Paradise Pier Hotel Reader Comments

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Kristen, August 2007

After many trips to Walt Disney World, my mother and I decided to try Disneyland in August 2007. Based on online reviews, we picked the Paradise Pier Hotel. We'd heard the Grand Californian can be noisy because of its proximity to the parks and that the Disneyland Hotel needs to be updated. We were very pleased with the accommodations at the Pier. Compared to WDW resorts, the Pier felt more intimate and seemed in much better condition than the Disneyland Hotel. We picked a room with a theme park view (Room 1002) and it was worth it. We had a great view of the Paradise Pier portion of the California Adventure park. At nighttime, all the rides lit up beautifully and we could watch the floats for the Electric Parade go by. At the opposite end of the hallway (on the smokers' balcony) you can watch the Remember fireworks show at the Disneyland Park.

We checked in around 11:00 a.m., but the room wasn't ready until the evening. You can check your luggage with Bell Services while you visit the parks. Upon check-in you'll get two separate cards – the room key and the park entrance. It's recommended that you keep the room key apart from your cell phone because it may become demagnetized. A few people also had problems getting their park tickets to work once they became wet or bent. I would recommend assigning one person to keep the cards in a Ziploc bag and another to carry cameras/phones to avoid any damage. To get to the parks, all you have to do is cross the street and walk through the Grand Californian Hotel. It's much quicker than waiting for a bus at WDW.

Unlike WDW, however, food was hard to find. After our flight in from NYC we were starving, but nothing opened until 11:30 a.m. (2:30 NY time). You can buy a quick snack like fruit or juice at the counter, or sit down to a fully priced meal, but there isn't much in between. The variety for sit down meals (not including the Japanese restaurant) was basically a burger, turkey wrap, salad, or personal pizza. This applied to most of the Resort (Downtown Disney and both parks). We did spring for the Lilo & Stitch breakfast buffet one morning, but if you don't mind missing the characters, you might be better off eating at the bakery in Downtown Disney.

We enjoyed crossing the street in the other direction (out the door and to the right, across Katella Ave.) and eating at Tiffy's and Coco's restaurants. They had cheaper food, more options, quick service, and served food at whatever hour you're hungry! Again, comparing to WDW, Disneyland hotels are more expensive. We noticed a few good neighbor hotels that seemed just as close by (namely the Best Western Stovall's Inn, which is across the street from Paradise Pier). The staff at the Pier is friendly (especially the concierge desk) but the feel is not as "magical" as in WDW.

Of the three Disneyland hotels, I would definitely recommend the Pier. If you're planning to go, pack your sunblock and enjoy!

Mashelle, September 2006

I stayed at Paradise Pier in September of 06. I had a wonderful time. When I booked this hotel I had some mixed feelings about it. However when I arrived my fears were laid to rest by the fast and friendly staff. I got the floor I wanted. I had the pool veiw and the bed was soft and so inviting that I had no troubble falling asleep every night. Also loved the nightly turndown with the candy coins. Also the Mickey Mouse rice krispy treats I got for my birthday. I would stay there again. Families would like this hotel. I also had no trouble with walking to the parks. I crossed the street and went through the Grand Californian hotel. It cuts about 3 minutes from the walk to Disneyland or you can use the entrance directly into DCA.

Tammy, September 2006

We just came back from Disneyland yesterday where we stayed at the Paradise Pier Resort. For the first time we tried the concierge level. Yes, it was more expensive, but I was surprised how many ways this was beneficial. I figured by eating in the concierge lounge during breakfast, hors d'oeuvres and snacks we saved at least $500. But more importantly we saved time, and saved ourselves from overeating. We were able to go down to the lounge and eat on our way out in the morning saving us at least 1-1/2 hours of eating at a restaraunt. I also found we didn't overeat as much.

Breakfast was a variety of cold cereals, fruit, muffins, bagels, juice, coffee, etc. Dinner was wine, beer, heavy hors d'oeuvres such as coconut shrimp, veggies and dip, cheese and breads etc. I realized afterwards we probably would have spent this much staying off property and eating at restaraunts!

The staff was great, no waiting in line for check-in. Bottled water, sodas, coffee and snacks were available all day. At $2.50 a piece in the parks, to grab a couple water bottles a day was a bargain.

Andrew, February 2006

I stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel, which has often been referred to as the "Other Hotel" of the Disneyland Resort due to its distance away from the Main Entrance Plaza. In truth, if you follow these tips, then you can stay at the least expensive hotel at the Resort but still enjoy your stay.

