Disneyland Hotel vs. Grand Californian with kids
Written October 2026
The Disneyland Hotel is the Mickey classic, and the Grand Californian is a big wooden lodge, the kind you'd expect in a national park. With kids under six we'd pick the Grand Californian, since a midday nap and a trip back for the fireworks are both a short walk. The Disneyland Hotel is for a family that will spend real afternoons at the pool.
Downtown Disney is out the other door of the Grand Californian, and Disneyland Park's gate is a few minutes beyond that. Next door, the Pixar Place Hotel is Disney's third hotel here, and it has a rooftop pool.
Grand Californian for the gate
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
Inside the resort, own gate
The lodge is Arts and Crafts style, with a lobby fireplace the kids sit in front of, and its gate opens straight into California Adventure's Grizzly Peak. Disneyland Park's gate is about five minutes' walk, and some rooms look into the park.
There's a slide at the pool, though we'd book it for the location. You skip the shuttle and the parking structure, and the parade is a short walk back.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
Disneyland Hotel for the pools
Disneyland Hotel
Downtown Disney, west end
This is the original Disney hotel, at the far end of Downtown Disney. Its two retro-themed pools have waterslides (the monorail slide pool and the E-Ticket pool), and the Villas have a splash pad pool of their own, plus a kitchenette and a fridge. The tower rooms have headboards that light up and play the fireworks music.
It's a few minutes' walk down Downtown Disney to the parks, or you can ride the monorail from the Downtown Disney stop into Tomorrowland (which counts as a ride). For a toddler who lives for the pool, we'd stay here.
- Cribs
- Yes
- Fridge
- Yes
- Kitchenette
- Yes
- Pool
- Yes
- Waterslide
- Yes
The cheaper way to be close
Across the road from the main gate, the Harbor Boulevard hotels are a ten-minute walk to the parks and cost much less. Our Los Angeles family hotel guide has the ones with a kitchen and a pool.
More in Anaheim
Disneyland vs. California Adventure with a three-year-oldPhoto credits
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa: HarshLight (CC BY 2.0) · Disneyland Hotel: Sam Howzit (CC BY 2.0)