• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About/Hire Me
    • About Me
    • Hire Me
    • Contact
    • Family
    • Faith
    • FAQ
    • My Running Story
    • Recipes
  • Disney
  • Fitness
    • runDisney Information Page
    • Fitness
    • Races
  • Parenting
  • Travel

Through Heather's Looking Glass

  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • family
  • About Me

Disney’s Grand Californian

September 7, 2013 | Disney, runDisney, Travel

Whew! Yesterday was an insane day of playing catch up at home. I did 5 loads of laundry in between answering emails and chatting with clients. SO glad today is Saturday though and I get a slight break to catch up. Also glad it’s football time! You can bet I will be parked in front of the TV for the better part of the weekend…after my workout of course. Smile

Next week is going to be loaded with fun runDisney posts, I can’t wait to share everything from the meet up to the races, but I thought today I would start with the hotel.

We were lucky enough to stay at Disney’s Grand Californian. It is a beautiful resort steps from the parks (my favorite perk!) with a rustic theming. We had a gorgeous view of the pool and part of California Adventure park (Grizzly peak is so cool looking!)

014

We were on the fifth floor and had two queen beds.

018

019

015

Yummy fruit for us that was replenished daily (note: this was a special gift from the hotel.)

017

DSC_0608

DSC_0609

We also got to hang out in the concierge lounge on the 6th floor where they had food and drinks for us.

021

022

It was nice after a hot day in the parks to relax, look at the mountains and have a snack.

025

I may have even bumped into a buddy in the lounge.

026

The balcony of our room was nice to relax on, and I enjoyed people watching from it.

185

The convenience of the hotel cannot be beat, especially when you are used to Walt Disney World like me where you have to drive everywhere. The resort also has two great restaurants that we ate at, Storyteller’s on the first night and Napa Rose (much more formal) on the last night.

Both were great for different reasons I have outlined in this post.

DSC_0619

I plan to stay here in January for Tinkerbell and cannot wait to go back.

DSC_0644

DSC_0655

QOTD: What is your favorite Disneyland hotel? Or Walt Disney World Hotel?

*Don’t forget to enter my Raw Threads giveaway! 

I would love to book your Disney trip for you at no extra cost to you. Email me at heather@travelwiththemagic.com for details!

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sign up for my newsletter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness says

    September 7, 2013 at 8:37 am

    The Grand Floridian Resort and Port Orleans Riverside are my favorite Disney World Resorts ( for 2 different reasons of course). The Grand Californian looks nice. Kind of reminds me of the Wilderness Lodge. Curious to see how that resort compares to the other Disneyland resorts. Have you stayed at any of the others?
    Thanks for sharing! You take great pictures. Love the details!

    • Heather says

      September 7, 2013 at 10:23 am

      no but planning to try to stay at DL hotel for a night during tink!

  2. Kristina @ Blog About Running says

    September 7, 2013 at 9:19 am

    The Grand Floridian is definitely my favorite of the Disney hotels. I’ve never been to the Grand Californian and I’m a little surprised by how it looks compared to the Floridian, but I do love that they brought you fresh fruit every a.m.! I guess it must be older than the Floridian?

    • Heather says

      September 7, 2013 at 10:22 am

      I’m not sure when it was built. it’s a mix of GF and wilderness lodge. it’s nice!

  3. Lesley says

    September 7, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    Looks very nice! We’ve only stayed at all of the Values at WDW but our favorite is POP. We are staying in our first moderate, CarIbbean Beach Resort in October for the ToT 10-Miler…cannot wait! Looking forward to your race recaps and pictures!

  4. Frank@The Fat Runner says

    September 9, 2013 at 10:22 am

    Well, now I know where I’m staying at when I decide to visit Disneyland. Pretty cool!

  5. Pamela says

    September 10, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    It looks very nice! I am leaning towards staying there for DL half weekend next year. I need reviews of all 3 from you. Hello DIsney please bring Heather back to stay in the other 2 so I can make my decision. 🙂

    • Heather says

      September 10, 2013 at 7:09 pm

      haha! I may stay a night at DL hotel for tink

Trackbacks

  1. runningwithsass says:
    September 7, 2013 at 1:46 am

    Disney’s Grand Californian

    Whew! Yesterday was an insane day of playing catch up at home. I did 5 loads of laundry in between answering

Primary Sidebar

I am Heather Montgomery, a 30 something southern girl living in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband Bobby, 10-year-old daughter Emma Kate, and our goldendoodles Dolly and Luna. I’m just a regular girl who likes to workout, travel, hang with my family, text, and eat chips and queso. Be sure to check out my “about me” page for more info!
Thank you for visiting, and feel free to contact me with questions, (or for PR inquiries or press trip invites) at Support@HeathersLookingGlass.com.

Please, no guest post requests. 🙂

More about me

Privacy Policy

You can also find me here:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Convenient Ways to Increase your Fitness
  • A Quick and Easy Seasonal American Road Trip Guide
  • Why Quick Workouts Deliver Big Results
  • 4 Things That Stop People From Exercising (And What To Do About Them)
  • 6 Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

 

Search

How to Start a Blog

How to start a blog
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • Family
BLACK FRIDAY DEAL TIME! 🐸 My friends at @themepa BLACK FRIDAY DEAL TIME! 🐸 

My friends at @themeparkfrog JUST dropped their black Friday deals, and it’s the perfect thing to unwrap for your family for the holidays! 

