Grand Californian Resort Reader Comments

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October 2007, Nicole Kelly

We (me, my fiance, and my parents) stayed at the Grand Californian in October 2007. After a long evening of dealing with a delayed flight and missing the earlier bus from the airport, it was relaxing to walk through the doors into the beautiful lobby. We had a fourth floor room overlooking Grizzly Peak, and I could not have asked for a more calming view. Listening to the waterfalls in the morning was a great way to start each day. Although there was a little noise in the afternoon from the park, it was not too noticable and didn't disrupt our afternoon naps. Our room was not large like the hotels across the street, but the beds have to be the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on in a hotel! The separate double sink area was wonderful with four adults getting ready in the morning, and there was ample storage for our belongings for the 3-night vacation.

The only dining location we used at the hotel during our stay was Whitewater Snacks. We were surprised how much food we got for the price paid…a lot more than expected! My mom and I split the french toast sticks and a pastry, and we were both full. The pizzas were pretty good as well.

Every CM we encountered was helpful and efficient. The only downside to this hotel is the layout. After a day in the parks, we had a long walk to our room. I think if I have the chance to stay here again, I would request a location closer to the lobby. The Grand Californian was worth the price for its proximity and luxury. As a CM told me, "Once you stay at the Grand Californian, you will never want to stay anywhere else." She was right!

September 2007, Dyan Nava

My family & I stayed in a Concierge Level room. Upon entering the resort, the super nice guard asked for our names & instructed us to stay along the red curb and someone would be waiting for us. We did as she stated & sure enough, our Concierge host, Jorge was there waiting for us!! The hotel lobby is beautiful;) Jorge was so nice, gracious & informative. He whisked us up to the 6th floor private, check-in. They gave the kids a tour around the Concierge Lounge while we were checking in. The Concierge Lounge afternoon offerings were: Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Cookies, Pastries, Fresh Fruit, Veggies/Dip and little, Mickey-shaped breads. Plus, unlimited sodas & water offered all day long. This made it especially nice to take into the parks and back to our room refrigerator. The Concierge Lounge always seemed to have something Mickey-shaped to eat! The Concierge Lounge also has a balcony to watch the fireworks show. We received some Disney pins as free gifts, too!

Our room had bunk beds with a lovely, garden view. The kids loved the bunk beds (there was a hole in one of the blankets) & we all enjoyed watching the monorail go through the hotel garden from our balcony. The hotel gives out a schedule of activities for hotel guests (e.g., treasure hunts, how to draw Disney characters, etc.) The pools & waterslide were great. It was super hot summer weather and the pools were not crowded! You have to stay here and experience the Grand Californian. We had a magical, Disney getaway;)

June 2006, Linda Kelly

Travelers-myself (59) husband (60) and 10-year-old nephew. We stayed at the Grand Californian Concierge level from 6/24-7/1, 2006. We decided long ago we wanted to experience the concierge level of a first class resort. No dissappointments from us! From the moment we checked in until we checked out (and beyond) the staff could not have been more accommodating. Our one big complaint was our room wasn't ready until after 4pm, but – our wait was wonderful. The staff kept checking with housekeeping and kept us informed. They continued to offer snacks, drinks, etc. Throughout the week, the food was OK (nothing special). The breakfast was the standard offerings (bagels, cereal, toast, danish). The snacks, while good, were not exceptional. We had requested a room nearby an elevator and/or lounge because I recently had knee surgery. It couldn't have been better. We were 2 doors away from both overlooking the atrium! The room was fine, again nothing special, except for the little woodland touches. We were able to see the Disneyland fireworks right from our balcony. On checkout day our flight didn't leave until 9:30 that night. The staff allowed us access into the lounge until our pickup at 6pm. Even though we were no longer official "guests", they continued to treat us as such – offering snacks, drinks, etc. They even pulled out board games for us to play. My nephew had the best time talking to all of the cast members on the concierge level that week. They paid a lot of attention to him and now he has stated that he will no longer stay in "just a regular room".

Was it worth the money? Yes, yes, yes!!! Our being able to relax away from the crowds and the extra pampering was the best.

Favorite eating spot: White Water Snacks – good food, comfortable setting.

Least favorite: Storyteller's Cafe – Overpriced, not enough selections for the breakfast buffet, service only OK.

Public areas were beautiful and well cared for. All cast members were pleasant and helpful.

May 2006, Ann Morrow

I am just back from a week in Aneheim for a nurses conference. I spent the last night of my trip at the truly wonderful Grand Californian. The most wonderful sheets I've ever slept between on probably the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. The attention to detail such as the in arts and craft fruniture and the little touches of Disney characters and then there's the nice bathrobes in the room. Oh, and has anyone mentioned the gorgeous stained-glass sliding front door?

I've done 3 Disney Cruises and stayed at 10 WDW resorts and this is the nicest.

April 2005, Cindy Low, Citrus Heights, CA

Here's my feedback on our stay at the Grand Californian. When we pulled up to the kiosk at the entrance to GC, we were asked if we had ever stayed with the GC before and what our names were. We were then told to pull up to the valet entrance. We had literally opened our car doors when someone came to great us and welcome us to the GC. Then someone from concierge walked up to us saying "Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Low, here is the bellman who will take your luggage to your
room. Please follow me." She escorted us to the 6th floor where the concierge service was. As we walked out of the elevator, we were again greeted with "Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Low"! Talk about impressed! The bellman was told to take our luggage to our room 6410 as we were getting checked in. Our Disney Travel packet did not include a hotel voucher, but that was resolved with one phone call and we did not have to wait to for concierge to get confirmation that we had, indeed, paid for our room.

