- Joined
- Dec 15, 1998
Grand Californian Hotel
1150 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 956-56425
Check in 3:00pm Check out 11:00am
Info about the Grand Californian Hotel on the DIS
The Grand Californian Hotel is the newest and most luxurious hotel of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels. It is the only Disney Hotel that has an entrance to a theme park - California Adventure. In addition, the Grand Californan Hotel also has an entrance to Downtown Disney.
This hotel is styled in the Arts & Crafts style, which is very evident in the Grand Lobby and Hearthstone Lounge. It is six stories high, with the concierge lounge located on the 6th floor. The Grand Lobby is beautiful, with a 6-story ceiling, and a huge fireplace. In the afternoons, a piano player usually entertains guests. There is also storytelling next to the big firepace, told by a ranger. Ask at the desk what time storytelling is, as well as a hotel tour. There are two additional fireplaces. One is in the Hearthstone Lounge, and one is outside.
Hotel Layout
Grand Californian Aerial - Click on Picture to See Labels
Rooms are set up with two queen sized beds, a queen bed and bunk beds (with a trundle underneath - keep in mind that bunk beds are for younger children under 5'0"), a king bed, or two queens and a daybed. The bathrooms are separated, in that the sink is outside, and the toilet and tub/shower are in a closed room. Amenities include hairdryer, ironing board/iron, coffee/tea pot, pack & playpen for infants, television with cable, and minibar. You can request that the minibar stay locked, and you can also request that a small refrigerator be delivered. (This is not guaranteed, of course).
Standard rooms hold up to 4 adults and one child. However, you are not guaranteed a daybed or bunkbeds for 5 people. The Grand Californian Hotel also has sleeping bags to put on the floor. If you have 5 people, you may end up with 2 queen beds and a sleeping bag. Some families look on this as an adventure, but if this is something you are not comfortable with, you might want to consider a suite or staying at another hotel.
We had a room with bunkbeds, overlooking Downtown Disney - above the World of Disney Store.
Our balcony, overlooking the tram stop - looking to the left we could see Downtown Disney.
The rooms have views towards the Disneyland and Paradise Pier hotels,
courtyard view (and the monorail runs through it, though it doesn't stop), Downtown Disney view, and Themepark view overlooking Disney's California Adventure Park. Most rooms have balconies, but there are about 10 that do not have balconies that overlook the courtyard.
Standard view
Courtyard view - with entrance to Downtown Disney & monorail track
Typical Room Layout
There are two elevators, one by the lobby, and one by the restaurants and pools. If you have a room off of the lobby, leave your door slightly ajar and listen to the piano tunes (very nice).
There are two restaurants, a snackbar, and a lounge at the hotel, as well as room service. Napa Rose is a top rate hotel with the finest wines, food, and service. Storyteller Cafe serves character breakfast (Chip and Dale's Critter Breakfast), and regular lunch and dinner. The paintings on the wall depict various stories and the background music matches the various themes. We enjoy trying to figure out which painting matches the music. There are also two fireplaces that add to the cozy ambience of this restaurant. Whitewater Snacks is located at the end of the hotel, near the pools, and is a great place to grab a light breakfast before you start your day, or something fast and easy to munch on during the day. The Hearthstone Lounge offers a nice place to relax after a day in the parks with a drink and some snacks, or you can get a quick bite to eat here in the morning.
Acorn Gifts and Food is a gift shop off of the Grand Lobby, where you can buy sundries, as well as gifts exclusive to the Grand Californian Hotel.
There are two pools. The fountain pool is a more quiet pool. Each morning this pool is converted to a lap pool. Next to the Fountain pool is a small wading pool with lounge chairs around it for the younger guests. Beyond that is the Redwood pool, and it has a 100-foot water slide coming out of a fallen redwood tree, and a smaller slide for young guest. There is also a jacuzzi near the pools.
Disney's Grand Californian has its own private entrance to the California Adventure Park, and is right next to Downtown Disney, where you'll find a number of shops and restaurants. The Disneyland Park is within a few minutes walking distance, and so are the Disneyland and Paradise Pier hotels, which offer more restaurants, shops, and grounds to explore.
Entrance from Downtown Disney to Grand Californian
Entrance from California Adventure to Grand Californian
The Grand California has a fitness center that is available to all hotel guests. The Eureka Springs Health Club and Spa offers dry saunas and steam rooms. There are massage rooms with expert massage therapists providing Swedish, Deep Tissue, and other massage services. Spa services are available to Disneyland Resort hotel guests for a fee.
Pinocchio's Workshop is a child activity center, available for evening childcare for children ages 5-12. Reservations are required, and limited space is available. For more extensive babysitting services, the hotel offers a referral program of licensed child care providers. This service is available to all Disneyland Resort hotel guests for a fee.
View of one of the pool entrances to the Fountain Pool from Storyteller Cafe entrance.
Grand Lobby at Christmas
There is an outdoor terrace that overlooks the pool area. Any guest can go on the terrace. Below you can see the entrance to California Adventure. It is at the side of the Fountain Pool.
View of Downtown Disney from one of the rooms above World of Disney Store
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