If you want to visit Walt Disney’s World (as in, the world Walt truly lived in) stop number one is the theme park that started it all – Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California. As Walt himself said, “Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.” To visit Disneyland Resort is to step back in time to visit one of Walt’s greatest achievements – his ultimate playground. His presence can be felt everywhere in the park.
Walt’s spirit extends to the Disneyland Hotel – the very first Disney-operated hotel – which opened in 1955, just a few months after the park. Everything about this hotel screams vintage Disney charm and harkens back to Walt’s day. The three towers of the hotel are named for three of the park’s famous lands – Adventure Tower, Frontier Tower, and Fantasy Tower. The décor throughout the hotel tells the story of Walt and Disneyland, from photography to sketches to sculptures.
Most of the rooms in the resort are standard size, sleeping up to five adults, with options for Club-Level service. The hotel also offers suites and Signature suites, which range in size from two to fourteen guests. Some of the Signature suites offer whimsical theming, for that extra bit of Disney magic.
Two of the hotel’s dining locations exude relaxing tropical vibes. Tangaroa Terrance – a quick service restaurant – offers American food with a Polynesian flair. Similarly, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar offers American/Polynesian fare, but with sit-down service and a particular fancy for tropical adult beverages. Take home a souvenir mug from Trader Sam’s – it will quickly become one of your favorite showpieces. Goofy’s Kitchen – much like Chef Mickey’s in Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort – offers character dining with Goofy, Mickey, and the rest of the gang.
Want to take a swim? Take a dip in the E-Ticket pool, or its slightly smaller counterpart, the D-Ticket pool. These pools are lovingly named after the attraction ticket book system Disney Parks previously used prior to initiating the all-inclusive admission ticket. If you want a little more excitement poolside, take a trip down one (or both) of the Monorail Slides, located next to the E-Ticket pool.
The Disneyland Hotel offers a couple of gift shops, one of which (Small World Gifts and Sundries) offers smaller grocery items. But if you want to do some real shopping, just walk to Downtown Disney, which is only a few hundred feet away.
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are both located on the other side of Downtown Disney – less than a ten-minute walk from the hotel. If you prefer, you can catch a lift on the Disneyland Monorail, which will drop you off in Tomorrowland.
Pro Tip: taking the Monorail into Tomorrowland will avoid crowds at the main Disneyland gates. Also – staying in the Disneyland Hotel offers guests access to Morning Magic Hours – exclusive to Disney hotel guests. It pays to stay in a Disney hotel!
If you don’t get to Disneyland very often, splurge and stay in the Disneyland Hotel at least once. Old World class meets New World embellishments, making this hotel a perfect choice for a classic Disney treat.
Check out the Disneyland Hotel Pocket Guide for more information.
planDisney Pocket Guides are especially helpful to guests who are considering staying at a resort they’ve never before experienced. The Pocket Guides take the form of 5-14 page PDF slides, which are easily printable and savable to smart devices. They offer efficient snapshots of the resort basics, including:
- Transportation options
- Room sizes
- Food and beverage options and locations
- Pools and recreation activities
- Shopping
- Tips from the planDisney panel
Check out the full list of Pocket Guide summaries here.
In addition to Disney Parks Blog, planDisney also releases Pocket Guides via their Instagram page. Following their IG feed is a great way to stay updated on the newest releases. We’ll continue to update this list of Pocket Guides as planDisney releases them.
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