KrzyAsian
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2023
- Messages
- 52
I'll preface this report by saying that this trip was mainly meant to check off a bucket list item of staying at the Grand Californian.
This was my Anaheim staycation over Star Wars weekend (May 2-4th).
Friday (May 2nd)
I decided to take a half day and work from home in order to maximize our stay at the resort. I took my last call at 1:19pm and was logged off and getting the last few things ready to leave by 1:30pm. The dog sitter was already over and bags had been packed the night prior. Poured a shot of whiskey and cheers-'d it down with my partner and got in the car to head over to the resort. Due to the daily Friday commuter traffic, it took a little over 20 minutes to get to the Grand from Irvine. I've been inside many times, stared at it from the outside countless times, but this was my first time staying as a guest.
DVC allows us free self-parking, so after a slightly confusing luggage/passenger drop-off situation, I parked my car and crossed the street and walked into that gorgeous lobby with my suitcase and took in the sights/sounds of the hustle-bustle start of a "Holiday" weekend. Directly in the center of the lobby was a gigantic death star, made up of pounds of confectionary. After double-checking my text letting me know which room we were in, I realized I actually did not know how to get there. I can show you where the restaurants, entrances to DTD/DCA, the pool, spa, and even fitness center are, but I actually did not know where the rooms/villas were. This provided an excellent opportunity to check-in in-person.
I had a very pleasant interaction with the cast member and got directions/advice for the weekend. The Grizzly Peak entrance is closed for refurbishment, but in exchange the Pixar Pier entrance is open all day and is closer to the DVC wing. The construction being done to the hotel was a little bit of a bummer, but it was still grand nonetheless. It is probably the reason my waitlist went through anyways, so I can't really complain.
After getting directions, we headed up to our Deluxe Studio. We were in room 2509 which overlooks the pool and is tucked into the corner of the courtyard. While it was a little disappointing to not get a DCA view, even with the request to MS, I was still ecstatic to finally be staying at the Grand. Also, as it was my first time, I can't really speak to what the differences in the room were after the refurb, but overall we had a very nice stay.
We didn't touch the murphy bed at all, except to peek at the artwork behind it (it's Flower in a field), but it looks identical to the Murphy beds in VDH. I would assume they would be equally as comfortable (6/10). However the main bed was so damn comfy, I was shocked at how well I slept. We are a little snobbish when it comes to our beds ever since we switched to a Duxiana mattress, but the ones at the Grand were great. Firm cushioning with still lots of give. I would rate the main bed an 8.5/10.
The room was definitely more subtle when it comes to their theming. As owners at VDH, we were used to the bright vibrant colors of the new tower; maybe the overcast weather added to it, but the wood furnishings made it feel so cozy, I loved it. The bathroom, as others have said, are kind of dated (the tub), but it was still fine. Not the wide spacious walk-in showers at VDH, but having a tub to soak your feet in was nice. The tiling looked new, but the fixtures (toilet, shower, tub, railings) did not. I loved the vanity shelf on top of sink in the bathroom, it's a nice touch that adds a bit of luxury to the room.
The one thing that threw me off about the room was that there were no real plates/utensils in the room. Is that only provided in the new DVC properties? We were used to having cutlery and plates in VDH, so was surprised to see they only offered paper plates/bowls and plastic utensils. They worked fine, but felt kinda cheap when eating in the room.
We were settled in by 3:00pm and decided to grab some of the new food offerings in the park. Took another shot of fireball, and then walked down and swiped into the Pixar Pier entrance and started our first park day.
While not PACKED, the crowds were starting to pick-up from the after work locals getting their Friday night on, so we avoided attractions and focused on food (after grabbing our VQ for World of Color).
We first headed to Flo's V8 to try the new Pastrami Sandwich. This was mediocre at best and felt more like a gas station sandwich with better than average pre-packaged pastrami in it. I would not recommend this one at 2/10.
We then walked over to Studio Catering Co. to get the one item that I think is the must-try of the season. The Lomo Saltado burrito. It's got rice, steak, roasted peppers, and French fries wrapped in a tortilla with this amazing Peruvian green sauce. I will swear to anyone that listens that THE best food offered as quick service in DLR is at Studio Catering Co. I don't know what it is about that innocuous truck in the corner of Hollywood Land, but their burritos are always fire, but man they knocked it out of the park with this one 10/10. AND we didn't even eat this one fresh, we packed it to-go to eat in the room.
After Studio Catering, we dropped by Smokejumpers to try the Limoncello cider. This was was just okay. 3/10 It tasted more like a literal shot of Limoncello and club soda mixed on top. It was unique and refreshing, but I was over it by half way through. Even with my partner, we had to force it down at the end. On our way back to the hotel, we were trying to figure out the other food item we wanted to try later and after going back and forth with a few options, we landed on the plant-based carne asada burrito (not bad, but could've been better) 5/10. We grabbed one of those and a Pineapple Agua Fresca 8/10 from Paradise Garden Grill. The $7 agua fresca was basically pure pineapple juice, and delicious. Also a steal, when you consider a small cup of pineapple juice costs $5 from the Dole Whip stand.
