Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Information & Questions + Construction Updates

[OKW Lover]

How was the walk. Is it long

Yes, it is a long walk. At least 1/2 mile. Perhaps more.

 

[dansdad]

How was the walk. Is it long

Yes, it is a long walk. At least 1/2 mile. Perhaps more.

According to Google Maps it's .8 miles and 17 minutes.

 

[OKW Lover]

According to Google Maps it's .8 miles and 17 minutes.

I'd agree with that. It does feel like a long walk.

 

[mrsap]

I'd agree with that. It does feel like a long walk.

It’s a good 10-15 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk. My DS and DH usually run back, while DD & I take the boat, so it turns into a race to see who’s first back to the resort!!

 

[2vets]

Thank you! If we do that, we might be able to do Remy at EE RD and then FEA. We have one day at Epcot, and it would be nice to do at least one of those rides twice if we purchase LLMP. If I book Remy, I could try getting FEA day of with refreshing.

We don't make it to WDW often, so this will be our one chance for these two high priority rides.

What time should I book Minnie Van and plan to arrive at BC?

I am never in need of a Minnie Van so have only taken them a few times, but they always seem to have a longer wait time in the morning. So if you need one, earlier is better! BC is right there next to the entry, it’s maybe a 5 min walk. It will take you longer to get through security and “turnstiles” and resort guest check. Good luck! We had a LL for Remy last time and rope dropped frozen, but with diligent refreshing, I had no issues getting every ride I wanted pretty much when I wanted; this was August.


Eta - just checked, doesn’t look like you can preschedule Minnie Vans..?

 

[Dave006]

Eta - just checked, doesn’t look like you can preschedule Minnie Vans..?

That's correct no advanced reservations for Minnie Vans around WDW. The only exception would be for CL guests scheduling an Airport pickup or drop-off. And that option is not in the Lyft App but requires you to contact Disney Signature Services to schedule.

Dave

 

[OlliePop27]

Thank you all! I will have to think about it. We have two kids in need of car seats, but $40 to $50 for one ride might be too much for us when monorail is included (albeit longer). Will see what LL we end up getting.

 

[sheri18]

It’s a good 10-15 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk. My DS and DH usually run back, while DD & I take the boat, so it turns into a race to see who’s first back to the resort!!

We do that from HS to the BC, this will be my first time at GF, I’m doing a tri-stay, 2 nights GF, 2 nights POR and 3 nights Dolphin

 

[2vets]

Thank you all! I will have to think about it. We have two kids in need of car seats, but $40 to $50 for one ride might be too much for us when monorail is included (albeit longer). Will see what LL we end up getting.

They are super expensive, for sure - definitely a splurge. I do think taking rideshare for EE at Epcot to enter at the Intl Gateway from GF or CR is an excellent move that lifts a huge amount of hassle and stress from your morning (and that’s without little kids), but I’m also not paying Minnie Van prices. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[Ricguz]

I am planning at trip in March 2025. I have a reservation at YC CL knowing that SAB will be closed. There are rooms available at GF CL deluxe king room. I have always have stayed YC CL. Any thoughts? My main reason for this particular trip is flower and garden at Epcot. I have been to Disney many times but I just want to know I am missing anything by not considering GF CL or stay where I am familiar. Thanks in advance.

 

[WLSILVERCREEKSPRINGS]

Any chance that the GF orchestra will ever return?

 

[Cfabar1]

Any chance that the GF orchestra will ever return?

I have naively hoped that perhaps live music could return in another way - perhaps in the Garden Tea Room if it were re-themed. I'm skeptical it could actually work in the bar area the way it is designed.

Eisner's vision of Disney resorts was big on entertainment concepts - think the Boardwalk entertainment, GF orchestra, etc. Chapek's Disney resort concept seemed to be pretend that everything is a JW Marriott with cheaper mattresses.... The "soft product" like entertainment I think is just viewed by disney as something that loses money and doesn't generate profit.

By the way, this extends into the parks as well. To my mind they are building better rides (high capital costs) and doing less entertainment (streetsmosphere, shows, parades, etc.) which have low initial costs, but higher operating costs.

And while people like you and me may whine about the lack of the GF Orchestra, and I heard guests complaining about it during our last visit, the fact is, they still visit even without it. What is Disney's incentive for it to return?

 

[CarolynFH]

Any chance that the GF orchestra will ever return?

We can only hope.

 

[trishadono]

I have naively hoped that perhaps live music could return in another way - perhaps in the Garden Tea Room if it were re-themed. I'm skeptical it could actually work in the bar area the way it is designed.

I was just thinking of this too!

I miss it. Sometimes I look through my phone for small videos I took over the years.

If only we knew it was going away. I stayed in RPC 3/6-9/2020, I could have taken more videos!

My other hopeful option is to get rid of the birdcage that doesn’t have a bird…..

 

[Wood Nymph]

I am planning at trip in March 2025. I have a reservation at YC CL knowing that SAB will be closed. There are rooms available at GF CL deluxe king room. I have always have stayed YC CL. Any thoughts? My main reason for this particular trip is flower and garden at Epcot. I have been to Disney many times but I just want to know I am missing anything by not considering GF CL or stay where I am familiar. Thanks in advance.

