Is the Club Level Experience at Grand Californian Hotel worth it?

[SherylLC]

Hi All,
Has anyone stayed in a Club Level room at the Grand Cal? How do you "use" the amenities? Can the Afternoon Tea replace lunch? Food quality good?

And finally, we are not drinkers...I know it's hard to say, but what makes this experience worth the extra cost for you and your family?

TIA!
Sheryl

 

[Malcon10t]

This is a very subjective question. If you are a person who hits the park from open to close, it would be hard to say it is worth it. Can tea replace lunch, yes, if you take enough sandwiches. It is actually pretty good. Worth it is more subjective.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Hi All,
Has anyone stayed in a Club Level room at the Grand Cal? How do you "use" the amenities? Can the Afternoon Tea replace lunch? Food quality good?

And finally, we are not drinkers...I know it's hard to say, but what makes this experience worth the extra cost for you and your family?

TIA!
Sheryl

Been a few times at Club Level and never impressed with the longe offerings for the additional cost. Now if you have a large family and are at the hotel a lot maybe "worth it" for the convenience of quick bites or you just wanna plus your trip..but dollar for dollar not at all worth it for me.

 

[Iceman93]

Club level is one of those things that, if you try to add up all the items to make the upcharge "worth it", you're missing the point. Yes, one could theoretically eat three meals a day there, plus complimentary beverages including wine and beer. What's nice is having the OPTION to pop into the lounge for a snack or beverage, anytime you want. It's great having the concierge staff right there to help with any special requests, from mundane things like shifting times of dining reservations to complicated asks like "how do you suggest we make my daughter's birthday weekend extra special?" Pre-COVID, they had things like an evening storyteller for the kids and package delivery from the parks straight to your room (rather than just to the bell stand, like for non-club rooms).

It doesn't make sense from a pure monetary standpoint, but then again neither does staying at the GCH in *any* room type.

 

[bwmjam]

We stayed Club Level once and I was disappointed. Couldn't ever find an attendant, I felt like I had to go hunting for someone just to get a bottle of water. The afternoon tea is very good, however. I was expecting an experience like at Disney World Club Levels where they have a fridge full of beer to grab any time and several different wines you could help yourself to. At GCH, you had to find someone, then ask for a glass of wine and they go in the back to retrieve it. I'm very much the type of person that wants everything laid out and I can just get whatever I want, when I want.

 

[Malcon10t]

We stayed Club Level once and I was disappointed. Couldn't ever find an attendant, I felt like I had to go hunting for someone just to get a bottle of water. The afternoon tea is very good, however. I was expecting an experience like at Disney World Club Levels where they have a fridge full of beer to grab any time and several different wines you could help yourself to. At GCH, you had to find someone, then ask for a glass of wine and they go in the back to retrieve it. I'm very much the type of person that wants everything laid out and I can just get whatever I want, when I want.

California has much stricter alcohol laws. Servers can't just leave it out. It has to be served. But the fridge is stocked with sodas and currently bottled water (they had stopped with the bottled water pre Covid due to the quantity of plastic. But you could fill your water bottle.)

 

[DizMe]

The "is it worth it?" question comes up a lot. Is Disneyland worth it? Is staying on site worth it? Is Napa Rose worth it? Is Blue Bayou worth it? And, of course, there really isn't an answer because it's absolutely dependent on the individual. For me, personally, the answer is sometimes. I've had fabulous fun using the lounge with my sister, my family (that's the most cost-friendly use of the lounge because we're a family of 5), and it worked very well when my elderly mom went with us as it gave me a place to relax comfortably with her when the rest of the family was running around in the parks. She enjoyed having a mimosa and reading her book. From a purely basic cost perspective, no, it's not often cost-effective, but neither is the hotel or the vacation. You could go somewhere else for less and you could bring an ice chest of food or you could camp etc. But for ME, comfort, special touches, and a bit of luxury for a few days are all things of great value once in a while.

