The Disneyland Hotel

October 1955 – present

LOCATION

The Disneyland Hotel faces the end of Downtown Disney, on the opposite side from the park gates. Visitors can access the hotel grounds from Disneyland Drive, or by following Downtown Disney all the way to the western end (away from Harbor Boulevard).

BACKGROUND

When Disneyland first opened in July 1955, it was just a park, and did not include a Downtown Disney district or any hotel. Disney did not have the financial means to start off with a park and a hotel together, so Walt and his team searched for a partnership. The Disneyland Hotel opened in October, though it was officially owned and operated by businessman Jack Wrather. Originally, the hotel had just over 100 rooms, and dining and shops did not join the lot until the next year.

For many years, Disney attempted to buy the hotel, but Wrather refused to sell. But Disney finally acquired ownership of the property in 1988, four years after Wrather’s death. By then, the hotel had gone through several expansions and refurbishments, coming much closer to its present form.

In 1999, Disney opted to reduce the size of the hotel to accommodate the new Downtown Disney retail space. In the years since, the property has gone through significant refurbishment and update projects, spanning from the rooms to the gardens and pools to the restaurants. Today, none of the original hotel buildings survive, giving way to new towers overlooking the Disneyland resort.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Theme – Sleek & modern
• Dining Options – The Coffee House, Goofy’s Kitchen, Tangaroa Terrace, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar
• Amenities – 2 pools (with cabanas available for reservation), spa, movie screenings, trivia games & a hotel tour available in the lobby, fitness center, live acoustic music nightly, dry cleaning, business center, laundry room, meeting/banquet facilities, electric vehicle charging stations
• Price Range – Middle price range of the three Disneyland hotels, with rooms starting at $350+ per night
• Official Site

The Disneyland Hotel celebrates the past, present, and future of the Happiest Place on Earth. The three guest towers (Fantasy, Adventure, and Frontier), each have elaborate theming celebrate a classic region of the park. The restaurants and pools invite guests to unwind after a busy day of park hopping and snacking. And the sleek design of the hotel buildings gives off a modern vibe to an otherwise classic space. More than anything else, the Disneyland Hotel invites guests to stay in the magical world of Disney, even outside of the park gates.

 A standard room inside the Disneyland Hotel

MY RATING – ★★★★★

The Disneyland Hotel is my favorite of the official resort hotels. The grounds are fun to explore, and there’s nothing quite like unwinding at the Enchanted Tiki Bar. Despite being located right next to Downtown Disney, the hotel grounds are amazingly quiet, and the rooms have tons of little magical Disney details.

For me, the only major drawback to this hotel is its location – you’re in for a decent 15-20 minute walk through Downtown Disney to reach the park gates. Of course, you can always skip the walk and stop by the Monorail station next door. Overall, I definitely prefer this hotel to even the Grand Californian, and it’s the cheaper of the two!

 The sights from a “Pool View” room option

TRIVIA

In 1955, rooms at the Disneyland Hotel cost $15/night.

In the 50s, the hotel grounds included an onsite doctor, dentist, barber, and beauty shop. For a while, the hotel even boasted a helicopter pad!

Today’s guests towers are Fantasy, Frontier, and Adventure, but the original 3 towers were Sierra, Marina, and Bonita.

Before Downtown Disney’s arrival in 2001, Disneyland Hotel guests traveled to the park gates on trams.

How did Disney acquire the hotel? By buying Wrather’s company after his death. This purchase also secured the rights to The Lone Ranger and Lassie, among other intellectual and physical properties.