Grand Californian Super Thread

[minimemm]

First time staying at the Grand Californian. 5 nights in CourtYard View. Can you please help me request a room? Any pics of view from room would be great. the cast member told me to request, near Napa Rose, pool, high floor. I would like quiet, and nice view. HELP!

 

[GlitteryOtters]

Just a heads up on the pool situation here at the GCH right now...when we arrived on the 20th all pools were open, yesterday they had closed one and this morning, when my friend who is on the trip with me went for a swim, she was the only one out there and she noticed that they had closed a second pool, so only 2 were open. We are leaving to return home in a few minutes, so I won’t be able to give further status updates, but I thought I’d share for those of you with pool/cabana plans this week.


~Meg

 

[franandaj]

I check in on Friday. I hope they fix that. We had planned to spend Saturday afternoon at the pool!

 

[ParkHopper1]

First time staying at the Grand Californian. 5 nights in CourtYard View. Can you please help me request a room? Any pics of view from room would be great. the cast member told me to request, near Napa Rose, pool, high floor. I would like quiet, and nice view. HELP!

All of the Courtyard view rooms are great, they are my favorite category at the GCH.

Only request if you want near the elevators...but the tend to be in conflict with your desire for "quiet" since they will have the most traffic going by your room. Closer to Main elevators is the noises as those can be right of the grand hall and lobby, near Napa Rose elevator are nice for proximity, but again you tend to get a lot more traffic walking by.

I would not sweat requests...even being upper floors vs lower is not that big of a distinction in the Courtyard Category

 

[azdisneylover]

Just a heads up on the pool situation here at the GCH right now...when we arrived on the 20th all pools were open, yesterday they had closed one and this morning, when my friend who is on the trip with me went for a swim, she was the only one out there and she noticed that they had closed a second pool, so only 2 were open. We are leaving to return home in a few minutes, so I won’t be able to give further status updates, but I thought I’d share for those of you with pool/cabana plans this week.


~Meg

Friday at the pool across from the DCA entrance, there were lifeguard training going on in the pool area.

 

[twodogs]

Has anyone stayed in a room with a King, a daybed and a fold out chair? I really want this configuration but didn’t get it last time. We go again soon and I’ve again made it my only request. So is it really uncommon as a room type?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Has anyone stayed in a room with a King, a daybed and a fold out chair? I really want this configuration but didn’t get it last time. We go again soon and I’ve again made it my only request. So is it really uncommon as a room type?

...

 

[Malcon10t]

First time staying at the Grand Californian. 5 nights in CourtYard View. Can you please help me request a room? Any pics of view from room would be great. the cast member told me to request, near Napa Rose, pool, high floor. I would like quiet, and nice view. HELP!

I like most of the court yard views. You can see the rooms in this map. The rooms around the blank area (facing in) are courtyard rooms.

Has anyone stayed in a room with a King, a daybed and a fold out chair? I really want this configuration but didn’t get it last time. We go again soon and I’ve again made it my only request. So is it really uncommon as a room type?

Yes, I believe there are only 59 rooms, really limited.

 

[twodogs]

Thanks as always Malcon10t! We can do the two queens and day bed and I think that one is pretty common. We are two adults and two,kids but I like to split the kids up for everyone’s sanity.

 

[Nonsuch]

Has anyone stayed in a room with a King, a daybed and a fold out chair?

I have
4325 last November, a courtyard view
4333 2 weeks ago, a park view

Photos from 4325:
(sorry about the poor lighting)

Yes, I believe there are only 59 rooms, really limited.

There has also been a post reporting 300 rooms with 2 queens and daybed.
If these numbers are accurate, about a third of the room have daybeds.

 

[ParkHopper1]

There has also been a post reporting 300 rooms with 2 queens and daybed..

Yup, that was told to me first hand by the GM of the GCH..."about 300" was the exact quote

That was referring to rooms with the new twin size convertible sofas...not sure what the mix of kings and 2 queens is of the 300 however.

The Kings are held back for the business travelers if they are having a group in house that is using the convention or meeting space. If they are not blocked out for a group buy, only then are they released for general sales...which is why you will not get a guarantee ahead of time on a room request.

 

[twodogs]

Thanks all. We just checked out today and we got a king/daybed/sleeper chair room!!! It was my only request (though I have done it as my only request before and not gotten it). We had a woods courtyard view. It was our favorite room yet, near Napa Rose elevators and great view. I would love to stay in this room again. Bedding worked great for our girls. I do think these rooms are smaller than the two queen rooms but the bedding was more important than space for us. So happy!

