Some complaints about the Resort in general:

[Pisces]

1. Lousy food/snack options

Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, ....McDonalds fries? I think they can do better. How about some fresh (organic) fruit stands, or fresh vegetable crudites. Do they have a little bit of that at the Farmer's Market at DCA? I'm not saying elminate anything....simply increase the options to something other than junk food, especially in the main park. Feeding kids cotton candy late at night......if parents had better choices, and all the money thrown down the drain for that junk.......

2. Rude Cast Members at Grand Californian Front Desk

They are calling it a "Luxury Hotel". I'm not naming names, or gender, but I will cite age. The rude teenagers that they hire to staff their "luxury" hotel.....some of them are inappropriate, and not very gracious. Also, if you are calling yourself the Grand Californian........shouldn't front desk and concierge all be from California? Why hire front desk people from Canada, or Kalamazoo at the Grand Californian? Who are these kids that are snagging exclusive jobs at the front desk of one of Orange Counties classiest hotels? Are well-connected parents pulling the strings and getting their out-of-town little darlings jobs there?

It shows in the incompetence and rudeness of some of the young people staffing that front desk. This is just my opinion.

3. Christmas Parade doesn't start on time

So why not schedule it later?, as I've said before. The parade itself really never started till 7:00 pm, maybe 6:50 at the earliest. They need to give themselves some breathing room and schedule it at that time. And the bands, Grand Marshall, and whatever else....doesn't count. If you are constantly going to be delayed, and never start on time, then simply schedule it later.

4. Fast Pass is not fast

They need to rename that. Some people, (Like me) are under the illusion that Fast Pass = Walk-On.....especially when you have the Dream Fast Passes. Nothing could be further from the truth. During busy times, Fast Pass shaves off , maybe 25% of the waiting time----and that's assuming the Cast Members even remember to move the line.

[SparkyLD]

Where were you located for the parade?

If the parade starts at 6:30, its starts at 6:30 at the Egghouse Gate (the one in main street) IF you are on Main Street it might take until 6:35 to get to you. If you are in the hub, might take until 6:40 to get to you, and so on and so forth. The start time is for where the parade starts. So in laymens terms, the parade does start on time, it just takes a bit to get to where you are.

[Steve DeGaetano]

I lament the parade start times too, but mostly I lament F!

[viewaskewniverse]

1. If you don't like the fast food type options, you can always pony up the money for a salad. They have them available pretty much everywhere in the park. Not to mention fresh fruit like pineapple spears, apples, oranges, and other mixed fruits. There's plenty of ways to "eat healthy" at the park if you look around.

[Susabelle]

I lament the parade start times too, but mostly I lament F!

LOL, Steve!

[ladyalmalthea]

1. If you don't like the fast food type options, you can always pony up the money for a salad. They have them available pretty much everywhere in the park. Not to mention fresh fruit like pineapple spears, apples, oranges, and other mixed fruits. There's plenty of ways to "eat healthy" at the park if you look around.

Or pack lunch and put it in a locker... best way to get exactly what you want.

[Villains Fan]

1. Lousy food/snack options

Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, ....McDonalds fries? I think they can do better. How about some fresh (organic) fruit stands, or fresh vegetable crudites. Do they have a little bit of that at the Farmer's Market at DCA? I'm not saying elminate anything....simply increase the options to something other than junk food, especially in the main park. Feeding kids cotton candy late at night......if parents had better choices, and all the money thrown down the drain for that junk.......

There are more options for healthy snacks....5 fruit stands in DL and 2 in DCA that have a pretty good variety fresh fruit, trail mix, dehydrated apple slices, pickles, and veggy packs.

[Anakin]

It's great to hear you had a wonderful time at the Disneyland Resort.

It's unfortunate you missed the fresh fruit stands located in the middle of Main Street, in Adventureland near the Jungle Cruise, in Critter Country at the base of Splash Mountain, and in Tomorrowland across from Innoventions. Let's not forget those located in Disney's California Adventure, too.

Those pesky first-class, world-renowned parades...

And that Grand Californian Hotel? Wow. Now that's money well-spent.

FastPass IS speaking the truth. It's FASTER than the stand-by line, albeit by two minutes or more accurately speaking 25% of a full day trip.

You have to visit again... I can be your guide minus the plaid uniform.



"The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn."

[Goofy Daddy]

1. We have never had problems finding fresh fruit snacks in DL park. Perhaps you are not looking hard enough? I certainly wouldn't say no to MORE of them of course, but your post makes it appear that there are none, which is incorrect, We have found fruit/veggie snack options in almost every land.

