DCA parade testing until 3 am super loud in Grand Cali room

[DodgerGirl]

Grand Californian should've left messages on guests room phones to tell them about this testing that was gonna be done. Because in any hotel when they announce things usually emergency things like fire alarm testing or a audible fire drill the hotel is required to call every single guest that is staying in that hotel. But Grand Californian should give guests a notice in their rooms saying these words "TO ALL GUESTS, WE WILL BE DOING TESTING FOR OOGIE BOOGIE BASH PARADES AND SHOWS FROM 11PM TILL 3PM SO YOU MAY GET DISTURBED BY NOISE. FOR YOUR SAFETY EARPLUGS MAY BE REQUESTED BY CALLING FRONT DESK WE ARE SORRY FOR ANY PROBLEMS THIS MAY CAUSE" and it would work miracles next time that they did this. Because when you are in bed you need to get a good night's rest and noise like this will not help you at all. Take me for example sometimes when I try to rest I get woken up by our lawn mowing staff who mow our lawn every two Mondays and sometimes it is so LOUD that I can barely hear my TV shows and so I can imagine what you are going through during your trip. I hope you do get a chance to talk to the manager before you go home and tell him what happened to you and as I mentioned as soon as you get home email Disneyland and tell them your experience and they will most likely credit you with a Disney gift card

 

[achinforsomebacon]

Thank you for posting this! I heard a lot of noise around midnight last night and saw all of the lights on. I thought maybe it was for a paid event or some sort of after hours party. I asked a few DCA cast members about it in the park today but they didn't know what was going on.

I'm lucky in that I can sleep through pretty much anything, especially after spending a full day in the sun at the parks, so it didn’t affect me. The rest of my party was already asleep and it didn't seem to bother anyone. Sorry it's put a damper on your vacation. Hopefully something can be worked out or they at least aren't testing every night. Maybe also try some white noise to drown it out. There are some 24 hour youtube white noise videos that have helped my kids in the past.

 

[achinforsomebacon]

So they just came around again. What I don't get is they aren't doing fireworks or big sound effects. It's just singing and dancing now. Why do they have to practice every night at full volume? That seems a little excessive. I would think they could test the volume level somewhere offsite and just have it loud enough for the parade folks to here when practicing. Maybe do one full volume run through right before the OBB.

Eta - I'm not getting a free preview of the parade. I have an awesome view of the park but the trees block where the parade would be. That's probably the case for almost all of the DVC rooms with a DCA view.

 

[sophy1996]

Yes, Disney is usually so good with music and sound (changing as you go to different lands, etc) that I don’t understand why they have to blast it full volume so as to disturb hotel guests.

We were at the Westin last year and could see performers practicing some sort of parade or performance in the area behind Incredicoaster. So there do seem to be some alternatives. Maybe not the best, but better than disturbing guests night after night?

The other inconsiderate part of it (like the situation at DLH with the monorail slides) is the lack of notice. Give people information so they can make the best decision for themselves!

 

[DharmaLou]

We've stayed at several deluxe resorts at WDW paying $$$$ and have heard them testing fireworks at 2am, etc. It's just part of being on property, they can't practice or test these things during the day so they have to do it at night. Is it enjoyable? No. Is it necessary? Yes.

 

[gardenrooms]

I'm sorry you had this experience. The last room we had at GCV, facing CA, always my favorite view (and I don't think it had been refurbished or anything) when you closed the slider it was almost dead silence. I even commented on it. I will admit, I always leave my slider open, because I love it when the music comes on in the morning (I know, 5-ish, I'm nuts) and I hear the sounds of people getting the park ready for another exciting day. This is unlike what we experienced at the BCV this summer, where the slider blocked out NO noise. We were "woods" view (read "road" view) and you could hear traffic all night, and every other day it seemed like, the garbage trucks came about 4-ish in the morning. Maybe some rooms at GC (or maybe just the villas?) have better (hopefully newer, but knowing Disney, if they have to replace a slider it's probably cheaper) sliders and they just haven't replaced them all.

 

[bsmcneil]

Yes, Disney is usually so good with music and sound (changing as you go to different lands, etc) that I don’t understand why they have to blast it full volume so as to disturb hotel guests.

So they just came around again. What I don't get is they aren't doing fireworks or big sound effects. It's just singing and dancing now. Why do they have to practice every night at full volume? That seems a little excessive. I would think they could test the volume level somewhere offsite and just have it loud enough for the parade folks to here when practicing. Maybe do one full volume run through right before the OBB.

