Inside Disney’s Grand California Resort: Staying at The Priciest Place
On my most recent trip to Disneyland, I stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa for the first time. Being a guest at this resort has always been a bucket list item of mine since I was little, and I’m ready to give you my full and honest review.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Resort Lobby
Walking into The Grand Californian was a dream come true, and I still can’t believe I was a guest there. From the moment you walk through the lobby doors, you are transported to a serene and fairytale oasis that only Disney could dream up. If Disney owned a National Park and placed a hotel on the nature floor, this is what the hotel would look like.
Disneyland has three resorts to choose from: The Disneyland Resort, Pixar Place, and Disney’s Grand Californian. All three are great options when looking to enhance the magic on your visit. Disney’s Grand Californian is going to be your priciest option. A standard view room is going to range from $713-$837 per night. Rooms with more sought-after views can go as high as $1,352 per night.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Resort Lobby
Throughout the day until 10 pm, you will be immersed in the wonderful world of Disney (and not just because you’re staying on Disney property). The Grand Californian has wonderful rotating pianists who play the most beautiful Disney songs, seamlessly blending Let It Go into Go the Distance - I’m getting teary-eyed just writing about it 🥹
For rooms, I chose the Courtyard/Woods room view, with two queen-sized beds. The room had access to a small balcony overlooking the resort’s courtyard surrounded by pine trees. During my stay, this courtyard was used for a wedding and a private business party.
Courtesy of The Midnight Monorail || Resort Room
The room was pretty tight for a party of three adults, in my opinion, but since we were only using this room to sleep and get ready for the day, it wasn’t a huge deal. I think if we had kids in our party or if we were staying for longer than a week, the room would be a bit too small.
The room had two queen beds, both beds complete with a sheet and comforter, four pillows, and two dimming lights on both sides of the headboards. In between the beds was a nightstand with one drawer, an alarm clock, a room service menu, a notepad, a Grand Californian pen, and a phone.
The room also had a couch (it did not extend into a pull-out bed), a flat-screen TV, a counter underneath the T.V., a small desk with a wooden chair, and a small counter space that held a Keurig and some Keurig Joffrey’s coffee cups.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Resort Room
I loved the subtle but beautiful Disney touches above the bed. The painting of the Orange tree is gorgeous and really ties into the room, but if you look closely at the orange tree, you can spot a furry little friend - Dale! Chip is on the other side trying to get an orange.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Room Bathroom
The bathroom was split into two sections: the sinks and then a smaller room separated by a sliding, locking door where the toilet and shower are. Some rooms at this resort have bathtubs, but most all rooms feature a walk-in shower with a rain shower head. Disney does supply Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash, as well as a small bottle of mouthwash, a small bottle of lotion, a shower cap, a bar of hand soap, a small dental kit (which includes a toothbrush, a travel-size toothpaste, and one floss stick), and a small boxed vanity kit (which includes round cotton pads, Q-tips, and a small nail file).
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Room Bathroom
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Room Bathroom
The area where the toilet and shower are is tight, which is definitely a worry if you or someone in your party uses a wheelchair. The Grand Californian does offer wheel chair accessible rooms which offer roll-in showers, lowered countertops, and wider clearance.
I will note, however, that the entire hotel is wheelchair accessible, from the expansive lobby, wide walkways, restaurants, and pool areas.
If you are not bringing your wheelchair, my family used ScooterBug, a private rental company that rents out EVCs and Wheelchairs for visits at the park. This company was fabulous, prompt, and we had no complaints. They dropped off the wheelchair at our hotel when we got there, and they picked it up from the lobby when we left. We will absolutely be using them next time we’re at the parks!
Courtesy of The Main Street Author|| Room View
Our courtyard/woods view was incredible! As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, there was a wedding happening below in the courtyard the night we checked in. The party was extremely respectful, and they played THE best music (playing almost the entirety of the Freaky Friday soundtrack), and Disney has a no-noise policy as soon as the clock strikes 10 pm.
