When visiting Disneyland, you don’t just want to go for simply an afternoon or even a day. Mega-nope. To really embrace all the magic, you’ll want to stay in the glorious Mickey-made bubble morning, noon, and night. Thankfully, the house of mouse has built an entire resort community to allow you to escape from reality and delve deep — really deep — into the Disney. These hotels aren’t merely a place to sleep: They offer so, so, so much more. Here are seven reasons why you should stay in one to really complete your Disney experience.
1. The Grand Californian has been rejuvenated. The eminence of this four-star hotel is irresistible — even more so now that the stately arts and crafts hotel has gone through a beautifully executed metamorphosis. They’ve completely redecorated and updated every single one of the hotel’s 900+ rooms. Along with new paint, furniture, and lighting (plus oodles of USB ports), they’ve also added whimsy. Chip and Dale, everyone’s favorite chipmunks, make an appearance in the decor, alongside odes to the orange groves that once stood where Disneyland now resides. Plus, the H20 grapefruit bergamot shower gel provided in the bathroom smells soooo good (and is in easy, “I’m gonna take these home with me” bottles).
2. The Grand’s lobby — AKA your home away from home — will make you feel swanky. Srsly, the lobby will take your breath away. Recently they added bar service, so after a long day of riding Space Mountain and eating churros, you can chill on one of their comfy sofas and sip on an expertly made Manhattan or sample the local craft beers. While you don’t have to stay at the hotel to take advantage of this space, having it near your room is a sweet perk. (Photo via Disney Parks Blog)
3. A room at the resort means you can drink up! One of the best aspects of staying on site is that you can indulge in an alcoholic beverage (or two, or three) without having to worry about driving. While you can wet your whistle at the Hearthstone Lounge or at the bar at Steakhouse 55, we’re big fans of the decor (and the drinks) at Trader Joe’s. It’s an exotically awesome spot to relax after a day of adventure — plus, you can order a trendy tiki mug to take home.
4. It’s easy to indulge in nap time. If you’re doing Disney, odds are you’re doing it on all cylinders. The lights, the treats, the rides, the people; it can all be overstimulating and overwhelming. Walking to your room to take a disco nap is one of the best perks of staying on property. And if you happen to have little ones with you who really require those all-important rest times, being able to stroll over to your room from the parks is worth every penny. And how adorable is this Bambi-inspired fold-out bed?!
5. Magic Mornings are the best mornings. Sure, the rooms are great, the location is fab, and you get little Disney chocolate coins on your pillows at night… but the best thing about staying on property is Magic Mornings. (Look how empty main street is in the photo above!) With a flash of your room key, you can enter the parks an hour before the general public. That means you can jump onto all your favorites before the big lines begin (except Peter Pan’s Flight — there are always huge waits there). On our last visit, we rode Toy Story Mania — which usually has at least a half-hour wait — five times in a row without getting off the ride. Saving time in the morning means you can spend your time later waiting in the important lines (you know, for churros).
6. You can enjoy a vacation within your vacation. Rest is usually not synonymous with Disneyland, but it can and should be. If you’re a guest of the hotel, you can book a cabana at one of their pools. There you’ll have your own dedicated space where you can lay out or in, you’ll get a lovely fruit tray and towels, and there’s a TV if you really wanna catch up on Project Runway while you relax. A private cabana is a heavenly oasis, especially on days when it’s hot and crowded at the parks.
7. The concierge has special offers. One of our favorite things to do is the Classic Attraction Trivia Challenge. They’ll give you a sheet of questions for a variety of rides (like how many animals are on Pirates of the Caribbean), and you fill them out during or after going on the attraction. When you return the sheet to the desk, you’ll get a prize. Last time we received super-cute old-school attraction luggage tags, LOVE! They also offer hotel tours, fitness walks, and evening movies.
Have you stayed at a Disney hotel? Tell us about it @BritandCo!
(Photos via Sunny Chanel)
