My wife, her parents and I stayed at the Grand Floridian soon after it first opened. It was also the last time we went to WDW. I saw the GF being built a few years before from my room at the Contemporary resort, I don't have any pictures, I do have a little on video tape though. We stayed in the Concierge rooms in the main building 4th floor. It was very special, very fancy and expensive, but something we budgeted for. It is a beautiful hotel, the staff all were very freindly and attentive. Housekeeping was very good and the concierge people were great as well. I didn't feel that the hotel was "stuffy" in that people looked down their noses at you or you were expected to behave at a certain level or manner. Maybe its just how some people feel about themselves, like they don't deserve to be treated this good or something like it. It was fancy, yes...but I felt very comfortable there. If you want the top of the line, the Grand Floridian is it. My wife and I have different wants, needs and expectations today than what we had 17 years ago, having kids will do that for you, I suppose. We were newlyweds back then without kids. We didn't think the GF would be the best choice for our children's first WDW trip coming up this summer. I don't know if we'll ever go back there, I don't have anything against it, it's just that WDW has so many choices today than it did back then. I remember riding the monorail from the MK after just leaving the Polynesian resort. The announcement on the monorail's PA talked about the newly built GF and gave various details, which then a the group seated in front of us complained very loudly to each other about how the hotel is too extravagant and anyone staying there must be super rich and snobby. As we were getting off the monorail when it stopped at the GF my wife turned to me and said quite loudly so the whole car could hear...I don't think were snobs honey, do you? " I turned back to look at the party still sitting, with their mouths hanging open looking back at us. I replied, no ..."I didn't think we were very rich either." At the time I was a machinist making $7.00 an hour and my wife was an assembler making less than that. The GF was an escape for us from our life back home, which is what a vacation should be, right?
Have a great time, you'll enjoy it, don't let anyone make you feel guilty for choosing it either.
