Grand Californian standard room or Disneyland hotel club level?

[Aurora0427]

YES! The bathroom setup is amazing. The Mickey hands holding the lights also help!

Yes they do. My 7 year old was screaming… look at the hands, look at all the Mickey heads everywhere, she found the ones within the carpet, on the sheets, and then when she saw the headboard she totally lost her mind.

When we got home she said our shower not having a Mickey head was such a disappointment.

 

[DizMe]

YES! The bathroom setup is amazing. The Mickey hands holding the lights also help!

This is funny because it's one of the things I prefer about GCH. I like the shower and toilet separate from the vanity area. I do like the bathroom size at DLH but I prefer having a place to get ready while people are showering/doing their business. I go with friends for Dapper Day and most of them shut the door when they're showering which cuts off the whole bathroom for everyone else. It takes us some time to get ready, LOL.

 

[Pluto468]

This is funny because it's one of the things I prefer about GCH. I like the shower and toilet separate from the vanity area. I do like the bathroom size at DLH but I prefer having a place to get ready while people are showering/doing their business. I go with friends for Dapper Day and most of them shut the door when they're showering which cuts off the whole bathroom for everyone else. It takes us some time to get ready, LOL.

I love the DLH bathrooms because they're so big, but you're right about how the whole bathroom is closed off when someone's showering. How big is the shower/ toilet area at GCH? Are they a good size for changing? I suppose it could vary from room to room?

 

[StarlitNight05]

My issue with the GCH bathroom is that the sliding pocket door to the toilet and shower area is soooo loud. I typically get up before DH, and on our GCH trip last week, I found myself inching the door closed very carefully so it didn't wake him up. I felt like a teenager sneaking back home after being out all night

 

[Chili327]

You know, that's probably a huge part of the draw to one or the other hotel. I usually go when it's cold so I love the GCH with its big fireplaces, cozy lounge and huge but homey lobby. It's especially beautiful during the holidays. But when the weather is hot, it doesn't have the same appeal.

DLH is the winner for warm-weather vibes. With the pools, Tangaroa and Trader Sam's, and the tropical feel, it's fantastic. I love the huge windows in the rooms when I'm looking out at the pool and palm trees or DTD with the parks in the distance. I don't love it nearly as much in the winter, though.

You may be on to something…

 

[ClaraOswald]

We've only had one stay at the Grand Californian and it was in February. Our next one will be in June 2024 so I'll be curious to see what I think of the summer vibe there.

Though I'm not really a "tropical" kind of person. I'm much more mountain-y. So I have a feeling the GC will still be the atmosphere I prefer. But I can totally see how others would like the DLH vibe in the summer!

 

[DLgal]

The bathroom layouts at DLH vary a lot.

I've had 3 different kinds of bathrooms there. 1 of the 3, the shower and toilet were in their own space, with the sink out in the open, like at GCH. One had a toilet room with a door inside, one was one big room with everything inside. I HATE the kind where the sink is in with the shower and toilet. That only works with a solo traveler or a couple, it does NOT work for families or friends staying together.

 

[DizMe]

I love the DLH bathrooms because they're so big, but you're right about how the whole bathroom is closed off when someone's showering. How big is the shower/ toilet area at GCH? Are they a good size for changing? I suppose it could vary from room to room?

No, it's a pretty tight space. Unless you wanted to change in the shower, which is half the room

Edited to say that I do use it to change, but it's not like the space you have at DLH in the main bath area.

 

[Pluto468]

No, it's a pretty tight space. Unless you wanted to change in the shower, which is half the room

Edited to say that I do use it to change, but it's not like the space you have at DLH in the main bath area.

Thanks! With teens involved, I guess we'll have to get creative with changing etc. Maybe one person can have the room while the others hang out in the club for a little while or something. Or maybe changing in the shower stall will actually be our best soggy option

 

[ClaraOswald]

I was able to get dressed in the toilet/shower section of the bathroom at the Grand Californian. There's not tons of space but it seemed like a pretty normal hotel bathroom size to me. I just stood in the space in front of the toilet. (Edited to add - I'm 5'6" and a little over 200 pounds if that makes a difference at all.)

I'm not a fan of the sliding door though. It's noisy and I'm unable to add small over-the-door hooks to the back.

