Monkee Girl
Well-Known Member
I'm really sorry you had a bad experience. I've never stayed and the Grand Flo and just came back on Wednesday from my very first stay there and loved it. Even with the construction, which I had been very worried about.
First, the bell hops immediately came to us and took our bags. We got in early and was told our room wouldn't be ready until around 3. We did some walking around the lobby, checking out the construction and all and it was fine; they hid everything very well (unless you're on floor 2 of course). We sat in the lounge and listened to the piano player. Then we Monorailed to the Polynesian and had some food and by the time we got back to the Grand (around 3pm) our room was ready. The desk attendant was friendly and quick and our room was so convenient! The Floridian is intimidating because it looks sooo huge so I was afraid we would be put in the farthest building on property. Well, we were in the 'Sago Cay' bldg which was right next to the Gasparilla grill, right outside the marina so we saw the castle every time we walked out our building. and were the closest building to the buses. we also had a monorail view room so didn't have to look out our window to construction all the time.
The room itself was adorable. Were on the 5th floor and in a gabled room so we felt like we were walking into a cottage or something. Or, as I told my friend, Wendy's bedroom. I thought Peter Pan could fly into that window anytime. We got the cutest little towel animals every day from the housekeeping. The bell hop brought our bags up when we called and he took the time to show us all the little Mary Poppin's/hidden Mickey's in the room like he designed the room himself.
The only complaints I really had are property general and not specific to the Grand itself. I wish the 'quiet pools' would go back to being quiet pools (no screaming kids, lol), I wish the lounges/restaurants were open later. nothing more annoying that staying out at the parks at 12 and the Gasparilla grill closes at 11 so we can't get any food or fill our mugs. but again, that's all the resorts.
I liked the Mainstreet atmosphere of the hotel. When you walk into the lobby and hear the music, I recalled it reminded me of the tower of terror (30s Hollywood vibe). I always stay at the Polynesian and had the Poly been available when I booked we would have stayed there but I was glad I finally got a chance to try out this hotel. I look at it all the time, wondering what it was like to stay there and wasn't disappointment. My one regret was I didn't get to eat at any of the restaurants. 1900 was closed, Vic and Alberts was a little out of our price range, the Cafe seemed just a little too basic when we had other dining options we wanted to try. But I'll make a point to try one of them in the future.
Hopefully the pictures come thru. I had some Disney ducks while at the pool. They were trying to rest under a lounge and there was this little brat trying to catch them. Don't know where her parents were but she was being a menace to the ducks. I told her to leave them alone in the sweetest voice I could and she was just like 'I want to pet them!' and I said 'well, they just want to relax'. They would close their eyes and she would reach for them under the chair and they would run. Finally, they got the smart idea to go under MY chair and the little demon spawn knew better than to try and grab them while I was sitting on the chair. She left to go play but every now and again came back with a friend to see where the ducks were. I took the photo of them napping. They eventually left and tried to just swim in the pool but no matter where they went a flock of kids would go after them. I don't know why the parents or life guards or SOMEONE didn't say to let them be. It really made me mad, lol. anyway, that really had something to do with the resort but it really irritated me that the kids wouldn't leave the ducks alone.
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