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View Full Version : Refrigerators in Grand Californian?



babytrey2000
08-08-2002, 09:09 PM
We will be staying at the Grand Californian Sept 24-29 and I was told by Disney that the rooms have refrigerators. Is this true? If they do have refrigerators are they stuffed full of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ mini bar stuff that once you touch it, you bought it? Basically, are the refigerators empty that I may put in something of my own? Hmmmmm.

Matterhorn Fan
08-08-2002, 09:14 PM
Yes, they have refrigerators.

Yes, they are stuffed full of mini-bar stuff that once you touch it you own it.

Yes, there is a spot for your stuff. You might be able to fit a water bottle there if you're lucky.

Yes, you will want to bring an ice chest.

MouseWife
08-08-2002, 09:15 PM
I was told that if you even move/touch anything it goes on your account.

I had them lock it. Before my hubby had removed all of the things and used it for us during our stay and then put it all back {Paradise Pier, many years ago.}

So, I believe, I had them lock the fridge but ordered up a different one? Of course, no one is here to help me remember. But, I do think I remember having to set it down by the sink area.

Forget paying all of that for snacks!!

We do the supermarket sales, coupons, and Costco to carry us.

Hope it helps.

KarenW2
08-08-2002, 10:15 PM
Yep, I can totally verify the fact that they charge you for food in the mini fridges at the GCH, even if you touch it, but not take it out of the fridge!! We were going over our bill and my husband wondered how in the world we had "Hot Tamales" for something like $20!! Turns out, when we looked in the mini fridge, he'd moved the box of HTs and it immediately added them to our bill via computer!

There is no extra room in the GCH mini fridges, so just try to forget they're in the room and you'll do fine. Stock up on ice and put things on ice as an alternative to the mini fridge.

This was only one of the problems we had when we stayed at the GCH, so we brought it to their attention immediately and requested that they take it off the bill. They did.

One nice thing about the PPH, they have mini fridges, and they're totally EMPTY!! You can actually fill it with your own stuff! We wouldn't stay there again, but that was a good thing about the place.

Hope you have a good time anyway!!

disneyhead
08-09-2002, 03:02 AM
We had them keep the Mini-Bar locked, and had them send up an empty fridge. It was free except for tip, and they had it up to the room in about 5 min. Very easy.

Tlg
08-09-2002, 05:16 AM
I stayed at GC 2 weeks ago. When the bell man brought up our bags he offered to send up a fridge for our personal things -- free of charge. It's my understanding, all you have to do is ask.

kranders
08-09-2002, 06:22 AM
Originally posted by KarenW2
One nice thing about the PPH, they have mini fridges, and they're totally EMPTY!! You can actually fill it with your own stuff! We wouldn't stay there again, but that was a good thing about the place.
We've stayed at the DLH several times and they also have empty fridges. We've enjoyed every trip at the DLH but were going to check out PPH.
KarenW2...how come you "wouldn't stay there again"?
Just looking for inputs.:)

tjrj
08-09-2002, 06:44 AM
At the DLH, they also had empty fridges and the room in the Bonita Tower had a small sink as well. No charge for the fridge. At the GC, I too requested a fridge prior to our arrival and it was there when we arrived-no charge.

Ace
08-09-2002, 10:20 AM
so if there's an earthquake Disney makes about $5,000,000?

MouseWife
08-09-2002, 10:28 AM
Ha! Never thought of that.

Well, I think that they would either have to drop all of the charges or go in and physically check the fridges and charge people later.

Ace
08-09-2002, 05:34 PM
Sooooo instead of just counting the food by hand..... they spent money on a system to monitor it electronically? Why not just paint Toontown and let the room service count it?

MouseWife
08-09-2002, 05:44 PM
I hear ya. I think that they count on people to either be too tired to go out, the kids to snatch something, people who have never stayed at a place like that, or people who are using credit cards to spend that kind of money.

I also think they do the motion sensor thing is something like that "Would you like fries with that?" There are some people who don't say anything, maybe they don't notice or whatever, or, it is just a couple of dollars here and there so they don't complain. Either way, the company surely makes money that way.

I had them lock my fridge and the fellow walked up with us. Then they said I had a water. I said, No way, we just checked in right now and haven't even been in the room.

