Disneyland in Anaheim California is the original park created by Walt Disney.  It is filled with nostalgia and Disney magic.  The resort today has 2 theme parks (Disneyland and California Adventure) and 3 Disney owned hotels. The 3 Disney hotels are The Grand Californian, Paradise Pier, and the Disneyland hotel. 

Image Credit: Disney

Guests of Disneyland resort also have the option of staying at one of the many good neighbor hotels.

Disney’s Paradise Pier

We recently had the pleasure of staying at Disney’s Paradise Pier.  Paradise Pier is the most economical of the 3 Disneyland hotels and it a great option for families.  

Location

Disney’s Paradise Pier is located in close proximity to both parks.  Paradise Pier is located across the street from The Grand Californian and down the road from the Disneyland Hotel.  

Photo: Disney

Guests of all 3 resorts can utilize the exclusive walkway and entrance from the Grand Californian to California Adventure.  The resort room keys open the gate for all three Disney hotels to access this entrance. 

Entering California Adventure this way can save a lot of time.  We were meeting family staying off property and were able to enter the park much earlier because of the massive line at the general entrance.  It took us about 5-7 minutes to walk to California adventure from Paradise Pier.  

Paradise Pier can also easily access the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney by another walking path.  

Dining

Paradise Pier typically has one table service restaurant, Disney’s PCH Grill.  Typically, this character meal features Donald Duck and serves breakfast, but it has been closed since COVID.  The Sand Bar is another option for a quick bite to eat for resort guests.  But unfortunately, this is also currently closed. 

During our stay the only option for food was a quick self-service grab and go market that served prepackaged items.  The lack of dining was not much of a downside as you could walk across the street to access dining at the Grand Californian or Downtown Disney.  

Recreation

Paradise Pier has a rooftop pool that is located on the 3rd floor of the resort.  The pool features a hot tub and a water slide.  The pool is a great place to watch fireworks from California Adventure.  

The resort also has a fitness center open for guests on the second floor of the resort.  On the first floor there is a  sandcastle themed theater for children playing Disney movies.  

We visited during the holidays which offered daily Santa greetings.  Santa was available to meet guests from 11:00-4:30pm. During our stay, meeting Santa never had a line and was a great opportunity for children to interact with Santa.  

Accommodations

Paradise Pier is the most affordable of the Disney owned resorts in Disneyland.  The resort features standard hotel rooms and suites depending on the guest need. 

The standard rooms are spacious and can sleep 5 guests.  The rooms consist of two queen beds and a sleeper sofa that can accommodate a 5th guest.  Some rooms also feature a king bed and queen-sized sleeper sofa. These rooms provide either a standard or a premium theme park view.  Paradise Pier also offers club level rooms with standard and premium rooms. 

One bedroom and two-bedroom suites are also available.  The one-bedroom suites sleep up to 6 adults while the two-bedroom suites can sleep up to 10 adults. 

The resort also features the suites that are named after famous beaches in California.  The booking categories for these rooms are the Dana Point, Huntington, Laguna, Malibu and Newport suites.  The Dana Point suites offer 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom suites.  The 3-bedroom suite can sleep up to 13 adults.  The other suites offer 1- and 2-bedroom options.  The 2-bedroom suites can sleep up to 11 adults.  

Comparison

We had a great stay at Paradise Pier resort.  This was our first time staying at a Disney owned hotel in Disneyland as we previously had stayed in good neighbor hotels.  We always stay at Disney owned hotels in Florida, but California has less Disney owned options to choose from. 

The theming and attention to detail sets this resort apart from Good Neighbor hotels.  The Christmas decorations were also themed to the resort’s beach vibe.

Our Room

We booked a standard view room, but it appeared we had been upgraded to a premium view as we could see California Adventure from our window.  We could also see parts of the Disneyland fireworks from our window.  The room was spacious and had adorable Disney details. 

Cast Members

Cast members were attentive and friendly.  One of the cast members in bell services gave our daughters a beautiful black and white photograph of Anna and Elsa which made their day! 

The Disney Difference

We also enjoyed the perk of being able to use the Grand California theme park entrance to California Adventure.  The pool was also larger than any of the good neighbor hotels we had visited in the past and much better themed.  The pool was also staffed with a lifeguard which is not the case at Good Neighbor hotels.  

Booking a package with this resort and tickets also provides guests with a free lanyard and Disney pin.  Once you complete online check in, you’ll receive a voucher to redeem this for each guest once in the park. 

Booking a package also allows guests to use their Disney Chase Visa card to receive 6 months free financing on their package similar to the Walt Disney World package.  

After staying at a Disney owned hotel in Anaheim, I think it will be hard to go back to a good neighbor hotel due to the Disney theming, location, and cast member attentiveness.  I would definitely stay here or at any of the Disney owned hotels on my next Disneyland trip.  

Do you want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I also create customized itineraries, book advanced dining, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more! Also, did I mention that my services are FREE!!!! Contact me at  SLoehrlein@MickeyTravels.com or follow me on Facebook @MickeyTravelsShannonLoehrlein