Grand Californian Super Thread

[ClaraOswald]

That video does a great job of showing the vibe of the whole place. So great.

 

[salemk]

Will be at GCH from 11/28 - 12/1. Anybody know if they will have handbell carolers again this year. I know they’ve been there for at least last 2 years. If anybody sees something in lobby please reply.

 

[Mercdesman]

Who do you use to get from LAX to the Grand California Hotel?

 

[Chili327]

Who do you use to get from LAX to the Grand California Hotel?

Lyft (or Uber), but there are plenty of options.

 

[BuzzlightHead]

Who do you use to get from LAX to the Grand California Hotel?

You can use a rental or Uber/Lyft if you just want to get to and from ASAP with no special needs.

We're shuttling from SNA to the GCH in Jan and using 'Anaheim Town Car' because we're bringing our 1-yr old and don't want to travel with our car seat. I haven't actually used the service yet, but they have great reviews online. They're a bit pricier than Karmel, (which is what Disney recommends on their site), but some reviews made me pretty hesitant to book with them. Probably won't go wrong with either TBH. I'm spending $226 w/ Tip on the round-trip ride which didn't seem outrageous.

 

[Aladora]

Who do you use to get from LAX to the Grand California Hotel?

We used Executive Car Service for our July/23 trip. We got a full size SUV for 4 people plus bags for $155 each way before tip. Very happy with the service and would definitely use them again.

 

[Mercdesman]

Lyft (or Uber), but there are plenty of options.

I meant besides Uber or lyft

 

[milieu_mouse]

To club level or not to club level?
That is the question.

We caught the Disney bug during our August 2022 trip, when we stayed GCH club level. In March 2023 we returned and tried DLH, again club level. We'll be returning next month to GCH for a holiday stay, and I'm waffling a bit on whether to keep the club level room as the price has gotten pretty ridiculous.

We really love the convenience of grabbing food or drink anytime, particularly when everything is bonkers busy. It's like a little home base where we can recharge, always there. There is admittedly also a part of me that loves letting go of the responsibility of accounting for all of that stuff for my family... it's an escape for me too, if that makes sense?

(I completely acknowledge my privilege in this, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the ability to vacation in this way.)

Have any of you moved away from staying club level? Would you stick with it or abandon it, given the choice?

 

[Iceman93]

You described all the reasons to go for Club Level, but only you can make the "is it worth it" decision. Of course there's no way to make it pencil out, so what you're paying for is convenience, peace of mind, and freedom (could be the very definition of luxury).

 

[DizMe]

With a family, it can make a lot of sense. It won't be a financial wash, but the ease and ability of getting food and having a nice environment that doesn't require reservations (other than your hotel res) makes it a worthy choice if it's in the budget. As Iceman said, what you're paying for is the intangibles (peace of mind, freedom from the hassles of reservations, a nice place to hang out, etc) and that's not to be discounted.

 

[Pluto468]

To club level or not to club level?
That is the question.

We caught the Disney bug during our August 2022 trip, when we stayed GCH club level. In March 2023 we returned and tried DLH, again club level. We'll be returning next month to GCH for a holiday stay, and I'm waffling a bit on whether to keep the club level room as the price has gotten pretty ridiculous.

We really love the convenience of grabbing food or drink anytime, particularly when everything is bonkers busy. It's like a little home base where we can recharge, always there. There is admittedly also a part of me that loves letting go of the responsibility of accounting for all of that stuff for my family... it's an escape for me too, if that makes sense?

(I completely acknowledge my privilege in this, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have the ability to vacation in this way.)

Have any of you moved away from staying club level? Would you stick with it or abandon it, given the choice?

After staying club level, it's hard to imagine not doing it. Yes, it can be a bit pricey, but it's so convenient. I like having that extra place to hang out aside from our hotel room, and it's great having food available all day. If it's affordable, I'd do club again for sure.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I mean, it's a such a personal decision. I'd look at what the total extra cost is and just decide if that's worth it for convenience or if you'd rather grab food at the restaurants on-site or downtown Disney.

 

[Allieoop1]

We're arriving Sunday at the GC so we can now check in. What are the pros/cons to checking in early? We have a reservation for just a Standard View so I know we won't have the greatest view, but would we have a better chance of getting a "not so bad" view if I check in early or if we check in when we get there around 5:00 p.m.?

