Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel places you at the center of all the excitement at Disneyland, offering a luxurious spa experience along with complimentary meals and beverages exclusively for club-level visitors.
The Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Generous signature suites ideal for families include access to Veranda, a lounge offering continuous food and beverage services throughout the day, at no extra cost.
- The Tenaya Stone Spa is perfect for unwinding before or after spending the day at the theme parks, offering an exceptional riverside massage experience with classic Disney tunes playing during your session as requested.
- Napa Rose provides an elevated culinary experience featuring Californian dishes along with carefully selected wine pairings. It plans to relaunch in autumn after undergoing comprehensive renovations inside as well as on the patio area.
- The design of the Yosemite theme continues into the pool zone, offering various spots for entertainment with features like floating workout sessions, a waterslide, and hot tubs, catering to both children and grown-ups alike.
Everything occurred rapidly. As soon as the rope dropped, everyone surged forward; every individual appeared quicker, higher up, or better equipped compared to myself. My spouse, Alex—who boasts lengthy limbs and an unwavering resolve to reach Cars Land ahead—was one of those who darted past me. In contrast, dressed head-to-toe in Disney attire chosen by my husband including Minnie Mouse ears, I lagged behind. Attempting to avoid tripping over small kids made keeping pace even harder until finally spotting him again thanks only to his vibrant Goofy-print aloha shirt.
I was still groggy and cold, as the sun in Southern California hadn’t risen high enough to heat up the city streets.
Disneyland’s California Adventure park
— but understanding I should probably avoid being the cause of us having to wait in line.
Radiator Springs Racers
One of our beloved attractions, I tried my hardest to accelerate.
We reside less than an hour away from Anaheim, yet we usually visit Disneyland just about twice annually. Even so, when we do go, Alex tackles a day at the parks as though it’s some kind of intense marathon, staying from opening till closing. There’s no denying that I’m thrilled to join him on these excursions, but having spent my childhood guiding my three little sisters through Disneyland bit by bit, the concept of “rope drop” was foreign to me before meeting Alex. In contrast, he comes from a background where he would fly all the way from the UK to Orlando for continuous two-week theme park marathons without pause.
Good to Know
Disneyland’s 70th anniversary festivities, encompassing
ticket deals
Starting from May 16, New Main Street will offer fresh dining options, shopping, and a historic tour, with these activities continuing throughout the summer of 2026.
To put it all together, every so often, we enjoy having a staycation at the most joyous place on earth. It comforts me knowing I can go to bed right after the park closes since, as you understand, we want to fit in one last ride on
Star Wars: Ascension of theResistance
Before the doors close for the evening, I might return to my room to swap out my footwear and fetch a jacket. However, for Alex, this offers early entry which allows us to fully maximize our time at Disney.
The Disneyland hotel we prefer is the one themed after Yosemite National Park.
California Grand Hotel & Spa
Where there are numerous amenities that we both adore. Imagine enjoying a relaxing hot stone massage accompanied by soft, classic Disney tunes playing in the background—absolutely delightful! Opting for a luxurious experience like premium wine pairings with dishes such as rack of lamb or filet mignon sounds perfect to us. And let’s not forget about pools equipped with water slides along with floating workout sessions; they certainly make our stay more enjoyable under the sunny skies.
However, what stands out most is Veranda—a high-end, club-style lounge reminiscent of the Ritz Carlton—with continuous food and beverage services throughout the day and seamless transitions between indoors and outdoors seating areas. This inviting environment proved irresistible, leading us to leave the theme park earlier than planned just to enjoy a glass of wine at this exclusive spot, complete with an amazing vantage point for watching the evening fireworks display—it was actually Alex who suggested leaving early!
(Note: Kept “Disney” unchanged as requested)
The Rooms
This hotel boasts over 900 accommodations, featuring 44 suites tailored for family comfort. Some of these spacious suites include as many as three bedrooms capable of accommodating from 10 to 13 people, whereas even their most compact standard rooms can house up to five individuals. Guests may choose among various room types offering vistas of either the park, swimming pool, courtyard, or Downtown Disney. From our one-bedroom suite’s veranda beyond the treeline, we could see
Guardians of the Galaxy – Escape: Breakout!
(formerly the
Tower of Terror
)
.
Wood and stone elements infuse a national park ambiance across the space, complemented by thematic features like stained glass windows and fireplaces in certain suites. (The El Capitan suite is particularly popular.) Rooms at the club level offer entry to the Veranda lounge; we’ll provide further information about this later.
