Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Location is the real draw...and the rest isn't worth the $$$

Let me start with the positives...location to California Adventure is amazing. It was raining and it was so nice to dart from the park back to the hotel and then return later. It is a very pretty hotel and it was clean. Room service was great and a nice treat! Now for the eh moments...We did a split stay between here and the Pixar Place and so we took advantage of the luggage transfer. Well, our luggage was forgotten, lost or misplaced and was not picked up or delivered...not sure exactly what happened, but we called Bell Services and after a few different conversations and about an hour and a half, a nice gentleman figured it out and delivered it to our room. We stayed at Christmas time and a family member had a gift delivered, but we were never told. A day or two later, our family asked if we got the gift and so we called the desk and they found it and told us we could come get it (it was a fruit edible arrangement so timeliness was important). This was how our experience went most of the stay...staff seemed annoyed, not friendly and in general dismissive. I was surprised as we love Disney and have stayed at 14 different Disney resorts. For the price of the stay and the reputation of this being a top tier resort, I expected more. When it was raining, the other Disneyland resorts had towels set up at the entrances...Grand Californian did not. All in all, this was definitely not worth the price tag...I would gladly pay less money and have a better experience at the Pixar Place or better yet, without the perk of early entry...save money and stay outside of the Disney bubble and have a better experience at one of the partner hotels located nearby.

If you can swing it, book it!

Over the years I have stayed at all 3 Disney properties and for sure this hotel is the best because of location and the gorgeous lobby. Disneyland hotel has better rooms (seem more high quality and more spacious with headboards that illuminate and play a song) But, even with that the location and refined beauty of the Grand will continue to bring me back. We had a partial Theme Park view and we were celebrating my cousin's bachelorette week from Thursday Feb 26 - March 1st. I did a half day at the pool which was pure perfection. Club sandwich and a mocktail to balance it all out. The hotel has a scent that I cannot get enough of - I think it's from the HVAC system and a proprietary scent. It's heavenly. I also noticed it at the Disneyland Hotel. The rooms themselves are basic but lovely with a super clean balcony to enjoy your morning coffee on. We could see the Goofy roller coaster and hear roars and laughter which was fun. Nightly turn down service was nice and staff even organized our bathroom sink area and rolled up our phone cords. Little touches like this was nice. Self parking was $45 per night and Valet option was $75 - steep so we opted for self park since we weren't leaving the hotel. My only complaint is that the rooms do not come with any bottled water so come prepared. Thankfully I suspected this and packed a bunch in my luggage. It was 95 degrees when we were there so hydration is essential. You can find a water station in the gym on site if need be. Over and over, if budget allows, I will continue to stay here. It is very expensive but again, if you can make it happen I say DO IT! Be sure to take time to smell the roses, enjoy the amenities like the pool and spa area and take a breather!

Amazing location, but dated hotel

We had a great overall stay. The location is fantastic to the parks and downtown disney. The pool slide was being repaired while we were there, so couldn't use, but we still had a great experience at the pool. The lounge chairs are very comfy and plentiful. Service at the pool was top notch. However, the hotel is very dated. They have maintained it well, but it is very much in need of a refresh to fully justify super high prices.

Tenaya Stone Spa Success

This review is for the Tenaya Stone Spa. I was staying at a neighboring hotel for a business trip and on my day off wanted a spa experience. I visited the spa at the Grand Californian twice over my stay. I received a 50 minute foot treatment and a 80 minute deep tissue massage. Overall the staff was professional, the facilities were impeccably clean, and the treatments were top notch. After visiting spas in Vegas and Northern California- I would say that I wish this spa was bigger in general. The locker room was tiny, and although had amenities like showers and a very enjoyable steam room- each time they brought a new guest in there was no privacy- because it was a slow day while I was visiting this did not take away from my experience, but if I can see that it would be an issue on a busier day. I would recommend this spa for treatments and their impeccable customer service and professionalism.

Like booking business class

If you plan to power through as much of both parks as possible, this is the way to go. Also good if you have kids who need naps, multiple kids with varying energy levels, or adults who don't have the stamina to walk 20,000 steps in a day. And for us, it was good when we made the mistake of getting in a swinging gondola on the Mickey Mouse ferris wheel. Let's just say there's a reason they include barf bags for that ride. Yes, it's on the expensive side, and yes, it's not as spacious or modern as an Airbnb. But this is like paying for business class on a domestic flight. You know you don't need it, but if you're already splurging to take the family to Disney, why not splurge some more to make sure everyone doesn't have to walk so far?

The way to go at Disney!

An all time iconic hotel! The value for money isn’t quite up to par, but the rooms are clean, if not a bit outdated. You’re paying for the access, right on Downtown Disney and a private entrance to DCA makes this value feel a lot better. It’s a bit of an industrial sized operation, with a daunting reception but everything runs smoothly, and there were no hiccups. A trip to Disneyland with the Grand is the way to go.