*The Official VILLAS AT DISNEY'S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Owners & Lovers Group*

[Flossbolna]

So with all the announced renovations coming, what do y'all recommend I add for a room request for a standard deluxe studio for the first week in December? We like high floors because they are quieter and are more concerned about a nice view/away from construction than we are with being close to anything.

Thank you for any help!

I have had great success in the past with the request “good view”. Some of the rooms we got were far from the lobby, but they always had a very nice view.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Isn't the MK walking path currently open from GF?

Just the Poly walking path to GF closed again recently?

The path has been open - we left on the 1st, and only the walkway to the Poly was closed.

 

[sndral]

I have had great success in the past with the request “good view”. Some of the rooms we got were far from the lobby, but they always had a very nice view.

IMO none of the villas in the original villa building (where the deluxe studios are) are very far from the lobby of that building - they are all a short walk over to the hotel lobby, though. When I think long way from the lobby I think of some of the villas at the ends of the hallways at AKV Kidani or BWV .

 

[mrsap]

Reservations resume for Narcoossee's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

Reservations have resumed for Narcoossee's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Walt Disney World for dining from October 13, 2023.

Narcoossee's closed on September 17, 2023 for additional equipment updates, despite only recently reopening from a major refurbishment. You can make reservations now, with dinner served from 5pm to 9:30pm daily.

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[JulieBeeRN]

I understand the parks are non-smoking, but I really wish they wouldn't have put smoking area right on the walking path from MK to GF. Although, I guess it would still be bothersome even if it was off the path. I hate walking past it, plus people are sitting on the benches (further away) and leaving their cigarette butts on the ground. So it's not like you can even hold your breath for a moment bc they are all up and down that path.

 

[sndral]

Reservations resume for Narcoossee's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

Reservations have resumed for Narcoossee's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in Walt Disney World for dining from October 13, 2023.

Narcoossee's closed on September 17, 2023 for additional equipment updates, despite only recently reopening from a major refurbishment. You can make reservations now, with dinner served from 5pm to 9:30pm daily.

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Thanks so much for the alert! We just got our traditional last night at Narcoossees ADR - I really missed it last year when Narcoossees was closed.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Thanks so much for the alert! We just got our traditional last night at Narcoossees ADR - I really missed it last year when Narcoossees was closed.

Narcoosies on the last night is out tradition, too!

 

[mrsap]

Gingerbread House Will Return to The Grand

This year, a new display will be available at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort! Disney hasn’t shared what this new display will look like, but we can’t wait to see it.

Guests visiting Walt Disney World during the 2023 holiday season can see Gingerbread Displays at the six following hotels:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney BoardWalk Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

 

[mlittig]

Gingerbread House Will Return to The Grand

This year, a new display will be available at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort! Disney hasn’t shared what this new display will look like, but we can’t wait to see it.

Guests visiting Walt Disney World during the 2023 holiday season can see Gingerbread Displays at the six following hotels:

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney BoardWalk Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

I am looking forward to seeing what gingerbread house they have planned for the Yacht Club since all I can remember there is the Winter Wonderland Train Village

 

[OnThisMagicNight]

Those of us staying in the main Villas building with a standard view over the next few weeks look to be out of luck . If you're lake view, looks like the painting work wrapped up there though. I'm just hoping at this point I don't end up on the 1st floor staring straight at a lift...

 

[pirate33]

Those of us staying in the main Villas building with a standard view over the next few weeks look to be out of luck . If you're lake view, looks like the painting work wrapped up there though. I'm just hoping at this point I don't end up on the 1st floor staring straight at a lift.

I just left after a nice stay in lake view room. It’s true the lifts were working on the standard view side of the Villas building but it didn’t look all that intrusive. The scaffolding on the main building is almost totally down, although there is still a construction wall around the windows at the Grand Floridian Cafe.

