Grand Californian Super Thread

[irlandaise]

We’ve seen the resting in the lobby. This past trip we explored the resort more and went to the second or third floor. There was seating and it was totally empty! You could still hear the piano. We rested in the lobby years ago and I thought man I wish I knew this was here!

I spent several hours in the main lobby a few months ago between my checkout time and my ride to the airport. One of my achilles tendons had gone bad, so spending that time in the parks wasn't an option. It didn't occur to me to look for the smaller seating areas on other floors, but it was a slow time of the year so I had no problem finding a seat in the main lobby.

 

[Disneysince82]

Thank you all for responding! I figured this would be a good place to post about the lobby, because everyone on here seems to not only love the Grand -- but also be really knowledge about it. I notice that the GCH or just onsite in general seem to trigger a lot of very strong emotions....which I still have a hard time really understanding why

If you don't mind me asking another question. How important is a view to you? This is the one thing that has always had me go back and forth on.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

I think there are very few rooms now that get any sort of park view, in my experience it's mostly just the tops of Grizzly peak and Guardians. So while I enjoyed having that during my last visit, I don't think it's worth paying extra for it. I've also had pool view a lot and kind of like the energy from the activities at the pool. But next I' want to try woods view and see if I like the quiet.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Thank you all for responding! I figured this would be a good place to post about the lobby, because everyone on here seems to not only love the Grand -- but also be really knowledge about it. I notice that the GCH or just onsite in general seem to trigger a lot of very strong emotions....which I still have a hard time really understanding why

If you don't mind me asking another question. How important is a view to you? This is the one thing that has always had me go back and forth on.

It really does trigger people! I love it and I will say emphatically that the best food anywhere in the resort is here. The price to stay here is absolutely insane and ridiculous. The rooms are not special. You're paying for it proximity to the park, the overall service and the atmosphere. The spa is actually excellent. I'm very picky about spa treatments and massages and I have had excellent treatments in the spa. Even the classes that they offer are amazing.

I don't think room view is very important. I've never had a bad view. The only room is disliked a lot was overlooking the lobby. It was incredibly LOUD in the room all day and up until 10pm. The lobby music, the piano player, the people in the lobby - were all heard very loud in the room. We hardly were in the room and didn't need to move, but if we needed a nap or needed some quiet time, we wouldn't have been able to have that in the room.

 

[DizMe]

It really does trigger people! I love it and I will say emphatically that the best food anywhere in the resort is here. The price to stay here is absolutely insane and ridiculous. The rooms are not special. You're paying for it proximity to the park, the overall service and the atmosphere. The spa is actually excellent. I'm very picky about spa treatments and massages and I have had excellent treatments in the spa. Even the classes that they offer are amazing.

I don't think room view is very important. I've never had a bad view. The only room is disliked a lot was overlooking the lobby. It was incredibly LOUD in the room all day and up until 10pm. The lobby music, the piano player, the people in the lobby - were all heard very loud in the room. We hardly were in the room and didn't need to move, but if we needed a nap or needed some quiet time, we wouldn't have been able to have that in the room.

Agree with all of this, but will add that I love being right above the lobby. However, I don't have young children and we rarely get back to the room until most of the lobby noise is gone. I've never even noticed noise from the lobby from my room. In Dec, our room was directly next to the main elevators, on the 3rd floor, and we did hear the elevators but it wasn't loud. It might bother some people, though, and there would likely be noise from people getting on and off the elevators if you were in the room but we spend very little time there until we go to bed. We go back to the hotel after park closing. If you had younger kids and were in your room earlier, it might be an issue.

 

[maleficent55]

It really does trigger people! I love it and I will say emphatically that the best food anywhere in the resort is here. The price to stay here is absolutely insane and ridiculous. The rooms are not special. You're paying for it proximity to the park, the overall service and the atmosphere. The spa is actually excellent. I'm very picky about spa treatments and massages and I have had excellent treatments in the spa. Even the classes that they offer are amazing.

I don't think room view is very important. I've never had a bad view. The only room is disliked a lot was overlooking the lobby. It was incredibly LOUD in the room all day and up until 10pm. The lobby music, the piano player, the people in the lobby - were all heard very loud in the room. We hardly were in the room and didn't need to move, but if we needed a nap or needed some quiet time, we wouldn't have been able to have that in the room.

I’m the opposite. I LOVE being over the lobby and I’ve never had a noise issue but we close the parks down
Usually when we return it’s close to 1am and no one is around

But having a peaceful quiet room and then opening the door and suddenly hearing the buzz of people and the piano sounds coming up from the lobby, I love it!
We had a woods view last time and overlooked the Grizzly River run, with many trees in between.. and it was nice but nothing like the lobby

 

[Disneysince82]

It really does trigger people! I love it and I will say emphatically that the best food anywhere in the resort is here. The price to stay here is absolutely insane and ridiculous. The rooms are not special. You're paying for it proximity to the park, the overall service and the atmosphere. The spa is actually excellent. I'm very picky about spa treatments and massages and I have had excellent treatments in the spa. Even the classes that they offer are amazing.

I don't think room view is very important. I've never had a bad view. The only room is disliked a lot was overlooking the lobby. It was incredibly LOUD in the room all day and up until 10pm. The lobby music, the piano player, the people in the lobby - were all heard very loud in the room. We hardly were in the room and didn't need to move, but if we needed a nap or needed some quiet time, we wouldn't have been able to have that in the room.

