Just booked Grand Californian About This Page:

[mechurchlady]

Each day you will get a paper with events like a morning walking tour of DCA. It varies from day to day but you will have fun with the special stuff for guests only.

[MelissaL]

We just got back from a stay at the Grand Californian. One trick we discovered: when the parks were crowded, it seemed quicker to go into California Adventure using the "private" entrance, then walk out and over to Disneyland park, rather than waiting in the long line for bag check at the entrance plaza. I don't know if it really was faster, but I dislike lines so it seemed better. We also tried taking the monorail from the Downtown Disney station into Tomorrowland, which may not have saved time but definitely saved walking (even though you need to go in the opposite direction to the parks to catch it).

Happy planning,
Melissa

[shellybelly72]

Originally Posted by MelissaL

We just got back from a stay at the Grand Californian. One trick we discovered: when the parks were crowded, it seemed quicker to go into California Adventure using the "private" entrance, then walk out and over to Disneyland park, rather than waiting in the long line for bag check at the entrance plaza. I don't know if it really was faster, but I dislike lines so it seemed better. We also tried taking the monorail from the Downtown Disney station into Tomorrowland, which may not have saved time but definitely saved walking (even though you need to go in the opposite direction to the parks to catch it).

Happy planning,
Melissa

Thanks for the tips

[Bee]

theres a private entrance to get into disneyland if you stay at the GC??

[jimmymac]

Originally Posted by Bee

theres a private entrance to get into disneyland if you stay at the GC??

Yes, next to Napa Rose restaurant. You enter the park near the Grizzly Bear Ride

[HeatherD]

Originally Posted by Bee

theres a private entrance to get into disneyland if you stay at the GC??

Not the Disneyland Park, but into California Adventure. You'd still need to veer to the left (after entering by Grizzly Rapids) and go past Soarin' to get to the entrance out to the plaza and across to Disneyland Park. You're not saving a LOT of walking (you can go out one side of GC into CA or out the other into DTD and walk to the plaza that way), but the poster who mentioned it was pointing out the time saver of not having to wait in a long bag search line, since their bag was searched at the private entrance from the hotel. Once you are in the plaza, you are free to move between parks without a bag search (didn't used to be the case - they used to do them at the gates). Same goes with the monorail - your bag is searched in DTD before you board. However, you need a ticket, which is scanned, to take the monorail since it takes you directly into Tomorrowland.

[AGentlRose]

Originally Posted by MelissaL

We just got back from a stay at the Grand Californian. One trick we discovered: when the parks were crowded, it seemed quicker to go into California Adventure using the "private" entrance, then walk out and over to Disneyland park, rather than waiting in the long line for bag check at the entrance plaza. I don't know if it really was faster, but I dislike lines so it seemed better. We also tried taking the monorail from the Downtown Disney station into Tomorrowland, which may not have saved time but definitely saved walking (even though you need to go in the opposite direction to the parks to catch it).

Happy planning,
Melissa

Thanks for that great tip! I've never even thought of that. I knew about the separate entrance, but didn't realize that it would be quicker to get to Disneyland Park through the DCA entrance. Thanks again!

[Williams45]

Sounds like a great hotel. I will have to try it soon.