What is Disney's Grand Californian?

Disney's Grand Californian (DGC) is Disney's first resort hotel in the United States to be located inside a Disney theme park. In this case, DGC is located "in" Disney's California Adventure park, next door to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.

What's Special about the resort?

Besides the resort's location, DGC also offers a level of luxury and "themeing" previously unseen in any Disney hotel in California. Guests have been enjoying the "Disney Touch" at the Disneyland Hotel and, more recently, Disney's Pacifica Hotel (now Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel), but not with the attention to detail available at DGC.

DGC has often been compared to Disney's Wilderness Lodge (WL) in Walt Disney World, a comparison that, while understandable, does not give credit to the differences between the two resorts. Besides the use of exposed timbers (fiberglass though they may be), the design of the two hotels is really quite dissimilar. The Arts and Crafts style of DGC is quite a bit more refined than the rustic National Parks inspired design of WL. While the lobbies of both hotels are equally impressive, the lobby of WL is on such a grand scale that the visitor feels dwarfed by comparison. I have no idea what the proportions of the lobbies of these hotels are, but the DGC lobby feels - if not smaller - certainly more cozy. More in a human scale.

A really good illustration of this is the differences in the fireplaces. The WL fireplace, styled to resemble sediment rock, is several stories high and has a firebox you can practically stand upright in. In front of this fireplace are several rows of rocking chairs. By contrast, the DGC fireplace is only about the size you would find in a large home. It is stone carved in lines reminiscent of Art Deco design, and is tucked in a corner surrounded by a few rocking chairs and overstuffed armchairs.

What is the theme of the resort?

DGC is themed after the great Parks Service hotels that were built early in the 20th century. The hotel's architecture is inspred by the Arts and Crafts movement of that time. Among the hallmarks of this style of architecture are prominent overhangs, extensive use of natural materials including stone and exposed wood, and liberal use of stained glass. Since it is a Disney resort, there are many capricious touches as well. As an example, the long front desk is lit by charming animal themed lamps, and the front of the desk is decorated with tiles illustrating bears in whimsical poses.

Where is the resort located?

As mentioned earlier, Disney touts DGC as the first Disney resort hotel in the US built "inside" a Disney theme park. This is, in reality, not exactly accurate. DGC actually borders DCA, occupying the North Western corner. The western edge of the property is bordered by Disneyland Drive (formerly West Ave.), with DCA to the south and east, and Downtown Disney (DD) to the north. The main entrance, as well as valet parking, is reached from Disneyland Drive. There is an entrance in Downtown Disney as well and, perhaps most notably, DGC boasts it's own entrance to DCA for the exclusive use of hotel guests.

It's interesting to note how the resort blends in with it's surroundings. On the DD side the hotel structure houses some of the DD shops, most notably the World of Disney, in the first floor. Disney designers seemed to have purposefull kept the more low-key establishments in this part of DD, with the noisier restaurants and night clubs across the bridge on the west side. Additionally, DGC provides the backdrop for the Golden State section of the park, blending in quite nicely with the National Park theme of that section.

What are the rooms like?

It's in this area - that of the level of luxury in the rooms - that DGC excels as compared to other Disney hotels. For the record, the author has stayed at WL, The All-Star Music Resort, The Boardwalk Villas (BWV), The Disneyland Hotel and The Dolphin. Of course the room at BWV was bigger, but the luxury of details found in DCG rooms exceeds it. The décor, the bedding and linens, the fixtures, are all top-notch. It comes close, but not quite, to the level of Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, a 5-start luxury hotel. One major complaint though - one found commonly - the lighting is severely lacking. It's as if Disney took the Arts and Crafts themeing a bit too far and decided to provide turn-of-the-century lighting.

The standard rooms come with a King Size bed, two Queen Size beds or a Queen Size bed with bunk beds. The bunk beds not only work well for families with children, they also take up less floor space and make the rooms seem larger. Most rooms also have a terrace.

How much are the rooms?

Currently the rooms are listed from $225 to $290 per night. The cost will vary depending on season and room location, with "park view" rooms being the most expensive.

Wow, that's pretty expensive. Is it worth it?

