodied sons feelings. He deserves special treatment too - he has been so accomodating about the extra assistnace given his brother, always moving slower, my time away with DS in hospital, at therapy etc. I want him to have a vacation that is every bit as special. We plan to split up sometimes for 1:1 time.

Well that was quite a long message when what I really wanted to say was...thank for the video clip!

 

[BCV23]

My other hope is that CMs realize that our able-bodied son is every bit as special as his disabled twin. DS with CP does "stand out" and is often treated specially as a result. I know people have good intentions, but they don't realize how uch this hurts our able-bodied sons feelings. He deserves special treatment too - he has been so accomodating about the extra assistnace given his brother, always moving slower, my time away with DS in hospital, at therapy etc. I want him to have a vacation that is every bit as special. We plan to split up sometimes for 1:1 time.

twinmum, I think you'll be wonderfully happy with this aspect of your trip. At least we always were. Although our children are now 26,24 and 21, we started going with them when our eldest was 8 months. He is able bodied in every way or neurotypical (NT) as the younger moms on the disABILITIES forum call it....I'm always learning on the DIS. Anyway, our second son has Down Syndrome and is a Type I diabetic and our youngest has CP and is visually impaired.

When I read your post it brought tears to my eyes as I remembered how the CMs including the characters went out of their way to give our oldest attention. It happened all the time and it must be part of their training...or at least must have been then. I trust it is the same now and that both of your boys will have a very magical vacation!

 

[Natalya]

what size are those beds they look small
are they doubles?

I don't know for sure what the exact size of the beds are but I would guess a Queen. Definately not a King but there was plenty of room for my husband and I...when my 3 year old jumped in, it got kind of tight.

They are OH SO comfortable though!!!!! I LOVED the beds and the pillows were awesome. Each bed has 3 pillows but the next time we go I may request an extra pillow. When we got back yesterday and slept in our own bed for the first time since we got back, our own bed felt SO uncomfortable...and it is a really good bed.

 

[Janet2k]

As promised, here are some pictures from our GF stay (9/30 - 10/2/06)... Hope you have enjoyed these!

Are you kidding? I LOVED them! Thank you so much, Scanne, for posting your photos. Your room looked lovely, your view looked lovely, and most importantly, the resort looked lovely, ~sigh.~ I am so wishing I were at the Grand Floridian right now. If you have more photos to share, please do!

 

[Janet2k]

what size are those beds they look small
are they doubles?

It sounds like you haven't stayed at the resort before. The guest rooms will have either two queen-sized beds or one king-sized bed (depending upon the room that was booked and your party's size).

Edited to Add: There is an exception to this -- there is at least one suite with two twin-sized beds in it. The bedding arrangements will be explained to anyone who happens to book this suite.

Hope this helped.

 

[Janet2k]

They are OH SO comfortable though!!!!! I LOVED the beds and the pillows were awesome... When we got back yesterday and slept in our own bed for the first time since we got back, our own bed felt SO uncomfortable...and it is a really good bed.

Natalya, welcome home! I agree with you -- the beds at the resort were very comfortable. I had no problem falling asleep each night.

If you have photos to share of the Grand Floridian from your vacation, please do so. I know most here would love to see them (I know that I would).

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i thought all the deluxes were queens but scannes pic the beds looked small

 

[scanne]

scanne, your children are beautiful.

It is fun to see pictures of them after seeing posts of yours over the years as you planned trips with them when you were pregnant, etc..

Oh wow! I can't believe you remember me from all these years! That is truly amazing and such a compliment to me! Thank you for your kind words.

 

[Janet2k]

I just showed the water slide video to 1 of our sons and he was thrilled. We knew there was a water slide, but WOW!!!

You are correct, one of our sons has cerebral palsy as a result of these fellows being born > 3months early… He uses a walker, and a wheelchair for long distances… This is the first time we have travelled as a family without the car…

He's being welcomed in the Mouseketeer CLub for an evening (DH and I are going to V&A's while our twins enjoy an evening of kid fun)…

Our kids aren't used to waiting in line, I'm afraid, spoiled as this is! I supect with more w/c's at WDW we'll have to teach them anout the joys of waiting patiently...

My other hope is that CMs realize that our able-bodied son is every bit as special as his disabled twin… I want him to have a vacation that is every bit as special. We plan to split up sometimes for 1:1 time.

Twinmum, you’re welcome for the photos/video. I hope your son enjoys the water slide. By the way, happy (early) birthday to your boys!

It sounds like one of your sons will be able to freely enjoy the pool. I hope your other son can enjoy it, too. A dear friend of mine’s daughter has CP and is presently confined to a wheelchair. She also has a feeding tube installed. She’s a few years younger than your son, but during my vacation this summer, her mother put her in a special life vest and took her swimming in the Grand Floridian’s Beach Pool. I do have photos of this but will not share them out of courtesy to my friend. However, if you would like to see them, I can ask my friend if she wouldn’t mind my sharing a photo or two with you via a private manner. Just let me know. My friend, her daughter, my daughter, and the rest of our friends had a wonderful time in the pool that day. I’d hate to think that your son would miss out on something like that.

