It's really pretty. Love the lobby. We have been annual pass holders at DL for several seasons, and have loved Disneyland for much longer. From when this hotel was built, we would use the lobby as a place to hang out and relax between riding the rides and shopping with the throngs of people in the parks, but we never had an opportunity to stay here. Over a year ago, we joined friends for a trip to the park - they stayed at GCH and we stayed at a nearby hotel. It was fun, but we kicked ourselves when we saw how convenient it was for them to just go to DCA or Downtown Disney and hop back to their room when needed.
This time around we decided to take the plunge and stay here. We booked a partial view room and requested a queen + bunk bed room for us and our 3yo. When we arrived we were upgraded to a view room with a bunk bed. It was a great first impression. We were on the 4th floor, overlooking the entrance to DCA (below and to the left of our balcony) and could see space mountain in DL (to the left), Condor Flats (below to the left) and the grizzly bear rock in DCA (straight ahead). We could also see a bit of Cars Land (off to the distant right). Our son was totally excited, which made it pretty perfect.
The room was as others have mentioned, not super big. In fact, it was on the smaller side (smaller than a standard room at the Courtyard Marriott). If you are a family of 4 with smallish children, I would highly suggest booking early and requesting a bunk bed room (and then checking in from time to time before you go to see if they can confirm it). Having the bunk bed meant there was more room to move around between our bed and the bunk. Our son ran around in the space between the beds, plus we brought a sleeping tent for him (they are pretty great by the way - kidco brand) and set it up on the floor for him to keep his toys in and play in while we were here. Other than the smaller size, my criticisms would have to be with the bathroom. The vanity with double sinks was very useful for getting ready and getting out to the parks asap in the morning, but the shower/bath area was a bit tired and in need of updating. OMGosh, the shower pressure was NON-existent, but we had plenty of hot water. We had no issues with our room getting serviced: great turndown service and towels replaced as requested. Our son would get so excited to see what coins would be there when we came back each night (we didn't tell them they were chocolate).
As expected, our time getting to the parks each day was greatly reduced. We subtracted: getting in the car, driving to the Mickey and Friends parking structure, parking, walking to the tram, waiting for the tram, getting our stroller on the tram, the short tram ride, getting everything/one off the tram. All we were left with was getting downstairs, walking to the park (super short walk if going to DCA) and waiting to get in the park (also short wait if going to DCA). That's all good, but perhaps an even bigger advantage, is the ability to be able to easily go back to your room with your park weary 3yo in order to take a break in the middle of the day. To me, that was where this experience really made the $$$ involved worth it. We stayed 4 nights and took at least one break each day we visited the parks.
If there is a disadvantage to staying here, it could be that you are stuck eating mainly Disney food (overpriced, mostly just decent). We usually go to Storytellers because of the convenience, and because our son has liked it the last few times, but we didn't go this time. This time we took the plunge and got reservations at Napa Rose. Many of you may be thinking, "what did they do with their 3yo?" Well, we took him. I was wondering if it might be a mistake, but everything was great. It was the best meal of our visit, and it was all the more awesome because we were able to share it with our son. Yes, it's uber pricey, but the food and service was exceptional. They catered to our son as much as to us, he had a blast and we had a great meal. We also went to the new Carthay Circle restaurant in DCA. I was more underwhelmed with that experience. Great drinks, but the food was just on the good side of decent. Service was also just decent, and our server only, obviously, turned on the charm near the end of our meal. If you go, just hang downstairs for drinks and appetizers in the lounge and forget the upstairs dining room.
Overall, if you're questioning whether or not it's worth the money for the convenience, I say do it. Maybe check ahead if there are any planned fire alarms, plumbing maintenance/updates, construction projects, carpet cleaning, or anything that may impair the enjoyment of your GCH experience. Also, check the Disney site for ride maintenance dates for your fave rides (Indiana Jones was not operating during our stay and I was a little sad) if that's a deal breaker. If there are no other impediments, I think you'll be very happy.
If you are so inclined, there is also a service that will make gift baskets and deliver them to your room. They are pricey, but I chose to do this (this one time) as a nice way to celebrate staying at the GCH and celebrating our visit to the parks. You can contact Disney Vacation Planning at vacationplanning@disneyonline.com or (714) 781-4438 to get info on their offerings and pricing. They generally need 48 hours advance notice. I got a chocolate lovers basket and coffee lovers basket combined and it came with a small Mickey plush that my son played with the whole time we were there.
Room Tip: The rooms on the east wing (over Napa Rose and the DCA entrance from the hotel) that face into DCA h...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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