Food and Drink
Napa Rose
is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, ideal for special occasions or Disney date nights. Here, you can taste seasonal California flavors in dishes like charred Pacific ahi tuna crudo, wild boar ragout, agnolotti filled with braised greens, and maple leaf duck breast. A price-fixed menu and multiple wine pairing options are available.
Editor’s Note: Napa Rose is undergoing renovations and will reopen in fall 2025.
Storytellers Cafe
is famous for its character breakfasts, but you can hit the buffet there for every meal if you want to. Starting May 16, they’ll even join you for dinner at Donald’s Tales of Adventure Dinner Buffet, where you can meet Donald, Daisy, Clarabelle, Goofy, or Pluto while eating prime rib, fried chicken, s’mores bread pudding, and more.
Hearthstone Lounge
feels like being in a cozy, upscale national park lodge, with a crackling fireplace and hearty dishes like short rib lasagna and truffle mac and cheese.
GCH Craftsman Bar
Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beverages poolside—typically with sports on television. Should you prefer a pre-park drink, this place is ideal for morning cocktails such as Bloody Marys, mimosas, or the favored Grand Candied Orange Coffee mixed with brandy and Kahlúa.
GCH Craftsman Grill
This spot is perfect for quick-pickup breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and additional items.
Activities and Experiences
The resort features three vibrant pools teeming with activities, including a thrilling waterslide that winds around a faux redwood tree trunk, fitness sessions conducted atop floating platforms, and cozy cabanas. Additionally,
Eureka Fitness Center
with gym equipment and yoga classes (in Disney Ears Yoga, character accessories are key), and bootcamp classes are led through Disney California Adventure park before it opens.
Monthly events
are held at the Great Hall, like
Star Wars
music night in May, and
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures
, complete with royal activities and Mickey waffles, are held in the Trillium Room. Pictures with the princesses are encouraged, of course.
The Spa
The serene, full-service
Tenaya Stone Spa
It feels light-years removed from the theme park, even as your therapist might inquire whether you’d prefer to enjoy some Disney music during your session. Opt for the Tenaya river stone massage or go for the gemstone sparkle facial featuring a diamond collagen mask. Be sure to allocate time to unwind in the relaxation room with a steaming cup of tea and ponder how you’re truly at Disneyland Resort rather than on a mountain retreatspa experience.
Accessibility
The Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers both wheelchair-accessible and hearing-accessible rooms, which can be reserved upon request. The hotel provides accessible pathways leading to the lobby, parking area, dining establishments, retail stores, and conference spaces. Visitors with hearing or speech impairments may inquire about obtaining Teletypewriter (TTY) equipment during check-in. It is advised by Disney to utilize these accommodations.
ScooterBug
to rent wheelchairs and mobility scooters, which can be preordered and delivered to the hotel.
Location
The hotel sits within the Disneyland Resort premises and provides convenient access to both theme parks as well as Downtown Disney for eating, shopping, and fun activities. Additionally, it features a private entryway to Disney California Adventure Park, currently undergoing development until mid-May. During this period, visitors will be directed to utilize an alternative gateway adjacent to the hotel. Furthermore, the Grand Californian boasts its own
parking lot
, with rates set at $40 per night for self-parking and $70 per night for valet services. Visitors who come solely to dine at the restaurants or indulge in spa treatments can enjoy up to three to five hours of complimentary parking.
Ways to Maximize Your Experience During Your Stay
Even though it involves additional upfront costs, the optimal approach for maximizing your experience is to reserve a Club Level room, offering access to the Veranda lounge. Disney explicitly labels these specific accommodations as Club Level on their listings.
hotel’s website
When I explored the website for various spring travel dates, I noticed that choosing the club level option increased the nightly rate by approximately $500, though prices could be even higher.
Each person listed on the reservation receives club privileges until they reach the maximum capacity limit, which varies widely between five and 13 guests per room based on the specific accommodation. The Veranda, situated on the sixth level, serves meals and beverages daily from 6:30 a.m. till 10 p.m., offering everything from morning breakfasts to evening cocktails. All types of alcoholic drinks are part of this service as well.
(Consider how much a dining experience with your loved ones along with some adult refreshments like beer could set you back when visiting the theme park—especially considering multiple-day visits. Don’t forget additional treats such as midday snacks, post-park hours sweets, not to mention an occasional glass or two of wine.)
Certain accommodations allow for adding club membership upon arrival, subject to current availability.
Regarding park access, hotel guests who have purchased park passes enjoy an additional 30-minute early admission period at either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park, based on their choice.
day of the week
.
The nightly rate at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa begins at $597.
Each T+L hotel review is penned by an editor or journalist who has personally visited the establishment, ensuring that every chosen hotel meets our criteria.
core values
.
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