July 2023 planning and chat thread!

[Aladora]

Thanks for your help. Everyone keeps telling me I will not go back to DLH after GCH...We will see I so love DLH...the Adventure Tower and the room facing DD and the Eticket Lounge!!! Yes if I get soaked I will go back to change and go to my room. I love GRR. I am bringing extra clothes especially socks because on GGH I always get wet socks.

My trick for GRR is to bring a pair of flip flops into the park in my backpack. When we are going to ride GRR, I change shoes and then drop my stuff into the free lockers while I ride. Change back after and voila, no wet socks!

 

[joseph821]

My trick for GRR is to bring a pair of flip flops into the park in my backpack. When we are going to ride GRR, I change shoes and then drop my stuff into the free lockers while I ride. Change back after and voila, no wet socks!

Good idea!! I will do that this time!! Thanks.

 

[twodogs]

Finally getting around to posting a quick trip report! We got home on July 11th and was thrown right into work catch up so I forgot. Someone on another thread asked me to post my thoughts on the DLH 2 bedroom suite so I am killing two birds with one post!

We arrived at DLH around 1:45pm after our LAX flights and checked in right away. We used a car service to pick us up from LAX, take us to Target to pick up a few things and then on to the hotel. We used the same service to go back to LAX and I can highly recommend Executive Car Service. We have used Lansky's in the past but Executive is our new go-to for sure! For a large (6 passenger) SUV round trip LAX-DLH including one stop was just under $400USD (218.50 with the stop, 178.25 without, both with a tip added on in advance) The driver who picked us up at LAX was amazing! Our flights were delayed and my sister landed at a different terminal than we did but he was great about all of this. We did end up giving him an extra tip in cash because he was so helpful!

Our room was not quite ready yet so we went to Trader Sam's for food and drinks. We had a reservation for 2:50 but they were able to accommodate seating us almost an hour early because we were willing to sit outside.

We had booked a 2 bedroom junior connecting suite and decided to add on club level for $250/day for the suite. I am of two minds if it was worth it but being able to sit and watch the fireworks in the lounge with a glass of wine while the music was piped in was great! I had made a request to be in the Frontier Tower because BTMRR is my sister's favourite ride but unfortunately they were not able to do that, even with the CM trying to give us a pixie dust upgrade. The suites were 100% sold so there was no other option but to keep our original suite in Fantasy Tower. This did mean that we had to go over to Adventure Tower for the lounge but it was not that big a deal, although it would have been nice to be closer to the lounge.

So, DLH has multiple 2 bedrooms suites so it can get a bit odd trying to book and knowing which one is which. I tried to book another type of 2 bedroom suite but this was the only one available at the time I booked.

We were in the junior connecting suite, afaik all suites of this type are in Fantasy. It was a regular room with connecting door to a 1 bedroom suite. The single room had 2 Q beds, the other side had a bedroom with 1K bed, the living room had a Q size sleeper sofa plus a twin sized pull down bed under the TV. There was a single bathroom shared by the 1K bedroom and a single bathroom in the 2Q room. There was NO balcony at all.

We had previously stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in Frontier tower and I was really hoping to get this configuration but I believe this was the upgrade the CM was trying to get for us. That one is, I believe, is the 2 bedroom Family suite but I am not 100% sure on that. The suite had a single door to an entry way, one door on either side of the entry. One door opened to a King room with a full sized pull out couch and bathroom. The other door opened to the 1 bedroom. There was a powder room at the entrance with a toilet and sink. After that was a bar area with tons of storage, a bar sink, and a small fridge. Then there was an eating area, a living room area with another pull out couch. After that was the bedroom with a king bed, a dressing area, and another full bathroom. The suite was the entire end of the tower so there was a large balcony that went from the single bedroom, wrapped around and continued to the other bedroom. We could see the fireworks from the balcony. Amazing!

We had 5 day hoppers with G+ so we went into the park around 3pm. I did get the room ready notification while we were eating but we decided to go right to the park.

