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MinnieMomma
01-05-2007, 10:55 AM
I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem.
We just got back this morning from 2 nights at GCH and I had decided to treat us all to the concierge level for an end of the holiday event. I had made the reservations in October and had spent a long time on the phone with reservations figuring out the hotel (DLH vs GCH) and which view. I was wavering between a Downtown Disney view and a courtyard view and the woman who was helping me convinced me we'd be happier with the bed configuration of the courtyard view. So I had been looking forward to it for months and on Wednesday we arrived at 2:00, checked in at the concierge desk and went to the lounge to wait for our room to be ready. Very nice. We got the call that our room was ready at 3:00, got the room number and went to a room overlooking the parking lot and valet parking area. I've stayed in a room like that before and swore I would never consider it again because the noise is not be believed. Sitting on the balcony listening to the car noise, the valets yelling instructions to each other, the delivery trucks backing up and the traffic on Disney Drive is not fun. I went right back to the desk to let them know I had booked a courtyard view room and got a shrug. "Thats your room" was the answer. They offered me a courtyard view room on the 5th floor with less sleeping room, no flat screen t.v. and no dvd player, but at no less cost than the 600$ I was paying for the parking lot view. I asked to be moved for the 2nd night and was told that was not possible. I was finally told I should have booked a better view if I had wanted one. WHAT???!!!!! I was told I had booked the courtyard view!!
Laying in bed from 5-6 am this morning listening to the beep, beep, beep of the delivery trucks backing up really made me angry.
Has this happened to anyone else and does anyone have any ideas on who I can contact about how misleading the reservation person was with me about not telling me the difference between a "standard" view (which I guess includes courtyard and parking lot views) and getting the quiet courtyard view?
By the way, the kids had a great time in the parks both days, even with the crowds and they loved the flat screen t.v. the dvds, and the food and drinks in the lounge. We only bought one meal the whole time we were there.

Bolivar
01-05-2007, 11:16 AM
According to the web site, the room types are:

City/Standard View
Downtown Disney View
Theme Park View
City View Concierge
Theme Park View Concierge
Atrisan Suite 1 Bedroom
Artisan Suite 2 Bedroom

And this is what it says about the City View Concierge, "Garden View (Brisa Courtyard) View.

That really does suck though. A hotel charging those rates really should have no rooms with that kind of noise problem. Not even at their lowest price point.

pisces
01-05-2007, 01:24 PM
Regarding the flat screen TV:

They are in the process of changing TVs throughout the whole Hotel.

Some of the rooms have flat-screen TVs, some of them don't.


At this point I don't think you can actually "book" a room with a flat screen TV. It's just a request, and if they don't have it at the time of check-in...they don't have it.

The Courtyard is just a part of City-Standard, if available. They've lumped it in with that particular category....so again, if they don't have it at the time of check-in......all they are really obligated to give you is simply....City Standard.

As far as you're being innundated with noise....if you closed the picture window door and simply stayed in the room........was it quiet then?

When you are actually out on the balcony......there is going to be noise, perhaps in every room. On the theme-park side, when you are out on the balcony, you can still hear screams from the Sunwheel, or screamin' etc...

And, you know....even the Courtyard side....out on the balcony...if they've got a function, or reception going on in the Courtyard, which they normally do...you are going to hear noise from that. When guests enter from the gates, they pass right by the Courtyard....so you can hear all that from the balcony. There's usually music loops being played in the Courtyard.

If you were expecting complete quiet, when out on the Balcony........I don't know how much more quiet the Courtyard would have been for you.

It doesn't sound like the staff was too too too sympathetic about noise, because part of it is.....GCH is a hotel right in the middle of a Theme Park, or thereabouts....so you will hear some noise. It's a question of degree.

And certainly the wide screen TV, I don't think they were going to go out of their way to give you a room with that, when that is not even a standard feature yet.

In all my stays at the GCH....I think the thing the staff will really go out of their way in assigning rooms is......bed type and size. They really try desperately to give you the bed type, size, and configuration you want....even though that's only a "request" also.

All those other things that were important to you, I don't think the staff is, or was going to....be too sympathetic about.

It's just my experience after many stays there.

pisces
01-05-2007, 01:42 PM
A hotel charging those rates really should have no rooms with that kind of noise problem. Not even at their lowest price point.


Oh?

Have you ever stayed in a hotel in New York City?

Hotel rates in Manhattan are double, triple, and quadruple, what they are in Southern California.

