Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel is in the process of transforming into Disney's Pixar Place Hotel, with an expected completion date in winter 2023. The Paradise Pier Hotel is still open throughout this process, which is great news as it's the most affordable of the three on-site Disneyland Resort hotels. Some areas may be closed due to construction — but exciting times are ahead for this location. It's situated off Disneyland Drive, across from Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and next door to Downtown Disney. It's about a 10-minute walk to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Parks. Guests who visit Disneyland Park can take the Monorail from Downtown Disney straight into Tomorrowland. A visit to the Pixar Place Hotel is like visiting an art gallery of Pixar art!
Overview of the Pixar Place Hotel
The Pixar Place Hotel / Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel will be the only fully Pixar-themed hotel in the United States! It has its own entrance into Disney California near Pixar Pier. With a rooftop pool and an all-new splash pad in the works, in addition to an existing toadally cool waterslide, it's a kid-friendly spot that comes with all the benefits of staying on-site, but with a gentler price tag than the other two on-site hotels.
The Pixar Place Hotel weaves Pixar art into a contemporary setting. Look for Pixar touches through the resort and pool area once the transformation is complete.
Are you trying to decide where to stay at (or near) Disneyland? Here is everything you need to know about Pixar Place Hotel and Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel rooms, amenities, dining and more. Keep in mind that as the hotel undergoes these changes, the state of certain areas of the hotel may be in flux. You can hop here for construction updates.
As of May 2023, the pool deck and fitness center are closed but will reopen later this summer. In the meantime, guests may use the pool and fitness center at the Disneyland Hotel. Cast members will provide transportation to Disneyland Hotel pools during daily operating hours (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
Elements of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel’s main lobby and the surrounding common areas are once again open to Guests.
Pixar Place Hotel Rooms
Decor in rooms and across the hotel is transitioning from California surf and 1920s-era boardwalk to a Pixar theme. We cannot wait to see what the new rooms look like! One of the fun perks of staying on-site is answering your wake-up call from Mickey Mouse!
Premium views face Disney California Adventure. Some rooms have distant views of World of Color, while others face the pool. Standard views may face Disneyland Drive or parking areas. And generally, higher rooms have better views.
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The nice thing about the hotel rooms is they generally sleep up to five people. The couch turns into a daybed that is between the size of a twin and a full, so even a fifth person can be comfortable. Be sure to book a room with two queens and a daybed if you need space for a fifth person. If you need a larger room, you can book suites and signature suites directly through Disneyland Hotel.
Rooms come with a mini-fridge, high-speed internet Wi-Fi service, a coffee maker and more. We love the Disney touches throughout. Bathrooms have a shower/tub combination.
The poolside rooms on the third floor have a little patio with a table and chairs. If you want the easiest access to the pool area, ask about one of these rooms.
The elevators are a different system from the other hotels. You choose your floor or the pool (or fireworks viewing) on a pad and it tells you which of the three elevators to take. You do not need to punch any buttons once inside. As of May 26, 2023, guests can utilize the atrium and service elevators to access their rooms.
Amenities, Recreation and Shopping at the Disneyland Hotel
When you check in, you'll receive an Activities guide that will list all of the recreational activities during the week of your visit. It has art classes, fitness classes and a schedule for movie nights. Another sheet should tell you all about the hotel amenities. Here are a few Disneyland Hotel amenities, recreation and shopping you'll want to know about.
Pools (Returning Summer 2023)
One of the perks of staying on-site is being able to walk (or take the Monorail from Disneyland) to the hotel midday to cool off in the pool! Our tadpoles love to splash in the pools at Pixar Place Hotel. The pools are currently unavailable but will be returning later in summer 2023 with a 186-foot waterslide featuring Crush the sea turtle. Lily is also toadally frogcited about a "Finding Nemo" pop-jet splash pad, featuring Hank. Life jackets for the pool are included.
Food options have been closed since the hotel reopened, but they will return. You'll be able to order food and drinks from a server, including Mickey ice cream bars and Mickey ice cream sandwiches (may not be on the menu, but ask your server)!
