Situated right between the Disney California Adventure park entrance and Downtown Disney, is the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. On my recent stay here I noticed some of the pros and cons at this beautiful ski-lodge style hotel.
Among the architecture in the lobby are these grand chandeliers hanging from the rafters on the ceiling and lots of comfortable places to sit while you wait for your room to be ready. If I had to compare GCH to a Disney World Resort, I would say The Wilderness Lodge is quite the similar feel that this hotel also has. But is it worth the price?
Disney100 Chocolate Fondant Statues
GCH opened in 2001 so it's particularly a newer hotel but could use a refurbishment. I loved the layout of this hotel and the pool bar was lovely (dinner review coming soon!). We also got to eat at Storyteller's Cafe for breakfast on our last morning there and I loved the theming of the restaurant itself. Although the extra amenities and the food is pretty good, the hefty price point may stray a few people away at $700 a night during peak season.
Once we got checked into our room, the first things I noticed were the charming artwork of Chip & Dale on the wall and the lighting fixture that adjusts to your liking. I absolutely loved how comfortable the beds are too and I would just stay here for that alone!
Disney beds are so comfortable!
There was also a 5th sleeper which we did not need to use on our stay since it was just my sister & I sharing a room. I do think it's nice that there is that option if you had a family of 5 with a small child that could sleep on the pull out sofa.
Love that there's a 5th sleeper for the kiddos
Towards the coffee bar there is a Keurig, an ice bucket, small glasses, and Joffrey's coffee pods complimentary for your stay. I am a big fan of Joffrey's and love that Disney provides extra coffee pods in the rooms. At Disney World pretty much every Deluxe resort has its own Joffrey's Coffee signature flavor to that specific resort, so I thought it was neat that Disneyland does the same.
The nice coffee bar that comes equipt with everything you need
Joffrey's Coffee pods & creamer for coffee
Next the the coffee bar is the closet so you can hang up all your clothes you'll wear during your trip. The closet also had a built in safe which I liked, an ironing board, a suitcase holder, and house shoes along with a robe you can wear to make you feel like you're going the the spa. So fancy!
Picture of the closet space
Hotel robes that were so comfy!
The rainforest shower was probably my favorite thing about the room however. There were 2 different settings so you could use the main faucet or the shower wand. The bathroom really was 5 star quality & I loved the special touches like the H2O soap, the tiled walls (which really felt deluxe!) and a shower seat.
This Disney bathroom was FANCY
Love that they still use H2O products in Disney Hotels just under a different name
The actual vanity area had the perfect lighting to get ready for a park day. The only thing I wish they had more of was storage space down below the sink because it's hard sharing 2 tiny shelves with two girls that lug their makeup and hair tools around. I also wish there was a sliding door so you don't wake up the other person while you're getting ready. The special touch I really enjoyed was the H2O travel size lotion among other toiletries the hotel provides. Other than the storage space issue I loved the bathroom!
The vanity area may need some remodeling
Toiletries that the bathroom provides
That's a wrap on the room tour of the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa! The answer to my question of "Would I stay here again for the price?" Is: Absolutely! This hotel reminded me so much of a Disney World Resort hotel and I would definitely stay here again as it is in close proximity to both parks. I really felt the Disney magic while staying here and didn't want to leave.
Always check with a Disney travel agent if you want to stay at a Disney resort because there are times when there are deals on hotel packages where you could get up to 50% off your stay. In my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons because this hotel has it all!
View of Downtown Disney from our balcony
As always, message me at @lifewithshandilyn on Instagram if you have any questions & have a magical weekend friends!
-Shandilyn.
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