Grand Californian Super Thread

Hi there! I thought I was the only one..I'll have to look through my pictures and then there's the hassle of getting it on Photobucket or something..is there an easier way to post pictures here?
I think we were on the 4th flor the last time..it was a bad view IMO. I do say everyone should try it and judge for themselves. I remember that 2001 trip ...Holy cow..we were right in front of the bear, the view was perfect, we watched the park open in the morning and the rapids fill with water. So cool. I'll look and see what I can come up with.

I appreciate it, I'm sorry its such a hassle to load pics on here. Too bad we can't load attachments. The view you described from 2001 is one I'm looking for. Do you, by an chance, remember the room number you in which you stayed that time? Thanks for looking!
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I appreciate it, I'm sorry its such a hassle to load pics on here. Too bad we can't load attachments. The view you described from 2001 is one I'm looking for. Do you, by an chance, remember the room number you in which you stayed that time? Thanks for looking!
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OK..let's see..here we go:
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2001

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2009

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another 2009

and while I'm picture crazy, here's a lobby shot I like;
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I'm sorry, I don't remember the room number..I need to start taking pictures of that :)
 
Thanks so much!!
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You weren't kidding about the trees. Still looks like something I would want. The lobby looks amazing!

As for the room numbers, to my best estimate, I would say you were in X414 or X412 in 2001 and X406 or X408 in 2009.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this:goodvibes
 
I thought I would just stick these photos in here too. I hope you don't mind, OP. They are not really relevant to any specific information that is needed right now, as they are more GCH holiday-oriented, but they are photos in, of and around the GCH (taken this past December 2009, with a couple from October 2009 and December 2008), so I thought it would be good to include them in this thread (the GCH Super Thread!) for additional visual representation. I have seen lots of lovely GCH photos taken by Belle Ella and KC Mike. Hopefully, they will post those as well.

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This is dark, but I love the twinkly trees! This was taken at about 6:30 a.m. in December:

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Can everyone spot the very well-hidden Hidden Mickey in this grandfather clock? It is hard to see if you don't know it's there!:

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Inside the restroom, the attention to detail is ever-present!!

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December 2008:

I do SO love the Christmas carolers who perform and take requests by the giant tree while everyone snuggles up on the chairs, carpet and sofas, usually with beverages in hand, to watch them - sometimes they have people in the crowd come up and join them! When they are not performing, the pianist will play holiday songs or a guitarist will strum some Yuletide tunes by the fire - it is just magical during the holidays!:

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And every year there are PhotoPass photographers by the GCH tree, taking pictures of guests with Santa. While Santa appears in all of the hotels' lobbies, the GCH has the only Santa with a PhotoPass person in tow!

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Thanks so much for sharing Sherry! I don't mind at all! Like you said, it not only shows the beauty of the GC and eye candy but also a visual representation of the hotel. If you want to post any more go right ahead. This goes for everyone, if you have pics of your visit to the GC that you would like to share, post them up!

Great pics!
 
Also adding - if you have a room that is quick access for this exit, you are VERY FAR from the lobby/entrance (it's almost at the entrance to DTD - between WOD and La Brea). We stayed there once and I learned my lesson PDQ :rolleyes1

And if you're staying at the "next door" wing, for instance in room 165 (they put the floor number before that...so we were in either 4-165 or 5-165, can't remember), not only do you have an AGES long walk, but you have a frustrating walk too, b/c you are doubling the amount of time you're walking by/in DTD.

Thanks Jack
And is it free?

Included in resort fee, specifically.




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I had a thing for pictures of lighting while there.


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Very very very very long hallway. This is how housekeeping does it; instead of the carts with all the sheets etc, they set the baskets outside of each room so it's there, waiting for them.

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Beds.

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Thanks Bumpershoot!

Beautiful pics of lighting!

Thats a very interesting way of doin housekeeping.
 


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here is one of the new wing fron the fun wheel. You can see the World of Color viewing terrace for DVC owners.

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in the lobby they have a table with crayons where kids can write a letter to mickey. If you put your room number or address they will send/deliver an autographed photo of Mickey.

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this was the last day we were there. It was raining so the characters came and hung out in the hotel lobby.
 
Love this thread.

We are going March 22-25 and staying Concierge with a Theme Park View. We have stayed twice before on points, once in two adjoining pool view rooms and once in a two bedroom suite over Downtown Disney.

I was wondering if there was any difference between the concierge and non-concierge rooms. I have seen some photos of bedding with the duvet instead of the bedspread and am wondering which rooms have these? I vaguely remember something about a soft rehab last year that included new bedding for all rooms, but I'm still seeing new pictures with the old bedspreads. Anyone have any insight?

Thanks!!
 
