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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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