A few months ago I saw one of the most intense(entertaining) interactions in regards to GCH. I looked for it & couldnt find it which makes me think it might of been deleted on another site. Someone was asking for for peoples opinions about GCH, Westin, & Candy Cane Inn.....which seemed like a strange thing to compare those 3. I mean Westin/GCH OK... but even then & I am someone who loves Westin price wise you might as well stay at the GCH! This guy starts going off(in back to back posts) about how GCH is everything that is wrong with Disneyland. He mentioned about the free breakfast at Candy Cane & they will deliver to room... which is cool they seem to really have a loyal fan base. Then this other person was like 'Nothing beats sitting at the Craftsman Grill & taking it all in while eating (insert breakfast food I cant remember...it might of been burrito)' The guy was like WHAT IS EVEN THAT!!!! I almost posted the Daddy Chill clip but I realize this guy was wond really tight & wouldn't of thought I was being funny If you don't know what I am talking about google Chill Daddy meme and its like a 40 sec clip.


I've heard that a lot about those rooms. Do you happen to know what view that usually is?

 

[Transplanter]

We just booked a room for the end of March. Super excited as I’ve never stayed at the grand before

 

[LKing]

I was in GCH today and took some pictures to give you an idea of what it looks like right now.

It was a very busy spring break weekend. This was the GCH lobby around 12:30 pm. I did not see anyone sleeping.



There was A LOT of scrim. It was a weekend so I didn't see any construction. Maybe someone can report back what it is like during the week.







This is the walkway from patio near Hearthstone to the pool.



This is the view of the pool from the walkway next to Storytellers.



This is a view of the pool and lobby from just outside Napa Rose.



View from the gate in the picture above. Same scrim as the top pictures, but this shot shows some scaffolding to the right of the scrim.



This is the slime cart outside of GCH in DTD.

 

[irlandaise]

Thanks for all the pix. I'd heard about the restaurants closing, but it looks like they've also closed off the main pool to do work there?

 

[LKing]

Storytellers



If you walk into GCH from DTD, the Trillium Ballroom is located in the hallway between the DTD entrance and the GCH front desk.

The yellow star on the map below is Storytellers. Trillium Ballroom is approximately where the red star is drawn.



It was very crowded with strollers and families around noon today. The restroom next to Trillium is not very large and the restrooms outside, just past the front desk, are closed.





Brunch ends at 1:15 and these pictures were taken around 1:30 just as they were cleaning up.

The view below is if I peek in the door and look to the right.



This is if I look to the left.




Per the CM cleaning up Hearthstone's breakfast: Breakfast at Hearthstone is walk up only. No reservations. Open to anyone.

We weren't there until after breakfast but It looked like they had the food stations set up near the outdoor fireplace.

 

[LKing]

Thanks for all the pix. I'd heard about the restaurants closing, but it looks like they've also closed off the main pool to do work there?

The pool was open. I think it might be landscaping??? There were a lot of wood chips on the ground.

 

[Transplanter]

Sorry for a possible repost. Can we not enter DCA from the hotel anymore? Do we have to go to the main entrance of the park ?

 

[LKing]

Sorry for a possible repost. Can we not enter DCA from the hotel anymore? Do we have to go to the main entrance of the park ?

Until mid May, the entrance from GCH to Grizzly River is closed. The entrance that lets you into DCA near Paradise Gardens is still open.

 

[Pluto468]

Storytellers

View attachment 948588

If you walk into GCH from DTD, the Trillium Ballroom is located in the hallway between the DTD entrance and the GCH front desk.

The yellow star on the map below is Storytellers. Trillium Ballroom is approximately where the red star is drawn.

View attachment 948598

It was very crowded with strollers and families around noon today. The restroom next to Trillium is not very large and the restrooms outside, just past the front desk, are closed.

View attachment 948589

View attachment 948591

Brunch ends at 1:15 and these pictures were taken around 1:30 just as they were cleaning up.

The view below is if I peek in the door and look to the right.

View attachment 948593

This is if I look to the left.

View attachment 948595


Per the CM cleaning up Hearthstone's breakfast: Breakfast at Hearthstone is walk up only. No reservations. Open to anyone.

We weren't there until after breakfast but It looked like they had the food stations set up near the outdoor fireplace.

View attachment 948596

Sorry if this has been asked before and I missed it. Can anyone just walk up and have breakfast, and is it a buffet? Is the brunch a reservation meal?

 

[LKing]

Sorry if this has been asked before and I missed it. Can anyone just walk up and have breakfast, and is it a buffet? Is the brunch a reservation meal?

The Trillium Ballroom is being used for the character breakfast/brunch. Next month, when Napa Rose goes through a refurb, the Trillium Ballroom will be used for the Princess Tea.

Hearthstone breakfast looked like it was set up as a buffet. I only saw the stacked tables and several round chafing dishes (I think that is what they are called) as they were cleaning up. It was all next to the outside fireplace. The sofas and chairs from that area had been removed.

According to the CM that were cleaning up. Anyone can have breakfast there and it is walk up only (no reservations).

 

[bakofarmgirl]

how has the paradise garden entrance been since the temporary closure of the other hotel entrance? way more traffic?