Welcome to Part Two of my “Visit Disneyland” blog. Yesterday I briefly discussed Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Today I’m going to cover the three Disney hotels located in Anaheim.
When people are planning a trip to WDW they often ask me where to stay. My answer is always the same. Stay at a Disney hotel if at all possible. I don’t care if it’s a deluxe, moderate, or budget resort. Just stay on property. That way you will be surrounded by the magic 24/7 and be eligible for Disney perks – like Extra Magic Hours. My advice is the same for the Disneyland Resort – if you can afford it. You see, all three hotels here fall into the deluxe category with prices to match. Let’s first discuss Disney’s Grand Californian, the flagship hotel of the three (and the most expensive).
If you like the Wilderness Lodge at WDW, you will like the Grand Californian at the Disneyland Resort. Designed in the early 20th century Arts and Crafts style of architecture, this hotel showcases the elements of nature with hand-crafted stone and woodwork that blend with rustic charm and elegant design. The lobby is especially majestic and welcoming.
This hotel opened in 2001 as part of a major expansion to the Disneyland Resort that also included Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney. The Grand Californian has 1,019 rooms of which 48 are Disney Vacation Club 2-bedroom units that can be split into 1-bedroom and studio accommodations. The Grand Californian also has its own private entrance into Disney California Adventure and is literally part of the Downtown Disney complex with many rooms overlooking this shopping district.
People often ask me to name my favorite WDW restaurant. I always answer Flying Fish and Citricos. Well in my opinion, Napa Rose at the Grand Californian has both of these beat. Besides providing top-notch service and excellent cuisine, Napa Rose offers an unsurpassed selection of wine. The chef, Andrew Sutten, was hired away from the Auberge du Soleil resort in Napa Valley to create an all new experience at this restaurant’s inception and he continues to work his magic to this day. Over the years, Napa Rose has won numerous awards. For example, in the 2008 Zagat Los Angeles/Southern California Restaurants Guide, Napa Rose scored 27 points in food and service and 26 for decor (both out of a possible 30) giving it the highest score in the region
The décor of Napa Rose continues the Craftsman style of architecture and offers a beautiful dining room and an exhibition kitchen-view counter. One wall of the restaurant features floor to ceiling windows that overlook Grizzly Peak at Disney California Adventure. I can’t recommend this restaurant enough for those of you who truly enjoy an elegant evening.
The Grand Californian is the one Disneyland Resort hotel that is truly comparable to the hotels found at WDW. It has a definite theme inside and out that captures the imagination. This is a first class establishment.
Let’s next take a look at the Disneyland Hotel. Located at the west end of Downtown Disney, this hotel features three high-rise towers. Originally built, owned, and operated by the Wrather Corporation, this resort is now under the Disney umbrella (since 1988) and has received a number of makeovers over the decades. During the last three years, the hotel underwent another refurbishment and today it offers sophisticated accommodations with Disney whimsy thrown in where ever possible.
Part of the playfulness of this resort can be found at the newly constructed pool. The water slides have been cleverly designed to pass through replicas of the original Disneyland monorails while a facsimile of the original Disneyland sign towers overhead.
More whimsy can be found at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. As the name implies, this watering hole is themed after the Jungle Cruise and the Tiki Room – and is a lot of fun.
The concoctions presented here are good for a few laughs. Take a look at some of the offerings listed on the drink menu.
Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum: Welcome to our tropical hideaway, you lucky people you! If you have one of these starting right away you may be ordering two.
Mosquito Mojito: Trading of the ingredients of this refreshing antidote for malaria didn’t cost Sam an arm and a leg. But it did cost him a mint.
Hippopotomai-Tai: Dare to enter this hippo pool with.. Bang! Bang! Two shots of rum! Don’t worry this drink is only dangerous when you start to wiggle your ears!
Although Imagineer Joe Rohde was not responsible for the design of Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, he has been immortalized here in the form of an African mask. In addition, Disney World’s Little Orange Bird can be seen perched on an overhead shelf.
For you beef lovers, the Disneyland Hotel also offers a first class restaurant. Steakhouse 55 is an outstanding eatery that ranks high on the Zagat scale. In 2012 it received a score of 25 for food, 24 for décor, and 26 for service (out of a possible 30).
The last hotel I’m going to discuss is Paradise Pier. This hostelry is the least expensive of the three and located the furthest from Downtown Disney and the theme parks. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of your consideration.
This 15-story hotel was built by a Japanese concern and opened in 1984. It was originally named Emerald of Anaheim. (The hotel has a 13th floor as the Japanese aren’t superstitious about such things.) The name was later changed to the Pan Pacific Hotel in 1989. In December 1995, Disney purchased the hotel and changed its name to Disneyland Pacific Hotel. In 2001, the hotel was renamed again to Paradise Pier to coincide with the Paradise Pier section of their new park, Disney California Adventure. The exterior of the hotel was also altered to give it a “Coney Island” appearance to help it blend in with the section of the park it overlooked.
