It’s time to look ahead and cover the MAJOR perks of staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel!
Things are always changing at Disneyland — and that also includes the perks. Disneyland is home to three on-site hotels — the Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Pixar Place Hotel — and each offers something special you won’t get at a local Good Neighbor hotel. If you’re planning to or considering staying at one of these three hotels in 2027, check out these perks!
Admittedly, Disneyland Resort hotels aren’t as complex as Disney World’s. Dining options are a bit more limited, the pricing is high no matter which hotel you choose (although the Grand Californian’s costs are significantly higher), and there isn’t the deep well of perks that you might be used to at Disney World. Nevertheless, there are still six fairly significant perks that you can expect to have at these hotels in 2027.
Complimentary Lightning Lane Entry
In the past, Disney offered early theme park entry to Disneyland Resort hotel guests — allowing them into a select park 30 minutes before everyone else. In 2026, Disney did away with that and instead started giving guests one complimentary Lightning Lane pass during their stay.
Each guest checked in and staying at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels receives one complimentary Lightning Lane to one Multi Pass-eligible ride.
We have to reiterate that this pass is only valid for one ride during your entire vacation, so use it wisely.
Special Seasonal Activities
At select times during the year, hotel guests can experience special activities and seasonal events!
You might be able to meet characters and even see characters in special seasonal outfits at your hotel’s restaurants! These events are announced closer to the seasons and can have wavering availability, so make sure you check out the restaurant and hotel webpages ahead of time to learn more.
Close Proximity to the Parks
Perhaps the best reason to stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel is how close they all are to the theme parks and the Downtown Disney District.
Guests staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Pixar Place Hotel have convenient access to Disney California Adventure Park through an entry gate located inside the Grand Californian.
In addition, all guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel can take a short walk over to the Disneyland Monorail and enjoy a scenic ride into Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
The Tomorrowland station returns folks to Downtown Disney, near the Disneyland Hotel.
Charge-to-Room
With the Disneyland app, guests can charge dining and shopping purchases from the theme parks, select Downtown Disney locations, and hotels to their room!
To set this up, provide your approved credit card during online or during your in-person check-in.
Preferred Access to Hotel Dining Reservations
Disneyland Resort hotel guests also get preferred access to a limited number of table-service restaurant reservations at select Disneyland hotels during their stay.
To be eligible for preferred access to dining reservations, link a valid hotel confirmation number to your Disneyland.com account and search for reservations online for select table-service restaurants. Reservations are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Direct-to-Room Service
Life is a little easier at the Disneyland hotels thanks to direct-to-room service!
Thanks to the Disneyland app, guests can check in online and use a digital key to access their room and parts of the resort.
If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!
This list is subject to change, so make sure you keep it posted right here at AllEars for all the latest Disneyland Resort updates!
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What is the BEST Disneyland Resort hotel perk? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
None of these perks are worth paying more than double the hotels across the street. Early entry was the last straw!
We always stayed at DLH or GCH. Next trip we’re staying 8 nights across the street at half the price. As you said, the perks to staying on property are gone.