5 Reasons we LOVE Disney's Grand Californian Resort

Do you ever wish on your Disney vacations that you could roll out of bed and be in the parks in less than 5 minutes? At Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa at Disneyland Resort you can do just that- and without fighting any crowds as an added bonus.

My family and I went on a trip out to the magical land Walt built recently before my impending 6 month deployment to Southwest Asia. Because we knew the devastation that would beget our daughters staring down the barrel of 180 days without their Daddy, a no expense spared escape from reality was in tall order.

​Though we have visited Disneyland a few times in the last few years, this trip would be different, and we wanted all of our troubles and worries to melt away as we enjoyed our much needed family getaway. When we arrived at our bubble away from reality at the Grand Californian, we were instantly floored at the attention to detail and customer service that we encountered. I’d love to share a few of our favorite things about Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa to help you decide if it is the place for you to lay your head on your next Disneyland Resort vacation. 

Proximity – First of all, the Grand Californian is the only Disney resort at either of their United States properties that has an entrance to the park from the hotel! They have a special entrance that goes directly into Disney’s California Adventure and spits you out right next to Grizzly River Run, and they have another entrance that leads into Downtown Disney as well. My 6 year old and I love to shut down the park and stay until it closes, as we have done since she was 3 years old. My 1 and a half year old doesn’t quite meet our standards for Disney Parks stamina and had to tap out early one night. We timed my wife, and from Buena Vista Street, she was back in the room putting the little one to bed in 7 minutes. Another cool experience we had was that our room’s balcony overlooked the Paradise Pier area of DCA right by Goofy’s Sky School. My daughter and I went and rode the ride while my wife and other daughter watched and waved at us from the room. Other rooms overlook Downtown Disney as well. It was a lot of fun opening the door and hearing the sounds of the park to include the music from Paint the Night from our cozy room. 

Customer Service- An aspect of staying on property that my family has come to expect is customer service, and Disney always seems to deliver in this category. The Grand Californian is no exception to this, and in a lot of ways exceeds the standard by a long shot. A great example of this is that they do nightly turndown service. When we got home after a long day in the park, our lights were dimmed, the beds were made ready for us to crawl into and there was a Disney Ghirardelli Chocolate square for us to munch on. This was a special touch that we had not encountered at any other resort in the past.  

Attention to Detail- Along with expecting next level customer service, we have also become accustomed to the attention to detail that Disney provides their guests. The attention to detail at the Grand Californian is off the charts. First of all, my daughter and I love to find Hidden Mickeys, and our room as well as all over the resort, was littered with them. It was a blast trying to find them all. They also have really cool murals on their headboards and pullout couch beds of Chip and Dale in an Orange tree and a scene from Bambi respectively. They also have little touches within the rooms that make it very homey to include a laundry basket and a foot stool, with a Hidden Mickey, as a matter of fact. These are little touches that show that they have not left a single detail out of their design process.  

Amazing Dining Options – My family has done just about every character meal at the Disney properties that you can do, and the meal at the Storyteller’s Café was very enjoyable. We ate breakfast, and they had a wide spread of delicious food. The characters spent a lot of time with my daughter which she really enjoyed, and we did not feel rushed at all. There are fewer character meals at Disneyland Resort compared to Walt Disney World, and the Storyteller’s Café is one we will definitely do again. 

Great Family Activities – Every time we go on a Disney vacation and do not plan a resort only day, we regret it. There is so much to do at the Grand Californian that we want to go back and do in the future. We were able to take a dip in one of their 3 pools, which was awesome on a hot day. They also have 2 hot tubs and one of the most impressive hotel waterslides I’ve ever seen. Another cool activity they offer is a free Art Deco tour of the hotel. The art and architecture within the hotel is exquisite, and to have a Disney Cast Member show you the details is a very interesting feature. 

If you have not yet started planning your Disneyland Resort vacation, the team at Whitney World Travel would be honored to assist with all aspects of your vacation planning. Contact us today!
 

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About the Author​

Chase Scully-- Chase is a member of the United States Air Force currently deployed overseas. He is the loving husband of our Travel Advisor Morgan and is himself a huge fan of everything Disney.