Hi there, Joel,
I love the many benefits available to Guests of the three
Disneyland Resort Hotels.
Convenient access to the theme parks is among my favorite benefits. If you would like to use the direct access gate to
Disney California Adventure Park from Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, you can enter the hotel from its
Downtown Disney District entrance, located between
The Disney Dress Shop and
Sephora. From there, walk through the convention center area, through the grand lobby, and out the door near the
Acorns Gifts & Goods souvenir shop. From there, you walk around the pool area to the entry gate between
Napa Rose and
Tenaya Stone Spa.
Note that to use any of the hotel-exclusive entrances, valid
theme park admission and a
theme park reservation are required. Additionally, Guests must usually have an active hotel reservation at one of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels. A dining reservation at Napa Rose or
Storytellers Cafe may also be valid. During especially busy times, access may be restricted even more. I have found that access in and out of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa to Disney California Adventure Park is usually not restricted after the busiest time of day for entry through that gate: during
Early Entry and right around the time of regular park opening or when a
special event is beginning.
Tony’s Tip: For access to Disney California Adventure Park from the Disneyland Hotel, I normally recommend walking through Downtown Disney District to the park's main entrance. That way, you avoid having to enter through two separate security checkpoints, one at the entrance to Downtown Disney District and another as you pass through the entry gate from the hotel to the park. And the main park entrance offers the advantage of greater capacity for admitting Guests with far more than the two or three turnstiles available at the much smaller entrance from the hotel. Still, it is awe-inspiring to pass through the amazing lobby of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. So I do recommend experiencing it at least once during your visit. Perhaps the most convenient way would be to exit through the connected hotel when leaving Disney California Adventure Park for your hotel room. You'll need to pass through the security checkpoint from the hotel into Downtown Disney District. But that checkpoint is usually not very busy except for first thing in the morning when hotel Guests are heading toward Disneyland Park.
I just know you are going to enjoy your stay at the Disneyland Hotel, Joel. It's my favorite Disney hotel. As you continue to get ready, please feel free to send us any more questions you may have.
~Tony