Disney's Grand Californian Resort & Spa

By Tink's Agent, Kristen S. 
I had the incredible opportunity to stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland® Resort. This resort allows you to escape from reality and enjoy convenience, impressive dining experiences and to recharge at their spa.

---

As soon as you walk into this hotel you are welcomed by a beautiful lobby. This lobby reminds me of the lobby at the Wilderness Lodge at the Walt Disney World® Resort, and I learned that the architect for both of these resorts was the same person. During the day there is a gentleman who plays a grand piano and sings Disney songs to welcome guests. There is a cozy area with rocking chairs in front of a fireplace to relax before or after a day in the parks. The cast members were so friendly and welcoming to all of my needs during my stay.

I stayed in a Standard View room that included two queen beds as well as one twin sleeper bed. I enjoyed the attention to detail in my room that displayed Chip and Dale, orange blossom trees as well as other woodland creatures. In addition to standard rooms with a variety of views, this hotel also offers Club Level service as well as Suites.

While staying at this hotel you can experience three luxurious pools. One of the pools, the Mariposa Pool, includes private cabanas that you can rent for an additional fee.

Due to my jet lag coming from the East Coast, I was up bright and early one morning checking out all of the hotel sites and I was able to visit the Eureka fitness center. It is a very modern fitness center with a variety of machines and free weights. I was surprised to see the number of people up early at the fitness center before their theme park day.

The Tenaya Stone Spa has recently been refurbished and includes an array of treatments as well as salon services. I personally did not have any services while I was visiting. I did pop in for a quick peek and it is so welcoming and would be a perfect place to relax and de-stress.

The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers award-winning dining experiences such as Napa Rose, Storyteller's Cafe, Hearthstone Lounge and Craftsman’s Bar & Grill. I enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner at Storyteller’s Cafe one evening. As a vegetarian I found a variety of delicious dining options that I was able to indulge in. Of course the desserts were my favorite part of the meal!

My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE part of staying at the Grand Californian  is the easy access to Disney’s California Adventure® Park. One evening I timed my walk back from the park to my room and it took less than four minutes. This hotel is also in close proximity to Disneyland® Park as well as the Downtown Disney District®. Before my flight back home, I was able to take a quick walk over to Disneyland® and hit the park for two hours. I quickly walked back to my hotel in less than seven minutes and grabbed my bags for the airport. I am embarrassed to share this story but one day during my stay, I sat in the front row of Splash Mountain in my cute work dress and was completely soaked. I was grateful to be able to walk back to my resort and quickly change within five minutes and re-join my group.

In addition to being close to both parks this hotel also has a private back entrance into Disney’s California Adventure® Park. It was so lovely to just walk out of our hotel in the morning and right into the park and not have to wait in line with other guests heading into the parks for the day. I was able to go through security and have my tickets scanned very quickly in minutes.

​Contact Tink's if you'd like our assistance booking a vacation where you can walk in Walt's footsteps -- Disneyland!