Grand Californian Super Thread

New permit:


Pinocchio's Workshop (which closed earlier this year) will be a fitness center, replacing (or expanding) the existing fitness center (which was previously an arcade). Permit includes plumbing, so perhaps the new fitness center will have restrooms or showers.


Fitness center, in new location, was open last week when we were there.
 
Is it possible to get any theme park view? Otherwise I think my last option will be pool. I don't think DTD view will work because of the walk to elevators.
You might want to make my usual request: "Near the elevators adjacent to Napa Rose, with Park view"

The GCH map does not show all suites, and there are some variations between floors.
6412 is a 1-bedroom suite, but other x412 rooms might be regular rooms.
Most suites are 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom is formed with an adjacent regular room.
Many top floor (usually 6th) locations are signature suites.

Of the known suite locations:
RED -- long walk
YELLOW -- Pool view
GREEN -- Park view
map_gch_park_suite.jpg
 
Just got off the phone with DL, and CL at DGC is: 6:30am - 10:00am in Napa Rose, 11:00am - 10:00pm in Wedding Garden. From 10am to 10pm, you can get beverages in wedding garden. I hope that helps anyone thinking about staying concierge level during the remodel.
 
Has anyone stayed in a room configured King, one day bed and one twin sized sleeper chair? This would hold a party of 4. We are staying at GCH in late September and I REALLY want this configuration. We were booked in a Deluxe Partial view but they don't offer this arrangement so we changed to a Woods Courtyard view. We are not in the room much so I don't really care about the view. Families of 5 would not be put into this configuration I guess (or would they make them have a sleeping bag???). Just hoping many people request two queens for a party of 4 and we have luck getting this room. I made no other requests at all, so fingers crossed.

Let me know if you've stayed in this room please!

I am going to respond to my own post, updating on what happened during our recent stay 2 weeks ago. I reserved a Woods/Courtyard view room, and the only request I made was for a King/Day bed/sleeper chair configuration. Well, we checked in around 4pm on a Wednesday, and were told we were in an updated room (so far, so good since this configuration is new in the updated rooms). I had to ask what the bedding was, and he said 2 queens and a day bed. I kindly asked if there was any of the requested configuration available (4 night stay). He first tried to tell me the sleeper chair was too small for one of my children (they are 10 and 12 years old), and so I wouldn't want that room anyway. I asked if it was the same sleeper chair in the AKL villas, Aulani villas and BTL villas, all of which we have stayed in and used easily, and he was unsure. Another CM jumped in and said yes, they are the same sleeper chairs as the villas, and yes she should easily fit (she was with me at check-in). Second CM told the original CM what the "code" was for that bedding configuration, as the CM didn't seem to know what to look for in the computer. We did not care about location/floor/view. Original CM types for a while, then leaves to go to back room area. He is gone for about 10 minutes. Comes back and says nothing available in the resort, not even on a later night where we could switch rooms mid stay. I'm not sure if that was true or if he didn't know what to look for, but it is what it is. There was some kind of aviation convention going on at GCH at that time, and many of those folks were adult-only couples. Perhaps they requested all of the King rooms ahead of us??

I was surprised they would give us a room for 5 people, since we were only 4, since I figured the rooms that can hold 5 are a hot commodity. It was not as ideal as adults having a king and kids each with their own space, but it was better than just 2 queens which is what I thought we would otherwise get.

It was room 4108, which looked over the courtyard and monorail (and some roof tops). The nice part was the location, just around the corner from the elevator. In the past, we had stayed in the 2 bedroom suite right over WOD store, and while that was lovely to look out on, it was an incredibly long walk to the elevators, lobby and parks. This location was excellent for accessing everything. So while I didn't get the bedding, the location was great.

We did a 1 bedroom suite at DLH earlier this year, and didn't get our bedding request then either. It must not be our year... If we go to WDW, we typically rent the DVC villas on a cash reservation, and then I know what bedding I am getting (outside of 2 queens versus 1 queen and one sleeper sofa in the "studio" part of a 2 bedroom villa).

I honestly don't know why Disney can't let you reserve a bedding configuration??? They do at some resorts, such as many at WDW. Yes it makes room assignment a little more complex for them. But maybe it saves time and aggravation at the front desk when people check in and don't get their request and then they have to scramble.
 


