Which Hotel would you stay at?

[tarheelalum]

The Disneyland hotel. The Grand is very nice but its rooms are dark and small in comparison.

 

[Davin_Felth]

The Disneyland hotel. The Grand is very nice but its rooms are dark and small in comparison.

The rooms are lighter after the remodel. They are smaller. But the new beds have enough room under them for full sized luggage, which helped make it not seem too small for my family of 5.

 

[HydroGuy]

Oh, AND. I don't know if you care, but the Coffee House at DLH has Dole Whips with rum. I do care about that, enough so that I am going to stroll right down there and get one even though we're staying at the GC!

I am intrigued! Which coffee house at DLH?

 

[PirateRedhead]

I am intrigued! Which coffee house at DLH?

This one!

 

[2boysmommy]

GCH - definitely more romantic but still with a Disney feel. Sitting outside with a drink at the large fireplace on a February evening is amazing! The proximity to the parks can't be beat. The hot tubs are great, too!

 

[HydroGuy]

I personally would not ride GRR in February. Splash Mtn? Maybe.
The location of GCH especially to DCA is of course pretty awesome. Whether it is fact closer to DL or not depends a lot on where you room is at the GCH. And DLH for that matter.

I think we'll probably avoid water rides if it's cold out, but I did read a couple reports from last year where it was rainy and hot so if that's the case we would. When you stayed in the standard room was your room location good to the parks?

I have stayed at GCH four times. Three times I paid for a premium view of the parks. I got a really good rate because the economy was down. I would not pay that now! Those rooms were awesome!

Once I got a last minute good rate (like $300, in the summer no less!) because I was a D23 Expo attendee. For that one I took a standard room. We looked out over the entrance to GCH, the road and the PP hotel.

Not sure where you have stayed at the WDW, but some hotels are more compact (think Contemporary) while others have long hallways and stretch out really far (think AKL). GCH is like AKL. DLH is like the Contemporary. If you get a room at the far end of the GCH, it can and does take a long time to actually get yourself to the park (and back to your room when you return). We had that when we were in the standard GCH room, although we learned to take shortcuts through the pool area from where our room was. Even though it was on the west side, it was near an elevator which helped.

Also, the hard truth about the special GCH entrance to DCA is that it is really slow at rope drop. Almost everyone (including me) recommends not using it. The best option is to go through DTD and use the main entrance. So for rope drop the GCH does not offer much better proximity than the DLH if your GCH room is down a long hall way. When you return from DCA to the GCH, then the special entrance can be a huge time saver. But again, if your room is down one of the long hallways on the west side of the hotel, when you add up the steps it may not be much different than the DLH. This link may help clarify.

All of the above only relates to DCA. When you talk DL park, then the above advantage is (mostly) lost. For sure if your GCH room is near an elevator and near the main lobby (which is where the entrance to DTD is located) it will be closer than DLH. But we are talking like 5 minutes closer at most. Do you really want to pay an extra $100-300 a night to save yourself 5 minutes? And maybe none?

I will say that when we had a premium view room on the east side of the hotel, one night I watched the late showing of WOC and power walked to the GCH. It took me 5 minutes from the end of WOC until I was laying in bed. That was cool! So the GCH can be really cool based on location. And having a view into DCA is really cool too if you can get that!

I just booked a DVC unit at GCH for next June. My first time ever in a DVC unit or renting points. Technically I think it is called Grand California Villas (GCV). But I did that because DLH does not have DVC units and GCV is the only option. It turns out to not be that different from the two rooms I originally booked at BWPPI (when you consider the kitchen and our ability to save some money on dining at DLR).

 

[3monkeys4me]

The Grand Californian is my favorite, love it! Since most of my trips are with my kids I would pick the DLH though, the rooms are bigger and the theming and the pools are great. But if I was doing an adult only trip (which I hope to do again in the near future) I would pick the GCH.

 

[HydroGuy]

I have stayed at GCH four times. Three times I paid for a premium view of the parks. I got a really good rate because the economy was down. I would not pay that now! Those rooms were awesome!

Once I got a last minute good rate (like $300, in the summer no less!) because I was a D23 Expo attendee. For that one I took a standard room. We looked out over the entrance to GCH, the road and the PP hotel.

View from GCH east side "Premium Park View" room 5438 (before they changed ToT and Condor Flats and added the Carthay Circle Restaurant )

View from West side standard room (cannot remember the room number) - that is PPH at upper left and two of the DLH towers at upper right

 

[HydroGuy]

I would also add something else on DLH vs. GCH. For DL park, you can use the Monorail to and from DL to DTD. I think the DTD Monorail drop is slightly closer to the DLH entrance than GCH entrance, but, again, the GCH walk really depends on where your room is. The DLH does too, but not as much as GCH.

The Monorail is not always a time saver. It depends if they are running full speed and time of day. Since it is on the way from DLH to DL, you can always just check the line and get in if it looks short enough. Whether it saves time or not, the Monorail does save your feet.

When we stayed at the DLH we did use the Monorail a few times. Usually to DL. The Monorail line in DL Tomorrowland can be long, but maybe not so bad in Feb. Avoid peak times like meal time and park closing.

 

[FSU Girl]

All of these suggestions are great! Everyone has such good points I feel like I'm convinced to stay there and then the next comment convinces back to the other hotel.

For the Grand if I did the courtyard view (I think that's what it was called?) would that put me nearer the entrances? It's only about $20 more than the standard view

 

[HydroGuy]

All of these suggestions are great! Everyone has such good points I feel like I'm convinced to stay there and then the next comment convinces back to the other hotel.

