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

[whoever]

Really? They used to open pretty early.

They usually open AT park opening. I'm either doing MM/EMH an hour and a half before that (because I line up minimum 30 early even for EMH/MM).

 

[evilmommie]

They open at 6:30am. I'm an early riser and they are ready to go at that time. Mhmmm...coffee in the Verandah. Yum! Love their staff.

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

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

You can add it to your room when you get there. I love being able to get a decent cup of coffee and sit on the balcony to watch the monorail go by while my room is being cleaned.

 

[tankgirl!]

They aren't doing EMH/MM, are they? I was hoping if I did club level I could get some coffee and maybe a muffin around 7am and still have time to get to rope drop at 8am. Would that work?

 

[GoofyGoofyGoofy]

Unfortunately, currently there are not doing EMH.MM. That is one of the many reasons we have not returned. Once they bring back the value to staying there, we will book a trip. Yes, you could get in and out of club pretty quickly. They have to go cups, etc. I would bring a couple of baggies to pack a few of the snacks in too.

Have a great time on your trip.

 

[Malcon10t]

Yes, they are opening at 630, it is a coffee and tea until 7am, then breakfast.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

They usually open AT park opening. I'm either doing MM/EMH an hour and a half before that (because I line up minimum 30 early even for EMH/MM).

Unless things have changed, they’ve always opened at 6:30am with food out by 7am. We usually check-in at 6:30am and are brought up to the lounge then. We grab a few breakfast items to go and are on our way to the parks by 7:15.

 

[Malcon10t]

Unless things have changed, they’ve always opened at 6:30am with food out by 7am. We usually check-in at 6:30am and are brought up to the lounge then. We grab a few breakfast items to go and are on our way to the parks by 7:15.

It is still the same.

 

[tankgirl!]

I just got off the phone with reservations and they told me I could only upgrade to club at GCH if I was in a suite. (I'm in a partial view now.) I asked if I could upgrade to a different room type, but not a suite, and then upgrade to club level and she said no. Is that what other folks have heard? Thanks!

 

[DLgal]

I just got off the phone with reservations and they told me I could only upgrade to club at GCH if I was in a suite. (I'm in a partial view now.) I asked if I could upgrade to a different room type, but not a suite, and then upgrade to club level and she said no. Is that what other folks have heard? Thanks!

I've never heard of being able to add Club level to a non suite room type. You'd have to book a Club Level room, specifically.

 

[tankgirl!]

I asked about upgrading to a club level, and she said it was only with suites. Weird. Maybe I need to call back and try again.

 

[Canto]

Hi all…now I’m confused, with adding club level after booking… aren’t the Club level rooms kind of separated from the standard rooms? Like on a separate level of the hotel or something? I have a Club Level, standard view booked for later this year…am I going to be just anywhere in the hotel? I’d like to be where the food/drinks are provided. Thanks for help and information!

 

[kristensideaoffun]

I asked about upgrading to a club level, and she said it was only with suites. Weird. Maybe I need to call back and try again.

You can upgrade to Club Level before check-in if there are Club Level rooms available. It may just be that there are no Club level rooms available and the only way to get Club access is by booking a suite. You can add-on Club use at checkin if there is availability. If you do this, you may or may not be placed in a Club Level room, but will have access to the Club Lounge. I’ve done this at DLH and GCH. If I remember correctly, it cost around $200 a night.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I want to highlight how circumstances, family dynamics, and the type of trip you’re planning can make a difference in how you answer the question of whether club level is “worth it.” This thread was started last summer right before my family’s first trip back to the parks after the shutdown. We were staying at the Grand, but I didn’t even consider club level for our trip. I even made a post in this thread last July about not seeing the point paying for club level! In the past, we would spend almost every minute in the parks except for a mid-day break to nap/rest at the hotel. All our meals and snacks were at favorite places in the parks and I didn’t see us coming back to the hotel for a bottle of water or to sit in the club lounge (especially since I was looking forward to sitting on our balcony overlooking DTD sipping wine brought from home).

Well, what we hadn’t anticipated were the changes that had occurred with our family dynamics over the last couple of years since our last pre-Covid park visit. The biggest factor was that our younger teenager had developed some pretty severe social anxiety over the last couple of years and taking more frequent breaks was important for her. I was very thankful we had splurged on the Grand since it was so easy to go back to our room for a few breaks throughout the day! That gave her a chance to re-center herself before diving back into the crowded parks. We also found ourselves feeling less need to “rush” and do “everything.” Yes, we still got up to be able to rope drop each morning, but we’ve been to the parks frequently enough (and know we will return) that all of us just enjoyed taking in the ambience and if a line for an attraction was too long, we were okay skipping it. We still had reservations for our favorite restaurants for at least 1 meal a day, but the new time window system for getting quick service meals made snacks/light meals a little harder to be spontaneous and our family leans towards getting hangry. So, more frequent breaks at the hotel, a more relaxed touring style, more time spent in a hotel room (with four people including two teenagers), and wanting quicker access to snacks/light meals means that this time, I DO think club level will be worth it. I want my 16-year old to be able to go back to the room whenever she feels a need without feeling guilty that she’s taking us away from the parks (which we always re-assured her was fine, but I think she still felt badly). Letting her know that I want to make sure we utilize club level services will make her feel more relaxed about requesting breaks I think! Both our 16- and 19-year olds enjoy doing everything as a family and like us to stick together. I love this about our Disney trips! But it does mean we will all likely spend more downtime together at the hotel. I envision that my older daughter, DH, and I will probably hang out in the lounge, having a snack, a drink, and just relaxing while younger daughter has a little time to herself. We also found that despite the breaks during the day, we were usually ready to head back to the hotel for showers and bed by 9 or 10, so I can see DH and I heading over to get nightcaps as long as the lounge is still open before heading back to our room for the night. And I can definitely see us using the lounge to grab coffee and breakfast before heading into the parks! We always do this when we stay across the street and while I’m a big fan of Starbucks, I was most definitely not a fan of the 30-45 minute line in the morning when trying to get something to eat before rope drop!!!

Bottom line, I thought I’d post as someone who previously didn’t see it being worthwhile for my family to do club level but due to changed dynamics/circumstances, I’m now someone who is looking forward to the convenience.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Hi all…now I’m confused, with adding club level after booking… aren’t the Club level rooms kind of separated from the standard rooms? Like on a separate level of the hotel or something? I have a Club Level, standard view booked for later this year…am I going to be just anywhere in the hotel? I’d like to be where the food/drinks are provided. Thanks for help and information!

I’ve stayed in CL rooms on the 5th and 6th floor. I was once told they put the CL guests on those floors. The rooms are the same as standard hotel rooms. There is a staircase near the lounge that goes between floor 5 and 6 if you’re looking to avoid the elevator.

It’s big hotel, hallways are long. Might want to to request near the club level if that is important to you.