At this point, we headed back to the room to eat and relax a bit before heading back out to watch WOC. It was very nice being able to eat some theme park food, reheated in the room. We watched some Clone Wars and took a quick 1 hour power nap. After waking back up around 8pm, we got ourselves ready again and had a few more drinks in the room. I went out to Disneyland Dr. for a quick smoke break, which is much easier at the Grand than at VDH due to the proximity of the street, but I still think they should have designated areas IN the resort too. I mean Orlando still does, but alas, I understand the opposition too.
After heading back into DCA, we used our VQ to head to the front of WOC. This turned out to be a mistake as it was a VERY wet show. We ended up pretty wet and had soaked hair by the end of the show, but it was still nice to be up front and have an unobstructed view. After doing the Imhoptep walk back to the front of the park, we stopped at Clarabelle's for another 2 new items.
*break here for rant* WHY ARE THE NEW/LIMITED TIME ITEMS NEVER CONSISTENT ON MOBILE ORDER?!? Why is it that you have to get in line to order when the items are readily available?
*end of rant*
The dessert was another stand-out food item for us. The neapolitan macaron was amazing. I've come to learn that all the jumbo macarons that Disney makes are pretty darn good. This one was no exception and the tart jam in the middle was great in balancing out the overall sweetness. 9/10 We also got the Hard Pineapple Cider float. (6/10) The cider would not have been good without the sorbet, but together they were actually very nice. After spending 20ish minutes getting the macaron/float, we decided we'd get in line for Guardians right at 10 when the park closes. We were the second to last party and were the last gantry tour of the night. I always tell people that the posted signage lies at the end of the night, and this rang true here too. Posted 100 minute wait, we got onto the gantry in 40 minutes. The line speeds through with no LL, even with one whole gantry down.
After closing out DCA, we headed to DTD and grabbed some ceviche and aguachile from Tiendita. This is where I had differing opinions to my partner. He really liked them, I did not. They weren't BAD, per se, but they weren't to my liking. The shrimp ceviche was very ketchup forward, and I though the tuna was way too salty, but it was a selling point for my partner. I dno, take it with a grain of salt, but I'm at a 2/10. We trekked back to the room from DTD, washed up and ate in front of the TV while falling asleep to more Star Wars. We ended up sleeping a little before midnight.
This was my Anaheim staycation over Star Wars weekend (May 2-4th).
Friday (May 2nd)
I decided to take a half day and work from home in order to maximize our stay at the resort. I took my last call at 1:19pm and was logged off and getting the last few things ready to leave by 1:30pm. The dog sitter was already over and bags had been packed the night prior. Poured a shot of whiskey and cheers-'d it down with my partner and got in the car to head over to the resort. Due to the daily Friday commuter traffic, it took a little over 20 minutes to get to the Grand from Irvine. I've been inside many times, stared at it from the outside countless times, but this was my first time staying as a guest.
DVC allows us free self-parking, so after a slightly confusing luggage/passenger drop-off situation, I parked my car and crossed the street and walked into that gorgeous lobby with my suitcase and took in the sights/sounds of the hustle-bustle start of a "Holiday" weekend. Directly in the center of the lobby was a gigantic death star, made up of pounds of confectionary. After double-checking my text letting me know which room we were in, I realized I actually did not know how to get there. I can show you where the restaurants, entrances to DTD/DCA, the pool, spa, and even fitness center are, but I actually did not know where the rooms/villas were. This provided an excellent opportunity to check-in in-person.
I had a very pleasant interaction with the cast member and got directions/advice for the weekend. The Grizzly Peak entrance is closed for refurbishment, but in exchange the Pixar Pier entrance is open all day and is closer to the DVC wing. The construction being done to the hotel was a little bit of a bummer, but it was still grand nonetheless. It is probably the reason my waitlist went through anyways, so I can't really complain.
After getting directions, we headed up to our Deluxe Studio. We were in room 2509 which overlooks the pool and is tucked into the corner of the courtyard. While it was a little disappointing to not get a DCA view, even with the request to MS, I was still ecstatic to finally be staying at the Grand. Also, as it was my first time, I can't really speak to what the differences in the room were after the refurb, but overall we had a very nice stay.
We didn't touch the murphy bed at all, except to peek at the artwork behind it (it's Flower in a field), but it looks identical to the Murphy beds in VDH. I would assume they would be equally as comfortable (6/10). However the main bed was so damn comfy, I was shocked at how well I slept. We are a little snobbish when it comes to our beds ever since we switched to a Duxiana mattress, but the ones at the Grand were great. Firm cushioning with still lots of give. I would rate the main bed an 8.5/10.
