Grand Californian Super Thread

[TikiTikiFan]

If you are planning to use the private entrance into DCA, yes. We tended to take one or two breaks during the day and this was convenient for us. Even when coming back from DL, we'd cut through DCA to get back to the Grand.

If you are focusing more on DL or planning to use main DCA entrance primarily, then close the lobby elevators is slightly better.

We had friends that were almost as far away from the elevators as possible and it was quite a hike.

IMO you can't go wrong either way. I'm equally happy with either because sometimes the lobby elevators are the better option--if you're going to DTD, going into DL, visiting the gift shops or Hearthstone Lounge, etc. If you are near the Napa Rose elevators, it's very simple to get to the hotel DCA entrance, Napa Rose, Storytellers, the Craftsman Bar, and the pool. I much prefer those elevators if we use the pool or jacuzzi because you don't have to schlepp through the main lobby when you're all wet.

But just to be clear, between those two elevator banks there is really not much of a walking difference if you're going from the elevators to anything in the hotel.

We're also spending our first few days at Star Wars Celebration at the Convention Center so we'll be walking to that and cutting through the lobby/main entrance so probably by either elevators will be just fine it seems! Thank you both for the tips!

I am SO EXCITED. This is my first time staying on-site at Disneyland (done WDW before) and the Grand has been my bucket list item every since our first Disneyland trip. My mom passed unexpectedly this January and I decided this splurge was a much needed one after the rough start to this year. She would have told me 'Go for it, you deserve it!'

 

[Malcon10t]

Our group actually prefers the standard rooms. And to add to it, they prefer the rooms in the far 200 section (odd numbers) because it feels more "woodsy", their description, not mine. There is an elevator bank for the DVC that is close to that area, and it tends to be a little less crowded.

 

[WishUponAStar3]

We're also spending our first few days at Star Wars Celebration at the Convention Center so we'll be walking to that and cutting through the lobby/main entrance so probably by either elevators will be just fine it seems! Thank you both for the tips!

I am SO EXCITED. This is my first time staying on-site at Disneyland (done WDW before) and the Grand has been my bucket list item every since our first Disneyland trip. My mom passed unexpectedly this January and I decided this splurge was a much needed one after the rough start to this year. She would have told me 'Go for it, you deserve it!'

I'm so sorry about your mom. You do deserve this special break, and I hope you have the best time!

 

[lily_belle]

We're also spending our first few days at Star Wars Celebration at the Convention Center so we'll be walking to that and cutting through the lobby/main entrance so probably by either elevators will be just fine it seems! Thank you both for the tips!

I am SO EXCITED. This is my first time staying on-site at Disneyland (done WDW before) and the Grand has been my bucket list item every since our first Disneyland trip. My mom passed unexpectedly this January and I decided this splurge was a much needed one after the rough start to this year. She would have told me 'Go for it, you deserve it!'

I am so sorry for your loss. You definitely deserve this splurge and I hope you have an amazing trip!

 

[bavarian princess]

Hi - just got home from 4 nights @ GCH. I am not sure about #1 - I booked a woods view room but ended up with a partial view of the park. It was on the 2nd floor so there were trees obscuring the view but could still see some of the rides and hear the park music with the door open. Only drawback is was that it was at the end of a very long hallway.

We rope-dropped Disneyland 3 mornings. There are signs in the lobby directing you to Downtown Disney & Disneyland. Park opening was at 8. We got in line to go through bag check/metal detectors around 6:50 and were a few people back. They start letting people into Downtown Disney @ 7. After the checkpoint, you turn right and head towards the esplanade to get in line for the park. Everyday we were there, they started letting in people from GCH before Harbor which allowed us to be first in line at a turnstile every morning. They start scanning tickets just before 7:30 and then do a countdown and let you in right @ 7:30.

Since we will be leaving soon (23rd of May) I am collection all the wonderful info I got here on the boards and I also revisited your comments on rop drop. I plan on being at the bag check at 6:50 I was wondering if it is possible to grab a coffee when inside the parks even though the rope has not been dropped yet. It would make waiting much nicer, but it would probably be a bit of a challenge to find my party once people are pouring into the turnstile area.

Yes, dining reservations for table service meals are snapped right up when they become available. Most of them drop 60 days before, at 6 a.m. Pacific time. The most popular ones (Blue
Bayou, Oga's Cantina, Carthay Circle etc.) are often gone within minutes for the entire day. It never used to be like that pre-pandemic, but since they reopened. it's as if people are vying for front-row superstar concert tickets. Kind of ridiculous, but there you are. I hope it settles down eventually!

One option is to subscribe to a service that sends you alerts when somebody cancels a dining reservation you have set up an alert for. There's a free option, but you only get emails with that; for I think $9 a month they will send you a text. A couple of days before the times you want, they will start dropping many alerts as people cancel before the 24 hour cutoff. The name of the service won't show when you type it here, but it is the word beginning with M that means rodent, and Dining, one word. Good luck!

I just wanted to report back that I was able to get Lamplight Lounge Thanks again.

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

We're also spending our first few days at Star Wars Celebration at the Convention Center so we'll be walking to that and cutting through the lobby/main entrance so probably by either elevators will be just fine it seems! Thank you both for the tips!