This is how I feel: It is a lot of trouble to get to Epcot from the GF unless you drive or taxi. I hate having to take two monorails to get there. And then the line to catch the monorail back from Epcot at night can be very long. It is so easy to walk into Epcot from the YC that it is hard to justify a switch. We usually only stay at the GF if we have a split stay with an Epcot resort.

 

[Ricguz]

This is how I feel: It is a lot of trouble to get to Epcot from the GF unless you drive or taxi. I hate having to take two monorails to get there. And then the line to catch the monorail back from Epcot at night can be very long. It is so easy to walk into Epcot from the YC that it is hard to justify a switch. We usually only stay at the GF if we have a split stay with an Epcot resort.

Thanks for your advice. I made both reservations and I am going to see how this works out with all of rehabs before I make my final decision. If I do stay at GF, I don’t mind using Minnie vans, do that a lot. Or just take the monorail in and Minnie Van out. Out of the 5 days/ 4 nights. Epcot would be 2, MK 1. The arrival day I would explore GF, night at MK, Then Epcot the next two days, nights MK, Thursday either pool day or HS. If I stay at YC, it’s combo of Epcot, HS, and MK. No pool day since SAB is closed and the quiet pools are an hour or so. Boardwalk is just to walk around since there is not much going on now. So it’s just a different resort try. We shall see.

 

[trishadono]

I have a trip 11/04–6. I have CSR booked but just booked outer building TPV at GF,


Since many of the TPV rooms are in BC which was damaged I’m curious if anyone gets walked… or upgraded to cl.

Watch and see?

 

[kylenne]

This is how I feel: It is a lot of trouble to get to Epcot from the GF unless you drive or taxi. I hate having to take two monorails to get there. And then the line to catch the monorail back from Epcot at night can be very long. It is so easy to walk into Epcot from the YC that it is hard to justify a switch. We usually only stay at the GF if we have a split stay with an Epcot resort.

We walked to BC and caught a regular Lyft home the night we watched Luminous on this last trip just bc we were too tired to walk all the way back to the front. But we’ve never actually had issues with long monorail lines at the end of the night, not like at MK. Maybe this is just a function of when we usually tend to go.

It’s funny though because I feel the opposite way re: where to stay. I almost never stay at Crescent Lake unless on a split stay because I find getting home from MK at night about a million times more obnoxious than going to or from Epcot even having to switch monorails at GF. We are usually Poly guests so spoiled by the direct access to TTC and going into this stay I was a bit worried about how long it would take to transfer. The only other time I’ve stayed at GF was during weird pandemic Disney when the Epcot monorail wasn’t back yet and there were buses, and we’ve never stayed at CR. So this was our first time having to switch lines. We didn’t find it to be terrible at all, timeframes around what Trish gave in an earlier reply.

I also wouldn’t necessarily prioritize staying at Crescent Lake during F&G the way I would F&W, even though it’s my favorite festival. I don’t find myself needing multiple days to enjoy it the way I do F&W because there’s less booths and it’s a lot easier to do everything in a day or two, I find.

 

[Ricguz]

We walked to BC and caught a regular Lyft home the night we watched Luminous on this last trip just bc we were too tired to walk all the way back to the front. But we’ve never actually had issues with long monorail lines at the end of the night, not like at MK. Maybe this is just a function of when we usually tend to go.

It’s funny though because I feel the opposite way re: where to stay. I almost never stay at Crescent Lake unless on a split stay because I find getting home from MK at night about a million times more obnoxious than going to or from Epcot even having to switch monorails at GF. We are usually Poly guests so spoiled by the direct access to TTC and going into this stay I was a bit worried about how long it would take to transfer. The only other time I’ve stayed at GF was during weird pandemic Disney when the Epcot monorail wasn’t back yet and there were buses, and we’ve never stayed at CR. So this was our first time having to switch lines. We didn’t find it to be terrible at all, timeframes around what Trish gave in an earlier reply.

I also wouldn’t necessarily prioritize staying at Crescent Lake during F&G the way I would F&W, even though it’s my favorite festival. I don’t find myself needing multiple days to enjoy it the way I do F&W because there’s less booths and it’s a lot easier to do everything in a day or two, I find.

Thanks good to know.

 

[brockash]

I am planning at trip in March 2025. I have a reservation at YC CL knowing that SAB will be closed. There are rooms available at GF CL deluxe king room. I have always have stayed YC CL. Any thoughts? My main reason for this particular trip is flower and garden at Epcot. I have been to Disney many times but I just want to know I am missing anything by not considering GF CL or stay where I am familiar. Thanks in advance.

What about Poly or CR? I'd choose either of those over GF. - We just stayed there last summer and it was fine, but we much prefer CR, Poly and YC over it. I would usually recommend just stay at YC, however I have a really hard time justifying staying somewhere that's going to have a major amenity out of service while I'm paying the same amount of money.

- Maybe a good time to try Boardwalk?