So you’re planning a vacation to Disneyland and you’re wondering where to stay. You’ve got a picky teenager who you’re already worried about, and you’re not sure which resort might meet your needs. Teen Diva- Taylor can help!
Author – Teen Diva
photo credit Allan Rappa
The Lobby:
The first thing I have to say about this hotel is it has this smell, and I know that may sound weird, but its just so much “like home”. So what if your bus broke down, you missed your flight and lost your tickets? The smell of this hotel will immediately make you forget about it all and all you’ll be thinking is “ok what can I do to make this vacation even more magical from this point forward?” The delicious smell of the Grand Californian is one of my favorite things about this hotel.
The Lobby is beautiful its has these amazing ceilings and a wide open feel. If you walk through a set of doors in the back of the lobby you will see two places to eat. One is more of a table service and one has a more casual feel.
Tip: You can buy cartons of milk, orange juice, lemonade, Regular sized boxes of cereal and Go–gurt here. They’re still more expensive than a regular grocery store, but teens eat a lot, so it might be a worthwhile investment, or if you’re traveling from not too far away you could bring groceries with you.
If you keep walking down the path and you will see your special entrance to Disney’s Californian Adventure Park, which I will talk about later. Next onto the rooms!
The rooms are spacious and always extremely clean. I have stayed in two different types of rooms. One is bigger (Pictures on right). A relaxed Spa like feel in each room. *THE OTHER IS…*
Rooms at all Disney hotels are always ready by three, but if they are not do not miss out on this opportunity.** to do what?***
Tip: If you attempt to check in early and do not receive a call or a text right at three you should go check with the front desk and ask if your room is ready because it is possible that they got your phone number wrong. I’m sure you know by now your teen does not like waiting around for long. If the room is not ready by three, Disney is just the kind of company that if they are not busy a lot of times (It has happened to me at least ten or twelve times) they will upgrade your room for FREE.
Also, if you arrive before three (like my family always does) and your room isn’t ready they will hold your bags and allow you to head off to the park!
SPECIAL ENTRANCE:
As a teen I HATE waiting for anything really and what I hate most is waiting in a line just to get in more lines. The Grand Californian Resort’s special entrance into Disneyland Parks helps teens like me. If you stay at ANY Disney-owned hotel you can use their “special entrance” to get into parks by waiting in practically no line. This alone sells me, as a teen, at staying at a Disneyland hotel.
POOL:
The Grand Californian’s pool is BIG. It has two slides and a hot tub, which your teen is sure to love. The slide closes one hour before the pool closes, which is usually between 10 and 11. I cant say how much I love this pool, relaxing is a big part of a teen’s ideal vacation and pools allow us to feel like we’re doing “something” and “nothing” at the same time.
Why Is this hotel Great for teens?
1. The Rooms: Spacious, Nice , Clean
2. Your own personal entrance to Disney park (this also means, you can leave…they can
stay, which can’t happen when you’re off property!)
3. Early access into the park (some days: check before you go as extra hours alternate
between mornings and afternoons. As I teen I like to stay late better!)
4. The Pool!
5. You can use the Amenities’ of the other Hotels… HELLO PARADISE PIER ROOFTOP
POOL FIREWORKSJ
6. The lovely smell
7. Less walking = happier teen!
8. Staying at the Grand Californian helps Disney feel a little “less cartoon” and makes us
makes us feel more like an adult.
2. Your own personal entrance to Disney park (this also means, you can leave…they can
stay, which can’t happen when you’re off property!)
3. Early access into the park (some days: check before you go as extra hours alternate
between mornings and afternoons. As I teen I like to stay late better!)
4. The Pool!
5. You can use the Amenities’ of the other Hotels… HELLO PARADISE PIER ROOFTOP
POOL FIREWORKSJ
6. The lovely smell
7. Less walking = happier teen!
8. Staying at the Grand Californian helps Disney feel a little “less cartoon” and makes us
makes us feel more like an adult.
Why might teens not enjoy the Grand Californian?
1. Its does not have a very “fun” theme
2. The majority of the people that stay here are adults, so there might not be as many other
teens around,which cuts down on our time to flirt.
3. It does NOT have an arcade
4. The rooms do not feel magical (we still like magic even as teens. This is a bit of a conflict
for us. We’re stuck between wanting to still be children and wanting to be adults.)
2. The majority of the people that stay here are adults, so there might not be as many other
teens around,which cuts down on our time to flirt.
3. It does NOT have an arcade
4. The rooms do not feel magical (we still like magic even as teens. This is a bit of a conflict
for us. We’re stuck between wanting to still be children and wanting to be adults.)
Parent Note:
This Hotel is the MOST expensive of the Disneyland resorts. I have seen it for as low as $224/night and as high as $612/night. If the budget isn’t driving the entire trip, however then I would say STAY HERE.
So if you have a mature, teen who does not like waiting in lines, loves California weather and swimming, and enjoys a little luxury, the Grand Californian Result is the Disneyland is the hotel for you!
Stay Disney,
Teen Diva
