Yeah I just ask my daughter. She rather stay in candy cane hotel with free breakfast!! We thank you guys for referring us to that hotel! Ever since we love staying there.
My granddaughter saw your video and exclaimed, "That's where we lived when we went to Disneyland!" She hid under one of those lobby chairs because she didn't want to leave at the end of our stay. A kind cast member offered her a rice crispy treat for our trip to the airport. We had so much fun staying there! 😊❤
We stayed on the same floor with the same view back in 2013 when it was the Paradise Pier. We were in concierge level and had access to the concierge lounge for breakfast, snacks etc through the day. We loved it! So nice to see that view again through your vlog and the new changes. We also enjoyed WOC with sound through the tv. Amazing vlog - thank you so much for sharing this. Just love Benjamin's excitement - he is so adorably joyful 😍
Last time stayed at well at the hotel, was about 4 years ago I think it was and they had just installed those elevators to test them out were the plan at the time was if they worked out well to install them at Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian as well, but the goal was at the time lessen the elevator congestion especially at busy times, but the elevators caused more confusion and were breaking down all the time with people getting really pissed about them were could walk up the stairs quicker than getting an elevator.
It’s not called that anymore. But that’s a Club Level room. We did not purchase club level. It’s also not “free” as you’re paying an extra $100 minimum for club level.
Great video. I do have a few questions. Where you were using the entrance to GCH, there was another to DCA. Is the entrance to DCA only for guests? Where does it actually take you? How does the security check go?
It is for hotel guests only to enter. Anyone can leave through that exit in the park, but non-hotel guests would have to walk all the back through Downtown Disney by walking down to the Disneyland Hotel. They can’t even go through the Grand like we showed here. There is a small security booth on the other side of the wall in DCA. I show a little bit more of the process in the early entry video that published the day after this one.
Omg I think the piano player at 19:11 is the main character from Soul! (I forget his name lol)… Also I actually laughed out loud when you were talking about the o-ring of smoke 😂😂
I have not. And the one trouble with hotels at Disneyland is there are entirely too many of them. 🤣 I stay at maybe 4 hotels a year because we usually don’t stay the night. But in a few weeks I’ll be touring a bunch of hotels as part of a Get Away Today event. I don’t know which hotels will be on the tour, but the video will be on the channel shortly after the event. And I know I’m staying at the Best Western Stovalls Inn that night, and will at least have that review out for sure.
BW Park Place Inn all day for Disneyland. For DCA, the dedicated back entrance is nice and very handy at Pixar Place. But is it necessary? No. Park Place Inn is still just as close.
Most waterslides do not allow lap sitting. I’m not sure if there’s a height requirement, but at the very least I’d probably assume they’d need to be old/tall enough to do it themselves.
All the rooms where guests stay are renovated. The rooms that aren't renovated are in the process of being renovated and that whole tower is closed off at the moment.
So detailed as always! You can tell you put A LOT of thought and planning into this. You do the best at answering all the step by step details and info that all of us are looking for when planning!! Thank you!! (So many vloggers skip showing check in, skip showing menus, and skip showing some of the other perks and details)
I always try to include as much as possible. I figure if I have a question about how something works, then someone else probably does as well and that’s worth putting in the video.
Yes! Gift Cards are valid in stores and restaurants that are Disney-owned. What that means is inside the park, everything is fair game. But Downtown Disney is different. World of Disney is fine of course, but like you couldn’t use your Disney Gift Card at Earl of Sandwich (I tried on my last visit).
I Remembered When This Used To Be PARADISE PIER HOTEL And PCH GRILL Where Stitch And Other Characters Were I'm Gonna Miss That Paradise Pier Hotel And PCH Grill And I'll Get Used To PIXAR PLACE HOTEL
This is incredible, seeing a Finding Nemo themed pool/water park, Joe in the lobby playing jazz, and Bing Bong himself. Although, I'm still super jealous about not getting a Panda Mei plush toy, also I really should've gone with Loungefly since it does seem less expensive than Dooney and Bourke.
