In 2000, we published an article about concierge services (link) at the Disneyland Resort hotels. Much has changed in the scene since then—the Disneyland Pacific Hotel has become the Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel had seen refurbishments and major teardowns of its Garden rooms to make way for Downtown Disney, and let’s not forget the entirely new Grand Californian Hotel.
This series of photos shows a Grand Californian concierge room decked out for a romantic evening. Photo by Sandra Jamrock
Back in 2000, concierge service averaged $75 on top of the room rate. Today, it’s $100 for the Paradise Pier Hotel, $125 for the Disneyland Hotel, and $150 for the Grand Californian Hotel. The concierge amenities have changed, too.
Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel retain their priority check-in/check-out lines, but Grand Californian Hotel does not have a special line for concierge guests; it’s rare that Grand Californian Hotel check-in wait times extend past five or 10 minutes. Only the Paradise Pier Hotel (formerly Disneyland Pacific Hotel, formerly Pan Pacific Hotel, formerly Emerald) retains the special concierge key; the other two use standard keycards for all guests. The Paradise Pier Hotel’s priority lines are actually inside its concierge lounge instead of in the hotel lobby.
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
The concierge rooms themselves are much as they were in 2000, with the addition of DVD players in the Grand Californian Hotel and Disneyland Hotel, and VCRs in Paradise Pier Hotel rooms. Complimentary movie rentals are available in each hotel’s concierge lounge. Nightly turn-down service is offered; see our original article for full details on this service.
Many say the lounges are the primary reason for paying the extra money for concierge service. The Paradise Pier Hotel’s Beachcombers Club on the second floor is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and provides complimentary beverage/snack service all day. In addition, it features a continental breakfast from 6:30 to 10:00, and a daily afternoon wine and cheese reception from 5:00 to 7:00.
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
The Disneyland Hotel’s concierge lounge on the 11th floor of the Sierra Tower provides beverages and snacks all day, and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (two hours later than the Paradise Pier Hotel’s lounge). Its daily wine and cheese reception is also from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., but its continental breakfast does not end until 10:00 a.m. In addition, the Disneyland Hotel’s lounge includes a selection of table games and a fax machine, free of charge for all of its concierge guests. Access to the lounge is through the exterior glass elevator with your hotel keycard.
The Grand Californian’s concierge lounge, the Craftsman’s Club, is on the sixth floor and is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with breakfast until 10:00 a.m.. You also have access to the Club Patio on the fifth floor. The wine and cheese reception and all-day beverage/snack services are much like those in the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel lounges. Access to the Grand Californian Hotel lounge is through a special elevator. The Craftsman’s Club offers table games and a fax machine, and an extra perk: “Tales from the Hearth” children’s storytelling (hours vary, so check with concierge personnel).
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
MousePad member Opus1guy came through with a brief video clip showing you the Grand Californian Hotel’s Craftsman’s Club lounge (link, WMV, 3MB).
Cast members in all three lounges assist concierge guests with dining and tour reservations. And while they cannot move you to the front of the line at Disneyland’s Blue Bayou or Grand Californian Hotel’s Napa Rose restaurants, they can make Priority Seatings arrangements for you if you forget to do so before you leave home. As with the hotels themselves, none of the three lounges permit smoking.
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
The Disneyland Hotel’s fitness center, now called “Team Mickey’s Workout Room,” is still around but is no longer restricted to concierge guests; all hotel guests may use the facility. The Paradise Pier Hotel now has an exercise room of its own, creatively named “Team Mickey’s Workout Room II.” Access to the fitness center in the Grand Californian Hotel’s Eureka Springs Health Club and Spa is available for all Grand Californian Hotel guests, but even concierge guests have to pony up extra cash for the spa services.
Is concierge service worth the extra money? An extra $100-150 (plus 15 percent room tax) per night may put a crimp in the vacation budget, but as we suggested back in 2000, we still think it’s worth it to try at least once. You’re on vacation—enjoy yourself!
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
Grand Californian Hotel
- $150 per night (plus 15% sales tax)
- Access to the Craftsman’s Club on the 6th floor (open from 6:30am to 10pm)
- Access to the Club Patio on the 5th floor
- Continental breakfast in the Craftsman’s Club from 6:30am to 10am
- Wine & cheese reception in the Craftsman’s Club from 5pm to 7pm
- Nightly turn-down service
- Complimentary beverage service in the Craftsman’s Club throughout the day (coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks)
- Exclusive elevator access to the Craftsman’s Club
- DVD Player in each room
- Complimentary movie rentals
- Table games available for use in the Craftsman’s Club
- Complimentary fax services in the Craftsman’s Club
- Dining and tour reservation services
- Children’s storytelling – “Tales from the Hearth” (hours vary)
Photo by Sandra Jamrock
Disneyland Hotel
- $125 per night (plus 15% sales tax)
- Access to the Concierge lounge on the 11th floor of the Sierra Tower (open from 6:30am to 10pm)
- Priority check-in and check-out in the hotel lobby
- Continental breakfast in the concierge lounge from 6:30am to 10am
- Wine & cheese reception in the concierge lounge from 5pm to 7pm
- Nightly turn-down service
- Complimentary beverage service in the concierge lounge throughout the day (coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks)
- Exclusive elevator access to the concierge lounge
- DVD Player in each room
- Complimentary movie rentals
- Table games available for use in the concierge lounge
- Complimentary fax services in the concierge lounge
- Dining and tour reservation services
Paradise Pier Hotel
- $100 per night (plus 15% sales tax)
- Access to the Beachcombers Club on the 2nd floor (open from 6:30am to 8pm)
- Priority check-in and check-out in the Beachcombers Club
- Room key-only access to the beachcombers club
- Continental breakfast in the Beachcombers Club from 6:30and to 10am
- Wine, cheese and snack (fruit, crackers, chips & salsa, etc) reception from 5pm to 7pm
- Nightly turn-down service
- Complimentary beverage & snack service in the Beachcombers Club throughout the day (coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks)
- VCR player in each room
- Complimentary movie rentals
- Dining and tour reservation services
All three concierge lounges are non-smoking.
Acknowledgements: Jennifer Rich for compiling current concierge information, Lani Teshima for writing the original concierge article, Sandra Jamrock for the photos, and Opus1guy for the video footage.