Since it sounds like your son will be using a wheelchair for his theme park visits, I thought I’d post a link to some photos that show how my wheelchair was secured inside one of the WDW buses: click here. Those photos were taken inside one of the older buses. The newer buses are slightly different when it comes to the wheelchair lift, but the principal is basically the same (as is the strapping procedure).

After your son and his wheelchair board the bus, the bus driver will strap the wheelchair into place. It takes several minutes to do this, so please let your son know in advance that he’ll need to be patient.

I thought I would also post a link to a photo that shows my daughter, myself, and my wheelchair riding in one of the special boats in the “It’s A Small World” ride: click here. That boat was set up such that I could wheel myself right up to the front row. My daughter sat next to me, while my husband chose to sit in the back of the boat. It was wonderful to experience a theme park ride like the other riders do, with the small exception that I was slightly more elevated (due to the fact that I was sitting in a wheelchair and its seat was higher than the boat’s seats).

I’m glad to hear that you’ll be dining at Victoria & Albert’s while your sons are having their own special fun inside the Mouseketeer Clubhouse. For all the times that my children have been inside that kids’ club, you’d think I’d have a few decent photos of it to share. Sadly, I don’t. However, I do have the following fuzzy one from a year ago: click here. If I can find better photos in my current stash (I think my daughter took some this summer), I’ll try to post them.

If you would like to give your other son a little time away from his brother, then consider booking him into any of the Grand Floridian’s children’s programs – the Pirates Cruise (click here), the Wonderland Tea Party (click here), and the Grand Adventures In Cooking Class (click here). If those activities are already full, I thought I’d mention that there are pirates’ cruises at the YC/BC, PO-RS, and the CBR. My daughter has attended all of them and I do have photos to share. Just let me know which one you’re interested in and I’ll send you the link (or you can search for it in my main on-line photo album).

I hope this helped. I can’t remember if you’ve been to WDW before. If you have, then none of the information that I have shared will be new to you (but maybe others reading it will begin to see WDW in a new light). If you have any further questions, just let me know.

 

[Lives4Disney]

i thought all the deluxes were queens but scannes pic the beds looked small

Kelly, I know what you mean. I think it's because they're pretty tall w/ the nice thick pillowtop mattresses. They are queens, though, and super comfy. I have an awesome pillowtop here at home and the GF's beds are great for spoiled old me.

Scanne - loved seeing your pics. I have not seen that yellow wallpaper before. I agree, your kids are adorable!

Lives4Disney

 

[Debbie6221]

As promised, here are some pictures from our GF stay (9/30 - 10/2/06).

Here are DS4 and DD2 outside of our building.

This is the inside of our room - 8511 in Boca Chica.

The vanity (which pretty much looks the same in all the GF rooms).

Our view - a lagoon view but not a castle view (much to my disappointment). But we could see Spaceship Earth quite far off in the distance!

I'll post some exterior resort shots later.

Hope you have enjoyed these!

Love your PIX! I'm going to post mine soon. We just got back and also stayed in Boca Chica. I am really starting to resent those trees!!!!! They blocked my castle and MK view even though it was right there!
Aside from that, the GF stay was wonderful! I really want to live in that resort!

 

[daviegravie]

I have wanted to stay at the GF since they opened and am now booking a trip for January in the RPC and am very excited. However, I can't help but notice from all the pictures I have seen that the rooms seem so outdated (particularly in light of the prices). I know a reponse may be, that the Victorian thing is not my style, but I love the pictures of the grounds, the lobby, the lounge, etc. But the rooms themselves just dont seem that nice to me.

It is seriously making me consider the Polynesian or the Contemporary. Please tell me the pictures don't do it justice. I really want to stay there, but I need to be convinced that the rooms aren't old and worn out.

 

[jtlover]

I love the rooms - I find the victorian theme very relaxing after being in the parks and I think it would be a shame if they changed the decor. I love it

 

[sharlon]

daviegravie, I know exactly how you feel. I wanted to stay there since it was built too. And, I finally did in August. It was wonderful. What a beautiful hotel, and the rooms (ours anyway) was clean and was not worn at all. I was definitely not disappointed. I will tell you though that even though we loved the Grand, I can't justify spending that kind of money again to stay there. We have been just as happy at other places (Wilderness for instance), that we would stay somewhere else, or try somewhere else new (BCV). But, I can say that I am extremely happy that I stayed at the Grand and can mark that off of my life list.

