Grand Californian Super Thread

DLgal said:
The only hiccup was the characters took a long time to come around, but when they did, it was in rapid fire, quick succession. I'm glad we were done eating at that point. And we did it on our check in day around 11:30 and our room wasn't ready yet so we had time to kill. I'd just make sure you plan for it to take over an hour if you want the character meet and greets. The food was all very good, though. The carved beef with the creamy chimichurri sauce was phenomenal.
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Great advice…. Yes we’re ok with it taking awhile. We are rope dropping and I think we’re booked for 11:30. We plan on taking a nice break from the park. They’ve never been to Disneyland and my nephew is only 3, so we’ll have a nice long meal, meet the characters, and explore the GCH for awhile!
 
Aurora0427 said:
Great advice…. Yes we’re ok with it taking awhile. We are rope dropping and I think we’re booked for 11:30. We plan on taking a nice break from the park. They’ve never been to Disneyland and my nephew is only 3, so we’ll have a nice long meal, meet the characters, and explore the GCH for awhile!
Click to expand...
Don't be afraid to speak up if you aren't seeing a character. We LOVED our meal there in July, but we never got to meet Minnie (she skipped over us), and we never saw Chip at all. Mickey came by our table 3 times though, and we had a great chat. We were really there as more of a pampering/relaxing day on our checkout day and the characters weren't the most important thing, but if they had been I would have said something to one of the character handlers I saw wandering around.
 
Hi all, the kids and husband outvoted me and went for Theme Park on our arrival day, so I just canceled a full-day cabana reservation for August 23.
You can call (714) 635-2300 to reserve if you're interested!
 


mouschievous said:
Don't be afraid to speak up if you aren't seeing a character. We LOVED our meal there in July, but we never got to meet Minnie (she skipped over us), and we never saw Chip at all. Mickey came by our table 3 times though, and we had a great chat. We were really there as more of a pampering/relaxing day on our checkout day and the characters weren't the most important thing, but if they had been I would have said something to one of the character handlers I saw wandering around.
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The character handlers were doing the best they could. It seemed like maybe some "friends" called in sick so they were frantically trying to make sure all the guests got to see at least 2 characters. There really wasn't any more they could have done, and it was obvious they knew exactly which tables needed to get a character interaction and methodically moved around the room. They were definitely all coordinating with each other to get the characters around both sides of the restaurant. Minnie just never showed her face, so I think she just wasn't an option when we were there.
 
shosh1530 said:
We've stayed in Woods/Courtyard twice now and enjoyed the views. As other's have said the rooms are the same, so if the price is lower go for it! Both of our rooms were also close to the Napa Rose elevators (once by luck, once by request). Our Woods room last time looked into DCA's Grizzly River Run area which was pretty neat (but I wouldn't want to stay in that room on nights the park is open late).
Click to expand...
what was your room number that overlooked grr?
 
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I just returned from our DLR trip staying at GC, I'm pretty certain our next trip will be back to DLR and not WDW (we are a 4-time WDW visitor), even though our stay at GC cost a bit more than any trip we had at WDW (2 deluxe stays). For any first time visitors coming soon, you are in for a treat. Here are a few of our highlights and I'm hoping to give some insight a few of the hot topics I've seen in the chats of late.

