Layout of the three park hotels is tricky until you walk it a few times. There was nothing on the Internet that helped me understand this layout ahead of time.

Our one night stay at Paradise Pier was on par with SKgolf and meanestmom from June, 2008. We got a deal price for being annual passholders and booking right after school started, but only by calling and asking. Previously, price and crowds have kept us away from this hotel.

Notes from stay: Rooms have refridgerators. Unlike other reviews, all but one of the desk personnel (cast members) at check in/out were pretty apathetic; they only handle one thing at a time and intentionally avoid eye contact with anyone in line. My wife thought the room was dirty, I'd say it was more like average with things wrong such as the bottom of the entertainment center badly broken from a kick or a vacuum.

My suggestion is if you are from out-of-state (and can't afford the California Grand), go ahead and stay up to a couple of nights for the experience but only if you can confirm your room faces the park (our even numbered room did) and pay around $175/night or less. If you are from So. Cal and make repeated trips to Disneyland, either pay up for the California Grand or stay at one of the high rated hotels on the perimeter (but watch for parking fees). We had a much better overall experience at a Marriott to the south with the ONLY negative being outside the park.

The California Grand is basically across the street 1/2 block from the Paradise Pier. Reference another's comment about walking thru the California Grand to enter the theme parks, that's fine if your ticket or pass covers both Disneyland AND California Adventure; the Grand's theme park entrance is to California Adventure only. Tonight wife saw an ad for free birthday admission in 2009 but I don't know the details or if that is for both parks.

When we arrived the check-in was very quick. The front desk staff were very friendly and had little gifts for our daughter. They are very knowledgeable as is the concierge desk.

The rooms are great. They have that beachy Mickey theme and it is cute. They are a good size - not super small - we had 2 double beds and a couch that converted into a single bed. This was fantastic as it was kind of built into the room and when it was a bed it didn't take up a whole bunch of room (like cots often do). Then you could switch it back into a couch and sit on it. The air conditioner is nice because you can actually set the temperature - not like other places where you just put it at low/medium/high. Our room faced DCA and it wasn't noisy at all. You can see the fireworks at night so that was a bonus.

The bathroom was nice. It was also a good size. We love the little Disney shampoos you get every morning. It was maybe a little bit musty in the bathroom - they didn't have fans to run while taking a shower.

The pool is very small. It was packed when we were there - so that was too bad. That pool can not accommodate all the people that say there - which is too bad. The waterslide is great - so that kind of made up for the crummy little pool.

It isn't a far walk at all to Downtown Disney or both the parks. I don't know why other reviews complained about that. It is about the same distance as the Disneyland resort - maybe just a bit further. You can enter DCA through the Grand Californian Resort which is really nice.

We ate every morning at the little lounge area they have in the lobby there. They have pastries and cereal so that was very convenient. We also ate lunch there one day when we came back from the park early - and it was ok as well.

Overall it was a great experience. We loved it and would certainly stay there again without a doubt.

For our Disney visit this year my family (we have 2 kids 6/8) decided to stay inside the parks. In Disneyworld we were staying outside, but this time we wanted to try the experience, and it worked well, especially since we could leave the park at noon, take a swim and rest, to go back fresh after 5pm and we could see Fantasmic at the second show.
GC or PP?- The hotel is located behind the GC, in a much quieter place. GC is undergoing some expansion, they have construction undergoing on one side and noisy Downtown Disney on the other. PP is smaller, which made it more interesting for us, I hate huge hotels. It has a nice pool on the 3rd fl, kids loved the waterslide; our room was over the pool on 6th floor but it was not noisy at all. GC is really 'grand' indeed, but it also had grand prices. Going back, I'd stay at the PP again.
The room was big enough to swing a light saber, if you know what I am talking about. It was clean, had a large closet, and a fridge. It had a rope over the tub to hang your laundry - no bathing suits dripping around!
Food: Breakfast was pricey but nice, but the restaurant closes at 11am and reopen after 5pm. We arrived at noon and we had chicken fingers and sandwiches at the bar which carries a limited option of dishes.
Check in and out was painfully slow, and so elevators (yes, use the glass one) at rush hours.
The resort fee gives you the privilege of self parking. Do drive upfront to unload luggage before checking in or you'll drag bags quite a bit.
Disney parks are a maximum 10 min. walk, you cross the GC hotel and you are in Downtown Disney or directly at CA. Come on, it is so short!! If that seems long, don't leave your home.
I recommend to everyone the Unofficial Guide to DL for great tips on hotel/ food/ attractions.

We stayed here for a medical conference while the family visited Disneyland. We had a great time and the service was excellent. The rooms were nice a big and had the fold out couch. There were two restaurants on the property and both were good. I have read reports that the elevators were slow, but we never had a problem with them.

The pool area was nice and the children loved the water slide. We also appreciated the tot pool.

I was much more impressed by this hotel that the Candy Cane Inn that we have stayed in several times. The rooms were much larger and brighter. The whole atmosphere was more luxurious. Also, the walk to the parks was not bad at all. Plus you could take a short ride on the Monorail and get right into Disneyland from nearby.