The exterior paint on my balcony looked like it hadn’t been redone yet so I’m not sure all the lake view rooms have been finished but perhaps they are only painting the facade now and not the exterior surfaces inside the balcony?

 

[OnThisMagicNight]

I just left after a nice stay in lake view room. It’s true the lifts were working on the standard view side of the Villas building but it didn’t look all that intrusive. The scaffolding on the main building is almost totally down, although there is still a construction wall around the windows at the Grand Floridian Cafe.

The exterior paint on my balcony looked like it hadn’t been redone yet so I’m not sure all the lake view rooms have been finished but perhaps they are only painting the facade now and not the exterior surfaces inside the balcony?

Thanks for the first hand account! That's interesting that they don't appear to be doing the actual balconies right now, but I also hope that's the case because that was one of my concerns (that we'd be prevented from using our balcony for a day or 2.) It's definitely less intrusive looking on the video than all of the scaffolding, but it looked better a few weeks ago before they also set up all those green gates.

 

[pirate33]

Thanks for the first hand account! That's interesting that they don't appear to be doing the actual balconies right now, but I also hope that's the case because that was one of my concerns (that we'd be prevented from using our balcony for a day or 2.) It's definitely less intrusive looking on the video than all of the scaffolding, but it looked better a few weeks ago before they also set up all those green gates.

There are some pictures at the link below. Honestly, in just walking around the place, I hardly noticed the construction but there are definitely significant walls around. Not so much scaffolding, which was a pleasant surprise given the rather dramatic photos I have seen online recently.

In the Villas building, I did notice some missing shingles and a rough repair on the roof so I think we can expect some work up there in the near future. But the Villas building in general is in very good condition after the interior refurb the last year (or two years ago?). I remember being lucky enough to occupy one of the villas immediately after the last refurb as the first guest. Fun!

The only things I noticed in my villa is that the dishwasher had some issues (surprising if it is less than two years old) and the fixtures in the showers were showing some oxidation.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...uction-updates.3814628/page-273#post-65123920

 

[mrsap]

Preparations Begin for 2023 Gingerbread House Installation at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Here’s a look around the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort as teams prepare to start the construction. Last year, the Grand Floridian gingerbread house opened on November 9th. An opening date for the 2023 version will be announced at a later date.

Disney hasn’t announced the opening dates for the gingerbread displays yet, but work will likely begin shortly after Halloween and take a few days to complete. The gingerbread house is built in two stages: first, Walt Disney Imagineering and Buena Vista Construction Company (Disney World’s in-house contractor) build the bones of the house, and then, the culinary team comes in to dress the house in gingerbread shingles and decor.

 

[mrsap]

Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort 'Sold Out' for the Second Time

Twenty months after opening sales for an additional phase of resort development, Disney Vacation Club has declared that The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort is again "sold out."

Like other "sold out" destinations, DVC will occasional reacquire points through foreclosures and exercising its Right of First Refusal. However a price increase and the elimination of all promotional incentives for Grand Floridian points is expected.

 

[Disney Spaz]

I knew it was coming and I keep telling myself I don't need more points but boy did I want more before they sold out again.

Now we will see how many people bought Big Pine Key points to use at the Original building in larger rooms. We always got a 1 bedroom for a week in the summer and our add on at BPK was only to extend those stays to 10 nights each summer. The net two years will show how much walking will be needed for those larger rooms.

 

[mrsap]

Just to note: red ropes are up and the base has been laid to map out where the Gingerbread House will be. (GF FB guest just posted a pic.)

 

[mrsap]

Construction on Disney’s Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Has Begun

 

[DduzDis]

Construction on Disney’s Grand Floridian Gingerbread House Has Begun

We will be there on Thursday and leave the following Tuesday. I'd love to have the gingerbread smell in the lobby if it moves quick enough.

 

[LadybugsMum]

My kids will be so happy to see the gingerbread house in a couple of weeks. Last year, we saw it but it was always so busy that we didn't buy anything. They've made it a priority to buy some yummy stuff this year.