Disney's Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

5443 reviews

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  Luxury Prices, Motel-Level Service

  I have genuinely stayed in hostels with better customer service. Our stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel was one of the worst hotel experiences I have ever had. For a hotel charging premium prices and presenting itself as a luxury Disney resort, the level of service was honestly unbelievable. The biggest issue was the complete lack of customer service. We constantly felt like we were an inconvenience simply for asking basic questions or requesting things that should be standard at any hotel. We were repeatedly given information that turned out to be untrue, and it seemed like almost every Cast Member’s priority was to pass the request on to somebody else rather than actually help. During our stay, our room was not receiving the towel service or garbage removal we were supposed to receive. We were travelling with a 1-year-old, so naturally we accumulated garbage, including diapers. After getting so frustrated that we had resorted to leaving garbage near the elevators, we saw a housekeeping Cast Member IN OUR HALLWAY, ON OUR FLOOR, PUSHING A HOUSEKEEPING CART. While holding the baby, we simply asked for some garbage bags so we could deal with the trash ourselves. He refused to give us any and told us we needed to call downstairs and request them. We called. Nothing came. We called for towels and were told to get them from the pool. We went to the front desk for help. Nothing. Then, on our final night, the hotel water went out around 1:00 AM. We unfortunately knew immediately because members of our group were also dealing with what appeared to be food poisoning after eating at the Craftsman Bar. The water remained off through the morning of our checkout day. What shocked me almost as much as losing the water was the complete lack of communication. No letter under the door. No voicemail on the room phone. No visible notice. No proactive communication whatsoever. We had to keep calling the hotel ourselves just to find out what was happening. We had approximately 30 hours of travel ahead of us that day and repeatedly asked if there was ANYWHERE we could shower before leaving for our flights. We were basically told there was nothing they could do. We then had to BEG for bottled water just so we could brush our teeth. Eventually, someone brought us five tiny bottles of water IN A GARBAGE BAG(finally). We were told to use the showers at the pool. Obviously these are public pool showers, so this already meant trying to shower while wearing swimsuits. We went down there anyway, only to be told THE POOL SHOWERS DIDN’T WORK EITHER. That was it. No alternative. We ended up putting the kids in the pool just so they could freshen up, then using bottled water afterward to try to rinse the chlorine off them before beginning our trip home. That is an absurd situation for guests of a hotel at this price point to be put in. Our experience with a package delivery was just as ridiculous. One of the kids’ tablets broke during our flight to California, so we ordered a replacement to the hotel. Before doing so, we checked with approximately 11 different Cast Members AND used the chat function in the Disneyland app to make absolutely sure we could have it delivered. Everyone told us it was fine, although almost every person gave us different instructions. The package was delivered to Bell Services. We repeatedly checked for it IN PERSON over the following days because, by this point, we had learned not to rely on the information we were being given. We kept being told it wasn’t there. At one point we were even told it needed to go through “security.” It took FOUR DAYS to finally get our package. We eventually discovered that it had apparently been at Bell Services the entire time. Nobody had bothered to actually locate it. After repeatedly watching Cast Members go into the back to “check” and then return saying it wasn’t there, it is very difficult not to wonder what they were actually checking. Finally, during the water outage we were specifically told that a manager would come to our room to speak with us face-to-face. Nobody came. Instead, someone claiming to be a manager called the room. The conversation was dismissive and left us with the impression that they really did not care about what we had experienced. Considering how much incorrect information we had already received during our stay, I honestly have no confidence that we were even speaking to a manager. The Grand Californian has an incredible location and a beautiful lobby, but those things do not make up for terrible service. At these prices, guests should not have to chase down towels, beg for garbage bags, spend four days trying to retrieve a package that is already inside the hotel, or use a swimming pool and bottled water to clean their children because the hotel has no functioning water and offers no reasonable alternative. Several people in our group described the experience as worse than staying in a decrepit motel. They aren’t wrong. Disney talks endlessly about its legendary level of service. We experienced the exact opposite here. We felt like an inconvenience from beginning to end. I would not stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel again, and I cannot recommend it to anyone. Save your money and stay somewhere that actually treats paying guests like guests.

  Aug 28, 2026
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  Fantastic location

  Fantastic hotel, wonderful location and great facilities. We had an amazing time and would definitely choose this hotel again. The direct access to Downtown Disney and Californian Adventure was so convenient. Loved it!

  Aug 25, 2026
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  Beautiful resort with a fantastic proximity to the parks

  This is in our top three for Disney properties. Absolutely beautiful proper and you can’t beat the proximity to the parks. Our room was nice and had everything that we needed. The staff was fabulous and was always eager to point us in the right direction or to offer recommendations. As a diehard WDW fan this was a nice way of visiting Disneyland. The resort is walkable to GCA, Disneyland and Downtown Disney.

