Disneyland is home to three hotels on property. Two of these have consistently been strong sellers since they opened, even at high price points. The third hotel lagged for many years. After a recent complete renovation and renaming, the hotel now delivers a true Disneyland experience.
We recently stayed at this on-property hotel, which impressed us with its refreshed design, Pixar theming throughout, and new dining options. While we used to recommend skipping this hotel in previous years, we now think it is worthy of your consideration after these upgrades. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a Disney rules change for pin trading in theme parks, and the nine new restaurants coming to Disneyland soon.
READ MORE – Don’t Pack These Items For Your Disney Trip. They Can Cause Headaches and Some Are Banned.
Disneyland’s Third Hotel is Now Worthy of the Disney Name
The Pixar Place Hotel was previously the Paradise Pier Hotel. In that form, the hotel was the third place “cheap” option on-property at Disneyland that was lightly themed to a beachside to reflect the Paradise Pier land in Disney California Adventure.
Disney Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
Two years ago, Disneyland completed a full overhaul of the hotel to turn it into the Pixar Place Hotel to match the transition that they made at the land inside the theme park. The addition of the Pixar theme brings new life to the hotel and makes it feel truly Disney.
The hotel now sits squarely next to the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian as acceptable options for guests. The hotel’s theming and Disney experience now make it worth your time to price out the hotel option.
Before the renovation, a stay here did not make sense in the past decade. Guests had to pay the “Disney premium” for being one of three hotels on-property, but did not get a truly Disney experience. The rooms were not anything special and felt dated.
Guests would pay a price that was higher than the Westin for a far lesser hotel experience. That hotel, which is just half a block away, is still a strong contender and is considered by some to be the top pick over even Disney’s Grand Californian.
Now, the rooms have been completely remodeled, as you can see in our recent photos below, and Pixar fun has been imbued throughout the property.
Even as I write this review, I won’t strongly urge you to stay at any of the three Disneyland hotels. They are all quite expensive. Unlike Walt Disney World, there is no budget option from Disney, but there are some great, affordable options for families at the hotels near Disneyland around Anaheim.
Before locking in on any one hotel for Disneyland, I recommend pricing out the different options with our travel partner, Get Away Today. They offer exclusive discounts to our Mickey Visit readers when you combine hotels and tickets. They have deals with almost every top hotel in Anaheim, and many even offer extra night free deals exclusively for their guests.
Book the lowest prices on hotels here >
Now, though, let’s dive into a look at the Pixar Place Hotel for a photo tour. Walking into the lobby, there is now a prominent Luxo lamp jumping on the iconic Pixar ball.
From here, the check-in area features big murals behind the desks.
Up in the rooms, the setup is almost themed to a Pixar animator’s desk. The room features a big wall of concept artwork from multiple different iconic Pixar movies.
On the desk is the Luxo lamp. There are also Pixar art books here for you to peruse.
One half of the building looks out at Disney California Adventure Park, and the other at a parking lot and the Disneyland Hotel. The park views are spectacular, and the higher floors have direct views into the parks to see World of Color.
My room gave me a perfect view of the construction of the new Pixar Coco ride that is currently being built. Click here to see my recent photo report.
READ MORE – Why Disney Housekeeping Will Enter Your Room Daily Even If You Have the Do Not Disturb Sign On
The touches in the room around the hotel really demonstrate that Disney went all in on making this hotel truly Disney. Look closely at the bedspread, and you’ll see the Pixar ball stitched into the sheets. The floor in the lobby hides different characters. The hallways have very clever light panels that look like animation strips with the lamp jumping.
Each floor of the hotel also has a different animation concept artwork outside the elevator.
The pool area is very cute with a splash pad for kids and a waterslide play area. There is also a nice option for food here at the pool bar.
In the lobby, you can find a location of the Great Maple Restaurant chain. This Southern California breakfast staple serves up Chicken and Waffles and other comfort food favorites. The dinner here was surprisingly good. This restaurant is in a weird spot for those who are not staying at the hotel, so there are often reservations available. A nice dining option.
The hotel is located within a quick walk to the theme parks. To access the parks, the fastest way is now to cross the street and walk through the gate into Disney’s Grand Californian. You can then walk through Downtown Disney or the Disney California Adventure park gate. The hotel’s private entrance into Paradise Gardens was closed at the beginning of 2026.
Overall, the hotel has been completely transformed from the former Paradise Pier offering. Previously, we said there is no reason to book this property. Now, there are still better options for value to money, but the Pixar features make this enticing.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
