Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel Review {Travel Tuesday}

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I’m so excited to get back to sharing about all of the Disney magic from ours Cars Land trip just before Baby Brother was born! So, it’s time for another Travel Tuesday post with our review of Disneyland Resort’s Grand Californian Hotel!

grand californian hotel reviewIf you’re planning a trip to Disneyland, one great place to consider is staying is Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. After last year’s stay at the Disneyland Hotel, I was thrilled to check out another one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. True to Disney’s attention to detail, from the moment you drive up, you are immersed in a beautiful, forest-themed resort.

If the grandeur of the Grand isn’t obvious from the outside, it certainly is once you set foot inside. The lobby itself is the epitome of grand, with gorgeous architecture & artistry. And yet, even though it is so grandiose, it still seems so cozy & inviting with the large chairs, warm tones, and awesome fireplace!

The rooms are also spectacular & quite spacious. Standard rooms come with one king, two queens, or one queen with bunk beds.  The bunk beds even have a pull out trundle! Since I was 34 weeks pregnant with baby #3 at the time, I was paying close attention to how a family of 5 would work in the room. And, I can say with confidence that we would have had no issues whatsoever. We opted for the two queens (I didn’t want the boys to turn into monkeys on the bunk beds) and our room had an extra couch bench that someone could have easily slept on if need be.  And, I love that the resort hotels have a pack ‘n play in the closet of every room! So convenient for families with little ones! The other standard feature that I so appreciate having in the room is a refrigerator! It makes things helpful for packing lots of healthy extra snacks! The decor of the room has a definite forest spa vibe to it. It seemed much more adult than the Disneyland Hotel, but the Disney magic is definitely not lost. You’ll find Snow White prints in the rooms and if you look around, you’re sure to still find Mickeys in your room!

Around the resort you’ll find many amenities & services, including Pinnocchio’s Workshop (where children ages 5-12 participate in an evening of activities while mom & dad enjoy a kid-free evening), a hotel scavenger hunt, a hotel tour, a variety of pools & waterslide, a luxury spa, and four dining options including the elegant Napa Rose. I had the pleasure of dining in the Napa Rose a year ago and it would make for such a wonderful date night!Clearly the hotel is fabulous & luxurious, but it does come at a more premium price. So, the question is, Why consider paying the higher price tag“?

Aside from everything above, plus the obvious cliche’ answers of quality service, Disney magic, etc., there are some extra awesome perks to staying here, like…

Park Proximity

Between having two little guys at the time & being uber pregnant, this is such a big selling point for me. It is the closest of any hotel to all of the parks. Out one set of doors you emerge into the heart of Downtown Disney. And, at the other side of the resort, you can head straight into California Adventure through the exclusive park entrance! I can tell you that one night in California Adventure when my very pregnant body was telling me it had had enough and I literally wasn’t sure how I was going to walk back to my room, I was so grateful for the hotel’s proximity. It was less than 10 minutes of (very slow) walking waddling from my location inside the park until I was laying on my bed. Even when at Disneyland ,it took us less than 15 minutes to get from the park entrance to our room, which allowed us to easily head back to the hotel for some late afternoon rest time. Fabulous!

Extra Magic Hour

This.was.awesome!! Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests can enjoy early admission, during every day of their hotel stay, to select attractions in either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park one hour before the park opens to the public! The last day of our trip, we had the ability to have an extra magic hour at Disneyland & we happily took it! It was a Saturday morning (so extra busy) & we arrived 15 minutes late. Yet, in 45 minutes we managed to hit 4 rides and get pictures in front of the castle with no one else there! The one of the two boys is one of my all-time favorites! Priceless!

So, as we found, staying at the Grand Californian definitely adds extra convenience and magic to a trip to the Disneyland Resort! You can book your stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel here. And, be sure to check out Cars Land and all the other new attractions at Disney’s California Adventure!!

Have YOU stayed at the Grand Californian?

Disclosure:  Disney provided me with accommodations at the Grand Californian during a recent media trip.  All opinions and experiences are 100% honest and my own. No compensation was given, nor was I asked to write about Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.

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I’m Sara, a mom to three adorable boys living in the Arizona desert. As a former teacher, I love sharing my passions with others. So, have a look around for creative inspiration about cooking, creating, celebrating, traveling with kids, and more everyday mom endeavors!

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8 Responses

  1. Thank you for posting this! We are in the middle of planning our Disney vacation in October and loved reading about the Disneyland hotel! It sounds magical. Sigh…wish we were leaving tomorrow.

    1. So exciting, Kathy! Everything there is magical, of course! You’re going to have such an awesome time!

  2. Thank you for sharing this review! This hotel is BEAUTIFUL, and I did not know it was so close!! Sounds like a relaxing, and peaceful property, and the decor just helps to ease you into vacation mode!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Jenny! Yes–this hotel is absolutely stunning and the proximity is super close and very nice!!

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