The Swan Hotel Let me know if this sounds like you: You very carefully pick out your Disney resort hotel at either Disneyland or Walt Disney World. You want to make sure you have the best access to the park you want to spend the most time at. You also want to make sure you’ve…
Category: Disneyland Resort Hotels
Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian and Paradise Pier
Before You Make That Room Request…
View from the Polynesian Village Resort, 2931 You’ve picked your Disney resort hotel and booked it. As that magical check-in date comes closer, you’re starting to think about making a room request. What kind of a view do you want? How close to do you want to be to all the amenities? Or would…
Disneyland Reopening: What We Know Now
Both theme parks will reopen on April 30th After more than a year of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disneyland now has a reopening date! So many people are clamoring to get back into the Happiest Place on Earth, but information keeps changing as to what this is going to look like. Having…
Pools at the Disneyland Resort
The Red Monorail Slide at the Disneyland Hotel pool For some people, a trip to the Disneyland Resort involves spending every waking moment in the two parks, perhaps throwing in a visit or two to Downtown Disney. But for others, no vacation is complete without a dip in the hotel pool. If pools are…
A Spooky Oogie Boogie Display at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel
Every year the Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa has a large Halloween display in the middle of the lobby. There is a different theme each year. This year Oogie Boogie is quite the spooky masterpiece! The villain of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas stands over 4 feet tall at the entrance to the Grand…
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel – the Grande Dame of Disneyland Resort
Reminiscent of national park lodges, the Grand Californian Hotel is Disney’s flagship resort on the West Coast. In some ways it reminds visitors of the Wilderness Lodge, which is really no surprise, as both resorts were designed by architect Peter Dominick. If you are interested in what influenced the architecture of the resort, make…
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar Bewitches All
You might think that there are many more important things to do when visiting Disneyland Resort, but, trust me, Trader Sam’s is not your average tiki bar—it is an attraction in its own right! The bar is fairly small with a capacity of only 47 guests and no reservations available. Looking around the bar is part…
Should you Stay Onsite or Offsite? Disneyland Edition
The Disneyland Hotel, an onsite option One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your Disneyland vacation is where to stay. Disneyland has three onsite resort hotels that are owned and operated by Disney. There are also many offsite options, run by other companies, that are within the city of Anaheim. Because of the massive…
Can a Disneyland Annual Pass Pay for Itself in One Trip?
Many Southern California Disney fans who live within driving distance of the parks hold Annual Passports. But what about those of us who live farther away but want to visit the parks? Could we ever justify having a Disneyland annual pass? If you’re only going for one trip, would it make sense for one person…
Holidays at Disneyland in 2017
We may not be far into November, but Disneyland’s elves have been busy stringing lights, polishing jungle bells, and flocking fake snow over everything in sight. It’s a sparkling place any time of year, but the Christmas season combines the spirit of the season and the wonder of magic into a winter wonderland for all…
Still the Flagship — Renovated Grand Californian Hotel
Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa opened in 2001 along with the expansion of Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney. This year, the hotel has undergone its first major renovation since opening. The subtle changes keep the renovated Grand Californian Hotel right where it belongs — as Disneyland’s flagship resort. No review of the…
Halloween Time Creeps Back to Disneyland Resort with Eerie New Enhancements in 2017
Can you feel it in the air? Autumn is right around the corner. At night, there is an ever-so-slight, gradual cool down. It seems to last for only a fleeting moment, but it is a glimpse of what lies ahead. With each passing week, the phenomenon that I call “Pumpkin Pandemonium” picks up steam, as omnipresent pumpkin…