Early Entry -- This is an amazing benefit to staying at GC. We took advantage of it all 5 park days we had and no matter what you are looking for (paid LL attractions or volume of rides), it can work if you are willing to get downstairs a little early to the DCA or Downtown Disney exits for security. Best option was the DD exit as being at the front gates of DCA and DL are preferred for Early Entry, unless you are looking for Pixar Pier attractions or Soarin. If you have an early riser in the family, have that person get down to security by 630am and you'll be fine. The rest of the group can trickle down sometime before 7am, but make sure they all get to you by 6:55am b/c the line starts getting screened right at 7. Once you get in, you'll be able to walk to the front gates and get a spot right at the front of one of the entrances. We were first in line each day at the gates.
  • DL Early Entry- you can ride each ride at Tomorrowland or Fantasyland if you want. Prioritize going to Space Mountain or Peter Pan first and then knock out the rest of the rides. You will have no problem riding all of the rides before 8am. If you want to do Rise, get to the gate to Frontier/Galaxy by 745-750am and fast walk to Rise and you'll be there with minimal wait.
    • 8/14/22 we did PP, Alice, Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, then lined up at the gates to Frontierland and Galaxy's edge (in front of Red Rose). They open the gate once the "welcome to DL announcement" happens and rode BTMRR, Indiana Jones, Pirates and then went to Space Mountain, Buzz and Star Tours without LLs before any waits.
    • 8/17/22 we went to Space Mtn, then went to Fantasyland to line up at the gate to Galaxy edge/Frontierland. We were close to the front of the line and ended up running a bit to start and then fast walked and were the first people on Rise. We then did Smugglers, BTMRR, Indy, Pirates, Star Tours and then did a Genie + for Space. It was about 10:15 at this point.
    • 8/19/22 we went on PP, Snow White and then lined up at the gate for Frontier/Galaxy. We were again on the first ride for Rise and then hit all of the big park rides until 1030 with minimal to no waits. Space MTN again we used our Genie+.
  • DCA Early Entry
    • 8/15/22 we went to the DCA entrance from GC and they started security at 7am and everyone was able to get in early. We headed towards pixar pier, then cut over to AC to ride Web Slingers and Guardians and walked on both. My girls wanted to split off and ride incredicoaster, Toy Story and a bunch of other rides. My son and I sprinted from Guardians and got in line at RSR and ended up with a 25 minute wait. Once done there, we grabbed breakfast at Pixar Pier, did Incredicoaster and Soarin. Crowds started picking up around 1030am and we went back to the hotel to relax/pool.
    • 8/18/22 we went to downtown disney exit of GC, and were first in line at DCA. We were the first 4 people on GOTG. When done, we walked (not fast-walked) to RSR and about 20-30 people were at the rope near RSR. They dropped the rope around 750 and let everyone queue up. There was a temp closure when at 8am and eventually it came up and we were about a 5 minute wait.
Overall, whatever is a priority to you, you can get done. For us, RSR and Rise were priorities and we were able to get on both rides 2x. Both are prone to breakdowns, so that is a concern, but if you really want to ride them, you can get there easily, b/c the rope drop people have no chance to get ahead of you.

GC Pool The pool at GC is amazing whether you want to get a ton of sun, or sit and relax with a drink/food in the shade. We went pretty much each day of our trip (Aug 13-19) and didn't have issues finding seats before 2pm. After 2pm, or more closer to 4pm, it starts getting really lively and it can be more competitive to find spots. They are relatively good at screening out people who aren't staying at the GC. The live music at the pool is super underrated. We loved the scene there and a server will come around and take your drink/food orders all day, which is convenient.

Genie+ a great value if park hopping, b/c you can bounce between parks all day and use all of the rides available. If you are doing early entry at one park, once the crowds build, you can start using some LL's at that park, then take a break and do LL's for the afternoon/evening at both/either park. If you aren't super budget conscious, its worth doing. There were a few days I added it for my wife who came in the park at 2pm (was working during the day) and she got on 3-4 rides and to me it was worth it, even for a few rides with the waits.

Miscellaneous Thoughts
  • Food stuff - Beignets & Mint Juleps are insanely good, both original variety and passionfruit (seasonal option). Drinks at Pym's are super fun, the X-periment and Honey Buzz are great. Lunch menu at Lamplight Lounge was a disappointment, should have booked a dinner instead). Storytellers cafe character breakfast was amazing, worth every penny both food wise, service, atmosphere and characters (Aug 16th). We LOVED the Taro cold brew at Docking Bay7. At GC, hearthstone and Craftsmen were great, the impossible sausage pizza was a huge hit. Best value by far was Napolini Pizza which is right at the Downtown Disney exit of GC. Great prepared salads and delicious pizzas, very reasonable. We ended up going there a few times to bring back to the hotel. Trader Sams is a must do if you get a reservation, it was so much fun.
  • Ride takes Indiana Jones, GOTG were highlights for our family. (Dinosaur and TOT don't compare in my opinion to either sister-ride). Small world, Pirates and BTMRR all are much better in DL, BTMRR is amazing at night and in the back row. Mr Toad's ride is a real trip, one of our favorites. Space Mountain with the background music I felt was more fun than the WDW version. RSR and Rise are worth paying $ or rope dropping with Early Entry, truly unbelievable experiences.
 
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drmoore1976 said:
I just returned from our DLR trip staying at GC, I'm pretty certain our next trip will be back to DLR and not WDW (we are a 4-time WDW visitor), even though our stay at GC cost a bit more than any trip we had at WDW (2 deluxe stays). For any first time visitors coming soon, you are in for a treat. Here are a few of our highlights and I'm hoping to give some insight a few of the hot topics I've seen in the chats of late.

