Too excited to sleep! GC hotel

[Tricia's mom]

we are leaving in 2 weeks .

Tell me why you love the GC hotel :

 

[whoever]

Location and Craftsman architecture and theming. It's INSIDE DCA. The cons: A good deal of the rooms are in major need of rehab. The price is sky high.

 

[TinkFlies]

I can sit in the lobby for hours!!! So comfy to me.

 

[funatdisney]

I love the design and feel of the GCH. Once I am settled in, I become stressed free and feel like i am home. I love how close we are to DCA and DL. Often times we swim in their pool and then hop on over to River Rapids for a thrill wet ride. And we don't care how wet we get. We are heading back to the pool anyway! Or we can get changed into dry clothes.

 

[Tricia's mom]

Love these....

Yes, it is pricey. I don't know when I will be back to DL again. We are only staying 2 nights. I could stay at the plaza hotel in NYC for less than what I am spending at GC. Hoping its worth it. I hope I have a chance to utilize this resort. Or will I be sitting on line waiting to ride RSR ?? Lol

 

[whoever]

Love these....

Yes, it is pricey. I don't know when I will be back to DL again. We are only staying 2 nights. I could stay at the plaza hotel in NYC for less than what I am spending at GC. Hoping its worth it. I hope I have a chance to utilize this resort. Or will I be sitting on line waiting to ride RSR ?? Lol

It's the only place we stay when we go. Worth it for us.

 

[Jerry Horne]

The service is top notch.

 

[ludari]

Location, cast members and location.

 

[bellazachmom]

Love these....

Yes, it is pricey. I don't know when I will be back to DL again. We are only staying 2 nights. I could stay at the plaza hotel in NYC for less than what I am spending at GC. Hoping its worth it. I hope I have a chance to utilize this resort. Or will I be sitting on line waiting to ride RSR ?? Lol

My tip? - Make sure to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hour and head right to the Racers, you won't have to wait too long. Want to ride again? Head to the Single Rider line ASAP and you will have about a 5 minute wait - sure, you won't be riding in the same racer as your group but you will probably be racing one of them, which my kids and I find is even more fun! Make sure to then grab a FP for the Racers so you can head back and ride it in the evening, it is a TOTALLY different ride at night. So, there you go, 3 rides on one of the most popular rides in the park with minimal wait so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the Grand

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[Nonsuch]

Location and Craftsman architecture and theming. It's INSIDE DCA. The cons: A good deal of the rooms are in major need of rehab. The price is sky high.

Please post some pictures of room issues. I'm curious about what guests are experiencing.
(OT for this thread, so post to the Superthread or start a new one).

 

[whoever]

Please post some pictures of room issues. I'm curious about what guests are experiencing.
(OT for this thread, so post to the Superthread or start a new one).

Check out my Trip Report in the TR section (or my signature). I haven't written up the review yet, but it will be part of the TR and complete before end of the weekend.

 

[GeneralTso]

The lobby, especially at Christmas. It is unsurpassed. That tree, the gingerbread house that is the GC duplicate, the decorations....it's magical.
The location can not be beat. After a long day in the park, it is heaven sent.
For some reason, I just love the gift shop in the lobby. It's one of my favorites in or out of the park.
The stained glass doors that slide open when you enter the lobby from the valet area.

 

[rentayenta]

Everything! The service, decor both in the villas and lobby, the Hearthstone Lounge after a busy park day and unwinding with a nice glass of wine or cocktail, the pools, the robes in the room, watching the WoC from the balcony in our villa, free tampons in the women's bathroom! Yup, they're free. LOL! Whitewater Snack's chicken nachos, the Art of the Craft Tour, Power Walk through DCA , and finally location, location, location!

 

[Congo Queen]

We haven't stayed at GCH for about 5 years now (had to move to DH when my son grew too tall for the GCH bunk beds). But the thing I remember liking most was getting absolutely drenched on GRR and then being able to be back in the hotel room to change within 5 minutes. Also pretty wonderful to have a delicious wine-fest of a dinner at Napa Rose and then just toddle up stairs to the room.

 

[Eeee-va]

I adore the World of Color viewing area--not to watch World of Color, but to look down at beautiful Paradise Pier early in the morning or later at night. The main lobby and architecture can be enjoyed by anyone visiting, but the viewing area requires a room key.

I also love the toiletries!

 

[Meemoo]

I am very excited to be staying at GC for our first time in October for 4 nights - and so looking forward to my EE each morning

 

[Tricia's mom]

They have a world of color viewing area ??? At the hotel ?

I am afraid I will so busy in the parks I won't enjoy the GC. I am stressing of WOC and fantastic..... Normally when in Wdw we will go see fantastic and never have a problem viewing. We are only a family of 3 and it's never a problem. We usually visit Wdw during peak times because DH is a teacher

 

[Eeee-va]

They have a world of color viewing area ??? At the hotel ?

I am afraid I will so busy in the parks I won't enjoy the GC. I am stressing of WOC and fantastic..... Normally when in Wdw we will go see fantastic and never have a problem viewing. We are only a family of 3 and it's never a problem. We usually visit Wdw during peak times because DH is a teacher

Yes, there is a viewing area! It is somewhere on the 5th (?) floor, looking out at Paradise Pier. There's even a little bathroom up there..

In 2012 (when I actually won a contest here to have 2 nights at the GCH), they were testing the winter World of Color show after hours. So you can see it's not really the RIGHT way to see the show, but I think it's so pretty to look down at the park from there!

GORGEOUS at night. (This was before they started testing World of Color.)

And very neat during the day too!

On departure day, I had fun standing up there and listening to the faint sounds of DCA's opening spiel, then watching people slowly filter in towards Paradise Pier. (If you're going to the parks on departure day, of course that would be a waste of time, but I wasn't.)

As to stressing over Fantasmic! and World of Color, I'm with you. I've seen World of Color the "right" way a couple times, so to me, it's not really worth the trouble anymore. I do enjoy watching from the back, where you can see the fountains great and up close (but not much of the projections) and there are no crowds or lines to get into a viewing spot. Adding Fastpass to Fantasmic! makes me not want to see it, either.

I assume you DO want to see World of Color the right way, if you haven't seen it. If you try to get to your waiting place quite a bit before (!) the beginning of your Fastpass window, I think you should be OK with World of Color. Just get in early and get your family to a spot where they can see much of the water. I assume Fantasmic! is kind of the same way (another post seemed to indicate it is, even if you have dining) but I haven't tried it. If my family had any interest in the food in the dining package and it were in the budget, I'd personally go that route for Fantasmic! to save a little stress (figuring you have to eat anyway)...but I probably wouldn't do it for World of Color.

The good news is, your hotel is so close to the parks, you can go back to your room to rest and get un-stressed and never have to cross a street to get there. (Unless you count Main Street or Buena Vista Street, but those don't have crosswalks. )

 

[cherice95403]

I love the Grand! The location CANNOT be beat. I love getting up super early and walking down to Starbucks in the morning when DTD is empty and quiet. The hotel itself has a relaxing, calming atmosphere. You are going to love it!