Staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel is the very best option in terms of amenities, perks, and overall experience! A Disneyland Resort vacation isn’t just about the theme parks, staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel is as much a part of the experience as a ride on Big Thunder Mountain or an amazing character interaction with Chip and Dale! With amazing Resort Hotel options like Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, there are many options for staying inside the magic.
Here are 13 reasons why you should stay in a Disneyland Resort Hotel:
1. You will receive a warm Disney welcome!
Most everyone knows that a stay in a Disneyland Resort Hotel begins with a warm and friendly “Welcome!” that begins your Magical Vacation experience right. For example, a large number of cast members at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa have learned to say “welcome” in 10 different languages to make all guests from all over the world feel at HOME. I know when I am at a Disney Destination, I feel like I am home for reasons such as this. Disney is truly magical with the experiences they provide, more on that later…
2. Full Magical Disney Immersion
You’ll be immersed in all things Disney from the moment you step onto the property. Each Resort Hotel is special! The Disneyland Hotel, for instance, has Hidden Mickeys to find from floor to ceiling and the amazing double headboard houses a magical surprise! Along the pathway from the hotel to the Downtown Disney District is Mickey’s huge sorcerer’s hat that Tinker Bell illuminates with twinkling lights at night. There are Disney touches everywhere you look.
Staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel puts you just steps away from all there is to do at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure as well as Downtown Disney. Plus, you’re surrounded by all the special Disney details that make the Disneyland Resort such a magical place to be – you never have to leave the Happiest Place on Earth until it’s time to go home!
Book a Park View room at the Disneyland Resort and you’ll receive an exceptional view of one of the Parks, including the opportunity to watch a parade or show from your window. How cool is that?!
Did you know you can even schedule a free Character Wake-Up Calls during your visit. On our last trip I had Mickey call to wake up the kids so we could get into the parks early! They loved this!!
3. You will have more time to play with Extra Magic Hours!
All Disneyland Resort hotel guests enjoy admission to select attractions, stores, entertainment and dining locations in Disneyland or Disney California Adventure parks for one full hour before the parks open to the general public on select days! With early entry, if you have purchased MaxPass - you can start making digital FastPass selections for the day as soon as you enter the park snatching the best attraction and showtimes. Digital FastPass doesn't begin operating, however, until the parks open to the general public. The current schedule is:
• Disneyland Park: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, one hour prior to park open
• Disney California Adventure Park: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, one hour prior to park open
4. You will be steps from FOUR amazing Disneyland Resort Hotel character meals.
Many family trips to Disney aren’t complete without, at least one, character meal. INSIDER TIP: A day that you have set aside to enjoy all your resort amenities, is a perfect day to schedule a character meal at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 60 days prior to your scheduled visit. The current character meal offerings as of February 2020: Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast at Disney’s Paradise Pier, Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast and Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel.
5. Exclusive Preferred Reservation Access
Fingers crossed for that special visit to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Blue Bayou restaurant? You might be worried the reservations won’t be available during the peak season. There are a limited number of reservations for some restaurants and boutique transformations set aside for Resort Hotel guests. Schedule meals at select Disneyland Resort restaurants or a magical makeover! During their stay, Hotel Guests receive preferred access to a limited number of reservations that make it easier to feast at popular eateries throughout Disneyland Resort or book one of our fantasy-filled transformations for kids at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Anna and Elsa’s Boutique. Being a Disneyland Resort guest, you will have fits choice for booking those Dining Reservations or Special Events when booked 60 days prior to your check in date. Including:
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Disneyland Resort
• Blue Bayou Restaurant
• Carthay Circle Restaurant
• Catal Restaurant
• Goofy’s Kitchen
• La Brea Bakery Cafe
• Napa Rose
• Naples Ristorante e Bar
• Plaza Inn
• Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
• Tortilla Jo’s
6. Location, Location, Location!
At the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, there is a private entrance into Disney California Adventure park. You will be required to show your valid room key to use this entrance as well as a valid park ticket. When you’re at Disneyland Hotel, however, you’re still quite close to the main entrance. Google Maps lists the distance as 0.9 miles, which means that you’re a casual 10-minute walk away from park admission. The other two Disneyland Resort Hotels are just a stones throw away making it an easy walk to and from your Resort Hotel room no matter which you chose to stay in.
