Choosing a Disneyland Resort On-Site Hotel

Staying at a Disneyland Resort on-site hotel allows you to stay within the magic. Disneyland Resort has three on-site hotels: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Pixar Pier Hotel. Each hotel features a unique theme with similar activities. This guide is designed to help you select the right hotel for your trip. To help you select a property, we have divided this guide into four main sections: hotel themes, offerings, rates, and verdict. These sections provide information about each property and our recommendations.

Hotel Themes

Staying at a Disneyland Resort on-site hotel differs greatly from other properties because of the distinctive themes. Each hotel immerses you into themed environments just like the Disney parks.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is designed to transport from the bustling streets of Southern Californian to a charming, elegant North Californian lodge. The hotel’s redwood-style interior, towering trees, and warm atmosphere help achieve this.

Disneyland Hotel places you into a contemporary atmosphere with vibrant, rich colors and Disney magic at every corner. This hotel is filled with Disney references all throughout.

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is themed to honor the California’s beachfront boardwalks during their heyday. This seaside-themed property adds park-influenced artwork, sand-and-surf-inspired furnishings, and more to a create Disney-based 1920s oceanfront hotel.

Offerings

All of Disneyland Resort’s on-site hotels offer the following benefits: Extra Magic Hour that grants access to select attractions prior to park opening, merchandise delivery to your room, resort-wide charging priveleges with your room key card, and more. However, there are slight differences with activities and dining options available at each hotel.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa has a wide variety of dining locations ranging from grab-and-go to full service. The hotel also has a shopping location for memorabilia. Here, you can enjoy numerous swimming pools, an on-site spa, a fitness center, and more.

Disneyland Hotel is comprised of three towers, each with easy access to the hotel’s many features. Here, you can visit merchandise shops and enjoy popular dining locations, including Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, a classic Disney establishment. You can also go for a splash in the expansive pools, whirl down the monorail waterslides, exercise at the fitness center, and more.

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel features a hotel gift store, three dining locations, a rooftop pool terrace complete with a waterslide, a small theater for children, and more.

Rates

Disneyland Resort’s hotel rates differ for each property. Although Disney does not categorize their properties in tiers, we’ve described how they could best be grouped. The rates displayed do not provide an exact amount. These prices are simply a starting rate; they can exceed the amount shown depending on when you visit. These nightly rates are displayed in U.S. dollars.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa can best be described as a deluxe hotel based on both its prices and atmosphere. Nightly rates start in the high $500s, depending on the room you book. For more information about accommodations and rates, click/tap here.

Disneyland Hotel’s nightly rates match that of a deluxe property; however, it’s atmosphere compares more to a moderate hotel. Rates begin in the mid $400s, depending on the room you select. To learn more about the hotel’s accommodations and rates, click/tap here.

Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel has nightly rates similar to that of a deluxe hotel. The hotel’s atmosphere can best be described as a value hotel. Rates start at around $300s, depending on the room you select. Click/tap here for more details about the hotel’s accommodations and nightly rates.

Verdict

Disneyland Resort’s on-site hotels each offer a unique experience that attract different audiences. Because the resort lacks a true value priced hotel, not all properties will accommodate everyone, especially families on a low budget. If this is the case, we suggest staying at a good neighbor hotel or a hotel that is located nearby. These hotels may offer drastically lower rates that Disney’s lower-end Paradise Pier Hotel fails to provide.

If you are able to stay at a Disneyland Resort on-site hotel, we highly suggest making a reservation for either Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa or the Disneyland Hotel, depending on your budget. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel lacks the magic touch that Disney is known for. Although the property is not bad in any way, it is simply priced at a higher rate than it should be and doesn’t compare to Disney’s other hotels. The Disneyland Hotel better executes its theme and provides more activities for a slightly higher cost, depending on the room you select and when you’re visiting. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is best fit for those able to afford the cost. These two hotels are not only of higher quality and are also significantly closer to the entrance of the theme parks and shopping complex.

Last updated on June 21, 2019.