Sales for the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa started in May 2013, but the history of this Disney Vacation Club resort goes back a bit further in time. Now that it appears the Grand Floridian is sold out, let’s take a look back at some of the key dates in its brief history.
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03/08/2011 - Walt Disney Parks & Resorts files an Environment Resource Permit request with the South Florida Water Management District for the construction and operation of a surface water management system to serve a 14.8 acre commercial project known as Project 2011-1. The main worksite is 13.10 acres located between Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney's Wedding Pavilion.
04/21/2011 - South Florida Water Management District approves the permit application.
06/30/2011 - Walt Disney Parks & Resorts files a revised permit request with SFWMD expanding the main work site adjacent to the Grand Floridian to 13.53 acres (#110630-4).
07/11/2011 - Construction walls are in place at the work site next to the Grand Floridian.
07/2011 - Brides who are planning weddings at the Wedding Pavilion adjacent to the worksite are being told that the construction at the Grand Floridian will be done only at night or during "third shift."
08/2011 - Reports surface that the Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort model room at the DVC Preview Center is closed and that "something new" is being built in its place.
08/02/2011 - Disney files a Notice of Commencement with the Orange County Comptroller for "Project 2011-1D" at 4501 Floridian Way, Bay Lake, FL 32830, which is the street address for the Grand Floridian. The contractor is listed as Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. (OCC record #20110405575).
08/05/2011 - Orlando Sentinel reports that the Grand Floridian Spa will close on September 19, 2011, as part of the planned renovations at the Grand Floridian. The Spa will be closed 18 to 20 months.
08/08/2011 - Brides who are planning weddings at the Wedding Pavilion are offered renderings of the Grand Floridian construction by Disney. The renderings show that the construction will be five stories, and that the frame of the new building will be in place by April 2012.
09/07/2011 - A drawing of what the proposed Grand Floridian project building will allegedly look like appears on the internet. It turns out the drawing is an accurate rendition of the final building.
12/08/2011 - At the annual Condominium Association Meeting, Disney Vacation Club officially announces a new DVC resort is being built at the Grand Floridian. It will have about 147 Vacation Homes.
01/02/2013 - Disney Vacation Development files an application for a timeshare license for the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
01/30/2013 - The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation approves a timeshare license for VGF.
04/01/2013 - Grand Floridian Master Declaration and Condominium related documents are recorded with the Orange County Comptroller. DVD declares 75.8% of the resort for the DVC inventory. Documents reveal that VGF will have six Grand Villas, 47 dedicated two-bedroom villas, and 47 lock-off two-bedroom villas. The resort will have 2,520,800 DVC
05/20/2013 - DVC makes an announcement on Facebook that Grand Floridian sales will commence on May 23, 2013. Existing DVC members can begin buying points immediately. Price is $145/point and no incentives are offered. Non-members can start buying Grand Floridian on June 19, 2013. Price will increase from $145 to $150 on June 19, 2013 for all buyers. Point charts also released on this date.
05/23/2013 - Bookings for Grand Floridian villas via Member Services and online begins. Grand Floridian owners will have a one-month advantage on booking over non-owners. Booking by non-owners will not begin until June 23, 2013. The Grand Floridian villas are scheduled to open to guests on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. Disney Vacation Club has established some unique reservation timeframes in order to give owners the opportunity to make reservations ahead of non-owners. Guidelines are as follows:
- Owners at the Grand Floridian can make reservations eleven months in advance of arrival for all dates beginning October 23, 2013.
- Other Disney Vacation Club members (non-owners) can make reservations four months in advance of arrival for dates between October 23 and December 31, 2013.
- Other DVC members (non-owners) can make reservations seven months prior to arrival for all dates on or after January 1, 2014.
The earliest date on which a non-owner could attempt to reserve a room at the Grand Floridian will be June 1, 2013. On that date, a non-owner could attempt to book an arrival of January 1, 2014. Dates in 2013 will be available to non-owners beginning on June 23--four months prior to the October 23 scheduled opening.
05/23/2013 - Grand Floridian model opens at the Disney Vacation Club Preview Center located at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
10/23/2013 - The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opens
06/10/2014 - First Declaration adds four two-bedroom vacation homes (93,680 points; 3.72%).
08/12/2014 - Second Declaration adds 12 two-bedroom vacation homes (281,040 points; 11.15%)
10/28/2014 - Grand Floridian fully declared for DVC. Third and final Declaration adds 10 two-bedroom vacation homes (234,200 points; 9.29%).
04/15/2015 - Although not officially announced by DVD, the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is considered to be “sold out” and is no longer being actively marketed by DVD.
Wil Lovato is a contributor to DVCNews.com and has been a Disney Vacation Club owner since 2009. His DVC Home Resorts include Bay Lake Tower, Animal Kingdom Villas, and Aulani. He can be found posting on many Disney discussion forums under the username of “wdrl”.
