Our stay at Grand Californian

We’ve always dreamt about staying at Disney’s Grand Californian and we were finally able to make that wish come true. After about a year and a half of being cooped up at home, we returned to the parks and decided to go all out. From the moment you arrive the staff is so friendly and welcoming! We are already looking forward to the next time we can do this again.

I received lots of questions regarding our stay, so I thought this was a perfect way to answer them all.

Was it worth it?

This is the most popular question I received. If you are looking at it at money vs. hotel. The answer is a very easy no. However, it could be more personal than that. For us, YES. It was 100% worth it. I have rheumatoid arthritis and cutting down on the walk to and from the parking structure, as well as having a place to rest mid day, was a huge plus. Staying at a Disney Property with direct access to the DCA was super cool and having that direct access from DCA at the end of the night was amazing. At that point I would have paid double for a hotel room. Also, look at my babe…it was worth it to see her happy!

How much was it?

We definitely paid an over inflated price due to covid and such. The price for our 1 night at Grand Californian with fees and taxes came out to a little over $900. Add to that 3 on property meals… it was a splurge for sure.

What are the perks of staying there?

Because we stayed during covid…we didn’t have many perks. We arrived at the resort at 7:30am. Checked in our luggage and got our room keys. We then lined up for security checks. After security we headed straight to the Disneyland gates. There was no line and we were in the park. We were on our first ride (after a 10ish minute wait) by 8:30. One hour from arrival to getting on our first ride was definitely an awesome perk! Also…

• Quick access to the parks in the morning
• Direct access to DCA
• Pool access
• Character room
• Fun room view
• Easy access to hotel dining/hotel in room dining
• Bragging rights
• DISNEY MAGIC

How was the Pool?

The pool was my absolute favorite part of our stay. We decided to go before checkout and called the front desk to see what their policy was for going to the pool on checkout day. We were told that we have access to the pool all day after even after we check out. Bell desk will hold our bags and we could enjoy the pool. When we arrived, we gave our room info to receive wristbands and towels. Then a cast member took us to our loungers. They seem to assign them early in the morning in a first come first serve basis. You have to get there early for SHADE! We were in a spot that had zero shade all day but luckily a family left that had some shade and we were able to snag that spot.

Food at the pool– The pools each have their own server assigned to each section and the food is from Craftsman Bar & let me tell you, it was DELICIOUS! We ordered a Cobb Salad which was GREAT! The chicken tenders for Olivia from the kids menu were enough for her to eat and mom and dad to snack on. My cocktail was on the weak side. But our favorite part of the meal was the Root Beer Float. First of all, it’s ADORABLE! Second of all…It’s the yummiest float I’ve ever had in my LIFE. Not exaggerating. Prices are on the high side (because hello, it’s Disney) but worth it for the experience of lounging by the pool and getting a great meal while your kid is fully entertained.

Are there hotel freebies?–

Not sure how many freebies there are but we only received two.

• Activity book, coloring book, and crayons for Olivia upon arrival.
• Hotel room toiletries

At the end of the day, would we stay here again? Yes, absolutely. We’re already looking forward to our next stay! Is it worth the money? Yes and no. Do you get what you pay for? Probably not. But for the proximity to the parks, I’d pay it again.