In summer, look for daily 30-minute pool parties with Disney characters! The characters come out to dance and play games with the kids.
Another fun perk is viewing fireworks from the Downtown Disney side of the pool deck, complete with music and narration! (Temporarily unavailable.) Soon, you will be able to lounge by character-inspired fire pits.
Later this year, a family play court will open on the deck with activities inspired by Pixar’s famous short films. Enjoy interactive games and imaginative free play that celebrate favorite friends from “La Luna,” “Bao,” “For the Birds” and “Burrow.” Relax with food and drinks under the love-struck umbrellas from “The Blue Umbrella.”
A Hotel Guest Walkway Right into Disney California Adventure
Avoid the front gate entrance and lines. Head across the street, tap your room key to open the gate, walk a short path and head straight into the theme park. It's about a 5-minute walk between the hotel and the park. You'll enter the park between Corn Dog Castle and The Little Mermaid. It's for Paradise Pier Hotel guests but any on-site hotel guest's key will open the gate.
Fitness Center (Currently Unavailable)
There is a fitness center, and you can book classes through the Tenaya Stone Spa. While the fitness center is unavailable, you can use the one at Disneyland Hotel.
Spa
You can use the Tenaya Stone Spa, which is located inside Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Movie Nights
Check the activities guide for movie night shows and viewing locations. The hotel also has a screening room for kids that always has something showing.
Package Delivery
You can send your theme park purchases to the Paradise Pier Hotel and receive them the next day.
Souvenir Shops
The Hotel Gift Shop, located near the main lobby is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
ATM
The ATM is open 24 hours. You can find it in the main lobby near the Paradise Pier Hotel Store.
Laundry
Traveling with kids? You might want to know where you can do laundry because spit-up happens. The budget-friendly laundry facilities are usually 24 hours at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. Bring credit or debit cards for payment. Dry cleaning and valet laundry services are unavailable. While laundry is temporarily closed, you can use the laundry facilities at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Digital Room Key and Key to Magic
You can use your phone as a digital key or choose to receive traditional key cards from the front desk. Your Key to the Magic card is your room key, resort charge card and parking permit. You can receive your card when you check in at the front desk. To charge purchases back to your room, simply present your Key to the Magic card — along with a photo ID — when buying merchandise, tickets and meals at select locations throughout the theme parks, hotels and the Downtown Disney District.
Use your key to access Early Entry into either theme park 30 minutes early every day. If you arrive early enough you can use it for check-in day!
Housekeeping
Light housekeeping comes by every other day of your stay at this time to remove trash and used towels. If you need anything before that, just ask Guest Services.
Fun Classes and Entertainment
When you check in, you'll receive an activities guide for fun classes and events for all on-site hotel guests. Learn how to hula dance, play the ukulele or draw a Disney character. Learn how to turn your park map into an origami souvenir. Sign up for fitness classes in a theme park or in a pool! There are many magical offerings for hotel guests. Our tadpoles love to watch Disney cartoons in the special viewing room.
Keep an eye out for special entertainment. Sometimes signs in the hotel will alert you to special performances.
On-Site Car Rentals
Need a car during your stay? There is a convenient Alamo and Enterprise car rental office on-site! Speaking of car rentals, if you know you'll need a car, add it to your cart when booking a hotel room or buying discount theme park tickets at Undercover Tourist. When you put them in your cart together, you'll unlock savings of up to 50 percent off your car rental!
Parking
Hotel guests pay $65 per night per vehicle for valet parking and $35 a night for self-parking.
For day guests:
- Self-parking is $35 per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $75.
- Valet parking is $65 per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $120.
- Oversized vehicle parking is $40 per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $80.
The self-parking lot of the hotel has ChargePoint charging ports. To use a port, you’ll need to scan a ChargePoint card.
Dining at Pixar Place Hotel
Hotel guests can enjoy preferred access to select hotel table-service restaurants during the dates of their stay. Here's where to eat and drink at the Pixar Place Hotel and nearby.
Restaurants are temporarily unavailable at this hotel, but we have hoppin' news. Great Maple will be taking over the food service for this location in the fall. In the meantime, you can still get snacks, drinks, coffee and use of microwaves at the market on the main floor.
