Grand Californian at Disneyland

This review of the wheelchair accessibility of the Grand Californian is from Summer 2022.

From the drive up to the grand reception hall to the wooded pool areas, the Grand Californian transports visitors to the rustic cabins of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains…but with all of the frills and comforts of a 5-star hotel (such as The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park). And those frills extend to include wheelchair accessibility of the lobby, rooms, and pools.

The Grand Californian exceeded expectations, and made for a fantastic stay.

Main Entry and Lobby

The valet staff were patient and helpful, allowing lots of time for me to transfer out of my vehicle. They also blocked traffic to ensure I could safely traverse the entry. The Grand Californian has power motion-sensing doors throughout the property, and I found that I could independently access the lobby, restaurants, and all wings of the hotel. And the grounds were absolutely stunning.

Wheelchair Accessible Room

We stayed in a wheelchair accessible room with a tub. We were in town for a CureSMA conference, and all roll-in shower rooms had been previously assigned to other wheelchair users. The bed height was ~22″ and the toilet height was ~19″. The room had sufficient space for maneuvering and accessing the bedroom and bathroom areas. Plus Chip and Dale playing in the woodwork around the room was a nice Disney touch. 🙂

Accessibility of Pools

The Grand Californian had at least 3 pools and spas, all of which had wheelchair accessible lifts. The lifts were all SR Smith-esque lifts, which means the lift could swing 360 degrees, the chair could be raised to over 22″, the footrests and armrests were comfortable ad helpful, and the lift went deep into the pools. Transferring with this lift was heavenly, and the lifeguards on duty were knowledgeable in how to operate the lifts (but still let me do it independently).

Overall, I was very impressed by the wheelchair accessibility of the Grand Californian. It was an easy and pleasant stay. Plus having easy and direct access to Downtown Disney and Disney California Adventure is a HUGE perk of staying on property. I strongly suggest a visit to Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen–no paid endorsement, just a favorite haunt of mine (in New Orleans and in Downtown Disney).