Major Grand Floridian Refurbishment

[castlecake2.0]

I’ve heard rumblings and apparently so has “the other site”. Look for a major overhaul coming to the main lobby and Grand Floridian Café. Guest rooms will also be getting a new look similar to the new DVC rooms but with some small differences. It’s likely Cast costumes will be updated during this as well. The resort will keep its Victorian theming just with a fresher look. Fingers crossed for this.

 

[Ayla]

The hotel doesn't need to be "modernized". Seriously, has anyone dictating these decisions ever visited the Grand or any of the Disney resorts?

 

[spresso81]

We heard rumblings about this a few years ago. Changes to Citricos IMHO were decent. The changes to the bar area...not so decent. Losing the orchestra was awful but the new DVC rooms do seem nice.

So overall a mixed bag. However, most recent projects (RR I am looking at you) or proposed projects (Polynesian DVC) have been disappointing. I am rather concerned they will rip whatever "grandness" remains at the GF.

 

[zapple]

Good. The Cafe reeeaaally needs it. It currently looks like Grandma’s parlour with the most uncomfortable chairs.

 

[castlecake2.0]

We heard rumblings about this a few years ago. Changes to Citricos IMHO were decent. The changes to the bar area...not so decent. Losing the orchestra was awful but the new DVC rooms do seem nice.

So overall a mixed bag. However, most recent projects (RR I am looking at you) or proposed projects (Polynesian DVC) have been disappointing. I am rather concerned they will rip whatever "grandness" remains at the GF.

Hope we get the contemporary lobby team

 

[Disney Analyst]

Citricos and (IMO) Enchanted Rose are improvements.

 

[James Alucobond]

If these updates do indeed mirror the DVC rooms, I'm on board. As for the lobby, it does need fresh furniture and carpet, and elements like the former aviary and somewhat sad planters could stand to be reworked, but I hope they don't touch the architecture much.

 

[UNCgolf]

Citricos and (IMO) Enchanted Rose are improvements.

I couldn't care less about Mizner's -- it was bland and needed to be changed -- but I think the Enchanted Rose is shockingly bad. It looks/feels completely out of place at the Grand Floridian, but ignoring that, the whole space just feels cheap. I was honestly taken aback when we checked it out; I assumed it would at least be very nice and it just isn't. The chandelier (is that the right term?) is the one exception, but its presence actually makes everything else look even worse. It's like they spent the whole budget on that centerpiece then did everything else as cheaply as possible.

It also eliminated the orchestra space, which might be enough on its own to make it a downgrade.

I've never set foot inside Citricos but based on photos it does look like an improvement.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Don’t love the rumored removal of space for live music…

But Chapek is quite right that GF is not up to flagship standard.

 

[UNCgolf]

Don’t love the rumored removal of space for live music…

But Chapek is quite right that GF is not up to flagship standard.

Indeed, but it's not because of the architecture or theming. That lobby is one of the best spaces anywhere at WDW (especially when the orchestra was playing) and I'm afraid they're going to do their best to turn it into a JW Marriott -- nice and modern but completely divorced from theme.

 

[James Alucobond]

Indeed, but it's not because of the architecture or theming. That lobby is one of the best spaces anywhere at WDW (especially when the orchestra was playing) and I'm afraid they're going to do their best to turn it into a JW Marriott -- nice and modern but completely divorced from theme.

I feel like the lobby has bones that would make it really difficult for them to bulldoze the theming as easily as we've seen elsewhere, and if they're trying to be even remotely Victorian, they can't really resort to the same gauche TJ Maxx-ery as they did at Old Key West. The DVC rooms seem to me to be a good sign; the toile, wallpaper, and moulding are straight upgrades, and the bathrooms are obviously much improved. What gives me pause is the relative modernity of the various hinges, handles, frames, and light fixtures, though I can probably live with that in the rooms as long as the massive chandeliers in the main building remain appropriately ornate.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

The rooms definitely need some love. They're far from the best at Walt Disney World, let alone being up to par for what's supposed to be the flagship resort.

 

[UNCgolf]

I feel like the lobby has bones that would make it really difficult for them to bulldoze the theming as easily as we've seen elsewhere, and if they're trying to be even remotely Victorian, they can't really resort to the same gauche TJ Maxx-ery as they did at Old Key West. The DVC rooms seem to me to be a good sign; the toile, wallpaper, and moulding are straight upgrades, and the bathrooms are obviously much improved. What gives me pause is the relative modernity of the various hinges, handles, frames, and light fixtures, though I can probably live with that in the rooms as long as the massive chandeliers in the main building remain appropriately ornate.

Yeah, the DVC rooms are a bit of a mixed bag themewise due to what you mentioned, but they're definitely an overall upgrade over the current non-DVC rooms.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

Hope we get the contemporary lobby team

I wish they had re-decorated the Outer Rim bar and sitting area on to match the lobby.

 

[Bocabear]

I agree that Mizner's never lived up to it's namesake sadly...It was bland and pedestrian...and while I applaud them for adding to the footprint and spending money for a larger more elaborate bar and lounge, they forgot to hire a design team that understood the whole style and setting for the hotel... It needed to fit with the theme and storyline... And it ended up looking like Ikea furniture in a faux french, way too modern, anyplace hotel...

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I'm afraid they're going to do their best to turn it into a JW Marriott -- nice and modern but completely divorced from theme.

The theme will be "Disney" of course.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I really enjoyed my stay at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, which is similar in style to Grand [looks like a copy of it from the outside]. It opened 17 years after GFR, but didn't sacrifice the aesthetic. You can still do the original theme justice in 2022, but I worry Disney won't.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

The theme will be "Disney" of course.

So will the new price be - once they finish the refurb.

 

[Skywise]

Hope we get the contemporary lobby team

You'll get The Incredibles bedroom team and like it!

 

[lazyboy97o]

The theme will be "Disney" of course.

Yep. This was supposed to be done for the 50th along with the Contemporary and Polynesian. The monorail resorts needed to be made “more Disney” because decades of Walt Disney World have shown that it wasn’t actually very Disney.