Well, that's the question of the day, isn't it? Of course it depends on your budget and your priorities. You can't beat DGC for the location, there is no hotel more conveniently located to DCA and Disneyland as well. Still, The Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel are nearly as close, and somewhat less expensive (especially PP.) And there are literally dozens of hotels nearby that are much less expensive and very convenient to Disneyland. Few, if any, however, offer the level of luxury and themed elements found in DGC. And, there is something to be said for staying in a hotel right on Disney property, allowing you to be totally immersed in the experience. If your budget allows it, and if you long for that total immersion experience, then the hotel is highly recommended. If staying at DGC means you will have to curtail other aspects of your vacation, you might want to give it more thought.

What are the views like from the rooms?

DGC offer 3 types of views from its rooms: Park View, Courtyard View and City View. The City view rooms, the least expensive and least numerous, face Disneyland Drive. The Courtyard View rooms face the inner courtyard areas. The Park View rooms - the most expensive and most numerous - face either the Golden State section of DCA (GS), the Paradise Pier section of DCA (PP) or Downtown Disney. If your room has a GS or especially a DD view, you may be "right on top of the action", while the PP view rooms are set back further from the park. There are no fireworks in DCA at the time of this writing, so you will not be able to watch fireworks from your room.

With all that activitiy right outside your window, is it noisey?

The short answer is, yes. With Disney's Boardwalk in WDW, the Disney designers were able to sound-proff the rooms to the degree that all the action on the Boardwalk does not, generally, disturb the hotel guests. The DGC designers were not as successful. The rooms overlooking DD will be the noisiest, especially when the shopping and entertainment area is busy. Additionally, crowds would tend to stay later at DD than in DCA. The rooms overlooking the GS section will tend to be nosier than the rooms overlooking the PP section, mostly because, as pointed out earlier, the rooms overlooking PP are set back further from the park. If you or a member of your party has a difficult time sleeping with a lot of ambient noise, then the quiter Courtyard view rooms might be a better choice.

Once DCA has closed and the park empties out, all the music played over the PA system is turned off. So, the DCA view rooms are quiet once the park closes.

If the resort is inside the park, are park tickets included?

No, however Disney sells packages that include hotel rooms as well as park entry.

How do you get to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure from the park?

There is an entrance to DCA right in the hotel, for the exclusive use of its guests. Note that this entrance does not go to the park main entrance, but rather puts you in the Golden State section of the park, just to the west of Grizzly Rapids Run. To go to Disneyland you simply exit to Downtown Disney, and Disneyland is a short walk away. You can also cross the bridge to the west side of Downtown Disney and board the monorail. The monorail does not stop at DCA, and there is no monorail station in DGC.

What restaurants are in the resort?

DGC boasts 2 full-service restaurants and a snack bar. The snack bar, Whitewater Snacks, is conveniently located near a Pool Gate that, for some unfathomable reason, is marked "no exit". The selection of fod includes the usual assortment of snacks and beverages, with bagels and "muffin tops" in the morning and sandwiches later in the day.

One of the two full-service restaurants, Storyteller's Café (SC), hosts a character breakfast. SC is the more casual of the two restaurants, with a traditional American Cuisine menu. The décor includes a large stained-glass mural of a child reading a book as you enter, and backlit carved silhouettes of characters from famous American stories lining the walls at the ceiling. There are also painted murals of highlights of famous American stories and legends on many of the walls. These same illustrations, along with the stories from which they originate, also decorate the menus. The food is hearty and plentiful, though not terribly subtle. The prices are reasonable - at least by Disney standards. It is a particularly good place to bring your kids and still enjoy a somewhat grown-up meal.

Napa Rose is the other, more elegant of the two full-service restaurants. It offers seasonal menu selections and an extensive wine list, served in a tasteful surroundings.

What is the pool like?

DGC has 3 pools, all located in the same courtyard. The main pool, called the "Redwood Pool", has a slide coming out of a giant redwood stump. There is also a kiddie pool and a "quiet" pool. There is also a jacuzzi.

Are there programs for children available?

Pinocchio's Workshop is a child activity center available in the evening available to DGC guests. It is open from 5:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight every night, for children 5 - 12. Call (714) 956-6755 for reservations. There is a charge of $9 per hour per child. Snacks are provided, and dinner is included for an additional $5 charge per child.

Where can I find out more about Disney's Grand Californian?

You can visit the official Disneyland web site, or you can visit Laughingplace, and excellent (though unofficial) source for information regarding Disneyland resort. To book a resort hotel only reservation call (714) 956-6425. To book your vacation package call Disney at (800) 225-2024.