Grand Legacy at the Park Review
Grand Legacy at the Park is one of the closest hotels to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. This review features room photos, thoughts about our experience of staying here, and whether Grand Legacy is a good option for your Disneyland trip.
If you’re a Disneyland fan but are unfamiliar with the name Grand Legacy at the Park, perhaps you’ve heard of Ramada Maingate At The Park–that’s what this hotel used to be called. After completing a large-scale development refurbishment late last year, the hotel opted to go independent. Presumably, this was because it’s no longer the 1970s, so there’s no brand cachet in being a “Ramada” hotel. (Any bets on how long before the Anaheim ‘HoJo’ drops the Howard Johnson branding?)
This development of the Grand Legacy was a $12 million project that added a new four-story hotel wing with guest rooms, a new lobby, six retail outlets, eating areas, meeting space and a rooftop bar called The Fifth. While we didn’t have a chance to go to the bar during our stay at the Grand Legacy, we’ve only heard good things about it.
In terms of location, Grand Legacy at the Park is located at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Disney Way, and it’s only around a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the turnstiles at Disneyland. There are only 5 hotels closer to Disneyland than this. It’s even closer to the park than every single on-site hotel, including the Grand Californian (although the Grand Californian is closer to Disney California Adventure).
It’s part of the cluster of hotels “across the street” from Disneyland, pretty much all of which are budget to moderate tier hotels with exterior hallways (pretty common in Southern California). Although these hotels do differ in quality and price, all quite close to the park. Although it’s not listed as one of the Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels on Disney’s site (a meaningless distinction that is a marketing thing, not some sort of “quality certification” anyway), Grand Legacy at the Park is a Good Neighbor Hotel.
You can get an idea of how Grand Legacy stacks up to the competition in our Disneyland Hotels Reviews & Rankings post. We also have an overall comparison of the benefits of staying off-site versus on-site in our Where to Stay at Disneyland post. If you’re looking for comprehensive planning advice for all aspects of your trip, consult our thorough Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide.
So what are the pros and cons of staying at Grand Legacy at the Park? Let’s take a look…
We’ll start with amenities. The key ones are free WiFi and free continental breakfast. At the budget hotels near Disneyland, both are pretty standard. I’d say about half of these hotels charge for parking, and Grand Legacy at the Park is one such hotel.
During our stay here (on New Year’s Eve), the parking situation was really frustrating. All of the hotel’s parking spots were full, so valet was double-triple parking cars to accommodate everyone. The rooftop restaurant at the hotel was having a New Year’s party, so I suspect that added to the parking lot congestion.
However, I know valet is normally offered here for “free” (you still have to pay for parking, just not extra for valet), and I suspect that’s because there’s insufficient parking at Grand Legacy. I’m not a fan at using valet parking at a motel, but that’s just me. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning a stay during a busier time of year.
As is the case with most other hotels near Disneyland, the continental breakfast was abysmal. Some of these hotels have been stepping up their game in this regard, but not Grand Legacy. There were only a few hot items (notably, biscuits & gravy and eggs with bacon bits in them) and all were inedible. If you’ve ever wondered how to make powdered eggs taste even more fake, I’ve got your answer: add bacon bits.
Fruit, cereal, and bagels are present here, and always safe options. So I guess at least that’s a plus, at least? For a hotel that seems to be positioning itself as nicer than the budget hotels in the area, it’s disappointing that no effort is made on breakfast.
On the other hand, the pool (gated off and closed during our stay–presumably due to cold weather) looked nicer and larger than the norm, and had a slight bit of isolation (despite being in the center of the parking lot) thanks to some trees and foliage.
The lobby clearly benefitted from the refurbishment, and is fairly nice. There’s also a fairly…uh…interesting?…mural with Walt Disney in it. I guess you could say it’s a thoughtful touch, but it just struck me as weird. Moreover, it feels out of place in an environment that is otherwise fairly chic.
The restaurants in Grand Legacy at the Park are also a potential amenity. As mentioned, The Fifth is quickly becoming a popular rooftop bar in the area, and everyone we know who has been enjoyed the experience. If you’re going up here, definitely try to coincide that with Disneyland’s fireworks.
There’s also Pizzatarian, which is a new restaurant that’s garnering rave reviews on Yelp. (The name alone has me sold on it.) Granted, you don’t have to stay at Grand Legacy at the Park to dine at either of these spots, but they are conveniently located for hotel guests.
Then there are the rooms. When I heard that Grand Legacy at the Park was doing a multi-million dollar overhaul, I assumed the guest rooms would be part of that.
However, our room seemed fairly basic. It probably has had a soft goods refurbishment in the last 5 years, but it didn’t seem like anything special had been done here. Certainly not a top to bottom refurbishment.
I’d describe it as small but serviceable. I’m guessing the money spent on guest rooms largely went towards family suites in the new wing. There has been a boom in the family suites market in Anaheim over the last few years, so this hotel probably wanted to capitalize on that.
If you’re just a couple looking for a clean, safe room, Grand Legacy is absolutely a good option when it comes to the standard rooms. If you’re a family with kids, these rooms might be a bit on the small side.
