Subsonic Radio

We're trying to plan a fall trip to Disneyland and we're debating on staying at the DL Hotel or the Grand Californian. I've not ween out west since I was a kid, so this would be a big trip for us. Any tips or advice on the GC over the DL Hotel and ideas on getting the best rate?

Thanks!

As an ex travel agent/airline employee (benefits now gone )I now use hotels.com & hotwire as far as getting a great rate, don't know though if they offer these deluxe resorts or not. The Grand Californian looks awesome, can you get on the monorail there at the hotel? That was always a plus with the Disneyland Hotel, the monorail station. I haven't been to DL in a few years and when I went last, I lived in Palm Springs so we always hopped a quickie flight to LA rented a car and did the parks in a day, so staying at a hotel was not on the agenda. We stayed at the Tropicana across the street back in the day when we did stay. You might not get the resort atmosphere, but you saved a ton of money! Then I spent what we saved in the parks on goodies! Good luck with your choice!

When I stayed there 2 years ago the rooms were really small...I reccomend that if you are going with children to get one of the big suites. You could get a great rate on rooms if your an annual passholder. If you dont have one and your planning on going atleast 2 or more times a year, you should get one. You get discounts on food, park ticket offers, merchandise, free parking, and not to mention special events to the park only for passholders. I got to ride "The Tower of Terror" a week before it opened. So it is worth it.

I now stay at the GCH every time. With a couple small kids and a pregnant wife, it makes since as it is the closest to everything. I would highly recommend an Annual Pass, even if only one person in your family gets it. For us, the pass paid for itself about three times over just in the first trip. Five days, lots of merchandise, hotel discount, etc.

Thanks - it's definitely our resort of choice if we can make it out.

I didn't realize how expensive staying at the Disneyland Hotel and the California Grand was. I was looking online for our stay in Dec. I think we will be staying across the street at the Tropicana. Cause we aren't at the hotel enough to enjoy the amenities. Maybe one day we'll splurge, but not this trip.

it's a great place, but does cost some money out of you.

I booked us at the BW Anaheim Inn, its right across the street from the Main Entrance and my happy *** can use the excerise. This way I can justify spending more money on souveniers at the park. Now I just need to get our 2 day park hopper passes and airline tickets and we are all set

Congrats on booking the stay!

I am wondering if the GCH will seem as dark to me as the Wilderness Lodge at WDW does. Anyone stayed at both?

I would think that if you didn't like the dark colors of WL that you won't care for GC. We've not had the pleasure of staying there yet, but we have a lot of friends who compare it to WL.

I'll try to snap some pictures for you next week.

It would be cool to see the pictures of the lobby, hallway, and all those other things that you usually don't see...

Does the Monorail service the Grand Californian? I know you used to be able to catch it at the Disneyland Hotel. I haven't been in soooo long. I was just curious. I would love to go there next year, but I have to wait and see.

No, unfortunately. Disneyland's monorail does not pass through any of the three on-property Disney hotels. The monorail has two stops: One in Tomorrowland, and one in the Downtown Disney district. From the Downtown Disney stop, you can easilly walk to either the Grand Californian hotel, or the Disneyland hotel, with the Paradise Pier hotel being a slightly farther walk.