First off, the Paradise Pier hotel is not particularly a hangout place – in other words, it's not a place where you can spend all day, like the Grand Californian. The rooms and levels are all basically the same (use the lobby's glass elevator and you will see my point). There is no live entertainment or shows. However, there are enough things to do while you spend your DCA afternoon. There is a large spacious pool on the 3rd floor of the hotel. It features a half olympic-size pool, a nice-sized jacuzzi, a small wading pool, and a waterslide. The main pool is heated to accomodate you travels during the wintertime (I stayed over during February and was warm while in the pool). The kiddy wading pool is less than a foot deep and is about 7' x 7'. The jacuzzi is about the same and is on a self-timer that can be activated by a switch. The slide is a nice kiddy-style (note: it may look intimidating, but it isn't – everyone in our group (two adults, two teens and one 9-year-old) ! became stuck on the slide. The slide is very tame and we ended up walking down most of the way down the slide.

The hotel also offers a weightlifting room on one of the first three floors. A small snack bar with a large screen TV is on the first floor (the bar features breakfast foods such as muffins, bagels, coffee, etc.).

Now for the theme parks. Many people have said that the Paradise Pier is "too far of a walk to the Main Entrance Plaza" (where the two parks meet). In truth, the Paradise Pier is only about a three minute walk to the Disneyland Hotel, and from there about a five to ten minute walk to the Main Entrance Plaza through Downtown Disney. The Downtown Disney Monorail station is about a five minute walk from the Hotel. If you want a priority entrance to Disney's California Adventure Park, you can walk across the street to the Grand Californian Hotel and use the hotel's park entrance which will lead you to the Grizzly Peak Area of Disney's California Adventure Park.

A few tips for travelers:

• There are only four elevators throughout the entire hotel, and between the hours of 3 PM-9 PM, the elevators can have quite a long line and can take up to fifteen minutes just to reach your floor. There are stairs off to the side that are available for use (although if you're on the 10th floor it's not exactly the most practical method to go upstairs to).
• Soda and Ice machines are located on every floor.
• Refrigerators and Safes are located in every room by the TV/Entertainment center.

Sherry Cote, September 2005

My husband and I spent 4 nights at Paradise Pier in September 2005. This was our first trip to Disneyland — we have made several to the WORLD and have stayed at most of the resorts. I was pleasantly surprised. The room was perfect. We paid for a standard view, but had a great view of DCA. We could watch the people on the rides. It was on the 4th floor and room #700. There was a very large closet for our luggage and a coffee maker on a little counter outside of the bathroom. The closeness to the parks was great. We never had to drive or take transportation. The staff was nice although not quite as sweet and friendly as the WORLD. The only downside was the food. We usually like to visit the fast food and food courts. There was not anything available like that at the resort. The pool was OK. We thought this would be a great place for older people or small children since it was not so overwhelming. WE LOVED IT!!!

Pat Jewell, June 2005

We stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel the end of June. The hotel was very nice and overall a great place to stay (liked Disneyland Hotel in August 2003 better). The problem we had was getting enough soap, each day from check-in on we had to ask for bars of soap. Even after complaining to Guest Services it continued to be an issue.

Joy Ferson, January 2005

Our family of 5 stayed at Paradise Pier in January of 2005. This was our second time in this hotel. We stayed in room 632 and had a nice view of DCA. We could see the lights all night long from the theme park. We also had a nice view of the sun rising over the mountains in the morning.

We found the room to be very comfortable. The closet was quite large and plenty of draw space for the 5 of us. The beds were nice and comfy. My two boys took turns sleeping on the sofa bed. It was comfortable when I tried it out, though did not sleep on it. It is the same bed they use on the Disney cruise line. We also like the relaxed decor with the nautical colors and Disney touches in pastel yellows and blues. The beverage center was a nice touch across from the closet area. It also had a fridge and safe in the room.

We tried out the roof top pool and the new slide. The slide was a big hit with the kids, but the water in the slide was much cooler than in the swimming pool. Since we were there in January it felt cold. Hubby and I spent most our time in the hot tub.

The CMs were very nice and helpful. The only drawback we found was the food service, traveling from central time zone we were starving by 4:00 as this was our dinner time of 6:00 pm back home and there were no restaurants open yet at Paradise Pier. The bar did have some limited snack items, but dinner was not served until 5:00 pm and there weren't any snack bars like at the other resort hotels at DL and WDW. We did order room service one morning for breakfast and were very impressed with the omelettes and the price. It was a very good value, lots of food and tasted delicious. I had the veggie omelette and it was filled with vegetables including fresh asparagus! It was very pleasant sitting at the table eating while enjoying the view of DCA and the mountains with the sun rising.

I would highly recommend Paradise Pier, it was an easy walk to Grand California to cut through and go to DCA or easy walk to Disneyland Hotel to eat at Goofy's Kitchen and then hop on monorail into Disneyland. The only thing I would warn people about is the private entrance into California Adventure was closed and from what the CMs said it was no longer going to be used. We were looking forward to that.