Seven Reasons You Should Stay at Disneyland Hotel
When you’re visiting the Happiest Place on Earth, you’re embracing the very beginning of theme park history.
While vacationing at Disneyland, you might as well do it right. Here are seven reasons you should stay at Disneyland Hotel.
The History
Photo: D23
During the early 1950s, Walt Disney decided to build a theme park and an adjoining hotel for the inevitable out-of-state tourists.
Sadly, the entrepreneur could only afford one of those projects. So, Uncle Walt attempted to sell other businesspeople on the hotel idea.
Photo: D23
For the longest time, nobody would bite. Finally, someone Disney barely even knew stepped forward and agreed to build the Disneyland Hotel.
Since 1955, this resort has stood alongside Disneyland as the culmination of every vacationer’s dream.
Photo: OC Register
When you spend a few nights at Disneyland Hotel, you’re reliving the glory days of Disney’s opening years…but in a modern setting with ideal amenities.
While you’re visiting, every public area will include some memento of Disney history, a time capsule doubling as a testament to Walt Disney’s greatness.
The Towers
Over the years, Disneyland Hotel has developed into a series of three different Towers.
You’ll stay at one of them during your visit, and it’ll remind you of Disney everywhere you look.
As with Disneyland itself, these Towers immerse you in a theme. They are the Adventure Tower, the Fantasy Tower, and the Frontier Tower.
You can guess from the names the type of Disney stories you’ll discover as room décor.
The Adventure Tower resides on the same side as Downtown Disney, while the Frontier Tower is across from the main pool.
Credit: Disney
No matter what, you’ll likely enter the Fantasy Tower, as it’s the main building/entrance.
In all three locations, you should spend some time in the lobby. The décor here is 100 percent pure Disney.
There’s even a miniature version of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad comprising one of the floors!
The Restaurants and Bars
Fans of California cuisine will love a hotel stay anywhere at Disneyland Resort.
So many of the restaurants here serve the finest flavors from the Golden State.
At Disneyland Hotel, you’ll discover one of the hidden gems, Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill.
When I talked about the best dining at Disneyland in 2022, I listed this place. It’s fantastic!
You may not have heard as much about it since it gets overshadowed, though.
That’s because the other options are a famous restaurant and a bar and lounge.
Photo: Disneyland
The restaurant, Goofy’s Kitchen, is a Disney character meal starring everyone’s favorite Disney dog.
I’m covering my bases there because Pluto and Goofy both appear, as do Minnie Mouse and Chip ‘n’ Dale. Obviously, kids adore this place.
Photo: Disneyland
Meanwhile, parents love Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, the place to go for all kinds of delicious glow drinks.
While drinking here, you’ll feel like you’re on an exotic island, even though you’re minutes from Disneyland’s front gate!
The Monorail Slide
Photo: Theme parks center
The other onside amenity you shouldn’t miss is the hotel pool.
Technically, Disneyland Hotel offers two pools, the E-Ticket Pool and the D-Ticket Pool.
Photo: Theme park Center
The cheeky names hint at which one is better. A distinctive part of Disney folklore was that D-ticket rides were the best ones at Disneyland.
Then, in 1959, Walt Disney expanded the park for the first time. The new attractions, including the Disneyland Monorail, became E-ticket rides.
Similarly, the E-Ticket Pool at Disneyland Hotel is the one with the unforgettable feature. It’s the monorail waterslide.
I’ll let Disney’s official site sell this amenity better than I ever could:
“Soak up some thrills at our 2 winding waterslides that feature replicas of the original Mark 1 Monorail trains.
Photo: KAYAK
Make a big splash from the approximate 25-foot-high, 180-foot-long Red Monorail slide or enjoy a more relaxing splashdown atop the 13-foot-high, 80-foot-long Yellow Monorail slide.
A 2-lane mini slide designed for smaller children also spills out into a small pool, while pop jets, fountains and a surging waterfall add to the fun.
This nostalgic water play area is topped by a “Disneyland” sign reminiscent of the park’s classic years.”
Now you want to stay at the Disneyland Hotel just to swim here, don’t you?
The Benefits
When you stay at an official Disney resort like Disneyland Hotel, you’ll gain special benefits.
For example, you can enter Disneyland and Disney California Adventure 30 minutes before the parks officially open to the public.
Disney calls this amenity Early Entry, and it’s worth every penny.
Soarin’ Around the World DCA
You’ll get to ride some of the best rides like Space Mountain, Soarin’ Around the World, and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! before everyone else!
You’ll also benefit from “preferred access” to Disney dining reservations, increasing your odds of eating at the best restaurants during your trip.
Finally, the little touches at the resort represent an additional benefit. For example, many of the hotel bed headboards light up in memorable fashion.
These headboards recreate Disneyland fireworks! It’s magical.
The Logistics
Remember how I said that you’re minutes from Disneyland’s entrance at Trader Sam’s? That wasn’t hyperbole.
Depending on the Tower where you’re staying, you can probably walk from your hotel room into Disneyland in 20 minutes or less.
Credit: Disney
In some instances, you can reach the park in under ten minutes. Here’s a video from outside the hotel lobby. It’s eight minutes and 30 seconds long.
Downtown Disney is even closer! And Disney California Adventure is basically the same distance as Disneyland.
In short, when you stay here, you can walk to everything! Walt Disney World fans sometimes cannot believe how close everything is at Disneyland Resort!
The New Expansion
Photo: Disney
In September 2023, The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open.
This new expansion is a standalone structure catering primarily to Disney Vacation Club members. However, anyone can book a room here!
Photo: Disney
When you do, you’re marrying the history of the Disneyland Hotel with state-of-the-art amenities.
This is the newest Disney resort in the world, but Imagineers have built it on the campus of the oldest theme park resort!
By staying here, you can say that you were one of the first to do so. Nobody has been able to claim that at Disneyland Hotel since 1955!
Photo: MickeyBlog
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Feature Photo: Disneyland
