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Hotel overview
Park. Capturing the beauty of California, it offers award-winning dining; an active pool and themed waterslide and an exciting children’s pool. Enjoy magical storytelling at the Great Hearth, a private entrance to Disney's California Adventure™ Park and personalized service with a unique Disney touch.
Location
Disneyland® ResortProperty information
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Hotel details
General policies & fine print
Check-in Policy:
Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy:
Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
Hotel Spring Break Policy:
This hotel cannot guarantee a spring-break-free environment.
General Information:
Room taxes are included in vacation price.
Minimum night stay restrictions may apply.
Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
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Mixed review - some was magical - some was not
Prefacing this review with it was an Easter stay so it was busy. The Mix: Greeted at a gate where you need to give your name - and then proceeded to check in - there are 2 choices - self park and valet - with a 30 $ difference - so I went self park - bad choice. Upon saying "self park" the valet derisively told me I would have to park my car down the hill to the left then left and ONLY 20 mins he emphasized. I asked for luggage help as Im 56 with a back issue and my son had just pinched a nerve in his shoulder - it was one large piece and a backpack -the guy said "since you are self parking one of you should just take it while the other parks". Wow - far cry from a luxe experience. Check in WAY better and the front deck people were highly efficient and way more magical disney attitude - phew. We took our luggage (quite a ways to room) and were quite pleased with the theme park view especially knowing we would view World of Color (Note if you want Quiet DO NOT BOOK A THEME PARK VIEW - but we loved it. Ice machine - 3 separate tries - never worked. Called the service - in our stay it was never fixed and they cant bring you ice. Parking: self park is a LONG WAYS down the hill from resort crossing Disney drive (a busy intersection and then in this outside not great area. Its a 15 min plus journey from our room. Pay the extra 30. I had a very magical moment with customer service person Liz on the phone - again - she had "disney magic" and helped me get a robe so I would not have to purchase at store - and she was every bit the Disney magic we missed at the other stuff. Beds are comfy - rooms are getting a needed renovation right now but it was the weekend so no noise. Pool crowded but nice - bar at pool has an awesome espresso Martini with another magical bartender. We just got back from Disneyworld where we were at the waldorf astoria. The service there was amazing and we were in a suite. The price point was the same. We had just a standard room here. So for the price both of us were disappointed overall. At 1k a night - they can do better. I appreciated the very magical staff - and that made up for some but again when we checked out - we were told it was min 20 min wait plus for a bellman - so again we took it ourselves. The we waited in a line where we were ignored for a good 15 mins (along with the other people waiting) then it was another 10-15 finally getting someone. I would suggest having some staff that can "double up" as bellman during busier times - a note we left at a later check out and were told this was a better time to do this - I cant imagine how bad it is at actual check out time! I do want to say the bellman who got our luggage later that night was vey kind and attentive - and put our bag in the car for us. So at least we excited more gracefully. I debated the star rating - 5 star to some magical people - 1 star for the bell desk and valet (minus the last guy) and 3 stars for the room itself (but Im sure after updates a little better) and no ice machine (the closest one was 5 floors down - make a left then a right etc.) Ive had better rooms at the nearby Hilton and Hyatt Place.
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Disappointing Stay Due to Poor Communication and Limited Amenities
Our recent stay at the Grand Californian (March 21–24) was deeply disappointing due to unexpected renovations and a lack of transparency. Upon arrival, we found that the only pool with a slide was closed—something our children had been looking forward to, but we weren’t informed beforehand. Dining was equally frustrating: Hearthstone Lounge had no children’s menu due to kitchen renovations, and Craftsman Bar’s stove was broken, leaving only a poke bowl and chips and salsa as meal options. At one point, we had to resort to ordering Domino’s—hardly what you expect from a luxury Disney resort. Even room service was severely limited, offering only cold breakfast items and a microwaved cup of oatmeal. To top it off, a glass of wine at Hearthstone Lounge was served in a plastic cup due to a glassware shortage. Disney is known for its high standards, but this experience did not reflect that. Had we been informed in advance, we could have planned accordingly, rather than paying a premium price for a subpar experience. Future guests deserve better transparency about ongoing renovations.
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Major Construction
Just stayed at the Grand Californian for the weekend. We usually LOVE this hotel and would go back. Just be aware the pool area is completely under construction. The pool with slides that the kids usually love is completely closed off. As of leaving today there was only one useable pool. This is not listed anywhere on the website. It was a complete surprise to us when we arrived. Spring break is in full swing so surprising they would do this much work around this time. The staff was very gracious in trying to compensate us for the construction but definitely keep this in mind. I would book the Disneyland Hotel until construction is done. Definitely a misstep on Disney's part for not notifying guests of the lack of amenities especially when rooms are $700-$900 minimum during this time of year.
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Used to be a favourite
This has been a hotel we have been visiting for years. Of late the prices have increased an incredible amount while the service and experience has gone down greatly. Such a shame , I feel the magic has gone from this hotel that once was a true extension of the parks…
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THANK YOU MILLENA!!
Wish I could give them six stars! Everything about our stay was PERFECT! Special shout out to Millena, who was so kind, patient, understanding, and helpful in our most stressful moment (flight cancelation) - thank you so much for going out of your way to help us to end on a high note. You’re the BEST!!