 

[CastleLight]

Hi, Michelle!
DH and I had dinner at V&A's after a photo shoot on the grounds of the GF with Disney Photography, and I had the salon do an "up-do" for the occassion. I agree with Alicnwondrln that it was well worth the money!!
And, as Lives4Disney pointed out, it's on the 2nd floor of the main lodge.
I called ahead of time and made an appointment, but I was the only one there the entire time. It's the Ivy Trellis Salon, and I just called the main number (407-824-3000) and asked to be connected.

I hope you have a magical trip!!
Splurging on the hair helps to make the occassion even more special!!


~Kimber

Would you please tell us more about the photo shoot? Were there photos taken all around the GF grounds or just one spot? How did you arrange it? I'd like to consider this for my upcoming honeymoon at the GF. Thanks so much!

 

[macrosswife]

Would you please tell us more about the photo shoot? Were there photos taken all around the GF grounds or just one spot? How did you arrange it? I'd like to consider this for my upcoming honeymoon at the GF. Thanks so much!

It was the most amazing experience ever!!!
I will never forget walking around and being the "center of attention". One little girl even said "Look at the bride, Mommy!" even though I was in a black ball gown!
I called Disney Photographic Services at (407)827-5099 and asked for info on doing a photo shoot on the grounds of the GF. (My understanding is that they can do it anywhere, including the parks, but that's where we were staying.) The cost was around $300 for the photo shoot and (I think) all the proofs, and then the photos were available online for re-orders. We had pictures taken in the lobby of the GF (upstairs with the Christmas Tree in the background), on the grand staircase in the lobby, out in the gardens, and out on the beach. They did a fabulous job...we were absolutely thrilled with the results!!
Yes, it was pricey, but we realized that we hadn't had any pictures taken since our wedding 5 years prior, so this kind of became a no-holds-barred trip, LOL!
Just as a fun side note...
I found a ball gown here in Huntsville, which we carried on the plane, and the GF put us in touch with the wedding pavillion, who recommended 2 or 3 tux rental places. We had DH's measurements taken here, called the tux place there, and they had the tux waiting at bell services the day before the photo shoot. The day after, we returned it to bell services, and the tux place picked it back up.

Janet2k I'm working on scanning in the pictures so I can share them...it's funny how you don't think that anyone would ever want to see pictures of you!

If it helps any, I wrote a trip report, but never posted it....if I can dig it out of the archives of my computer, I'll post it!

CastleLight Photo shoot or not, you will love being at the GF for your honeymoon!!! Let me know if you have any other questions!!!!!

~Kimber

 

[traci]

How do you get to AK from GF? We haven't been to that park yet and I am wondering if we should try next week?

 

[Von Drake]

Oh, my goodness! A real live person who stayed in the Grand Floridian on opening day? Be still my heart!

Von Drake, I made a post here in the GF FAQ thread back in the beginning of September about a music video that had been filmed on the beach of the resort: click here. From the information that I was able to dig up, it appears that the video had been filmed right around the time of the resort's opening. I know it's a stretch, but since you stayed at the resort at that time, did you hear anything about this music video during your stay? Just curious.

Also, since you are the resort's oldest guest (I don't mean in physical age!), do you have any memories to share of what the resort was like way back then?

For example, I was fortunate to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge when it officially opened up a few years ago. I have fond memories of that stay, including a bizarre phone call on the telephone in the master bathroom of our suite. We call that the "Potty Line" incident. (Since the resort was brand-new, we assumed that the phone system had a couple of kinks in it that needed to be worked out. We reported the incident to Maintenance.)

If you have anything to share along those lines in regards to the Grand Floridian, I would love to hear about them.

Let me start in July of 1987- one year before this visit. We were staying at CR. At the time, GF was nothing more than an artist's concept sign and a swath of dirt extending into Seven Seas Lagoon. Riding the monorail offered me the first glimpse of things to come.
I made an immediate, emphatic statement to my girlfriend that, oh yes, we WILL be staying there on opening day. When we returned home, I began an obsessive ritual of calling WDW CRO on a daily basis to make reservations. Weeks and months go by, always with the same answer, until I finally got the MAGICAL answer. In keeping with the Disney tradition of 'plussing', the first 400 guests making a reservation got a very limited sericel of Snow White at the wishing well. It is the frame of the exact moment Prince Charming startles her. It hangs on a wall in our home even today. (More on gifts later... )

We were on the Grand Plan, which was the name for WDW's all-inclusive vacation for guests of the resort. EVERYTHING was included except alcoholic beverages, although there was plenty of beer and wine available at 4th floor concierge. We checked in at 7AM, and were escorted to our room immediately after check-in. (No one had stayed there yet, except perhaps for VIP's and members of the press during the soft opening, so the room was available right away. ) The Concierge was a little 'confused'; he had to find our paperwork and review it prior to processing our check-in. He offered this apology: "You are the first people to check in and I am not very familiar the Grand Plan." (Some people remember their game-winning touchdown, or their three-pointer at the buzzer... This is that kind of memory for me. ) Remember, GF was the first addition to WDW resorts since 1973, when The Golf Resort opened. So, this was BIG for me.