I was surprised they would give us a room for 5 people, since we were only 4, since I figured the rooms that can hold 5 are a hot commodity...
The remodel has greatly increased the number of rooms with 2 queens and a daybed. While the exact number is not confirmed, a prior post in this thread stated 300.
...I honestly don't know why Disney can't let you reserve a bedding configuration??? They do at some resorts, such as many at WDW. Yes it makes room assignment a little more complex for them. But maybe it saves time and aggravation at the front desk when people check in and don't get their request and then they have to scramble.
I also wish GCH allowed booking specific bed configurations, but don't expect it to happen.
The occupancy it so high, there is little motivation to change.
 
I am going to respond to my own post, updating on what happened during our recent stay 2 weeks ago. I reserved a Woods/Courtyard view room, and the only request I made was for a King/Day bed/sleeper chair configuration. Well, we checked in around 4pm on a Wednesday, and were told we were in an updated room (so far, so good since this configuration is new in the updated rooms). I had to ask what the bedding was, and he said 2 queens and a day bed. I kindly asked if there was any of the requested configuration available (4 night stay). He first tried to tell me the sleeper chair was too small for one of my children (they are 10 and 12 years old), and so I wouldn't want that room anyway. I asked if it was the same sleeper chair in the AKL villas, Aulani villas and BTL villas, all of which we have stayed in and used easily, and he was unsure. Another CM jumped in and said yes, they are the same sleeper chairs as the villas, and yes she should easily fit (she was with me at check-in). Second CM told the original CM what the "code" was for that bedding configuration, as the CM didn't seem to know what to look for in the computer. We did not care about location/floor/view. Original CM types for a while, then leaves to go to back room area. He is gone for about 10 minutes. Comes back and says nothing available in the resort, not even on a later night where we could switch rooms mid stay. I'm not sure if that was true or if he didn't know what to look for, but it is what it is. There was some kind of aviation convention going on at GCH at that time, and many of those folks were adult-only couples. Perhaps they requested all of the King rooms ahead of us??

I was surprised they would give us a room for 5 people, since we were only 4, since I figured the rooms that can hold 5 are a hot commodity. It was not as ideal as adults having a king and kids each with their own space, but it was better than just 2 queens which is what I thought we would otherwise get.

It was room 4108, which looked over the courtyard and monorail (and some roof tops). The nice part was the location, just around the corner from the elevator. In the past, we had stayed in the 2 bedroom suite right over WOD store, and while that was lovely to look out on, it was an incredibly long walk to the elevators, lobby and parks. This location was excellent for accessing everything. So while I didn't get the bedding, the location was great.

We did a 1 bedroom suite at DLH earlier this year, and didn't get our bedding request then either. It must not be our year... If we go to WDW, we typically rent the DVC villas on a cash reservation, and then I know what bedding I am getting (outside of 2 queens versus 1 queen and one sleeper sofa in the "studio" part of a 2 bedroom villa).

I honestly don't know why Disney can't let you reserve a bedding configuration??? They do at some resorts, such as many at WDW. Yes it makes room assignment a little more complex for them. But maybe it saves time and aggravation at the front desk when people check in and don't get their request and then they have to scramble.

The lack of bedding configuration confirmation is a major annoyance to me. We are a family of 5 and while it's great they allow 5 people in their room occupancy, without a confirmation of the beds I will not book. We rented DVC points at GCV for an upcoming trip in Nov, but our flight schedule changed we needed to add another night on to our res. Although my heart said DLH or GC, I went with a the Courtyard Themepark Entrance as their family rooms are set up so well. I wish any of the 3 DL resort hotels would put in some guaranteed bunk bed or pull down bed rooms like WDW.
 


Just got off the phone with DL, and CL at DGC is: 6:30am - 10:00am in Napa Rose, 11:00am - 10:00pm in Wedding Garden. From 10am to 10pm, you can get beverages in wedding garden. I hope that helps anyone thinking about staying concierge level during the remodel.
Nighttime in the Wedding Garden? Weather has been nice and all but that's gonna get cold fast if we get a cold spell!
 
I checked out yesterday morning at 6.30am & when we got to the lobby the curtains were gone & they were just finishing off cleaning. What I could see looked fab, especially the way the floor pattern matched the carpet. Glad I got to see it even though I didn't get to sit in it!!
 
Does anyone have an estimate time of completion on the concierge lounge refurb? Thank you in advance.

No...but as of a few weeks ago in talking with the GCH GM first hand their goal was to be 100% complete with all renovations resort wide by first week in November so they had a two week buffer for unexpected issues to ensure they were worst case done before the Thanksgiving holiday. Now, if they are still on track for that...who knows but appears so if that helps.