 

[DLgal]

As a medium sized woman, and the ONLY woman in my family of 4, I have has absolutely no issues changing in the GCH bathroom.

 

[Aurora0427]

This is funny because it's one of the things I prefer about GCH. I like the shower and toilet separate from the vanity area. I do like the bathroom size at DLH but I prefer having a place to get ready while people are showering/doing their business. I go with friends for Dapper Day and most of them shut the door when they're showering which cuts off the whole bathroom for everyone else. It takes us some time to get ready, LOL.

I guess we just share a room with our immediate family… so I was able to get ready while my husband was showering, and my kids could still go to the bathroom because the bathrooms have a water closet. Everyone wins. .

But I can see how this could get awkward with teens etc.

 

[Aurora0427]

My issue with the GCH bathroom is that the sliding pocket door to the toilet and shower area is soooo loud. I typically get up before DH, and on our GCH trip last week, I found myself inching the door closed very carefully so it didn't wake him up. I felt like a teenager sneaking back home after being out all night

This is the other thing I liked about our DLH bathroom. I could shut the door and get ready without waking everyone up. At the GCH, the vanity is essentially in the room and the lights wake up everyone. Agree on the sliding door as well!

 

[Pluto468]

I was able to get dressed in the toilet/shower section of the bathroom at the Grand Californian. There's not tons of space but it seemed like a pretty normal hotel bathroom size to me. I just stood in the space in front of the toilet. (Edited to add - I'm 5'6" and a little over 200 pounds if that makes a difference at all.)

I'm not a fan of the sliding door though. It's noisy and I'm unable to add small over-the-door hooks to the back.

View attachment 754786

Thanks for the photo. That area looks big enough. The shower looks huge!

 

[RoseColored97]

No, it's a pretty tight space. Unless you wanted to change in the shower, which is half the room

Edited to say that I do use it to change, but it's not like the space you have at DLH in the main bath area.

I agree with it being a tight space - it was difficult for me to change into my dress/gown for OBB. I had to make sure the toilet seat cover was down so it didn't go in there lol

The bathroom layouts at DLH vary a lot.

I've had 3 different kinds of bathrooms there. 1 of the 3, the shower and toilet were in their own space, with the sink out in the open, like at GCH. One had a toilet room with a door inside, one was one big room with everything inside. I HATE the kind where the sink is in with the shower and toilet. That only works with a solo traveler or a couple, it does NOT work for families or friends staying together.

Fascinating, we've only had the water closet/separate toilet room with the sink in the same room as the shower set up. We've only stayed Club Level, so maybe they are all the same in that area of the hotel?

Our family liked it because if needed, we could change in the water closet (to me, it was just about the same amount of non-tub floor space as what was available to change in at the GCH bathroom). I/others could do makeup/hair/brush teeth at the sink while someone got changed. Plus the increased counter space was helpful for storing makeup and toiletry bags or my Airwrap travel container without it feeling cluttered.

 

[DLgal]

I agree with it being a tight space - it was difficult for me to change into my dress/gown for OBB. I had to make sure the toilet seat cover was down so it didn't go in there lol



Fascinating, we've only had the water closet/separate toilet room with the sink in the same room as the shower set up. We've only stayed Club Level, so maybe they are all the same in that area of the hotel?

Our family liked it because if needed, we could change in the water closet (to me, it was just about the same amount of non-tub floor space as what was available to change in at the GCH bathroom). I/others could do makeup/hair/brush teeth at the sink while someone got changed. Plus the increased counter space was helpful for storing makeup and toiletry bags or my Airwrap travel container without it feeling cluttered.

Yes, I believe the time we had a water closet was also in the Adventure tower in a Club Level room.

But last time I was in the Adventure tower (last year) in a non CL room, the toilet was in with the shower and the sinks were outside in the open.

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

My daughter also loves turning the headboard off and on so the music plays, and she is 36. I've found people are very partial to one or the other hotels. I had people tell me how great the Grand is, and we stayed there time after time looking for the "great", til my daughter finally said "Mom, we are Disneyland Hotel people. Just accept it."... It is my preferred hotel. Just like the Disney Wish is the latest and greatest, but my preference is the Disney Wonder. We all have difference "wants" in a hotel room, our family finds what it wants in the DLH.

You have a wise daughter.