Great Maple
This self-proclaimed modern American eatery has restaurants in the San Diego, Newport Beach and Pasadena areas. Whether you are the type to go for fried chicken and doughnuts or an all-vegan brunch, you'll find fun eats here all day long. Don't froget their famous maple bacon doughnuts. Great Maple will open a flagship restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and will also operate more food and beverage locations, such as pool service and a coffee shop, throughout the hotel. Dining is open to hotel guests and others.
The Paradise Pier is located between the Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. Both of those hotels have character dining, bars and more. They are each a quick hop, skip and jump away. Downtown Disney is also a short walk away. Here is the scoop on every Downtown Disney restaurant.
Room Service
Room Service is not currently available. You can, however, use a QR code to order food from select Downtown Disney restaurants and have it delivered to the lobby.
Downtown Disney
Just outside the hotel, you’ll find a bunch of quick-service and table-service dining choices. Hop over to our Downtown Disney restaurants post to find the best choice for you.
We recommend making a reservation if you want to dine at table-service hotel, theme park or Downtown Disney dining locations. Reservations can open up to 60 days in advance at 6 a.m. Some locations do open up reservation times later, so if you do not see what you want, keep checking back. If you don't get a reservation, you may be able to join the walk-up availability list through the Disneyland app.
What to Consider Before Staying at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel
If you are deciding between staying at the Paradise Pier Hotel versus the other Disneyland hotels or off-site, here are a few things to consider. The biggest thing to be aware of is that refurbishments are hoppening so that may affect certain areas of the resort during your stay. Here is the link to the most up-to-date hotel construction information.
- Hotel amenities remain open, including the dedicated entrance to California Adventure.
- A self-serve market with food and beverage options is available in the lobby area.
- The pools, pool deck for fireworks viewing and Fitness Center are unavailable. Pool is expected to open later this summer.
- The family play court opens later this year.
- Some of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel’s main lobby and surrounding common areas are once again open to Guests. Drop off members of your party and your luggage at the front lobby before parking in the hotel’s structure.
Location
It's close to each of the other hotels, but this hotel is the farthest from Disneyland Park. It is closer to Disney California Adventure than the Disneyland Hotel. It's a short walk to Downtown Disney and within a short walking distance of the other two hotels if you want to go there for dining. You can take the Monorail from Downtown Disney into the Disneyland theme park.
Budget
This hotel is usually the lowest-priced hotel of the three on-site Disneyland hotels. You can save money on a room when you book your Disneyland Hotel stay through Undercover Tourist (psst ... we sell discount theme park tickets too!). Use your savings to get a nice meal at one of the nearby hotels or in the park.
View
The view can vary per room. The theme park–facing rooms have a view of Disney California Adventure. The other sides of the hotel look over the pool or parking lots. You can watch fireworks from the third-floor pool deck area. The fireworks music is piped in. It's a distant view, but it works well for nights without a theme park ticket or for when you want to get the tadpoles bathed and in their jammies so they can go straight to bed after the show with visions of fireworks dancing in their head.
Early Entry to Theme Parks
Disneyland Resort hotel guests can enter either theme park 30 minutes before the parks open to access select attractions, dining and shopping!
How Much Time Are You Planning to Spend at the Hotel?
If you want to come and go between the hotel and the theme park to take breaks to use the pools and cool off or relax within the Disney magic, then this is your place. However, if you are an open-to-close theme park warrior, you might not be spending a lot of time at the hotel. If you want the benefits of staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel for the most affordable price, this is your place. A short walking distance is nice, but if you want to save money on your lodging, you can find less expensive hotels near Disneyland for less.
What Kind of Vibe Are You Looking For?
If you are a huge Pixar fan — and who isn't? — this is your place once the hotel transforms into Pixar Place Hotel. This hotel is a family-friendly choice. It's less luxurious than Disney's Grand Californian and on a smaller footprint than the other two hotels, being all contained in one building. Parking is close. So except for the walk to the theme park, this is a good place to stay if you want a smaller location. We get that with small kids it's nice to have a short walk to the room to retrieve the forgotten sunscreen. If you want to be on-site and don't need pampering, this is your best savings choice.