We stayed Concierge our last stay (Yea developer points!) I was told that you can stay Concierge and not be sure to get a concierge room, but we did. It was a bit bigger, some different designs. Later on today I will add pictures, when I get home from work. The lounge is GREAT we ate most of our meals there, and got movies for the room...we also had someone famous staying down the hall. It was right before the Expo and there were 2 guards at all times in front of a door. I went to the Expo and Robin Williams, Nic Cage, John Travolta and family and Johnny Depp all appeared as well as Tim Burton and Jerry Bruckheimer, so I'm guessing it was one of those.
I don't know why all the walking and hallways bother people..I've never had any problems with any of them..the longest hallways ever are are the beach Club in WDW IMO.
 
When we stayed there in August, except for the early hours you could not find a seat in the lobby during the day, it was always packed. Did not want to waste my time haunting just to spend time in the lobby soaking up the ambiance.

Jack
 
CrazyDuck - I LOVE those pictures!! That first view picture is great, and I adore the two shots of the characters in the lobby!! I have never seen characters at the GCH at all - except for inside Storyteller's, of course. It looks like they were on their way to or on their way from the Critter Breakfast. What a great idea to have them playing with the kids in the lobby while it is raining outside!!

I wonder if anyone has gotten a photo of the light fixtures/chandeliers back near where the bar/lounge is. They have Mickey icons on them, and it is one of the few places in the GC where you can see a very clear Mickey head (the Hidden Mickey in the grandfather clock photo I posted on the previous page is hard to spot, so I am not counting that as a "clear" image of Mickey!!). I thought I had taken a photo of those light fixtures back when I first stayed at GCH in 2001, but if I did, I can't find it. (Little did I know I would need to get all kinds of pictures of lamps for future use!!:rotfl2::rotfl2:)
 
Jack perhaps it is always crowded in August. We usually stay concierge in the spring and have never had any issues finding a seat, and often were the only ones in the room besdies the CMs. We always stopped for a quick bite and some bottles of water on our way to the park. Then grabbed a snack before naps. And of course dessert before bed! :) We live an hour away so haven't been since last April but I miss it. Will be staying in the villas later this year and I am looking forward to it!
 
Jack perhaps it is always crowded in August. We usually stay concierge in the spring and have never had any issues finding a seat, and often were the only ones in the room besdies the CMs. We always stopped for a quick bite and some bottles of water on our way to the park. Then grabbed a snack before naps. And of course dessert before bed! :) We live an hour away so haven't been since last April but I miss it. Will be staying in the villas later this year and I am looking forward to it!

It is busy, but I thought there may be a break, but not at the times I was in the lobby. We also are going to stay in the Villas in August, we will see again.

Jack
 
I don't know why all the walking and hallways bother people..I've never had any problems with any of them..the longest hallways ever are are the beach Club in WDW IMO.

Well, this is how I feel about it.

People tout the Grand as being SO close. The closest! But then it's difficult to get into. You either have to be close to the DCA entrance, but that still means a walk around the restaurant, etc to get to the lobby. Or if you happen to be in DTD that's good, you're close, but otherwise you're walking halfway through DTD to get to that entrance, and that doesn't take you smack dab to the lobby or elevators. Or you're just entering, or coming from PPH, and that's the only way to walk right into the lobby.

PPH has long hallways too, but I absolutely lose my bearing in there so it doesn't bug me.

If you look at the map where room 165 is, you know that DTD is along there. We overlooked Naples or whatever that restaurant is called.

If we'd been one wing over, we could have walked *towards* the esplanade in the wing, and found the secret exit. So, it's a long hallway, but we'd be going towards our goal.

As it was, we knew where we were in relation to DTD (knowing we were *so close* to bag check), but we had to walk ALL the way BACK towards the Sephora area of DTD. Then get the elevator. Then walk back the way we came, under our wing, to get to the Sephora area, and then had to walk back along where we would wave to our room, and then at long last to bag check.

It was mentally exhausting. And the one time we left the stroller because DS was raring to go, and then he passed out, and I got to carry his 47 pound, 46 inch sleeping body back to the room (let it be stated that I myself am only 5'3" aka 63" so carrying His Tallness is very awkward!), it was physically exhausting too.

The Grand is also talked about in relation to Grizzly, and how you can just go go go, get soaked and sopping, and jump up to your room easy peasy to change! Well, that's what DH and DS did on our last day, and by the time they got up to the room they were absolutely freezing, and they were feeling really uncomfortable with having dripped all over the hotel. The walk was too far for it to be easy peasy, and they wished they'd just brought a change of clothes to do in the bathrooms up towards the PP area.

I just think it's really important to talk about the faraway rooms, so that someone new, who doesn't see all the reality of actual times and distances, doesn't get one of those rooms and become very disillusioned with the hotel, with Disney, and with US for not talking about the difficult parts. Because, frankly, if I'd had a pedometer or something like that i would bet that our walk to the room, on days we'd been in Disneyland, rivaled the walk from HoJo, except HoJo's walk is a straight shot, not switchbacks when all you wanted was have a trampoline to jump up to your balcony!
 