This feels obvious to me - but: (a) why would you hold a rehearsal and not do it at full volume (that's what a rehearsal is for) and (b) the sound will (obviously, necessarily) travel further during a late night rehearsal than during the day because there would be almost no people watching it. I get that, in an ideal world, there would be a second Disneyland where CMs could rehearse when the parade would normally happen and with thousands of people watching (but not complaining if there are mistakes) where no one would be affected ... but that just doesn't seem feasible. How else can a place prepare for something - like, what would be your suggestions? Getting rest is important and you seem to value staying close to the park - sometimes (most of the time?) we only get two sides of the triangle though.

 

[sophy1996]

This feels obvious to me - but: (a) why would you hold a rehearsal and not do it at full volume (that's what a rehearsal is for) and (b) the sound will (obviously, necessarily) travel further during a late night rehearsal than during the day because there would be almost no people watching it. I get that, in an ideal world, there would be a second Disneyland where CMs could rehearse when the parade would normally happen and with thousands of people watching (but not complaining if there are mistakes) where no one would be affected ... but that just doesn't seem feasible. How else can a place prepare for something - like, what would be your suggestions? Getting rest is important and you seem to value staying close to the park - sometimes (most of the time?) we only get two sides of the triangle though.

I understand they have to prepare. I don’t agree they have to do it at full volume every night. But my suggestion is to let people know ahead of time so they can pick what’s important to them. For me, I would rather switch to a different view or hotel to make sure I’m not affected. Hard to do if I don’t even know what’s happening until midnight on that day.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Im sorry you dont apricate getting a free preview of the parade. Disneyland never really closes, the third shift work during the night to keep the magic alive for everyone. Usually this just involves maintenance, painting, gardening and cleaning, but at various times during the year, the new entertainment has tech and dress runs during third shift.

It was the same a few years ago when World of Color came back after the extended close. They did tech runs during third shift when the park was closed. And I remember threads of people complaining, as they paid a lot of money to stay at Grand California Hotel.

Just be grateful you get to experience something huge amounts of us wont ever get to see.

Also be grateful for being able to afford to stay at Grand California. Most of us who visit will never get to experience that either.

Yea, “can’t we all just get along” has been played out for years…..

the OP paid for a service, and Disney failed to proved that service….

the front desk’s response was not appropriate.

I would escalate the matter to DVC, and the hotel manager, not the night shift …..

I think you results will be different…

 

[jcourtney]

Thanks everyone for all your responses! We are home now and wanted to follow up with you all.

In the end my husband did end up speaking with a manager, we were told that the hotel didn't even know they were going to be doing that testing until the day it started. We apparently were supposed to be getting letters to our room but we didn't. The manager was under the impression that the rehearsal was going to be happening from 11pm to 3am every night until OBB started but the noise ended up only usually being until 12:30 or so, so not as bad as they thought and in the end we were able to mostly drown it out with the tv and some white noise on my phone. Luckily my son sleeps much better than I do.

The manger did offer to move us to a pool view room but seeing as we could see the pool from our balcony (if we stepped out and looked to the left), I didn't think it was worth the effort to pack everything up and move and then unpack again (and be without a room for the better part of a day). Maybe I'm wrong and it would have helped . For the most part our sliding door did well at keeping out the noise, we really could only hear World of Colour and this late night rehearsal music.

At the end of the day, our trip was still great and we learned a lesson about the tradeoffs of staying so close to the park. I was mostly just shocked that Disney didn't seem to care much and that I hadn't seen any other threads on here about this being an issue so it was completely unexpected. I hope this helps someone else with their future planning, as it will likely affect our future hotel choices.

 

[Rex1993]

I empathize. Our first time staying as owners at VGC we got an amazing view of WOC the first night. Tons of fun! Then the next three nights of grad night the music was thumping until 1AM. Not fun for us or the kids. As much as I like seeing the park, I'm making it a mission to get a pool room next time we go.

 

[Wesley815]

...the sound will (obviously, necessarily) travel further during a late night rehearsal than during the day because there would be almost no people watching it.

This is a huge point too! Having worked in Disneyland after hours it's amazing how incredibly loud things are with no guests and no other lands background music playing.

Fantasmic rehearsal would almost shake buildings around the river.