I buy cases of bottled water, on sale, all of the time. Love Aquafina. There is no way in this world that I would spend $3. on one bottle.

Matterhorn Fan
08-09-2002, 06:28 PM
Originally posted by Squinky
Sooooo instead of just counting the food by hand..... they spent money on a system to monitor it electronically?When this system was explained to my mother, she was told that people had been eating/drinking the stuff and then going across the street to the convenience store to replace it (inflated close-to-DL convenience store prices are still lower than GCH mini-bar prices). They were losing money, so now it's done this way.

Ace
08-09-2002, 06:47 PM
oh. Well... do they warn the guests beforehand? I mean, what if you're going to eat it BUT NO WAIT it has too many calories and you don't.... you still pay for it.

Matterhorn Fan
08-09-2002, 07:12 PM
Squinky, are you counting calories?

About guests being warned beforehand, I don't really know. But you have been warned, so now you know to check the calories in the candy bars you might think of eating before your next stay at the GCH.

mousey_girl
08-09-2002, 07:54 PM
I would just like to really thank everyone for chiming in on this. I had no idea about any of this... I mean I knew about the "mini-bar-fridge" but not the electronic sensor... If I had gotten there, the first thing I would have done is move stuff around to make room for my own perishables. Now I know to ask them to lock it and bring me up an empty one that I can fill on my own. Granted, our trip isn't until the first weekend of Dec, but I hate surprises.

Many, many, many thanks!!!!

KarenW2
08-09-2002, 11:04 PM
Hi Ken,
The reason we wouldn't stay at the PPH again was because we were not real impressed with the facilities. It was a very old hotel that had had some remodelling, but still seemed really old and dull. We stayed there on 2-8-01, the night DCA opened. We had a room with a DCA view, which was nice and all, but we didn't care for the hotel. It was also not very sound-proof and I'm a light sleeper. The constant traffic on West, or whatever that street is called that runs in front of it, was very noisy.

It's furthest away from everything, except the "exclusive" PPH entrance, but that's not that big of a benefit. I'd rather have either the MAGIC of the DLH or the very close, convenient proximity and great architecture of the GCH.

Hope that explains it for you, but if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask & I'll do my best to answer ya.

sjchristy
08-10-2002, 06:06 AM
Originally posted by KarenW2
Hi Ken,
We had a room with a DCA view, which was nice and all, but we didn't care for the hotel. It was also not very sound-proof and I'm a light sleeper. The constant traffic on West, or whatever that street is called that runs in front of it, was very noisy.

It's furthest away from everything,

Years ago, before DCA, before DTD, before it was even called PPH, my ex and I stayd in that hotel. Can't remember it's name back then. :confused:

Anyway, back then the noise level was not so much an issue, since there was not all the traffic going to DTD and the street was not the main access road to a parking structure, which didn't exist yet. Instead of a view of DCA we had a view of the long gone parking lot. :eek: As far as didstance, it was not all that bad. Walking to te monorail was a fairly short and well kept path, and you could cross the street, walk through the parking lot right to the main entrance. Now the only pathway to the "Entrance Plaza" is via DTD. Just another opportunity to spend a few bucks BEFORE you get into the park.

Ahhhhh for the good old days.:crying:

dasrock
08-16-2002, 12:56 AM
Stayed at GCH last July.
Wife asked for a extra fridge to store our water, snacks, kids medicine. Staff had the fridge in our room before we arrived. Great place to stay...wife loved in so much all future trips we will stay at the Grand Californian.
Excellent staff and lovely place to stay.
PS We had three kids with us, I had to give them the don't touch anything in this fridge speech. Their eyes all lit up when the oldest boy (11) opened the mini fridge and the kids said ooohhhhh

roberts1398
08-16-2002, 01:14 AM
Ken, I haven't stayed there since it was the Emerald of Anaheim, a dozen yrs ago. But friends stayed there in June, and they were not impressed at all. They said there was nothing WRONG with it, just that it wasn't the posh style you'd expect from a DLR hotel, and certainly not what you'd expect from a $200/nt hotel. Kinda Holiday Inn-ish, was their comment. But for $120/nt more...

animegirllover
08-24-2002, 09:13 AM
Hi,
the reason I'm going to this hotel on November 9-10. This is a low price for good.