Originally Posted By DyGDisney Today we got a phone call from Disney Resort saying they are overbooked at DLH for the week we have reservations, so they wanted to know if we wanted to upgrade to the Grand for no additional charge. We decided to do it because we've never stayed there, and it's so expensive we probably never would! We are very excited, but don't know a lot about the hotel. The Disneyland site isn't a whole lot of help. So, any tips or info anyone has would be great. I specifically was wondering if we have to call and reserve a refridgerator, if there are any rooms with a "bad" view, and about room service. Any additional tips would be great. We have two kids also.
Originally Posted By Stichy626 Congrats! You are going to love it. From what I have experienced, there is a fridge in every room but be careful, it is stocked with drinks and other mini bar items and if you move anything you will be charged. One trip I moved all of the drinks out and placed them on top of the desk so I could fit our leftovers in. The next day I placed everything back and when I reviewed my final bill I was charged for a couple of items that I supposedly used. I called the front desk and they said this was a common problem and that if the items aren't put back in exactly as they were when you arrived it looks to the maid staff like you used some. They immediately removed the charge. White Water Snacks which is located near the DCA enterance and the pool is fantastic. The porions on the kid meals are generous and the price is right. We like to get a meal from there and eat at the pool. As for the rooms, I have stayed there three times over the years and have always had a great view of one kind or another. I only pay for standard view but I have had a park view and a DTD view before. Enjoy your trip!
Originally Posted By mousegrl Wow! Very cool. The rooms all have a refrigerator. They used to be stocked, however they are now empty. There are no microwaves in the rooms, but I am curious if you can request one. I'm not sure on the bad views. I know the different views are: theme park view, pool view, downtown disney view, and standard view. (courtyard or parking lot). I actually had a view overlooking the front of the hotel, and it wasn't bad. I could see the Disneyland and Paradise Pier Hotel, a bit of California Adventure, and the top of DTD. The courtyard has the monorail going through it, so that's kinda cool. Whitewater Snacks is a great place for a quick bite to eat. Their breakfast burritos are super yummy. The pools are great. One has a slide wrapped around a 'redwood' tree. I'm sure other people will have lots more tips. Have a super time! BTW, some rooms have one bed and a bunk bed. That may be a good option if you have little ones. You should know, however, that the bunk beds are shorter than regular beds, and are for sure for smaller children.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Just curious. What are your travel dates? I wonder if there is a convention perhaps?
Originally Posted By DyGDisney My oldest is going to be 10, so I better double check and make sure we don't get bunkbeds. Plus, I don't really like them. I know there are three conventions going on during our visit. They are not all at the same time, but overlap.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney Also, and this is super important for my husband, where can you get good coffee at GCH?
Originally Posted By wendebird I liked the coffee at Whitewater snacks. But good coffee has different meanings to different people. ;D
Originally Posted By DyGDisney DH is a coffee snob! He likes the coffee at Blue Ribbon Bakery, but I think he gets coffee with a shot of espresso there. He likes bold coffee. We always brew Starbucks coffee at home, and it's usually bold or extra bold.
Originally Posted By debtee Wow how lucky is your family!!! Moving up to the GCH at a DLH price is brilliant! You will have a great time!
Originally Posted By DJ7K On top of everything mentioned above, although I've never had the pleasure of staying and being able to experience all that personally, there is also a special entrance into DCA that is ONLY granted to guests of the Grand Californian Hotel. I mean access to catch a glimpse of it is allowed, but even if you have an AP, I think you still have to be a guest of the hotel and I think what they ask for is your card key. And I think this is only for GCH guests, not other DLR hotel guests.
Originally Posted By SoThisIsLove Oh my goodness! You've just won the Disney lottery! We stayed there just for two nights, in an ordinary room, no special view (it was a courtyard with roofs and a few trees, looking towards the Downtown Disney side, but not at it, if that makes any sense whatsoever). We were on the 4th floor and when we came out of our door, we could look down into the lovely lobby area. We loved the details of that normal old room. You will LOVE the private entrance to DCA and the entrance that leads to Downtown Disney. Oh, my goodness, kids...you'll thank your lucky stars.