Our room was very nice and had a view of Grisly Run (the white water ride). At night we could see and hear the Electric Light Parade from our balcony. The only down side was the walk from the elevator to our room. Down the hall, left turn, right turn, down the long hall, right turn, down the hall. When your feet are tired from walking for 12 + hours, it seems even longer!

The concierge lounge is at least twice the size of the Beach Club's lounge. The fare is about the same, but I was really looking forward to zucchini bread and was disappointed. You have to order alcoholic drinks and they are served to you by wait staff. I'm sure this is to keep consumption and their costs down. The dinner snack offerings at the BC are much better than the GC, though. One evening we stopped in for some bottled water and found about 15 small children in sleeping bags on the floor with a cast member was reading 101 Dalmatians to them. Everyone was having a ball!

The Story Tellers Cafe was the worst of our Disney experience. In for a quick dinner, we were completely ignored by our waiter. He never refilled our water, asked how our meal was, etc. This is the first time we've never given a tip. Breakfast a couple of days later was a little better, but service was slow at best.

Dinner at the Napa Rose was wonderful – 5 star to be sure, but pricey. With an appetizer, bottle of wine, main course, dessert and tip, our bill was about $225, but well worth the cost. Very nice atmosphere, excellent food, wide variety of menu choices and our waiter was entertaining as well as knowledgeable. We would definitely go there again.

One of the nicest perks of staying at the GC is location, location, location. You never see a car, a public road or anything that isn't Disney. Pulling out of the GC to drive to the airport felt like a jolt back to reality. It made us realize how much we had enjoyed our time at GC and DL and just how submerged in the culture we had been.

We will definitely stay at the GC again, but I'm not sure if we will pay the extra $200/night for concierge. While it was very nice, the little perks didn't offset the cost. GC concierge does not make any contact prior to your stay, which means you have to listen to "zipedee do dah" for 20 minutes while waiting to make your dining and show reservations, tours, etc. They do offer when you are actually at the park, but by then, it is too late. Also, we asked if concierge would print our Southwest boarding passes (available after midnight on the day your fly home) and were told that we would have to do that ourselves. Not exactly top-notch concierge, in my opinion.

April 2005, Donna Currier

My family spent four nights at the Grand Californian in April 2005. We knew we were in for a special stay when our airport shuttle driver remarked, "Oh wow, you're staying at the GRAND…"

The lobby is quite impressive and my family took in the view while I checked in. Although we had paid for a standard-view room, the cast member at Guest Services said we had been upgraded to a pool-view room. What she didn't say was that this room also had a spectacular view of DCA, a real unexpected treat! The comfortable room easily accommodated the four of us. We had a minor plumbing problem which was quickly resolved by the staff. We enjoyed the private entrance to DCA — not just for the lack of a crowd, but for returning quickly to our room for dry clothes after being drenched on Grizzly River Run! The lobby fireplace burns continuously and was a great place to relax after a day in the parks. A storyteller spins tales there each evening, enchanting children and adults alike.

We especially liked Storytellers Cafe. We opted to eat of the menu both nights (rather than partake in the bountiful buffet) and were not disappointed. There is so much variety, my son said he could eat off the menu every day and try something new. Our waiters were attentive and helpful.

Should we ever do "west coast Disney" again (we are frequent WDW vacationers) we would again choose the Grand Californian.

Nov 30-Dec 4, 2004, L. Wright

Disney's Grand is wonderful! My husband and I had the Paradise Pier View… My husband had never stayed at the Grand and loved the lights of the rides in Paradise Pier… All views I have stayed in are just as enjoyable as the next. Nothing is bad! The room was very comfortable and clean. The balcony had a little table and chairs. We were on the 3rd floor and had a beautiful view with no obstructions. When we closed the sliding glass door, the noise of the outside were completely cut off. (There was a Hidden Mickey in our light fixture on the balcony.) Each night we returned to a turn-down service of dimmed lights, bed turned, Disney chocolate and a schedule of the next days happenings at the resort. The lobby was stunning and
the fireplace was used on a nightly basis, with hot chocolate in hand, as it was so cold at that time. Their Christmas decorations and Christmas tree were beautiful and it was nice to see Santa there taking pictures with families. The grounds are also beautiful and relaxing to walk around. The Storytellers Cafe has a comfortable atmosphere with much to see, great food and service. White Water Snacks is great for a quick bite when you want to get to the park. My husband and I enjoyed the (free) "Washcloth Creations" and the "Learn to Draw Mickey" classes. We were surprised by the number of adults, as well as children who take the classes. We learned how the housekeeping staff make the rabbit, the turkey and heart they sometimes leave. The "Learn to Draw Mickey" class had a very nice surprise in the end. If you wanted to leave your artwork, they had Mickey sign it. They left it in our room with a certificate. Nice Disney touch… as usual! When you stay at a Disney resort hotel, you can have any purchases you make in the park sent to the hotel. It was ready the next morning at the Bell Services desk. Access to the parks is very easy. Entrance to the CA Adventure is within the hotel and Disneyland is a short walk away. I can't say enough great things about the Grand. The staff, the atmosphere, the accommodations were wonderful! I will go back again…and again…and again.

September 2002, Joy Ferson, Edmond, OK

We stayed at the Grand Californian in June 2002. We loved the Grand Californian. We had a standard view of the parking lot. We had a room with a queen size bed, and a set of bunk beds with a pull out trundle, which was perfect for our three children. Each child had their own bed which was really nice not having two of them to have to share a bed. The use of the hotel robes was a nice and unexpected touch. The staff was wonderful and very helpful. The service at Story Teller's was slow and the choices of the breakfast buffet were very limited. We preferred Goofy's kitchen in the Disneyland hotel for character dining. Napa Rose on the other hand was wonderful with far better choices. The location and setting of Grand Californian can't be beat, what is better than a hotel surrounded by a Disney theme park!! I highly recommend this hotel, it is destination all its own.