Going to a hotel from the park for a drink?

[sharky23]

Thanks to everyone that's been hooking me up with great tips! Here's one that I DEFINITELY need to know:

Can you jump a monorail to the disneyland hotel for lunch and a drink?

I'm assuming Disneyland, like the MK, doesn't serve the good stuff. And whenever I'm in WDW, I always break from the MK around 1 or so to pour libation to Walt.

I heard somewhere that the monorail does go to a disney hotel. If so, how do you do it and is it far? And if not, can you walk it for a nice hour and a half respite?

T'anks!

-fin

 

[CheshireCatStar]

The monorail at Disneyland is more used for entertainment/ride purposes than the one at WDW are. However, the monorail does stop at Downtown Disney, which is then only a very short walk to the hotels.

If you get off the monorail and head to the left, you can go into the Grand Californian (between Sephora and Petals). There is a bar located in the lobby. This may be shorter to just walk out to the gates, though.

If you head to your right, you can head to the Disneyland Hotel. The Lost Bar serves up drinks and snacks. The non-alchoholic drinks are absolutely delicious. Can't really speak for the alcoholic ones, though This bar is kid-friendly, but you can still get prettydecent drinks. It's also sometimes the hangout for Cast Members off-duty.

There is also a bar i nthe lobby of the Paradise Pier Hotel, but that's a much further walk than the Grand or the Disneyland. After leaving the monorail, head to the right and then turn left at Compass (the book store). Just continue on down until you hit the hotel and the go to your left.

 

[sharky23]

Hi Cheshire,

Thanks for the tip. So, if I jump on the monorail in tomorrowland, I can ride it to Downtown Disney? Is there a special monorail line that goes there, or does every monorail head therea as part of the ride?

If I get off there, can I simply get back on and return to tomorrowland? Do I need to get my handstamped,etc.?

Thanks! this sounds great!

-Shark

 

[Daannzzz]

The monorail at Disneyland is only one line. It goes from Tomorrowland directly out of the park and cruised through Disney's California Adventure and the Grand Californian Hotel without stopping (there are not stations) and then stops at the Downtown Disney Station which used to be the Disneyland hotel station. The station was not moved but many of the old buildings at the Disneyland hotel were razed and replaced with part of Downtown Disney. As stated in the previous posts go right toward the Disneyland Hotel for any drinking you want to do there. Go left for the Grand Californian (it is just as easy a walk from the front gate of Disneyland) where one of my favorite lounges in all of the Disney hotels (including the ones at WDW) is located.
The Monorails are having abit of mechanical trouble at Disneyland and sometimes only two are running (for a while there was just one) so the wait can sometimes be a bit long. If you happen to be on Main St. It might be faster to walk. Here is an overhead view of the area so you can do some speculating on how much time it might take.
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html

 

[Daannzzz]

Sorry. I didn't finish! You can board the monorail at the Downtown Disney Station and it will return to Disneyland where it does a series of loops around the Autopia and over the submarine lagoon before stopping at Tomorrowland station. The monorail was initial just a ride in the Tomorrowland portion of the park (the series of loops). When the hotel was built the bean was revamped and went outside the park, across the parking lot to the hotel. There rae only two stations and it is still an attraction that somepeople ride a round trip on while others take it for transportation from the hotel.

 

[RU42]

Well, I think this has been pretty well covered.

DL has 2 stations - that's it. And how to get to the hotels is pretty well covered. One other thign I think is worth mentioning.

Downtown Disney is incredibly close. At WDW you are used to 1 10-15 minute bus trip. If you got on a bus at the gates of DL or DCA the ride would last about 15-30 seconds.

Guessing on distances here but if at the Magic Kingdom you walked from Spade Mtn to Splash Mtn would be about the same distance from the gates of DL to DD.

So - my long winded answer is that you don't need the monorail to get to a watering hole.

RU

 

[sharky23]

You Guys Rock!

Indeed, This post is a resounding "Mission Accomplished!"

Sounds to me like taking a walk from the Magic Kingdom in WDW to the Contemporary. I've done that a lot when the monorail wasn't around.

I'm totally gonna check out the Grand California hotel. That overhead shot definitely helped me see how tight everything is.

Thanks,

-B

 

[xfkirsten]

Looks like you got the hotel ones figured out, but I thought I'd point out another option for ya! If you leave Disneyland Park and start walking into Downtown Disney, you'll come to a small bar, literally right in the middle of the path! Very easy to get to, and a nice little stop.

-Kirsten

 

[sharky23]

Downtown Disney

Hi xfkirsten,

What's the deal with Downtown Disney? Is it like the one in Florida andis it open all day? Can't seem to find much about it.

Thanks!

-B

 

[xfkirsten]

Re: Downtown Disney

Originally posted by sharky23
Hi xfkirsten,

What's the deal with Downtown Disney? Is it like the one in Florida andis it open all day? Can't seem to find much about it.

Thanks!

-B

Hi! DL's Downtown Disney is much smaller than WDW's, but it's also very convenient since it is right outside the gates. Very easy to stroll over there for lunch or dinner or a drikn or whatnot during your day and then go back to the park. The stores are very similar to WDW's Downtown Disney, although lighter on the Disney-specific stores. They have a World of Disney, House of Blues, AMC Theater, Lego store, Rainforest Cafe, etc. And tons of restaurants. If you like Italian, there's a really good Italian place right across from World of Disney.

Downtown Disney is open all day, yes! In fact, it's almost always open even later than the parks.

-Kirsten

 

[Al]

The monorail goes straight past Grand Californian but there is no station!? What's the point in that!? I could be just imagining things, but doesn't the monorail go through the hotel that is joined onto DCA? I'm probably imagining it though! :hammer:

 

[Daannzzz]

You are not imagining it. The monorail goes through both Disney'a California Adventure and part of the Grand Californian Hotel. We had a room that was a bit higher than the monorail beam and only about 15 - 20 feet away from it. It goes through two tunnels over which there are rooms and it doesn't stop. There are emergency exit stops at DCA and the GC but I do not know why they don't have a full blown stations. I suppose having a stop at DCA would wreak havoc with ticket media. You would have people riding over from the Disneyland Station in Tomorrowland who would try to get of in DCA and not have a proper ticket. A stop at the hotel would have been fun but the walk over to the park is quicker as you would have to wait through the stop at Downtown Disney.