Cinderella's Slipper 2015
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 12, 2015
Thanks for the response. I'm repeating this trip and forgot some of the details.
Welcome. We met in the lobby just outside the restaurant on the Mezzanine level of the hotel at 5pm.
Thanks for the response. I'm repeating this trip and forgot some of the details.
Do you usually eat at the hotel on the first night?
During our trip, we had our Sunday-night meal in a hotel banquet/conference room. If the dinner has to be done in the hotel, I think Preston's is a better choice than a banquet room. Preston's has those nice windows that look out on Highland. Was it a buffet or did you order from a menu?As far as I'm aware the Welcome Dinner takes place at Preston's inside the hotel on all itineraries. Ours was even the itinerary that basically coincided with Oscar week and we still are at Preston's. Preston's is not open for dinner so this is something that is arranged specifically for this ABD.
During our trip, we had our Sunday-night meal in a hotel banquet/conference room. If the dinner has to be done in the hotel, I think Preston's is a better choice than a banquet room. Preston's has those nice windows that look out on Highland. Was it a buffet or did you order from a menu?
Do you usually eat at the hotel on the first night?
We just did the trip in June and we met in a hotel conference room and had a small buffet. It was just ok, definitely not the best hotel buffet that I have had, it did not have a ton of choices. Preston's would have been a much nicer setting. Because it was a small buffet and so early (we are from CA so did not have the time change hitting us), after our surprise evening activity I was starving but did not have the patience to wait in line for a sundae at Ghiradelli.
Snarky wait staff?! Wow, way to make you feel at home. Not a good way to start the trip. Sorry you had to experience such unprofessionalism.Ours was a buffet inside a back room at Preston's. Preston's only serves Breakfast and Lunch so it was a private meal in the back room of the restaurant especially for our group. The food was decent, the wait staff left something to be desired because they were snarky and snarly about having to work.
Snarky wait staff?! Wow, way to make you feel at home. Not a good way to start the trip. Sorry you had to experience such unprofessionalism.
That said, I loved the breakfast buffets at Preston's. We stayed at the Loews for a few nights earlier this month, and I hit up the buffet every morning, even though I know it was a total extravagance. Those eggs are fabulous. Good thing we did a lot of walking around to burn those calories!
That sounds like a nightmare. I have a friend who covered the Oscars for a wire service, and she said the Loews is crazy at Oscar time. We did the backstage tour of the Kodak Theater (or whatever it's called now) last year, and the guide brought us to the area where the Oscar winners are interviewed--it's in the Loews! Again, sorry you had to deal with this hassle. in general, our stays at the Loews have been great.
And when you say the trip ended like it started, are you talking about the Storyteller's breakfast buffet?
Hey fellow adventurer!
I expect we'll get welcome packs in a few weeks...
Same!Ours arrived today! Five weeks and counting...
I am booked for April. We are coming from the NYC area.
I have a question about the last day.
I understand that the park-hopper pass is still valid for the departure day, Friday April 6. Is it reasonable to spend the day at the parks, then take a red-eye flight back (9 or 10PM departure) from LAX? We would need to leave our luggage with the valet after checking out of the hotel. The ABD transfer from Grand Californian can be anytime that day, right?
I am booked for April. We are coming from the NYC area.
I have a question about the last day.
I understand that the park-hopper pass is still valid for the departure day, Friday April 6. Is it reasonable to spend the day at the parks, then take a red-eye flight back (9 or 10PM departure) from LAX? We would need to leave our luggage with the valet after checking out of the hotel. The ABD transfer from Grand Californian can be anytime that day, right?
What is the best strategy for choosing a dinner restaurant on the Disneyland day (Dinner/evening on your own)? Seems like a lot of the better places will have long waiting list for walk-ins, but I read sometimes that there are last minute surprise activities, so we shouldn't make reservations?