Of the three Disney hotels, this one has the least “Disney” feel about it. The Imagineers have tried to infuse magic into this resort, but it really can’t compare to the Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider staying here.
Although the walk to the theme parks and Downtown Disney is a little further, it offers the most reasonable prices along with Extra Magic Hours, a real perk when visiting Disney California Adventure and Cars Land these days. In addition, the rooms on the east side of the building offer spectacular views of DCA. Note, these next two pictures were taken before DCA was remodeled but it will give you an idea of what’s in store for you here.
I have not begun to cover all of the amenities offered at the Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, or Paradise Pier. Each resort would require an entire blog. However, all of these hotels offer great service and first class accommodations. The beds are comfortable, the pillows are big, soft, and many (unlike WDW), the towels are large and fluffy, and the toilet paper is quality.
All three hotels have swimming pools, shops, and multiple eateries. In addition, they all offer character meals so your children can have some one-on-one time with their favorite Disney friends.
Another good thing about these three hotels is that they’re Stacy-free. When watching the Disney Resort channel on your hotel room TV, there is no annoying Stacy counting down the “must see” attractions. Instead, you get a simple voiceover by a pleasant sounding gentleman, calmly explaining all there is to do and see at the Disneyland Resort. This alone should make you want to book a trip to Anaheim.
For those of you who can’t afford a Disney hotel, there are around a hundred hotels and motels in the Disney area available in all price ranges. Most offer frequent bus service to and from the parks. In fact, in order to accommodate all of these other resorts, Disney has built a special loading and unloading area for taxis and buses. Many of these non-Disney resorts are within walking distance of the parks.
On my most recent trip to the Disneyland Resort, I did not rent a car. Instead, I used the Disneyland Express bus service that runs between the Los Angeles International Airport and the Disney area. This service is operated by Grey Line, not Disney (so there is a reasonable charge for the service). However, the Disney resorts are given priority as their guests are dropped off here first and picked up last to minimize your time in the bus. I have to say, I was extremely happy with the service and would definitely use it again.
Okay. I know what you’re thinking. You’re saying to yourself, “Jack, you’ve convinced us that the Disneyland Resort is worth a visit, but you say that it only takes three days to see the parks. So what are we supposed to do with the rest of our week?”
Southern California is one of the key tourist destinations in the country. It has enough man-made and natural attractions to keep you busy for months. Alamo Car Rental is located at Downtown Disney and day trips abound. Here is just a sampling of things to see and do within an hour or so drive from the park:
Knott’s Berry Farm
Universal Studios Hollywood
Legoland
Nixon Library
Long Beach Harbor – for Catalina Island
Queen Mary
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
Hollywood Sightseeing Tours
Newport Beach – for whale watching
La Brea Tar Pits
Griffith Planetarium/Observatory
Venice Beach
Huntington Library
J. Paul Getty Museum
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Olvera Street
Aquarium of the Pacific
Raging Waters
If you’re willing to drive an hour and a half or two hours, here are few more sights worth your time:
Ronald Reagan Library
San Diego Zoo
San Diego Safari Park
Sea World
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Visit the Disneyland Resort. If you love Disney history and details, you will be glad you took my advice and took the plunge. I’m not saying you should abandon WDW. After all, the Florida resort is a tough act to follow. But in my opinion, the Disneyland Resort is a wonderful encore.
Once you’ve got your feet wet with a second Disney resort, maybe I’ll be able to convince you to visit Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland. The more Disney parks you visit, the more details you’ll discover and you’ll see a bigger picture emerge.
Check back next week when I’ll discuss the history of Disney California Adventure. And the week after that I’ll be comparing the “old” DCA to the “new.”
Jack-
My family was fortunate enough to visit Southern California and the Disneyland Resort last summer. One of the frequent “knocks” the resort has in comparison to Walt Disney World is that it’s in the middle of a city. While that’s true, I found that once the car was parked at the Mickey & Friends lot, it was an immersive experience akin to WDW. We even found the tram ride to be a bit of fun, similar to riding the Monorail from the TTC. The Downtown Disney area was also very charming- it was nice to leave the park for a sit-down meal without taking too much time out of the day.
As much as you hear about the “magic” of WDW, in my opinion the bus ride from most resorts to the parks doesn’t really offer much to the eye, anyway.
I encourage anyone who has an opportunity to visit Disneyland to do so. No need to compare it to other Disney locations- it’s a great destination in its own right.
Thanks Jack for this Disneyland series of blogs.
