Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa is located on Disneyland Resort property between Downtown Disney and California Adventure Theme Park. The resort was designed by Peter Dominick, who also designed Walt Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. When you walk in you feel like you are in a resort that is a combination of those two. The design incorporates elements of the great National Park Lodges into the design. If you like Arts and Crafts design this is the place for you.

I stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian twice during my visit to Disneyland a few months ago. The hotel itself is pretty unassuming from outside and looks a little out of place in Southern California but as you enter thru the huge sliding stained glass doors into the grand lobby you start to see some amazing details and forget you are in the middle of a bustling city.

Many of the design elements are borrowed from nature with a muted palette and showcase various woodworking aspects. It is a lovely rustic feeling resort with some plush amenities and beautiful décor.

 

 

The Cast Members are very friendly and you get the service you would expect from a deluxe Disney resort. In addition to the standard check in facilities there is a concierge desk staffed with friendly knowledgeable Cast Members willing to help with dining reservations, answer questions, ship packages, and help make arrangements for visiting other area attractions. We had a small issue in our 2nd room upon check in but maintenance was dispatched quickly and we were moved to another room within an hour. Our Mousekeeping staff did a great job and our room was cleaned well everyday. Turndown service was a great perk that I always miss when I get home.

I have pictures of both of my rooms stays but they are very similar so I will just show you the ones that hubby took, he is my photographer.  This room was theme park view.

 

Dining options at Grand Californian include: Napa Rose, featuring Chef Andrew Sutton, Storytellers Cafe which hosts character breakfasts, White Water Snacks, and two lounges one at Napa Rose and  Hearthstone Lounge. Room service is available as are pool side snacks and drinks delivered by Cast Members. We were able to get into Napa Rose one night of the trip and it was easily one of the best meals of my life. Well worth the price, I can’t wait to go back and dine there again.

Location is key at this resort. The hotel opens up to the California Adventure park for easy access to many rides. We had a theme park view room and we could see Grizzly River rapids and the monorail zooming by. It also exits to the Downtown Disney shopping district and is a short 5-7 minute walk to the Disneyland park turnstiles.

The convention center is nice, easy to access without a long trek, and can accommodate several conventions at the same time. There are many private areas where you can step out to make a quick phone call or take a moment to yourself.  There is a business center available for internet access, printing, and faxing. I attended several events in the convention area and was impressed with their convention staff.  The areas were set up well, the chairs were relatively comfortable, all the rooms labeled correctly (you would be surprised how often venues don’t label the rooms!), drinks/snacks replenished quickly, and great catered food.

The pool area includes several pools in one complex.  There are very nice plush pool side chairs and cabanas for rent. The pool is centrally located in the resort in a courtyard area and has several gates entering the area, one that exits near the quick service food location to pick up a quick snack. Or take advantage of the pool attendants who will come by to check on you and see if you need anything. Life jackets are available for use for anyone that needs one for free. 
   

Some little extra tidbits about the Grand Californian:

They offer tours of the hotel to showcase the Arts and Crafts design and architecture, check with guest services for availability.

Napa Rose has a wine list offering over 450 choices. Also take a look around for the Jon Lasseter custom designed and signed bottles.

The Grand Californian is the only Disneyland resort built by and operated by the Walt Disney Company.

There are Hidden Mickey’s everywhere in the resort, check out the grandfather clock in the lobby for one of many.

 

 

My stay at the Grand Californian was, well grand. I was glad I had an opportunity to experience it. Easy access to theme parks and Napa Rose were the biggest draws for me. I would not hesitate to stay there again if price were not a consideration. The rooms are pricey and the design of Disneyland Hotel appeals to me more. There are also many off site properties I would consider for a more economical trip.