Our first 2 1/2 park days were great for crowds and on the 8th I was able to fish for MEP quite easily and ended up with 3 fairly easily. I got 2 on the 9th but only 1 on the 10th. Definitely going to use this technique for future trips until Disney IT figures out how to close this loophole!

The 9th and 10th got really busy after around 11am and stayed busy the rest of the day. At one point on the 9th, Incredicoaster was at an insane 110 minutes!

The 10th was our last day and we had a LL for Space at 8:30pm. Now, the LL for Space had been long, in my experience, as compared to our March 2022 trip but this last night was crazy! We were stuck in the LL for well over 30 minutes when I had to tap out. I had gotten way too much sun and was feeling pretty icky, so I left DH, DS, and DSis in the line while I went back to the hotel to lie down. They ended up waiting almost an hour to get on Space and then got stuck in the fireworks crowds trying to leave the park. It took them over 30 mins from the exit of Space to the DL exit!

Quick note on food:
Trader Sam's: Food was just ok, nothing was great and I might give this a miss in the future.

We ate at Blue Bayou on our first night. DH, DS, and I had eaten there on a few previous trips and while we had previously not been super thrilled with the food, this trip was definitely the best meal we have had at BB. It was good enough for me to want to go back again.
We did Carthay Circle for dinner on our second night and as always, we really enjoyed the meal. The Parker House rolls were fantastic and well worth going just for those!
July 8th, we had a late breakfast at Carnation Cafe and it was just ok. For some reason, they have taken the regular breakfast off the menu, y'know, bacon and eggs. There was a breakfast sandwich as well as waffles or pancakes. We did the Chef's Counter at Napa Rose to celebrate our son's 18th birthday the next day. As always, it was great but there were a few hiccups that we had not experienced in any of our 3 previous times doing this. My sister and I let the chef know that we do not eat mushrooms at all but one of our dishes had them. There was also a bit of confusion with one of the courses. My sister does not eat red meat and she was originally given a beef dish. They figured out that she had been given my plate but then we needed to figure out if there were red peppers on the dish as I am allergic to them. Not a big deal, the dish was safe for me, but it was a bit of a change from the previous times where everything was perfect. We did the wine pairing for the 3 adults and we did not leave feeling as though we needed more wine, lol! The bill was a bit eye watering as usual.
July 9th we had lunch at Wine Country and it was as good as ever. That night we did the WoC dessert party which was amazing.
July 10th we had dinner at Lamplight Lounge and this was another one that none of us were super thrilled with, along with Trader Sam's and Carnation Cafe.
For quick service, we ate at Pym's and Red Rose both of which were as good as our March 22 trip.

So, the Club Lounge. It was nice to be able to pop in and grab a light breakfast along with a mimosa or two but we found that the offerings there did not change at all day to day. We never made it to the 5-7pm Magic Hours so I have no idea what the hot and cold hors d'oeuves were but I can say that the macarons there late at night were really great! I think that if we had spent more time there we might have felt as though it was value for the cost but this was my sister's first stay at DLH so I was totally willing to bougie it up for her!

Final thoughts on the hotel. We have stayed at the DLH now 4 times and at GCH/VGC 4 times as well. For our family, we are now going to only look at the Grand. Not that there was anything wrong at DLH but for us, the walk at the end of the night just felt brutal! And yes, I know that some rooms at the Grand are as far a walk as the DLH, but at least you are walking inside the Grand for part of it in the nice cool AC!

Flights home were a bit of a cluster, we were all flying WestJet back to either Ottawa (my sister) or Victoria (the 3 of us) and when we arrived at LAX we found out that the entire WestJet computer system was down hard. All flights were delayed and they were handwriting out baggage tags and boarding passes! When we did get home, only 1 of our 3 bags made it onto our second flight and it took almost 48 before we got them back.

Phew, that was longer than I expected! Thank you to anyone who managed to get through all of that.

Happy to answer any questions about any of this.

