Disney World has about two dozen Disney-owned hotels on property and with my job as a Disney World reporter, I’ve stayed in every. Single. One.
Over on our YouTube channel, you can often find me reviewing Disney World hotels (the rooms and beyond) using my patented (not really) Bed Science method. I have my favorites, but on a recent trip to Disneyland I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and it blew every Disney World hotel completely out of the water.
Recently, my friend Emma and I traveled across the country in an attempt to visit every Disney theme park in the U.S. in one day. It was quite a serious challenge and you can see the video over on YouTube.
At the end of our trip, we spent one night at the Disneyland Hotel — a famous place to stay right near the Disneyland parks. Not only did this hotel have a number of surprises, but it also ranked as my favorite hotel of all time. I did a full review video of the hotel that you can give a watch right here!
Now, I’m breaking down just what makes the Disneyland Hotel so much better than any hotel in Disney World.
The Rooms
The moment I walked into my room at Disneyland Hotel, my jaw dropped. My first impression was that of pure Disney magic — if you’re a Disney fan, you know what I’m talking about.
In Disney World, you’ll have one of two kinds of rooms. You’ll either have an older hotel room where the furnishings are well-worn and things feel a little outdated or you’ll have a new/recently-refurbished room where the furnishings are themed but come from a standard, optimized collection.
One example of an older room would be those at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort which is in the midst of getting a refurbishment. The not refurbished rooms however struck me as dark, dated, and a little uncomfortable. Truly, the hotel is 25 years old — and it felt it.
The newer rooms have a different challenge. At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, for instance, the somewhat dated rooms have been swapped for Moana-themed ones. These rooms, though practical, seem to lack character (Well, not literally, Maui is in the wallpaper.). Where the old rooms felt immersive and cozy, the new ones feel less homey and intentional. Sure, the giant closet/storage/mini fridge/drink station unit is practical but it reminds me of the vibe you get at IKEA; somewhat copy-pasted.
The addition of Disney intellectual property (IP) has been happening at a number of Disney hotels as well: Moana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, The Incredibles at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Mary Poppins Returns at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Chip and Dale at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. This adds some Disney fun, sure, but many dislike the way it can feel like it cheapens the “luxury” experience at some of these hotels.
None of the complaints even remotely apply to the Disneyland Hotel rooms. Despite the hotels original (not Disney-owned) opening in 1955, the rooms still feel fresh — not new, but very well-upkept. A 2009-2012 refresh of the hotel has helped to keep it feeling well-lit, classy, and Disneyfied — without being overdone.
Where seeing Disney IP in your Disney World hotel room is controversial, the way Disney imagery is used in the Disneyland Hotel is much-loved. The mirrors have a regular but somewhat whimsical shape to them, you’ll find fireworks in the carpet and Mickeys on the bed sheets. Even the sconces in the bathroom are held aloft by gloved Mickey hands jetting out of the wall.
The art in the room features Walt Disney walking the streets of Disneyland or close-ups of the lanterns that hang above Mad Tea Party. My favorite tiny detail was that the font on the shower controls were in Disney font. My favorite large detail? The headboards are outfitted with LED fireworks. Flip a switch and music plays as the lights show fireworks magically exploding above Sleeping Beauty Castle.
The Disney theming here feels magical and faithful to the original vision for the hotel when Disney purchased it in 1984. Where Bob Parr feels slapped onto the fan-favorite Contemporary Resort in Disney World, it’s hard not to soften at the sight of the Disneyland Hotel theming.
Beyond the theme, the rooms also feel a little bit classier and old school with some small amenities that are not commonly seen in Disney World hotels. We’ll talk a bit more about the little things that set this hotel apart but I was pleased to see a notepad, Disneyland coasters, water glasses (instead of disposable cups), room service, and robes (some Disney World hotels have robes but it’s a rarity).
The only rooms that I have felt were comparable in amenities to the Disneyland Hotel in Disney World were the renovated rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Contemporary Resort — both of which have the controversial IP additions. Those rooms would run you at base $660 for the Polynesian and $550 for the Contemporary, whereas I paid $440 for a night at Disneyland Hotel. It’s still expensive, but the spend feels a little more worth it.
Click here for a full tour of The Incredibles-themed rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort!
The History and Vibe
The next thing that stood out to me was the history of Disneyland Hotel. Despite not being owned by Disney until the ’80s, this hotel has stood next to Disneyland since just months after its original opening in 1955. People have been staying here to visit The Happiest Place on Earth for almost seven decades.
For a lot of Disney fans, that alone is a point in this hotels favor but what I really loved is that the furnishings of the hotel lean into that history. In the hallways, you’ll find photographs of Disneyland from its first open years. My personal favorite was a photo of Snow White and all seven dwarfs crammed into a Storybook Land Canal Boat in Fantasyland.
Near the elevators in the lobby, there is a gallery wall of famous figures from history visiting Disneyland or working on Disneyland, some of them alongside Walt Disney. There’s a map of Disneyland on the wall right as you walk in with projected effects that feel like magic. Some of the chairs in the lobby are even teacups!