The pillows and bedding were above average. The mattress was a tad firm for my liking, but it did not feel as if it was low quality.
As with virtually all hotels in Anaheim, the bathroom was basic. The toiletries were nice, but otherwise, completely standard here.
Finally, there’s the issue of price. In some random searches, Grand Legacy at the Park is slightly more expensive than Anaheim Desert Inn and slightly less than Park Vue Inn. Given that its nicer quality than Desert Inn but lower quality than Park Vue Inn, this seems about right.
Prices fluctuate among all of these area hotels pretty dramatically, though, so which option is the ‘best value’ really depends upon your travel dates. My personal take is that anything in the $125/night range is ‘fair’ for Grand Legacy at the Park’s standard rooms. (If you’re driving, keep in mind that’s another $12/night expense that you might not have at other nearby hotels.)
Overall, Grand Legacy at the Park is a mixed bag. Some of the recent addition are really nice, but unless you stay in the new wing (presumably, the family suites) you probably won’t even be able to tell that such a dramatic overhaul occurred, because it does not feel like much was invested in the standard guest rooms. With Anaheim’s hotel market becoming more and more competitive, you can do better in terms of a guest room. Where it’s difficult to do better is in terms of distance to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. That is going to be an overriding factor for a lot of families. What about you…if you’ve stayed at the Grand Legacy at the Park, what did you think of it? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
Just checked in after a long drive and our room is directly under the rooftop bar…it’s insanely loud. The hotel staff said slight noise pollution, my walls and ceiling are thumping. No discounted rate for the inconvenience of not being able to go to sleep until quiet hours, which is midnight. Families with small children should make a request to not have a room adjacent to harbor ave.
They now give a nice discount if you have a Annual Pass. Including a discount on parking.
However, no longer a free continental breakfast: now you get a snack bag with a cheesestick, a apple, a breakfast bar and a bottle of water. Actually kinda handy.
We stayed at the Grand Legacy last week. We loved the location after having stayed at the Alpine Inn a couple of years ago. However, the room we got was so small, we could barely move around. There were three of us in the room and we aren’t big people. We couldn’t even get our suitcase through to the back of the room without turning it sideways. There was about 12 to 14 inches between the end of the beds and the TV stand. The bathroom had one sink with three inches or so around it to place our toiletries. The bathroom had a pocket door that was extremely difficult to pull shut. The room was so small that there was only one chair at the little round table. The room number was 214 and we paid $125 per night. We could see the fireworks from our room. We might stay there again because we loved the closeness to Disneyland, but I will be sure to ask for a larger room.
I stayed in one of the premier rooms, which bumped it up to around the value of a normal three star hotel. For around an extra $20 a night you get an extra 100 sqft., granite countertops, and a double sink. The furnishings were also higher quality than the rest of the rooms. I’m taking a one day trip in a few months and opted for the classic room, since the prepay rates were under $100. Definitely recommend the premier rooms for the price and location.
I stayed at the Ramada Maingate a couple of years ago. Had stayed there a few years prior to that and it was great. This last visit was during construction and I had issues with the front desk/management. I asked for the room to be cleaned after we left for the park. Came back around 6:30 p.m. and nothing had been done. Called the front desk and was told housekeeping was gone for the day. I had to beg for clean towels and take out my own trash. Also, I waited around one morning to do laundry and as it turned out the laundry room didn’t open until an hour after they had told me it opened. Oops! That was the type of response I got. Also, since they were renovating I never knew from one day to the next how to get into my room (the elevator was closed or the stairs were closed). It was not a pleasant stay. Breakfast was cold cereal etc. but that was fine for me. At least I didn’t get a “bag”.
We stayed at the Grand Legacy back in September and again just last week. We experienced the new breakfast and, though I agree it was very bland and uninspiring, at least it was hot and filling. Last week we learned that the continental breakfast is longer being offered. Instead, guests are given “to go bags” at the pool house. Each bag contains a Nature Valley granola bar, apple, cheese stick, and bottle of water. Not exactly the breakfast my crew was hoping for. Not wanting to spend time in the parks eating breakfast we trekked down the street to McDonald’s (yuck) which was insanely crowded. 🙁 The next morning I went to the little convenience store in front of the Grand Legacy hoping to get my little boy some milk and discovered that Jimboy’s Tacos (right next door) was open and served breakfast! The very sweet lady behind the counter informed me that, “Grand Legacy guests get a discount, didn’t they tell you at the front desk?” Umm, no. Anyway, the breakfast burritos were delicious, decently priced (even without the discount), and there was NO line. Just thought I would give your readers a heads up. We love your blog, keep up the good work! 😉 P.S. I asked the guy at the pool house handing out the bags if this was a temporary change, and he didn’t know. We checked the website when we got home, and it is right there on the main page. So…I’m thinking it is permanent.
