Questions for park veterans

[rmsongs]

Hello All - I'm planning for my next trip (November 8 - 15). I hate to admit this, but I've been thinking a lot about our last trip, which was plagued by rude guests, smoking policy violators, and -yes, it's true- a couple rude CMs. We had a great trip, but it seems the general rudeness gets worse with each visit we make. Has anyone else experienced this and, if so, how have you handled it? Are there any indications that Disney is enforcing the smoking policy? Last time, people lit up wherever and whenever they wanted and my wife has breathing issues that are made much worse by smoke.

Also, my wife's cousin is having her wedding reception at the GF in June. My wife and I would love to go -sans kids- but I'm looking at the fact that a 2-night stay (at a special rate), plus flight, meals, wedding gift, etc. -and NO park tickets- will run us close to $2000. This is probably the only opportunity we will ever have to stay at the GF. To those of you who have stayed there: Is it worth $2000 for a 2-night stay? Thanks in advance.

[MsMin]

When we went in Oct. last year the only thing that was different was I didn't find as many rude guests. I think it was just luck and maybe timing w/o so many HS kids there (the ones we had trouble with in Dec). I do understand your frustration w/ the smoking b/c my dd has trouble too and ppl unfortunately don't stick to the designated smoking areas. I too hope this changes soon.
About GF, I can't say whether it's worth it to go to GF for two days for 2K. It just seems like such a personal decision and I prefer to get as much time out of a trip as I can (within reason b/c a week is long for me). It seems that with attending a wedding etc. two days is so short but again it's how valuable it is to you. :minnie: good luck w/ your planning.

[offwego]

Those are two very different questions. (for more on the GF you may want to post in accomdations as well to make sure you get as much info as you can).

Depending on crowd levels and time of year the smoking issue does seem to vary. Personally the worst I've ever seen is normally during the food and wine show at Epcot. The "wine" part of the festival after a while seems to reduce peoples abilities to spot the smoking areas if you know what I mean. I do find that enforcement is spotty but I also believe that's partialy because it's easy to see when you stand next to the person but not from across a walkway or from your cart etc while your working. (in the daylight in particular).

For the wedding question, to figure out the cost I would back out the amount I would normally spend on a wedding for family away. (flight and meal & cost of a hotel in a city where my family lives to see if this destination made sense for us). However none of my cousins lived in the same province as myself so these were always condiderations and none of them thought to offer the carrot of the GF..sigh I would love to see inside that wedding pavillion!

Hope you enjoy considering your options.:mickey:

[Pirate Granny]

We are going to a Disney wedding the end of May...and yes, we too are staying two nights at the GF...however, that was $700...and there should be very reasonable rates for flights...ours were $150...so now we are at one grand...HOWEVER...if that's all you're doing....it shouldn't be much more...although I have an annual pass, we plan NOT to go to the parks the two days that we're at GF..we plan to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the beach, pool and grounds and of course the wedding at the pavilion and the reception at the GF...This will be the only time that we'll stay at the GF...we arrive very late the first night and will stay at the Pop...then on to the Shades of Green for two nights and last the GF...so we will be staying longer than you...however, I hope to keep the trip under $2K...family weddings and trips without children will bring good memories...if you can afford, do so, If not...stay at the value or moderate hotel (our package offered all three levels of hotels plus the campgrounds)...
:pirate:

[javamama]

I say if you can swing it, go for it. I look back on all my trips dh and I took pre-kiddos to either DW, Vegas, Hawaii, and think those were the days:cloud9: we relaxed hung by the pool, had cocktails, gambled, snuba dived everytime we were in Maui. Now I feel like I never relax, granted we've gone to Vegas together twice since having our kids(I got the flu the second trip:sick: --my luck) So I say go and just enjoy each other, have a nice dinner, dance at the wedding, lay by the beach/pool--just have fun w/each other!

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I've only had problems with rude CMs at CBR. I'd never stay there again.

However I've never been able to afford to stay at the GF but I've been to the resort and have found it to be absolutely beautiful and the CMs to be incredibly nice. If I could afford to stay there I would definitely do it. Everyone was so nice and the lady in the gift shop handed us a phone and it was a Happy Anniversary call from Mickey and Minnie.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

I haven't looked at prices recently, but unless you're going for a conceirge level room, it shouldn't be $2000 for two nights. I'd see maybe $1000, but $2000?

If possible, why not stay at Wilderness Lodge and just go to the reception at the GF? I don't believe the wedding guests are required to stay at the resort. It'd be more affordable, and it's just a quick boat ride to the Contemporary or MK, where you can take a different boat or monorail.

[jans2kids]

My biggest complaints of rudeness pertain more to buses and bus stops more than inside the park.

People waiting in line for a bus either from the resort or from a park seem to be the worst about ighting up.

Nobody wants to stand on the bus but when a park closes and everyone is tired and wants to get back to the resort, be considerate of your fellow riders. If there are no seats available don't get on and stop, try to move to the back so that others can get on. Our children are 11 and 13 and sometime we still ask them to sit on our laps so more people can get on the bus. They are now trained that if the bus is full to give their seat to someone who really needs to sit.

Also when staying at a moderate or deluxe where there are no chained ques at the bus stops, don't walk up when you see you bus coming to the stop and go right to the front door and push on. Be cognizant that other people have been ther waiting beofre you arrived.

[diz_girl]

Is your wife particularly close to that cousin? If not, I'd say stay home and just give them a generous gift, so they're not annoyed that you didn't go. I know that there is a rise in destination weddings, but it's unfair to expect people to spend a lot of money to travel to one, and then be expected to fork over more money for a gift.

And it won't be your only opportunity to stay at the GF. If you don't go to the wedding and give a gift of $500, you'll have the other $1500 that you saved to use for your November trip. And $1500 is the difference between staying in a standard room at a moderate resort and staying in a garden room at the GF during regular season for almost SIX NIGHTS. If you more your trip to Value season, then the difference covers almost SEVEN NIGHTS.

Think about it.