Southern California (& Disneyland): Backstage Magic Meets Thread

[lilmissfoodie]

Please. Please. Please be Club 33. Haven't been there since the update and rule changes. Hoping but not expecting. Can't wait to meet John and Kevin. Will John take a pic of Kevin with something big in the background?

 

[DisneyKevin]

Please. Please. Please be Club 33. Haven't been there since the update and rule changes. Hoping but not expecting. Can't wait to meet John and Kevin. Will John take a pic of Kevin with something big in the background?

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but ABD no longer has access to Club 33 after the renovation.

I would rather you know this ahead of our Adventure.

This is not one of our surprises.

 

[lilmissfoodie]

Now that's quick service. Oh well, I'm sure what you have planned will excite any Disney fan. If I get a shot with you and John I'll be more than happy.

 

[OKW Lover]

I love surprises!!!

 

[OKW Lover]

Will John take a pic of Kevin with something big in the background?

I'm betting this will happen.

 

[danv3]

Received an e-mail today from our travel agent noting a change in our October 2017 Southern California trip:

Thank you for choosing a vacation with Adventures by Disney for your clients. We are pleased that they will be joining us in Southern California.

We want to let you and your clients know of a change in the itinerary for 2017. Our breakfast on day three will now take place at the Walt Disney Studios Commissary and lunch will be at the newly restored Grand Central Air Terminal on the Walt Disney Imagineering campus. This site was the birthplace of commercial aviation in the Los Angeles region and is associated with pioneers of American aviation including Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and Charles Lindbergh.

Guests will enjoy lunch in the terminal building and experience the Visitor Center. Researched, designed and installed by Disney Imagineers, the Visitor Center provides a rich experience of the building's history. Your assistance in communicating this change to your client is appreciated.

Anyone know anything about this? Have we lost something (i.e., time at the studio or Imagineering?)

 

[DisneyKevin]

Received an e-mail today from our travel agent noting a change in our October 2017 Southern California trip:

Anyone know anything about this? Have we lost something (i.e., time at the studio or Imagineering?)

We used to have breakfast at the Loews Hotel and lunch at the Commissary.

We now have breakfast at the Commissary and lunch at Imagineering.

It seems that we are actually gaining time at both the Studio and Imagineering.

 

[danv3]

We used to have breakfast at the Loews Hotel and lunch at the Commissary.

We now have breakfast at the Commissary and lunch at Imagineering.

It seems that we are actually gaining time at both the Studio and Imagineering.

Great, thank you!

 

[CinderALLIE]

I am very happy with this change...now if only they will change the breakfast when at Grand Californian so we don't do storytellers twice...go back to Goofy's Kitchen or anywhere else please

 

[meryll83]

I remember lunch at the commissary was pretty early, so this might make for better meal times too

 

[scrapbookjulie]

Just got notified that due to construction, our itinerary changed from Grand Californian and Storytellers to Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. Thoughts on this? Should I be happy or disappointed?

 

[CinderALLIE]

Just got notified that due to construction, our itinerary changed from Grand Californian and Storytellers to Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. Thoughts on this? Should I be happy or disappointed?

I received same email, I am happy about the breakfast change and I always wanted to stay at the Disneyland hotel.
I do think we should receive a discount on tour though due to the price differences for hotel.

 

[tgeorge]

Just got notified that due to construction, our itinerary changed from Grand Californian and Storytellers to Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. Thoughts on this? Should I be happy or disappointed?

When is your trip? I didn't receive an email, but we don't go until December, so maybe we won't be affected by the construction.

 

[scrapbookjulie]

When is your trip? I didn't receive an email, but we don't go until December, so maybe we won't be affected by the construction.

We are going the first week of August.

 

[McPackers]

Just got notified that due to construction, our itinerary changed from Grand Californian and Storytellers to Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. Thoughts on this? Should I be happy or disappointed?

I got the same email notice ( booked for a trip May 2017) and I am not happy. Being from the East Coast, this will probably be the only time I stay at Disneyland and I want to stay at the Grand Californian. I'm thinking about canceling - I'm very disappointed.

 

[IzzyBella]

I haven't gotten the notice (yet), but the itinerary has changed to Disneyland Hotel on the ABD website. Also from the east coast and incredibly disappointed.

 

[tgeorge]

I haven't gotten the notice (yet), but the itinerary has changed to Disneyland Hotel on the ABD website. Also from the east coast and incredibly disappointed.

Hmmmm, that's interesting. I really, really wanted to stay at Grand Californian. It wasn't why I booked this trip,but it would be disappointing. If it is due to construction, I understand those things happen.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Hi Folks,

I have been told that this hotel change affects all 2017 departures.

I will keep you updated if I learn more.

Kevin

 

[Miss SD]

Thanks, Kevin.

I like the Disneyland Hotel and don't mind the change, but I hope ABD will make sure our rooms at least have decent views. We've had the parking lot view before, and we didn't mind it because the room was substantially discounted (during the recession). I wouldn't want to pay GCH prices for it, though.

 

[hilarys]

Hmm, that is a tough one. We are DVC owners at the Grand and usually stay in the villas but have also stayed in the regular rooms plenty of times. I just came back last night from Disneyland doing the StarWars Run Weekend. For this trip we stayed at the DL hotel - I had not stayed there since 1980 There are many cool things about the DL hotel (the pool is beautiful and a cool retro vibe), but I think the Grand is still my preference. You just can't beat the location and convenience of it for one thing and I love the lobby. The DL Hotel is very convenient to the monorail which is fun. In my opinion the finishes and linens etc in the rooms in each are equally nice. The DL hotel has been very nicely updated - light and bright with the cool light up headboards. I think I like the bathroom layout better at the DLH over the Grand. However you can't get around the fact that the DLH is old construction. I found that the noise from other rooms was really loud as well as noise coming from outside. The elevators are tiny and the shower was pretty basic. It always quieted down at an appropriate time, but it was noticeable. Oh there is another plus for the DLH though - Dole Whips with rum in the coffee bar in the afternoon.

We walked through the Grand on Sunday and there is a ton of construction going on. The pool is completely closed and blocked off and it sounded like other construction was going on as well. I don't think the change in hotels would cause me to change the trip, because they are both very nice hotels and the "specialness" of the trip is all the extras and backstage exclusives.

On other construction notes, StarWars Land is really starting to take shape - rock formations are emerging.

Happy to answer any other DL questions.