Disneyland (CA)ResortsWalt Disney World (FL)

Disney’s Grand Californian Club Level Review

Julia Mascardo , 
Share This!

When you’re on vacation, sometimes you want to splurge. For our trip to Disneyland, we decided to go all out and did a split stay to enjoy club level at two of the three on-property Disneyland resorts. You can read my review of club level at the Disneyland Hotel here.

The club-level lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian is called The Veranda, and features many of the things that you would expect from a club-level experience. Outside of the lounge, you’ve got dedicated concierge staff who are able to help with dining reservations, park tickets, and more.

Because it is a newer hotel, you’ll find a lot more modern touches at the Grand Californian. The space is open and bright, with a variety of seating.

Drinks (including still and sparkling water, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, soda, juice, and “speciality drinks” like cucumber water) are available, along with beer, wine (including create your own mimosas), and more.

An assortment of foods is offered through the day, with breakfast offerings; mid-morning tea-type refreshments; cheese, crudite, and antipasto meats in the late afternoon; hors d’oeuvre-style options around dinnertime; and evening sweets. Options vary by day, but here’s a sampling of what you may find.

During the day, there’s also a kids’ station set up with items like finger sandwiches, snack mix, Uncrustables, and whimsical desserts.

There were four unique aspects of The Vernanda that I really enjoyed. First, and probably missed by many, were the framed “leaves” on the walls. Upon closer inspection, these leaves were actually fiber arts–cloth, embroidery, and crochet done to give the appearance of being actual leaves. It is astounding work.

Second, there is an outdoor verandah (fittingly apropos) where you can enjoy your food and drink by day, but at night, it becomes a wonderful place to watch fireworks from Disneyland Park with the music piped in for all to enjoy. Think of it as your own private dessert party.

Third, and very unique compared to other club-level stays I’ve had, in the evening there’s a small cooking demonstration where chefs come in and prepare some of the items for that night’s service small-plate style for you. One night we had them preparing salads, and one night it was cake pops. (Three guesses what my family enjoyed most!)

But the one item that I guarantee will have you and your family talking about it for years to come is the create-your-own donut station found some mornings at breakfast. Why other places don’t have this is beyond me. It isn’t complex to set up, but the wow factor is undeniable.

Invariably, the question comes up of “Is it worth it?” That is an extremely subjective question, and one that there’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. We enjoyed our club-level stay, and stuck our fingers in our ears to sing la-la-la when we thought about the price. Especially at Disneyland where everything is so close, it was great to be able to walk into the lounge, grab a bite to eat or a drink, and walk back into the parks. Did we get our money’s worth? Since neither my husband nor I drink much in the way of alcohol (and didn’t have any at all on this trip), I guarantee we didn’t get our money’s worth–but the intangible quality of it that as an over-the-top vacation splurge did give us “mental value”. This wasn’t something we’d do at home. If you’re visiting Disneyland frequently, it likely isn’t worth the money for your stay. If you’re doing what we did with the “once in a decade” trip, and you can afford it, why not?

Have you ever stayed club level at the Grand Californian? Do you love the idea of make your own donuts? Do you feel that what you get doesn’t justify the price? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments.

You May Also Like...

Julia Mascardo

Former writer, editor, and social media manager of TouringPlans. Embarking on new adventures with husband, kid, and cats.

11 thoughts on “Disney’s Grand Californian Club Level Review”

  • Hello! Can you take food back to your room from the Veranda Club area?? Thank you for your description! I’m really looking forward to our experience.

    • Yes, you can bring your food to your room, there are even to go cups for drinks (including coffee & alcohol). You can also load up on snacks & drinks to take into the park (no glass or loose ice)

  • I just booked a Club Level Room as a Birthday Getaway for my Sister and Nephew’s Bestie ( my 14yr old Nephew and I will be joining them). We’ve done the E-ticket club a few times and really enjoyed it. For me the price is worth the convince alone ( health issues) and with 2 fourteen yr old boys grabbing something quick before heading into the park is essential and I like that I can go down a bit later. They will love the Donut bar, my sister will adore the coffee station and I love Afternoon Tea.( The Halloween Tea at Disneyland Hotel was done beautifully! Still nothing has beat Dromoland, not even tea in London) Your pictures and commentary have only bolstered the confidence in my choice to splurge!

  • Hi Julia! Really enjoying all the new articles you’ve been doing! Question on the club level – do you know if they will do allergy friendly (specifically gluten free) options? Or is it just what you see is what you get? I would really love to try the club level rooms, but if we can’t eat most of the food I’m not sure it’s worth it. Thanks!

    • I didn’t see any requests in the Grand Californian club level, but I did see someone with a gluten allergy at the Disneyland hotel’s E-Ticket club. Upon arrival, she mentioned to one of the hostesses there that she had an allergy and special plates of food were prepared and brought out for her. From the looks of it, they keep some foods behind the scenes for allergy requests, and before your stay, you can even call the hotel to have that noted on your reservation.

      It wouldn’t be a case where *every* item could be provided in an allergy-friendly format, but judging by the plate of assorted food that this person got, they go above and beyond to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions more than just “here’s a slice of allergy-compliant foodstuff…enjoy”. My guess is that a lot of the food is prepared in the restaurant kitchens and brought up, so you could likely expect the same amount of variety to what you’d get eating at an on-site Disney hotel restaurant. Hope that helps!

      • Thanks for the information! I really appreciate your help!

  • I’d love a review of the “cold brew coffee” on the menu. Is it just Joffrey’s over ice or real cold brew? Better or worse than whatever SBUX is serving? Does it stand on its own or does it need the sugary flavored syrup added to it? Caffeine-starved minds need to know.

    • And…this is what happens when you have too many windows open…. Now, I’ll comment on the article I intended.

      • Too many windows, or not enough coffee? 😉

        On that note, though, I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but the ice brewing thing they have over at the Four Seasons in that little coffee shop there looked marvelous. Down side, going somewhere that requires valet parking to get a cup of coffee can get pricey.

      • I happened to read this post immediately after the meat skewers post, and I thought, “Hasn’t had her coffee yet” lol. I’ve done the same thing a few times.

Comments are closed.