If you want a little more luxury and a resort feel, then go with Disneyland Hotel or Disney's Grand California Hotel & Spa, which is the most luxurious and the closest to the parks.
How Big Is Your Party?
Most standard rooms at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel have larger rooms and a day bed for a fifth person (or if you have party members who do not want to share a bed). That makes this a good on-site property for larger families. Keep in mind that standard occupancy is two adults (with up to three kids). Extra occupancy charges may apply for additional adults.
There are family suites that may appeal to larger parties. You can book those directly through Disneyland.
How Old Is Your Party?
If you have kids from toddlers to teens, this is a good hotel choice. The pool has a slide and a kiddie pool. Soon there will be a splash pad the whole family can enjoy. Our toddler, Lily, loves splashing in the shallow water play pool. Her tween brother Tad, is hoppy with the slide.
Security
You will need to prepare to go through a security bag check and metal detector every time you enter Downtown Disney to head to the theme parks. The early bird gets the worm, so line up extra early to get into the parks before they open.
"Hey, Disney!"
Guests can use the "Hey, Disney!" voice assistant in hotel lobbies and guest rooms. It works alongside Alexa on Amazon Echo.
MagicBand+
MagicBand+ is at Disneyland Resort for all guests as of Oct. 26, 2022. Disney World fans know how convenient it is to use MagicBands wristwear for theme park admission, Disney Genie+, PhotoPass and more. It will not initially be used for room charges and to unlock the door of your room. It's one way to keep your hands free and avoid pulling out your phone in the parks.
Which Disneyland Ticket and Reservations Do You Want?
You have a lot to think about in terms of theme park tickets and theme park reservations. Do you want to start your day in Disneyland Park so you can ride the Monorail from Downtown Disney? Or start at Disney California Adventure so you can take advantage of the short walk that puts you right near Pixar Pier? Or start in Disneyland and end at California Adventure when park hopping for a short walk home at the end of the night after World of Color? Trick question. You cannot go wrong!
Keep in mind that all theme park guests must have a valid theme park ticket and them park reservation to visit a park. That goes for hotel guests too. However, a major perk to staying on-site at a Disneyland Resort hotel is that hotel guests can link a hotel stay and open up a different pool of reservations. The hotel guests generally have a better selection of theme park availability. The earlier you reserve, the better the selection.
Is a Park Hopper Ticket Worth It?
We think so, especially for a multi-day ticket. Did you know it's actually cheaper to add park hopping to a multi-day ticket than for a 1-Day ticket? You get your money's worth with a park hopper multi-day ticket. It allows you to start in one park and hop after 11 a.m., that way you can either start or end your day (or even both) at Disney California Adventure. We suggest starting in each park at least once during your visit to take advantage of the shortest lines of the day.
Do You Have Disabilities?
Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel offers accessibility services for guests with disabilities. Features include accessible travel paths in the parking lot, lobby, restaurants, convention spaces and shopping locations, in addition to wheelchair-accessible and hearing-accessible rooms. TTY equipment is available upon request at check-in. There are lifts for the pools. In fact, we saw many different families with wheelchairs enjoying the pool area.
If you'd like to rent a wheelchair or stroller for your visit, you can have it delivered to the hotel. ScooterBug, a private mobility rental company, is Disneyland's official provider. ScooterBug is the only company that can drop off strollers, ECVs and wheelchair rentals — including length-of-stay rentals — for guests staying at the Disneyland Resort hotels without the guest being present.
We love staying at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and cannot wait to visit once it is Pixar Place Hotel. Check Undercover Tourist for a hoppin' deal on a room. If you need Disneyland theme park tickets, you can also get discount Disneyland Resort theme park tickets from your favorite froggy friends. Book a rental car at the same time you book a room to unlock even deeper discounts!
Related: All of the Magical Reasons to Stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel
Related: Tips to Maximize Your Time at Disneyland
Hoppy planning!