 

[RoseColored97]

I could have written this post last year (I did mention it in the GCH superthread, I think). It was after the Halloween party, on our first night there. We had a room down a couple hallways near the Soarin' area. The music specific to the Halloween party ended at a fairly decent time (I want to say 12:30am-1:00am, hard to remember). But then there was an endless loop of one song until way late into the night, like at 3:30am-4:00am. It was most certainly not magical to hear Billie Jean by Michael Jackson on repeat for hours on end. And we didn't even have the window open! The sound still seeped through into the room to the point we would keep waking up, but not fully realizing that the music was from the park until the last 30 minutes when we were more awake and went out onto the balcony. I still kick myself for not taking a video of it.

That only happened one night, but our wake up alarm at 5am would be the announcements they make for GRR to get it started/set up. The announcements are loud and echo off Grizzly Peak and back onto the hotel exterior. We normally wake up at 5:30am-5:45am anyway so that wasn't too big of a deal but I think I was just surprised that the Woods/Courtyard view rooms were not as quiet as you would expect.

I'm sorry you are experiencing the same thing! That is why DLH is our happy place, the moment you step out of DtD it is instantly quiet and peaceful, even in the rooms facing DtD.

 

[irlandaise]

I could have written this post last year (I did mention it in the GCH superthread, I think). It was after the Halloween party, on our first night there. We had a room down a couple hallways near the Soarin' area. The music specific to the Halloween party ended at a fairly decent time (I want to say 12:30am-1:00am, hard to remember). But then there was an endless loop of one song until way late into the night, like at 3:30am-4:00am. It was most certainly not magical to hear Billie Jean by Michael Jackson on repeat for hours on end.

Did you ever find out why they were doing that?

 

[RoseColored97]

Did you ever find out why they were doing that?

No, we spoke with the CMs at the front desk who didn't seem surprised that there was loud music but were surprised by the choice in music because it wasn't Disney.

We started chatting with another CM in the Wonderful World of Disney store in DtD while we were checking out (we mentioned we were staying at the GCH and she asked how it was and the conversation went from there lol) and she said sometimes the CMs will play music while working in the park overnight and might just be blocking it out and not realizing that the same song was playing over and over again. It only happened that one night, so who knows.

 

[Pluto468]

OP- Thanks for the update. I'm glad you were able to speak to a manager and they tried to help. Also glad you had a great trip!


So...if I wanted to avoid potential late night noise from DCA, what room type should I book? I was planning on standard or courtyard. Or is it just luck of the draw and I should just hope there's nothing going on when I'm there?

 

[wendlle]

I'm almost glad I'm so poor and have to stay so far away from the parks LOL
I needs my sleep

 

[RoseColored97]

OP- Thanks for the update. I'm glad you were able to speak to a manager and they tried to help. Also glad you had a great trip!


So...if I wanted to avoid potential late night noise from DCA, what room type should I book? I was planning on standard or courtyard. Or is it just luck of the draw and I should just hope there's nothing going on when I'm there?

The manager told us the courtyard rooms are the most quiet and if we stay again to request to be not in woods but in the courtyard rooms. I think woods is mostly facing GRR and the park, which seems like it would be amazing but if you are a noise-sensitive sleeper it may/will be problematic. I wish we were able to sleep through it because the view was pretty cool, for the limited time we used the balcony.

 

[Pluto468]

The manager told us the courtyard rooms are the most quiet and if we stay again to request to be not in woods but in the courtyard rooms. I think woods is mostly facing GRR and the park, which seems like it would be amazing but if you are a noise-sensitive sleeper it may/will be problematic. I wish we were able to sleep through it because the view was pretty cool, for the limited time we used the balcony.

Thanks! I asked to be near an elevator or the lobby, so hopefully that's not too close to where they practice. I suppose it depends on the time of year. I'll be there in the beginning of November, so hopefully nothing's going on that needs to be rehearsed.

 

[DLgal]

OP- Thanks for the update. I'm glad you were able to speak to a manager and they tried to help. Also glad you had a great trip!


So...if I wanted to avoid potential late night noise from DCA, what room type should I book? I was planning on standard or courtyard. Or is it just luck of the draw and I should just hope there's nothing going on when I'm there?

You will hear absolutely nothing in a Woods-Courtyard View room, so I'd go with that. Standard rooms face the front entrance and you occasionally will get siren noise from Katella or Disneyland Drive.