Oh boy, now I’m a little nervous. I just booked a 4-night stay here in April after discovering that they have an AP discount. $95 a night for a “deluxe” double-queen!!! I’ve never found a hotel on Harbor Blvd. that cheap during ANY of my stays, ever. All I need is a clean room across the street from the parks. Wish me luck. And I’ll bring my own breakfast. 😉
Eh, I’d rather stay at the Hilton and walk a little farther. I wish there were more “nicer” hotels around the DL resort (and not as ridiculously overpriced as the DL onsite properties). Clearly the market doesn’t call for it, though, or they’d be there.
This used to be our favorite place to stay when it was under the Ramada brand. With small kids and free parking it was a great, cheap place to stay. The location was the amazing, we really got spoiled with that. The only downside then was the parking was a headache, which we find at most hotels. It looks like they added rooms but not parking. I feel like they have really jacked up their prices —even when the construction has been going on.
We stayed here 2 years ago during renovation, and absolutely loved the location. Oh so easy! Found everything else to be pretty standard EXCEPT the above average pool which my 10 year old loved (in February, by the way), and the parking, which was horrible. There were no hotel restaurants at the time, but there was a popular place right next door and we learned the hard way not to move the car at night. I don’t think the lot is even big enough to accommodate the hotel guests much less anyone else! That was pretty frustrating. As for the breakfast, I prefer to bring my own oatmeal, but the coffee was decent enough.
Are the rooms interior or exterior-facing?
I stayed there when it was the Ramada, and then again last July as the Grand Legacy. Back when it was Ramada, the breakfast was more basic (cereal, pastries, hard boiled eggs, prepackaged items out by the pool) but it was infinitely more edible. Their new “buffet” is abysmal. The food was just nasty. Even the OJ.
My room last July (a first floor king room near the lobby) was huge and actually very nice. They seemed to have housekeeping issues the week I was there; a lot of people were complaining about no towels or whatever and the front desk was not very responsive. I had to call to have my room made up and trash emptied after several days because although I was at the park from 8 am to 3 pm every day, nobody came in to clean in that time frame. (I hung the ‘do not disturb’ card for an afternoon nap.) I thought after they missed the room the first day, I’d be at the top of the list the next, but no.
The pool was OK. It had a lot of vegetation from the overhanging trees in it, which made it seem dirty. The Italian restaurant is indeed delicious. I got a lasagna there and ate it in my room one evening and it was superb.
The location is great. I would stay there again unless a got a better rate at one of the nearby hotels. Their prices went up when they rebranded and it’s not as great a value, but I’d give the place a solid B rating.
I would rather this hotel (and several others) focused its efforts on a really good cold breakfast than try to overextend itself with an awful hot breakfast.
As for prices, I wholly agree. Most of the hotels in this cluster are of similar quality, and all meet my minimum expectations. As such, for me at least, it comes down to price.
I don’t doubt that Grand Legacy bumped its prices when the renovations were complete, but all of these hotel prices have been creeping up in the last 5 years. The completion of Cars Land/DCA 2.0 has led to a lot more demand for hotels.
I’ve stayed last April and was disappointed; the room was dirty and all the furniture was worn out. Didn’t bother with breakfast. The biggest plus was the location!
That’s really too bad to hear about the room; that would’ve been right at the tail-end of its refurbishment, so I’m surprised to hear that about the furniture.
We stayed in November of 2016 in one of the older rooms. It was small but clean. You can’t beat the location! So close to the park. We thought the breakfast was above average. We enjoyed it so much we just booked a 6 night vacation in June. Last thing. We actually used the pool in November and my kids absloutly loves it. Can’t wait to use it when it’s actall warm out.
Breakfast is kinda a sticking point for me because I feel like if they offer it I’d have to eat it to save money so I’d almost rather stay at a place that doesn’t offer it than one that serves crap food so I don’t feel guilty not partaking.
Kinda bummed. We stayed at Hojo last spring and loved it– except for the walk which feels 100 times longer with two kids and tired legs at night. I’m looking into all the super close hotels and it looks like this one just got nixed from the list… It was the fake eggs and bacon bits… sigh.
I wouldn’t get too hung up on breakfast. Pretty much all budget tier hotels/motels offer it for free; ones above that often don’t because they cater to business travelers and conventioneers who have expense accounts, and as such are not as averse to “paying” for a meal. (Same reason they can more easily charge for parking and WiFi–a lot of the people paying for those things are paying with others’ money.)
With that said, if you want a good breakfast, Park Vue Inn and Desert Palms are among the best in that regard, I think.
I stayed at the Grand Legacy during the refurb and agree the breakfast was horrid and the room very basic. I was hoping it would have improved after the refurb was finished and am disappoint to hear it sounds about the same as my stay. The pool was very nice though, and did feel somewhat secluded despite the location. Both myself and my 5 year old daughter enjoyed the pool. The walk to Disney was great, but this was my least favorite of 4 hotels I’ve stayed at near Disney in the past 5 years despite it being the closest. I don’t think I’d stay here again.
Thanks for the feedback. It’s not particularly high on my list, either, but I wouldn’t be against staying here again if the price was right.
Great review! We were actually looking at booking with this hotel but decided to go with the Fairfield Marriott down the street because of their family suites. I found the prices at the Grand legacy to be a bit expensive.