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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 Cafe 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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