The room was definitely more subtle when it comes to their theming. As owners at VDH, we were used to the bright vibrant colors of the new tower; maybe the overcast weather added to it, but the wood furnishings made it feel so cozy, I loved it. The bathroom, as others have said, are kind of dated (the tub), but it was still fine. Not the wide spacious walk-in showers at VDH, but having a tub to soak your feet in was nice. The tiling looked new, but the fixtures (toilet, shower, tub, railings) did not. I loved the vanity shelf on top of sink in the bathroom, it's a nice touch that adds a bit of luxury to the room.
The one thing that threw me off about the room was that there were no real plates/utensils in the room. Is that only provided in the new DVC properties? We were used to having cutlery and plates in VDH, so was surprised to see they only offered paper plates/bowls and plastic utensils. They worked fine, but felt kinda cheap when eating in the room.
We were settled in by 3:00pm and decided to grab some of the new food offerings in the park. Took another shot of fireball, and then walked down and swiped into the Pixar Pier entrance and started our first park day.
While not PACKED, the crowds were starting to pick-up from the after work locals getting their Friday night on, so we avoided attractions and focused on food (after grabbing our VQ for World of Color).
We first headed to Flo's V8 to try the new Pastrami Sandwich. This was mediocre at best and felt more like a gas station sandwich with better than average pre-packaged pastrami in it. I would not recommend this one at 2/10.
We then walked over to Studio Catering Co. to get the one item that I think is the must-try of the season. The Lomo Saltado burrito. It's got rice, steak, roasted peppers, and French fries wrapped in a tortilla with this amazing Peruvian green sauce. I will swear to anyone that listens that THE best food offered as quick service in DLR is at Studio Catering Co. I don't know what it is about that innocuous truck in the corner of Hollywood Land, but their burritos are always fire, but man they knocked it out of the park with this one 10/10. AND we didn't even eat this one fresh, we packed it to-go to eat in the room.
After Studio Catering, we dropped by Smokejumpers to try the Limoncello cider. This was was just okay. 3/10 It tasted more like a literal shot of Limoncello and club soda mixed on top. It was unique and refreshing, but I was over it by half way through. Even with my partner, we had to force it down at the end. On our way back to the hotel, we were trying to figure out the other food item we wanted to try later and after going back and forth with a few options, we landed on the plant-based carne asada burrito (not bad, but could've been better) 5/10. We grabbed one of those and a Pineapple Agua Fresca 8/10 from Paradise Garden Grill. The $7 agua fresca was basically pure pineapple juice, and delicious. Also a steal, when you consider a small cup of pineapple juice costs $5 from the Dole Whip stand.
At this point, we headed back to the room to eat and relax a bit before heading back out to watch WOC. It was very nice being able to eat some theme park food, reheated in the room. We watched some Clone Wars and took a quick 1 hour power nap. After waking back up around 8pm, we got ourselves ready again and had a few more drinks in the room. I went out to Disneyland Dr. for a quick smoke break, which is much easier at the Grand than at VDH due to the proximity of the street, but I still think they should have designated areas IN the resort too. I mean Orlando still does, but alas, I understand the opposition too.
After heading back into DCA, we used our VQ to head to the front of WOC. This turned out to be a mistake as it was a VERY wet show. We ended up pretty wet and had soaked hair by the end of the show, but it was still nice to be up front and have an unobstructed view. After doing the Imhoptep walk back to the front of the park, we stopped at Clarabelle's for another 2 new items.
*break here for rant* WHY ARE THE NEW/LIMITED TIME ITEMS NEVER CONSISTENT ON MOBILE ORDER?!? Why is it that you have to get in line to order when the items are readily available?
*end of rant*
The dessert was another stand-out food item for us. The neapolitan macaron was amazing. I've come to learn that all the jumbo macarons that Disney makes are pretty darn good. This one was no exception and the tart jam in the middle was great in balancing out the overall sweetness. 9/10 We also got the Hard Pineapple Cider float. (6/10) The cider would not have been good without the sorbet, but together they were actually very nice. After spending 20ish minutes getting the macaron/float, we decided we'd get in line for Guardians right at 10 when the park closes. We were the second to last party and were the last gantry tour of the night. I always tell people that the posted signage lies at the end of the night, and this rang true here too. Posted 100 minute wait, we got onto the gantry in 40 minutes. The line speeds through with no LL, even with one whole gantry down.
After closing out DCA, we headed to DTD and grabbed some ceviche and aguachile from Tiendita. This is where I had differing opinions to my partner. He really liked them, I did not. They weren't BAD, per se, but they weren't to my liking. The shrimp ceviche was very ketchup forward, and I though the tuna was way too salty, but it was a selling point for my partner. I dno, take it with a grain of salt, but I'm at a 2/10. We trekked back to the room from DTD, washed up and ate in front of the TV while falling asleep to more Star Wars. We ended up sleeping a little before midnight.
Last edited:
