Sleeping bag at Grand California (oh no!)

[LisainCalifornia]

Hello,
We have a family of 5 (3 kids) and I just read a few reviews on tripadvisor that said they were given a sleeping bag for their 5th guest instead of a roll away.

There is no way with the money we are paying to stay at the Grand Californian for 3 nights that any of us will be sleeping on a sleeping bag! That is crazy talk!

My kids are a bit older, and love the comfortable beds at the Disneyland Hotel. Unfortunately it is all sold out the nights we are going. We did stay at the Grand Californian once--they gave us a room with the bunk beds. It was okay, but seemed so hulking and big in the tiny room. The kids also said the bunk beds were sort of uncomfortable (my little one couldn't sleep), so I was going to ask for a room with 2 queen beds and a daybed. I know it can't be gauranteed, but I can't even imagine staying 3 nights and having to have one of us sleep in a sleeping bag.

Any advice? I will call and make sure I put in a request for a room with a daybed, but beyond that, I don't think there is much we can do.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

To be brutally honest, there's no reason why anyone staying at the GCH should be in a sleeping bag unless they request it. You're paying a whole lot of money and it's not to get a sleeping bag. If they try something like that, make sure they know just how angry you are and that you won't stand for it.

 

[NicoleDisneyFan]

I can agree not to let them give you a sleeping bag for that price! We stayed there once and that was it for us. I read that kids can request a sleeping bag for the bunk beds experience but also read that they can give you one for a fifth guest if there is no roll away or day bed. Make sure to tell them that your children are light sleepers and can't sleep on bunk beds or hard floors. Also, tell them that you or a family member is a sleep walker and wakes up alot and may injure who ever is on the floor so you MUST have a roll away or day bed. Hope this helps

 

[LisainCalifornia]

To be brutally honest, there's no reason why anyone staying at the GCH should be in a sleeping bag unless they request it. You're paying a whole lot of money and it's not to get a sleeping bag. If they try something like that, make sure they know just how angry you are and that you won't stand for it.

Maybe you can come with us and be our daybed advocate!

I thought the same thing, there is no way! We are really splurging on this trip, and I am excited to stay at the Grand around Xmas time, but that sleeping bag situation is bizarre! I read some reviews of people where they had to sleep on a thin pad with a sleeping bag and were not too happy about it. I can't even imagine it. My kids are a bit older (and taller--I have a son who is 14 and almost 6 feet tall, a daughter who is 11 and my height, and an 8 year old who would not want to sleep on a sleeping bag)...so this would not be a fun thing for us. I guess we could bring an air mattress, but that seems silly.

I hope it all works out.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Good suggestions, Nicole!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Maybe you can come with us and be our daybed advocate!

I thought the same thing, there is no way! We are really splurging on this trip, and I am excited to stay at the Grand around Xmas time, but that sleeping bag situation is bizarre! I read some reviews of people where they had to sleep on a thin pad with a sleeping bag and were not too happy about it. I can't even imagine it. My kids are a bit older (and taller--I have a son who is 14 and almost 6 feet tall, a daughter who is 11 and my height, and an 8 year old who would not want to sleep on a sleeping bag)...so this would not be a fun thing for us. I guess we could bring an air mattress, but that seems silly.

I hope it all works out.

Me too. It's ridiculous to pay that kind of money for a sleeping bag if they're "out" of rollaways. If they even try something like that, you should demand that they make it up to with extra fastpasses, free meals, or something along those lines. There is no reason whatsoever for any hotel that expensive to put people in a sleeping bag because they ran out of rollaways. With what you're paying, they can easily buy more rollaways.

If they try anything like that, don't be afraid to very politely "make a scene" and demand better service. The reality is that you could find places almost as close to the parks for a whole lot less money that are not on Disney property and won't give you a sleepng bag because they ran out of rollaways. Disney obviously would love for you to spend more money by staying on property so don't be afraid to get exactly what you paid for, including beds.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I agree with you about the sleeping bag, but just throwing caution to the wind that if the other rooms are sold out that might be the only option left.

I had clients come from the UK, and they were very unhappy to get a room with a sleeping bag -- GCH wouldn't budge. There were no rooms available with bunk beds or 2 queens & a daybed. So, it's a real possibility.

 

[Amy&Dan]

This is why I hesitate to stay at the GCH again. I love the DLH and PP for their nice fifth bed options.

At WDW this is a constant problem for my family. Only some of the deluxe level hotels have daybeds. Some WDW resorts have rollaways, most do not. So what my family does at WDW is take an airbed. We have two, one that has a battery operated pump, the other one that has an electric pump. It fits in a suitcase and is very comfortable. Its a bit of a hassle but when I stay at the GCH again (if I do) I am bringing my airbed. The bunks are too short for my now very tall 14 year old so even one of those isn't a workable option.

I am pretty sure that the beds at the GCH are high enough up that you can fit an inflated airbed underneath during the day. If not, you can prop it up against the wall in the daytime. We have done that in the value rooms at WDW that are far smaller than a GCH room.

Just an idea. It stinks that for the prices they charge they didn't come up with a better idea. But to me taking an airbed is a better and less stressful solution than worrying about a sleeping bag. And if you luck out and get a bunkbed room or daybed room, than you can just not unpack the airbed!

Oh, and I will add that my battery operated airbed and pump were around $25 total. I got in the camping section of Wal Mart, it's a Coleman brand and has worked wonderfully for many trips to WDW.

 

[Sherry E]

Hello,
We have a family of 5 (3 kids) and I just read a few reviews on tripadvisor that said they were given a sleeping bag for their 5th guest instead of a roll away.

There is no way with the money we are paying to stay at the Grand Californian for 3 nights that any of us will be sleeping on a sleeping bag! That is crazy talk!

My kids are a bit older, and love the comfortable beds at the Disneyland Hotel. Unfortunately it is all sold out the nights we are going. We did stay at the Grand Californian once--they gave us a room with the bunk beds. It was okay, but seemed so hulking and big in the tiny room. The kids also said the bunk beds were sort of uncomfortable (my little one couldn't sleep), so I was going to ask for a room with 2 queen beds and a daybed. I know it can't be gauranteed, but I can't even imagine staying 3 nights and having to have one of us sleep in a sleeping bag.

Any advice? I will call and make sure I put in a request for a room with a daybed, but beyond that, I don't think there is much we can do.

It is simply a space issue. I love that hotel - especially during the holidays - and when we were just there in December, I couldn't imagine another person fitting in there on the floor, even in a sleeping bag. We had a standard room, but the (rather tall) beds took up the bulk of the room, and I was not sure where anyone could squeeze in. I guess they could go between the beds or over by the bathroom, maybe. In any case, I know what you mean about the price. I had a 3-night reservation made which I had to cancel when I lost my job, and it is very expensive. But I honestly don't think a rollaway bed would fit in that room IF they had one, and I didn't know that the GCH had built-in daybeds in any rooms, like the two other hotels do. Do you have your heart set on GCH, or could you switch to DLH or PPH? I can totally understand the appeal and allure of GCH, believe me, but it may not be the most practical for your situation.

And if you DO make any special requests to GCH about a room - none of which they can guarantee - I suggest to you that you get to GCH for pre-check in as early in the day (morning, if possible) as you can. They honor those special requests on a first come-first serve basis, so if you don't show up until 9:00 at night to check in, you might not be able to get what you want. Show up even as early as 6:00 a.m. for pre-check-in, if you have to, and it will increase your chances of getting what you need. That is what we did, and then we marched over to Goofy's for breakfast and then into the parks.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I have never stayed there, but personally, I'd bring the mattress just in case. Then if it happened, I'd try to be as sweet as possible and ask what they can do to compensate me. I'd hate to ruin a fun trip with arguments and if I felt like I got a good deal I'd be happy. Yes, I can be bribed.

 

[bumbershoot]

Guys, this was even shown on a Samantha Brown show as a FEATURE of the rooms. A fun feature!


Or was that Wilderness Lodge (I get confused between the two)? Either way, yes it is way too much to be spending on a sleeping bag, but I bet you quite a bit that the kid who got that sleeping bag would LOVE it!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Yes, I figured the reason they do not have roll away beds at the Grand Californian is because of space. It would most likely be a fire code violation (and illegal) to even try to put one in one of those tiny rooms.

When we were there 5 years ago we got one of the room with the bunkbeds, and it was *so* tiny. Even my kids noticed, and they were much younger then.

Mary Jo, I have heard the same thing about people complaining and the hotel not budging on the sleeping bag thing. Our flight gets in around noon to SNA, so I don't know what will happen with it.

I do love the look of the hotel and really wanted to stay there for our Christmas trip. When we were at the DLH last Dec., I thought we should try the GC this time because of the beautiful holiday decorations. When I figured out this situation with the sleeping bags, I thought about changing, but the Disneyland Hotel is totally sold out. We have never stayed at Paradise Pier, but really don't want to for our Xmas trip.

I guess I can only be zen about it and hope it all works out. I will be calling them (aka harassing them) in the weeks prior to our trip to make requests!

Thanks for all of your responses.
Lisa

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Guys, this was even shown on a Samantha Brown show as a FEATURE of the rooms. A fun feature!


Or was that Wilderness Lodge (I get confused between the two)? Either way, yes it is way too much to be spending on a sleeping bag, but I bet you quite a bit that the kid who got that sleeping bag would LOVE it!

If my kids were younger, I would say yes--but they really wouldn't like it now. My little one can't sleep in a sleeping bag, and after a long day in the park--a nice soft bed is the perfect atedote.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I just now called the hotel. I spoke to a really sweet agent, and she looked up my reservation. She said they had indeed put us in a bunk bed room, and she changed it to a room with two queens and a sofa. She put a note on the reservation that it was not to be changed.

Just in case I will be calling 3 weeks prior and the night before to double check, but she said it should be locked in at this point.

I am very happy and will let you know how our story ends in December!

If anyone else has this issue, you might want to call the hotel directly as I did prior to your visit to the hotel.

Hugs,
Lisa

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Wow! And gross. I would hate to have someone in my family sleep on a floor that is so public and potentially contaminated with grime from shoes and whatever else the previous occupants threw on the carpet. I don't care how clean it looks.

 

[SANDIEGOFAN]

Excellent Lisa, happy it worked out for you - The main reason I've only stayed at GCH once is because of the sleeping bag/bunk bed option. I won't pay for someone to sleep on the floor and my girls don't like the bunk beds. It's good to know there's another otpion.