I'm going to DL in Nov with another grandma and I need to make my reservations. Can't quite decide between expensive Grand Calif or a good neighbor hotel. I'm usually with the rest of the family and budget is a big concern. Since it's just us two grandma's, and we deserve it, we are considering the splurge. I would like some feedback for those who have stayed there. Is it something we should do or no big thing?
I've never stayed in the Grand Californian... always been a dream of mine! If you have the means, you should probably go for it. ºoº
How many nights are we talking about? I've loved staying there, but it is definitely expensive. The proximity to the parks is great, of course (especially DCA), and you do get early entry every day you're there too. Other than that, you're paying for "magic" and "immersion" and it's hard to put a price on that. I've considered it worth it some times, and other times have preferred to save on lodging. One thing I've also done is split my nights if it would be more than 2. In other words, save some money by staying at a good neighbor hotel for the first night or two, then move to the GCH for the 2nd part of your stay. You'll get the experience, but won't have to pay for it every night. You get the perks every portion of your stay, too. For example, if you check in on Tuesday afternoon, you can still show up early Tuesday morning (since you spent Monday night across the street), leave your bags with the bellman, and immediately start enjoying the perks, including early entry. You get that the day you check out too.
I'm with @Dabob2 . Split your stay and get the best of both worlds...save a little money, but still get your Disney immersion factor too!
Hi! If you do decide to splurge you'll need to decide how much of a splurge. You've probably already researched this but each view at the Grand has a price. We like the Garden View. Very peaceful and the monorail slides by every few minutes Of course "when" we win the lottery we'll opt for park view Have fun deciding!
I think this says it all. It is purely a matter of priorities and I think you have stated what you really want.
We decided! It's Grand Californian for this trip. We're not counting pennies on this trip and decided we will do whatever we want. We leave early Monday and we're both already packed. Thanks for all the thoughts. The one that did it for us was that we are spending our kids inheritance. We love to put that one there every chance we get.
They spent you money having fun, you might as well return the favor. Have a great time! We stayed at the Grand Californian and had a fun time. The kids liked the pool. Make sure to use the private hotel entrance into DCA.
We did it! The Grand Californian was very nice. Our room was large and had the great bathroom arrangement with double vanity and sinks in one room and toiled and shower/tub in a separate room. Worked great for getting ready in mornings. We loved the easy entrance and exit to and from CA. Each person we encountered was helpful and very polite. One of the perks of gray hair is how nice people are to me. Weather was hot while we were there. But during the fall and winter months the days are shorter so it cools off early. We had lunch at the Blue Bayou which we don't do when we are with the rest of the family. It was very quiet, cool and relaxing. The Monte Cristo wasn't so good. A bit mushy. Not crisp like it should have been. I probably won't stay at the GC again. It was pricey and really you can get just as nice of a room at a lot of other places for much less. But it was one thing on my bucket list that I can now cross off. One thing we did was ride Tower of Terror at night when they change it to a dark ride. No lights. It was great fun. I know they must be doing that to suit their construction needs but it made the ride even more unexpected than ever. I'm going again in February. It will be an economical trip because I'm traveling with my niece. She is a young mother and needs to make every penny count. I will always grab the food checks and divide it in half. Of course her half will be less and I'll always get the tip. It's so fun to do that for someone who loves Disney as much as I do but can't come as often. She's leaving her 2 yr old and 6 yr old home with their Dad and we'll try not to worry every second we're gone. We will probably stay at Candy Cane. It's my favorite for off site hotels.
So glad you had a good time and enjoyed your "bucket list" adventure. I do not think I could ever bring myself to pay that price. I prefer souvenirs. We did TOT in the dark in September. That was pretty cool. Enjoy your trip in February. That is my favorite time to go. Thank you for sharing. That is unacceptable, seriously!
@shonny I am looking at possibly staying at the Candy Cane in February for the first time. Could you share with me some of your favorite things about this location?
I'm not shonny, but I'll weigh in... Candy Cane takes what is basically the "bones" of a typical Harbor Blvd. motel and makes it just a little nicer. The "garden" feel of the courtyard is nice. The breakfast is a step up from most Harbor places. They have their own dedicated shuttle, meaning it doesn't stop anywhere else, it just goes between the Candy Cane and the drop-off area outside bag check. (Downside is it only runs on the half-hour, but if it times out right for you it will save you that walk, which is roughly the same as from HoJo's.). Perhaps best of all, I believe it's family owned and not a franchise, so I've never encountered any staff who weren't really pleasant. Other places are hit and miss. At the Fairfield, for instance, they've ranged from very nice to business-like-but-fine to almost surly, depending on the year we're talking about. Unless I decide to splurge on Disney property, I always check the Candy Cane first. It's fairly small, so they do tend to sell out earlier than some other places. That's why I've ended up across the street sometimes - a larger place like the Fairfield wasn't yet sold out when CC was, but CC will generally be my first choice unless I'm splurging. They're also not listed on at least some of the major travel sites (expedia, travelocity, etc.), so you have to check their own website.
We generally like staying at The Annabella, but CC was recommended to me since Annabella is all booked up for the window I was looking at. We're not allergic to walking, so the shuttle bus doesn't really matter much to us (but it might be nice at the end of a long day in the parks). It would be nice to have a decent little breakfast before going to the parks without a plate full of grease from Tiffy's.
I agree with everything Dabob2 said about the CC. Plus the landscaping is always beautiful. I'm from Oregon where summer flowers are long gone and I love their year round colors. It is really pretty. Having a complimentary breakfast is always nice. Quicker than going to a restaurant of course saves a lot of money. Especially for families with children. The rooms are very clean and some are pretty big. They did some remodeling in the last few years and the new updated look is really nice. We ride the shuttle when it fits our schedule. Otherwise it is really a short walk to the front entrance of DL. Staff is helpful and nice and they always have a basket of Candy Canes in the lobby.
@shonny Thank you for your feedback. I'm from the Portland/Vancouver area myself, so I too would be very appreciative for some color come February. I think we will be seriously considering staying here for our next trip.
