Wondering if Veranda Club Level at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is well worth the cash? Our overview of the costliest concierge lodge possibility at Disneyland Resort covers our expertise with this lounge, with photographs and ideas on the meals, resort facilities, service and technique for benefiting from the premium perks.
As background, every lodge at Disneyland Resort provides Club Level room. Yes, even Paradise Pier Hotel, which provides a concierge lounge that rivals the one at Homewood Suites. (I child…it can not compete with Homewood Suites!) While Paradise Pier’s Club Level excels at nothing, the opposite two every have promoting factors, with Disneyland Hotel’s E-Ticket Club providing nice views of Downtown Disney and the fireworks.
Unsurprisingly, the Veranda Club at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is one of the best lounge of the lineup, providing the nicest setting, greatest meals spreads, top-notch service, and extra. Let’s begin by having a look contained in the Veranda Club with particulars about its theme and comparatively latest reimagining.
Formerly referred to as the Craftsman’s Club, the Veranda is positioned on the sixth flooring of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Upon exiting the Great Hall elevators, you possibly can’t miss it–there’s a desk with a concierge Cast Member and an entrance to the lounge throughout from that space.
Back across the time the room reimagining began on the Grand Californian, so too did the reimagining of the Craftsman’s Club into the Veranda. Although Disney’s Grand Californian pays homage to the California Arts and Crafts motion, the Veranda’s design now attracts inspiration from the architectural and furnishings designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a visionary of the Arts and Crafts motion in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
In case you’re not a geographer or don’t have the Google Maps app, the United Kingdom shouldn’t be a part of California. It’s a giant state, however not that huge. Nevertheless, Walt Disney Imagineering opted to attract inspiration from the Mackintosh-designed Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, UK.
Why is past me. Perhaps as a result of the “research trip” from Bob Hope to Glasgow sounded extra enjoyable? Driving from Glendale to Pasadena concerned an excessive amount of visitors?
In any case, Imagineering used white-based colours to make the Veranda’s inside look mild, ethereal and spacious. Also added had been new wall-to-wall home windows, which open onto the balcony and usher in pure mild and views of the tree tops.
The Veranda’s furnishings design additionally incorporates Mackintosh’s interpretation of the Arts & Crafts architectural model with streamlined shapes and a lightweight coloration palette. The lights and buffet wall incorporate stained glass, which is as soon as once more additionally impressed by the Willow Tea Rooms within the United Kingdom.
The Veranda’s art work celebrates craftsmen, nature, and handcrafted supplies. Contemporary European artists had been commissioned to create customized items for this house in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Unsurprisingly, that is distinctive to the Veranda, as all different artwork items all through the lodge are by California artists.
Walt Disney Imagineering additionally collaborated with artists from Amsterdam (not town in Merced County, California–the one within the Netherlands) to remodel a wall within the Veranda Club Level lounge with a customized 10-foot lengthy painted ceramic association. The handmade, classic plates and platters function the enduring panorama of redwoods from Disney’s Brother Bear.
Honestly, once I first learn the press launch about all of those adjustments, it felt prefer it bordered on parody. It’s one factor to eschew themed design for a contemporary, crowd-pleasing model. It’s one other completely to “contradict” (for lack of a greater time period) a theme predicated on one locality by speaking up the way it was painstakingly impressed by and crafted in one other continent.
It can be like including a McDonald’s to the World Showcase France pavilion, however as a substitute of drawing some tenuous nexus to the flagship quick meals restaurant on Paris’ Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Disney stated the McDonald’s was an homage to the Rock ‘n’ Roll McDonald’s in Chicago.
To conclude with the pièce de résistance from one in every of Disney’s least common animated movies ever? That’s simply the chef’s kiss. But you realize what? It largely works.
I’m guessing it’s as a consequence of suggestions from membership degree visitors who felt the previous model wasn’t luxurious sufficient or had grown drained. While I’m not one in every of these individuals, I can perceive the criticism that the California Craftsman model is darkish, dreary, and dated.
The inside design of Veranda Club Level makes use of a variety of wealthy woods, muted colours, and sometimes has an earthier, extra pure look. That looks as if the precise reverse of what’s “in” proper now. Personally, I discover the Arts & Crafts motion timeless and traditional–one thing that can’t exit of fashion.
The description and purported inspiration is attempting too onerous to be stylish and modern, however in actuality, the inside is kind of the intersection of contemporary and (not-California) craftsman. Aside from the sunshine fixtures (which I want had been stained glass), it is a truthful compromise.
Veranda Club Level delivers the pretense of luxurious that well-heeled visitors of the Grand Californian count on, and provides a degree of theme for followers. It’s not going to be both’s model of good, however such is the character of a compromise. As contrasted with the Club Level lounges at Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel, it’s an evening and day enchancment.
As for the Veranda Club Level overview, I believe it’s price mentioning right here that that is one of the best concierge degree service we’ve obtained at Disneyland Resort. Normally, we don’t fixate on service an excessive amount of as a result of it’s spotty and inconsistent. Walt Disney World Cast Members are typically nice, however Disney is fairly removed from a hospitality business chief in relation to lodge operations.
However, I get the sensation that service on the Veranda Club is constantly good. We interacted with a number of nice Cast Members, together with a number of who had been on the resort for a decade or longer. Many of them appeared to contemplate the lodge a second dwelling, and took nice satisfaction in it. I’m guessing right here, however I think it’s a coveted function and one during which long-tenured Cast Members take nice satisfaction.
