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Have you ever stayed at the Grand
Floridian? If so, what did you think of it and would you
stay there again? If you haven't stayed at the Grand
Floridian, would you want to or do you prefer other resorts
on the property? Apart from staying there, do you recommend
visiting the Grand Floridian for restaurants or for other
reasons?
Answers posted to the list:
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We just came back from seven nights at the GF. It was
wonderful. We
stayed in Sugar Loaf Concierge. If we could get the package
we got this
time, we would do it again. It was handy for the MK. We got
to ride in
the front cab of the monorail at least 5 or 6 times during
our stay – at least once from Epcot. I took advantage of
the Spa and had a
hydrotherapy bath and Swedish massage, which were
wonderful. We ate
dinner at 1900 Park Faire for our son’s birthday, not as
good as in the
past, but still pretty good. There seemed to be less to
choose from on
the buffet line than in the past. They have moved the
desserts from a
separate table to the buffet line. We also had our son’s
portrait drawn
in pastels one afternoon and it turned out very nice. I’m
taking it to
get framed tomorrow. We also ate at the Floridian Café for
lunch which
was okay. Our room had a great view of the quiet pool,
which we
preferred over the newer pool with the slide. The new pool
is much
smaller and got very crowded during the day. It closed
fairly early in
the evening, too. We were able to run and walk to the
Polynesian to get
in our regular exercise (I do about 3 miles a day and my
husband does
about 6-8 miles a day). There were numerous weddings going
on while we
were there – at least two a day – and we got to see more
tuxedos than I
have ever seen. Only a few of the brides, though. We did
see them
preparing a Christmas commercial spot on the beach between
the
Polynesian and the GF one morning about 7 AM. They had
Christmas lights
and ornaments draped all over a palm tree. My husband saw
Goofy in his
Santa costume (but I missed that).
Deborah
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I stayed at the GF in 2001. I will never stay there
again. I have also stayed at AKL, ASSports,
Caribbean, Polynesian, Yacht Club, and OKW.
Our room has a wonderful view of the castle and
lagoon, but rooms were noisy. We could hear every
conversation and screaming child in the hallway and
the room joining ours. The walls were fine, but the
doors let all the sound through. The front desk staff
were horrible, and couldn't manage to swipe my credit
card properly, so I had to come to wait in the front
desk line three times. I thought the wait times for
the front desk were awful considering the prices paid.
Once the wait was over 30 minutes.
I did visit the GF for the Christmas decorations and
those were beautiful, and well worth the visit. And
Victoria and Albert's is a wonderful adult place to
celebrate a special occasion.
Overall, I have met the nicest and most helpful staff
at OKW, Sports, AKL, and the Polynesian. Those are the
resorts I usually stay in now.
Julie
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I can't speak for the rest of the family, but I like to
go into the lobby and just enjoy the fancy decor. The
restaurants seem nice, and we ate at one, the buffet, I
forgot the name. They brought a birthday cupcake for both
our kids, the 2 out of 3 born in December. They even took
an instant picture. We love going down to the sand between
there and the Polynesian to enjoy the view of the water
with the castle, and sometimes take the ferry boat across
to get back to the park. It's a very beautiful place, I
love it, but like others here have said, with the kids and
all, we are quite happy and at home with our place at OKW.
Kathy
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We just went in June at the request of my 16 yr old
daughter who wanted to stay there. We were in the main
building in a "delux" room.It was beautiful and comfy. It
was convenient to use the monorail and the bus system was
great. But we all agreed we would rather stay at Villas at
Wilderness Lodge or some other "fun" place than stay at GF
again. We had older kids (12,14,16) and it was a little too
formal for them. The restaurants were uninspiring too. This
is definitely a resort for singles or couples.
Karen
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We stayed in September 2000. The room was really nice,
and we had a great view of the Castle. We also found the
staff very attentive.
But we have small children (2 at the time) and I didn't
enjoy it as much. The only restaurant we did was 1900 Park
Fare (nice, but not much nicer than many other WDW
buffets). Our building seemed far from the monorail, and I
found it annoying to have to take the elevator to/from the
monorail (I had a stroller and couldn't do the stairs).
Also, I guess it's the ambience at the GF, but I found
myself saying "shhh" to my kids a lot, and I was constantly
cleaning up after them in the room. Not that I let them
"run free" at other hotels, but I felt like it was not for
kids. We've stayed at most other WDW hotels, and that was
the first time I felt that way.
If I were honeymooning, or if my in-laws asked for a
recommendation, I'd say GF. But it's not for us.
Jenny
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I stayed at the GF in the late 80's when it was
relatively new. I had
previously stayed at The Contemporay and Polynesian.
Compared to those, I thought the rooms at GF were small -
too small for the three of us. At the time, there were no
mirrors in the main part of the room and small oval mirrors
in the bathroon. It was difficult to get ready (hair,
make-up, etc) without a mirror, so we had to waste time
sharing the one in the bath. I sincerely hope they have
fixed that situation over the past 15 years. Nonetheless, I
have never gone back. It just didn't seem worth the
additional money.
Sharon
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