Disneyland® Hotel

“The Villas Shine At The Disneyland Hotel”

Recently my wife and I enjoyed a getaway to the Villas at the Disneyland hotel. As Disney Vacation Club members we were thrilled that a new resort was coming as previously; only the Villas at the Grand California offered a DVC resort and they were always in high demand. While our Deluxe Studio d... more

Recently my wife and I enjoyed a getaway to the Villas at the Disneyland hotel. As Disney Vacation Club members we were thrilled that a new resort was coming as previously; only the Villas at the Grand California offered a DVC resort and they were always in high demand. While our Deluxe Studio did not have the full kitchen, washer and dryer, and jet tub like the one-bedroom and above units, it offered more than one would expect in a hotel room as it offered a toaster, refrigerator, microwave, and a full selection of plates, glasses, and utensils for in-room dining. The television offered the ability to pair with our phones and we were able to stream from various providers during our stay. While we did not attend the parks on this visit; we still had a great time with the amazing Disney service while we shopped and dined at Downtown Disney. We arrived in town before our room was ready and as such we enjoyed a nice lunch at the Jazz Kitchen since we had not eaten since earlier that morning. We explained to our server that we had reservations at Storyteller’s Café for dinner and asked what would be a light and suitable option. We went with the Gulf Coast Poutine fries which were topped with cheese and a sausage gumbo. We paired this with French Quarter Salad with Grilled Chicken which was the perfect option. Our next stop was at the Star Wars Outpost for some shopping before we went to the lobby of the Grand California hotel to enjoy the Piano music and atmosphere before we went to our dinner reservation at Storyteller’s Café. The buffet style offered an assortment of soups, salads, fruits, carving station options, and sides from mashed potatoes to macaroni and cheese as well as an array of bread and meat options. Doing a low-sugar option was tough as they had a very impressive selection of fresh deserts but I managed to avoid temptation. We walked back via the new Pixar Place hotel and took in the amazing decorations and got a look at the shopping and dining options that were offered before we went back to our hotel. Downtown Disney is going through several additions and the new entry and courtyard was fantastic and the construction shows that several new additions were coming as part of the massive updates coming to the parks in the next few years. The next morning started with a visit to Goofy’s Kitchen for their amazing character Buffet which featured numerous breakfast and lunch options from eggs, custom omelets, meats, sides, soups, salads, and a massive selection of baked goods and sweets to name but a few of the tempting options. When a staff member heard I was doing the low-sugar thing; he joked that I was in the wrong place not to be tempted but admired my resolve. Later in the morning, he surprised me by bringing a no-sugar pineapple sorbet from the kitchen which was absolutely amazing and perfect for a summer day. The parade of characters that made visits to our table also highlighted our visit. We spent the next few hours shopping at Downtown Disney and made our way back to the room to change for our time at the pool. The hotel offered multiple pools, slides, hot tubs, and splash areas for all ages and we found a nice shaded area to relax when we were not in the refreshing water. For dinner, we went to the Pixar Place Hotel and enjoyed The Great Maple Modern Eatery which offers a mix of Ribs and burgers, salads, Breakfast, and more. We started with the Parmesan Truffle Fries and Chicken Soup which were both great and opted for a Chicken Taco Salad and Cobb Wedge for our dinners. Both were large portions and very fresh. Genevieve opted for the Beignets for dessert and I looked on as she had several large treats served. She had one which was said to be amazing and the rest made their way home. While this experience is on the pricier side; it does feature great food and service as well as lots of variety for those looking for some great dining options outside the resort. We enjoyed the walk back to the room through the garden areas around the towers and settled in for the evening to enjoy the room. Our checkout was very smooth and while our parking was covered as a DVC member on this trip, it should be noted that the city imposes a tax on stays even when paid with DVC points for the new Villas and this was collected at Check Out. While our time was too short and we wished a longer stay was possible; we have a return already planned for October as I was able to get tickets for the Oogie Boogie Bash and look forward to hopefully being able to stay in the Villas again as we are waitlisted for our next visit.

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