Author Topic: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?  (Read 18852 times)

Offline BadWolf

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #30 on: February 27, 2014, 08:24:44 AM »
Never been to Storytellers, but I have done both Goofy's Kitchen and the Plaza Inn Breakfast. Gotta say Plaza in is my favorite!

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #31 on: February 27, 2014, 12:27:10 PM »
Storytellers is nice, and very convenient, being just outside the Grand Californian exit from DCA. It's easy to pop in for lunch or go to dinner. They have a nice (but limited) dinner buffet too.

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #32 on: Today at 01:02:44 PM »

Offline Bert Su

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #32 on: February 28, 2014, 02:02:40 AM »
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Perhaps it's just me, but I like Storyteller's Cafe (at the Grand Californian Hotel) better. Better theming, better food. Characters are at breakfast, although they are 'forest' themed (like Chip & Dale). Another good place to stop in Downtown Disney is the La Brea Bakery and Cafe. And also Earl of Sandwich, naturally! ;)

Could I check into the Grand Californian Hotel with a debit card?
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Offline GallifreyGal

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #33 on: February 28, 2014, 02:21:55 AM »
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Could I check into the Grand Californian Hotel with a debit card?

As long as you have enough money in your account to cover the length of your stay, and the debit card is a brand like Visa or Mastercard, you should be fine. I've checked in at the Paradise Pier Hotel via debit card with no issues.
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Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #34 on: February 28, 2014, 08:58:43 AM »
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Could I check into the Grand Californian Hotel with a debit card?

You don't have to stay at the hotel to eat at the restaurant. Just so you know. ;)

Offline BadWolf

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #35 on: March 03, 2014, 07:46:14 AM »
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You don't have to stay at the hotel to eat at the restaurant. Just so you know. ;)

I have never been able to lat down the extra $1500 to stay at the Grand Cali. God, I'd like too though. But everytime I plan on staying there I realize all the things I could do with $1500 and stay at the Hilton or the Paradise Pier.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #36 on: March 03, 2014, 09:07:27 AM »
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I have never been able to lat down the extra $1500 to stay at the Grand Cali. God, I'd like too though. But everytime I plan on staying there I realize all the things I could do with $1500 and stay at the Hilton or the Paradise Pier.

I've only stayed there once. I had a few friends who were coming to visit (right before our trip to SDCC, actually) and they had never been to Disney. Ever. So I decided to 'do it up right' for them. I booked a room at the Grand Californian (cheaper than our SDCC hotel, plus with 5 of us in there, it wasn't too much per person), got tickets to the Fantasmic Dessert and WoC preferred dining packages, got them up early for Magic Mornings and toured them around, etc. I made their first time something to remember, and they loved it!  It was totally worth it for that.

That being said, the nicest part of the GCH is the lobby, which we walk through all the time when we stay at the Paradise Pier. So you're really already experiencing the best part. Yes, the walk is a little closer, but not *that* much closer. So for the money difference, I'm with you at the Paradise Pier.

That being said, we've always wanted to try out the Disneyland Hotel, ever since it was refurbished and got the light-up headboards, and the cool monorail pool. This summer, 6 of us are going to Disneyland right before SDCC (long story). We discovered that a 1 bedroom suite at DLH holds 6 people, and is cheaper than 2 rooms at Paradise Pier (which can hold a max of 5 per room) so we're going to do it! Looking forward to that trip! :D

FWIW, the 'what could I spend $1,500 on' comment is exactly what I think every time I consider spending the $$$ to stay concierge. For the money spent on concierge, we could buy an awful lot of chocolate covered strawberries, rice krispie Mickey heads, sodas, wine, etc.... never found the cost worthwhile, even with 5 or 6 of us in a room!

Offline GallifreyGal

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #37 on: March 03, 2014, 10:58:08 AM »
I go to DL yearly and always stay on-site because of Early Entry to the parks.  >:D We usually choose PPH but last year we splurged on GCH and though we were very satisfied with the look of the hotel (it's really gorgeous) and the service (turn-down service and chocolate mints every night!), it wasn't enough to justify the cost. I thought the room we had was kind of small, especially when compared with a PP room. And the parks weren't that much closer. Plus, even if you stay at PP, you can easily cross the street and use the same short cuts getting into the parks as you would if you stayed at GCH. Anyway, I'd love to someday stay at the DLH but for that amount of money, yeah, we could get concierge level at the PPH again. And then have more money for souvenirs. Or have some money for a fancy meal. Or just more cash in general.

