Entering Grand Californian from park

[JiminyCricket!]

I heard there’s limited access to enter Grand Californian from DCA due to construction. I have a spa reservation for a break in my park day. Will they let me in, or do I have to leave the park and walk all the way through Downtown Disney?

It diminishes the value of taking a spa break if you have to add significant walking to do it.

 

[DizMe]

I heard there’s limited access to enter Grand Californian from DCA due to construction. I have a spa reservation for a break in my park day. Will they let me in, or do I have to leave the park and walk all the way through Downtown Disney?

It diminishes the value of taking a spa break if you have to add significant walking to do it.

You can use the exit for PPH guests. It's not as easy as the one undergoing construction, but it may be closer depending on where you are in DCA when you're ready to leave. You exit next to GCH drop-off for arrivals and then go through those main doors.

Here's an aerial view that shows PPH entrance (it's on GCH property) highlighted in red and the currently closed GCH entrance circled in blue.

Edited to add that PPH is on the bottom left, across the road, and DTD is the area at the top of the map.

 

[bluecruiser]

You should be able to exit the park at the Pixar Pier exit, which is close to the DVC wing of the Grand Californian (they expanded the Pixar Pier entrance/exit to be open all day). It's still a bit of a walk from there, but you're walking through the hotel/grounds, not DTD. If you're staying at the Grand you can take a shortcut through the pool area using your room key for access. Otherwise you walk to the lobby, then around to the right and past Napa Rose to the spa.

Here's the hotel map for reference (the park exit is at the lower right, not marked on the map): https://wishuponastarwithus.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GrandCalifornianMap-scaled.jpg

 

[Pluto468]

Does anyone know when that entrance is opening again?

 

[LKing]

Does anyone know when that entrance is opening again?

I think I read May.

I'm not sure, but it looks like they might be trying to add more security lanes.

 

[JiminyCricket!]

Thanks for the help. It worked perfectly. At the Spa they said all the CAH construction will be done by May 16th. They're installing the new entrance turnstiles plus other construction on the site

 

[irlandaise]

At the Spa they said all the CAH construction will be done by May 16th. They're installing the new entrance turnstiles plus other construction on the site

What type of construction is "CAH"? Something to do with entrance security systems?

 

[LKing]

Took some pictures of the construction today. Everyone has the same answer, "It will be done by May 16."



It has been raining so there were tarps and sandbags.

 

[twodogs]

That looks like a HOT MESS!!

 

[LKing]

That looks like a HOT MESS!!

They have it blocked so you can't see much once you are inside the park. I took these pictures from the side.

It would be smart if they covered that seating area and put security and turnstiles out there. It would help a lot with the lines for EE, OBB and other busy times.

 

[LKing]

After I posted the pictures in March, they put up walls so guests couldn't see inside the construction area. Yesterday the side walls were down. It looks like they might be wrapping things up.

The new gates are in the same location as the old turnstiles. It looks like there might be three or four gates.





They were sweeping this sitting area. I don't remember what it looked like before to be able to tell if they updated it. Based on the photo above, I assume they replaced some of the stone



I'm sure this was there before but I never noticed it. It is the transition from brick in GCH to stone in DCA.

 

[LKing]

Scheduled to open today.

 

[bluecruiser]

Scheduled to open today.

Confirmed open by Scott Gustin an hour ago (pictures at link):

"The Grand Californian Hotel entrance to Disney California Adventure Park has reopened following a two-month closure to upgrade the turnstiles."

 

[irlandaise]

Confirmed open by Scott Gustin an hour ago (pictures at link):

"The Grand Californian Hotel entrance to Disney California Adventure Park has reopened following a two-month closure to upgrade the turnstiles."

Did they also upgrade the music?

Hey, I really like "Hotel California," and I think it's great that it's on the playlist, but I'm not the one who has to listen to the same songs hour after hour, day after day...