Thanks to the DVC resort studios I was able to stay at The Grand last week. It was my first stay there and I was so excited. We had a lovely trip but the ambiance there is not what it typically is. This is what I saw when I walked into the main building.
This wall went up the night before our arrival day. They did add pictures later on in the week because that makes it better right?! 
They are doing a lot of work there right now. Construction walls around the outside of the main were added all week long.
One day, all of the sod was ripped up and later replaced.
They are adding potted trees to try and hide the construction. I’m not sure it helps much.
I’m sure it will all be gorgeous when it’s done but right now, it’s a bit of a mess and doesn’t have the elegant feel you’d expect from The GF. It is also noisy with almost constant noise from construction. The pool there is beautiful but hammering and power tools detract from the relaxing atmosphere.
Our room was lovely and we enjoyed our stay. I booked this 7+ months ago and don’t remember if there was a construction warning so I wanted to warn anyone planning a stay there anytime soon or are just popping over for a bit that the Grand isn’t quite as grand right now!
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Jim and Len were talking about it on this week’s Disney Dish and there is no timeline for completion which is concerning.
I’m glad you had a great time. I’m sorry it wasn’t Grand 
FWIW I don’t know when the construction warnings went up - sometime in late April or early May I booked for me and J to stay there for CP drop-off, planning “a stay fit for a princess” and I was so sad when I later heard about the refurb
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Yeah the GF is a hot mess!!! We went to eat Saturday and it was like walled up everywhere.
They should be heavily discounting those rooms IMO.
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For even more photos of the walls at GF, including ones from a higher floor in the main building,
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I thought they were trying to have all construction completed by the 35th anniversary (opened June 28th but Disney announced July 1st as the celebration)? It does not appear as if they will meet that timeline.
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Like they did with CBR during all that construction. I would be really upset paying $600+/night and dealing with that.
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That is a great idea for drop off time! I stayed at SSR on a cash reservation when I dropped Abby off but that was before Flamingo Crossing. It was a good location for the old DCP housing. I’m sure it will still be a lovely stay for you there. It’s a very special time that you will always remember 
Using DVC points, I probably still would have stayed there even knowing about the construction but being prepared for it would have been nice. The bed configuration was perfect for the three of us and we need larger accommodations for the entire family. I can’t cram us all into a studio the way @Dreamer can with her family!
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Since I was using DVC points I felt okay about it but if I had paid what they charge to stay there I would not have been okay with it!
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I mean you can, but you may not like the outcome. 
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My May 2023 stay was booked at 7 months. There was a warning at booking for me. I also got a second warning (an email) because the walking path to MK was closed during my stay.
I has booked my December 2022 stay in 2021 and I can’t remember if there was a warning then but it feels like this construction has been going on forever.
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Also mentioned on the Disney Dish today. I hadn’t stopped to really think about it but first there were the modifications to the resort grounds/access for the NBA during covid, then the renovations required for the conversion of Big Pine Key to DVC, the walking path updates, and now this. It really has been years since there hasn’t been some kind of construction going on at Grand
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I have noticed other booking warnings at other times but in my enthusiasm to stay there I easily could have missed it or was just too focused on “yay I got the dates I wanted!!”
The walking path is a nice option. We left AK one day to hop to MK hoping to grab a Tron BG at 2:00. I decided to take the bus from AK to GF rather than the bus right to MK. My logic was if I saw the BGs run out before 2:00, we were already at the hotel and no time would be wasted. The monorail is so convenient to MK from the GF so time wise, I thought it would be the same plus security at the GF is easier that at MK. This plan backfired because when we arrived at GF, the monorail was down. We could have waited for the boat and I think they said they would be sending buses, but we opted for the walkway which I’m sure was the fastest option but yikes, we were worn out after speeding walking there in that heat!
At night the walkway is nice too but if you don’t time it right, you’ll be met with a closed bridge while they put the water parade away.
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In December the path was open and with early morning hours I was able to walk all the way to MK during my early morning walk. It was magical!
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We are staying in Sept on points, my first stay and was so excited. I had originally wanted Boardwalk, but decided against it because of all the construction talk going in. Little did I know. I have heard rumor that the walls up in the lobby are only a staging area for the guests room. The actual lobby reno has been pushed off until next year. Whether this is true or not, it doesn’t really help as the lobby still has the ugly walls. Just really praying they are gone when we get there. My first stay at the Poly ended up being during the lobby Reno and it really killed the vibe.
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I heard that too. That they’re using cherry pickers to lift furniture and whatnot to the upper floors.
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They’re using heavy machinery similar to a crane to haul stuff to upper floors.
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So do we think it will be very short term in this condition? That they put artwork on it makes me think it would be longer lasting.
But maybe I’m not getting what they are doing behind that wall.
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Those machines thingys that have the forks or a bucket on the end that they can use to lift stuff. They’re all over the place when they do painting up high. Usually in orange
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