An In Depth Look at a Studio at The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian

by: Nick and Barbie

First off, we're going to say that The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian (VGF), the latest Disney Vacation Club property to open at Walt Disney World, is now one of our favorite places to stay on Walt Disney World Property.

To put it in context, we've stayed at every resort with the exception of the Polynesian, Contemporary (including Bay Lake Tower), Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (we have stayed at Jambo House), and Caribbean Beach.

But before we tell you why it's become a favorite, we're going to tell you what we didn't like about the Villas, because we had a bumpy start.

Things began well enough. We had stayed one evening at the All Star Movies, and took a cab over to the Grand Floridian, and checked in at about 8:15am.

As soon as we walked into this resort we felt like we were surrounded by luxury.

Our room was not ready, which was expected, as check in for DVC rooms is 4:00pm. We were asked if we would like to receive a text or to be called when our room was ready, and we left a number to get a text. We took our bags over to the Villas building via a covered walkway, and left them with Bell Services.

The Villas lobby is lovely.

The fountain features the penguins from Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins umbrella as elevator hands.

After checking our bags, we walked back to the GF main building and made our way to the second floor to catch the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom.

We had a great day at the MK, but as 3:30 approached, we wanted to get to the room and shower and rest before dinner. We still hadn't been notified our room was ready. As we exited the park, we noticed a line for the monorail. We should have taken the boat, but, as we were on the monorail loop for the first time, Nick really wanted to take that mode of transportation.

Big mistake. There was a problem with the train ahead of ours, and each stop had us waiting for 10 minutes. We reached the Ticket and Transportation Center at 4:15, and decided to walk from the there to the Villas.

It was a very nice walk, and we had an opportunity to capture the VGF under perfect light conditions, but by the time we got the the resort, it was after 4:30 and well, Nick was getting a bit cranky.

When we walked in, Nick let the group of Cast Members gathered around the entrance know that we had never been notified that our room was ready. We didn't receive an apology, just an explanation that they had been having a problem with their text system.
Nick was too tired to ask why they didn't just call his cel if that was the case, and instead just asked if we could have our bags sent up to our room. We were told it would be about 15 or 20 minutes.

Nick said we would just take our bags up ourselves, we'd been out all day, and waiting that long for bags was unacceptable. At least the Cast Member who gave us our bags refused a tip due to the inconvenience, but, again, no apologies.

As we were lugging our bags to the room, Barbie said she couldn't understand why Magical Express could pick up our bags at the airport and deliver them to our room at an All Star Resort, but bell services couldn't have our bags waiting for us in our room here!

Okay, end of complaints! Well, almost. More on that in a bit.

We made our way to the second floor, room 1204. The hallways are very nice, with soothing colors, which is what we needed at that moment!

 

Upon entering the room, we were impressed with the wood floors, but really loved the bathrooms, which are immediately to the right.

Yes, we did say bathrooms. There are two separate rooms that can be closed off from one another, via sliding doors, one containing a shower and a sink with a granite counter top...

...the other, the toilet and a tub with a shower.

We loved the individual shower with the dual shower heads, mosaic marble tile floors, and all the amenities provided. And there is a TV in the mirror!

The kitchenette includes a small refrigerator and microwave.

The living space is beautifully decorated, a very calming color scheme, great after a long day at the park, crown molding, and furnishings that feel more sturdy than what is found at other DVC resorts. It was also much more quiet. We never heard our neighbors the entire stay.

Then there was our view of the Seven Seas Lagoon looking towards the Polynesian. Even the sight of construction vehicles building the soon to be DVC at the Poly couldn't detract from the beauty. We spent every morning, afternoon break and evening with the sliding doors open, listening to the music, birds, sounds of boats going to and from the Magic Kingdom and even some Magic Kingdom sounds, including the train! It was amazing.

We really felt that this was the most well designed DVC room we'd ever been in.
Until we started to unpack and we discovered there is a rather odd design flaw.

"Where are the drawers?" Nick asked. Maybe here, under the television?

No. That's right, we'd read about this feature, a pull down bed with a Dumbo theme. How cute.

Let's see, ah, large drawers under the bed. Except, you can't really use one whole drawer, as the nightstand is in the way!

