5 Excellent Ways to Choose a Disneyland Resort Hotel

Photo of "for the birds" sign at Pixar Shorts Court at Pixar Place Hotel illustrating the difficult task of how to choose a Dsineyland Resort Hotel

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California has three “on-site” hotels: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel (formerly Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel) . While there are many more hotels surrounding the resort, these three are owned by Disney. A stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotels comes with certain benefits as well as a big dose of Disney magic. You can click here to find a comparison chart of the three hotels. Here are five things to consider as who choose the best Disneyland Resort Hotel for you.

Theme

Pixar Place Hotel is a tribute to the films and shorts of Pixar Animation Studios. It features a bright primary color palette and depictions of Pixar characters from various stages of the animation process. The pool is themed to the world of Finding Nemo, while the pool deck and other public areas incorporate other characters.

Disneyland Hotel opened shortly after the park itself and is themed to the history of Disneyland and Walt Disney with doses of fantasy (light-up headboards) and nostalgia (monorail-shaped waterslides) balanced by functional furnishings and calming colors.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is a soaring Craftsman-style hotel that thematically invites guests to imagine they are in a grand timbered lodge. The setting reminds us of Yosemite National Park. The details are both luxurious and rustic with an emphasis on natural materials and warm earth tones.

Cost

A standard room at Pixar Place Hotel is generally the least expensive option. Comparable room types on the same dates are the most expensive at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa with Disneyland Hotel falling in the middle. Each hotel offers many room types, so a “pool terrace – club level room” at Pixar Place Hotel can cost more than a “standard room” at the Disneyland Hotel. Pricing depends on exact dates, room type and available discounts. You can save some money by adjusting your stay according to these variables. For the most cost-conscious hotel options, look at accommodations outside of Disneyland Resort property.

Location

All three hotels are on the Disneyland Resort property, but they do not necessarily border the parks. For proximity to the parks, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is closest to the main entrances of both parks and offers an exclusive entrance to Disney California Adventure Park from the hotel building itself (the entrance is into the Grizzly Peak area of the park).

Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel are located on the west end of the Downtown Disney District, and guests of these two hotels access the main entrances of each park by walking through Downtown Disney. Disneyland Hotel is positioned a little closer to the main entrances, but with the reimagining of Pixar Place Hotel (from its previous identity as Paradise Pier Hotel), Disney introduced a guest-exclusive entrance to Disney California Adventure Park. It is accessed by a walkway just across Disneyland Drive from Pixar Place Hotel. This walkway entrance opens into the Paradise Gardens Park area of the park. Disneyland Hotel has a nearby station for the Disneyland Monorail. When it is running, the monorail can take ticketed guests right into Disneyland Park’s Tomorrowland.

Room Size

Standard rooms at all three hotels sleep up to five adults. Each hotel also has suite accommodations that offer space for additional guests. Some “signature” suites have elaborate immersive theming. Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa both have Disney Vacation Club villas with kitchen amenities that are also occasionally available to hotel guests.

Perks

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa has the most luxury features (including the spa, which can also be booked by guests of the other hotels), but all three hotels have robust list of perks and amenities.

All three hotels traditionally offer extra time in the parks to guests. The offering in 2024 is the opportunity for ticketed guests to enter one park each morning one half-hour before official opening; this perk is called “Early Entry.”

All three hotels feature dining, fitness centers, pools with waterslides and splash areas, charge-to-room capabilities, digital keys, wi-fi, laundry facilities, paid parking, a variable slate of on-site entertainment (like drawing classes, outdoor movies, tours, etc) and assistance with resort guest services like reservations and directions.

All three hotels offer club level rooms.

As a special surprise after its reimagining, Pixar Place Hotel hosts the characters Joe Gardner (from Soul) and Bing Bong (from Inside Out). Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa host character dining in their restaurants.

It is a good idea to check the refurbishment and entertainment schedules at each hotel before you choose a particular Disneyland Resort Hotel.

We hope this analysis will help you choose the best Disneyland Resort Hotel for you.

See something you like? You can book a Disneyland Resort Hotel on the Disneyland website. This is also where you will find information about current pricing and discounts. You may also book through the Disneyland mobile app or by calling Disney directly. Hotels can be booked independently or as part of a vacation package with tickets.

Need a side-by-side comparison of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels? Find our chart here.

Here’s hoping you have a pleasant stay in, or nearby, the “Happiest Place on Earth.”