First stay at the Grand Californian: a few planning questions

[hodad]

Hi everyone. We are staying at the Grand Californian on September 8 for my partner's birthday and going to DCA the following morning with our 4yo. I have a few questions that you can hopefully help me answer.

1. I booked the woods/garden/courtyard room through a third-party website. What's the best way to request a two-queen room hopefully with a view of the fireworks and ideally near the Napa Rose elevators? I'm assuming the odds of receiving these requests are slim because I booked the room through a third party, but I'd still like to try. Our kid's bedtime is probably too early to see the fireworks from the 6th floor viewing area.

2. I think we have access to the hotel (but not the room) until midnight the day we check out, right? Does the Grand Californian have a place where we can change out of ride-soaked clothes in the afternoon after we have checked out of the room but still have access to amenities?

3. Will the Sephora package be available as a surprise birthday present?

4. Aside from the resort schedule of activities, the pool, and the Lego store, what should a kid do outside the park on the day we arrive?

 

[Malcon10t]

1. The view you booked would not include a view of fireworks. When you check in, you can ask if they have any upgrades available.

2. There are restrooms near the check in area you can use to change. Not sure what other amenities you would have access to.

4. Goofy's Kitchen?

 

[jina]

We booked a woods view room through Costco once and were "upgraded" to a downtown disney view room at no cost. It was horrible - our 3 year old at the time could not sleep due to all the loud music playing until nearly midnight right outside our window and we didn't sleep much better. We came back again and finally got a woods view room which we really liked. I seriously doubt you will be able to get upgraded to a fireworks view room (paid or not) unless you are going during a really slow time (of which there does not seem to be any slow times anymore) but I agree it's worth asking just to see. I've heard there is a place in GCH where you can go and see WOC from a balcony but not the fireworks at DL. We waited until DD was 5 to drag her to her first FW - she liked it a lot but then proceeded to fall asleep as we carried her out of the park and rope drop was very tough for all of us the next morning.

Our daughter who is now nearly 6 would love to go to build-a-bear in DTD someday - I just can't stomach spending $50 on a stuffed animal with pajamas but we probably will do that someday- she does enjoy going in there and looking around even though we have yet to let her build a bear. Our daughter also liked dining at Rainforest Cafe. If you do plan to definitely go to Rainforest Cafe then join Landry's Select online (it costs $25 but you get that credited back at the restaurant) - it puts you at the front of the line for seating and has saved us a lot of time at places like Rainforest, Bubba Gumps and several on site restaurants at WDW.

 

[KalamityJane]

The place where you can see WoC is in the DVC wing on the 6th floor (I think) and it's towards the front of the hotel on that corner.

 

[KalamityJane]

On Build a Bear, you can buy the bears/animals on BaB's website not stuffed and bring them to the store to have the experience. They frequently have deals for 40% off the animals on their site.

 

[MommyJKM]

1. I booked the woods/garden/courtyard room through a third-party website. What's the best way to request a two-queen room hopefully with a view of the fireworks and ideally near the Napa Rose elevators? I'm assuming the odds of receiving these requests are slim because I booked the room through a third party, but I'd still like to try. Our kid's bedtime is probably too early to see the fireworks from the 6th floor viewing area.

2. I think we have access to the hotel (but not the room) until midnight the day we check out, right? Does the Grand Californian have a place where we can change out of ride-soaked clothes in the afternoon after we have checked out of the room but still have access to amenities?

3. Will the Sephora package be available as a surprise birthday present?

4. Aside from the resort schedule of activities, the pool, and the Lego store, what should a kid do outside the park on the day we arrive?

1. As a pp said, the 6th floor viewing patio is for World of Color not the fireworks. My DD is 4 and likes to watch it from there on non-park days. It should be showing at about 8:30. If it's just my husband and I, I go down and grab a glass of wine at Hearthstone Lounge while he puts my DD in her pajamas and he and my DD meet me up at the viewing patio about 10 minutes before showtime. You can't see the projections clearly (I haven't seen the new WOC though from there) but the music and water show are enough to keep a 4-yr old entertained. If he/she is too tired, you can turn on the music on your tv and pretend

2. You should bring a bag that you pack with your post-park/pre-airport clothing. That way you can check your luggage with bell services at your check-out time and when you get back from the parks you can just get that bag and go to the restrooms by the bell desk and change. If by amenities you mean the pool/spa you won't have access after check-out. That said, if we check out on a non-park day we like to pack up the luggage and go down to the pool in the morning, then by husband goes and checks out at 11am and we still stay and use the pool until going to the airport (again I have that extra change of clothes bag packed)

3. I don't believe they do the Sephora package anymore. You can do hour early entrance to Build-a-Bear, Anna & Elsa boutique and Ridemakerz though. They'll give you a schedule when you check in. Last trip I went to do the Sephora early access and you used to be able to buy a $50 credit but get double and they don't have either available anymore My favorite surprise is ordering Mickey rice krispies and chocolate covered strawberries from room service the day before for delivery waiting in the room when we arrive with a Happy Birthday note and pin. Little known amenity that I love doing You can also order a cake at one of the Disneyland sit-down restaurants. We got my Mom one at Storyteller Cafe and she was thrilled and it was gorgeous.