We like to unpack when we stay in a room, and not live out of a suitcase. As it's just the 2 of us, we did find enough storage for the most part, using the nightstand drawers...

...and the spacious closet, after we moved the extra bedding out of the way. We can't imagine where a family of 5 would store everything and think the only way to accommodate a party of that size would be to live out of their suitcases.

Reading back, it seems like we've done an awful lot of complaining and you may wonder, why then is this now a favorite resort?

Well, we loved the atmosphere, the location and ease of access to the Magic Kingdom via a Monorail or boat. The Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) is a relatively easy walk away, past the Poly which gives you access to Epcot by Monorail.

Nick loved the pool areas, one very close to the Villas.

There is an Alice in Wonderland themed play area next to this.

A little further away is a larger pool area with a hot tub.

And then, there is the Grand Floridian itself. We never got sick of looking at it at all times of the day.

We loved entering the lobby to see and hear, depending on time of day, a pianist, a harpist, or a band playing.

We enjoyed just sitting in the lobby listening to the music and relaxing between park visits.

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom can be seen from several spots around the resort. This is from in front of Gasparilla Island Grill, the counter service restaurant.

Speaking of restaurants, we've eaten at them all with the exception of Victoria and Albert's, and enjoyed our meals at every one. We'll have reviews of Narcoossee's, Ctitricos, and the Gasparilla Grill in the future.

Even the bus stop is nicer than at other resorts. Instead of queues, or multiple stops, there is one with rows of benches, and a screen telling approximate arrival times. This last feature is new, and being tested at other resorts around WDW as well.

Finally, we'll just leave you with a view of the Grand Floridian from a boat heading for the Magic Kingdom. Knowing that we would be returning to this picturesque resort at the end of the day made the trip all that much more enjoyable.

Floored at Walt Disney World: The Story Behind the Photo

by: Gaylin

I have often heard that people will take a photo of almost anything when they are at Walt Disney World.

To prove this point, here is a photo of a washroom floor! Yes, that is right, I took a photo of a bathroom floor. Why? (I know you are asking.) Because, this floor is awesome, talk about attention to detail. It is in a women's washroom at the Animal Kingdom and the whole floor is made up of 1 inch square tiles patterned to make frogs.

I love this floor . . . this is not the only time I have taken a photo of it. To me it shows the effort that Disney will go to to make something as utilitarian as a washroom floor interesting and fun. And yes, someone noticed I was taking this photo and looked at me like I was crazy!

The Book of Mouse, By Jim Korkis – A Book Review

by: Barbie

When I heard that there was the possibility I could get to review Jim Korkis' new book "The Book of Mouse, A Celebration of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse" by Theme Park Press, I was thrilled. Then the waiting began. Each night after work I would run to the mailbox to see if the package came.

Then one cold and rainy Saturday, our doorbell rang and lo, our mailman had a package in his hands, "Here you go!" Hurray! Jim's book had arrived from the publishers.

As I leafed through it I got more and more excited. The information is categorized well and in fun read-out-loud to the family paragraphs and bullets. This is a great book for the whole family.

The warmth and humor in Jim's writing is always something to look forward to, and of course, Mickey Mouse and Disney, his specialty! That makes for a win win in this book!

This is the definitive book of Mickey Mouse, as written by a Disney Historian of the first caliber.

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the Disney lover on your list, I would put this book right at the top! You will not go wrong with this one!

Disney Musings would like to thank Theme Park Press for providing this book for review.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios

by: Nick

I never considered myself a big Aerosmith fan. Sure, I liked some of their early hits, like Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way, Dream On and Back in the Saddle, but never bought one of their albums, tapes, or CDs. And I really wasn't a fan of their newer stuff.
But all that changed within the last few years.
I blame age.
My musical tastes have evolved, (though I'm still not a ballads guy).
With age has also come motion sickness.
What does any of this have to do with Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios, you may ask?
Well, because of my lack of interest in Aerosmith, and because of motion sickness, I avoided riding this roller coaster for years.
What prompted me to get on?
Curiosity. I wanted to see if I could handle it. And you know what? I could!
But enough of all this! Let's go on the ride!