The Frontier and Adventure towers continue with the historical and Disney parks-focused vibe with details like old attraction posters, scale models of the lands, and concept figures for beloved attractions like Jungle Cruise.
Typically, I would say a convention center is anything but magical, but the one at Disneyland Hotel houses museum-like displays, an Autopia car, and a wall of historical (and somewhat scary) Disney merchandise. Plus, the pool has a monorail theme and the famous Jungle Cruise-themed Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is right in the center of the hotel.
Even with significant construction in progress on the new Disney Vacation Club Tower coming to Disneyland Hotel, our stay was serene and special. The Cast Members were also all amazing and truly made us feel welcome — even when we were dropping off our bags and checking in before 6AM or calling for our luggage at 2:30AM.
Want to learn more about the new DVC tower? Click here!
The Little Things
And I have to get a nod to the little things. Disney World has gotten bigger and bigger, with growth that far exceeds Disneyland’s own. Because of this, many little things have gotten lost over the years — especially post 2020. The same doesn’t seem to have happened at the Disneyland Hotel.
As mentioned above, the room had a number of little amenities. Your in-room phone (cordless, btw) has an accompanying pad with phone numbers and a pen and paper. Room service is available for dinner and your glassware comes with very cute Disneyland Hotel coasters.
The bathroom even had a note from the hotel attendants welcoming us and letting us know that we could ask them if we needed absolutely anything. That might be true at Disney World hotels, but there isn’t a sweet note that says it.
Oh, and let’s hear it again for the robe.
Though an option at some Disney World hotels, poolside service from Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill struck me as a bit of surprise and there was a dispenser with ice water in the lobby.
I wouldn’t say that any one of these things is the thing holding back Disney World hotels for me, but when you add together the experience of Disneyland Hotel, it becomes clear how special it is.
I’d stay at Disneyland Hotel again in a heartbeat. The combination of the little things, design of the hotel, and Cast Members reminded me of what Disney World hotels used to feel like when I was a little kid — nothing short of real magic.
Click here to see 100 things I learned on my first trip to Disneyland!
Have you stayed at the Disneyland Hotel? Let us know in the comments!Â
This hotel is my happy place. I used to visit when I was a kid (just to walk around and explore – back when there were caves and a koi pond and a water show in the courtyard!) and always dreamed of staying there… now I’ve been able to stay numerous times and it never disappoints. I’ll be back in three weeks – yay!!
Looks just like the hundredths of Holiday Inns that exist across USA.
But I guess because it’s a Disney resorts it gives the vibe of being better
We stayed there for the first time last May and I too was blown away. If was so special! The rooms, the lobby, the history! Hands down the best Disney resort I have stayed in.
I’m actually shocked that you find the Disneyland Hotel better than the moderate to deluxe hotels of WDW. The DLand Hotel is more of a motel. The rooms smell of mildew, they are rundown – the bathrooms are dated, and the curtains, carpet smell as if they’ve never been replaced. All of the towers at the DLH are in a sad state, except for the Fantasyland Tower – which I assume is where they put you. The pool area is disgusting. The artificial grass is so old and worn out it’s no longer green. The chaise cushions have holes and tears in them that are at least 1 foot in size. The concrete throughout the grounds are filthy and need a pressure wash. No one that I know who has stayed at DLH didn’t check out the next day. We only stay at the Grand Cal or even better the Westin across from DCA – now that is a deluxe hotel at DLH prices or below.
My preference is the Grand Cal, but only when using my DVC. If I am paying cash for the room, I prefer to stay across the street from Disneyland. The hotels on Harbor Blvd are closer to the parks than the Disneyland Hotel and cost $3000 less for a 5 day package including park-hopper tickets. Since I am rarely in the room, I prefer to use the savings for special meals in the parks, like Blue Bayou and the Character meal at the Carnation Cafe. Either way, I love walking to the parks instead of busing.
I did have the opportunity to stay here once, in January 2003 when California Adventure was still fairly new. I enjoyed it immensely, although it’s clearly changed quite a bit since I stayed there. My room, while nice enough, was not themed in any special way – it was just a well-appointed room and the only touches that reminded me that I was in a Disney hotel were the bathroom amenities – shampoo bottles, etc. The pool had a “pirate ship” theme at the time, not the monorail theme it has now. One thing that hasn’t changed is the Cast Member service, which was exceptional. The hotel had its own first aid station onsite (I wonder if that’s still there). I had called them a handful of times during my stay for bandaids to apply to my blistered feet and they always sent someone within five minutes of my call with four to five bandaids, always brought to my room free of charge (in retrospect, I probably should have tipped), sparing me a trip to the hotel gift shop and the extra expense of buying a full box of bandaids. Aside from the blisters, it was a magical five-day trip and the Disneyland Hotel was a big part of the reason, even if I only got to ride the monorail once because it kept breaking down during my stay – hence the blisters perhaps.