Grand Californian Super Thread

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Really??? So any resort guest, right? Not just any guest in general…

Unless something has changed anyone can use the DCA entrance from GCH at that time. Anyone could also use the PPH entrance, but you need a room key to get through the first gate.

Yeah to clearly delineate, they check in the morning. They don’t check all day long because eventually it doesn’t really matter.

 

[AndrewC]

Yeah to clearly delineate, they check in the morning. They don’t check all day long because eventually it doesn’t really matter.

Wouldn't they check at the Halloween party (at least the first 30 to 45 minutes or something since I would think everyone would use that entrance to try and beat the long lines at the main gate)?

I'm trying to remember how it worked in 2019 and 2021 when I went... wouldn't mind saving like $400+ by staying over the the DLR instead of the GCH... but I do love being able to get into the park within like 5 to 10 minutes max right at the start of the party.

 

[DerekColling]

When do you receive your room number when you do mobile check-in?

 

[tink89]

Wouldn't they check at the Halloween party (at least the first 30 to 45 minutes or something since I would think everyone would use that entrance to try and beat the long lines at the main gate)?

I'm trying to remember how it worked in 2019 and 2021 when I went... wouldn't mind saving like $400+ by staying over the the DLR instead of the GCH... but I do love being able to get into the park within like 5 to 10 minutes max right at the start of the party.

They will check if you have a ticket to the party at a certain time but it won’t matter where you are staying.

 

[AndrewC]

They will check if you have a ticket to the party at a certain time but it won’t matter where you are staying.

WOW.

This way in is such a hidden treat then! I had friends last year that said they waited like 45 minutes in line at the front gates to get in... when I used the GCH entrance in 2021 it took like 4 minutes to get in!

 

[DisneylandFan22]

They will check if you have a ticket to the party at a certain time but it won’t matter where you are staying.

Wouldn't they check at the Halloween party (at least the first 30 to 45 minutes or something since I would think everyone would use that entrance to try and beat the long lines at the main gate)?

I'm trying to remember how it worked in 2019 and 2021 when I went... wouldn't mind saving like $400+ by staying over the the DLR instead of the GCH... but I do love being able to get into the park within like 5 to 10 minutes max right at the start of the party.

If you stay at DLH it would be closer to use the PPH entrance. Your room key will unlock the gate.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

WOW.

This way in is such a hidden treat then! I had friends last year that said they waited like 45 minutes in line at the front gates to get in... when I used the GCH entrance in 2021 it took like 4 minutes to get in!

When I went in 2021 I got to the front gates at around 2:40-2:45 PM. I waited maybe 10-15 minutes. They opened early and it went fast.

In 2022 I was staying at the GCH. We used the PPH maybe a little after 3. We waited maybe 5-10 minutes to get in.

I haven’t tried the GCH DCA entrance yet.

 

[AndrewC]

If you stay at DLH it would be closer to use the PPH entrance. Your room key will unlock the gate.

Does anyone know if that will be open for the start of the party where they issue the wrist band or whatever and stuff? Or would I probably have to head to a location in the park to then wait for a wrist band? (I think in 2019 they had it Blue Sky Cellar?)

 

[AndrewC]

When I went in 2021 I got to the front gates at around 2:40-2:45 PM. I waited maybe 10-15 minutes. They opened early and it went fast.

In 2022 I was staying at the GCH. We used the PPH maybe a little after 3. We waited maybe 5-10 minutes to get in.

I haven’t tried the GCH DCA entrance yet.

My friends were about 10 minutes late (past the actually "entry" time) and the line was insane at that point. I went and grabbed a drink while I waited for them to get into the park (I was already in)

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Does anyone know if that will be open for the start of the party where they issue the wrist band or whatever and stuff? Or would I probably have to head to a location in the park to then wait for a wrist band? (I think in 2019 they had it Blue Sky Cellar?)

It will be open at the start of the party and they will give you everything you need. You only need to check in inside the park if you enter earlier in the day.

 

[RoseColored97]

Wouldn't they check at the Halloween party (at least the first 30 to 45 minutes or something since I would think everyone would use that entrance to try and beat the long lines at the main gate)?

I'm trying to remember how it worked in 2019 and 2021 when I went... wouldn't mind saving like $400+ by staying over the the DLR instead of the GCH... but I do love being able to get into the park within like 5 to 10 minutes max right at the start of the party.

Can confirm. We stayed at the GCH last year but they were not checking room keys. Another vlogger that I watched for info on the party used the entrance and they were not staying there.

