Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian?

[Nonsuch]

Is the private viewing for DVC members only or hotel guests? Any pics of the view?

I've checked out the balcony each stay as both DVC and non-DVC (using GCH room key). Maybe something has changed in the last few months...

The WOC viewing patio has always been for all guests, both GCH and VGC.
I'll will confirm next week, although there is really no reason to visit the patio with WOC down.

Some older pictures of the patio:

 

[DannyDisneyFreak]

Oh wow! I didn't realize the hotel was that close!

 

[allsaintsatx]

Is the private viewing for DVC members only or hotel guests? Any pics of the view?

Not sure if this is the same thing referred to earlier, but there was a deck close to the DVC area of the GCH that you could view WOC from, but it was open to anyone staying at GCH and was accessed using your room key card. The view was a bit off to the right, but there were only about 5 people on the deck besides us. And there was a bathroom on the deck! That being said, I would choose the Disneyland Hotel again. Haha!

 

[silence]

Based on the age of your kids I would totally say DLH. It definitely feels more Disney than GCH.

 

[MommyJKM]

Oh wow! I didn't realize the hotel was that close!

GCH has it's own entrance into DCA!
Nonsuch's pictures are great...and YES all GCH guests have access to the 6th Floor Viewing area. WOC comes back in March and the new show is in May so you would get to see from the balcony, but I don't recommend it for the first time as you won't have a direct view of the water slide show.

My TR has some photos (I think on the last page) of me standing on the WOC viewing patio so you can see what your view is. I also have photos of the balconies at GCH.

We love it there! It's our go to hotel for all of our Disneyland trips.

Enjoy!!!

 

[ludari]

Wait, what? DVC members get a private viewing area for WOC? I had no idea. First time visit to DL coming up in July as a DVC member staying at GC. I'll have to go to the DVC website to see what else I didn't know!

Thanks!

Is the private viewing for DVC members only or hotel guests? Any pics of the view?

Yes, there is a private viewing area for WOC in the Grand California. You have to be a DVC member and staying at the Grand California, therefore you must show your DVC member card and hotel key to get into this private area. BTW, I was at Disney California Adventure yesterday afternoon and noticed that the water was drained with several CM working on WOC. I'm not sure what they where doing or how long WOC will be down.

 

[sirstude]

We stay at the GCH anymore. Used to stay at the DH, but we were in the earthquake in the 90 while staying at the DH. At that time the Bonita tower, whatever it is now, was the only hotel in LA that was closed for damage. My wife has such bad memories of that she will not stay there again for any reason. The GCH is really nice, the first time we stayed there we were upstairs looking at the beams, and there was a guy in business dress looking at them. We got talking and he owned the company that cast the fiberglass covers for the steel beams and he told us all about how it was done. You meet the most interesting people there.