Grand Californian Super Thread

[OKW Lover]

Did you like your room and view etc?

We loved the room. It wasn't our first experience here. View was nothing special. Actually it was just the back side of Goofy's Flying School. We booked only the basic room and weren't expecting a view.

ETA: Just checked out and are now at the airport to fly home. Our room number was 1252.

 

[Philsfan77]

Where is this second entrance? So just keep walk by past the first entrance? I will be there next week at GCH for 8 days…7 nights…getting nervous and excited!

When you're in the courtyard area there, keep walking straight back (maybe do a check first to see if you can see them letting people in back there as I don't know if it was just an outlier because we were there over 4th of July weekend), but we entered between World of Disney and Starbucks. Main entrance brings you out and Salt and Straw is right in front of you (this is the one you have to come back in as the other one was closed when we walked back mid day and that night).

 

[joseph821]

When you're in the courtyard area there, keep walking straight back (maybe do a check first to see if you can see them letting people in back there as I don't know if it was just an outlier because we were there over 4th of July weekend), but we entered between World of Disney and Starbucks. Main entrance brings you and Salt and Straw is right in front of you (this is the one you have to come back in as the other one was closed when we walked back mid day and that night).

THANKS...I will walk the area after I check in to see...Ill stake it out for Thursday morning! LOL!

 

[jimmymc]

Just returned from 5 nights at the Grand Cal. I really enjoyed the resort this time, maybe even more so than previous trips. Cast members greeted me at the car when I took an Uber back from dinner one night, the pianist was almost always out playing, and turndown service is apparently back or here for the first time (not sure which). Several times I grabbed food from Downtown Disney and ate in the public spaces or on my balcony.

I really like the room decorations and shower. My balcony looked right at a tree, but I could see the pool through it. I was in room 3222, which is not too far from the lobby but also isolated enough to be quiet. I thought it was good overall, but last visit I had a room right off the 5th floor of the lobby, and I think I preferred that. Security lines were never long, even at the morning rush. The only place which felt crowded was the Craftsman Grill, both the bar and quick service areas. I don't eat there very often, so it didn't really affect me.

 

[Philsfan77]

Just returned from 5 nights at the Grand Cal. I really enjoyed the resort this time, maybe even more so than previous trips. Cast members greeted me at the car when I took an Uber back from dinner one night, the pianist was almost always out playing, and turndown service is apparently back or here for the first time (not sure which). Several times I grabbed food from Downtown Disney and ate in the public spaces or on my balcony.

I really like the room decorations and shower. My balcony looked right at a tree, but I could see the pool through it. I was in room 3222, which is not too far from the lobby but also isolated enough to be quiet. I thought it was good overall, but last visit I had a room right off the 5th floor of the lobby, and I think I preferred that. Security lines were never long, even at the morning rush. The only place which felt crowded was the Craftsman Grill, both the bar and quick service areas. I don't eat there very often, so it didn't really affect me.

We felt the same way about Craftsman...I do think Paradise/Pixar hotel guests having access to Grand Cal and Disneyland Hotel played some role in it though. I know my wifes aunts were staying at Paradise Pier and the carts were bringing guests over in July to swim and eat at Grand Cal due to everything still being under refurb over there.

 

[Mousefan mom]

We just got back and loved the Grand Cal. Absolutely beautiful, wonderful service, great food (we only did the quick service, but it was all wonderful--the portions are HUGE though! Plan to share!). We only discovered our last day we could have viewed World of Color off the 6th floor balcony (we stayed in a standard room 6th floor) and it would have been amazing. Short distance to everything, so easy compared to WDW to park hop, get into parks, etc. Loved the whole wine country California vibe to the resort. Fair warning if you plan to swim the pavement gets SUPER hot and its not shaded--we burned our feet just trying to get into the pool--we got smarter after that and wore our shoes right up to the pool then kept them poolside so we could easily grab them and put them back on. Amazing customer service everywhere here!

 

[nalabear]

We just got back and loved the Grand Cal. Absolutely beautiful, wonderful service, great food (we only did the quick service, but it was all wonderful--the portions are HUGE though! Plan to share!). We only discovered our last day we could have viewed World of Color off the 6th floor balcony (we stayed in a standard room 6th floor) and it would have been amazing. Short distance to everything, so easy compared to WDW to park hop, get into parks, etc. Loved the whole wine country California vibe to the resort. Fair warning if you plan to swim the pavement gets SUPER hot and its not shaded--we burned our feet just trying to get into the pool--we got smarter after that and wore our shoes right up to the pool then kept them poolside so we could easily grab them and put them back on. Amazing customer service everywhere here!

Really not missing too much with WOC from the balcony. It's just too far to the side to really appreciate WOC fully. With the new back entrance, it's so easy to pop in and out for the shows now.

 

[Julez1324]

We’re renting DVC points in September for a 1br villa. Plan on submitting a request for a park view but was curious if anyone has stayed in the villas recently and can tell me what room numbers had the best unobstructed view of DCA. I know there’s tons of trees but maybe certain rooms have a better view than others. TIA

 

[twodogs]

How does Early Entry work now? We haven't been to DL or stayed at the GCH since late last year. Our trip is booked for a few months from now, but I have read a couple posts saying that nonhotel guests are sneaking in to Early Entry.

