Grand Californian

Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel & Spa hosted our stay. All opinions are my own. Well, when I wrote this post I didn't assume that Disneyland and the Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel and Spa would be closed! In these unprecedented times, when everything is closed and most people's travel plans have halted, it's still a great time to reminisce and think about a better tomorrow. With optimism and future family travel adventures, I wanted to recap our recent stay at the Grand Californian. This is not our first time at the Disneyland Grand Californian hotel. This is actually our third stay. But it was not like the other stays for two very important reasons. First, we finally had the chance to swim in their magnificent pools. Second, we had the chance to experience the character breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by warm and welcoming employees - as always! Disneyland does a really amazing job of bringing joy to every aspect of your experience. They quickly checked us in and found us a room available an hour before formal check-in. When we got to the room, we dropped our things and headed to the park entrance so we could experience the opening day of the Magic Happens parade at Disneyland. After enjoying this magical parade, we decided to head back to the hotel so we could go for a swim. We got back to the room to change and we were welcomed with a whole bunch of yummy Disney-themed desserts. We had Mickey-shaped macarons and chocolate-dipped mickey-shaped brownies. My kids were beyond thrilled. Who doesn't like a sweet treat in the middle of the day, right before heading to the pool. I made sure to remind my kids just how lucky they were that we were guests of Disneyland. Grand Californian Swimming Pools Although we have stayed at the hotel before, we never had time to actually swim in their expansive pools. This trip, we set aside some time after the Magic Happens parade and before our Star Wars event to check out the pools. My kids absolutely loved swimming in their pools because there were three different full-size pools, one with water slides. They also had a kiddie pool and a large hot tub too. My kids had so much fun going from pool to pool. There are also ample chairs and towels for all of the guests. Another neat thing about their pool area is that there were at least two bars and restaurants right near the pool so you could enjoy a drink or food in between or while enjoying the pools. The water was heated, so my kids were plenty warm even though it was only in the high 60s that day. Storyteller's Cafe at the Grand Californian After a restful and comfortable night in our room, we headed downstairs for breakfast at Storyteller's cafe. This is our second time doing a Character breakfast at Disneyland, but our first time specifically experiencing the Storyteller's cafe. First of all, the food was amazing! Their buffet is expansive. There are so many food choices that even the pickiest eater will find many things they enjoy. Most notable, they had cinnamon french toast that was super delicious. They also have tons of fresh fruit, a wide assortment of pastries and also an omelet bar, so you can have an omelet just the way you like it. Beyond the food, another great thing about the character breakfast is how close you get to the characters. They literally come right up to your table and joke around with your kids as they are eating. My kids are at such a great age for this type of experience; they really enjoy getting to meet the characters and even oblige me when I ask for pictures. Overall, we loved our stay at the Disneyland Grand Californian hotel. We love this hotel for lots of reasons. The proximity to the park entrance and downtown Disney are two other reasons it's a great place to stay. If you get the chance to stay at the Grand Californian, I'd highly recommend it.

Grand Californian

This is Why We Love The Disneyland Grand Californian Hotel