Originally Posted By DyGDisney SoThisIsLove -- you make me feel good about my decision! I was looking at pictures of the Grand last night, and of the Disneyland HOtel, and I was kind of regreting my decision! The Disneyland Hotel is so "Disney" to me, and seems more kid-friendly. I also always stayed there as a kid, so there's some nostalgia connected to it. But, the good thing is my kids don't know we were staying at the DLH, so they won't be disapointed, and I'm sure they will be very excited when we pull on to the Grand, especially my DD10 who is a romantic at heart. They think we are staying at the HoJo's!! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally Posted By mousegrl If you self park, it's across the street next to the Paradise Pier Hotel. How cool that they think they are going to Hojos! What a fun suprise!
Originally Posted By PetesDraggin I just recently surprised my wife with a stay at the GCH and we LOVED it!!! The hotel is beautiful inside and out. The rooms, though small, were very comfortable and relaxing. Plus, if you get tired or chilly, you can just run right up to your room for whatever you need. I have never stayed at the DLH, but I can't imagine it being any better. The only problem with the GCH is that once you stay there, you'll never want to stay anywhere else!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo The GCH is my favorite hotel on the planet and ooses Disney in that it is so highly themed. THe DLH, despite great childhood memories, is old, tired and a rip off IMHO. I adore the Grand with all my heart and jump at the chance to stay there whenever we can!
Originally Posted By Dalia3001 I love the GCH, to me it seems cleaner and better kept up than the other Disney hotels. As far as coffee goes, if your husband is as picky as me and mine, I would bring your own. If you can handle a "drip" machine, one is provided in the room, and you can just bring a bag of your own preferred ground beans. If you're nuts like me and my husband, you can bring an electric kettle, ground beans, filters, and individual cones for the "perfect" cup in the morning. (There are mugs in the room.) We drive from Northern Cali, so bringing all that is not a huge deal, but I have flown with all that stuff as well. I know, I'm nuts. : ) As for kid friendly, I think there are lots of kid friendly areas of the GCH. The little chairs around the fireplace in the lobby are adorable, and Storytellers Cafe is right downstairs. The Disney themeing is a bit more subtle at the Grand, but I like that; finding the Mickey in the grandfather clock is fun, and the Snow White art and themed shower curtain in each room is very lovely. You really can't beat the location, the proximity to both parks makes coming back to your room for a quick rest in the afternoon much less of an ordeal. I'm sure you will have a wonderful stay.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Which reminds me, where is the parking at the Grand?> As mentioned, it's across the street. What you do is pull in to the main entrance (semi-circle driveway). There's a gate, and you'll tell them you're checking in, and self-parking. They'll give you a temporary pass to park at the self-parking lot. Then drop off family and bags, and go park across the street. This parking is included in your "resort fee," which you'll pay anyway. Note that if you have someone valet park you, you will pay extra for valet parking EVERY night of your stay, even if they park it once and you never move it again. So it's much better to just drop family and bags off, and go park yourself. It's right across the street. If you ever do move your car, your key will give you access to that lot every day of your stay. You will love the Grand. The "Disneyness" is more subtle, but it's definitely there. And it feels like a real resort. The Craftsman touches are terrific, and you can even take a free guided tour of the hotel itself where they tell you all about it. If you're staying in the east wing of the hotel, you can use the fire stairs and come out of the hotel VERY near La Brea Bakery and bag check. This door is exit only, and you can't use it to re-enter the hotel unless you get really lucky and someone is leaving just as you want to go back in. But you can always use it to exit, and it saves a lot of walking if you're already in that wing. You won't believe how close it is to the park entrances.
Originally Posted By 8 ilovemickey 8 I don't think you will end up regretting your decision at all! This GCH is every bit as magical as the DH if not more! As for the coffee. My mom as your husband is a Disney snob and almost always gets hers from Blue Ribbon but in the morning I think she walks to the GCH bar and orders a coffee. Although now I am hearing that isn't open as early anymore. So I am not sure about that! I think sometimes she would just fine someone random to make it for her haha. If you can request a room at all our favorite view is Downtown Disney. I second Dabob2's secret exitway that he mentioned above! I can't think of anything more exciting to say at the moment but if I do I will be sure to add.
Originally Posted By judimouse For pictures of the resort and one of the rooms go to <a href="http://www.dlresortinfo.com" target="_blank">http://www.dlresortinfo.com</a> and click on Grand Californian Resort. judimouse
