Disney's Grand Californian Hotel And Spa
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Pool
Kiddie/Wading Pool
Additional Play Areas
Child Care/Kid programs
In House Restaurant
Laundry Facilities
Crib
High Chair
WIFI
Sitting Area
Adjoining Rooms/Suites
Kitchenette
Air Conditioning
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8 Reviews for Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
200
160
'10, '11, '12
0 families found this helpful
"Beautiful property but whao on the price."
As you walk into the lobby for Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa for the first time, your jaw might drop at the sight of the grand lobby reminiscent of some of our nation’s grandest lodge properties like the Ahwanee in Yosemite or the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. Disney is a master at transporting people into different worlds and the Grand Californian does just that. Every detail from the huge stone fireplace, to the arts and craft style light fixtures, to the uniforms the staff are dressed in, come together to tell the story.
MANY DIFFERENT ROOM OPTIONS TO FIT YOUR PARTY
There are many different room options offered at the Grand Californian from regular rooms that sleep 4 with a variety of bed configurations including some with bunkbeds, to 1-2 bedroom suites, to 1, 2 3 or 4 bedroom villas that are perfect for two families traveling together who want a full kitchen and living space to gather in and hang out. We were in a standard room with 2 queen beds. It was fairly spacious, though not quite a big as the rooms at the Disneyland Hotel. The décor embodied more of the grand Californian lodge theme rather than featuring Disney characters unlike the Paradise Pier and Disneyland Hotel. Our standard room was comfortable and clean, nicely decorated, but nothing over the top worth making special comment about.
RELAXING POOL AREA
Our boys, 5 and 8, loved hanging out at the pool that has two water slides and 3 separate pools plus a couple of hot tubs. The grounds around the pool area were beautifully landscaped making it a beautiful oasis to relax in.
CONVENIENT DIRECT ACCESS TO CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
The best part about staying at the Grand Californian is it’s direct access to California Adventure. This means that if you want to take a break in the middle of the day, you can just pop back into your room for a few minutes without really feeling like you’ve left the park. For families with young kids, this convenience is unbelievably helpful. With the hotel entrance ushering you right to the steps of the Fast Pass station for the World of Color and Grizzly River Run (my favorite ride at California Adventure), you will easily be first in line for the World of Color. You could also hop on a few rides on the Grizzly River Run ride, get soaking wet, change out of your wet clothes back at your room and be back in the park in a matter of minutes. And for those with young kids who still nap, zipping back and forth for an hour or two is wonderfully easy.
EVERYTHING's RIGHT THERE
There are also several dining options available in the hotel. White Water Snack Bar is a cafeteria style dining area that offers a decent selection of drinks as well as hot and cold entrees for each meal, and snacks. Prices aren’t cheap, but you could have a meal for half the price of what you’d pay at a sit down restaurant on the property. Storytellers Café serves up an impressive buffet spread and hosts character meals. The Napa Rose offers fine dining. And the Heathstone Lounge has nice seating by the fireplace to enjoy a drink or a cup of espresso. Your family could very well escape into the Grand Californian and not leave for a few days if that’s the kind of vacation you’re looking for.
GREAT ONSITE CHILDCARE
One of the most wonderful things about the Grand Californian is that it offers onsite childcare at Pinocchio's Workshop. This kids club facility is probably the biggest and best equipped kid’s club I’ve ever seen at a hotel and it just goes to show that Disney makes kids a top priority. Pinocchio’s Workshop welcomes kids ages 5 to 12 to an evening of arts and crafts, computer games, Disney films, dinner and snacks. Hours are 5pm-12 midnight. Pinocchio’s Workshop is a California licensed child care facility had maintains a maximum of 1:12 adult to child ratio. If mom and dad, are looking for some pampering at the spa or to enjoy a quiet dinner together, they can be sure that their kids will be having loads of fun at Pinocchio’s Workshop.
EXPENSIVE
A room at the Grand Californian comes at quite a price tag starting around $350 for standard rooms during low season. It’s worth the splurge only if you must have the full Disney experience or if you only plan to visit a few times before your kids grow up. You won’t be disappointed by the service, the grandeur of the hotel, or the conveniences.
DISCLOSURE: This review is based on a complimentary stay at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa for a media event. I received no other compensation. The hotel did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. These opinions are entirely my own.
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0 families found this helpful
"Super nice!"
We stayed here in February so we weren't able to enjoy the pools.. bummer! But we stayed 2 nights for about $220/ night. It was really neat because they have bunk beds in the rooms if needed, or just 2 queen beds or a king bed. It was very clean and very quiet, despite the fact that there were plenty of kids around. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. It was so nice to be literally in the park and you get early access to the park, so you can go on rides before it gets too crowded. I would recommend this place if you want to spend the $$. Oh and valet gets pricey, we actually parked down the ways a little (We had parking passes) So we didn't have to use valet everyday.
2 families found this helpful
"Best Hotel Location at Disneyland"
My family stayed here for one night last summer and loved it. Previous to this one night stay, we had stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and liked that hotel as well but you just can't beat the location of Grand Californian! Our room overlooked the Disney Downtown Area and we were just steps away from Disneyland plus there is a separate entrance for resort guests to enter Disney's California Adventure theme park which is a huge bonus!!
Our room was good size with 2 queen beds and we even ordered room service one night which was very good!
We loved the pool area and ate at the quick service restaurant there as well as Storytellers Cafe which my husband said was the best meal of our trip.
If this hotel is in your budget, then you will not be disappointed in the location and amenities!