I am SO EXCITED. This is my first time staying on-site at Disneyland (done WDW before) and the Grand has been my bucket list item every since our first Disneyland trip. My mom passed unexpectedly this January and I decided this splurge was a much needed one after the rough start to this year. She would have told me 'Go for it, you deserve it!'

I am sorry for your loss. May your trip be blessed with a lot of magic and pixie dust.

 

[blabbermouth]

We just checked in and she told me there would be daily housekeeping

 

[StormyCA]

One down, two to go! Once they bring back package delivery and early entry, I am THERE!!!

 

[blabbermouth]

Now to complicate things, they gave us a room in the villas (pool/tree view) so we'll see if we get daily housekeeping over here or not there were robes and slippers though!

 

[blabbermouth]

And one more note, there were a lot of grumpy people in line at 5ish who hadn't got their room number texted or had got notification their room was ready, but no number, and also bags were taking about 40-50 minutes to be delivered. So they are still working on some service items! We were in the same boat, but it wasn't a big deal to us!

 

[DLgal]

Now to complicate things, they gave us a room in the villas (pool/tree view) so we'll see if we get daily housekeeping over here or not there were robes and slippers though!

Are you serious? Are you in an actual villa or just in the newer wing of hotel rooms? If they literally put you in a villa and you paid for a hotel room, you are getting the shaft. Those DVC units are NOWHERE near as nice as the resort rooms. I'd not accept that.

 

[1Disneylandfan]

We just checked in and she told me there would be daily housekeeping

Ooo, nice to know. I'll be staying for a few nights in early July.

 

[mouschievous]

Now to complicate things, they gave us a room in the villas (pool/tree view) so we'll see if we get daily housekeeping over here or not there were robes and slippers though!

DVC does not get daily housekeeping (I think just garbage and towels?) so if you're in the villas but booked as a hotel guest, I'll be curious to see how they handle that!

 

[twodogs]

We just checked in and she told me there would be daily housekeeping

So this was not something you had to request? We had to request it when were were there over Easter.

Their website still says it will just be towels and trash, so I am hoping this is a PERMANENT change that won’t be “by request only”. Why am I made to feel badly for asking for daily housekeeping on an $850/night room, Disney??

 

[blabbermouth]

Are you serious? Are you in an actual villa or just in the newer wing of hotel rooms? If they literally put you in a villa and you paid for a hotel room, you are getting the shaft. Those DVC units are NOWHERE near as nice as the resort rooms. I'd not accept that.

I am not sure? It's in the dvc wing, they keep welcoming us home it looks like the regular 2 queen room to me, but have never stayed in a regular room. Can you tell me what the difference is so I can check? I feel like the shower isn't as nice?

So this was not something you had to request? We had to request it when were were there over Easter.

Their website still says it will just be towels and trash, so I am hoping this is a PERMANENT change that won’t be “by request only”. Why am I made to feel badly for asking for daily housekeeping on an $850/night room, Disney??

I didn't have to ask, she just said there would be.

 

[Malcon10t]

I think they announced a couple weeks ago they would have housekeeping returned. DLH has had housekeeping.

 

[DLgal]

I think they announced a couple weeks ago they would have housekeeping returned. DLH has had housekeeping.

We didn't have it at the DLH for a 2 night stay the last week of April, even though it was supposed to be "back."

 

[DLgal]

I am not sure? It's in the dvc wing, they keep welcoming us home it looks like the regular 2 queen room to me, but have never stayed in a regular room. Can you tell me what the difference is so I can check? I feel like the shower isn't as nice?

I didn't have to ask, she just said there would be.

If your room has 2 queens, it's likely a standard hotel room. The studios have a sofa bed and a queen bed. Does it have a kitchenette with another sink and microwave (thats a DVC villa thing)?

Does it have the tree mural painted behind the beds and the raised platform beds with the new strip of lighting running around the upper perimeter of the room? Shower with dual shower heads-rain head and handheld? (Those are features of the new rooms)

 

[blabbermouth]

If your room has 2 queens, it's likely a standard hotel room. The studios have a sofa bed and a queen bed. Does it have a kitchenette with another sink and microwave (thats a DVC villa thing)?

Does it have the tree mural painted behind the beds and the raised platform beds with the new strip of lighting running around the upper perimeter of the room? Shower with dual shower heads-rain head and handheld? (Those are features of the new rooms)

Yes after I typed that I was pretty sure if it didn't have a kitchenette it wasn't a suite and just a regular room.

And housekeeping just knocked and asked if we wanted anything I think they would have done a full go about if we weren't here!

 

[DizMe]

Yes after I typed that I was pretty sure if it didn't have a kitchenette it wasn't a suite and just a regular room.

And housekeeping just knocked and asked if we wanted anything I think they would have done a full go about if we weren't here!

My sister and I were once given a room in what they said was the DVC wing. We didn't know what that meant, but it turned out to be a regular room, like yours.

Goofy's Sky School (or maybe it was Mulholland Madness at the time) was right outside our window, which was kind of cool but at night, on the ride, there was this round thing with a light that swung back and forth. It was supposed to look like some kind of caution sign. That swinging light came through our window and was really annoying, lol.