My first visit to a Disney park was way back when I was 10 and my brother was 3 when we traveled across country to visit family in So. Ca (we are both the wrong side of 50 now) we got the Diz fever right away. Yes we love WDW and our family’s go there often, but secretly my heart belongs to Disneyland. Just this year I was visiting relatives and we spend 2 days there.(those California people really love their parks) . Then my brother & family went out and stayed for 5 days(jealous perhaps?).
By the way, The Napa Rose used to be our favorite restaurant but the Carthay Circle will give it a run for its money now.
Have a very Merry Jack and a healthy New Year!
Jack,
I had always been skeptical about a trip to Disneyland, but I really am happy to hear such a great endorsement coming from someone who is such a Disney enthusiast. It really does make me want to go some day! Thanks for all the great information.
Sandy
Being right in WDW back yard kinda makes me a home turf kinda guy. And I dont think it is a fair comparison. Disneyland is forced to pack alot more into two smaller parks due to space limitations. If you compared the DL resort to entire WDW resort it would be more fair. Disney spread stuff out alot more in WDW to make people go to the lesser popular parks. If we had all the attractions that everyone liked in two parks I feel it would be similar. Plus they have no zoo or racetrack or amazing selection of places to stay including a campground. Let the celebrities have thier park ours is better! 🙂
Great article Jack, left me wanting more! Before my son was school age, we would do a yearly trip in April to Disneyland and in August to Walt Disney World! It was the best of both worlds! Hence, I have a definate love for both parks – even though we live on the East Coast. I definately recommend staying at any of the 3 Disney hotels – we tried a couple of non-Disney ones and were disappointed. You certainly can’t beat being able to walk everywhere! Yay! While I liked Napa Rose, I also highly recommend its next-door-neighbor, Storytellers Cafe! Maybe because with a kid it is a great offering – all market fresh foods – same food quality as Napa, just more comfort style foods instead of haute cuisine. Most days, believe it or not, we would leave the park at lunch and walk over to Storytellers – then walk back to our hotel for a rest. Also, while you say 3 days is what is needed to tour Disneyland, I found that 6 days was just the right amount with a kid – and that was before Cars Land!
Hi Jack,
You note in one of your comments that summer vacation is a poor time to visit. When do most schools in California go back in session at the end of summer? For example, we went to WDW the last week of August when most southern schools are back in session but the ones in NY are not. Thank you!
Jack’s Answer:
I haven’t lived in California for a long time. But when I did, school started up right after Labor Day. But I wouldn’t take my word for it. Better check the internet.
Hey Jack!
Thanks for the blog! After countless books and shows about Disneyland, we finally took our first out there last August. You brought some great memories for me. Reading over everyone’s comments I have to say that nothing has been overlooked, except…The Indiana Jones Adventure!
Even though the ride technology is the same as Dinousaur! in Animal Kingdom, it is a completely different experience. From what I understand the recent refurb was sorely needed, but even before the refurb it is the very definition of an E-ticket ride. I would advise anyone planning a DL trip to make sure they go when this ride is scheduled to be up.
Robert
Hi Jack – Great blog entry (as usual).
I would add a couple of world class entertainment options that you seemed to have missed:
Angel Stadium Of Anaheim is very close and is the home of the Anaheim Angels major league baseball team (during baseball season).
If you are going to drive to see the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld is practically across the street.
And if you are going to go to Los Angeles, you might as well go to Hollywood as well.
I did find one spelling mistake:
“Once you’ve got your feet wet with a second Disney resort, maybe I’ll be able to convince you to visit Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Honk Kong Disneyland…” Honk Kong? Did you perhaps mean HonG Kong? Common mistake.
Keep up the great work!
Your Friend,
Dan
Come on Jack, I’ve been reading and enjoying your blogs for years and now this! I feel like I don’t even know you anymore. Stacy annoying…..NEVER! She’s always a big part of any WDW vacation and she would be missed if she was ever taken off.
I always enjoy your blogs (excluding the fore mentioned), keep up the great work.
Terry
Hi Jack:
My husband and I have always dreamed of a visit to Disneyland. We have always wanted to visit Walt’s original park and discover California Adventure.
Being from Florida, we visit Walt Disney World resort at least twice a year and we know exactly when to visit to avoid the crowds and get the best hotel rates.
In regards to Disneyland, what would you say is best time to visit for the best crowd levels and hotel rates?
Jack’s Answer:
Disneyland Resort caters to the local Southern California audience. Most people drive to Disneyland for the day and go home that evening. This makes the touring pattern completely different than WDW. The best time to visit is Monday – Thursday when school is in session. And just like WDW, avoid Easter week, summer vacation, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week. Once again, this is when schools are out.
Jack,
As always, thank you for the great article. Is there a quality website that reviews the Disneyland “good neighbor” hotels?
