Quantcast

Disneyland Resort

Grand Californian Hotel

Along with the expansion of Disneyland into the Disneyland Resort in 2001 came Disney's attempt at a 4-star resort hotel. Very similar to the Deluxe resorts of Walt Disney World the staff here will attempt to provide every luxury.

From the outside, the hotel blends well with the surroundings; the full design becomes apparent once you step inside. The five-story tall atrium lobby is designed (as is the rest of the interior) in the Craftsman Style and is almost overwhelming in its scale. Even if you aren't staying at Grand Californian Hotel, you should take some time to at least wander through the lobby during your visit to Disneyland.

General Information - Hide Section
  • Address: 1600 S Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, CA, 92802
  • Resort Phone #: 714-635-2300
  • Resort Fax #: 714-520-6099
  • Book Now: Get rates and more now!
  • Date Opened: 2001
  • Resort Category: Deluxe
  • Room Information
  • # of Buildings: 1
  • # of Rooms: 751
  • Room Rates: The standard rooms at Grand Californian Hotel have three views: City/Standard, which are rooms facing away from the resorts; Downtown Disney, which are rooms above Downtown Disney; and Theme Park view, with views of the Golden State and Paradise Piers areas of Downtown Disney. The rack prices for these rooms range from $265 for a City View room in the off-season to $440 for a Theme Park view during the holidays. The hotel also has 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom suites ($655 to $1,250 per night). Concierge service rooms are also available for $470 to $650.
  • Services Information
  • Concierge Service: Yes
  • Valet Parking: Yes, $12/day (self parking is included in the $10/day resort fee).
  • Room Service:
  • Internet: Every room has wired high-speed internet (through a somewhat odd DSL system) which is included in the resort fee charged for staying at the hotel. The common areas of the hotel also have free Wi-Fi and extends into nearby guest rooms.
  • Laundry: Both self-service coin operated machines and in-room laundry service are available.
  • Pools and swimming: One large pool area with a children's pool and a slide into the main pool.
  • Gym and Exercise: The Eureka Springs Health Club has a full range of exercise equipment including free weights and aerobic machines. Free for hotel guests.
  • Spa: Massages are available by appointment at the Eureka Springs Health Club. The health club also has steam rooms and saunas.
  • Turndown service: Yes
  • Smoking: The Grand Californian Hotel does not offer any smoking rooms and smoking is also not allowed on room balconies. It is only allowed in designated outdoor areas at the hotel.
  • Transportation Information
  • On foot: Use the Downtown Disney exit to visit Downtown Disney or one of the other resort hotels. During hours that DCA is open, use that entrance to visit either DCA or Disneyland (it is shorter to walk through DCA to Disneyland). When DCA is closed, it will be necessary to use the Downtown Disney exit to get to Disneyland.
  • Bus: To use the Anaheim Resort Transport system will require walking through the Disneyland/DCA Esplanade to the Lion King parking tram loading area.
  • Monorail: To get to the Monorail station, use the Downtown Disney exit and go left, almost all the way to the Disneyland Hotel. Though the monorail drives through the Grand Californian Hotel there is no station.
 
Dining - Hide Section
  • Napa Rose— Fine dining at its best at an award-winning restaurant and wine bar.
  • Storytellers Cafe— Solid American food with buffet and menu options. Chip & Dale host a character breakfast in the mornings.
  • White Water Snacks— Quick snacks and grilled meals provide some surprisingly good choices.
  • Other dining — The Hearthstone Lounge in the hotel's lobby has a full bar and an extensive wine list. An appetizer menu is composed of choices from the Disneyland Resorts other top restaurants. The Redwood Pool Bar has an impressive selection of quick grilled items in addition to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Entertainment and Shows - Hide Section
  • Pinocchio's Workshop — A childcare service allowing adults to get away for the evening. Children 5-12 can be dropped off for up to four hours ($9 per hour, per child) and they'll be entertained by trained staff. Dinner can also be provided for an additional $5.
  • Other Entertainment — Several times a day there will be storytelling for children in the hotel lobby. Live pianists can frequently be found playing on the lobby piano as well.
Stores and Shopping - Hide Section
  • Acorn Gifts & Goods— For a high-end hotel it is surprising to find that there is only one store on the grounds (though Downtown Disney is just feet away). Find general Disney apparel as well as GCH logowear and California related items.
Reader Reviews - Hide Section

The following are recent reviews for the Grand Californian Hotel from our Reader Review system. Click the Show All Reviews link to see every review for this location. To browse all reviews in the system, please see this page.