2. I admit I am not an expert, but I am sure some type of labor/discrimination law prohibits Disney Co. from not putting "non-California native" personnel in certain posts. I can't speak to the rudeness factor as I have yet to stay there but I do know that SOMETIMES "rudeness" is a matter of perspective/opinion. It is indeed unfortunate if they have a crew or members of a crew posted in one of their "high end" hotels who do not have the proper customer service skills/training.

3. The parade timing is an illusion. It depends on where you are sitting and where the parade starts. If it is scheduled to start at say 6:30pm then it will exit the gate (starting point) on Main Street or Small World at 6:30 but may not reach the hub until 15 minutes later. Chances are, the parade did start on time, it just didn't reach YOU until after that start time. Also, any system with human beings involved in it is not perfect. The parade may indeed have bee late that time you happened to be there. That does not mean you should assume it is a regular occurence.

4. Anyone who makes the assumption that Fast Pass = walk straight on (especially during a busy time in the park) is (no nicer way to say it) a fool. I don't recall ANY place or person in DL that gives or makes that impression. FP works well on some rides, and not well at all on others.

[mousechild]

Never had had problems with the GC front desk. We have stayed there about 10 times so it is not a great sample but... Now GC does have some logistical problems that most luxury hotels do not. The hotel is dominated by the resorts and a small airport. This causes most guests to check in and check out in large clusters. I have seen the GC desk area be completely dead for hours at a time and then quickly have a large rush. We tend to avoid this by not arriving until late on our check in day and by sending someone back to deal with luggage and bell service about an hour after the park opens.

The GC also suffers from the resort policy of not having a customer affinity program with its own desk. Many hotels in GC have this service.

[Pisces]

Maybe I am a fool.....but my perception of a "Dream Fast Pass" is Walk-on. That's my dream. Sadly, that's not the reality.

At the Park....I see nothing but carts with cotton candy, ice cream and other junk.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. All these fresh fruit, and vegetable stands everywhere the eye can see.......?????

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

You really think the abundance of fruit and vegatables is as visible as the cotton candy etc........?

[Grizzly]

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. All these fresh fruit, and vegetable stands everywhere the eye can see.......?????


You really think the abundance of fruit and vegatables is as visible as the cotton candy etc........?

I guess you are not looking, becuase yes they are very visible in high traffic areas. Even if they weren't, just ask someone.

[Duck44]

Maybe I am a fool.....but my perception of a "Dream Fast Pass" is Walk-on. That's my dream. Sadly, that's not the reality.

At the Park....I see nothing but carts with cotton candy, ice cream and other junk.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. All these fresh fruit, and vegetable stands everywhere the eye can see.......?????

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

You really think the abundance of fruit and vegatables is as visible as the cotton candy etc........?

this breaks my heart too.

[Susabelle]

Maybe I am a fool.....but my perception of a "Dream Fast Pass" is Walk-on. That's my dream. Sadly, that's not the reality.

At the Park....I see nothing but carts with cotton candy, ice cream and other junk.

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. All these fresh fruit, and vegetable stands everywhere the eye can see.......?????

Maybe I'm not looking in the right places.

You really think the abundance of fruit and vegatables is as visible as the cotton candy etc........?

The fruit and vegetasble carts are VERY visible on Main Street right by the locker entrance and all over the other areas of the Park as well. I don't know why you have not seen them. I do believe the abundance of fruits and vegetables is as visible as the sweet stuff. We have always found them long BEFORE we see the cotton candy cart. Really.

As far as a fast pass, even a dream fast pass is just that a fast pass, it does not say FRONT OF THE LINE PASS. Dream fastpasses are handled the same way reg fastpasses are. Now if the Dream Team was giving out FOL passes, I would so be looking for them!!!!!!
susabelle

[The Red Head]

I definitely do not think of Fast Pass as a front of the line pass. But I think when Fast Pass was first introduced it got you through the lines a little quicker than it does now. They reconfigured some of the Fast Pass lines and don't let you in as far up ahead of other people as they used to. Space Mountain and Indiana Jones are the two I am thinking of, and they got rid of FP altogether for Pirates.

Maybe the fruit carts aren't as noticeable because they don't smell as good as the popcorn and churro carts do. The fruit carts are even bigger than the other carts, because they have baskets of a variety of things to choose from.