Early Entry -- This is an amazing benefit to staying at GC. We took advantage of it all 5 park days we had and no matter what you are looking for (paid LL attractions or volume of rides), it can work if you are willing to get downstairs a little early to the DCA or Downtown Disney exits for security. Best option was the DD exit as being at the front gates of DCA and DL are preferred for Early Entry, unless you are looking for Pixar Pier attractions or Soarin. If you have an early riser in the family, have that person get down to security by 630am and you'll be fine. The rest of the group can trickle down sometime before 7am, but make sure they all get to you by 6:55am b/c the line starts getting screened right at 7. Once you get in, you'll be able to walk to the front gates and get a spot right at the front of one of the entrances. We were first in line each day at the gates.
  • DL Early Entry- you can ride each ride at Tomorrowland or Fantasyland if you want. Prioritize going to Space Mountain or Peter Pan first and then knock out the rest of the rides. You will have no problem riding all of the rides before 8am. If you want to do Rise, get to the gate to Frontier/Galaxy by 745-750am and fast walk to Rise and you'll be there with minimal wait.
    • 8/14/22 we did PP, Alice, Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, then lined up at the gates to Frontierland and Galaxy's edge (in front of Red Rose). They open the gate once the "welcome to DL announcement" happens and rode BTMRR, Indiana Jones, Pirates and then went to Space Mountain, Buzz and Star Tours without LLs before any waits.
    • 8/17/22 we went to Space Mtn, then went to Fantasyland to line up at the gate to Galaxy edge/Frontierland. We were close to the front of the line and ended up running a bit to start and then fast walked and were the first people on Rise. We then did Smugglers, BTMRR, Indy, Pirates, Star Tours and then did a Genie + for Space. It was about 10:15 at this point.
    • 8/19/22 we went on PP, Snow White and then lined up at the gate for Frontier/Galaxy. We were again on the first ride for Rise and then hit all of the big park rides until 1030 with minimal to no waits. Space MTN again we used our Genie+.
  • DCA Early Entry
    • 8/15/22 we went to the DCA entrance from GC and they started security at 7am and everyone was able to get in early. We headed towards pixar pier, then cut over to AC to ride Web Slingers and Guardians and walked on both. My girls wanted to split off and ride incredicoaster, Toy Story and a bunch of other rides. My son and I sprinted from Guardians and got in line at RSR and ended up with a 25 minute wait. Once done there, we grabbed breakfast at Pixar Pier, did Incredicoaster and Soarin. Crowds started picking up around 1030am and we went back to the hotel to relax/pool.
    • 8/18/22 we went to downtown disney exit of GC, and were first in line at DCA. We were the first 4 people on GOTG. When done, we walked (not fast-walked) to RSR and about 20-30 people were at the rope near RSR. They dropped the rope around 750 and let everyone queue up. There was a temp closure when at 8am and eventually it came up and we were about a 5 minute wait.
Overall, whatever is a priority to you, you can get done. For us, RSR and Rise were priorities and we were able to get on both rides 2x. Both are prone to breakdowns, so that is a concern, but if you really want to ride them, you can get there easily, b/c the rope drop people have no chance to get ahead of you.

GC Pool The pool at GC is amazing whether you want to get a ton of sun, or sit and relax with a drink/food in the shade. We went pretty much each day of our trip (Aug 13-19) and didn't have issues finding seats before 2pm. After 2pm, or more closer to 4pm, it starts getting really lively and it can be more competitive to find spots. They are relatively good at screening out people who aren't staying at the GC. The live music at the pool is super underrated. We loved the scene there and a server will come around and take your drink/food orders all day, which is convenient.

Genie+ a great value if park hopping, b/c you can bounce between parks all day and use all of the rides available. If you are doing early entry at one park, once the crowds build, you can start using some LL's at that park, then take a break and do LL's for the afternoon/evening at both/either park. If you aren't super budget conscious, its worth doing. There were a few days I added it for my wife who came in the park at 2pm (was working during the day) and she got on 3-4 rides and to me it was worth it, even for a few rides with the waits.

