Need help deciding -- PP concierge or Grand Californian standard

[cpster]

Hi everyone,

I need your help deciding between a Paradise Pier concierge room and a standard at the Grand Californian. We are hoping to stay the last week of July and it's two adults and one under 2. DD naps around 4:00 so we would probably be able to take advantage of breakfast and the evening hot appetizer and other goodies. PP is pricing out to be a little more than $200 LESS than the Grand Californian standard. The Grand is newer though and more centrally located.

I was reading some reviews on tripadvisor.com about PP though and some of them just really scared me (food and blood stains, hair in bathrooms, etc.)! I really want to have a clean room for my family. I think PP recently went through a renovation of "soft goods", but I am unsure of how recent this was. There were also a lot of complaints about service and the slooooow elevators.

If you have stayed at PP recently can you please let me know how your stay was? Did you find any issues with your room?

Thank you so much DISers!

 

[skiingfast]

I would not listen to the TA reviews.

I find this to be the hardest room choice at DLR. Some people find the PPH has big rooms the GCH small but it won't matter with a 2+ party. Do you want to be close or get the included food and drink?

 

[23bw]

GCH would be my choice if I had a toddler needing naps. It's so close you can be in your room in 5 min from the DCA entrrace. It makes frequent visits to your room almost a non-issue. Plus even a standard room at the GCH is already very nice to begin with.

 

[Sherry E]

I actually agree with both of the previous posters on a couple of points.

As skiingfast said, I wouldn't listen to the TA reviews - or at least not enough to let it stop you from staying at the PPH.

And I also agree with 23bw that if you have a toddler who needs a nap, the GCH is a closer walk from the parks' gates. While the PPH is not far, per se - especially when you take the short cut through the GCH to get to it - the GCH room would probably be closer in footsteps for you and that could make all the difference if you have a sleepy child.

Now as for my own experience, I have stayed at the PPH many times over the years (simply because it was the least expensive of the 3 Disney hotels). I think I might even actually prefer it at this point. Out of all those times, I had one room in 2008 that was a little odd because the water in the faucets smelled like poo (and it never got better during the entire stay), and one of the drawers in the armoire kept jutting out on its own - we called it the Haunted Drawer - and my friend banged into it as she passed by. Every other time I have stayed at the PPH it was perfectly fine. In fact, my last stay at the PPH in December 2010 was probably my best yet, and I am returning to the PPH at the end of November/beginning of December this year.

As for the PPH elevators - sometimes we have gotten elevators right away, sometimes we have had to wait a short bit. It's not so much that we simply had to wait a long time for elevators to arrive in general. The issue was more that when the first elevator DID arrive, it was full and we had to wait for an empty one. But for some reason the elevators never really bothered us one way or the other. I see a lot of people name the elevators as being a drawback to staying at the PPH, but I never even really thought about them until I started reading other folks' complaints. I guess that's just a minor drawback to me.

I have never stayed in a PPH concierge room (I hope to do that eventually), but I have read good reviews of the concierge offerings.

I have stayed at the GCH twice - once in a standard room and once in a DTD view room (the former being close to the elevators and the latter being far, far away from the elevators). Both GCH rooms I felt were small, dark and cramped. While I love the GCH for its spacious lobby and overall theme, the actual rooms were not my favorite.

The PPH rooms are, indeed, more spacious - there are generally two beds and a pull-out sofa thingy. In the GCH rooms I felt like there was barely any floor space, whereas in the PPH rooms we could move around and set things on the floor, etc.

 

[starry_solo]

I recently stayed at PPH (not concierge, but theme park view). 2 queen beds and a "day bed" (which is really a sofa bed). 3 adults. Lots of room to move around PLUS the decor is very cute (surfing theme). There was a mini-fridge, cute Mickey themed decor (Mickey as a lifeguard, a surfboard floor lamp, nice table lamps). A table in the corner, nightstand between the two beds and an entertainment center/dresser housing the TV.

GCH - well, I stayed in the Villas (studio) and it had 1 queen and 1 pull-out sofa bed (turned into a full/queen). 3 adults too. Lots of room there too.

Tough choices, but it really isn't that much farther to walk (again with the shortcut through CGH) and then a walk across the street.

I suppose it also depends on how far your room is going to be from the elevator at GCH/PP.

 

[cpster]

Thanks for the replies everyone...I still can't decide and DH is leaving it up to me since I've been doing the research. What to do...what to do...

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks for the replies everyone...I still can't decide and DH is leaving it up to me since I've been doing the research. What to do...what to do...

I thought about this as I was baby sitting today.

PPH...Perhaps it would be nice to grab snacks from the concierge level area, not have to deal with high chairs and such in another eating area. Be able to grab and take it back to your room to eat.

GCH...Perhaps it would be nice to get some romantic time in a superb hotel when you have a chance. Prehaps nice to be always close to your room when you have a fussy baby and want a nap.

As I swapped cars I was thinking how nice if I could of just walked.

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I had the same debate. This trip is likely a one and only trip for us and I had a standard room at GCH booked ... but when the summer discount came out and I started comparing prices, PPH Concierge looked pretty good. There are some excellent PPH reviews (and great pictures) on this board.

DH finally just said, "I don't care where we stay, I just don't want you saying 'We should have stayed here!' when we walk through the Grand Californian lobby." And, you know, he's right - I would do that and start second guessing myself. So, we are staying at GCH.

 

[Magalex]

Hopefully I will have to make the same decision next year. We are planning our first DL trip in July 2012. I started looking at Candy Cane Inn but the three on-site resorts keep calling my name. It will be myself, DH & DS (will be 11 ). We are WDW vets but probably the one & only trip to DL & SOCal. So should we go crazy? We are very happy with value/moderate resorts at WDW but we continue to re-visit WDW.

 

[summer0407]

I am probably no help just wanted to let you know we had the same dilemma. I go later this month and we decided on the GCH. I have 2 kids and we wanted to be close. I have only stayed at the DLH before and while I love that hotel I did not want to go while it was being renovated and with the construction. For us it all came down to being close to the parks and trying out something we have not done before. If you read TA it also has some negative things about the Grand so it all depends.

 

[smile4stamps]

I had the same debate...

I ended up choosing the PPH but a standard room. After looking at what is offered at concierge I decided I would save the $$ and get some groceries delivered from VONS to have in the room... My order is about $60 and I am getting water, soda, fruit, hummus, pita chips, carrots, celery, bread, peanut butter, jelly, plastic ware and some plates The rest of the money that I am saving will be used to splurge on meals/snacks in the parks!

The walk was a concern for me but after reading the reviews it doesn't sound to bad with the walk through the GCH lobby.

I can't wait to be there in 5 days!!