Paradise Pier Superthread

[IckyMickey]

Hello PPH Friends,
We (DH, DS17 & DS12) are heading there at the end of June and I have a few questions for you.

1. We are driving and will arrive around 12:30. Is there are area to unload and check in before parking the car? Since we're arriving early should one of us check-in and the others unload the car? Since our room might not be ready will they hold everything for us? Has anyone done that including laptop bags? After check-in we will be heading over to the parks. I don't really want to head back when the room is ready because we only have 3-1/2 days in the parks. Has anyone ever returned back around 11:00pm? Do you need to get your bags when you return or do they deliver them to your room if they are being held?

Whew! That was longer than I thought. Then the other...

2. We are checking our Saturday and then staying at a hotel across the street Saturday night. We will definitely be doing EMH hours which will be 7:00am. How have you handled that? Check out is 11:00am. Do you head back over at 10:00 or 10:30 and check out then back to the parks? Do you put your bags in the car or leave them in the luggage room so you aren't wasting time? Can you stay and swim in their pool after check-out? Can you keep the car there until 2:00 or 3:00? We really want a pretty full day in the park Saturday with just a break in the middle to recoup and rest.

It would be great to know what worked for everyone else. Thanks for your help!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Hi IckyMickey!

When you pull into the PPH driveway, you will most likely be greeted by a CM there, who will question whether you would like to park(short term) to check in, or pull to the side, where Bell Services can help you unload your things onto a cart.

We usually park on the left(15 min. parking), run in, check in, then unload our belongings ourselves and take them up to the room---we only have two of us, however, so it's pretty easy. With a larger group, I would probably use Bell Services.

If your room isn't ready, just leave everything with the Bell Desk---we have done this MANY times, and everything has always been well looked after.

You can then go to the Parks, and just leave everything until you are ready to return.

We always just grab our stuff ourselves, on our way past the Bell Desk, when we return from the Parks(even when it has been quite late), but they can load everything up and deliver it to your room, if you like!

The day of checkout, you will receive an envelope under your door(really early), and it has instructions on how to do a quick checkout.

We always just call the front desk when we are ready to leave the room, and let them know we will be checking out, right at 11:00am(we won't physically be there, but we have access to the room until 11:00am, just in case we need to come back from the Parks for anything/emergency).

We usually pack up, and leave our belongings in our car, but we have also left everything with the Bell Desk for the day, and then gone to the Parks to play, and then grabbed our stuff before leaving in the evening.

We have left our car there till evening, and it has worked really well for us! I believe you can't access the Pool after checkout, but you could call to confirm that.

We love the PPH---hope you have a fabulous time!!!!

 

[basketballmom]

We have stayed at Paradise Pier, but never concierge. Is there a separate check in desk? If so, I'm just not picturing it in my head...

Also, in the past, I have arranged for treats and things to be delivered to our room. I called Vacation Planning. Should I still call them or is there a concierge service number/email that could help me?

Thanks!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Don't know about a separate check-in desk for concierge, but you can email(any PPH guest, not just concierge) at vacationplanning@disneyonline.com, for anything you need to order/arrange!

 

[krispin41]

You can check in at the concierge desk which is upstairs in the concierge lounge. I always just ask at information when I get there, and was told to knock on the door, but last time, I just checked in at the front desk since there was no line.

 

[IckyMickey]

Thanks Cheshirecatty for your answers to my other questions - it was exactly what I was looking for.

Here's another one I've been pondering. We bought a standard view room. Of course I would love a room with a view of the park. Do people go in and ask for a room with a great view if available? Is this done? Does it work? Of course we're going in June so there might not be anything but if there is...

If it's not a room with a park view, what's the other view?

This is our first time going to DL and so much to learn! Less than a month and we will be there! Thanks!

 

[Cheshirecatty]

You are very welcome!

We've only ever had three different views: Pool View(looks down on the back of PPH Pool area), Street View(palm trees and the very tops of DCA attractions), and Theme Park View(high up and overlooks down into DCA). There are probably other views, but we've always had one of the three I mentioned(only Pool View twice, in all the times we've stayed there).

We usually book a standard view, and have almost always been upgraded for free---we've never asked or expected this, it has just happened.

If you are willing to pay for an upgrade, I would imagine you could ask at check-in, if there are any available.

I know we've been upgraded for free when we've been there to celebrate a Birthday, or an Anniversary, but again, we would never ask or expect---it's more fun when it has been a surprise!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Cheshirecatty for your answers to my other questions - it was exactly what I was looking for.

Here's another one I've been pondering. We bought a standard view room. Of course I would love a room with a view of the park. Do people go in and ask for a room with a great view if available? Is this done? Does it work? Of course we're going in June so there might not be anything but if there is...

If it's not a room with a park view, what's the other view?

This is our first time going to DL and so much to learn! Less than a month and we will be there! Thanks!

IckyMickey -

At one point I had a room that must have been on the other side of the PPH, as it seemed to look down over a parking lot or something like that, if I recall. It was a long time ago. I've also had a pool view. I've had a good DCA/park view. I've had a better park view. I've had an awesome park view! The last 4 consecutive stays that I've had at the PPH (and I've been staying there since the holiday season of 2000-2001) I booked a standard view room and was upgraded for free to a park view. In fact, DIS'er PHXscuba teases me because she is convinced that the PPH must have a notation "in my file" to be sure to give me a DCA park view from now on. (I only wish!) I think I have just been very lucky and have had good timing with when I checked in (usually in the early, early morning), as well as getting there at a time when the hotel was not 100% booked.

Some CMs will go the extra mile and give you a nice park view upgrade and some won't. It really depends on who you get and what kind of mood they're in that day, as well as how booked up the hotel is.

I always get dropped off, I haul my bags inside (not because no one at the PPH is willing to help me, but just because I prefer to drag them inside) and I leave the bags at the Bell desk until it's time for me to get into my room, and I leave them at the Bell desk again on my checkout day, if I plan to be in the parks for a while.

Cheshirecatty mentioned having an envelope slipped under the door on checkout day -- my final bill is usually attached to the doorknob and I have to open the door to get it. They stopped sliding the envelope under my doors a few years ago. I also just leave the room. Checkout time is 11 a.m. so I know to be out by then. I don't call to check out. I just leave, as long as there are no final payments or anything to take care of and I am all paid up and squared away.

 

[mamapenguin]

Are there mini fridges in the rooms? TIA

 

[sgrap]

Are there mini fridges in the rooms? TIA

Yes

 

[mamapenguin]

Yes

Even in the standard rooms? That would make me so happy

 

[sgrap]

Even in the standard rooms? That would make me so happy

Yes--just stayed in a standard room in May and there was a mini frig. It even had a little freezer, which the ones at GCH didn't have the last time we stayed there. We put water bottles in the freezer part--some of them partially froze (that was the goal), but not all of them. Have a great trip!

 

[IckyMickey]

Thanks again Cheshirecatty and Sherry E! I appreciate the answers. I can't even bargain at a rummage sale so asking for an "upgrade or park-view" isn't in my comfort zone anyways! I've thought of a few more questions though.

1. Tipping housekeeping. The last time we stayed in WDW I remember leaving envelopes for the "mousekeeping". Is there a chat somewhere about tipping? Shall I assume it is the same in DL?

2. Is there a business center where you can print out tickets at the PPH? Is the WiFi good in the hotel?

3. How do you get across the street to GC? Is there a cross walk, is it a busy street? I know I could wait and be surprised, but it's been on my mind.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[sgrap]

Thanks again Cheshirecatty and Sherry E! I appreciate the answers. I can't even bargain at a rummage sale so asking for an "upgrade or park-view" isn't in my comfort zone anyways! I've thought of a few more questions though.

1. Tipping housekeeping. The last time we stayed in WDW I remember leaving envelopes for the "mousekeeping". Is there a chat somewhere about tipping? Shall I assume it is the same in DL?

2. Is there a business center where you can print out tickets at the PPH? Is the WiFi good in the hotel?

3. How do you get across the street to GC? Is there a cross walk, is it a busy street? I know I could wait and be surprised, but it's been on my mind.

Thanks a bunch!

2) Yes, my husband printed out our boarding passes there in May. Wi-Fi in our corner room wasn't great, though.
3) Go out main door, turn left on the sidewalk, go to the light and cross right at the crosswalk. GCH is immediately in front of you. Usually there will be a crowd of people doing the same thing, so it is easy. The street is fairly busy, yes.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks again Cheshirecatty and Sherry E! I appreciate the answers. I can't even bargain at a rummage sale so asking for an "upgrade or park-view" isn't in my comfort zone anyways! I've thought of a few more questions though.

1. Tipping housekeeping. The last time we stayed in WDW I remember leaving envelopes for the "mousekeeping". Is there a chat somewhere about tipping? Shall I assume it is the same in DL?

2. Is there a business center where you can print out tickets at the PPH? Is the WiFi good in the hotel?

3. How do you get across the street to GC? Is there a cross walk, is it a busy street? I know I could wait and be surprised, but it's been on my mind.

Thanks a bunch!

IckyMickey --

You're very welcome. We're all here to help!

In this post, item #2, I gave instructions about the short cut to the GCH. Disneyland Drive is the street you cross, so it's fairly busy, and there is a crosswalk right at the corner, which you will use to get to the GCH! All you have to do is veer to the left once you go out the front entrance of the PPH, and walk past the PCH Grill to the crosswalk.

There is a business center -- it's on the second floor or third floor, as I recall. I peeked in on it last December -- it was pretty quiet.

I haven't needed the WiFi, so I don't know how good it is.

I bring envelopes with me and leave cash in them for housekeeping each day. I set the envelopes right on the edge of the bed, where I know they will look. It's up to you what you want to tip, of course, but I have been leaving $5 each day (it's usually just me in the room, and I don't make a huge mess).

 

[crystal1313]

I can answer #3:

This is what we do to get to the Grand, go out the FRONT, main entrance of the PPH. Stay left. You will see the Grand across the street. Walk towards the stop light. Cross Disneyland Drive at crosswalk and there will be a nice path that leads you to the main entrance of the Grand. Once inside the grand you can go straight, through their lobby and out past Storytellers and Napa Rose to the DCA entrance OR you can turn left and pass the phones and restrooms down the long hall until you see a glass automatic sliding door on the right. Go out the sliding door and then you will see a walkway on your left that heads out into DTD next to Sephora. Then you can walk to the Esplanade to get to the DL or DCA main gates. There will be a lot of other people doing the same thing too!

I don't recommend using the Grand entrance to DCA early in the morning as it gets quite crowded since they only have two turnstiles I believe. But later in the day it is great!

 

[mlnbabies]

Do the rooms have a microwave?

 

[sgrap]

Do the rooms have a microwave?

No. :-( I heated up my water with one of those old-fashioned gizmos like this: http://www.amazon.com/Heater-Portable-Immersion-Voltage-Beverage/dp/B000VK0DRY

I know some people use the coffee pots to heat up water. They are the pod type pots. We aren't coffee drinkers so I have no idea how to use them.

 

[mlnbabies]

No. :-( I heated up my water with one of those old-fashioned gizmos like this: http://www.amazon.com/Heater-Portable-Immersion-Voltage-Beverage/dp/B000VK0DRY

I know some people use the coffee pots to heat up water. They are the pod type pots. We aren't coffee drinkers so I have no idea how to use them.

Thanks for the info. My husband drinks coffee so that will be nice for him.

 

[Sherry E]

The pod coffee makers in the PPH rooms could not be any easier - in fact, they are probably even easier to operate than the pod machines you'd buy in a store. They can make two cups or one, or you can just heat the water.