Grand Californian Hotel
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Reviewer's Name:
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Rick Sierra |
Reviewer's Email Address:
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rmsierra@hotmail.com |
Rate / Night (for your stay):
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Not sure... Part of a five night, two bedroom suite Grand Plan package
for three people... Total package price: $4800 |
Date(s) of Stay:
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September 13-18, 2001 |
Accommodation Used:
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Suite |
Accommodations Review:
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Unfortunately, our vacation was scheduled only two days after the
terrorist attack of September 11. My wife was on a three-day business
trip in Montreal with plans to return on September 11 to San Francisco
via Newark. Luckily, she was not booked on the flight that crashed, but
because she was trapped out east, she was not able to join me in
Disneyland. The two-bedroom suite is really a one-bedroom suite plus an
adjoining room. The suite room actually had two adjoining rooms for a
possible three-bedroom setup. As noted in other reviews, the rooms were
nicely decorated. The large living room included a wet bar with a
refrigerator, TV with DVD player, living room furniture, closet with
safe, and a desk with two chairs. Outside, on the large balcony, was a
patio table with four chairs. The bedroom contained a king bed, another
TV with VCR, and a second closet with safe. The smaller private balcony
off the bedroom included a small table and two chairs. There were two
air conditioner controls, one for the living room and one for the
bedroom. The bathroom was up to my expectations. The water pressure was
STRONG, the drain DRAINED, and the tub/shower was LARGE. If I had to
find a disappointment with the bathroom, it would have to be the toilet
paper. Would you believe it was only one-ply? I had hoped to leave the
adjoining door open to my brother's room so we could all enjoy the
living room and use it as a waiting area while the other party was
getting ready. Unfortunately, the layout of the suite leaves the
bathroom vanity open to the walkways from the adjoining doors. The
bedroom has a door, as does the tub/toilet area, but not the vanity. In
fact, the second adjoining door opened directly into the vanity area.
But if you are looking for a one-bedroom suite with a spectacular view
of DCA and the hotel pools, this is the room for you. |
Why Did you Select This Resort for your Stay?
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When in Disneyland, we always stay at the Disneyland Hotel in the
"Sierra" tower, but the last time proved to be too far away
from the parks. It wasn't worth the time to take a shuttle because it
took about the same to walk. The Grand Californian is the closest resort
to just about EVERYTHING! |
Room # and Location Description:
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Our two-bedroom suite was located on the fourth floor and included
rooms 4014 and the adjoining room 4015. Room 4014 is a one bedroom suite
with a large living room and large outside balcony accessible from both
the living room and the bedroom. Additionally, there is a second smaller
private balcony off of the bedroom. Adjoining room 4015 is a room of its
own with a private balcony. The view immediately below is of the hotel
pools and spas, and beyond is the view of DCA, notably the California
Screamin', Sun Wheel, Maliboomer, and Orange Stinger rides. Grizzly Peak
is always visible from the suite, both day and night. |
Room Location Pros & Cons:
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Room location was good, with the lobby visible from the fourth floor
only steps from our front door. The elevator was as close as the next
corner, which we took to either the ground floor or the sixth floor
(concierge lounge). The view from the rooms was spectacular! |
Check-In / Check-Out Comments:
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Because of the heightened security, we were first greeted by the
guards at the entrance to the driveway of the hotel. We were each asked
for a picture ID and the guard verified our reservation before allowing
us to continue to the hotel entrance. We left our car with the valet and
checked in at the concierge lounge on the sixth floor. Our bellman
stayed with us during the entire check-in process, making sure all was
in order. When we were shown to our suite (if I remember right, rooms
6315 and 6317), we discovered it did not have the view of the theme park
that we had reserved. Instead, it overlooked the courtyard where the
monorail runs, with Downtown Disney just beyond. I explained to the
bellman that this was not what we expected. He took care of everything.
He immediately called the concierge lounge and started the process of
correcting the mistake. While we waited, he told us of how empty the
hotel and theme parks had been since the attacks and what Disney was
doing to make their stranded guests as comfortable as possible. Within
ten minutes, he received a call with the new room numbers. I received an
apology from the concierge for the mix-up. We were reassigned to rooms
4014 and 4015. Checkout was uneventful, meaning it was a smooth process.
We checked out at the concierge lounge, and by the time we got down to
the valet, he had brought the car up front and loaded our luggage. We
were on our way in no time! |
WDW Transportation Comments:
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The only Disneyland transportation we used was on the monorail from
Downtown Disney to Tomorrowland. Just about everything is within walking
distance from the hotel. |
Restaurant / Lounge Review:
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Although we tried to make time to eat at the Storytellers Café and
the Napa Rose, with all the food at the concierge lounge and our busy
schedule, we just could not find the time. |
Pool Description / Comments:
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We did not have a chance to take a dip in the pool but it did look
inviting. |
What Suggestions Would you Give Anyone that is Considering This
Resort?
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If you can find the budget to do it, this is the place to stay. You
deserve to be pampered, and you will not be disappointed. Most of the
cast members in the concierge lounge knew us by name (or at least
recognized us) and was instrumental in helping my brother with the
constant checking of his flights back to Hawaii. This is truly a five
star resort. |
Other Comments:
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I suggest adding the Grand Plan package. Among its many features, it
includes Concierge Level accommodations as well as pre-issued FASTPASS
tickets. During peak times, these pre-issued FASTPASS tickets are worth
its weight in gold. You can use them anytime on any attraction that
accepts FASTPASS tickets. During this vacation, the parks were so empty,
we never had to use them. But since our tickets don’t expire until
January 13, 2002, we’re hoping to return to Disneyland and make good
use of them. A worthwhile package to consider. |