Grand Californian

[Tink91]

My mum and I are planning out November 2011 trip to DL and are considering staying onsite, for the first time ever!! I just want to know your opinions on the GC, is it worth paying the extra $$$.

 

[Amommy21]

YES, we LOVE GCH! it's totally worth it to us! We are here this week and the atmosphere has much added to our spa like vacation!

 

[spidey_99]

I stayed at the GC with my kids a few months back. Had always wanted to do it, always envied the guests who could wake up, step outside their hotel, be in the parks. How cool!

We liked it and we're glad we did it. But for the cash, it really ended up not being worth it for us. Perhaps if my kids were older (they were 4 and 6 at the time) it would make sense: eat at the nicer places, use the spa and gym, hit the parks, come back for a nap,etc. So for older kids or if you are going just with a significant other or just another adult I think GC makes good sense.

If you are looking for a more relaxing, highly convenient place to stay and you want to spend the extra cash, I say go for it. We had a really nice time there and there is no doubt it's a top flight hotel. But since most of our time- 95% of it- was spent either sleeping or in the parks, the extra cost was not justified.

We're going to DLR this weekend in fact and are back to our old standby: The Candy Cane Inn. For us- because we pretty much live in the parks and then sleep- it's a perfect deal. But again, depending on the kind of trip you are after, GC could be the perfect fit.

Spidey

 

[VallCopen]

We stay at the Grand all the time now, well mainly because we are DVC members but we love it, although the rooms are small and dark (which I like), you can't beat the proximity and the Hotel is beautiful, but with that being said it is expensive and if you just want proximity then the Paradise Pier is another good choice and you still are staying on site. Not only is it close, across the street from Grand, but the rooms are a bit larger and much brighter. They are a much different type of room from the Grand but they are not bad -especially if you are looking to save some $$$. But all of this is just my opinion.

 

[Raindown]

It really depends on the rate you get. If I was paying 2xx then I probably would stay there again, but not for more than 350 a night. It is nice but unless your there for an extended stay and have time to take advantage of some amenities meh. Don't get me wrong it is nice, but it is not the best hotel I've stayed in. If you are just looking for a bed to land in after the parks there are other good options. Bell services was slow in my opinion and I went down to get my two small bags after 45 minutes.

This all coming from someone close enough to DL where a hotel is purely random.

 

[nunzia]

I love the Grand so much I bought the DVC there Yes..very expensive and this is from someone who usually pays no more than $70.00 a night when traveling. But to me Disneyland is an experience and I want that experience to include never leaving the property. I must stay in really dark awful rooms most of the time so in comparison the Grand's rooms are neither small nor dark. There are plenty of very nice, much cheaper hotels all over the place, and you will have a wonderful time staying at any of them. But I say that you should try the Grand, and then you'll be able to decide for yourself if it's worth it.

 

[alyssa810]

We're staying there for the 1st time in just 8 days; as DVC members we've been waiting for some DVC rooms to come to DL!!!! We've stayed at DLH in the past, and liked it just fine. Would it be less pricy if you could rent points to stay at the GCV?

 

[jetskigrl]

My kids like to stay there for special occasions (both have given up birthday parties in order to spend their birthday at DL and the GC instead).

Is it worth it? That depends on each person. When we are celebrating a birthday and will have time to enjoy the hotel itself, it is worth it to us. We always make sure that we have time to enjoy the pool and also take advantage of the Magic Morning early entry to DL.

But other times it just isn't worth it. Example being the Halloween party next month. Since we will be going straight to the parks when we check in, and then won't be getting up as early (after the late night at the party), staying at the Grand isn't worth it and we just book something on Harbor.

 

[beckinoz]

Tink91 we were at DL last year and stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. We went to Napa Rose fro dinner one night and as we walked through the lobby of the GCH we wish we had chosen that hotel. We are going back in Sept next year and we are staying at the GCH. Got our wish!

 

[disney4metoo]

Yes, definitely worth it in my opinion!

 

[23bw]

I think the GCH is worth doing at least once. If you don't, you'll always be wondering what it is like to stay there. For us, it's better to stay there when our kids are relatively young so we can skip out of the park for naps & breaks. It's very convenient and the kids find the place a lot of fun. As they they older and capable of walking distances, staying onsite may not be a big deal as much.

And of course most have to consider the rate to stay there. I've seen it as low as $219/night and as high as $450/night. When visiting DLR we usually stay 3-4 nights so for us, our threshold is $250 per night. Any more than that, we stay offsite.