There was still a very slight fresh paint smell, mixed with that new-carpet smell. I remember how 'bright' the entire resort was.

Back to gifts... Every night, we were treated to a pillow present in our room.
Not little tokens, but serious 'stuff'. One night, it was a Cross Pen with the GF logo embossed, another gift was a golf umbrella with the GF logo, another was a WDW cookbook.... The 'pillow present' concept has lasted in my family to this day. We always exchange something every night during our WDW visits.

Cheryl was our Concierge, and I swear that we were her only guests for the week. That's how attentive she was. I called with an insane request: I wanted a tour of the Roosevelt Suite. The most exclusive and expensive room in WDW at the time, and I had to see it. I do not know if it was unoccupied, or if she managed it between guests, but she got me my tour.
That suite looked like it was carved from solid marble.

Okay, enough down Memory Lane.

You asked about a video... This is what I remember: There was a temporary stage set up on the beach. I was told that The Beach Boys, among others, would be performing. Didn't think much about it... But if memory serves, it had to do with July 4th. I did not connect it to the GF Grand Opening.

One last thing regarding your mystery phone call at AKL. We went back to our room midday to find a small army of housekeeping and maintenance CM's in our room. Turned out that a pipe had burst under one of the sinks, and they were doing damage control. A huge pile of soaked towels, and one of those industrial strength floor driers gave me a quick clue... The carpet was soaked throughout the room and into the hallway. (I shudder to think what the room beneath us looked like) . Later, I was told that the pressure fittings under the sinks were failing in more than just our room. Long story short, we were offered a comp night, which we gladly accepted.

I have so many more memories of that visit, but I've rambled long enough. I hope I've given you a taste of the early days of my favorite resort.

PS. If you think daily phone calls to CRO was a bit obsessive, consider this:
I made our reservations for Millennium New Year in 1989, almost eleven years in advance. In my defense, CRO told me that I wasn't the only one.

 

[Natalya]

I have wanted to stay at the GF since they opened and am now booking a trip for January in the RPC and am very excited. However, I can't help but notice from all the pictures I have seen that the rooms seem so outdated (particularly in light of the prices). I know a reponse may be, that the Victorian thing is not my style, but I love the pictures of the grounds, the lobby, the lounge, etc. But the rooms themselves just dont seem that nice to me.

It is seriously making me consider the Polynesian or the Contemporary. Please tell me the pictures don't do it justice. I really want to stay there, but I need to be convinced that the rooms aren't old and worn out.

I thought the same thing as I looked at the pictures online of the Grand Floridian's rooms. I seriously considered booking another hotel because I really thought the GF looked rundown in pictures. But as I looked at the other resorts online, I couldn't find pictures of any resorts that I liked better. They were all either too dark or too run down looking for me. So I stuck with the GF. I am so glad I did. The first thing I remarked to my husband was that the actual resort and room didn't look as rundown in person as it did in the pictures. They really keep the resort looking nice. The decor IS Victorian which may or may not be your thing. It really isn't my thing but I really liked our room. The only "wear and tear" we saw in our room was a little rust in the bathroom on the hinge. But that was it, it was minor and only noticeable if you are in the bathroom with the door closed staring at the hinge. Other than that, the room was very neat and well kept. I was pleasantly surprised given the fact that it was opened in 1988. I stayed in hotels in Kissimmee that were newer than the GF but had way more wear and tear in them.

I do have to say that I like the lobby decor better than the room decor, but that is just a taste thing. The lobby looks elegant, the rooms look Victorian. There is nothing wrong with the rooms, I'm just not really big into flowers. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at the GF again though! We had a Grand time!

Someone asked me to post pictures earlier...I can't remember who it was offhand but I am still trying to figure out the picture thing. I can put the picture into the post but it is WAY too big, like you have to scroll left to right and up and down to see the whole picture. So, once I figure it all out I will share my pictures. I didn't get too many of the inside of our room because I didn't think of it until our stuff was all taken apart in it. But I did take a few. I have lots of the grounds though, and views from the monorail. I'm so disappointed that I didn't think to take a picture of my kids next to our building sign though.


I do have to ask a question...is the light flickering in our room part of the Victorian theme or did we have a ghost residing with us??? My husband swears it was a ghost but I figured it was purposely done so that you get a "feel" for being in Victorian times.

Then again, it could just have been a malfunctioning light.

 

[hmp2z]

How do you get to AK from GF? We haven't been to that park yet and I am wondering if we should try next week?

Take a bus; the only way to AK from any park is by bus.
Cheers!
Heather W