Miscellaneous Thoughts
  • Food stuff - Beignets Mint Julep is insanely good, both original variety and passionfruit (seasonal option). Drinks at Pym's are super fun, the X-periment and Honey Buzz are great. Lunch menu at Lamplight Lounge was a disappointment, should have booked a dinner instead). Storytellers cafe character breakfast was amazing, worth every penny both food wise, service, atmosphere and characters (Aug 16th). We LOVED the Taro cold brew at Docking Bay7. At GC, hearthstone and Craftsmen were great, the impossible sausage pizza was a huge hit. Best value by far was Napolini Pizza which is right at the Downtown Disney exit of GC. Great prepared salads and delicious pizzas, very reasonable. We ended up going there a few times to bring back to the hotel. Trader Sams is a must do if you get a reservation, it was so much fun.
  • Ride takes Indiana Jones, GOTG were highlights for our family. (Dinosaur and TOT don't compare in my opinion to either sister-ride). Small world, Pirates and BTMRR all are much better in DL, BTMRR is amazing at night and in the back row. Mr Toad's ride is a real trip, one of our favorites. Space Mountain with the background music I felt was more fun than the WDW version. RSR and Rise are worth paying $ or rope dropping with Early Entry, truly unbelievable experiences.
Click to expand...

This is an incredibly helpful recap/trip report! We're going next month to GCH, with similar 5 day hoppers. Saving this to use for our trip!
 
becky moore said:
What room did you stay in? Was it a long hike to the elevator?
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Becky - I'm not sure if this was directed to someone else or me, but I was in room 3232, which had a semi-obstructed view of the Pool, but was close to the elevator. The location of the room was nice as there is an entrance to the pool. It says "emergency exit", but cast members are there all day handing out towels and you can use it to cut through to the Craftsman and DCA entrance. If you are in a Premium Pool view, I would recommend asking for a room on a higher floor than 3, as the views weren't great. We weren't in the room much so we didn't care.
 
drmoore1976 said:
I just returned from our DLR trip staying at GC, I'm pretty certain our next trip will be back to DLR and not WDW (we are a 4-time WDW visitor), even though our stay at GC cost a bit more than any trip we had at WDW (2 deluxe stays). For any first time visitors coming soon, you are in for a treat. Here are a few of our highlights and I'm hoping to give some insight a few of the hot topics I've seen in the chats of late.

Early Entry -- This is an amazing benefit to staying at GC. We took advantage of it all 5 park days we had and no matter what you are looking for (paid LL attractions or volume of rides), it can work if you are willing to get downstairs a little early to the DCA or Downtown Disney exits for security. Best option was the DD exit as being at the front gates of DCA and DL are preferred for Early Entry, unless you are looking for Pixar Pier attractions or Soarin. If you have an early riser in the family, have that person get down to security by 630am and you'll be fine. The rest of the group can trickle down sometime before 7am, but make sure they all get to you by 6:55am b/c the line starts getting screened right at 7. Once you get in, you'll be able to walk to the front gates and get a spot right at the front of one of the entrances. We were first in line each day at the gates.
  • DL Early Entry- you can ride each ride at Tomorrowland or Fantasyland if you want. Prioritize going to Space Mountain or Peter Pan first and then knock out the rest of the rides. You will have no problem riding all of the rides before 8am. If you want to do Rise, get to the gate to Frontier/Galaxy by 745-750am and fast walk to Rise and you'll be there with minimal wait.
    • 8/14/22 we did PP, Alice, Toad, Snow White, Pinocchio, then lined up at the gates to Frontierland and Galaxy's edge (in front of Red Rose). They open the gate once the "welcome to DL announcement" happens and rode BTMRR, Indiana Jones, Pirates and then went to Space Mountain, Buzz and Star Tours without LLs before any waits.
    • 8/17/22 we went to Space Mtn, then went to Fantasyland to line up at the gate to Galaxy edge/Frontierland. We were close to the front of the line and ended up running a bit to start and then fast walked and were the first people on Rise. We then did Smugglers, BTMRR, Indy, Pirates, Star Tours and then did a Genie + for Space. It was about 10:15 at this point.
    • 8/19/22 we went on PP, Snow White and then lined up at the gate for Frontier/Galaxy. We were again on the first ride for Rise and then hit all of the big park rides until 1030 with minimal to no waits. Space MTN again we used our Genie+.
  • DCA Early Entry
    • 8/15/22 we went to the DCA entrance from GC and they started security at 7am and everyone was able to get in early. We headed towards pixar pier, then cut over to AC to ride Web Slingers and Guardians and walked on both. My girls wanted to split off and ride incredicoaster, Toy Story and a bunch of other rides. My son and I sprinted from Guardians and got in line at RSR and ended up with a 25 minute wait. Once done there, we grabbed breakfast at Pixar Pier, did Incredicoaster and Soarin. Crowds started picking up around 1030am and we went back to the hotel to relax/pool.
    • 8/18/22 we went to downtown disney exit of GC, and were first in line at DCA. We were the first 4 people on GOTG. When done, we walked (not fast-walked) to RSR and about 20-30 people were at the rope near RSR. They dropped the rope around 750 and let everyone queue up. There was a temp closure when at 8am and eventually it came up and we were about a 5 minute wait.
Overall, whatever is a priority to you, you can get done. For us, RSR and Rise were priorities and we were able to get on both rides 2x. Both are prone to breakdowns, so that is a concern, but if you really want to ride them, you can get there easily, b/c the rope drop people have no chance to get ahead of you.