Turning back to the topic, I'd definitely recommend the Paradise Pier Hotel for anyone going to WonderCon. It looks like an easy walk to the convention center. My only tip is that sometimes the elevators run very slow, especially in the mornings when everyone is leaving for the parks. If you're staying on a lower floor, go up to go down. It's easier to get an elevator going up than waiting for one that's headed to the lobby.
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Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #38 on: March 03, 2014, 11:25:25 AM »
Yeah, I'm not jumping to stay at GCH again anytime soon, and that's even though we had an awesome room with a perfect location the one time I did stay there! It's also a great location for WonderCon, but IMHO not worth the extra cost.

Part of the reason we've never been able to justify concierge is that a big component of it is breakfast. Not only are we not big breakfast eaters, but the by the time the concierge lounges are open, we're already long gone waiting in the security line to get into the parks!

I also agree that PP is a great location for WonderCon. This will be our third time doing that. Like you, Gallifrey, we always stay onsite for the early entry! BadWolf and I already have an arrangement to meet up for early entry on Friday morning (TBD whether it is in PP lobby or in line at the security bag check) so if you want to come too, it will be a fun FoCCI get-together!

Offline GallifreyGal

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #39 on: March 03, 2014, 02:13:17 PM »
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BadWolf and I already have an arrangement to meet up for early entry on Friday morning (TBD whether it is in PP lobby or in line at the security bag check) so if you want to come too, it will be a fun FoCCI get-together!

Oh! I'm tempted, but I'm making SDCC my priority this year, and WonderCon is going to have to wait. Unless I don't get anything during general reg, then maybe WC will be my backup, though I'm wondering if this is what other folks who failed to get badges during general reg will do too. And then WC might be sold out?

Sorry, I'm just anxious to get general reg over with so I can plan out the rest of my trip. :)
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Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #40 on: March 03, 2014, 05:43:46 PM »
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Oh! I'm tempted, but I'm making SDCC my priority this year, and WonderCon is going to have to wait. Unless I don't get anything during general reg, then maybe WC will be my backup, though I'm wondering if this is what other folks who failed to get badges during general reg will do too. And then WC might be sold out?

Sorry, I'm just anxious to get general reg over with so I can plan out the rest of my trip. :)

I think you have a *little* wiggle room. Last year the Saturday/3day badges at WonderCon didn't sell out until about a week before the event. And volunteer registration is still open.


Offline BadWolf

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #41 on: March 04, 2014, 07:08:11 AM »
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Oh! I'm tempted, but I'm making SDCC my priority this year, and WonderCon is going to have to wait. Unless I don't get anything during general reg, then maybe WC will be my backup, though I'm wondering if this is what other folks who failed to get badges during general reg will do too. And then WC might be sold out?

Sorry, I'm just anxious to get general reg over with so I can plan out the rest of my trip. :)

Have you joined a buying group yet? I think your chances are pretty decent if you get in on one of those!

Offline GallifreyGal

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #42 on: March 04, 2014, 10:55:51 AM »
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Have you joined a buying group yet? I think your chances are pretty decent if you get in on one of those!

Yup! I'm in batgirl's buying group, and though I know my chances are a lot better now, I still worry. My last SDCC was 2011 (the final year of onsite pre reg, with the crazy, humongous line). Boyfriend and I took one look at the line for that, decided "nope", and went back to the line for Hall H.  :D I'm a worrier and a planner, but sometimes you have to pick your battles, and we chose to enjoy that year's con versus sitting in a line for next year's con.
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Offline BadWolf

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #43 on: March 04, 2014, 11:03:41 AM »
Completely understand, I'm the same way. I'm one of the few people who enjoys online pre-registration.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: "Best" Hotel for Wondercon?
« Reply #44 on: March 04, 2014, 12:33:04 PM »
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Yup! I'm in batgirl's buying group, and though I know my chances are a lot better now, I still worry. My last SDCC was 2011 (the final year of onsite pre reg, with the crazy, humongous line). Boyfriend and I took one look at the line for that, decided "nope", and went back to the line for Hall H.  :D I'm a worrier and a planner, but sometimes you have to pick your battles, and we chose to enjoy that year's con versus sitting in a line for next year's con.

It depends on when you got to that line. It wasn't that bad (not nearly as bad as Hall H) and we were done before 9 am, which meant we had time to go back to our hotel, change, and get back to the convention center before the official 10 am opening. of course, we got in the line at 4 am. ;)

I don't mind online pre-reg per se, but the months of waiting this year really stressed me out, and the lottery thing still gives me the heebee-jeebees! I like the one time use registration code, though.