1 family found this helpful
"A true Disney experience"
This is Disney Luxe at it's best. The rooms are gorgeous craftsman style, the gigantic fireplace is the site of bedtime pajama stories (courtesy of the hotel) the lounge is warm & inviting, and the staff is welcoming & accommodating.
Super expensive, but worth it. The private entrance to CA Adventure is wonderful. Ask for a room that is NOT facing Donwtown Disney or expect some noise. The rooms with the bunk beds are awesome!
4 families found this helpful
"Convenience, Convenience... "
After checking out of the Hilton Resort and Spa, we headed to the Disneyland Grand Californian. I had bought 3 day passes at the military base, so we were going to DL after checking in. Upon check-in, my husband and son were given buttons and balloons for there first time at DL. We were given a room on the 5th floor (called premium view) facing the pool. I had requested a king bed but was given two Queens upon entering the room. I was going to change but the bellman had mentioned that King rooms are few and far between. He said most rooms are queen rooms. I decided to keep the room, so that we could get going to DL. The room was spotless, and was just a regular room to me. Nothing spectacular given the price. It did have a refrig, but I preferred the refrig at the Hilton Resort and Spa because that refrig had an area inside to freeze things like our ice packs.
So off to DL we went (around 1 pm) and it was not crowded at all. I actually figured the remaining 2 days would be like that too, but wanted to do the popular rides first. We basically walked right up to It’s a Small World, Dumbo, Matterhorn, Tea Cups, Astroblasters, Autotopia, Pirates of the Caribeean, etc. Some rides like Space Mountain were closed. I was loving how quite everything was and boy was I in for a surprise the next 2 days! We took our time and enjoyed the sites and sounds and my son got to see Mickey, Pluto, Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Andy. It was wonderful! We did not leave the park until 10pm.
The two days (Fri& Sat) we got up early and went back to DL and the crowds were bad. It was the first day the Halloween decorations were up. It was crazy. We were meeting friends at California Adventure and although the crowds were smaller there, I did not find it as fun. The rides for little ones were for little, little ones. After my son had been on the other rides, I think he found these ones a little boring.
Because we were guests of the hotel we were given a time in the morning and special entrance to get tickets to get Fastpasses for the World of Color on Sat night. The show was nice and we were given Fastpasses to the blue viewing area which was right in front. We even got a little wet from the show. We enjoyed the fireworks from our balcony the next two nights. It prob wasn’t the best view but we avoided the massive crowds.
We did utilize the pool on Sat morning. There were two water slides (one for big kids and one for little kids). My son didn’t really care about that. I found the pool area just mediocre. I really did expect it to be amazing considering every detail in DL is thought out. The pool area was just plain to me. I actually liked the pools at the Hilton Resort and Spa much better.
I had reserved the DCA on the 40% off special and thought that it was still expensive. I would say it is expensive not for the room or pools, but for the convenience of having everything right there. The theme parks entrances are right there and downtown Disney is very convenient. It was nice having the hotel right there after a long day at the park. I couldn’t imagine waiting for a shuttle and at one point we needed milk for our son and the hotel had a lovely little store to get that at 10pm at night. The hotel also had free wi-fi and self parking for free as well.
1 family found this helpful
"Worth every penney"
We stayed here in January without the kids. It's pricey but we used our travel rewards we earned by using our credit card. The hotel is adorable. There are hidden Mickey's in the decor. The shower curtain was Bambi and his woodland friends. They had a pack n' play in the closet. They have activities in the hotel for the kids. We wish we could stay here every time. It's very family friendly and worth every penny.
3 families found this helpful
"Pricey but well worth it!"
This is my favorite hotel to stay at when visiting Disneyland. It is a high quality resort. Live piano players, real fireplaces and other amentities make this a don't miss spot. I really enjoy the holiday decorations if possible. The ambience is well worth paying a little more. There is also an entrance to the California park through the hotel. Great restaurants and a well priced snack bar are also present. See my other review about the restaurant.
Budget tip: to find the best price look at the calendar on any of the travel web sites, they often do deals for this hotel. THe other option is become an annual passholder and you will get great deals on this and other Disney properties.
1 family found this helpful
"Great Hotel"
This is by far one of my favorite hotels in the LA area for children and adults. We stayed at the hotel before we had children and loved it and then recently stayed there again with our 1 year old twins and loved it also. It has easy access to the parks and the rooms are a fair size. We were able to fit 2 cribs in a deluxe room. We also used the disney list of area babysitters and were very satisfied with the sitter. We had breakfast with the characters at the hotel restaurant. For adult we would recommend Napa Rose for an evening out.
This stunning hotel offers premium accommodations and rich dining experiences in American Craftsman style and elegance. Rooms offer outstanding views of either park. And with your park ticket, enjoy an exclusive entrance to Disney's California Adventure Park. Located in the heart of Downtown Disney District, this hotel is just steps away from exceptional dining and entertainment. With its world-class spa, an impressive array of amenities and impeccable Disney service, this hotel defines grandeur in every way! Allows admission into selected attractions at Disneyland Park before the Park opens to the public on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Each Guest must have a valid Theme Park admission ticket. To maximize your early entry experience, it is strongly recommended that you arrive at least one hour and 15 minutes prior to regular Park opening. Applicable days and times of operation, and all other elements including, without limitation, operation of attractions, entertainment and services may vary and are subject to change without notice. Subject to capacity and other restrictions.
Check-In: 4 p.m.
Check-Out: 11 a.m.
Website:
http://disneyland.disney.go....
Phone:
(714) 635-2300
Recreational Facilities:
Pool
Kiddie Pool
Services:
Laundry Facilities
In house Restaurant
Child Care
WIFI
Children's Equipment
Full size cribs
High chair
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