{"id":8148,"date":"2020-02-02T13:00:34","date_gmt":"2020-02-02T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eaumaison.us\/?p=8148"},"modified":"2020-02-02T20:16:00","modified_gmt":"2020-02-02T20:16:00","slug":"staying-at-the-grand-californian-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eaumaison.us\/index.php\/2020\/02\/02\/staying-at-the-grand-californian-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying at the Grand Californian Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we last visited Disneyland I declared it my dream to stay at the Grand Californian Hotel one day.\u00a0 Not only is it a beautiful luxury hotel with all the Disney theming and service you expect, but it’s as close as you can get to staying IN the parks.<\/p>\n

The Grand Californian Hotel<\/a> is a the ONLY hotel that actually touches the theme parks.\u00a0 All other hotels in both California and Florida require a shuttle\/bus\/train\/skyliner\/ferry or a walk across streets to enter the theme parks.\u00a0 But this GCH is has its own security check point into Downtown Disney, which leads directly to the plaza for DL and DCA parks.\u00a0 The GCH also has a private security AND ticketing entrance into DCA.\u00a0 You really can’t stay any closer to the action.<\/p>\n

So when Ben and I dreamed up this trip in the fall, we decided to take advantage of the off-season room rates and reach for the sky.\u00a0 We booked a premium view room at the GCH instead of our default choice of the nearest budget Marriott.<\/p>\n

We were informed at check-in that we had a pool-view room, and that no theme-park views were available.\u00a0 I was bummed, since I had put in a special request for a park view.\u00a0 However, I was delighted that we could clearly see the tops of Pixar Pier from our balcony.\u00a0 Good enough for me!<\/p>\n

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This hotel delivered.\u00a0 Spacious and lovely with hidden Chip and Dale chipmunks all over.\u00a0 The lobby had a roaring fire and cartoons and a live pianist all day long.\u00a0 The room had lots of clever design features to make it comfortable.\u00a0 Friendly housekeeping gave us extra pillows and blankets and turn-down service with chocolates on the bed.<\/p>\n

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Sam on his fold-out bed, waking up ready for the first day in the parks.<\/p><\/div>\n

Jack fell asleep shortly after 8pm on Tuesday, despite lights and TV blaring.<\/p><\/div>\n

Ben took the kids swimming Sunday after we got our room.\u00a0 You can see them from our balcony (Ben is in green and red).\u00a0 He had to drag them out after an hour when they couldn’t talk without chattering teeth.<\/p>\n

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But really, the access to the parks was amazing.\u00a0 Only on Tuesday, when every hotel guest was trying to get into the Extra Magic Morning hour at DL, did we have to wait maybe 15 minutes to get through security.\u00a0 Every other time we got out with practically no wait. Here, I took a screen shot of the park map and circled our room.<\/p>\n

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And here Ben is pointing it out from inside the Wilderness Trail Challenge course in DCA.<\/p>\n

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I was so happy with the location, I even took a video of the walk from room-to-park on our last day, when I made a quick stop in the room midday.<\/p>\n