My kids (ages six and one) and I recently stayed at Disney’s
Grand Californian Hotel & Spa for the fourth time, and I swear it just
keeps getting better. Besides the obvious convenience of being right at
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, the hotel is an attraction unto
itself. With the famous Disney Magic in full effect at the Grand Californian
and so many fun things to do, you might find it hard to pull yourself away to
hit Hyperspace Mountain and Small World!
Here are 10 things my kiddos and I flipped for at the Grand
Californian, although I could have easily listed 50:
1. There are old-school
Disney cartoons playing on a little television in the lobby, complete with tiny
chairs and rocking chairs. If it takes a moment to check in, the children will
be happy to hang out here and watch Goofy, Donald, and Mickey.
2. The gorgeously open
lobby. My six-year-old said, "It looks like you can see all the way to
Heaven!" Add a piano player playing classic Disney tunes like “Part of
Your World,” and you will definitely be transported to Disney Heaven.
3. The cast members.
Ernie brought our luggage up, and gave us all kinds of tips on things like
asking for a switch ticket at the attractions (one parent rides with big kid
while other parent waits with baby, and the ticket allows the other parent to
then come back and ride with big kid without waiting in the regular line), the
special World of Color viewing deck at the hotel, and early admission Magic Hours,
where guests enter a park (it varies day to day as far as which park) an hour before
it opens to the general public. His enthusiasm was contagious!
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| World of Color from the viewing deck. |
4. The Hearthstone
Lounge offers comfy chairs and (on chilly mornings and evenings) a cozy
fireplace, plus adult beverages. They also open at 6a and serve caffeine and
juice and pastries; I was thrilled to be able to get a really good soy latte
here!
5. The pool. It's
really a collection of pools and hot tubs, with a tiny water slide for the
little ones and a bigger, swirly one for adventurous kids of all ages. During
our visit, Pluto showed up for a fun pool party and to lead the kids in games,
and Disney movies (like FINDING NEMO and ENCHANTED) were being shown poolside
every night.
6. The rooms. The first
time we stayed at the Grand California, our train-obsessed son was two, and we
had a “Monorail View” room; he had a great time sitting on the patio and
waiting for the Monorails to come roaring through the hotel complex. Check out
the different kinds of rooms, as some offer fun features like bunk beds! We
also had a fridge in our room (great for storing healthy snacks we brought from
home), and a generous bathroom/vanity area.
7. The food. The
kids had the best time ever at the Chip ‘n Dale Critter Breakfast at the
Storytellers Café! The food was delicious, and the characters come around to
each table to greet the children. You can also pick up a quick meal, some
basic grocery supplies for the fridge in your room, and snacks at White Water
Snacks, or have an elegant meal at Napa Rose, which serves seasonal cuisine.
8. The private entrance
to California Adventure, and access to Downtown Disney. Needless to say,
the line to enter the park is MUCH smaller here than at the main entrance, and
it is also nice at the end of the day to have a shortcut back to your room,
especially if you are carrying a tuckered-out child. The hotel also opens right
on to Downtown Disney, with tons of great food and shopping and entertainment.
During our stay, there were some special offers for Downtown Disney, and our
son got to go to a “Master Class” at Build-A-Bear Workshop an hour before the
store opened.
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| Build-A-Bear Workshop fun! |
9. The architecture.
I mentioned the spacious lobby earlier, and I have to include the overall
gorgeousness of the Grand Californian on this list. You are in the middle of
Anaheim, but at the same time it feels like you are at a cozy lodge in Northern
California! The style of the hotel is based on the Arts and Crafts movement of
the early 20th Century, and if you would like to learn more you can
take a hotel tour (I was so bummed that I missed it during our stay!) or pick
up a book in the lobby. Also, as you are rushing around, glance at the
beautiful artwork on the walls. We had a lovely painting of Snow White in our
room!
10. Pinocchio’s Workshop.
At some point, you might need a break from the kids. Enter Pinocchio’s
Workshop, which is for ages 5-12 and open seven days a week from 2p-11p.
You can drop the kids off and know that they are having fun playing while you
enjoy a quiet dinner, time to relax by the fire, a spa treatment, or maybe you
even sneak into the park to ride the grownup attractions, or grab a much-needed
nap.
Bonus: Ask about the Grand Californian’s scavenger hunt,
where you answer questions about different park attractions for a special
prize. It's very challenging and fun!
Contact Info:
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
1600 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 635-2300
www.Disneyland.com (Click
“Places to Stay”)