After walking through the queue, guests enter the offices and recording studios of record label G-Force Records. The lobby is decorated with posters, rock memorabilia, and vintage recording equipment.

You then enter a room looking into the recording studio, where the five members of Aerosmith are shown working on a recording.
The group's manager then comes in and tells the the band that they're late for their own concert.

Lead singer Steven Tyler insists that all us fans get backstage passes to the show. The band then departs by limousine, and the manager calls for a "super stretch" to get us to the concert.

We then walk through an alley into a parking garage, owned by "Lock 'n' Roll Parking Systems" where we board a waiting 24 seat stretch limo for the trip across town to the event.

After loading passengers, the "limo" stops at the entrance to a tunnel.

Music is playing and an overhead sign displays a series of several different messages before a countdown. After the countdown, the car is then shot into the tunnel at 60 miles per hour.

The roller coaster goes through a series of inversions, passing signs that represent various Los Angeles Area Freeways like Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 101.
Different Aerosmith songs play, depending on which limo you get.

The ride ends when the limo arrives at the backstage of the concert venue.

I really enjoy this ride, it is very smooth, which is why I believe it doesn't get me motion sick, and I can now enjoy Aerosmith songs in a way I couldn't before, because they're songs bring happy thoughts of a thrill ride I can actually go on!
 I still haven't bought any of their recordings, and for that I apologize to the members of the band who are doubtless fans of this blog!

Introducing: The Jar of Disney Buttons

By: Nick Maglio

Back before the pin collecting craze, there were buttons, and I collected them. I used to have a large piece of black felt that I hung them on. During one of my moves though, I took them off, put them in a jar, and never got around to hanging them back up.

I thought every now and again, I'd bring a couple out, and since some Lion King buttons are clearly visible in the photo above, I will share those.

At the Disney Store I worked at in the early 90's, we had buttons to promote movies, and introduce our guests to new characters. There was a little movie called The Lion King that was being released in 1994.




I had the great fortune to see it during it's Radio City Music Hall World Premier run.


Look for more buttons from The Jar in future posts.

Video: Five and Dime at Disney California Adventure

Five and Dime is a group at Disney California Adventure that performs several times daily on Buena Vista Street. It consists of five musicians and one singer, "Dime".
On our first viewing of this fun little show, we walked up as Goofy was joining them for a song.

There is some audience participation, as "Dime" may pull an audience member into the show to sing "I Wanna Be Loved By You" to.

An audience member like me.

Do You See Tinker Bell at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

by: Nick

A few weeks ago, someone on Facebook posted a photo from the exit of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and said that it was a hidden Tinker Bell.
On our recent trip, I searched it out and photographed it for myself.

I'm a little skeptical. Why would they hide Tink outside of Big Thunder?

What's your opinion? Tinker Bell, or overactive imaginations?

When is the Best Time to Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom?

By: Nick

Okay, you're up early, and you are going to Disney's Animal Kingdom. What is the first thing you ride?

Many will head over to Asia and Expedition Everest. Many will head to Africa and get a Fastpass for Kilimanjaro Safaris, then race over to Everest. However here's a tip for you...those folks may be missing the best time of day to catch the animals at their most active. From what I've experienced early morning at Animal Kingdom is probably the best time to ride the Safari. There is an exception to this rule, however, and that is when it is very cold out, as it was last week. One morning we rode at rope drop, which was Extra Magic Hour, and at 8am. There were barely any animals out. We rode again about an hour and a half later, and it was much more active.

So what will you see on the safari?

You may see a giraffe eating breakfast.


An elephant drinking.


A cheetah stalking.

A warthogs wishing you good morning. (At least that's what I assumed it was doing.)



A Rhino, coming right at your vehicle! (It stopped, but it was a thrill!)


And you may even get to see the male lion actually standing, which is a rarity, since they sleep almost all day!



It's best to catch them at play just before the heat of the day makes most of the animals seek shade.

Another good time is just after a rain, when everything is cooled off for a little while. So if you're at Animal Kingdom when a pop-up Orlando shower hits, don't head back to the resort! Grab a snack and head towards Africa.

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer.