Grand Californian

[pmaurer74]

I wonder when we can start making reservations for Storyteller's Cafe.

May 18 I believe.

 

[Malcon10t]

Heard rumor Grand Californian Valet will be returning by/about Memorial Day weekend.

 

[DLgal]

I booked all our days for July under the hotel bucket using separately purchased tickets.

 

[brentm77]

So if you are planning a stay at a Disney hotel I’d definitely try and book a package that includes your tix (if you need tix). We’re at The Grand now and I wanted to switch our park reservations for tomorrow. Disneyland was still available for “Disney Hotel Guests” according to the link that has been posted on this page. I’ve never been able to book using the “hotel bucket” tickets. The page would just flash for me when trying. It was like a glitch. So today I went to the front desk and asked if they could help me switch my theme park reservations to Disneyland. She said no, that could only be done online. I told her it doesn’t work for me and showed her the webpage showing the availability calendar that includes “Disney Hotel Guests”. After waiting around and her leaving and coming back multiple times, and her asking if she could see that page again she said she wasn’t aware of that page and none of them have ever seen it before. It was new to them. At one point she was talking to a few other people behind the front desk so I don’t think any of them knew about the “hotel bucket “. She recommended I went to the ticket booths and hit a call button and that someone would come down and that was the only option if I wanted help “troubleshooting” the app/online tickets. Needless to say, I didn’t attempt that. Anyway, she said that was probably available if I had booked a package but not for hotel guests who have tickets not purchased as a package.

Frankly, at $800 per night, I expect better service than that. Usually the front desk is amazing. I am not a demanding guest and rarely ask for anything from hotel staff, but if I couldn't get clearly available reservations, I would expect the staff to make whatever calls they needed to make to get reservations that were supposed to be an added perk of staying there. You get a pretty standard Marriott-type room at the hotel, so it really should be making up for it in service, not just throwing their hands up and directing you to a regular ticket booth.

 

[Malcon10t]

Frankly, at $800 per night, I expect better service than that. Usually the front desk is amazing. I am not a demanding guest and rarely ask for anything from hotel staff, but if I couldn't get clearly available reservations, I would expect the staff to make whatever calls they needed to make to get reservations that were supposed to be an added perk of staying there. You get a pretty standard Marriott-type room at the hotel, so it really should be making up for it in service, not just throwing their hands up and directing you to a regular ticket booth.

Agreed. Problem really is they have brought back a limited number of high seniority employees who may not be the most tech savvy. They should be able to have someone who can handle it though, or at least have a way to do it from a lobby if needed or with a GR assist.

 

[shosh1530]

I think part of the issue is that they never have really announced the hotel reservation bucket or advertised it as a perk. It seems to be an under the radar thing. Their reopening info emphasized that you should book your park reservations first and then book hotel. Strange to me that they wouldn't advertise it or train their staff about it.

 

[Whistlebee]

Just got home last night. I was frustrated that the front desk couldn’t help me make reservations but I wasn’t shocked either. It would’ve made our last day in the parks much better if we could’ve switched our reservations to DL. I’ve stayed at GCH several times and I’ve never had outstanding service. If I stayed there for the service I’d be really disappointed! I stay there for the location, the convenience and the relaxing vibe. On our last night, after we got back from dinner we decided we wanted to try and mobile order beignets from Ralph Brennan’s (I’m not sure if we could but I wanted to see). I was looking around the lobby for the QR code for the mobile order link but I couldn’t find one. I know I could’ve rode the elevator up and got the code on a different floor but I didn’t want to do that. I decided to just ask the front desk for the code. They told me there was no code. They don’t have a code and I just use the app. I told her I wanted to order from the downtown Disney restaurants and you can’t do it through the app but you use the link from the QR code. She wasn’t any help at all. Told me that they don’t have any codes at the front desk. Ok. I gave up. We ate cookies in the room instead. I love the hotel I just would be disappointed if I was counting on good service from them. I will say that the cast member that I asked for help with the theme park reservations really tried. She asked several different people and really was trying to figure out how to help me.

 

[Jerryp49]

I know they do not have microwaves in the rooms.. Do they have them in the Vending rooms on each floor , where you can grab a bucket of ice , etc.. with dining so limited and hard to book we are thinking about bringing some home cooked..

 

[DLgal]

I know they do not have microwaves in the rooms.. Do they have them in the Vending rooms on each floor , where you can grab a bucket of ice , etc.. with dining so limited and hard to book we are thinking about bringing some home cooked..

No. They had one in the quick service for guest use prior to the pandemic, but it's likely gone at this point.

 

[DLgal]

Just got home last night. I was frustrated that the front desk couldn’t help me make reservations but I wasn’t shocked either. It would’ve made our last day in the parks much better if we could’ve switched our reservations to DL. I’ve stayed at GCH several times and I’ve never had outstanding service. If I stayed there for the service I’d be really disappointed! I stay there for the location, the convenience and the relaxing vibe. On our last night, after we got back from dinner we decided we wanted to try and mobile order beignets from Ralph Brennan’s (I’m not sure if we could but I wanted to see). I was looking around the lobby for the QR code for the mobile order link but I couldn’t find one. I know I could’ve rode the elevator up and got the code on a different floor but I didn’t want to do that. I decided to just ask the front desk for the code. They told me there was no code. They don’t have a code and I just use the app. I told her I wanted to order from the downtown Disney restaurants and you can’t do it through the app but you use the link from the QR code. She wasn’t any help at all. Told me that they don’t have any codes at the front desk. Ok. I gave up. We ate cookies in the room instead. I love the hotel I just would be disappointed if I was counting on good service from them. I will say that the cast member that I asked for help with the theme park reservations really tried. She asked several different people and really was trying to figure out how to help me.

What am I missing here? Why didn't you want to ride up one floor to get a code? You rather spent how much time conversing with a CM with no real answer. How is that a more efficient way to solve your issue? Sometimes when CMs don't have an answer, it's just faster to figure it out yourself.

I probably would have said "never mind" and then immediately run up that one staircase just off the lobby to take a photo of the QR code sign to place my order. And then I'd likely go back down to the CM and show her so she would have the knowledge to help others going forward.

 

[BayouQueen]

I'm getting organized for our July stay. Will bring along homemade cookies. lol

But does anyone know...do they still have coffee makers in the rooms? So many things are different now.

 

[BayouQueen]

I had to make a change to my hotel reservation so I called in. It was the first person I've spoken to, because so much stuff is done online now. Gotta say...I almost cried when I heard that soft, pleasant and polite "Disney voice" on the other end of the line.
I'm that much more excited for our trip.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I had to make a change to my hotel reservation so I called in. It was the first person I've spoken to, because so much stuff is done online now. Gotta say...I almost cried when I heard that soft, pleasant and polite "Disney voice" on the other end of the line.
I'm that much more excited for our trip.

I called in to modify my reservation this morning and I know exactly how you felt! I stayed on the line afterwards for the "customer satisfaction" survey and gleefully typed in "5" (highest) for each answer.

 

[Nonsuch]

I know they do not have microwaves in the rooms.. Do they have them in the Vending rooms on each floor , where you can grab a bucket of ice , etc.. with dining so limited and hard to book we are thinking about bringing some home cooked..

Microwaves were added to some vending rooms prior to the shutdown, but I have not checked if they are still there

 

[BayouQueen]

I called in to modify my reservation this morning and I know exactly how you felt! I stayed on the line afterwards for the "customer satisfaction" survey and gleefully typed in "5" (highest) for each answer.

I did that too!

 

[Malcon10t]

I know they do not have microwaves in the rooms.. Do they have them in the Vending rooms on each floor , where you can grab a bucket of ice , etc.. with dining so limited and hard to book we are thinking about bringing some home cooked..

We generally stay in rooms 101-107 on each floor and the vending room across from 105 have microwaves in it on at least floors 3-5 (where we generally are put.). My daughter used the one on the 5th floor opening weekend.

 

[Whistlebee]

What am I missing here? Why didn't you want to ride up one floor to get a code? You rather spent how much time conversing with a CM with no real answer. How is that a more efficient way to solve your issue? Sometimes when CMs don't have an answer, it's just faster to figure it out yourself.

I probably would have said "never mind" and then immediately run up that one staircase just off the lobby to take a photo of the QR code sign to place my order. And then I'd likely go back down to the CM and show her so she would have the knowledge to help others going forward.

Lol, what you’re missing is that I was on Day 4 of a Disney trip with 2 kids and I was TIRED! We had just done our third full day in the parks and then gone to dinner in Downtown Disney. I was beyond tired. I asked the cast member at the front desk because it was late and there was no line to speak to someone. I didn’t want to go upstairs to get the QR code. If I went upstairs, I was going to bed, lol. I’m glad you would’ve had the energy to run up the stairs and get the code. Your kids would’ve gotten beignets! Mine got cookies

 

[Skyegirl1999]

I'm getting organized for our July stay. Will bring along homemade cookies. lol

But does anyone know...do they still have coffee makers in the rooms? So many things are different now.

Our room had a coffeemaker. I left while my family was asleep and didn’t use it, but I noticed it was there.

 

[Malcon10t]

But does anyone know...do they still have coffee makers in the rooms? So many things are different now.

They have Keurigs.

 

[BayouQueen]

They have Keurigs.

Thank you!