Greetings, Silvia, and welcome to planDisney! A family trip to the Disneyland Resort sounds lovely, especially during the holiday season. The pools are certainly a highlight of the Disneyland Resort hotels, so let's dive into your options!
Each Disneyland Resort hotel requires a wristband to access and utilize the pool area. Guests receive a new wristband each day after checking in at the Pool Concierge stand. Registered hotel Guests can only receive a wristband for the hotel where they are staying. I called the Front Desk at the Grand Californian and confirmed this to be the policy. Unfortunately, Silvia, that means that you and the family you are visiting with can't cross between hotel pool areas.
As a note, sometimes special arrangements are made when a pool area is undergoing a refurbishment. In that case, hotel Guests are typically given access to one of the nearby hotel pool areas. As your trip approaches, check the pool pages for the
Grand Californian and the
Pixar Place Hotel for information about possible pool closures and alternative options.
Silvia, even if you can't "just keep swimming" together, there are still plenty of things you can do as a group at the hotels. For example, meet up in the majestic Grand Californian lobby and find a cozy place to sit, such as beside the fireplace. The kiddos can relax in the small rocking chairs and watch cartoons as the adults catch up. Or, the
Sketch Pad Cafe at Pixar Place Hotel is a nice spot to grab coffee, and there's always a chance that you'll encounter Bing Bong nearby!
Silvia, you should also plan to meet up to partake in activities exclusively for hotel guests, such as complimentary movie nights and guided hotel tours. These are open to all Disneyland Resort hotel Guests. Check the
Hotel Guest Activities page as your trip gets closer to see what's on the schedule. You also might want to keep an eye out for special Thanksgiving Day dining options at the hotel, which you can reserve for your whole group, even if you are staying at different places. I recommend following the
Disney Parks Blog and
Disneyland account on Instagram to see if anything is announced before your visit.
The Downtown Disney District is another fun place near the hotels to meet. There's a
stage with live performances from talented musicians and a big grassy area that my kids really enjoy. And of course, nothing is quite as magical as coming together inside the theme parks, where there are rides, shows, Characters, food, and more to discover.
Silvia, November will be here before we know it! You'll be making special memories with your loved ones in no time. Between now and then, please let us know if you have any other questions. We at planDisney are always happy to help.
Wishing you magic,
Kriss