Grand Floridian Resort restaurants, shops and courtyard pool to close for refurbishment this year

[dave&di]

I'm seriously p#ssed! I've booked lagoon view and am in fear off being placed opposite the DVC construction site, now the pool I love is going to be closed plus I love Gasperillas, I'm not a restaurant type and loved eating there. Plus the convenience shop will be closed!

I feel like I've paid a lot of money to stay in a resort that will be closed!!! Roll on Sept!

 

[jmorri26]

I'm in Sept too and never received any kind of notification from Disney....How does my family FINALLY decide we're going to pop for GF only for basically the whole thing to be a construction zone. I'm a little peeved at the mouse right now!

 

[cspencer96]

Wow! The GF is getting a total facelift. Let's just hope this means the popcorn lights will be replaced FINALLY!!!

I have seen on a travel agent refurb information notice from Disney that there is something going on in late summer noted as "Grand Floridian Exterior Lighting LED Upgrade"...I have no idea if it's the popcorn lights, but I can hope. That would solve a LOT of issues, and maybe Main Street USA would get them as well. But who knows, it may just be landscape lighting they are referring to.

EDIT: I just checked the notice, and it does specifically mention "Building rim lighting conversion to LED"

 

[InLikeFlynn]

Another not so happy camper here. This would have been our first and likely only trip at the GF, we're booked end of Sept. I do not want to be in a construction zone, with no decent food options on hand. You pay for a nice place for the amenities and convenience - all of this will only be a huge INconvenience.
I hope we can change our ressies but now we have little time and less options I'm sure.

 

[kane47]

Any word on the details for the courtyard pool other than zero entry? Are they keeping the deep end? It kind of surprises me that they would make the court yard pool zero entry seeing that they already have a pool with zero entry, and it actually eliminates swimming area. You think that they would want to increase swimming area seeing that they are adding room capacity. I have many found memories in that pools deep end. I would be very upset to see it go.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Any word on the details for the courtyard pool other than zero entry? Are they keeping the deep end? It kind of surprises me that they would make the court yard pool zero entry seeing that they already have a pool with zero entry, and it actually eliminates swimming area. You think that they would want to increase swimming area seeing that they are adding room capacity. I have many found memories in that pools deep end. I would be very upset to see it go.

Since the recent refurbishment of Poly's quiet pool ended up making the pool more shallow, I wouldn't expect the deep end to completely remain. When you combine that with the fact that GF is losing a huge chunk of its beach, I'm not so happy right now.

I think it's a good thing that the restaurants and Sandy Cove are all receiving refurbishments - many of them really need this. However, I definitely agree that it's unfair to turn the whole resort into a construction zone at once, especially since they gave virtually no advance notice for many of these closures.

 

[nepalostparks]

To anyone who is booked during the work schedule, make sure you contact Disney (or have your travel agent do so on your behalf) and explain that you do not feel you will receive the advertised service and amenities that were described when you booked (politely, of course). They should be willing to work with you by moving your reservation, etc. I would hope that if available, they would at least move you to an equal or greater value room at another resort you agree upon. No guarantees, but it's worth trying.

There is certainly no reason you should be unhappy while at the resort. But also keep in mind that the refurbishments are staggered, so not everything on that list is closing all at once.

 

[coachwnh]

I am excited for my favorite hotel to get a big facelift but I have reservations there in October and I don't know what to do!

I have mixed feelings too. ive always wanted to spend the holidays there and we are booked for this thanksgiving. i hope it doesnt take away from the great holiday decorations!!

 

[menamechris]

I really hope that the exterior popcorn lights are worked on. But I do have to give Disney some credit. They seem to have been diligently replacing them recently. Early in the year, there were tons out on the GF buildings and on Main Street. An embarrassing number were burnt out actually. But they seem to have been keeping on top of them recently. And the worst offender (Narcossee's) had the lights just turned off last weekend. I personally don't mind that at all if they want to do that before they can replace them...

 

[Biff215]

The pool at the Poly is going to be crazy crowded in Sept. when we are there. I'm assumming the people from GF will head over to the Poly for their pool time.

The newer, "feature" pool at GF will still be open so it shouldn't affect the Poly too much. If they are making the courtyard pool zero entry, I would expect for them to rip out the entire thing and start from scratch. I can't imagine that it would be cost effective to try to modify the existing pool, but I could be wrong. To me this would be a good opportunity to make it larger as well.

