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Financial Instruments And Fair Value Measurements - Estimated Fair Values for the Company's Senior Notes and the Assets Held by Special Purpose Entities (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | Oct. 31, 2014 | Oct. 31, 2013
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Estimated Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Assets held by special purpose entities Estimated fair value | $ 50.9 us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets | $ 50.9 us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] |  |
Estimated Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Assets held by special purpose entities Estimated fair value | 54.5 us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember | 50.1 us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Insurance annuity Estimated Fair Value | 22.6 us-gaap_LiabilitiesRelatedToInvestmentContractsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember | 24.0 us-gaap_LiabilitiesRelatedToInvestmentContractsFairValueDisclosure / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Senior Notes One [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] |  |
Estimated Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Estimated fair value | 325.5 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNotesOneMember | 334.5 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNotesOneMember
Senior Notes Due 2019 [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] |  |
Estimated Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Estimated fair value | 287.5 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNoteTwoMember | 289.9 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNoteTwoMember
Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member] | Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member] |  |
Estimated Fair Value Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Estimated fair value | $ 297.7 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNoteThreeMember | $ 317.9 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue / us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis = us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = gef_SeniorNoteThreeMember

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- Definition Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 12 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35750535&loc=d3e13476-108611 + Details
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- Definition Fair value portion of liability related to investment contracts for example, but not limited to, guaranteed investment contract or annuities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 825 -Section 25 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6487514&loc=d3e32427-158581 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 14 -Article 7 + Details
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- Definition The carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's assets included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (bb) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5710-111685 + Details
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