Can you mention which Executive Car Service you used? I see two different ones that are very similarly named when I search them up. Is it Executive Cars LA or Executive Private Car Service? Thank you!!

 

[Aladora]

Can you mention which Executive Car Service you used? I see two different ones that are very similarly named when I search them up. Is it Executive Cars LA? Thank you!!

I'm not sure if I can link here but will reply to your pm!

 

[twodogs]

I'm not sure if I can link here but will reply to your pm!

Thank you!

 

[Disneysince82]

I can address many of your concerns.

Chef's Counter:
DH and I have done this 4 times, DS has done it twice. The first time DS did it he was 14 but he is an adventurous eater so I knew he would really enjoy it. It is a long meal, usually around 2 1/2-3 hours so if your kids are not adventurous eaters and/or they can't sit through a long meal, definitely do it without them!
They are really great at accommodating food preferences. For example, this time we had the following:
Me: allergic to bell peppers, does not eat mushrooms, does not eat fish but will eat lobster, crab, and shrimp, does not drink Chardonnay.
Sister: does not eat red meat, does not eat mushrooms, loves fish.
DS: does not eat squash, either summer or winter, loves fish.
DH: eats everything, the stranger the better!

The only real hiccup in the meal were the mushrooms my sister and I were served but we were able to eat around them. The chef also asked if we would all eat caviar and while I am not a huge fan of it, I was open to try and it was good. (Well, you actually could not taste the caviar so...) The plate mix up was one that could happen at any restaurant so I was not too concerned about that.

The trick to getting a reservation there is this:

Reservations open up two months prior on the first of the month. You have to call the restaurant directly and leave a voicemail with the date and number in your group and they will call people back in order of the calls they get. For example, if you want a reservation for any time in November, you can call on September 1. We were looking for any night between July 7-10 with our son's birthday on the 9th being the preferred date. I called around 7am PST and when they called me back, the 9th only had 2 seats open but we were able to get the 8th. This process is totally different from all other dining reservations at DL!

WoC dessert party is one of my must-do things at DCA, this was our 3rd (4th maybe?) time doing it and we have enjoyed every single one we have done. My only trick for this is to ask for a high top table, either in the front row or in the second row behind a low top table. Also, do not eat a big dinner before this. The plate has 3 different types of cheese, two packs of crackers, and a good selection of sweet treats including grapes. They will give you containers to take any leftovers back to your hotel.

DLH vs GCH:
This is an eternal debate and one where I see pros and cons to each.

DLH is the classic, the theming is amazing, the rooms are bigger there than at GCH. The beds have the fireworks and music headboards. When the monorail is running, the walk from the hotel to the monorail is really short. The new Pixar Pier entrance into DCA is not too far but you do have to cross a road and then through (or next to) the parking lot.

GCH has the entrance directly to DCA and is a very short walk from the new Pixar Pier entrance to the park. The lobby is amazing and I love the Hearthstone Lounge. DSis and I went to the lounge twice this trip and we were always able to get a seat there with no wait. Decent food and good drinks. On our March 22 trip, DSis and I were at the lounge almost every day at some point. There is also the GCH Crafstman Bar right next to the pool and it is not too hard to get a same day reservation there.

On the con side, when the monorail is not running (like it was on this trip) the DLH walk is longer and in the heat it can feel MUCH longer. The bar there, Trader Sam's, is hard to get into and you will need a reservation which is hard to do. There is Tangaroa Terrace, but that is a walk-up bar and seats there can be tricky to find.

GCH is, without a doubt, more expensive. The theming is there but not as classically Disney as the DLH. It is much more subtle but imo just lovely.

For my family, we are now at an age where we want more luxury and convenience, and are willing to spend the money to prioritize that over anything else. We also always go back to the hotel in the afternoon to have a few hours rest so that extra trip to and from the hotel makes a big difference. If you are only leaving the hotel once in the morning and not returning until you are done for the day, then the walk might not be a huge deal.