For the Grand if I did the courtyard view (I think that's what it was called?) would that put me nearer the entrances? It's only about $20 more than the standard view

From the GCH Superthread - https://www.disboards.com/threads/g...updated-11-7-13.2396588/page-23#post-36355632

Not sure but I think the courtyard is between #29 and #27 in the "blue prints" from the link. I have stayed in #30 (Premium Theme Park View) 3 times and #5 (standard room) once. When in #5 it was towards the bottom and near an elevator.

You have to look at where the elevators are to figure out how far you are from anything. On first glance the courtyard may be closer. Just hard to say where you might be. Since you would be getting in early on your first day, you should have first shot at room selection if you go straight to GCH check-in. Go with a map of the hotel and when they give you a room number, if it appears to be too far then ask for something else.

Also note that is where the monorail goes thru the hotel if I am not mistaken. Some people report they are bothered by that. Depends on what floor you are on (higher floors would not seem to be as close and hopefully quieter).

 

[Kdbruin]

I have stayed at both and although the grand is closer to DCA it is sprawling. If you end up by the DVC it takes a while just to get through the hotel. My husband and I loved the DLH grounds. Especially at night with teaky torches and trader sams and the pool all lit up.
We also enjoyed the DLH light up head boards. We got a standard room in the fantasy tower and you could see the matterhorn and space mountain. I really don't think you can go wrong either way. It really comes down to classic and mid century disney vs. arts and crafts style.

 

[Athenaa]

If money wasn't an issue and I could get a renovated room, I'd stay at the GCH in a heartbeat. If I couldn't get a renovated room, I would rather stay the Disneyland Hotel in a standard room. Personally, I'd rather not spend the money for a view because I don't spend a lot of time looking out my hotel window when I'm at Disneyland. I'd rather splurge on a Fantasmic Dining package at Blue Bayou, or buy Maxpass for the whole trip.

 

[Kindermouse]

They both have things that make them the better choice so its all about which is the greater value to you.

1. DLH park view rooms are nicer I think-DGC has the best lobby hands down but the rooms are smaller and well...this is clearly a personal thing but they dont have the light up headboards...

2. The entrance to DCA is an advantage since DLH is much farther away and proximity is a big selling point when you already walk so much all day. Though as a WDW person this may be a moot point for you since you are more used to being farther away. Us DLR people (namely ME) can be real picky about hotel distance even down to preferring a place that is only a handful of step closer.

3. Price-DGC is always more, and its much more than a DLH standard room or a premium view room.

4. On site dining- This is a personal preference thing but having Trader Sams in the DLH is selling point. Both of them have delicious fine dining options. you probably wouldnt care about the character meal options since its a 2 adults trip but if you do look into which best suit you.

5. How much time do you really spend at the resort? people dont usually take park days off at DLR like they do at WDW so your answer here might be key.

6. There is no wrong answer, you'll enjoy both! People are so divided on which they prefer that it really goes to show that they are both good solid choices.

 

[PHXscuba]

All of these suggestions are great! Everyone has such good points I feel like I'm convinced to stay there and then the next comment convinces back to the other hotel.

For the Grand if I did the courtyard view (I think that's what it was called?) would that put me nearer the entrances? It's only about $20 more than the standard view

We were just in a "courtyard/woods view" less than a week ago. We were on the north side of the lobby between the lobby and the monorail track. Pro: location -- close to elevators, pool, exit to Downtown Disney, etc. Very cool to see/hear the monorail whoosh by. Con: mostly noise -- near the elevators, could hear lobby piano well in the room.

PHXscuba

 

[LYSE]

We tend to alternate, I feel the standard view at the DLH is a fantastic value because you can get lucky with a corner room that still has a park view.

The GC is awesome for the location though..but once I did stay pretty far back by dvc.

Basically, for roughly the same price I would go GC but usually I find the savings at DLH are worth it.

 

[ktlm]

I think we'll probably avoid water rides if it's cold out, but I did read a couple reports from last year where it was rainy and hot so if that's the case With the DLH deluxe view do you find the room is noisier because you're at a closer level to the pool? I had read about reviews from people who stayed facing DTD that said it was pretty noisy on the lower floors.

We've always faced the pool and have stayed in the Frontier and Fantasy towers (multiple times in each tower). We have never heard any noise from the pool. The pool is not right next to the buildings, so I'm sure that helps. Our rooms have always been really quiet.

 

[Meriweather]

The Grand is the only one for us!!
We fell in love with it first stay in 2003 and then bought DVC so we could always stay there.

 

[FSU Girl]

So I booked just now. Yay! I decided to go with The Grand Californian with a courtyard view. Everyone's suggestions on here helped a lot.

I was wondering, is there a way to see my hotel reservation online? I was clicking around on the website, but I didn't see it anywhere and I did just a room only and not a package.

 

[jfk4]

So I booked just now. Yay! I decided to go with The Grand Californian with a courtyard view. Everyone's suggestions on here helped a lot.

I think you made a great choice. When you get a chance I'd suggest adding a room request if you haven't done so already. What you request depends on your preferences, but when I stay at the Grand Californian I always ask for a room near one of the elevators. My impression is that the room schedulers take this one pretty seriously, since it is often made by people with mobility issues. I've had less success with more specific location requests.

You might also consider requesting a room with a king bed. I like the extra space this provides at the Grand Californian. (I don't actually request this for standard rooms at the Disneyland hotel. There are a few smaller-than-usual rooms with kings right next to the elevators that I really don't like.)

Also be aware that you can prioritize your requests. I'm not sure how well this works, frankly. I've rarely had more than one of the requests honored, but your mileage may vary.