 

[minimemm]

Thanks all. We just checked out today and we got a king/daybed/sleeper chair room!!! It was my only request (though I have done it as my only request before and not gotten it). We had a woods courtyard view. It was our favorite room yet, near Napa Rose elevators and great view. I would love to stay in this room again. Bedding worked great for our girls. I do think these rooms are smaller than the two queen rooms but the bedding was more important than space for us. So happy!

HI! What is so great about the king bed room? DO you have any pics? Do you have pics of the view? I am traveling alone.. maybe I should request this one? what was the room number? thanks!

 

[twodogs]

The pics above that Nonsuch posted are the same as the room we had. It was a woods courtyard view so we could see the monorail pass by. For us, the bedding arrangement was the key to happiness. Each child had her own bed (day bed and chair bed), and DH and I had a king like we are used to at home. When we’ve had 2 queens, it means either the kids have to share a queen and we have to share a queen which is tight, or one parent has to share a queen with one child. No one feels like they have enough space and no one sleeps as well. So this configuration was perfect. It was 53xx. Can’t totally recall but I would not risk asking for a specific room number but just the bedding configuration you want. If you just ask for a number and it’s unavailable, the room assigner won’t know what about that room you wanted to try to find a comparable room.

 

[Nonsuch]

HI! What is so great about the king bed room? DO you have any pics? Do you have pics of the view? I am traveling alone.. maybe I should request this one? what was the room number? thanks!

While the same size as other rooms, the King bed rooms have more open floor space.
Certainly the best bed configuration for a solo guest, you should request one

 

[guynhawaii]

Aloha,

GCH DCA park entrance questions...
1. EMH. Taking into account security checkpoints and all other factors, which is most efficient entrance to DCA from GCH for DCA EMH? The GCH DCA park entrance or the DTD entrance to the front gates of DCA? I ask because my family and I do the 7 AM RDs and normally depart DLH at 6:15 AM. This July will be our first GCH stay. Want to ensure we do it smartly based upon the advice from the GCH vets.
2. Lessons learned. Anything we need to know about using the DCA park entrance? Any do's or don'ts? Any tidbits of advice?
3. Best way to DLP? Use the DCA entrance security check point, walk through DCA to DLP? Or use the DTD extrance/ Security check point for DLP?

 

[Nonsuch]

1. EMH. Taking into account security checkpoints and all other factors, which is most efficient entrance to DCA from GCH for DCA EMH? The GCH DCA park entrance or the DTD entrance to the front gates of DCA?

DTD to the front gates will be faster for EMH (or regular park opening). I often check the GCH to DCA entrance (30 minutes before opening) and the line is usually to Whitewater Snacks (often wrapping around and doubling back).

2. Lessons learned. Anything we need to know about using the DCA park entrance? Any do's or don'ts? Any tidbits of advice?

Other than avoiding at park opening, there is seldom a line.

3. Best way to DLP? Use the DCA entrance security check point, walk through DCA to DLP? Or use the DTD extrance/ Security check point for DLP?

On this board, DLP is the abbreviation for Disneyland Paris. Disneyland (Anaheim) is just DL
When my room is near the elevators adjacent to Napa Rose (my usual request), using to GCH to DCA entrance is the fastest way to DL.

 

[dreambar]

Thanks all. We just checked out today and we got a king/daybed/sleeper chair room!!! It was my only request (though I have done it as my only request before and not gotten it). We had a woods courtyard view. It was our favorite room yet, near Napa Rose elevators and great view. I would love to stay in this room again. Bedding worked great for our girls. I do think these rooms are smaller than the two queen rooms but the bedding was more important than space for us. So happy!

What room number did you get?

 

[StormyCA]

Just wondering if anyone knows the length measurement for the pull out couch and chair beds? BFF's daughter and she normally share one of the queens but the new configuration sounds as if maybe there's another option. Problem is her daughter is around 5' 10".

 

[Nonsuch]

Just wondering if anyone knows the length measurement for the pull out couch and chair beds? BFF's daughter and she normally share one of the queens but the new configuration sounds as if maybe there's another option. Problem is her daughter is around 5' 10".

While I don’t have an exact measurement, she should be fine on either the daybed or chair bed.

I brought a tape measure in my last visit specifically to measure the beds, and then forgot to do it. The new daybeds are definitely longer than the old style (pre-renovation)