Thank you! The only hotels that opened with Magic Kingdom were the Contemporary and the Polynesian. I know because my father was the project manager/mechanical engineer for the HVAC.
Thanks I was about to jump on and say the same thing. The 3 opening day resorts were the Contemporary, Polynesian and Golf Resort. The Golf Resort is in close proximity to GF and perhaps that’s their thinking. Who knows.
I thought that too. This is a big mistake that needs an edit.
Previously I had wanted to stay at the Contemporary. And honestly it is out of my price range unless I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, and only had months to live… But the incredibles re theme leaves me feeling like I might as well stay at Art of Animation or the Pop Century. I do love the California Grill and really enjoy the meals I have had there. While I know the Grand Floridian is the flagship hotel Ive never been a fan of it’s faux Victoriana. But I know other people really like it.
It upsets me how many of these so called Disney social media “experts” really know virtually nothing. This article gave no new information and some factually incorrect information. Very annoying.
So I understand both sides of the “IP everything” issue. On one hand, it’s nice to have things in Disney that are not constantly shoved into your face that always scream “Disney!” (e.g. most of Epcot back in the 80s/90s). However, on the other hand it makes sense from a business standpoint: What else can Disney World offer that no other theme park can because they own the rights to that character? Also, there’s the delicate balance of keeping Disney World cool and up to date with all the new school characters and movies, but yet still being fun and nostalgic enough for seniors and adults (e.g. keeping some older attractions around + classic Disney characters). Personally, I don’t mind some IP but dislike how it’s popping up everywhere. I guess I’ve just learned to accept that things are always changing at Disney.
So, what are your stances on the political activists that want to promote evil and Satanic ideologies on the masses through the various IPs of Disney? What do you plan on doing to them, hmm? Also, what do you plan on doing with people being let go for aging out of characters? Do you plan on replacing people with new types of outfits that are akin to the life sized anime/manga girl outfit trends, but that are merely real life three dimensional costumes that are essentially avatars of the Disney characters, as the core Disney characters like Mickey and his friends currently are right now? Also, do you happen to actually have a plan in place of taking down the corruption, not only in Disney proper, but also in other franchises like Marvel, Disney, National Geographic, ESPN, ABC, et al, let alone with the other companies, organizations, and such that they all do business with in their business operations? Where do you plan on coming up with the funds to take over Disney and these other organizations? You have to think about all of these other things as well if you want to properly take over Disney and make it right yourself.
“…[when] Chapek took over the Parks & Resorts division in 2015. He felt the Grand Floridian was not up to standards compared to the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, ”
Yeah, that’s the same Chapek thinking we saw with that new off-the-rack Polynesian DVC:
It was good, but it just WASN’T the Four Seasons on the rich convention-hotel district of International Drive…
Good! The GF needs it. We have stayed their for several years and the wear and tear is everywhere. Scratches all over the furniture, tiles in the bathroom with mold and cracked, stains on the carpet, broken night stand legs, etc. For the amount of money you pay to stay there, the rooms could be updated.
Pretty sure you just lost a lot of Disney park cred with that “Grand Floridian was an opening day hotel” line.
While the hotel plot was planned for a hotel from the start (I believe Asian themed), It was an empty plot for the first 15 years of the resort’s life. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that Disney started officially prepping the land to add the 3rd Monorail hotel than became the Grand Floridian.
Please do your homework. The Grand Floridian was not a “flagship” hotel. It was not an “opening day” resort. It was not in any way, shape, or form in existence in 1971. The hotel opened on June 28, 1988.
This entire article is flawed. Not only was the Grand not an opening day resort, the current work has nothing to do with its theme being controversial or politically incorrect. Disney is in the process of making the resorts and even parks (Epcot) more “Disney”. We can debate the need for this but this article is all over the place.
I was actually at Grand Floridian the week it opened in 1988. I was eight, and it was fantastic!!! It was the only trip to Disney World my family ever took.
I don’t like the idea of a retheme I have never stayed there but have always wanted too, partially because it’s modeled on the Hotel Del Coronado.
But my main complaint is that people are saying it needs fixing and updating–and Chapek and his board have proved they are incapable of doing a good job. They wont put the time, attention, money and imagination into it that any other past president and board would have. It will be done wrong if he does it. He has no idea how t do things the Four Seasons way, where they spare no expense. He cut the budget on Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars Hotel, etc, etc, after the concept art was published. I just don’t believe anything he says, or have any faith that he will carry through on quality issues. Personally, I almost wish that they’d wait for a new emperor (preferrably one with clothes!) before they renovated it.
He also cut the budget in Toy Story Land so there was no covered seating at one of the eateries. They have had to go back and add it. He probably got a bonus for bringing the project in under budget.
Lol of course the resident Reylo would attack Chapek for changing a hotel thats been in the 80s for 35 years. It sounds like the place needed an update. Too bad your woke King Peter was fired lol
If Chapek REALLY wanted the hotel to reflect the current state of the parks he would retheme it to look like a run down motel that you would find out in the sticks.
Opening day resorts were the following: Contemporary, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness camp ground. Please confirm before you write. Not surprised that Bob Cheapskate wants to destroy the uniqueness of the Grand Floridian and make it a 4 seasons whatever. I like the blue villa studios, but I don’t think that means the lobby and exterior needs a change. Waist of money. Finish TRON
Until People stop bringing in their snacks to eat ion the GF lobby …. It will never ever be a Four Seasons look! Furniture and rugs are constantly destroyed there by mindless disney “fans”.
It’s a shame that for a website that focuses just on Disney, most of the articles I read are pretty light on facts. Once I read something incorrect in an article (the Grand Floridian being an opening day hotel), the writer and the whole website loses credibility. It’s pretty easy to fact check these days, all you have to do is an internet search and you can get accurate information in seconds. Give that a try next time. For me, I’m done reading ITM fiction.
We stayed at The Grand Floridian during its opening in 1988… for $99 a night on Florida Resident Rates. It was NOT an opening day resort. Opening day resorts were the Poly and the Contemporary, where my Mom stayed with her sister during their trip in Oct 1971 for opening day. Please get your facts straight if you’re going to write WDW articles.
I have stayed there twice and it will always be my favorite. I like the idea of giving everything a fresh coat of paint and repairing things that need repairing and I like the idea 9f the Victorian Mickey and Minnie wall paper, but don’t flood us with it.. You could have an accent wall of the wall paper and that would be enough. I am looking forward to seeing the changes at the Polynesian next week..
A refresh is always needed – but not all hotels need characters everywhere – the avengers and Moana additions seemed pointless at the contemporary in the Polynesian. I thought that was what the all stars were for. Nothing wrong with it, but that uniqueness of staying in the nicer hotels with the specific themes is another touch of Disney magic slowly going away. 🙁
All they need to do is make it look high end Vicorian again. Never stayed there but have gone through the lobby and shops, especially at Christmas time, and really enjoyed the theeming.
If paycheck wants a Four-season type resort he should build one. The Grand Floridan is a Disney icon and should be left alone, but with some repairs and fresh paint. Disney has been doing some serious sterilizations to their resorts lately. Disney is Disney, not another brand, and should do Disney theming in their resorts. If people wanted a sterile, non-Disney theme, they’d go to the local no-tell motel.
Ok, give “The Grand” a refurbished, why not? All the resorts need it from time to time, and good posts fron all those who note ot wasn’t an opening day resort.
I’ve stayed there many times, since opening, had my honeymoon there where we were one of the 1st to try out the concierge service… it’s a wonderful resort, my favorite, actually.
However, I cannot imagine what they can do to add to Victoria & Albert’s. We last went there 3 years ago and it was magnificent.
Just another reason to Avoid Disney. I can no longer look forward to reliving the memories we enjoyed there. It’s no longer magical any more. Its commercial. So sad.