Club level is an interesting one. So, we did not know we were going to add it until we checked in so we stopped at Target and picked up not only a few flats of water, but also some snacks and wine to enjoy in the room. Had we known we were going to add on club level, we would have definitely not picked up any alcohol or snacks. You can go to the CL lounge and get up to 2 glasses of wine per adult in to-go cups along with snacks. And their pours are generous for sure! So, you could go to the lounge, get some wine and take it back to your room to enjoy on the balcony. If we stay CL again, this is 100% what we will do.

Definitely get water at Costco or somewhere else. A single bottle in the parks is around $5 and I bought a flat of 24 bottles for around $8. We bought two 24 packs of water and ended up ordering another one the morning of our 4th day. I am a fiend for making sure everyone drinks enough water at DL so we were going through a ton of bottles each day. I find the tap water in Anaheim tastes gross so I can't drink it, even the water from the filtered water fountains and bottle filling stations. Every morning we brought two small backpacks, each with 3-4 bottles, plus each of us carried a bottle into the parks. When we went back in the afternoon we did the same so we were going through 12-16 bottles per day plus what we drank in the room and used for the coffee maker. Next time we go, we are planning on getting a few flats of water plus some large bottles for the room to use for coffee.

You are awesome!! Did you do a review on a blog post or am I getting a de juvu about the Chefs Counter part?

I love the comparison of the 2 hotels. When I see pics of DLH I smile & get excited I like their rooms(other than their bathrooms TBH) way more than GCH. The actual hotel the GCH is the winner it is beautiful and it screams luxury. I wish the 1 br family suite when comparing it to DLH 2 br its hard for me to not want to go to DLH because you get so much more. But then again I am still over here questioning my reservations LOL

We are going right now 12/19-12-25 and staying in a 2 br family suite at DLH. If we actually went the week before that(which I imagine the crowds would also be lower...) The difference in 1 br suite at GCH and 2 br suite at DLH are pretty close in price

 

[Aladora]

You are awesome!! Did you do a review on a blog post or am I getting a de juvu about the Chefs Counter part?

I love the comparison of the 2 hotels. When I see pics of DLH I smile & get excited I like their rooms(other than their bathrooms TBH) way more than GCH. The actual hotel the GCH is the winner it is beautiful and it screams luxury. I wish the 1 br family suite when comparing it to DLH 2 br its hard for me to not want to go to DLH because you get so much more. But then again I am still over here questioning my reservations LOL

We are going right now 12/19-12-25 and staying in a 2 br family suite at DLH. If we actually went the week before that(which I imagine the crowds would also be lower...) The difference in 1 br suite at GCH and 2 br suite at DLH are pretty close in price

I have not done a blog post about our Chef's Counter but I have posted on the DIS in the past about one of our previous visits including photos, that might be what you are remembering?

Napa Rose Dining Report by me

Edited to add: This report was from Aug 2019 and it was our son's first time at the Chef's Counter.

 

[Disneysince82]

I have not done a blog post about our Chef's Counter but I have posted on the DIS in the past about one of our previous visits including photos, that might be what you are remembering?

Napa Rose Dining Report by me

Edited to add: This report was from Aug 2019 and it was our son's first time at the Chef's Counter.

OK it must of been there it must of been from!! I remember it because of the mushroom part

 

[lovethesun12]

Just got back from our 8 night stay a few days ago. It was amazing. 5 days at the park. We dined at Blue Bayou, Goofy's Kitchen, Hearthstone Lounge, Lamplight Lounge, and Carnation Cafe. All were fantastic.

We had to add an extra night on our trip because of our flights, so added Paradise Pier (Pixar Place now I think). We were totally pixie dusted and not only got to experience the new pool there, but our little standard room was upgraded to a Dana Point Signature Suite. The room was so amazing we skipped Disneyland most of that day like we originally planned and didn't go until later that evening. Still an awesome night though, we did maybe 8 rides still with genie+ and shut down the park.

Loved every minute of this trip!

