The creativity of Pixar’s storytellers and animators has mesmerized audiences worldwide since the 1995 release of Toy Story. The splendid pairing of storytelling and cutting edge animation technology has given us countless unforgettable characters who live within the Disney universe.
As the popularity of Pixar films and characters grew in the 2000s, Disney California Adventure Park gradually introduced Pixar properties into the park. In 2008, Toy Story Midway Mania! Became the first attraction themed to a Pixar story, opening in the park’s Paradise Pier section. Cars Land took theme park immersion to a new level in 2012. Paradise Pier was rethemed to Pixar Pier in 2018. And in 2024, Pixar’s influence on Disneyland Resort reached new heights (15 stories to be exact) when the adjacent Paradise Pier Hotel was reimagined as Pixar Place Hotel.
Located just steps from Disney California Adventure Park, and boasting its own dedicated entrance to the park, Pixar Place Hotel surrounds guests with Pixar’s movie making magic. The hotel lobby displays vibrant art that takes guests through the stages of character development, from concept art to completed designs. Treasured Pixar characters are proudly displayed throughout the lobby, with Luxo Jr. – Pixar’s famous lamp – perched atop the equally famous red, yellow, and blue ball.
Come see all Pixar Place Hotel has to offer.
Home Sweet Home: Pixar Place Rooms
Pixar Place offers a wide range of room sizes and configurations, from standard rooms to 14-person suites! Depending on the location of the room, guests can enjoy stunning views of Pixar Pier and Disney California Adventure park, including a bird’s eye view of the World of Color evening spectacular. Let’s look at the room types here:
Standard Rooms
The standard rooms sleep up to five adults, offering various arrangements of king and queen beds, sleeper sofas, and daybeds – all themed with signature Pixar touches.
Suites and Signature Suites
Pixar Place offers one of the most extensive selections of suites in all Disney resort hotels. One-bedroom suites sleep up to six adults, and two-bedroom suites sleep up to ten.
- Pixel Suites: Themed around the digital pixel art aesthetic from Pixar, these suites come in one-, two-, and three-bedroom configurations, sleeping between four and 12 adults.
- Story Suites: Themed to specific Pixar films and featuring more detailed storytelling elements in the room design, these suites are offered in one- and two-bedroom configurations, sleeping between four and nine.
- Sketch Suites: Featuring design elements based on the initial sketches and artwork from Pixar animation, these suites come in one- and two-bedroom configurations, sleeping between four and nine.
This planDisney PDF Pocket Guide for Pixar Place offers more details on the different room types.
Club Level Service
Club Level rooms sparkle at Pixar Place, offering guests an elevated experience. Some standard configuration rooms are dedicated Club Level, but in addition to those dedicated rooms, Club Level services can be added (via phone call with Disney or with help from your vacation planning specialist) to non-Club Level rooms and suites.
All Club Level guests have access to the Creator’s Club – a special lounge located on the second floor decorated with models and artwork from Pixar-themed attractions at Disney Parks around the world, courtesy of Walt Disney Imagineering! Creator’s Club offers complimentary breakfast, lunch, and a dinner to Club Level guests, continental breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30 AM; daily snacks and non-alcoholic drinks from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM; wine, beer and appetizers from 5:00 to 7:00 PM; desserts from 7:00 to 8:00 PM; and special weekly culinary demonstrations. Aside from the food, Club Level guests receive nightly turndown service and personal assistance from the Concierge staff.
Chow Time: Dining at Pixar Place
Hungry? Pixar Place Offers several options, good for all paces.
Great Maple Modern American Eatery
Let’s sit down and eat! Great Maple Modern American Eatery serves up classic American comfort food in a relaxed, yet stylish, table service environment. House specialties include Cajun Shrimp & Cheddar Biscuit Benedict, Soda Pop-Braised Baby Back Ribs, Charred Cauliflower Hummus, Maple Pecan-Crusted Salmon, Fried Chicken and Doughnuts, and Maple Bacon Doughnuts.
In the mood for a stack of afternoon pancakes? Great Maple serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner items during every meal period, so eat what you want!
The Sketch Pad Café
For guests on the go, The Sketch Pad Café offers a variety of quick service options, served in an imaginative environment featuring themed sketches illustrating Pixar’s creative process. Guests can even follow the development of several beloved Pixar characters. Food and drink options include a full coffee bar, several quick-hit hot food items, Röckenwagner Bakery, and a selection of prepackaged food and drink items.
Small Bytes
Located outside by the Pixel Pool deck, Small Bytes is another quick service option. The name is a bit of a misnomer, as Small Bytes serves up more options than Sketch Pad Café, including chips and dips, salads, sandwiches, and drinks. The 8-bit character images are adorable!
Aside from the dining options at Pixar Place, guests can also choose from so many other great dining options just a short walk away in Downtown Disney. Mangia!
Time to Relax: Recreation at Pixar Place
Catch some rays on the third floor pool deck. The Finding Nemo-inspired Pixel Pool offers guests a chance to cool off, while Crush’s Surfin’ Slide gives adventurous kids (and kids-at-heart) 186 feet of water slide fun. Smaller kids have their own place to place at Nemo’s Cove splash pad, while adults can retreat to the hot tub. Pixar Shorts Court invites guests to play interactive games themed after their favorite Pixar shorts.
Last, but certainly not least – the third floor pool deck is an excellent place to catch the Disneyland Fireworks several nights a week. The hotel even supplies the soundtrack!
Pixar Place offers guests the use of a fitness center. The hotel hosts movie nights, and also offers various other guest activities, including learn-to-draw events.
Look for Favorite Pixar Characters!
Wanna soak in all the vibes of an epic Disney resort lobby? Check out a live piano session featuring Joe Gardner from Pixar’s 2020 film Soul. Joe tickles the ivories most afternoons and evenings under the Soul-themed staircase in the lobby.
Wander around outside the lobby, and you just may run into Bing Bong from Pixar’s 2015 film Inside Out. Riley’s pink pal can only be found in Pixar Place. He tends to hang out in the lobby, though he also wanders around the third floor pool deck area and the rooftop lawn.
Shopping
With Downtown Disney (and its smörgåsbord of shopping options) located just steps away from Pixar Place, there isn’t a huge need for shopping within the hotel itself. But that being said, there is one cute little place – STOR-E – selling an adorable selection of Pixar-themed and resort-specific merchandise. Sundries and small groceries are also available at this WALL-E inspired shop. But don’t just shop. Take your time to discover artwork showcasing iconic props from beloved Pixar films, ranging from large and colorful to small and precious.
Image: Disney
Pixar Place Hotel puts guests inside the magic of their favorite Pixar stories, while treating them to an elevated stay just steps from Disney California Adventure Park. Why not enjoy top class storytelling in the place where you rest your head at night (while on vacation)?
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 planDisney Pocket Guide summaries here.
In addition to Disney Parks Blog, planDisney also releases Pocket Guides via their Instagram page. Following their IG feed may be the best way to stay updated on the newest releases.
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