 

[ShelATX]

I love the GC club level and lounge and use it mostly for the convenient breakfast and the evening glass of wine. I sometimes pop in and out for quick refreshments during the day as well. I find the lounge a pampering experience that really adds to the stay. Also, useful to have the desk staff near the elevators.

 

[SherylLC]

I love the GC club level and lounge and use it mostly for the convenient breakfast and the evening glass of wine. I sometimes pop in and out for quick refreshments during the day as well. I find the lounge a pampering experience that really adds to the stay. Also, useful to have the desk staff near the elevators.

Good to hear a positive response. I sure appreciate everyone's honesty!

We are going to be there 3 full days with only two days in the park. I was thinking it might be a great respite, especially on our non-park day. I actually canceled and reserved standard room...but now I'm back on the fence

 

[BayouQueen]

We book CL when we have the need for it. Like too many people sharing our room, so we want another place to get away, have a coffee, while others are showering or whatever. Or when SIL was with us and he works constantly, so he could go sit in the club with his computer and work while we were in the parks. Or coming up, because we are traveling with a toddler, and we can grab stuff, go back to the room and chill while she naps. (Hopefully lol)
For a regular all-day-in-the-parks kinda trip, no use for it. But when it helps, it really helps.

 

[Iceman93]

California has much stricter alcohol laws. Servers can't just leave it out. It has to be served.

I don't think it's just California alcohol laws. We've stayed club level several times at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown L.A. and they have beer, wine, and hard alcohol all laid out for self-service. I always chalked the Disney club level restrictions (at all three hotels) up to Disney's cheapness--making an attendant get your drinks (and understaffing the attendants so that it takes a really long time) is a great way to limit the amount of booze they go through.

 

[DLgal]

They have always had to serve the alcohol at all the Disneyland club levels. The way you get around it is to ask for 2 drinks at once. They have no problem doing that.

 

[BayouQueen]

They have always had to serve the alcohol at all the Disneyland club levels. The way you get around it is to ask for 2 drinks at once. They have no problem doing that.

They do it that way a lot at WDW, too. It really isn't a big deal. More work for the CMs, but they are always sweet and get you what you ask for.

 

[DLgal]

They do it that way a lot at WDW, too. It really isn't a big deal. More work for the CMs, but they are always sweet and get you what you ask for.

That's true. At WDW the alcohol is usually only self serve between 8 and 10. We always had to ask for things like beer.

 

[Malcon10t]

Someone had asked if the make your donuts was back at the grand, yes they are there this am.

 

[gpjacobs]

We've grappled with the "worth it" question too and this is why we haven't upgraded/won't upgrade for our next trip: we **really** enjoy park/hotel dining and would prefer to spend our dollars there. I don't want to feel "obligated" to come back to the hotel to eat or have a drink to "get our money's worth."

The caveat to this is that we're a family of three, with a young kiddo. If we were feeding two to three teenagers, I'd be willing to bet our whole approach would be different.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

We've grappled with the "worth it" question too and this is why we haven't upgraded/won't upgrade for our next trip: we **really** enjoy park/hotel dining and would prefer to spend our dollars there. I don't want to feel "obligated" to come back to the hotel to eat or have a drink to "get our money's worth."

The caveat to this is that we're a family of three, with a young kiddo. If we were feeding two to three teenagers, I'd be willing to bet our whole approach would be different.

I think you exactly captured why I just have such a hard time justifying the upgrade. I don’t want to feel obligated to come back and use the perks at the expense of eating/drinking/enjoying time at the parks. And we DO have 2 teenagers!

 

[gpjacobs]

And we DO have 2 teenagers!

This is so validating!

 

[mlayton14]

For the dates I am interested in, club level is approx $400 more - PER NIGHT ! LOL, can afford it, but no thanks

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Does a CL room that has a Premium view pretty much guarantee park view? That could be another added benefit.
Also, when I stayed CL at DW I was reached out to be the Concierge staff months in advance of my trip, no one has reached out at all to me and we're less than 2 months out. Is this a COVID thing or do they not do that at DL?