Our room also had the most wonderful view of the Monorail, which would glide past our room carrying guests throughout the day. And, with this website being called The Midnight Monorail prior to the name switch it was like an extra layer of pixie dust added to our trip.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author|| 2nd floor elevators
One of the things I love about this resort and why it’s popular amongst guests is the direct and private entrance to California Adventure. Hotel guests can go straight from their hotel into the parks without ever leaving the resort grounds or going through Downtown Disney to reach the California Adventure turnstiles.
Not only was it super cool to have a private entrance just for hotel guests, but it also saved time. There was no line to get into the park; we were able to enter right at 7:30 am without a problem for a proper rope drop at 8 am. It’s such a time saver!
The hotel also has an entrance to Downtown Disney, which makes it convenient to shop at World of Disney for last-minute souvenirs, grab a pick-me-up at Starbucks, or eat at one of the dozens of restaurants and quick-service locations.
The entrance to Downtown Disney from the resort is also within walking distance of the Monorail, which can take you directly into Disneyland, where you will be dropped off in Tomorrowland above Autopia and Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Monorail Dropoff
Before our first full park day, I enjoyed the resort’s room service, and I can’t say enough good things about it! It was timely, affordable, and delicious! Pictured is what I ordered, which is a kid’s breakfast plate that came with scrambled eggs, two slices of turkey bacon, potatoes, and a choice of water or milk for $13.00. We also ordered an adult plate, which came with the same thing but larger portions, a side of fruit, cutie oranges, and toast. Mini condiments were on the side: two kinds of jam, hot sauce, and ketchup.
Courtesy of The Main Street Author || Room Service Breakfast
Every single cast member we encountered at the resort was extremely kind and respectful. We were so well taken care of during our time at the resort- don’t worry, I made sure to give all of our new friends at The Grand Californian cast compliments.
Courtesy of The Mainstreet Author || Disney’s Grand Californian Pool
If you need a rest day in between park days, The Grand Californian is the perfect place to be! They have countless ways to pack your schedule all in a relaxing way! You can enjoy their pool and hot tub located inside the resort’s larger and private courtyard, available only to hotel guests. Tenaya Stone Spa is inside the resort; they offer services such as Stone Massages, Gemstone Sparkle Facials, Citrus Groves Face and Body Treatment, and massages, amongst plenty of other options. The Spa also offers Salon Services such as hair, nails, and makeup.
If you’re looking for some wellness offerings, the resort offers sunrise yoga in Disneyland Park ($109 per person), Cars Land Lightning Drills ($40 per person), Power Walking Workout in California Adventure ($40 per person), Avengers Recruits Fitness Challenge ($40 per person), and other options.
The resort has 3 restaurants to choose from, ranging in price from fine dining to a family buffet-style eatery. Napa Rose is a signature dining option that just underwent refurbishment and is stunning! Storyteller’s Cafe is going to be your family-style buffet/character dining option with plenty to choose from, even for the pickiest of eaters. GCH Craftsman Grill is the quick-service option at the resort, serving as a snack bar that sells classic breakfast items, burgers, and pizza.
Courtesy of The Mainstreet Author|| Napa Rose sign
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is going to be best for guests who are looking for park proximity (especially if DCA is a must-do and/or a favorite), a luxurious Disney stay, or if you’re looking to take advantage of the resort’s amenities for a day where you are taking it easy and may not be at the park as much. You might want to skip staying here if you’re on a strict budget, won’t be at your resort except for sleeping, and honestly? coming to Disneyland for the first time.
Would I stay here again? Yes, but probably not for a while, and the only reason I would stay here again is if family or friends wanted to stay at this hotel. In my opinion, it was a sort of one-and-done experience - I most definitely checked staying here off my bucket list. I am excited to stay at the Disneyland Resort and Pixar Place Hotel to give honest feedback about how the three resorts differ from one another for families visiting Disneyland.
Was my stay at The Grand Californian magical? Absolutely! Was it a relaxing place to come back to after long park days? Yes, and one of the only hotels I have gotten a good night’s sleep in. Is it worth the hype? Yes! It’s an unforgettable splurge and you may or may not earn some bragging rights.
There aren’t many resorts that have a larger-than-life lobby fireplace and a pianist whose full-time job is playing music from Disney films. You will feel like you are in a luxury cabin hidden between pine trees, but every morning you will step outside to sunny Anaheim where a full Disney park day awaits.