The grand Floridian opened in 1988. So after they claim it was an opening day hotel I think you can just stop reading there because they clearly have no clue what they’re talking about.
Chapek sucks. He will never be an Eisner. These Disney hotels were never meant to have IP except in certain areas. Go back to Walt’s original plans. The original hotels were not plastered in characters save for the game rooms and character breakfast. I’ve been going to WDW since 1979 when I was 3. I’ve seen a lot and continue to as my family lives just outside of Orlando. Also pathetic article. They want to hire Influencers. Can’t wait until this Influencer phase becomes a thing of the past. Oh, BTW I was a journalist who worked in tv news and my butt would be fired for such a factual error.
Comments for Disney Quietly Confirms That Divisive Grand Floridian Retheme Is Happening
Shazam50
The Grand Floridian was not an opening day hotel. It did not open until 1988. Just clarifying.
Kat
Thank you! The only hotels that opened with Magic Kingdom were the Contemporary and the Polynesian. I know because my father was the project manager/mechanical engineer for the HVAC.
LW
Yay! Echo those before me re: GF *not* being an opening day resort. How could a website dedicated to Dis make such an error!
Marcie
Also Fort Wilderness. But definitely not GF.
Tom
Fort Wilderness was “almost” opee we Ning day — it opened in November of 1971.
jenny
Came here to say this!
Deanna
I would suggest fact checking for the writers. The Grand Floridian was not open in 1971!!
D
very true cause I stayed there on opening day $95 a night back then.
Marie
Beckahs not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Its tough for Reylos to actually think.
Sy
Exactly!
We were there shortly after it opened — the hotel was full of Disney executives.
My kids were with me — and they were born in 1978 and 1980!
This large mistake undermines the credibility of the entire article.
Candice
So what? It is still a hotel that everyone loves and it should be left well enough alone. Chapek can step down!
Gary
Thanks I was about to jump on and say the same thing. The 3 opening day resorts were the Contemporary, Polynesian and Golf Resort. The Golf Resort is in close proximity to GF and perhaps that’s their thinking. Who knows.
Tom
I thought that too. This is a big mistake that needs an edit.
Previously I had wanted to stay at the Contemporary. And honestly it is out of my price range unless I was diagnosed with a terminal disease, and only had months to live… But the incredibles re theme leaves me feeling like I might as well stay at Art of Animation or the Pop Century. I do love the California Grill and really enjoy the meals I have had there. While I know the Grand Floridian is the flagship hotel Ive never been a fan of it’s faux Victoriana. But I know other people really like it.
Michael
Came to say just that.
Aimee George
It upsets me how many of these so called Disney social media “experts” really know virtually nothing. This article gave no new information and some factually incorrect information. Very annoying.
Ashley
So I understand both sides of the “IP everything” issue. On one hand, it’s nice to have things in Disney that are not constantly shoved into your face that always scream “Disney!” (e.g. most of Epcot back in the 80s/90s). However, on the other hand it makes sense from a business standpoint: What else can Disney World offer that no other theme park can because they own the rights to that character? Also, there’s the delicate balance of keeping Disney World cool and up to date with all the new school characters and movies, but yet still being fun and nostalgic enough for seniors and adults (e.g. keeping some older attractions around + classic Disney characters). Personally, I don’t mind some IP but dislike how it’s popping up everywhere. I guess I’ve just learned to accept that things are always changing at Disney.
jal11180
So, what are your stances on the political activists that want to promote evil and Satanic ideologies on the masses through the various IPs of Disney? What do you plan on doing to them, hmm? Also, what do you plan on doing with people being let go for aging out of characters? Do you plan on replacing people with new types of outfits that are akin to the life sized anime/manga girl outfit trends, but that are merely real life three dimensional costumes that are essentially avatars of the Disney characters, as the core Disney characters like Mickey and his friends currently are right now? Also, do you happen to actually have a plan in place of taking down the corruption, not only in Disney proper, but also in other franchises like Marvel, Disney, National Geographic, ESPN, ABC, et al, let alone with the other companies, organizations, and such that they all do business with in their business operations? Where do you plan on coming up with the funds to take over Disney and these other organizations? You have to think about all of these other things as well if you want to properly take over Disney and make it right yourself.