The one caveat that I am uncertain on is if the entrance stays open when the party is over. We went to two parties last year and were able to exit back though the DCA GCH entrance each time. But there were several others reporting that they close the DCA entrance/exit prior to the party ending, meaning you would need to go all the way around to the DtD entrance to get back to your room. I think it just depends on the CMs working that night.

 

[tink89]

WOW.

This way in is such a hidden treat then! I had friends last year that said they waited like 45 minutes in line at the front gates to get in... when I used the GCH entrance in 2021 it took like 4 minutes to get in!

The last time we went was in 2019 but we did not really wait. We also had tickets for the park that day so I do think we went in earlier before the party started. We went in the main gate.

 

[Pluto468]

When do you receive your room number when you do mobile check-in?

When I got the text saying my room was ready it told me the room number.

 

[tink89]

When do you receive your room number when you do mobile check-in?

You can get keys to go us EMH when you get there but your room number will be sent to you once its ready. It will show on the app and you will receive a text

 

[OKW Lover]

Just wrapping up a 3-night stay at the GC. We leave in the morning. Don't have anything specific to say about the visit. I'm always impressed when I walk in the door of this place. It's amazing architecture. Disney certainly knows how to create a space.

 

[Philsfan77]

How does Early Entry work now? We haven't been to DL or stayed at the GCH since late last year. Our trip is booked for a few months from now, but I have read a couple posts saying that nonhotel guests are sneaking in to Early Entry.

One was on Reddit that said a guy was asking if he could go in with a hotel guest to take advantage of early entry, the Reddit user told him no but I imagine he probably got in. Another post I just read is that some GCH guests offered to take nonhotel guests in with them.

If I am paying $1500/night for a suite, it's a little frustrating to think that nonhotel guests are taking advantage of the perks of staying onsite.

If Disney isn't cross checking room reservations to see how many people are on the reservation, it makes me wonder how widespread this type of thing is.

We were there in July, for DL they had 2 entrances open to get into Downtown Disney, most people stopped to go through the first entrance and the line was backed up...we kept walking further down the walkway and went in the second entrance (only 3 people were in front of us walking down there and its a little closer to DL) and we were through in no time at all. Everyone can scan into the park, whether a resort guest or not when they initially open, and then they will hold non resorts guests in the hub. There is technically nothing stopping someone from bringing a friend in with them, assuming they had space on their room (I.E. we had a 2-bedroom villa and 7 people on our room. One morning only 5 of us went for early entry, so in theory, there would have been nothing to stop us from bringing in 2 other people as they scan 1 room key for each party. I usually went first, told them the number in my party, they scanned my card to verify we had at least that many people in our room and then let us through).

 

[mystery222184]

Anyone who has stayed Club level at GC and also the Florida resorts, how did it compare In terms of offerings and general craziness (quieter like WL or hectic like Poly etc)?

 

[Philsfan77]

Anyone who has stayed Club level at GC and also the Florida resorts, how did it compare In terms of offerings and general craziness (quieter like WL or hectic like Poly etc)?

I cant speak to the Florida resorts, but I would not call what we experienced there over 4th of July hectic. We never had an issue getting a table (breakfast, snacks, dinner or desserts), the only time there was a little bit of a line was right at 6:30 when they opened the doors for breakfast (maybe 15-20 of us walked in at the same time at that time). Outside of that, we typically walked in grabbed a table and walked through with maybe 1-2 other people going through the line.

 

[Pluto468]

Just wrapping up a 3-night stay at the GC. We leave in the morning. Don't have anything specific to say about the visit. I'm always impressed when I walk in the door of this place. It's amazing architecture. Disney certainly knows how to create a space.

Did you like your room and view etc?

 

[joseph821]

We were there in July, for DL they had 2 entrances open to get into Downtown Disney, most people stopped to go through the first entrance and the line was backed up...we kept walking further down the walkway and went in the second entrance (only 3 people were in front of us walking down there and its a little closer to DL) and we were through in no time at all. Everyone can scan into the park, whether a resort guest or not when they initially open, and then they will hold non resorts guests in the hub. There is technically nothing stopping someone from bringing a friend in with them, assuming they had space on their room (I.E. we had a 2-bedroom villa and 7 people on our room. One morning only 5 of us went for early entry, so in theory, there would have been nothing to stop us from bringing in 2 other people as they scan 1 room key for each party. I usually went first, told them the number in my party, they scanned my card to verify we had at least that many people in our room and then let us through).

Where is this second entrance? So just keep walk by past the first entrance? I will be there next week at GCH for 8 days…7 nights…getting nervous and excited!