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| Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is one of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels. |
When planning a Disneyland Resort vacation, people often tell me that they’d love to stay “on-property” while visiting the theme parks, but their budget doesn’t allow for a stay at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa. While I love the Grand Californian and stay there often thanks to my Disney Vacation Club membership, there’s much to be said about the other hotels of the Disneyland Resort, particularly Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, which boasts all the benefits of staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel but has the lowest price tag. In fact, a night there is about 40% less expensive than the cost of booking a comparable room at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa!
I recently stayed at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel for the first time and finally saw firsthand all it has to offer families as a fabulous Disneyland Resort Hotel option.
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| Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is just across the street from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. |
Location: This hotel is just across Disneyland Drive from Disney California Adventure Park, steps from the Disneyland Hotel, and a five-minute walk from the monorail station in the Downtown Disney District. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa—truly all you have to do is walk down a gorgeous tree-lined path and across the street before you arrive in the cheery, welcoming lobby! In my opinion, its location is even more ideal than that of the Disneyland Hotel because you’re closer to the special entrance to Disney California Adventure Park that is exclusive to Guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels.
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| Our room overlooked the rooftop pool and had two queen beds plus a daybed. |
Guest Rooms: Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel has over 400 rooms and suites. The standard rooms are 364 square feet with either a king size bed or two queen size beds. The rooms are not quite as spacious as those at the Disneyland Hotel, but there was still plenty of space for our party, which included four adults and two toddlers, plus a portable crib and two full-size strollers. Many rooms, including the one we stayed in, have a day bed and will accommodate up to five adults, plus one child under age 3. The suites range in size from 792 to 1,245 square feet. Click here for information about the Newport Suite. Guests who upgrade to concierge service can take advantage of personalized guest service, priority check-in, itinerary planning assistance, nightly turn-down service, continental breakfast, an evening wine and cheese reception, soft drinks and snacks available throughout the day in an exclusive lounge, and other amenities.
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| The restroom was spacious and nicely-appointed. |
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| Guest rooms have been recently upgraded with newer electronics, furnishings and decor. |
The rooms are fairly recently renovated and have a light, airy feel with seaside-inspired décor and furnishings. While there are some bright pops of color in the details of the room, like the fun beach ball pillows my son and his friend loved and the surf board printed shower curtain, the beach theme isn’t too “loud” and has a classy, modern feel as well. Some rooms have views of Disney California Adventure Park (and the spectacular World of Color at night) and others overlook the hotel pool. There are also standard view rooms available. Our room overlooked the rooftop pool, but thanks to many windows in the hotel corridors, we were able to enjoy sneak peeks of the park on our way to and from the elevator.
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| PCH Grill hosts the Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends. Photo courtesy of the Disneyland Resort. |
Dining: There are three restaurants inside Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. The Surfside Lounge is in the lobby and features a selection of pastries, coffee, fruit, soft drinks, desserts and ready-made salads and sandwiches. It was a comfortable place to pause and regroup with a latte or—in the case of my husband—wait for your spouse to finish browsing the adjacent gift shop. Slurpin’ USA! is a counter-service restaurant near the secluded rooftop California Streamin’ water slide and pool (which is heated and open year-round) serving casual American fare such as burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and beverages. The PCH Grill (located at the end of the lobby) is home to the Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends, a lively character breakfast that features a delicious buffet. PCH Grill also serves dinner. Reservations can be made in advance by calling Disney Dining at (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463.
Kids Entertainment: There is an enclosed movie viewing area called Paradise Theater where kids can pull up a beach chair and watch Disney films and cartoons on a sandcastle television. At Flounder’s Fun ‘n’ Games, kids play video games in an arcade setting. Both are located on the lobby level between the parking garage and registration desk, just down the hall from the conference rooms.
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| Guests of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel have easy access to the private entrance into Disney California Adventure Park. Photo courtesy of the Disneyland Resort. |
Disneyland Resort Hotel Perks: Aside from being in close proximity to the theme parks with access to the exclusive Disney California Adventure Park entrance, staying at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel also entitles Guests to Early Magic Hours, H2O Plus spa and bath products made exclusively for Disney Resorts, Disney Character wake-up calls, and access to Pinocchio’s Workshop, a licensed child care facility where kids ages 5 to 12 can enjoy crafts, games, Disney movies, snacks and dinner in a whimsical environment created just for them while parents have a night out. Other benefits include charging meals and merchandise to your Key to the Magic card and having purchases delivered to your hotel room with Disney’s Package Express service. On select nights, Guests can gather at the pool deck for a special viewing of the Disneyland Park fireworks spectacular—complete with piped-in music to enhance the experience.
Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is a great option for couples and families who don’t want to have to say “goodnight” to the Disney magic each evening but also don’t want to break the bank!
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Thank you for sharing this! I had no idea about the Pinocchio’s club. Can’t wait until my kids are 5+ 😉