Is concierge at the Grand Californian worth it?

[Raivyn]

We're considering splurging and staying there. Has anyone stayed there and is it worth it? Thanks!

 

[lisah0711]

We stayed concierge at the Grand Californian for three nights in December on DVC points. My Mom and Sis were with us so we had two rooms -- it was a real point burner almost double per room from what we would usually "pay." I had developer points so I was okay with that because I love GC and wanted to see what concierge was like.

Compared to concierge at AKL the offerings were smaller and the lounge was smaller. Being a dedicated Disboarder and someone who has been going to DL for more than 40 years, I didn't need any help with planning or priority seating or any tour booking, etc.

The staff were wonderful. Very friendly and helpful. Called in the morning to tell you the weather, reminded you of PS, etc. For the most part, the lounge staff was very good and the food offerings were okay. There were breakfast items in the morning, fruit and little sandwiches in the afternoon, hor d'oeuvres and snacks in the evening. The food offerings alone would not make me do concierge. If there was anything there from Napa Rose, I did not recognize it.

We all enjoyed watching the fireworks from the balcony the last night that we were there -- which was a Friday -- so we could avoid the crowds. You can have liquers and wine at night. They are served by the glass by the staff.

We had a great time and were glad that we tried concierge at the Grand Californian but as a group we decided that we would rather not spend the points and next time would get a bigger villa, etc. which will be open by the next time we all go to DL. We will, however, all be staying concierge at AKL for a few days on Christmas 2009 and were happy to spend the points.

That was our concierge experience. I guess whether it is worth the splurge depends on what you hope to get out of the concierge level. Have fun planning!

 

[newfamilyman]

As the previous poster noted, you will certainly not get the additional money concierge costs, usually $200 or so, back on food. If you can afford it, though, it is a very pleasant experience, especially if you have kids, since the private storyteller lounge experience is really nice. We have splurged on it twice before ourselves, but since money is tighter for us now, I don't think we will miss it terribly because the amenities of the GCH itself make a stay there, which is a splurge in and of itself, are sufficient.

 

[Raivyn]

Thanks for your thoughts on concierge level. I think we'll have to decide if its worth it or not. We're going to stay on DP points also before the new DVC is open since I heard you won't be able to stay at GC once it is. We just have to decide if its a good use of points for us.

Thank you!

 

[lisah0711]

You may want to call MS and check out points for a one and two bedroom suite. They are not on the points chart on dvcmember.com but they will give you the points.

I have DP points that I will be getting when I buy VGC next week. Luckily we still have APs. I am thinking about a 1 bedroom suite for a few nights because our family really, really likes the extra room. I would rather have more room than concierge but that is just our family.

Have a good time no matter what you decide!

 

[gtrain219]

We stayed concierge at the Grand Californian for three nights in December on DVC points. My Mom and Sis were with us so we had two rooms -- it was a real point burner almost double per room from what we would usually "pay." I had developer points so I was okay with that because I love GC and wanted to see what concierge was like.

We are staying there in May on DP's as well and have no idea what the rooms are like. Can anyone tell us more about the rooms? We booked a Garden View room and have 3 children 5,3 and 9 months in May.

 

[lisah0711]

We are staying there in May on DP's as well and have no idea what the rooms are like. Can anyone tell us more about the rooms? We booked a Garden View room and have 3 children 5,3 and 9 months in May.

Greetings to a fellow Idahoan.

I like the Garden View rooms as I think that they are quieter. That might come in handy with your little ones.

http://allears.net/dlr/acc/g_gc.htm Here is a link to some room pics. They are basically regular hotel rooms. You may want to ask for bunkbeds if you think your kids would be okay with that -- it makes the room seem a bit roomier, especially if you are going to use the pack n' play. Or you may want to be sure that you don't get a bunkbead if you think that they are still too little.

They have storytelling in the lobby that your little ones might enjoy at the end of a long day and lots of other activities. There is a character breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe. It is very nice to just walk to the Grand Californian when your little ones (or you) need a break. And it is a beautiful hotel and has wonderful ambiance.

Enjoy travelling in the off season while you can because as your kids get older it won't be possible. After years of travelling off season my 4th grader informed me that it is too hard to make up the work and that he doesn't want to go during school. The responsible Mom part of me is happy but the Disney Mom part of me is sad.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[kerickson]

We are staying there in May on DP's as well and have no idea what the rooms are like. Can anyone tell us more about the rooms? We booked a Garden View room and have 3 children 5,3 and 9 months in May.

gtrain:
We are also staying at the GCH in May. We had to cancel a WDW trip and had to use the points by Aug, so I decided to splurge and do concierge, Garden View. We will also be purchasing VGC and plan to stay on DP's this summer (not thrilled about a summer stay, but we don't have much choice given the DP's will expire in Oct...)
We are staying May 3-9 (haven't booked the Fri night yet. Thinking about it once we get our DP's from VGC.) We have a DD (5) and DS (3) When will you be there? Would be fun for our kids to do storytime together!

Also, I looked at staying in a 1BR instead of concierge. My numbers added up to 3 nights in 2BR or 5 in Concierge, so I opted for the longer stay. 1BR would be nice, but we'll do that once VGC opens

 

[gtrain219]

Greetings to a fellow Idahoan.

I like the Garden View rooms as I think that they are quieter. That might come in handy with your little ones.

http://allears.net/dlr/acc/g_gc.htm Here is a link to some room pics. They are basically regular hotel rooms. You may want to ask for bunkbeds if you think your kids would be okay with that -- it makes the room seem a bit roomier, especially if you are going to use the pack n' play. Or you may want to be sure that you don't get a bunkbead if you think that they are still too little.

They have storytelling in the lobby that your little ones might enjoy at the end of a long day and lots of other activities. There is a character breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe. It is very nice to just walk to the Grand Californian when your little ones (or you) need a break. And it is a beautiful hotel and has wonderful ambiance.

Enjoy travelling in the off season while you can because as your kids get older it won't be possible. After years of travelling off season my 4th grader informed me that it is too hard to make up the work and that he doesn't want to go during school. The responsible Mom part of me is happy but the Disney Mom part of me is sad.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the link and the info. I got some good tips and it gives me an idea of what to expect. This just might be our last off season Disney trip for a while with the kids getting into school and everything. I dive head first into Disney and being a Disneyaholic and am being dragged out by reality.