Which is better: Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I'm thinking about booking two nights in the fall and trying to decide between the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian. The price difference is only $120 total more for Grand Californian, so very close.

Which one would you choose? Obviously the Grand has an amazing location connected to DCA. But is the Disneyland Hotel better for any other reasons? This will be for myself, my husband and my almost 3-year-old.

 

[Malcon10t]

Everyone has their own feelings on this. For ME, DLH rules. The headboards in the room light up with the castle and fireworks. The rooms are larger and brighter than the Grand. I love the roaming characters at the hotel. My granddaughter still talks about when Goofy opened the door for her at valet. We've never had a bad experience.

The Grand is closer, so 5-7 mins faster to get to room (if your room is close, they have some long hallways.) But for US, the closeness doesn't offset the smaller rooms, or the darkness. Now, I have not stayed in a refurbished room, so while they haven't changed in size, they are supposedly brighter.

By Check in

 

[cruisehopeful]

While I like Grand better, with a 3 year old, I'd probably choose DLH for reasons posted above. It's a little further of a walk, but you can use the Monorail when it is open to cut the walk down quite a bit if you aren't in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, usually walking is better.

 

[BriannaRuth]

I've stayed at both and really like both. It just depends what you're looking for.

GCH -- Closer, has a more upscale feel, more grown-up feel to the pool area, theme park views are better than DLH
DLH -- More "Disney" feeling, pools geared more towards kids (water slides), usually has bigger rooms, less expensive

I tend to think if it's your first time at a Disney hotel, the DLH is best because it's the original. Our kids (who are now teens) tend to want the DLH but I think if it was just DH and me, we'd stay at the GCH.

 

[jerseyjersey]

IMO, you really can't go wrong with either choice! We love the Grand Californian, we've stayed there 3 times now in the past 18 months or so. We love that it's so convenient both DCA and DTD--last time as we were trapped in a huge crowd after World of Color, we were very happy to be able to make that quick turn and be "home". We also love Storytellers Café, and we've always found the service and staff at the Grand to be top notch. None of our rooms has ever seemed especially dark (though maybe we've just been lucky), it does have a sort of grand lodge feel, which is woodsy.

We had a good experience at the DLH, as well--it's really just personal preference. We did find the GCL to be quieter overall, if that's a consideration.

Have a great trip!

 

[Niltiac]

We did find the GCL to be quieter overall, if that's a consideration.

I think this is dependent on which tower you end up in. We were in Frontier tower (which is the one no one seems to want because it's a few extra steps to the parks), and we loved how quiet it was. It felt like we were the only people staying there. We would use that walkway that goes past the gazebo area coming back to the room at night, so basically as soon as we left DTD we wouldn't see or hear another soul. Although now that PPH guests are being directed through DLH, I'm guessing there's more foot traffic in the area now.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Thanks for the insight. I think I'm leaning toward the Disneyland Hotel. I wonder if the pools are open and heated in November?

 

[Malcon10t]

Thanks for the insight. I think I'm leaning toward the Disneyland Hotel. I wonder if the pools are open and heated in November?

Yes, they are. We do the Advenger's race in November, and the kids love hitting the pools after the race.

As for quiet, the only time I have had noise issues is the lower floors facing DTD in the Adventure tower. We too love the Frontier tower. It has a bad rap, because it is a few steps further. But if you leave DCA thru the Grand, and walk back that way (faster than DTD), it is closer than the other towers!!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Yes, they are. We do the Advenger's race in November, and the kids love hitting the pools after the race.

As for quiet, the only time I have had noise issues is the lower floors facing DTD in the Adventure tower. We too love the Frontier tower. It has a bad rap, because it is a few steps further. But if you leave DCA thru the Grand, and walk back that way (faster than DTD), it is closer than the other towers!!

Great tip!

 

[tarheelalum]

Disneyland hotel is fantastic. Imho it's the best hotel disneyland has to offer.

 

[Miggee]

All my die hard Disney friends LOVES DLH, personally I have only stayed at GCH simply due to location, my little ones needed to nap so it was super easy to hop back to GCH so they can nap, the service is awesome and seeing that you will be going in the fall, you will prob get a refurb room. I will defin try DLH when my kids are older and dont need naps to see for myself why everyone loves it.

 

[Malcon10t]

Disneyland hotel is fantastic. Imho it's the best hotel disneyland has to offer.

Why? What do you like better about it?

All my die hard Disney friends LOVES DLH, personally I have only stayed at GCH simply due to location, my little ones needed to nap so it was super easy to hop back to GCH so they can nap, the service is awesome and seeing that you will be going in the fall, you will prob get a refurb room. I will defin try DLH when my kids are older and dont need naps to see for myself why everyone loves it.

See, for me, the 5-7 min difference in walk really isn't a biggie. The service at all 3 hotels is awesome. I have had issues with noise at the GCH when I got a room overlooking the courtyard.

 

[otten]

Will the lobby refurbishment at GCH be done when you go? If not, I would say definitely DLH.

We loved our stay at the DLH. The theming is fantastic if you're a Disney geek, the pool is great and you can take the monorail almost right there which worked great for midday breaks.

 

[DLgal]

With a 3 year old, I'd say the Grand is the better choice. The pools at DLH are much more fun for older kids. However, I won't stay at the Grand again until the huge refurb is finished and I don't think it will be done before the end of the year.

 

[otten]

With a 3 year old, I'd say the Grand is the better choice. The pools at DLH are much more fun for older kids. However, I won't stay at the Grand again until the huge refurb is finished and I don't think it will be done before the end of the year.

I don't know about that, my toddler loved the pool. Mind you I haven't stayed at GCH. We chose DLH because the pools were/are closed at GCH and that was a deal breaker.

 

[DLgal]

I don't know about that, my toddler loved the pool. Mind you I haven't stayed at GCH. We chose DLH because the pools were/are closed at GCH and that was a deal breaker.

My boys are older but they loved the GCH pools at ages 3 and 4. The DLH slides would have been too intimidating for them at that point. The younger one loved the small slide and the 4 year old loved the Redwood slide...it was small enough for him to do over and over by himself. I find the DLH pool can be crazy at times and timid kids won't do well in the slide area. My nephew was overwhelmed by the DLH slides at 4 but loved them a year later. My 3 year old niece wouldn't even try the slides last summer...

 

[Malcon10t]

All kids are different. My granddaughter started on the small slides at 2. At 3, I had been watching her go on the "baby" slide, when I noticed she wasn't there. (She was with 3 teen girls.) I see them heading up to the top of the big slide. First teen comes down, and I asked her what was going on.... "She wanted to go on the big one." I asked "You realize she CAN"T SWIM" (she is in a life jacket).... So we stood by the pool, and here she comes, plops into the pool, flips over and starts doggie paddling to the edge. I asked her how she liked it, and she loved it. I asked her about not swimming. She said "The guy up there said to turn on my tummy and just make my hands go." She probably came down it 10 times that day. BUT, she is a very confident child (with some major OCD issues) and loves all things Disney. She tends to think she is a teen.

 

[rentayenta]

My kids love both. You cannot go wrong with either. The location of the GCH cannot be beat though. We always enjoyed Storyteller's more than Goofy's Kitchen.

 

[Malcon10t]

My kids love both. You cannot go wrong with either. The location of the GCH cannot be beat though. We always enjoyed Storyteller's more than Goofy's Kitchen.

We adults prefer Storyteller's hands down. The teen-kindergartener prefers Goofy's though.

 

[old lady]

Grand is a lot newer and beetter hotel in my opinion.