One was on Reddit that said a guy was asking if he could go in with a hotel guest to take advantage of early entry, the Reddit user told him no but I imagine he probably got in. Another post I just read is that some GCH guests offered to take nonhotel guests in with them.

If I am paying $1500/night for a suite, it's a little frustrating to think that nonhotel guests are taking advantage of the perks of staying onsite.

If Disney isn't cross checking room reservations to see how many people are on the reservation, it makes me wonder how widespread this type of thing is.

We were just there 3 weeks ago. They have scanners at the EE rope at DL, and each of us had to scan our own room key (we had 2 staying in one room and 4 staying in the other room). They didn’t have me pull up my reservation in the app, maybe because we all had our keys to show we had the right number of people. I am glad that they are doing this because you are paying so, so much to stay onsite, and if they don’t limit EE to onsite guests, then the value of that perk disappears. When we went last October, right after they started hotel guest EE, they just had you show one key per party, and they didn’t scan the keys. I think this new method is more accurate. People are moving past the scanners very quickly since they don’t start scanning anyone’s key until AFTER they drop the EE rope. So if you have to pull up the app or have any issues, you are losing precious minutes of your EE.

 

[Pluto468]

Are there public areas besides the lobby where you can hang out at the Grand? (As a guest)
I was thinking of getting 2 rooms, but it's so pricey we'll just book 1 standard or courtyard view and hope we have a daybed in it. But sometimes I need to make a private call or just want some quiet time to read, and I was thinking it would be handy if there are areas around the hotel where I could go besides our room.

 

[OKW Lover]

But sometimes I need to make a private call or just want some quiet time to read, and I was thinking it would be handy if there are areas around the hotel where I could go besides our room.

There are a few little niche's on the upper floors. Try taking the elevator up to 3 or 4 and walk around.

 

[DizMe]

There are a few little niche's on the upper floors. Try taking the elevator up to 3 or 4 and walk around.

Yes, there's a nice smallish lobby on the 3rd floor, looking down on the main lobby. There are also scatterings of little areas with couches, chairs, and tables throughout the floors above the lobby.

 

[DizMe]

Yes, there's a nice smallish lobby on the 3rd floor, looking down on the main lobby. There are also scatterings of little areas with couches, chairs, and tables throughout the floors above the lobby.

Here's a picture of the 3rd floor lobby:

 

[Pluto468]

Here's a picture of the 3rd floor lobby:
View attachment 784482

Ooh, that looks lovely! Exactly what I was hoping for Hopefully it won't be too far from my room. I booked a standard.

 

[Aladora]

Yes, there's a nice smallish lobby on the 3rd floor, looking down on the main lobby. There are also scatterings of little areas with couches, chairs, and tables throughout the floors above the lobby.

On one of our trips a few years ago there was a CM up there in the afternoons with a bunch of board games you could play. We went there once and we were the only people there, the CM was super happy to chat with us!

 

[Disney Ron]

We just got back last Friday from a 7 night stay at the Grand. What a totally beautiful resort. The room was awesome we had a standard view with a full shower and our view was of the front entrance looking across at PPH and DLH.

Loved everything, beautiful lobby, great cast members, the Hearthstone Lounge was so relaxing, the Craftsman Grill was awesome as was the Craftsman Bar great drinks.

The private entrances to DTD & DCA were absolutely incredible.

We had the character breakfast at Storytellers with plenty of character interaction and good food.

It was our first trip to DL after plenty of WDW visits and as much as we love the Wilderness Lodge we loved the Grand even more.

Our Mousekeeping crew were tremendous. So very nice and they work very hard for their guests. We tipped daily so whoever did our room knew how much we appreciated them. And let me just say the mousekeepers were the best bunch we've ever had at a Disney hotel or non Disney resort. Very coordinated staff. I can't say enough about them.

The atmosphere can't be beat and the professionalism of those at the Grand was very impressive.

 

[DizMe]

Ooh, that looks lovely! Exactly what I was hoping for Hopefully it won't be too far from my room. I booked a standard.

I nearly always book a standard room. I often request the 3rd floor because my sister and I love to sit in that lobby and have a glass of port (we bring our own). We also met up with a group of friends there a few Christmases ago for a gift exchange/little party. We all live in different places and Disneyland is our meet-up place! That "private" lobby is nice for things like that.

Anyway, I don't spend enough time in the room to worry about what view I have, and I've always had a pretty good view anyway with standard. I'm more concerned with location within the hotel (something close to stairs or elevator). I'd rather have an easy walk than a great view, LOL.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I nearly always book a standard room. I often request the 3rd floor because my sister and I love to sit in that lobby and have a glass of port (we bring our own). We also met up with a group of friends there a few Christmases ago for a gift exchange/little party. We all live in different places and Disneyland is our meet-up place! That "private" lobby is nice for things like that.

Anyway, I don't spend enough time in the room to worry about what view I have, and I've always had a pretty good view anyway with standard. I'm more concerned with location within the hotel (something close to stairs or elevator). I'd rather have an easy walk than a great view, LOL.

We stayed in one of the rooms on the right side of that picture and it was amazing. I don’t know how you can beat that location.

 

[Pluto468]

I'd rather have an easy walk than a great view, LOL.

So would I! I'm going to request the 3rd floor when we go. Thanks!

 

[nalabear]

We love that 3rd floor landing. When the music and piano plays, it's wonderful. Standard rooms are just right around the corner too, just off the lobby.