10:33 shows a minor typo on the Great Maple information - "zof" instead of "of" there. The Sketch Pad Cafe also talks about the "evolvement" of their characters instead of their "evolution." That's too bad; Disney is known for its attention to detail, but didn't run their text through a spell check, anything connected to Grammarly or a dictionary, or an editor. I really hope this (and the other shortcuts they took) get resolved soon! This place costs too much to be cutting corners like this. REALLY appreciate the tour, especially of the paths to & from the park! That's super helpful. NO FREEZER SPACE!!! I'm incredibly surprised. And every barn door I've used lets some light out. That's not great if you have 1 party member who stays out until closing time or wakes up before everyone else. And no bathtub! I hope that's an option in some rooms, because it's a deal-breaker for most little kids, like you mentioned. I'm also disappointed that there's only 1 sink, and it's in the main bathroom. Others can't get ready for the day if someone is using the toilet or shower. The outlets immediately next to the shelf is nice, especially including USB-A and USB-C ports! That's great. And the pool area looks fun. And the view for the nightly shows really helps justify the huge price jump ($100+ per night difference). Really appreciate you adding that in! Your review comparing the other Good Neighbor hotels was also awesome. Those are the same comparisons I was thinking of during the entire video. Really solid vid! I'd say it's one of your best - and I like them all. Thanks so much.
Thanks! I really appreciate the praise at the end there. Feedback like that helps us know what viewers like that we are doing right. The reverse is also true when there’s criticism so we know how we can improve to make content even better, so it’s much appreciated.
This hotel looks amazing and a fun place to stay! We do agree with you that you can get more for your money at other places. We stayed at Candy Cane Inn and we found it very convenient and affordable! It was a short walk to the parks which we loved. Again, can’t thank you enough for the tip!
I always check the fridge! No microwave, unfortunately. You'd think these deluxe hotels would put one in. If we have leftovers from meals, we can't do anything with it because we can't heat up the food. But I guess that's where they want you to stay in a DVC villa.
We used to stay there years ago. I really love the changes. Absolutely awesome! ❤❤. Oh we have been staying at Candy Cane Hotel the last 20 years! It’s our favorite!!
I smiled during the whole vlog. That is the only resort I have stayed at. I think 2019 . And it was a split stay. Super smart to save money. They did a great job. I had the view of the pool when I went. And I didn't even ask for any view. My niece and I were so excited. We stayed 2 nights. Price was cheaper. About $ 354, is still a lot. But I definitely need to save money so I can stay there again. The entrance is a game changer. I almost stayed there when I came in September. Thanks for an awesome vlog. 😁
Yeah, it’s gone up in price a lot since 2019. We almost stayed at the Disneyland Hotel a few times when it was around the $350 mark. And now it’s like $600+
Great video! Thanks for showing the special entrance/exit and pathway to and from the parks. Destination dispatch elevators…a bit odd at first but they are more efficient in getting people where they need to go during times of high demand. Lower wait times.
It did seem very efficient. Because it could lump certain floors together and open a new elevator even if one was currently loading. Really useful for sure.
@@SoCalDisneyDad thank you, going to book in the next couple weeks. Just trying to decide between the California or Pixar because it's only like 20 dollar difference a night the weekend we are going.
@@efrainmagallanes8319 Not really, so I guess if you’re looking for something more kid friendly and fun, there’s a lot more connection at Pixar. But the GCH is just on another level hotel-wise. It’s a gorgeous resort for relaxing and the ambience is second to none at Disneyland.
We booked as soon as there was an announced date for the opening, which was in November I think. But I looked for dates in May today just to check some pricing, and everything was booked for the couple of dates I checked. So booking early is recommended.
So first is that this was a Premium Room. As opposed to standard. Now premium just refers to the height. Apparently it could be views of “the resort” or theme park. I don’t know what a view of the resort would be. When we called to make the reservation (online system was broken at the time) we did ask the rep to make that request for us. And I mentioned it again at check-in. Disney is usually pretty good about requests.
Love that night time view. We have done split stays before and You can get 2 days of early entry for one night at hotel. You check in at 6am and it’s totally doable.
Yes! We knew about that, but did not want to wake up at 5 AM to get up there in time to check in and get over to the park for early entry. Instead, we had a “slow” morning. Woke up at 6 AM, arrived around 8 AM, checked in, and got into the park about 9ish.
World of Color from the hotel room was definitely the best part. I hadn’t yet seen World of Color ONE. Even when we had hotels and had planned to stay, we just didn’t want to wait for an hour and then have to stand the last 20-30 minutes when they start cramming people in. And sometimes even an hour isn’t enough to get a decent spot with obstructions of some kind.