 

[Pluto468]

We're arriving Sunday at the GC so we can now check in. What are the pros/cons to checking in early? We have a reservation for just a Standard View so I know we won't have the greatest view, but would we have a better chance of getting a "not so bad" view if I check in early or if we check in when we get there around 5:00 p.m.?

I've checked in early every time I could since it was available. The first time I did, I got the best room ever.
Over the years I've called a number of times about room requests, and the CMs have told me they don't assign the room until the day you check in. So that would suggest that even if you check in today they won't assign your room until Sunday. I'd think in that case it might help you get the room you want, because you'll be checked in before other people arriving on the same day. Also, if you check in and don't like your room, you can go to the front desk and ask for a change. You could also call ahead of time and ask for a certain view.

 

[Allieoop1]

I've checked in early every time I could since it was available. The first time I did, I got the best room ever.
Over the years I've called a number of times about room requests, and the CMs have told me they don't assign the room until the day you check in. So that would suggest that even if you check in today they won't assign your room until Sunday. I'd think in that case it might help you get the room you want, because you'll be checked in before other people arriving on the same day. Also, if you check in and don't like your room, you can go to the front desk and ask for a change. You could also call ahead of time and ask for a certain view.

Thank you! I'll go ahead and check in this afternoon when I get a chance. It's been ten years since I've stayed at GC - is there a view that you would suggest that I should ask for?

 

[Pluto468]

Thank you! I'll go ahead and check in this afternoon when I get a chance. It's been ten years since I've stayed at GC - is there a view that you would suggest that I should ask for?

I haven't stayed at the Grand yet, my experience is with Disneyland Hotel. But the check in etc is the same at both places. I called the Grand last month to request a quiet room for my April trip and they were super helpful.

 

[DizMe]

Thank you! I'll go ahead and check in this afternoon when I get a chance. It's been ten years since I've stayed at GC - is there a view that you would suggest that I should ask for?

I don't really care too much about the view, but I care a lot about the location of my room. I always request a room close to the elevators (either main lobby or Napa Rose). I don't want one of those rooms that are waaaaaaaaay down a couple of corridors from the elevators.

There aren't many views that are bad. I almost always book a standard room for that reason--I prefer convenient location.

My preferred spots are in the Napa Rose wing or right above the main lobby. Many of those are not listed as standard but there are still some that are.

 

[Allieoop1]

I don't really care too much about the view, but I care a lot about the location of my room. I always request a room close to the elevators (either main lobby or Napa Rose). I don't want one of those rooms that are waaaaaaaaay down a couple of corridors from the elevators.

There aren't many views that are bad. I almost always book a standard room for that reason--I prefer convenient location.

My preferred spots are in the Napa Rose wing or right above the main lobby. Many of those are not listed as standard but there are still some that are.

Thanks. I'll call later and ask about the Napa Rose wing. We're the opposite about the elevators though - I usually request to not be near elevators because we think it's too noisy with everyone coming and going. I think making a request may not make a difference since we're arriving Sunday afternoon and I had read that GC is booked solid for the weekend because of the Candlelight Processional and those people probably won't be leaving until Monday???

 

[DizMe]

Thanks. I'll call later and ask about the Napa Rose wing. We're the opposite about the elevators though - I usually request to not be near elevators because we think it's too noisy with everyone coming and going. I think making a request may not make a difference since we're arriving Sunday afternoon and I had read that GC is booked solid for the weekend because of the Candlelight Processional and those people probably won't be leaving until Monday???

Yes, that may be true about requests for that time period, but it doesn't hurt to make the request. I'm going a few days later (the 7th).

The elevators in GCH are set into a little dedicated entry area (like they have their own little lobby) and don't seem to impact the nearby rooms. We stayed in a room next to the main elevators a few years ago and didn't hear anything more than at other locations.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I agree about being far away from elevators. I like less foot traffic going by my room. We were actually on the far end of the DVC section in one of the hotel rooms at the very end of the hallway. Probably the farthest room from the park entrance so a lot of people would hate it but it was super quiet. I don't think I heard any other people our entire 7 nights. Didn't even hear people screaming on Goofy's Sky School (unless we opened our balcony door.)