August 2024 Trip Report/Grand Californian Hotel & DL/DCA

[maleficent55]

Thanks. No Club level. Just a Woods Courtyard view room.
Received turn down service every night.
Every millisecond counts for River Belle Premium F!! LOL.

well I am going to ask for turndown service next month! We have a woods/courtyard room.

 

[joseph821]

well I am going to ask for turndown service next month! We have a woods/courtyard room.

Yes call housekeeping after you check in and in room!!

 

[planningjollyholiday]

I would like to go next August near the end and can be flexible with dates. We will not be doing a Halloween party and likley will not spend the extra money on lightning lane. With that in mind if I want low crowds and short lines it sounds like I should go Friday to Sunday but then which weekdays should I choose, and would you do the 3rd or 4th week of August during the week?

 

[joseph821]

I would like to go next August near the end and can be flexible with dates. We will not be doing a Halloween party and likley will not spend the extra money on lightning lane. With that in mind if I want low crowds and short lines it sounds like I should go Friday to Sunday but then which weekdays should I choose, and would you do the 3rd or 4th week of August during the week?

How many days are you spending in the parks? Avoid Mondays. Is Halloween Time important? Based on this year, it looks like Halloween Time would be starting on Friday, August 22 with OBB on Sunday, Aug 24, Tuesday August 26 and Thursday Aug. 28.
My dates this year were Tuesday August 20 through Wednesday August 28.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

How many days are you spending in the parks? Avoid Mondays. Is Halloween Time important? Based on this year, it looks like Halloween Time would be starting on Friday, August 22 with OBB on Sunday, Aug 24, Tuesday August 26 and Thursday Aug. 28.
My dates this year were Tuesday August 20 through Wednesday August 28.

We would do 5 park days and although Halloween would be nice to see my main concern is low crowds. Great advice about Monday, will definitely skip that day. Did you find Friday to be busier than Saturday since it was the first day of Halloween or were they pretty comparable?

 

[joseph821]

t Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the crowds were low.
I do not expect another summer sale for 2025.

We would do 5 park days and although Halloween would be nice to see my main concern is low crowds. Great advice about Monday, will definitely skip that day. Did you find Friday to be busier than Saturday since it was the first day of Halloween or were they pretty comparable?

Friday was not as busy as Tuesday through Thursday....the crowds on my trip were light. Saturday was slightly busier than Friday. Monday was the busiest but manageable. Where are you staying? Also remember during my trip there was the summer ticket sale and there were Tier 0 ticket days on every weekday expect Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the crowds were low.
I do not expect another summer sale for 2025.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

t Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the crowds were low.
I do not expect another summer sale for 2025.

Friday was not as busy as Tuesday through Thursday....the crowds on my trip were light. Saturday was slightly busier than Friday. Monday was the busiest but manageable. Where are you staying? Also remember during my trip there was the summer ticket sale and there were Tier 0 ticket days on every weekday expect Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the crowds were low.
I do not expect another summer sale for 2025.

I forgot about the summer sale, I think you are right, with a bigger anniversary next year the sale is not likely to happen again. Hoping to stay at DLH as we've had such good memories there in the past. I've never gone in the summertime before and thought the last two weeks of August are likley the slowest time to go so we are giving it a try. We haven't been in years so I am very excited!

 

[joseph821]

I forgot about the summer sale, I think you are right, with a bigger anniversary next year the sale is not likely to happen again. Hoping to stay at DLH as we've had such good memories there in the past. I've never gone in the summertime before and thought the last two weeks of August are likley the slowest time to go so we are giving it a try. We haven't been in years so I am very excited!

Late August is great. Most local schools are back in session. Most vacationers with children have already been to the Resort for the summer. With staying at DLH, you will have early entry as well to use. The extra 30 minutes is worth it for DL for me...DCA I did EE once.

 

[Pluto468]

Wow, it sounds like you had an epic trip! Thanks so much for sharing all the details and descriptions.

I've never done a tour. Which one was your favorite?

Which ride did you go on the most? HM?

Difficult question, maybe. What was the best dessert or treat you had?

Did you like the number of days you were there? It sounds so dreamy! I want to go for that long some time.

 

[joseph821]

Wow, it sounds like you had an epic trip! Thanks so much for sharing all the details and descriptions.

I've never done a tour. Which one was your favorite?

Which ride did you go on the most? HM?

Difficult question, maybe. What was the best dessert or treat you had?

Did you like the number of days you were there? It sounds so dreamy! I want to go for that long some time.

Thanks! I enjoyed the Walt Disney Main Street tour the most.
I went on Haunted Mansion 9 times. I think I went on Pirates more and the Fantasyland rides a lot.
I loved the Darth by Chocolate dessert at Galactic grill. I loved the brownie sundae at Ghirardelli.

9 days and 8 nights is perfect coming from the East Coast.

Looking forward to my May 2025 trip and August 2025 trip (made my reservation for August already).

 

[irlandaise]

+1 on Ghirardelli sundaes.

(Although I'm a traditionalist and just get a standard hot fudge sundae without the brownie. At home, I do make brownies from Ghirardelli's mixes sometimes.)

 

[Pluto468]

Thanks! I enjoyed the Walt Disney Main Street tour the most.
I went on Haunted Mansion 9 times. I think I went on Pirates more and the Fantasyland rides a lot.
I loved the Darth by Chocolate dessert at Galactic grill. I loved the brownie sundae at Ghirardelli.

9 days and 8 nights is perfect coming from the East Coast.

Looking forward to my May 2025 trip and August 2025 trip (made my reservation for August already).

I'd love to do a tour sometime and I think I'll try the Main St. one. We usually go for 4 or 5 nights but 8 sounds much better

 

[joseph821]

I'd love to do a tour sometime and I think I'll try the Main St. one. We usually go for 4 or 5 nights but 8 sounds much better

8 nights is great. My next trips in May and Aug 2025 are eight nights each. The flights from the East Coast - time and cost justify for me the longer stay.