Hey Traver ! That video was awesome!! We really enjoyed it 🎉. My partner and I are staying at the Pixar Place Hotel in May, really looking forward to it . Btw loved the “ Black smoke ring “ that was hilarious 😂 - Johnny
Quick question- how was the tap water? We recently stayed at a good neighbor hotel and the water had a terrible smell. They said all the hotels have that problem. Does this one?
I did drink from the tap and did not notice anything. But I also used ice from the ice machine and drank out of the nice glass cup they provided. But I definitely did not notice any smells.
@@SoCalDisneyDad I stayed there just for a night following a Disney cruise last month. Absolutely gorgeous resort with lots of dining options and a stellar pool, but I wouldn't recommend staying there if you plan to go to the parks a bunch since buses are the only transportation option and the internal bus system is a pain.
I probably wouldn’t have stayed on property either if it weren’t for them changing the theme and me having this channel. I figured it was appropriate to review something new. I don’t expect to recoup my cost, but it also gave us actual experience staying on property so when I advise people to NOT I at least have first hand experience now. 🤣
There’s a good chunk of it still under construction and they had notices and disclaimers about fire alarm testing being possible before 9 PM and that you might hear construction noises. We didn’t experience anything that hindered our stay, though the construction is definitely obvious on the outside of the hotel, mostly only down at ground level. But with the formal change over to Pixar Place, all the old stuff in the main common areas is now fully renovated and any rooms guests stay in are the newer rooms, while the old ones are still being updated.
Thank you. We started watching your channel last year for our Legoland trip and i've been watching all your disney stuff now that we're heading there. Thank you for all the hard work you do to make it easier for all of us. @@SoCalDisneyDad
1717 S Disneyland Dr. Right next to the main entrance to the Grand Californian Hotel. It’s just on the other side of the wall behind DCA down by the Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta area.
He does have a schedule. But I didn’t see it posted anywhere. We talked to the cast member on the 3rd floor deck lawn where we enjoyed shuffleboard. She said he’s usually up there on the lawn, but at that time of the afternoon she said he only had one more appearance for the night and it was in the lobby from 5:00-5:30. So she must have had a schedule she could access. I would just ask when you’re there as I imagine schedules might rotate or fluctuate.
There’s tons of details we didn’t even point out (just to keep the video shorter). My favorite is that the couch in the lobby has little feet under it and the cushions have marking that look like Heimlich. It’s very subtle, but it’s little touches like that that make staying here a treat.
My daughter and I stayed at this hotel when I flew her to Anaheim on her 12th birthday in '12. We really enjoyed it, though cheapest of the three Disney hotels it was perfect with its 'back door' park access and its location. I got sick on the trip and my daughter, so mature for her age, had me go back to the hotel. I napped, then rented Kung Fu Panda to watch with her, went to have some food, and stamina rebuilt, enjoyed the parks until closing. I was raised in the Napa Valley and my grammar school principle, former dean of Concordia University Irvine, surprised my daughter at Disney on her twelveth birthday and we had a small party for her at the big restaurant on the right side of Main Street USA, in its nice small atrium with a view of the Matterhorn. I've been to Disneyland/California adventure and Disneyworld, and I like both, for the uniqueness of each and if planned right, an inexpensive vacation full of family entertainment every minute. In '09, we flew to Disneyworld, staying at the Beach Club adjacent to Epcot, the greatest location in Disneyworld, and after an all day flight from Phoenix we hopped the then free Disney bus from Orlando's airport. Upon arrival at the Beach Club they chose the three of us as 'Family of the Day' giving us balloons, treats and an upgrade to the concierge floor. That gave us free breakfast, lunch, evening treats and free alcohol for my wife and I though we did not drink much. It saved us a fortune and when we left a week later my wife had tears of joy when we left, our fav vacation until we visited Honolulu four years later. I love your videos, I've had the park view in this hotel when I stayed there alone once. When my folks moved us to California in '66 from Chicago, a year before moving to the Napa Valley, we lived in Burbank and went to Disneyland and Knotts quite often. Both parks were fun and when I had a daughter 33 years later, I knew she would love Disney too given Phoenix's proximity to it by air, or car.
