Paradise Pier Hotel Review
Previously, I have stayed at Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. There was only one hotel left to try at Disneyland Resort: Paradise Pier! My family and I wanted a guaranteed Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservation, so booked a stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel, since it was the most affordable option. Since this hotel is slightly off the Downtown Disney path, I don’t go there much so never considered it often as a top choice place to stay. But after spending two nights there, it quickly became my favorite hotel at Disneyland Resort to stay at! (Although they all have their own uniquely magical qualities).
The Rooms
The rooms have a retro beach design, complete with nautical details and Disney-inspired retro beach posters. To tie in with Paradise Pier’s new overlay Pixar Pier, the beds have an adorable Pixar ball pillow on them. At night, you can turn on a special channel that plays a Frozen bedtime story for kids, or their channel that plays Mickey Mouse cartoons all day!
The beds were incredibly comfortable, and I slept easily. The rooms were also very large! We had a good sized closet, television, and a mini fridge! Many of the rooms have a view of Disney’s California Adventure. The view is absolutely breathtaking! And a little piece of magic that you can experience at Paradise Pier Hotel, is turning on a special channel in your room that plays the World of Color music, syncing ot the show in real time as you watch the show from your hotel window!
Dining
The dining at Paradise Pier Hotel is one of the reasons this hotel is my favorite (the view of California Adventure is another reason). They offer PCH Grill, which is a character breakfast and dinner similar to Goofy’s Kitchen at Disneyland Hotel, except this one is beach themed. They also have in-room dining. But my favorite is the rooftop lounge adjacent to the pool called The Sandbar. They have tables, as well as large couches for a more lounge vibe. Waiters will come to take your order, so no need to get up! You can get their full food menu, which includes Impossible burgers, cocktails, or mocktails!
The sitting area at The Sandbar
Impossible Burger at The Sandbar
Why is this one of my favorite things? Not only because I love Impossible burgers, but also it is very quiet and peaceful. I think it’s a hidden gem not a lot of people know about, so it’s easy to grab a seat and very peaceful, with a great view. You can also order from a smaller food menu, as well as order cocktails poolside at this hotel. There is also a bar and lounge in the lobby which is nice, called Surfside Lounge. But my favorite was The Sandbar because of the outdoor scenery and view.
The Pool and Other Amenities
The pool at Paradise Pier Hotel is another reason this hotel is my top pick at Disneyland Resort. It has an amazing water slide, that didn’t have a long wait when we went. My daughter went on it 14 times. I went on it too since she wanted me too, then I wanted to keep going on it with her since it was so much fun! We went on a day where the temperature was in the mid-60’s, so I thought it would be really cold to go in the pool, but the water was warmer than a typical pool. So despite it being 65 degrees and misty, we had a great day of fun at the Paradise Pier Hotel pool!
Other fun amenities are their gift shop which is very large. They even have a table in their with coloring pages for kids. A small touch, but very adorable and made my family smile each day was their infused water and lemonades, which they decorate with Mickey-shaped fruits. In the hallway between the lobby and the exit to walk towards the parks, there’s a room that looks like a beach with tiny beach chairs. This plays Mickey cartoons all day. My daughter wanted to spend lots of time in there!
The experience was great, and can’t wait to stay there again someday! In summary, these were the pros of staying at Paradise Pier Hotel versus the other Disneyland Resort hotels:
- A little further away from Downtown Disney compared to the other two hotels, so it tends to be more relaxed and quiet
- The view of Disney’s California Adventure was amazing! And loved getting to watch World of Color from our window
- The Sandbar is quite the hidden gem, being Disneyland Resort’s most relaxed lounge in my opinion (plus they have Impossible burger)
- The water slide was incredibly fun, and a big draw for wanting to do this hotel again
- I loved the bright decor of the rooms!
You can look more into booking a stay at Paradise Pier Hotel by visiting their site here.