4. Don't forget GCH has movies on the lawn at night too so you may want to plan for that. Walking around Downtown Disney is pretty fun for kids, between pool and the Lego store and eating at a restaurant your day is pretty packed and you may just want to relax and get ready for your big day the next day! There is an indoor kids play place at Garden Walk now.
On another note, I love doing the morning walk through DCA that is offered for GCH guests and the morning yoga on the lawn session so don't forget to sign up for those if you're planning on doing them.

Hope this helps

 

[Geemo]

In March 2015 we stayed at the DLH from Wednesday to Saturday.
On check-out day we were able to get a pool pass key card for the rest of the day.
We checked out (picked up the pool pass) left luggage with Bell Services and headed to the parks for EE one more time.
Around noon the parks were filling and the lines were getting long. The grandkids had had enough park time.
We ordered a Marris' Pizza and returned to DLH pool to lounge until we needed to go to the airport.
It was a nice way to end the trip.

You might call the GCH and see if the also issue pool pass keys on check out day.

Geemo

 

[sophie131]

Hi everyone. We are staying at the Grand Californian on September 8 for my partner's birthday and going to DCA the following morning with our 4yo. I have a few questions that you can hopefully help me answer.

1. I booked the woods/garden/courtyard room through a third-party website. What's the best way to request a two-queen room hopefully with a view of the fireworks and ideally near the Napa Rose elevators? I'm assuming the odds of receiving these requests are slim because I booked the room through a third party, but I'd still like to try. Our kid's bedtime is probably too early to see the fireworks from the 6th floor viewing area.

2. I think we have access to the hotel (but not the room) until midnight the day we check out, right? Does the Grand Californian have a place where we can change out of ride-soaked clothes in the afternoon after we have checked out of the room but still have access to amenities?

3. Will the Sephora package be available as a surprise birthday present?

4. Aside from the resort schedule of activities, the pool, and the Lego store, what should a kid do outside the park on the day we arrive?

We just got back from our trip, we had a woods view booked through Orbitz. We got an ace check in lady who not only got us a room at 11am when we arrived but also gave us a partial park view (could see the last drop of Grizzly River Run and the top of Tower of Terror), the monorail came underneath our room and we could also see the fireworks from the balcony. The very bottom part of the fireworks were cut off but I would say we could see 80% of them. The only request we made was to have a balcony. We were super well located - quick to get out to CA through the Napa Rose elevator and also quick to get to Disneyland through the 'secret exit'. Our room number was 4402 if that helps at all.

 

[tlovesdis]

What is the "secret exit" to Disneyland?

 

[sophie131]

It is an emergency exit door from the GCH into downtown disney - it takes you out just next door to La Brea Bakery. Dependent on room location it can save a fair amount of walking and certainly helped us. No good for people with strollers or those who can't do stairs though It only works one way - can get into downtown disney but can't get back into the hotel.

 

[tlovesdis]

It is an emergency exit door from the GCH into downtown disney - it takes you out just next door to La Brea Bakery. Dependent on room location it can save a fair amount of walking and certainly helped us. No good for people with strollers or those who can't do stairs though It only works one way - can get into downtown disney but can't get back into the hotel.

Ahhhh ok! Won't work for us We have an ECV.

 

[hodad]

Wow, you are all so helpful. Thank you! I'll call the day before and get the birthday surprise, then ask for a balcony near the Napa Rose elevators when we check in, and I'll try to get a pool pass key when we check out.

8 days!

 

[Nonsuch]

It is an emergency exit door from the GCH into downtown disney - it takes you out just next door to La Brea Bakery. Dependent on room location it can save a fair amount of walking and certainly helped us. No good for people with strollers or those who can't do stairs though It only works one way - can get into downtown disney but can't get back into the hotel.

 

[Malcon10t]

I am pretty sure every room has a balcony, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[sophie131]

I am pretty sure every room has a balcony, so that shouldn't be an issue.

I had read on here before that there is a small number of rooms at the GCH which do not have a balcony - when I asked at check in she went to check that the room she was allocating us did have a balcony and to call down to reception if when we got up there it did not, so I think there is a small amount of rooms with no balcony.

 

[McNs]

We had a woods view room last year just by the GCH entrance to DCA (room 3353). We could see some of the fireworks from our balcony, not the whole show but certainly enough of the bigger bangs to enjoy it. The room location was great, not far from the Napa Rose elevators. If the aforementioned woods weren't there we would have had nice views in to the Grizzly River area.

 

[jsilvers]

I had read on here before that there is a small number of rooms at the GCH which do not have a balcony

Looking at GC images, there do appear to be at least a few, over the monorail beam.

 

[Nonsuch]

I had read on here before that there is a small number of rooms at the GCH which do not have a balcony...

There are 12 rooms without balconies above where the Monorail passes through the front of hotel, 6 facing the courtyard and 6 facing the street. The rooms above the were where Monorail passes from for DCA into the courtyard do have balconies.
So only 12 rooms without balconies, out of 1000 rooms.