 

[wdwmagic]

The newer, "feature" pool at GF will still be open so it shouldn't affect the Poly too much. If they are making the courtyard pool zero entry, I would expect for them to rip out the entire thing and start from scratch. I can't imagine that it would be cost effective to try to modify the existing pool, but I could be wrong. To me this would be a good opportunity to make it larger as well.

Yep I would expect a complete rebuild of the pool, similar to what we saw at Caribbean Beach and elsewhere recently.

 

[Figment1986]

Gaspirillas has amazing food. Its a toss up to me between roaring forks and Gaspirillas for best counter service on property.

hopefully they keep the unique menu with the new configuration...

 

[prberk]

I wouldn't pay all that money for GF for everything to be closed and to be in the middle of a construction zone. If that were me I would definitely switch to Poly or Contemp. I know Disney does this on purpose, but it's really not nice to do to guests and announce this literally 1 month before they start work. It leaves people almost no time to make different arrangements, and if you didn't read these blogs/websites many guests won't even know until they get there!! Not nice Disney!! Also, why would they do this in the middle of the busy summer???

Well, everyone has to have refurbishments at some point. It would be nice, though, if they discounted the rooms, though, for this time period, as you would expect part of the exhorbitant price to be for services that would be unavailable at that time.

 

[Scuttle]

hopefully they keep the unique menu with the new configuration...

I hope so to. The place is great when it comes to food quality for counter service. Hopefully they get rid of the arcade to class it up a little bit. That's the only thing I don't like about it. The desert options I thought to be amazing, especially the cupcakes and the self service hot fudge machine.

 

[Figment1986]

I hope so to. The place is great when it comes to food quality for counter service. Hopefully they get rid of the arcade to class it up a little bit. That's the only thing I don't like about it. The desert options I thought to be amazing, especially the cupcakes and the self service hot fudge machine.

I think that happened was they didn't have a spot to put an arcade and felt they needed one... maybe with all this they can find another spot for it near the pools? Then again we're sure the design of the restaurant is changing to include the pager system and the kiosks most likely since that's how it is at the other two monorail loop quick services.

 

[alissafalco]

Well, everyone has to have refurbishments at some point. It would be nice, though, if they discounted the rooms, though, for this time period, as you would expect part of the exhorbitant price to be for services that would be unavailable at that time.

I totally agree. I dont have a problem with refurbs, I understand that. It's how Disney goes about doing this. Only releasing a statement weeks before they start?? Thats not right, guests should be told at the time of booking that this will be going on, and like you said offer some kind of room discount. Many people wont even know unil they get there. People are paying thousands of dollars to have a certain type of experience by staying at GF. Shame on Disney!

 

[COProgressFan]

I think that happened was they didn't have a spot to put an arcade and felt they needed one... maybe with all this they can find another spot for it near the pools? Then again we're sure the design of the restaurant is changing to include the pager system and the kiosks most likely since that's how it is at the other two monorail loop quick services.

We can only hope they are getting ride of the arcade from Gasparilla's. It makes sense, since seating is already very limited in there, and there will be more demand with the new guests at DVC.

 

[ScarForKing]

Any word on the details for the courtyard pool other than zero entry? Are they keeping the deep end? It kind of surprises me that they would make the court yard pool zero entry seeing that they already have a pool with zero entry, and it actually eliminates swimming area. You think that they would want to increase swimming area seeing that they are adding room capacity. I have many found memories in that pools deep end. I would be very upset to see it go.

My guess is the zero entry has more to do with the new ADA laws requiring public pools to be handicap accessible than it does with any desire to introduce a new feature to the pool. I believe the law is worded so that a zero entry pool will negate the requirement for a mechanical lift, which I am sure Disney would like to avoid for aesthetic and maintenance reasons.

 

[turbosnatch]

I'm not allowed in the Grand Floridian.

I'd like to know why lol

 

[kane47]

My guess is the zero entry has more to do with the new ADA laws requiring public pools to be handicap accessible than it does with any desire to introduce a new feature to the pool. I believe the law is worded so that a zero entry pool will negate the requirement for a mechanical lift, which I am sure Disney would like to avoid for aesthetic and maintenance reasons.

The courtyard pool has a handicap entrance already. There is a ramp the width of a large wheel chair next to the stairs in the shallow end.