We have just returned from a week at the Ritz Carlton. The hotel is magnificent and we have never experienced such incredible service before. It was so lovely that it was hard to drag ourselves away from the hotel to go to the theme parks at all. In fact we didn't bother with Disney , having been before and just did a few trips to Universal. It was so hot and busy there, we couldn't wait to get back to the peace and tranquility of the hotel.
We stayed on the club level with its own concierge and club lounge where 5 different food presentations are laid out each day. We were just expecting a few nibbles but breakfast is a lovely continental spread with cheeses fruit pastries etc. During the afternoon it's literally like tea at the Ritz in London with champagne etc. Quite difficult to fit in any meals out after all that!
The pool is lovely, not as big as the Marriott next door but more luxurious. Our kids are 11 and 13 and they enjoyed it. The pool attendants were wonderful, laying out 3 towels per sun lounger, with one rolled up as a head rest. The waitress even came into the pool with a tray of smoothies for everyone to try.
The Spa is out of this world. Not for under 16 really but they were quite happy for my daughter to have some treatments. Expensive but fabulous.
Restaurants are great. Normans is very smart and we dined there for our daughter's birthday. They even printed a special menu wishing her a happy birthday.
We paid $299 per night for a room on the club level which we thought excellent value. There were 2 double beds so the four of us shared.
Overall I would say this is probably the best hotel we have ever stayed in on holidayand I am extremely fussy! Perhaps not the most convenient if all you want to do is theme parks, but if you want to mix a little luxury with the odd trip to the parks then this is an absolute must

If you are looking for large rooms and a great value, this hotel is not for you. However, if you want the convenience of staying right in Disney's California Adventure park and the luxury of a nice resort and pool area, then the GCH may suit you.
This was our third annual stay at this hotel, and we feel like we've been forever spoiled. For us, we love being able to run to our room for quick breaks throughout the day. We enjoy sitting out on the patio, watching the people and listening to the sounds below. The kids love the pools, and we parents love the poolside drinks. Our Disneyland vacations include a significant amount of time at our hotel, so we appreciate the Disney Resort feel the GCH provides.
We have found that the Cast Members do their best to accomodate the guests. For example, we were not satisfied with our "resort view" room that was initially assigned to us this last visit. (We could see trees, a rooftop, and the monorail when it went by.) I called right away and was immediately assigned a more suitable room overlooking the hotel entrance to California Adventure. On each of our stays, we've experienced true Disney hospitality and have not been disappointed.

Disney's Grand Californian has, without a doubt, the worst $400+ rooms I have ever stayed at.

Of course it starts before you even check in. Your room is preassigned so very little chance of getting one of the good views overlooking Paradise Pier. Then, a resort fee is charged for 'use of the resort', a newspaper (which you don't get on the
week-ends) and self parking. If you choose valet parking you pay about double again with no credit for the self parking fee. Also, 'included' is internet access which was not available in my room.

While you are preassigned a room, they won't tell you where it is until you check in, undoubtedly, to cut down on the inevitible complaining. So we were assigned rooms overlooking the River Raft ride which is almost completely blocked by trees.

The bathroom area is almost exactly like a Holiday Inn Express .

I requested a room with one bed but received one with a bed and a bunk bed which not only made the room feel very small but made for a very bad siteline to the tv.

The balcony is so small that only two people can sit there at one time.

The trip was a birthday present and we requested a little birthday momento which, unfortunately, didn't arrive until 10pm.

Also, I ordered a cake which comes with a pin. I asked if I could get a second pin and they said fine. I get a call back 5-10 minutes later saying that they couldn't give me a second pin.

That said, the lobby is very beautiful and you don't have to stay there to enjoy it.

If you want the Disney ambience, stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel, very reasonable (I stayed there once for about $100/night) and nice.

We just returned from a 4 night stay at this wonderful hotel. We have stayed in all of the deluxe hotels at Walt Disney World, so we were expecting this hotel to be much like the Wilderness Lodge in Florida. We found this resort to be much more than we ever expected. We had two rooms, one with 2 queens and one with a king and sofa bed. The views were wonderful and the beds were quite comfy. The desk staff were so kind and when we first checked in, they told us that one of our rooms seemed to have been cancelled out. Needless to say, after flying over 1000 miles for this vacation, we did not want to hear this, but in a short time, Brendon and Caleb had the problem remedied and we were in our rooms. The maid service was good and the turn-down service happened every night without fail. We ate at White Water Snacks, Napa Rose and Storyteller's Cafe for the character breakfast. All venues were super, particularly the Napa Rose. The grounds are immaculate and our favorite part was being able to access California Adventure Park within just a few yards of our room. The parks were crowded, June 8-12, but not overly so, and the weather was perfect. High 70's during the day, and high 50's at night. We will visit this park and hotel again and again, I am sure.