Our 2006 Grand Californian Resort trip report

[grimley1968]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. I worked hard on getting this thing together, so it's gratifying that people enjoy it.

Anyway, I have updated Days 6 & 7 and they are now filled with pictures. That was a ton of pictures. I'm going to have to take a break for the last 2 days of pictures. I have a lot left to post on there. They're good pics, though, I think. The ones with Cruella are the best, though.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

Way to go Grim! Loved it!

 

[fabumouse]

Hey Grimley!

I sent you a PM on your board - don't know if it got through, hope that it did.

I loved your trip report and I personally enjoy a good Disney rant - I think otherwise reports tend to come off as "everything was great and perfect and I am Mr. Brady nicetomeetcha!!" when we all know that travel and the excitement of those parks can wear a kid down faster than anything. Give us the nitty gritty.

Great writing style, I felt like I was there with you.

And sweetie - you KNOW better than to feed the trolls.

 

[happypooh]

Thanks for a great report...we are going to GC in 9 days and can't wait! But I had a few questions? From what I can gather in your report you had a courtyard room (is that the standard one?) and were still able to see fireworks..I'd been trying to figure that one out as I'd like to see the fireworks from the room but thought you could only do that if you had a downtown disney view...I've booked a downtown disney view but would save alot of DVC points if we could do a standard room instead!
Also, were you able to take both daughters onto soarin? I have an 18month old...I thought there is a height restriction (Still haven't been on this ride!)
And last one (I promise!)..do you think there was alot to do a legoland for smaller toddlers? We are going to san diego for a few days and may take a trip to legoland for my 18month old to enjoy (and us as well!)
I am real sad that a montecristo costs so much....looks like I'll have to forego that and all the calories!

 

[grimley1968]

Thanks for a great report...we are going to GC in 9 days and can't wait! But I had a few questions? From what I can gather in your report you had a courtyard room (is that the standard one?) and were still able to see fireworks..I'd been trying to figure that one out as I'd like to see the fireworks from the room but thought you could only do that if you had a downtown disney view...I've booked a downtown disney view but would save alot of DVC points if we could do a standard room instead!
Also, were you able to take both daughters onto soarin? I have an 18month old...I thought there is a height restriction (Still haven't been on this ride!)
And last one (I promise!)..do you think there was alot to do a legoland for smaller toddlers? We are going to san diego for a few days and may take a trip to legoland for my 18month old to enjoy (and us as well!)
I am real sad that a montecristo costs so much....looks like I'll have to forego that and all the calories!

- We had a Standard View room, which happened to be the courtyard that the monorail went through. We got one of the courtyard view rooms that faces toward DtD. We could actually see a little corner of DtD and the World of Disney store. The Wishes fireworks explode high enough that they clear the roof on the opposite side of the resort. Finally, we were on the 5th floor, which certainly helped with the view. I list my actual room number on the report. While I wouldn't request a specific room, you can look at a GC map, see where the room is and then request that floor and side of the building. Can't hurt to try. The 6th floor is concierge.

- Only my eldest DD6 could go on Soarin'. I believe the height minimum was 40". My youngest DD, who is not quite 3, is only about 38", so no Soarin' for her. Soarin' does have child swap, but I frankly can't see how that's any better than just using Fastpasses.

- Believe me, there are all kinds of things to do at Legoland, especially for toddlers. There are only a few rides that are really not suited for the littlest ones. The park is made for toddlers, IMHO. The toddler will probably get into those dioramas, if nothing else. And toddlers are free anyway.

- The Montecristo was pretty tasty, but I could feel my arteries clog as I ate it. Yuck.

 

[Jennifer70]

I loved reading your trip report. This is my first post although I lurked on here last year for my December 05 DL trip. Now I am planning January 08 WDW trip and have never been. So after coming back on the boards I forgot how much I enjoyed reading everyones stuff.

 

[SamIAm21]

I love DL and I am really loving your report. Great report!! You're telling it like it is! Every vacation has its tense moments. Also, just one small thing, Soarin is in Epcot, not MGM. Small detail, but you seem to like to keep things right, so I thought I'd mention it.

 

[happypooh]

Thank so much for your reply...unfortunately they are all sold out of the monorail views (which I know my son would love - he even knows the sign language for the word monorail!) Oh well, we have a downtown disney view and will get to see the fireworks - yippee!
We'll try and do legoland...I think it'll be fun!

 

[grimley1968]

I love DL and I am really loving your report. Great report!! You're telling it like it is! Every vacation has its tense moments. Also, just one small thing, Soarin is in Epcot, not MGM. Small detail, but you seem to like to keep things right, so I thought I'd mention it.

Good catch! Sorry about that. I fixed it. I've come across tons of errors, big and small. At one point I captioned a picture of Tigger and the girls with "Eeyore!". That's been corrected too.

By the way, I'm also editing the site in another way. Instead of mouse-over text, which goes away quickly, I'm incorporating captions for all of my pictures on there. It's a slow process, but I've updated the first 3 days' pictures this way. Hopefully, it will make for an easier browse.

 

[deekaypee]

I love that you're such a perfectionist and mindful of your readers. I'll be back to read more, as long as you keep posting.

 

[grimley1968]

Whew. I just got pages 4-7 updated with captions for the pictures. I'll try to get pictures up for days 8 & 9 sometime this weekend.

 

[fabumouse]

Whew. I just got pages 4-7 updated with captions for the pictures. I'll try to get pictures up for days 8 & 9 sometime this weekend.

Glad you added photos. Weird Looking Bird is Abby from the movie Chicken Little.

 

[grimley1968]

Glad you added photos. Weird Looking Bird is Abby from the movie Chicken Little.

Ahhh! See, I've not seen that yet. I still think I like my name for it better, though.

 

[jtnsami]

Great TR! I'm only on page 6, but have loved the pictures and especially your "Most Ridiculous Item".

 

[newfamilyman]

Nice report. There is actually a swim test at the GC. My daughter failed the first time, and after she came back a few months later after lessons, she passed, and the lifeguards clapped. It was a nice touch.

The unidentified bird in your picture is Abby Mallard, the Ugly Duckling from Chicken Little.

 

[disneymouse]

i still think grimley's name is a more accurate name for the bird

 

[grimley1968]

Nice report. There is actually a swim test at the GC. My daughter failed the first time, and after she came back a few months later after lessons, she passed, and the lifeguards clapped. It was a nice touch.

That may be true that there is a swim test, but no one checked for that at the slide, either at the top or at the bottom. They only checked kids' height for the slide when we were there, and said kids needed to be able to swim over to the ladder from the slide bottom. It was definitely an honor system arrangement when I was there. Maddy is plenty tall enough, but was too afraid to go down the slide for fear of the pool depth at the bottom, and we just didn't want the scene that would have occurred had we tried to force her to go down it. She has since gone down much faster and scarier slides at our local water park, with a similar pool depth at the bottom. I'm not a child psychologist, so I have no idea what makes her think the slide at GCH is so much scarier than the taller and scarier slides here at home.

 

[dandee00]

I luv this report. Thank you for being so honest.
he GCR is looking like a possbility for us.

 

[PrincessMira]

I'm a long time lurker, but wanted to let you know I loved your TR. Read every last page.

 

[grimley1968]

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I do appreciate it.

I also wanted to post that I have pretty much completed the TR as far as adding pictures and captions. I can't say I won't make some minor edits here and there to correct typos or wrong info, but I doubt any more photo edits will occur. I have pictures up now for all 9 days, and I've even added some photos to some of the earlier days as well.

Thanks again, everyone!