Disneyland: One Man's Dream- Disney's Grand Claifornian Hotel

Similar to how Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian is the flagship resort of the resort, The Grand Californian Hotel is the flagship resort of Disneyland. Unlike the Paradise Pier Hotel and Disneyland Hotel, this is the only hotel that Disney has built, owned, and operated since it opened.

Another cool thing about this hotel is the proximity to everything. Outside it's door, you have Downtown Disney. Outside it's other door, you have DCA. The hotel comes with it's own enterance to both venues, making it very unique.


The Grand Californian Hotel is based on the Art and Crafts movement of the early 1900s in California. The hotle feature large, sweeping ceilings that are very high. All the colors blend with nature, and the idea of a home based on the Arts and Crafts movement was taken from being inspired from a garden to a forest. And the hotel really shows this.

Many items in the hotel, from furniture to lights to ornaments, have been handmade specifically for the hotel. The loby itself is a spectacle. One of it's many features is a huge fireplace, which many people like to sit and watch.

The hotel features a large pool area with slides and fountains. It also features a few restaurants, most notably Storyteller's Cafe, The Napa Rose, and White Water Snacks. The hotel features some of the best food in the entire resort.


Due to growing demand for the hotel, in 2007 Disney announced plans to expand the resort by 30%. The expansion will include 200 hotel rooms, and a brand new wing containing 50 Disney Vacation Club villas. This mark's the DVC's first villas on the west coast. The expansion also includes a new pool area, more landscaping, a viewing platform to view fireworks and Disney's new show World of Color, and a large underground parking garage. Actually, the expansion opens it's doors to guests and DVC members in a few days!!




Soon it would be clear that The Grand Calfornian Hotel would be the crown jewel of the Disneyland Resort expansion- not DCA.

Disneyland: One Man's Dream- Designing a California Adventure

On July 17, 1998, it was publically announced there would be a second theme park added to Disneyland as part of a multi-billion dolar expansion from Disneyland to the Disneyland Resort. But the park was not WestCOT, or Port Disney. It was something new.

Let's flashback to a retreat Michael Eisner planned. The goal: to come up with a new theme park concept to add to Disneyland to make it a resort. What eventually emerged was a theme park based around California and celebrating it's history and achievements. Let's face it: California is a dynamic state. It's full of vinyards, orange groves, deserts, mountains, forests, and piers. Not to mention Hollywood, Los Angeles, and various other famous cities.

The following pamphlet was released, outlining the new Disneyland Resort. I'll let the pamphlet speak for itself:


This was the initial design for DCA and the soon-to-be Disneyland Resort. But before we jump into DCA, let's look at the resort as a whole.

Construction began in 1998 and most of the resort was a construction site until 2001 when DCA would open. Temporary parking lots were set up across the streets with shutlle service to Disneyland while the parking lot was being turned into a theme park.

The famous Disneyland marquee was sold to John Stamos at an auction. In agreement with the city of Anahiem, nothing could have a huge sign anymore- not restaurants, hotels, and now, Disneyland. In it's place a smaller sign was made, this time saying "The Disneyland Resort".

Also demolished were almost all of the Disneyland Hotel facilities, including all the buildings that were constructed since the hotel's opening. The Towers were extensively remodeled and refurbished.


In between Disneyland, the construction site for DCA, and the Disneyland Hotel, construction for Dowtown Disney and Disney'a Grand Calfiornian Hotel were under construction. Those will get their own post in a few days. There was also a huge parking structure that was being built for guests to use when visiting the resort, entitled "Micke and Friends Parking Structure".



Disney was also able to aquire the Pan-Pacific Hotel, which they were redoing to match a new land in DCA- Paradise Pier. It would be called the Paradise Pier Hotel, and also go under extensive remodeling and retheming.


Anahiem also did things around this time. Many streets were rerouted and redone to accomadiate the resort. They also beautified the city, adding lush landscapping and more. Slowly, area was becoming something Walt always wanted. A non-tacky resort area people would love.

For the next several days, we'll explore the construction of DCA, Downtown Disney, and the hotels. That'll take us to DCA's opening day.