 

[Zdog]

Closing the loop on what was a wonderful trip with friends to Disneyland. We traveled in late July and the weather was excellent. It never rained in southern California when we were there. Crowds were very manageable (in fact, I don't think I ever gave crowds a second thought) and our experience at Candy Cane Inn was outstanding.

But.....as much as we loved our visit, my wife and I found this trip to make us miss WDW. We love being immersed in the bubble and quite honestly, as soon as one leaves the parks, the bubble pops. It doesn't burst...the area around the parks is Anaheim. But it did make us realize how much more we enjoy staying at a Disney resort in Florida. We actually just booked WDW during free dining. Life is short and we need our fix of the world.

 

[disny_luvr]

Closing the loop on what was a wonderful trip with friends to Disneyland. We traveled in late July and the weather was excellent. It never rained in southern California when we were there. Crowds were very manageable (in fact, I don't think I ever gave crowds a second thought) and our experience at Candy Cane Inn was outstanding.

But.....as much as we loved our visit, my wife and I found this trip to make us miss WDW. We love being immersed in the bubble and quite honestly, as soon as one leaves the parks, the bubble pops. It doesn't burst...the area around the parks is Anaheim. But it did make us realize how much more we enjoy staying at a Disney resort in Florida. We actually just booked WDW during free dining. Life is short and we need our fix of the world.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! We have our first Disneyland trip planned for this summer, and you said exactly what I’m worried about - leaving the parks and immediately being outside the bubble. We only know being inside the bubble when at Disney World so I’m very nervous about this. We are also staying at the Candy Cane Inn, but we have talked so many times about switching to a Disney hotel; however, we really don’t plan on spending time in the room/at the hotel other than to sleep and I cannot swallow the cost to stay onsite. The cheapest Disney hotel is Paradise Pier and it’s $572/night versus $299/night at CCI. That’s a really big price difference!

 

[Zdog]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! We have our first Disneyland trip planned for this summer, and you said exactly what I’m worried about - leaving the parks and immediately being outside the bubble. We only know being inside the bubble when at Disney World so I’m very nervous about this. We are also staying at the Candy Cane Inn, but we have talked so many times about switching to a Disney hotel; however, we really don’t plan on spending time in the room/at the hotel other than to sleep and I cannot swallow the cost to stay onsite. The cheapest Disney hotel is Paradise Pier and it’s $572/night versus $299/night at CCI. That’s a really big price difference!

Trust me, you will have a wonderful time. Disneyland offers so much, including proximity of the parks and again crowds never seemed to be an issue. Candy Cane is a great choice! The room was very clean, the pool area was perfect--never too crowded for our mid-afternoon break swims, and the breakfast was a great value add. Do not change your plans one bit! The walk from Candy Cane was 10-15 minutes but never felt long as the Inn is literally on the other side of Radiator Springs (you are closer to the parks than nearly any other motel as the crow flies). We found the staff there to be professional and friendly and if we ever go back to Anaheim, this is where we will stay.

As for Disney immersion, we did feel it here, but again, not to the extent of staying on property and moving around w/in property the way you do in Orlando. The blessing of Disneyland in terms of having things so close together cannot be understated. But it's the close proximity and then, boom, you are outside the gates with street vendors, traffic, chain restaurants (again, not a snob and eat at these places too, but) that makes you feel slightly (again, slightly) outside the bubble. That said, inside the bubble does mean things are more expensive--but we understand this going in and are willing to pay.

Finally, I will say that going into this, our experience at Disneyworld has been mainly with our kids, while this recent Disneyland trip was adults only. I'm certain this changed the feel. It was fun not having to rally the troops but also a little nostalgic in terms of seeing so many families and thinking, that was us .

If you are a fan of Disneyworld, you will love Disneyland! But in our case it inevitably led to comparison with Orlando, and as much as I dislike the idea of giving the state of Florida any of my $$$, it made us decide we wanted to head back to the world, and sooner rather than later.