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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
5394 reviews
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May 06, 2025Worth it!
You pay a premium to stay at The Grand Californian but it is the perfect homebase for Disneyland, has the best location, and staying at a Disney property is worth it for the early entry perk. Being able to walk back to the room from the parks in minutes and to be able to rest and recharge at the Grand is amazing after long days at the parks. The rooms are comfortable and the pools are great for kids. We always stay for 3 nights which gives us an afternoon at the pool and dinner at Naples in Downtown Disney on arrival day, 1 day at each park, and then brunch at the hotel’s Storyteller’s Cafe on the last morning.
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May 01, 2025Amazing location and very friendly staff
This was our second stay at the Grand Californian and we do love the convenience of being able to walk to the parks. It is especially nice after a water ride when we are soaking wet and want to zip back to our room to change- you can't beat the convenience! There were some major renovations during this last stay and with only one pool open, we were unable to get some pool time in, which was disappointing. They had an alternate entrance to the parks and it was not as convenient as the actual one we had used in the past, but even just walking through Downtown Disney is easy enough. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, the bathroom is very nice, with a separate double sink area from the toilet and shower, so people can get ready without getting in each other's way. They have a convenient in-room fridge. Could it use some upgrades for the price? Yes, and it seems that is what they are doing. It's just a bit of a hassle during the process.
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Apr 25, 2025Location location location
The thing that the grande California has is location, location, location. I stayed in March for a business event also. The rooms are average at best. Hotel definitely looks like it has not been updated in quite some time. I remember having to wait in my room for them to bring my luggage up to at least 45 minutes. The folks at the valet seem like they work pretty hard. The rest of the service definitely does not match the price you pay for this hotel. But they do have location. After you’re done in a long day at Disneyland you can walk back to your hotel from the park or go to Disney walk to have a great meal. I compare the grand California to the failed Acolyte series, they put out. It just needs to be better if it’s going to have the Disneyland name on it.
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Apr 22, 2025
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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Apr 03, 2025Disappointing 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.