Grand Californian Pool Cabanas

[pepe3penelope]

In 2 1/2 weeks we will be staying at the Villas at the Grand Californian. I'm so excited because it's our first time staying on property!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

We will be renting a pool cabana for one whole day. I've tried to You Tube video and Google photos to show DH and the kids. Very limited info.

I know what's included in the cabana. Wanted to know what have been your experiences: checking in, selecting the cabana location, ordering food, noise around cabana (was hoping DS would take a nap), size of included fruit bowl & size), etc.

I'd love to hear about your personal experiences! TIA!

 

[Nonsuch]

...selecting the cabana location...

No personal experience, but this is a view of the cabanas from the villas
All 4 cabanas are grouped together, not 2 groups like DLH.

 

[Susie63]

I am not sure about selecting a certain cabaña but we just arrived at our check in time and our hostess was there immediately. The fruit bowl was great. Bananas, oranges, pears and plums. Half a dozen water bottles.
We rented the cabaña for the whole day on Superbowl Sunday in 2013. It was decorated for the game and then they brought us balloons in our favorite team colors. They went out of there way to make sure we had everything we needed. Ordering food and drinks was great.
As far as napping.... the pool area can be pretty loud and there is no space between the cabañas, but you can close all the curtains. They have blankets and pillows available too!
We loved it!

 

[pepe3penelope]

I am not sure about selecting a certain cabaña but we just arrived at our check in time and our hostess was there immediately. The fruit bowl was great. Bananas, oranges, pears and plums. Half a dozen water bottles. We rented the cabaña for the whole day on Superbowl Sunday in 2013. It was decorated for the game and then they brought us balloons in our favorite team colors. They went out of there way to make sure we had everything we needed. Ordering food and drinks was great. As far as napping.... the pool area can be pretty loud and there is no space between the cabañas, but you can close all the curtains. They have blankets and pillows available too! We loved it!

Thanks for the info! I happened to see that TR and am still reading it!

 

[pepe3penelope]

No personal experience, but this is a view of the cabanas from the villas All 4 cabanas are grouped together, not 2 groups like DLH.

Thank you! I'm actually surprised they only have 4 cabanas.

 

[LisaT91403]

In 2 1/2 weeks we will be staying at the Villas at the Grand Californian. I'm so excited because it's our first time staying on property!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

We will be renting a pool cabana for one whole day. I've tried to You Tube video and Google photos to show DH and the kids. Very limited info.

I know what's included in the cabana. Wanted to know what have been your experiences: checking in, selecting the cabana location, ordering food, noise around cabana (was hoping DS would take a nap), size of included fruit bowl & size), etc.

I'd love to hear about your personal experiences! TIA!

We rented a cabana at the DLH pool 2 weeks ago. At that pool, they had already assigned the cabana prior to our checking in. However, we were the first ones to arrive, and were able to switch our cabana to the one we really wanted. You will have a cabana attendant, and also a server for your food & drink orders. The fruit bowl was a disappointment for us. At Aulani, we had a really nice fruit platter with all kinds of berries, pineapple, mango, kiwi, papaya, melons, etc. At DLH, it was a fruit bowl with 2 apples, 2 bananas, and a pear.

 

[pepe3penelope]

We rented a cabana at the DLH pool 2 weeks ago. At that pool, they had already assigned the cabana prior to our checking in. However, we were the first ones to arrive, and were able to switch our cabana to the one we really wanted. You will have a cabana attendant, and also a server for your food & drink orders. The fruit bowl was a disappointment for us. At Aulani, we had a really nice fruit platter with all kinds of berries, pineapple, mango, kiwi, papaya, melons, etc. At DLH, it was a fruit bowl with 2 apples, 2 bananas, and a pear.

Thank you so much for the tips. I'm hoping we get there early enough to snag the location I want. You gaveme a lightbulb moment... When I call DVC and VGC to finalize our trip, I'll ask if we can request certain common fruits that the kids will eat.

By the way, Aulani is our home resort but we haven't made it there yet. Actually, not sure when we will. The airfare scares me. In the meantime we are sticking to our stay-cation next month and San Diego DCL twice next year!

By the way, DH, kids, and I would love your fruit platter selection also!!! However, nothing can compare to that fresh tropical local fruit! Yummy! We haven't been to the islands since 2006 (before the kiddos).

 

[LisaT91403]

Thank you so much for the tips. I'm hoping we get there early enough to snag the location I want. You gaveme a lightbulb moment... When I call DVC and VGC to finalize our trip, I'll ask if we can request certain common fruits that the kids will eat.

By the way, Aulani is our home resort but we haven't made it there yet. Actually, not sure when we will. The airfare scares me. In the meantime we are sticking to our stay-cation next month and San Diego DCL twice next year!

By the way, DH, kids, and I would love your fruit platter selection also!!! However, nothing can compare to that fresh tropical local fruit! Yummy! We haven't been to the islands since 2006 (before the kiddos).

We've been to Aulani twice, and it's awesome! You will love it when you eventually visit! We are already thinking about when visit #3 can happen

We've never done DCL...maybe someday.

Have a great trip!

 

[BriannaRuth]

We rented a cabana at the DLH pool 2 weeks ago. At that pool, they had already assigned the cabana prior to our checking in. However, we were the first ones to arrive, and were able to switch our cabana to the one we really wanted.

Which cabana did you prefer? They told me they were all together, so it didn't seem like it would be a big difference which one we got, but I haven't actually seen them. Do some of them have a better view than others, or what's the difference?

 

[Susie63]

The one's on the end are better. Then you only have people on one side of you. My trip report has some great pics of the cabañas . Check the link in my signature.

 

[LisaT91403]

The one's on the end are better. Then you only have people on one side of you. My trip report has some great pics of the cabañas . Check the link in my signature.

We were at the DLH pool, so our situation was different...but we, too, wanted one on the end so that we weren't sandwiched between two other parties.