Carol
De Santiago is trying hard d! Not Capitol Hill!
EricJ
“…[when] Chapek took over the Parks & Resorts division in 2015. He felt the Grand Floridian was not up to standards compared to the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, ”
Yeah, that’s the same Chapek thinking we saw with that new off-the-rack Polynesian DVC:
It was good, but it just WASN’T the Four Seasons on the rich convention-hotel district of International Drive…
SCOTT m Lee-ROSS
You do realize that the Four Seasons is on Disney property. It is located within Golden Oak
Carol
Sad
Carol
So Sad! Although this article didn’t say anything except getting GF opening date WRONG!
DeSantis is trying to destroy Disn not Congress! But Chappel doing a great job destroying— all by himself!
Holly
Good! The GF needs it. We have stayed their for several years and the wear and tear is everywhere. Scratches all over the furniture, tiles in the bathroom with mold and cracked, stains on the carpet, broken night stand legs, etc. For the amount of money you pay to stay there, the rooms could be updated.
Daryl
Pretty sure you just lost a lot of Disney park cred with that “Grand Floridian was an opening day hotel” line.
While the hotel plot was planned for a hotel from the start (I believe Asian themed), It was an empty plot for the first 15 years of the resort’s life. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that Disney started officially prepping the land to add the 3rd Monorail hotel than became the Grand Floridian.
Deb
Please do your homework. The Grand Floridian was not a “flagship” hotel. It was not an “opening day” resort. It was not in any way, shape, or form in existence in 1971. The hotel opened on June 28, 1988.
Brian
This entire article is flawed. Not only was the Grand not an opening day resort, the current work has nothing to do with its theme being controversial or politically incorrect. Disney is in the process of making the resorts and even parks (Epcot) more “Disney”. We can debate the need for this but this article is all over the place.
SD
Pretty typical of most ITM articles…drawn out too long, not factual, and far from reality
Chris
I was actually at Grand Floridian the week it opened in 1988. I was eight, and it was fantastic!!! It was the only trip to Disney World my family ever took.
brayden
After February, the only way Chapek is going to see the grand Floridian is if he pays for a room.
Marcie
But when he’s done, he won’t be able to afford it!
pattimarie
I don’t like the idea of a retheme I have never stayed there but have always wanted too, partially because it’s modeled on the Hotel Del Coronado.
But my main complaint is that people are saying it needs fixing and updating–and Chapek and his board have proved they are incapable of doing a good job. They wont put the time, attention, money and imagination into it that any other past president and board would have. It will be done wrong if he does it. He has no idea how t do things the Four Seasons way, where they spare no expense. He cut the budget on Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars Hotel, etc, etc, after the concept art was published. I just don’t believe anything he says, or have any faith that he will carry through on quality issues. Personally, I almost wish that they’d wait for a new emperor (preferrably one with clothes!) before they renovated it.
AH
He also cut the budget in Toy Story Land so there was no covered seating at one of the eateries. They have had to go back and add it. He probably got a bonus for bringing the project in under budget.
Leeann
It was NOT an opening day hotel! Fact check
D
The rooms does need to be updated so they will make it glorious. I love staying there.