GC Pool The pool at GC is amazing whether you want to get a ton of sun, or sit and relax with a drink/food in the shade. We went pretty much each day of our trip (Aug 13-19) and didn't have issues finding seats before 2pm. After 2pm, or more closer to 4pm, it starts getting really lively and it can be more competitive to find spots. They are relatively good at screening out people who aren't staying at the GC. The live music at the pool is super underrated. We loved the scene there and a server will come around and take your drink/food orders all day, which is convenient.

Genie+ a great value if park hopping, b/c you can bounce between parks all day and use all of the rides available. If you are doing early entry at one park, once the crowds build, you can start using some LL's at that park, then take a break and do LL's for the afternoon/evening at both/either park. If you aren't super budget conscious, its worth doing. There were a few days I added it for my wife who came in the park at 2pm (was working during the day) and she got on 3-4 rides and to me it was worth it, even for a few rides with the waits.

Miscellaneous Thoughts
  • Food stuff - Beignets & Mint Juleps are insanely good, both original variety and passionfruit (seasonal option). Drinks at Pym's are super fun, the X-periment and Honey Buzz are great. Lunch menu at Lamplight Lounge was a disappointment, should have booked a dinner instead). Storytellers cafe character breakfast was amazing, worth every penny both food wise, service, atmosphere and characters (Aug 16th). We LOVED the Taro cold brew at Docking Bay7. At GC, hearthstone and Craftsmen were great, the impossible sausage pizza was a huge hit. Best value by far was Napolini Pizza which is right at the Downtown Disney exit of GC. Great prepared salads and delicious pizzas, very reasonable. We ended up going there a few times to bring back to the hotel. Trader Sams is a must do if you get a reservation, it was so much fun.
  • Ride takes Indiana Jones, GOTG were highlights for our family. (Dinosaur and TOT don't compare in my opinion to either sister-ride). Small world, Pirates and BTMRR all are much better in DL, BTMRR is amazing at night and in the back row. Mr Toad's ride is a real trip, one of our favorites. Space Mountain with the background music I felt was more fun than the WDW version. RSR and Rise are worth paying $ or rope dropping with Early Entry, truly unbelievable experiences.
Click to expand...

Great review!

Just wanted to point out Lamplight Lounge has the same menu for lunch and dinner. Sorry you were disappointed. It's a Lounge, so the menu is not as extensive as a full restaurant would be. We like the food but don't count it as a meal, per se. We go for drinks and share a couple items (if you didn't get the potato skins, you missed the best item on the menu).
 
becky moore said:
What room did you stay in? Was it a long hike to the elevator?
Click to expand...
We just returned from the Grand as well. Stayed in room 3210, very close to the elevator, great pool view. We only made two early entries out of a possible 4 on our trip. Tips above from drmoore1976 are great! We were a bit shocked at the line for Disneyland in the morning, but it went fast. Got down right at 7 am, made the early entry by 8:30. For our DCA morning, we are big Guardian fans. Walk directly to it and rode 5 times in a row before opening :)
 
V.I.N.CENT. said:
We just returned from the Grand as well. Stayed in room 3210, very close to the elevator, great pool view. We only made two early entries out of a possible 4 on our trip. Tips above from drmoore1976 are great! We were a bit shocked at the line for Disneyland in the morning, but it went fast. Got down right at 7 am, made the early entry by 8:30. For our DCA morning, we are big Guardian fans. Walk directly to it and rode 5 times in a row before opening :)
Click to expand...
So wait...you had to stand in line for an hour and a half to get in for early entry?
 
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