  Aug 22, 2026
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  Do better Disney Hotels! Love the staff but save your $$

  WARNING to travelers: the Disneyland Hotel and any OnSite hotel is just not worth it any more. SAVE YOUR MONEY!! The 1 star is for STAFF, if I could give my $$ directly to them, I would, because their amazing kindness is what Disney does best. Absolutely love all cast members, front desk, cleaning crews and security! But I genuinely want the Disney Company to Do Better! Every off property hotel offers the same fireworks view and short walking distance to the entrance for $200 to $700 LESS A Night!! The 1 lightening lane pass per person per entire stay (not per day even!) is not worth the loss of early entry. A full multi lane pass costs less than the overnight parking! (Up to $40 versus $45 parking). And the taxes? Left our family (staying for a Disney wedding even) with a bitter taste. All the rides and shows the theme parks offer still make the entry ticket worth the price. But most people also don't realize that you can walk around all the hotel grounds, enjoy the restaurants, music, vibe and magical photo worthy decor in all the lobbies for free! So although I am still a huge Disney fan, until they do better by lowering the price or offering more worthy perks like full lighting lane passes per day, free parking or food credits for hotel guests, I will warn all travelers against Burning their $$ money just for a bed at a Disneyland Hotel.

  Aug 06, 2026
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  The Hotel That Made Us Feel Like Kids Again

  Before booking Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, I wrestled with the price. Like many families, I found myself asking, "Is it really worth it?" After spending several days there with my wife, our four-month-old daughter, and our three-year-old son... My answer is an easy yes. Not because it's the newest hotel. Not because it's the fanciest. Because there is an incredible amount of built-in value that you simply don't understand until you experience it. The obvious value is the location. Being able to walk directly into Disney California Adventure—and just a short walk from Disneyland—completely changed our vacation. With little ones, we could head back for naps, feed our baby, enjoy the pool, or simply slow down before heading back into the parks. That flexibility was priceless. Instead of surviving Disney... We enjoyed Disney. Instead of rushing from one attraction to the next, we found ourselves enjoying the moments in between. And I think that's the hidden value of this hotel. It creates margin. Margin to rest. Margin to laugh. Margin to notice your kids. Margin to remember that vacations are supposed to feel like vacations. The Grand Californian didn't just give us a place to stay... It gave us permission to slow down. The hotel itself is stunning. From the moment you step into the Great Hall, you feel it. The soaring timber beams, handcrafted details, beautiful fireplaces, soft music, and signature scent somehow create a space that's both grand and incredibly peaceful. It feels elevated without ever feeling pretentious. One of our favorite surprises was discovering Disney movies playing in the Great Hall each evening. Watching families gather around the fireplace while children sat mesmerized by classic Disney films was one of those simple moments that perfectly captured the heart of the hotel. It wasn't just a lobby—it became part of the vacation. Every morning started with coffee on our balcony, and honestly, those quiet moments became some of my favorite memories. Disney even included their Disneyland 70th Anniversary coffee in the room—a small detail, but one that reminded us that someone had thought about the experience from beginning to end. That's what this hotel does so well. Hospitality lives in the details. The nightly turndown service. Rooms that always felt refreshed. Friendly greetings in the hallways. Beautiful landscaping. The music. The smells. The balconies. The craftsmanship. Individually they're small. Together they create something unforgettable. The food also deserves recognition. I'll admit, I expected typical theme park food. Instead, we found genuinely delicious meals throughout both the hotel and the parks. Every meal exceeded our expectations. The pools were fantastic, and our kids absolutely loved them. Character Dining became another unforgettable memory, and our three-year-old has officially declared Clarabelle Cow his favorite Disney character. Let's just say Clarabelle has made a major comeback in our house. 😂 One thing I especially appreciated is that while you can tell the hotel has been lovingly cared for over the years—and it appears thoughtful renovations are beginning—it never felt old. It felt timeless. I hope Disney preserves that feeling because it's part of what makes this place so special. We enjoyed our stay so much that we ended up extending our vacation. The team made the process incredibly easy, and we were simply grateful for how accommodating they were. That extra day became one of our favorites. But what I'll remember most isn't the architecture or the location. It's the people. Every Cast Member, housekeeper, server, maintenance worker, landscaper, and team member we encountered made us feel genuinely welcome. As someone who has worked in hospitality myself, I know experiences like this don't happen by accident. They happen because thousands of little details are cared for by people who take pride in what they do. I've come to believe that the best hospitality isn't loud. It's a thousand little things that quietly tell someone, "We're glad you're here." That's exactly how the Grand Californian made our family feel. Somewhere between the music in the lobby, coffee on the balcony, watching our kids laugh in the pool, walking back into the parks together, and ending each evening surrounded by Disney magic... My wife and I looked at each other and realized something we hadn't expected. We felt like kids again. Disney gave our children unforgettable memories. The Grand Californian gave our family the space to slow down long enough to enjoy making them. We'll absolutely be back. Kindness travels well...and so does Disney magic.

  Aug 04, 2026