Marie
Lol of course the resident Reylo would attack Chapek for changing a hotel thats been in the 80s for 35 years. It sounds like the place needed an update. Too bad your woke King Peter was fired lol
Tvnutt
Haha. Actually the hotel is designed to be Victorian, reminiscent of the 1890s. Pull out a history book. It’s not stuck in the 80s. Idiot
Kevin
If Chapek REALLY wanted the hotel to reflect the current state of the parks he would retheme it to look like a run down motel that you would find out in the sticks.
beautiful gorgeous
Opening day resorts were the following: Contemporary, Polynesian, and Fort Wilderness camp ground. Please confirm before you write. Not surprised that Bob Cheapskate wants to destroy the uniqueness of the Grand Floridian and make it a 4 seasons whatever. I like the blue villa studios, but I don’t think that means the lobby and exterior needs a change. Waist of money. Finish TRON
Carol
Until People stop bringing in their snacks to eat ion the GF lobby …. It will never ever be a Four Seasons look! Furniture and rugs are constantly destroyed there by mindless disney “fans”.
Kelli
It’s a shame that for a website that focuses just on Disney, most of the articles I read are pretty light on facts. Once I read something incorrect in an article (the Grand Floridian being an opening day hotel), the writer and the whole website loses credibility. It’s pretty easy to fact check these days, all you have to do is an internet search and you can get accurate information in seconds. Give that a try next time. For me, I’m done reading ITM fiction.
Cristal
We stayed at The Grand Floridian during its opening in 1988… for $99 a night on Florida Resident Rates. It was NOT an opening day resort. Opening day resorts were the Poly and the Contemporary, where my Mom stayed with her sister during their trip in Oct 1971 for opening day. Please get your facts straight if you’re going to write WDW articles.
Sharon McLachlan
I have stayed there twice and it will always be my favorite. I like the idea of giving everything a fresh coat of paint and repairing things that need repairing and I like the idea 9f the Victorian Mickey and Minnie wall paper, but don’t flood us with it.. You could have an accent wall of the wall paper and that would be enough. I am looking forward to seeing the changes at the Polynesian next week..
Marcus
Of course Chapek doesn’t like classic elegance.
A refresh is always needed – but not all hotels need characters everywhere – the avengers and Moana additions seemed pointless at the contemporary in the Polynesian. I thought that was what the all stars were for. Nothing wrong with it, but that uniqueness of staying in the nicer hotels with the specific themes is another touch of Disney magic slowly going away. 🙁
AH
All they need to do is make it look high end Vicorian again. Never stayed there but have gone through the lobby and shops, especially at Christmas time, and really enjoyed the theeming.
Mickeymouse3
If paycheck wants a Four-season type resort he should build one. The Grand Floridan is a Disney icon and should be left alone, but with some repairs and fresh paint. Disney has been doing some serious sterilizations to their resorts lately. Disney is Disney, not another brand, and should do Disney theming in their resorts. If people wanted a sterile, non-Disney theme, they’d go to the local no-tell motel.
BC
Wow….opening day hotel? Did Chapek tell you that???
Missy
Ok, give “The Grand” a refurbished, why not? All the resorts need it from time to time, and good posts fron all those who note ot wasn’t an opening day resort.
I’ve stayed there many times, since opening, had my honeymoon there where we were one of the 1st to try out the concierge service… it’s a wonderful resort, my favorite, actually.
However, I cannot imagine what they can do to add to Victoria & Albert’s. We last went there 3 years ago and it was magnificent.
Lynn
Just another reason to Avoid Disney. I can no longer look forward to reliving the memories we enjoyed there. It’s no longer magical any more. Its commercial. So sad.
Lavahawk
The grand Floridian opened in 1988. So after they claim it was an opening day hotel I think you can just stop reading there because they clearly have no clue what they’re talking about.
Kris Kringer
Chapek is the only one in need of being reimagined!
tvnutt
Chapek sucks. He will never be an Eisner. These Disney hotels were never meant to have IP except in certain areas. Go back to Walt’s original plans. The original hotels were not plastered in characters save for the game rooms and character breakfast. I’ve been going to WDW since 1979 when I was 3. I’ve seen a lot and continue to as my family lives just outside of Orlando. Also pathetic article. They want to hire Influencers. Can’t wait until this Influencer phase becomes a thing of the past. Oh, BTW I was a journalist who worked in tv news and my butt would be fired for such a factual error.
Comments are closed.