Also, what about the area in general? Is it safe? I know what to expect at WDW, even late at night.
We’ve been considering a trip to Disneyland instead of WDW for a while now, but have yet to pull the trigger. (I was last at Disneyland in 1985 when I was 12)
Jack’s Answer:
Go to the official Disneyland website:
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/
Under “Places to Stay” are a list of the Good Neighbor Hotels.
As for safety…
When Disneyland underwent it’s major rehab over the last four years, the City of Anaheim also spent millions to spruce up Harbor Blvd. and Katella Ave. The streets are nicely landscaped and brightly lit. As long as you stay in the tourist areas, you’ll be fine.
Jack,
Great sales pitch for the Disneyland resort! I wish I could visit more often, but since I live in the Southeast it is easier to go to WDW.
I hope to one day visit all the Disney parks. So far I’ve done WDW, Disneyland/California Adventure, and the Disneyland Paris parks. Each has their own unique charms, and I enjoy noticing what is different and what is the same amongst them. For example, I was amazed when I visited Disneyland this past spring and noticed that the windows on the monorail were open! It made me laugh to think of the same design in Orlando and how much rain would fly in on stormy days.
It’s always a pleasure reading your posts!
Julia
I’ve been to DL twice but have yet to get on the Matterhorn! The first trip it was closed for refurb and the second trip I was pregnant. I’ve never been to DCA- I definitely want to plan a trip out there. Just need to save up for airfare!
Hi jack
Loving the blog.
I was lucky enough to visit Disneyland last year, and after being an Epcot cast member and visiting WDW quite a few times since, I was blown away.
As you say, the history is amazing and I would encourage anyone to visit the resort.
Everything is within easy reach and the parks themselves are a refreshing change from what I am used to. The differences are substantial, and anyone who thinks they are going to recreate a WDW vacation should be pleasantly surprised by what is so different and what borders on comparison. I think the main point of difference is definitely the scale though.
Thank you for the great blog!
Phil
hey Jack
I am a big fan of the Wilderness Lodge so Im sure I would like the Grand Califorian. It looks like there are quite a few good resturants as well. I also like the clever drink menu from the trader sams. I know one day I will get the chance to visit. can’t wait for your next blog and as always keep up the great work.
Hi Jack,
I enjoy your articles. My family and I go to WDW yearly and sometimes twice yearly. This past November we made our first trip to DLR and were pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect it to be bad but I had heard people say I wouldn’t like it as much since I was so used to WDW.
However as you pointed out the intimacy won me over. Not having to spend one hour on a bus while it stops at each park for pick ups and goes to 3 hotesl was priceless.
We stayed at the GCV and loved it. I would rank it second behind Aulani as best Disney Resorts.
I also agree in that I give an edge to DL over MK.
When I made my comparisons I tried to view it as if they are totally separate places. I didn’t want to not count Star Tours at DL since it’s at DHS.
My kids absolutely loved the Matterhorn. I kind of see it as an early more tame version of Mount Everest.
I was also super suprised about how great DCA was. I don’t have a comparison of what it was like before the $1.1b upgrade. To me it had it’s own identity plus it gave me the “best of” from the WDW parks with Twilight Zone, Toy Story Mania and Soarin along with plently of unique rides.
My soon to be 13 year old who likes more fast paced rides ranked it her second favorite theme park right behind Islands of Adventure.
I thought the Aladdin show is the best show at any Disney Park. I also loved World of Color.
The Paradise Pier area reminded me of the Boardwalk area except with rides.
I would rank DCA as my second favorite Disney Park behind EPCOT. I know it’s somewhat sacreligious to not have either DL or MK as my number one but that is my story and I’m sticking to it:-)
When we did the trip we combined it with 4 days in San Diego. I consider this another perk to the West Coast Disney. It is easy to combine with a non-Disney part of the trip.
The only thing that might have me still give a slight edge to WDW is EPCOT.
Based on all the rumors out there it seems DLR is more likely to get it’s third park before WDW gets it’s 5th park. Adding a 3rd park and a few more Hotel Options could really give a major incentive to Disney fans to rotate East and West Coast. I would hope if they expand resorts they would add a moderate and value resort.
My vote for a 3rd Park would be to do something with their recently acquired rights to Marvel and Star Wars.
I look forward to reading your post on DCA.
Mike
Thank you for these Disneyland posts Jack, I still remember reading the posts from your last visit when they were new – seems like yesterday!
Have been visiting WDW for 23 years from the UK and its been my dream to visit Disneyland for a while now. I am hoping to make this happen next year.
I adore WDW, I do, but I want to walk in Walt’s footsteps and see what he saw… I already know I am going to cry!
Best wishes!