You picked short notice on a bad weekend, sadly. Grand Californian *may* have rooms available, but you're laying out some serious money - and about 1/3 of the rooms now face construction walls for the upcoming DVC property.

Barring that, there's not a whole lot of "magic" in the motels surrounding the property. I'd honestly suggest that unless you're willing to spend a few hundred a night you instead focus on finding available bookings that meet your other needs. Hotels such as the Marriot, Hyatt etc. in the area tend to be closer to a "resort" feel, but are a bit further from the park. With a small child, this might be an issue if you're not driving and need to be able to go back to the room for rest breaks.

Beyond that, while I've never stayed at either "Diz" property, I've heard that lately the Disneyland Hotel is not all that it used to be, though I believe they either are in the middle of or have just finished a major room renovation program. The fact that the monorail station is now a healthy walk from the tower and Downton Disney is between you and walking back to your room may be considerations. Grand Californian is gorgeous, and is on my list of "places to stay when I can drop $300 a night". It's got DCA right out a hotel-specific gate, is right down the walk from the main entry plaza, and is (I believe) a four star establishment with facilities to match the rating - and rates.

It's always really difficult to get a room in any of the resort hotels last minute. You can always check the Paradise Pier Hotel (they have magic too!). The Good neighbor hotels like Park Place Inn, The Carousel Inn and the Tropicana, while great, don't give you that Disney Magic. They are basically a place for you to sleep after a long day of traversing the parks. You could always try calling the Disney Resort Hotels directly, but like you said, it's late notice and lots of people will be traveling during that time. Check our Disneyland.com and go to the hotels page... sometimes they have deals, but it's rare. I really like the Camelot Inn www.camelotinn-anaheim.com/ , since it looks like a castle and the Castle Inn and Suites is cool too (cause the outside looks like a castle). www.castleinn.com/ The Castle Inn is a little further away, but looks so cool lit up at night. Both of these places are just your basic hotel/motel place with simple amenities.


As for shows that shouldn't be missed:

Princess Fantasy Faire at the Fantasyland stage is AWESOME! Every Princess should be a part of that show. They teach you how to courtsey and dance with some of the Disney Princesses. There are also areas to decorate your very own tiara, coloring pages with your favorite princesses as well as story time with the Princesses themselves. When you get to the park, grab an entertainment guide and check what time the shows are.

Jasmine and Aladdin's story time in Adventureland (get out that entertainment guide again!) is cute for the little ones. It's also a chance for you parents to sit down and relax. There are also story times at the Grand California (unless that has changed) that you can go to.

My favorite thing to do in Fantasyland is to sit at the Sword in the Stone and look up at the window above Snow Whites Scary Adventures. If you haven't done this with your girl before... this will be a cool.

OH! Where Woody's Round Up is you can likely see Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus there -- at least they had that last year. It's really cute and a way to start the holiday excitement.

FIREWORKS and FANTASMIC! are both a must see. That entertainment guide is going to be invaluable during your trip.

In California Adventure, there is A Bug's Life (3d thingy). It can be loud and a little scary for super little ones (it gets dark with Hopper comes out and there is smoke and stuff). Bugs land is really cute too... little rides that are quick and fun. There is also Playhouse Disney shows daily until 2 or so. OH!!! TURTLE TALK WITH CRUSH!! YOU MUST MUST MUST see this! Get there early and you can get your little princess a seat on one of the lily pads at the front of the theater. There is where the kids and adults alike can ask Crush questions, and he will answer them directly! Name and all! It's some great Disney Magic and one thing you're not likely to soon forget.

I hope you have a wonderful time in Disneyland! I'm from NorCal too and I'll HOPEFULLY be heading down that way the day after Thanksgiving. What good is a long weekend without a trip to the Land of Magic and Make-Believe?

P.S. I know a travel agent that specializes in Disney vacations and can sometimes get deals. Let me know if you are interested and I can forward you his information. ^_^