7. A ‘Signature’ experience
While every guest room at a Disneyland Resort hotel includes special Disney touches and themes (Adventure, Fantasy and Frontier) , the six themed Signature Suites at the Disneyland Hotel fully immerse guests in the magic of Disneyland. From the replica of Davy Jones’ Dead Man’s Chest in the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite to a twinkling Tinker Bell turning on the lights of the Sleeping Beauty Castle model in the Fairy Tale Suite. These rooms were designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and feature an incredible amount of detail for Disney fans. “There is so much detail in each one of these rooms,” guest services manager Scottie Whitaker told Los Angeles Magazine. “You can spend an entire week and there’s no way you’d see every last detail that they put into these.”
8. Shop till you drop - without carrying bags!
Enjoy the convenience of having all Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure purchases delivered to your resort gift shop with Package Express! You don’t have to worry about carrying around all your Disney Parks souvenirs around the parks. This is one of my favorite benefits to staying on-site at a Disneyland Resort Hotel - this is VIP treatment!
9. Unique Fitness Options
While a walk in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks is a great way to stay in shape during a vacation, a power walk before a park opens to the public is a special treat only offered to Disneyland Resort Hotel guests. The early-morning Get Up and Go Power Walk through Disney California Adventure Park and Fitness Fusion class at the outdoor fireplace at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa are open to guests at all three hotels. If you are looking for a little slower pace you may enjoy the 45-minute stretch class is held inside Disney California Adventure Park before opening. There is also a 24 Hour Fitness Center at each Resort Hotel location for you to enjoy during your stay. What a better way to burn off those extra Dole Whip, Churro and Mickey Pretzel calories?
10. Exclusive Hotel Entertainment and Activities
Everyone loves a good story — and there’s nothing quite like having your own personal storyteller at bedtime. Guests cuddle up with blankets and gather in the rocking chairs around the stone fireplace in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa to hear Tales from the Hearth. It’s a great way for the whole family to wind down after a day at the parks. But if you miss it, no fear: just turn to the designated channel on your TV at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels to hear Disney’s Princess Story Time. What better way to have sweet dreams?
At the Paradise Pier Hotel, resort guests can visit the roof top pool area to watch the Disneyland fireworks show, complete with narration and music piped in over loudspeakers. Each of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels host a Magical Night at the Movies. Sign up for an animator’s class to learn how to draw Mickey. Take a trivia challenge or enjoy an exclusive magic experience at the Main Street Magic Shop inside Disneyland. Participate in a scavenger hunt inside the hotel or learn how to create adorable washcloth creations. Guests can register for these special activities at Guest Services inside their Disney Resort Hotel.
11. Disneyland Pools
Disneyland Resort hotels have amazing pools. There are water slides, hot tubs, and lots of lounging areas. Fresh towels, swim diapers for babies, life vests for toddlers are supplied. You can even get pool-side dining and drink service. All three resorts have great water slides, several pools to choose from as well as hot tubs. With the resorts so close, we usually take a mid-day swim break and return to the parks refreshed in the late afternoon.
12. Exceptional Resort Service
Using the Guest Services Desk at your Resort Hotel will make your Disneyland Resort vacation easier with help from our Cast Members. Simply stop by the Guest Services Desk, located in the main lobby, between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM daily. Guest Services can also be reached 24 hours a day by dialing “0” from any house phone or from your Guest room phone. Disney Cast Members can assist you with things like:
• Dining and activities reservations
• Directions to locations at the Disneyland Resort and the surrounding areas
• Group and meeting information
• Itinerary planning
• Lost children
• Maps and park information
• ECVs and wheelchairs
• Printing boarding passes
• Southern California tours, shopping and dining info
• Special amenities (e.g., flower and gift deliveries)
• Transportation information and booking
13. Key to the Magic
Your Key to the Magic card is your room key, Resort charge card and parking permit. You will receive your card when you check in. 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.
If those weren't reasons enough…watch this!