Well, this is how I feel about it.

People tout the Grand as being SO close. The closest! But then it's difficult to get into. You either have to be close to the DCA entrance, but that still means a walk around the restaurant, etc to get to the lobby. Or if you happen to be in DTD that's good, you're close, but otherwise you're walking halfway through DTD to get to that entrance, and that doesn't take you smack dab to the lobby or elevators. Or you're just entering, or coming from PPH, and that's the only way to walk right into the lobby.

PPH has long hallways too, but I absolutely lose my bearing in there so it doesn't bug me.

If you look at the map where room 165 is, you know that DTD is along there. We overlooked Naples or whatever that restaurant is called.

If we'd been one wing over, we could have walked *towards* the esplanade in the wing, and found the secret exit. So, it's a long hallway, but we'd be going towards our goal.

As it was, we knew where we were in relation to DTD (knowing we were *so close* to bag check), but we had to walk ALL the way BACK towards the Sephora area of DTD. Then get the elevator. Then walk back the way we came, under our wing, to get to the Sephora area, and then had to walk back along where we would wave to our room, and then at long last to bag check.

It was mentally exhausting. And the one time we left the stroller because DS was raring to go, and then he passed out, and I got to carry his 47 pound, 46 inch sleeping body back to the room (let it be stated that I myself am only 5'3" aka 63" so carrying His Tallness is very awkward!), it was physically exhausting too.

The Grand is also talked about in relation to Grizzly, and how you can just go go go, get soaked and sopping, and jump up to your room easy peasy to change! Well, that's what DH and DS did on our last day, and by the time they got up to the room they were absolutely freezing, and they were feeling really uncomfortable with having dripped all over the hotel. The walk was too far for it to be easy peasy, and they wished they'd just brought a change of clothes to do in the bathrooms up towards the PP area.

I just think it's really important to talk about the faraway rooms, so that someone new, who doesn't see all the reality of actual times and distances, doesn't get one of those rooms and become very disillusioned with the hotel, with Disney, and with US for not talking about the difficult parts. Because, frankly, if I'd had a pedometer or something like that i would bet that our walk to the room, on days we'd been in Disneyland, rivaled the walk from HoJo, except HoJo's walk is a straight shot, not switchbacks when all you wanted was have a trampoline to jump up to your balcony!

The distance from room x165 to the center of the espelande is 1900 feet. The distance to the closest room at Hojo is 2500 feet. Not to mention that at Hojo you have to wait for 2 crosswalks.

The bathrooms near PP... Are you talking about the ones near the old Burger Invasion? If so do you know that the distance from GRR to those bathrooms is 950 ft. The distance from GRR to you room x165 is only 1100 feet, and most of that is indoors, so I don't know how you could expect to be less freezing.

BTW these distances are all taking into consideration the hallways. ;)
 
The distance from room x165 to the center of the espelande is 1900 feet. The distance to the closest room at Hojo is 2500 feet. Not to mention that at Hojo you have to wait for 2 crosswalks.

The bathrooms near PP... Are you talking about the ones near the old Burger Invasion? If so do you know that the distance from GRR to those bathrooms is 950 ft. The distance from GRR to you room x165 is only 1100 feet, and most of that is indoors, so I don't know how you could expect to be less freezing.

BTW these distances are all taking into consideration the hallways. ;)

I'm a little bit in awe of how you have these figures, did you measure or where did you find them?
 
I'm a little bit in awe of how you have these figures, did you measure or where did you find them?

You can use google earth to map path distances. For GCH it helps to know where the corridors and elevators are so you know what the path wold be like. It is pretty accurate to within 10 or 20 feet. Here:

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x165 to elevator to Espalande. You can probably add 10 or 20 feet to left turn into the elevator corridor and back out.

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Hojo to Espalande. You can add whatever distance to your room, unless you sleep in the pool :laughing:
 
Very interesting, I used that before but never to that extent especially for the inside of a hotel. I guess its because of what you said about knowing where the corridors are. Good job!

I'll tell ya, sometimes I like the idea of sleeping at the pool:lmao:
 
I'll concede the halls are long, but really, not worse than many places I've stayed (I used to work at the MGM Grand..you want lost?) And I can certainly see that lugging a big sleeping dead weight kid is tough no matter how close or far you are. So, yes, people should be aware there are long hallways and the hotel is ziggy zaggy and you can get lost (the laundry room on the 2nd floor that you can get to by the Napa Rose elevator took us forever to find, then while we stumbled back toward our room found that it connected to the Concierge floor without taking the other elevator..very confusing..CMs couldn't tell us how to find it, only a housekeeper could..I digress) Anyway..the halls are long and you may be bothered by it. I'm not but I can see how you could be.
OK, here are the promised pictures:
Concierge Room..different design and it is bigger although hard to tell here..had a very nice couch bed .
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Various shots of the Concierge Lounge offerings:
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and our fantastic view!
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