The Veranda Club Level Lounge is open each day from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and supplies visitors with the next complimentary choices:
- Grand Beginnings (6:30 am to 10 a.m.) – Continental breakfast bar with an assortment of contemporary pastries, fruit, cereal and morning drinks.
- Afternoon Tea (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) – A choice of teas and different drinks, accompanied by quite a lot of goodies.
- Grand Hours (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) – Scrumptious appetizers and cheese, paired together with your alternative of wine and beer.
- Sweet Endings (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.) – Delectable desserts and after-dinner drinks.
The varied meals spreads change each day, so I’m going to easily share a number of photographs of what was out there throughout our keep on the Veranda Club and can circle again with generalized commentary afterwards.
To my information, there aren’t any “iconic” dishes or desserts for which the Veranda is understood, and which can be served up each day.
As is par for the course at Disney’s Club Level lounges on each coasts, lunch is underwhelming.
Technically, it’s referred to as “Afternoon Tea.” None of the spreads are referred to with meal names, presumably to discourage visitors from making full meals of them.
The Grand Hours service, however, is phenomenal.
You can count on quite a lot of greens, meats, cheeses, breads, and aspect dishes. There are additionally a number of individually-portioned dishes on par with what you may be served downstairs at Napa Rose. These small serving dishes encourage portion management, however don’t fear, I used to be in a position to persevere and overcome that!
A wide range of choices can be found for dessert, with probably the most notable being macarons.
We discovered an analogous unfold on the E-Ticket Club in Disneyland Hotel on a separate latest keep, however the Grand Californian had the clear edge.
The Veranda Club Level has self-service espresso and different customized espresso drinks that visitors can put together for themselves.
The lounge additionally has a bar, the place you possibly can order mimosa or different alcoholic drinks. For probably the most half, Disney’s Club Level lounges are shifting away from self-service alcohol and in direction of it being provided ‘upon request.’ Cordials are additionally out within the night.
There’s additionally an outside balconies at Veranda Club Level. These face an inside courtyard that’s lined with timber, which makes for a soothing and tranquil setting, an effective way to decompress throughout or after a protracted day at Disneyland or DCA.
It’s potential to observe the Disneyland fireworks from this balcony, schedule and climate (Santa Ana winds) allowing. Many visitors try this, nevertheless it’s not the best view. You’re significantly better off contained in the park, even watching from the Rivers of America or by “it’s a small world” if you wish to keep away from the Main Street crowds.
Naturally, all of this comes at an astronomical value. In pricing out varied dates, the common worth premium for the Veranda Club Level at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is about $225 to $300 per night time. It may be decrease or larger than that–pricing varies by date and low cost. This is the surcharge alone–not the full value of the room.
In totally looking out, we discovered what I believe/hope was the most cost effective Standard View – Club Level room and date mixture, at just below $700 per night time after Magic Key low cost. The sky is the restrict on the higher worth factors–I’ve seen some dates effectively over $1,000 per night time. Grand Californian isn’t just the costliest lodge possibility at Disneyland Resort, however is usually dearer than even comparable Club Level rooms at Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World!
There’s no approach to justify this from a worth for cash perspective. You’re reserving the Veranda at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa if cash is not any challenge or since you actually wish to splurge.
From that perspective, it’s a superlative splurge and/or wonderful luxurious providing. The service, meals, views, and environment are all incredible. The Veranda is a superb enhancement to a keep at Disneyland Resort’s greatest lodge.
We’re approaching these Club Level stays from the attitude of getting probably the most bang to your buck by spending extra time within the lounge, having fun with the meals and environment. Having entry to the Club Level lounge supplies a purpose/excuse to spend extra time enjoyable on the resort, thus having fun with extra of that environment. In this regard, the Veranda Club Level is inconceivable to beat.
Moreover, it has far and away the best entry from DCA and Disneyland. You can actually step off Grizzly River Run and be contained in the lounge (take into account drying off in your room first) in below 5 minutes. Due to GCH’s proximity to the parks, it’s a lot simpler to make a number of stops per day right here for every meals service whereas nonetheless having fun with the parks.
Overall, we beloved the Veranda Club at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa–as must be anticipated given the astronomical pricing. While the general experiences, meals spreads and environment are vastly completely different between right here and Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World, the Veranda Club rivals that as my favourite concierge degree on both coast.
It’s far and away our favourite Club Level expertise on the Hotels of Disneyland Resort, and it’s not even shut. This actually shouldn’t be a shock. Grand Californian is the flagship lodge at Disneyland, that is the costliest Club Level, and it’s the freshest of the bunch. From a worth for cash perspective, it’s tough/inconceivable to justify any of them, however as a splurge, that is for sure one of the best.
The worth premium is analogous for all three, and the Veranda is head and shoulders above Beach Comber Club Level at Paradise Pier Hotel (or no matter it finally ends up being referred to as as soon as this lodge is transformed into Pixar Place Hotel) and E-Ticket Club Level at Disneyland Hotel. In each regard besides the view (E-Ticket Club wins there), the Veranda completely trounces the competitors. If you’re pondering of splurging on Club Level at Disneyland Resort, go all or nothing, and do the Veranda or nothing in any respect.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site inns in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For the place to eat, try our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, try What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides past Disney, try our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of different locations!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you stayed the Veranda Club Level at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa? Thoughts on the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert spreads? Did you spend a variety of time appreciating the laid again environment? Do you agree or disagree that the Grand Californian’s regular ambiance is an asset of this lounge? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!