And NYC is one of the loudest cities ever.

You really can't get away from the noise in New York. Some of the NY hotels are better insulated than others....but you still know you are in a large, noisy city. And their hotel rates are outrageous.

Bolivar
01-05-2007, 02:16 PM
Ambient noises are one thing. They are not caused nor controlled by the hotel and are a fact of where you are staying. Presumably you stay in NYC in part for the ambiance of the city, including the noise -- same goes for staying in the middle of a theme park. Noises caused by the hotel's operations are something quite different.

MinnieMomma
01-05-2007, 03:23 PM
In the 9 times we've stayed there we've experienced all the different views available. I enjoy the DCA side to be able to people watch and listen to the goofy music. Same thing for the Downtown Disney side, its fun noise, part of the atmosphere. We've had good experiences with the courtyard view. Looking over the pool/DCA is great to see what up at the pool. I really enjoy the action and fun sounds of being in the middle of the parks. But I don't go to DLR hotel sites to listen to the trucks making deliveries and the honking of road rage problems people are having on Disney Drive while I'm enjoying my coffee and paper on the balcony. It is really a very low end experience in Anaheim. To try and compare it to the bustle and excitement of being in NYC is kind of silly. But my biggest beef is that the woman taking my reservation never mentioned the possibility of us ending up in that room. She kept saying "Courtyard View", never Standard View, City View or anything else. Since we had already stayed in one of Parking lot view rooms before and hated it (my mom kept telling us stories about staying in motels on route 66 during her move to California in 1958 since that was what the noise reminded her of, and that was with the door and drapes closed) I would have said "No thanks" and taken the Downtown Disney view. I guess I just feel like I was deceived to some degree. My psychic powers weren't working that day and I didn't check anything in writing (yes, that was my fault) I just thought the gal would tell me what my options really were.
Thats what my focus really is, getting the person taking the reservation on the phone to be really accurate about what you are reserving. Has anyone else been "promised" one thing on the phone and ended up with another? Who would you notify about correcting the problem in the future?

babytmakes5
01-05-2007, 03:46 PM
We paid extra for a park view at the Disneyland Hotel two years ago, and we instead got a not-so-magical view of the parking lot. To be honest, the view of the parking lot wouldn't have bothered me (we spent most of our time at the park anyhow), but the fact that we paid more for the view and then didn't get it was why I was upset. The folks down at the front desk had the attitude "sorry you checked in late, we have nothing else available." After much insisting, we finally were able to speak with a manager and she changed our room to one with a view of the dancing water show. Not a park view, but better than a parking lot. We were also given a smaller room the first night than what we paid for, and were not refunded any difference in price. :mad: Needless to say, we were quite upset, but we did learn a lesson: expect very little, and be pleasantly surprised if you get any upgrades. Our last trip we stayed at GCH, paid for a standard (parking lot) view, but were given a wonderful view of DCA and the swimming pool. Someone told me that they give away all the "good" rooms first come, first serve, so make sure you check in early next time. Also, both my husband and I called Disney Travel a few times before our trip to request certain things like a refrigerator, bunk beds, etc, and when we checked the front desk person knew nothing of our requests. Fortunately, we were able to get everything we needed, but I don't think the requests you make over the phone ever get through to the people at the front desk. I'm glad you had fun at the parks, that's what's most important.:)

JookyG
01-05-2007, 03:58 PM
Hmmm, when I stayed at the DLH, I reserved the cheapest standard room possible and got upgraded for free to room in the Sierra Tower with a fantastic view. So it goes both ways, I guess.

Disney Vault
01-05-2007, 03:59 PM
Oh man that really sucks. I think my family has always gotten the room we requested at the GCH. We always go for the DTD view because it is just so full of life. The car noise is what would drive me crazy. Sorry it didn't work out as you had planned.

Raven
01-06-2007, 12:05 AM
And I don't know so much about the "first come, first serve" deal either. My husband and I arrived at the DLH at 7 am and did not get a room until 4pm. And we still did not get what we wanted...but by that time, we weren't complaining!

Crazy4DL
01-06-2007, 07:09 AM
Thats what my focus really is, getting the person taking the reservation on the phone to be really accurate about what you are reserving. Has anyone else been "promised" one thing on the phone and ended up with another? Who would you notify about correcting the problem in the future?

I have never stayed at the GCH but I can totally understand your frustration. GRRRRRRRRRRR!