As of yesterday at 8am and today at 10am there were zero signs of construction in the lobby that I saw other than the occasional construction worker walking through.
 
That substitute concierge area next to the pool is janky. I'd be ticked if I paid for Concierge and ended up with that. It's a "bless your heart, you did your best" set up. People were carrying plates of food in the elevators because they weren't hanging out in the area. GC Concierge is a great experience, that poolside situation was bad.
 
No...but as of a few weeks ago in talking with the GCH GM first hand their goal was to be 100% complete with all renovations resort wide by first week in November so they had a two week buffer for unexpected issues to ensure they were worst case done before the Thanksgiving holiday. Now, if they are still on track for that...who knows but appears so if that helps.

As of yesterday at 8am and today at 10am there were zero signs of construction in the lobby that I saw other than the occasional construction worker walking through.

It helps tremendously. Thank you, I appreciate the quick reply.
 
That substitute concierge area next to the pool is janky. I'd be ticked if I paid for Concierge and ended up with that. It's a "bless your heart, you did your best" set up. People were carrying plates of food in the elevators because they weren't hanging out in the area. GC Concierge is a great experience, that poolside situation was bad.
I thought they'd set up in a suite or something before seeing the reports here. (I even googled the wedding garden thinking it couldn't be a glorified yard- sidenote: I'd just cleared browser cookies before so now Safari thinks I'm looking for a destination wedding :rotfl2:) I love GCH CL but I'd be very upset in their shoes- but admittedly I don't think I'd be in the guests shoes (and it's got to be miserable for the CMs as well) because Disney was very clear the Lounge would be down & it would be a substitute Lounge & I wouldn't spend that much money with such a risk. It's a sucky substitute but guess Disney technically covered their rear here.
 
No...but as of a few weeks ago in talking with the GCH GM first hand their goal was to be 100% complete with all renovations resort wide by first week in November so they had a two week buffer for unexpected issues to ensure they were worst case done before the Thanksgiving holiday. Now, if they are still on track for that...who knows but appears so if that helps...
I'll be there for Dapper Day (Nov 1-5), and will report on progress.
That substitute concierge area next to the pool is janky. I'd be ticked if I paid for Concierge and ended up with that. It's a "bless your heart, you did your best" set up. People were carrying plates of food in the elevators because they weren't hanging out in the area. GC Concierge is a great experience, that poolside situation was bad.
Breakfast in Napa Rose is a nice substitute location, I would actually enjoy that. Often breakfast in the only time I use the lounge.
 
FWIW: We were there Oct 1-5 and stayed in room 5112. It's very near the lobby elevators. Unfortunately, the corridors surrounding were all curtained off and the carpet was covered in plastic, so it didn't feel entirely "Disney bubble" - but the room was refurbished and lovely. Balcony with a view of the monorail, shower, no bath, two queens and a pullout couch. Woods/courtyard view, which was a complimentary upgrade from our standard room booking. I had called ahead and asked to be in short walking distance from an elevator, ideally in the Napa Rose area. They couldn't accommodate Napa Rose area, but upgraded us to a room near an elevator, which was very kind. The only things I really missed were a bathtub (feet get so sore at Disneyland!) and a chance to enjoy the beautiful lobby, which was all curtained off during our stay. I'm glad to hear that the curtains are down now.
 
We had a club level stay and I don't think Disney could have tried less on the cl lounge. It is set in grass that is quickly becoming trampled and muddy and has views of construction scrims and noise on 2 of 4 sides. Breakfast was nice in Napa Rose but the outside location is almost the least they could do. The sitting area is up a set of steps with no accessibility for wheelchairs unless you go around the outside and under the ropes meant to block the area off. The food service area is barely disguised behind a wood divider next to the food and the food is sitting out for quite some time in the CA heat. We stayed at the Grand in January and it seems more impacted by the construction now. Construction noise is very noticeable by the pool. We paid for a cabana with construction banging behind us all day. It seems like most of the upper floors around the lobby are blocked off for remodeling and the carpets are covered in plastic. We've come to accept the decline in service and we were warned about the construction so we still had fun.
 
We had a club level stay and I don't think Disney could have tried less on the cl lounge...
If anyone has some photos, please post. This thread should document the bad along with the good.
...We stayed at the Grand in January and it seems more impacted by the construction now. Construction noise is very noticeable by the pool. We paid for a cabana with construction banging behind us all day. It seems like most of the upper floors around the lobby are blocked off for remodeling and the carpets are covered in plastic...
It seems that rooms surrounding the lobby are the last to be remodeled.
 

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