Average Reviewer Rating: 4.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 5
Number of Grand Californian Hotel Reviews: 67
Show All Reviews
4.0/5.04.0/5.04.0/5.04.0/5.04.0/5.0   6-22-11 to 6-27-11
Reviewer: msjmendoza San Diego, California     September 11, 2011
My wife and I along with our 13 year old daughter and her 13 year old friend stayed in a parkview room for five nights. The room had a balcony overlooking the grizzley rapids river run. We booked the room thru CostCo for four nights and the fifth night was added thru the hotel for $600. We celebrated my birthday along with our daughters friend as both occured during our stay. Everything was perfect in our room and we plan a return trip in April for our daughters birthday.
 
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Was it helpful to you?  
    
 
5.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.0   May 14-17, 2011
Reviewer: MouseMom13     May 22, 2011
This hotel is amazing. We normally stay across the street at a Good Neighbor hotel on Harbor Blvd. We decided to stay at the Grand Californian since this is the fewest days we've ever stayed, making it easier to rationalize the $300+/nt. price. We asked for and received a standard room with a double bed for my husband and I and bunk beds for our 7 and 8 year olds. There was plenty of space for the four of us. The room overlooked a courtyard. I love mission style architecture, so the room was wonderful. The kids loved seeing Bambi and Thumper on our shower curtain. Since it was under 70 degrees the length of our stay, the balcony went mostly unused, but the 2 chairs and small table would have been nice in warmer weather.

Check in was easy. The kids received balloons and a signed photo of Mickey and the gang. I didn't realize until later that there was a television of classic Disney shows playing in the lobby.

We spent the first day at the pool. Both kids loved the water slide. The water slide has a jet of water at the base that pushes the kids away from the next kid coming down - well thought out. I loved the comfortable lounge chair cushions; I spent 3 hours straight in that chair before I could talk my kids out of the pool.

I purchased several items at Acorn Gifts that are souveniers of the Grand Californian, including a lovely wall tile of the hotel logo. I enjoyed talking to one cast member about the arts and crafts style of the hotel.

All of our meals were eaten in the park, in Downtown Disney, or onsite at Whitewater Cafe. We loved that we were able to grab quick food at a reasonable (for Disney) price. My kids loved the Mickey waffles for breakfast. My husband and I could have split a biscuit sandwich; they were big. For lunch/dinner, burgers hit the spot.

Access to the parks was easy even with the monorail not in service during our trip. The main gate to Disneyland is an easy walk. We were far away from the elevator, but right next to a stairwell that took us out to the courtyard by the path to Downtown Disney. We used the hotel access to California Adventure. Temperatures were unseasonably cool, so the hotel access allowed us to grab additional layers as needed.

We used the Super Shuttle to travel to/from the Orange County Airport. We always seem to get the overly aggressive drivers. I'm not sure why the Disney Express cost more than the Super Shuttle since it makes more stops.

All of the hotel staff were friendly and accomodating. The only request I made, to not have a room overlooking the parking lot, was promptly granted.

I'm not sure if I can talk my husband into staying at the Grand Californian again because of the price, but the hotel made the trip very special. I think he's become a fan of the onsite hotels, though. We didn't have to deal with even one stoplight to get to the parks, which I appreciated even more than I expected. By the time we return, the Disneyland Hotel remodel will be complete, so I'll try to talk him into that location.
 
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Was it helpful to you?  
    
 
5.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.05.0/5.0   4/11-4/15 2011
Reviewer: shamblin Saratoga Springs, Utah     April 20, 2011
Usually stay at the Paradise Pier but decided to splurge and stay in the GCH. It was worth it. The room was great. We had a standard with two queen beds for Mom, Dad, and two little girls 9/12. Clean, and ready when we needed it.

Two small cons.
They did not text me when the room was ready on day one, I had to call to confirm. Inconvenient but not tragic.
The TV could only be controlled from the remote and the batteries were dead. Once again inconvenient but not tragic(except to the 9 year old). They replaced the remote by the time we returned from the park.

The convenience of being right next to the park is great for tired bodies. The room was quiet (we were facing the parking lot.) The maid service was pretty good.

No complaints and I would stay there again in a heartbeat if I can scrape up the extra money.
 
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Was it helpful to you?  
    
 
Links of Interest - Hide Section
MousePlanet Links
  • Concierge Details — Andrew and Jennifer Rich provide the details on conciege-level service at the Disneyland on-property hotels (February 2006).

Offsite Links (we can not vouch for their accuracy or timeliness)


You can help us keep these guides current. If you see anything incorrect on this page, or if you have additional information that should be added, please fill out our form.