These are their best deals of the year. You can save a lot of money on Disney tickets, hotels, and even cruises! 🚢 They all have amazing deals happening RIGHT NOW!

Black Friday Exclusive! They are DOUBLING your Disney Bonus! Get a FREE $40 DiningDollars promo credit with every Disney ticket purchased. This is huge and a great way to stretch your dollars for your vacation. 🥳

What are you waiting for?! Unwrap these incredible deals right now on undercovertourist.com. They won’t be around forever, so why not book now and give your family a surprise of a lifetime that they can unwrap this holiday season. 🎄 

And just a reminder, Undercover Tourist Disney theme park tickets come with a best price guarantee and 365-day refund just in case your plans change!
Their tickets link to the Disney apps JUST like normal tickets, seriously the exact same tickets, for less money! 

#partner #SaveOnDisney #disneyholiday #disneydeals
Packing smarter for our mountain getaway 🏔️ I brou Packing smarter for our mountain getaway 🏔️
I brought along the @bagsmart_official Adventure Seeker Kit: the 26” check-in and the expandable 20” carry-on, both in the prettiest steel blue 💙
Use code HeatherG25 for 10% off

✅ Built-in weighing indicator
✅ Lightweight, durable PC shell
✅ 360° shock-absorbing spinner wheels
✅ TSA-approved combination lock
✅ Aluminum handle with 4 height settings
✅ Water-resistant, stain-proof interior with dry/wet separation

From packing to rolling over gravel at the cabin, these bags handled everything effortlessly — and still looked beautiful doing it.

✨ This holiday season, BAGSMART is offering extra discounts + free packing cubes when you grab a designated suitcase bundle!

#BagSmart #AdventureSeekerCollection #SmartDesignSmarterTravel #PackWithMe #TravelEssentials #familytravel #familytrip @bagsmart_official
Still not over getting to preview Zootopia: Better Still not over getting to preview Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at Animal Kingdom 🐾💙 (sponsored) 

From the merch to the attraction (and the treats!), it’s everything Zootopia fans hoped for. 🦥 

Staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge made the experience even more magical. The amenities and the immersive atmosphere is next-level Disney ✨ 

And getting to see Judy and Clawhauser’s voice actors in person? Unreal. 🥹

Zootopia: Better Zoogether is NOW OPEN at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park! 🦒 

#zootopiabettertogether #disneysanimkingdom #animalkingdomlodge #disneycreators @waltdisneyworld  @disneyparks
#ad Who says gift cards can’t be personal? 🎁☕️ T #ad Who says gift cards can’t be personal? 🎁☕️ 

This year I wanted to do something special for my coffee-loving friend — something simple but still thoughtful. I grabbed a Starbucks gift card from Walgreens (they seriously have every kind you can think of, and you can even Buy Online, or Pickup In Store 🙌). 

Then I added my own touch: a cute Christmas mug, a candy cane, and a little note. Because the best gifts don’t have to be complicated, they just have to show you care. 💛 

See gift card for terms, conditions, and applicable fees @incommpayments 

#GiftMadeEasy #HolidayGifting #StarbucksGiftCard #WalgreensPartner #GiftCardGlowUp #WalgreensGifts https://bit.ly/InCommWalgreens
#ad For too long, retirement has been painted as “ #ad For too long, retirement has been painted as “slowing down.” But for me? It’s the opposite.

I see retirement as the start of bold adventures, family memories, and the freedom to keep moving and exploring — whether that’s traveling, staying active, or saying yes to new experiences.

✨I’m protecting my passion 

Because the people I love, the life I’ve built, and the retirement I want — it’s all part of my life’s work. And @Prudential can help protect it.

How will you #ProtectYourLifesWork and passions in retirement? 
👉 Share & visit the link in my bio to start protecting your future.

*I am a non-customer and paid promoter of Prudential Financial. To learn more about the material terms of my relationship with Prudential, please go to shespeaks.com/PrudentialRetirementDisclosureHeatherMontgomery.
Who thought this was a good idea? 😵‍💫🫣🫠 Send this Who thought this was a good idea? 😵‍💫🫣🫠

Send this to your emergency contact 😅👀

#marriedlife #loveandmarriage #emergencycontact
IT’S TTTTTTIIIIIIMMMMMEEEEE!!! 🎄 🎅🏻 🎁 ❄️ Hand ra IT’S TTTTTTIIIIIIMMMMMEEEEE!!! 🎄 🎅🏻 🎁 ❄️ 

Hand raise if your decorations went up today! If not, when do you decorate? 🎄 

My cutie dog sweater is from Walmart! Comment the word sweater and I’ll end you the link. It’s super affordable! 

#mariahcarey #itstime #christmasdecor #tennesseechristmas

Copyright © 2025 · Through Heather's Looking Glass · Theme by Bella Creative Studio

%d