Sunday Spotlight - Disneyland Hotel

The Disneyland Hotel_® first opened to guests in September 1955, located directly across the street from Disneyland.  All of the Disney company’s resources were needed to complete Walt Disney’s brand new theme park’s construction, and operating a hotel was not something that the folks at Disney knew how to do, so earlier in 1955 Walt Disney and his good friend Jack Wrather came to an agreement.  Jack would build and operate a hotel and have exclusive use of the Disneyland name on that hotel, thus the Disneyland Hotel was born. 

Initially the hotel offered tram service for the guests to cross what was then known as West Street (now Disneyland Drive).  The Monorail, added to the park in 1959, started picking up guests in 1961 when it was extended out through Disneyland’s parking lot and, for the first time ever to cross a public street, extended to a station located at the Disneyland Hotel. 

The hotel continued to grow and expand, and by the mid 1960’s was comprised of three towers (each named for Jack Wrather’s daughters), plus assorted bungalows and outbuildings.  The Sierra Tower was, in 1961, the tallest building in all of Orange County.  The hotel was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 1988, and thus the first Disney hotel, finally, truly became a “Disney” hotel and today is operated under the Parks & Resorts Division of the company.  After the hotel was acquired, it was refurbished and rethemed with more “Disney” touches added throughout.  A complete pool complex rebuild was completed in the mid-1990’s adding a Peter Pan theme.

In the very  late 1990’s, based on the vast success found in Florida with the vacation destination approach that was created with the birth of Walt Disney World, The Walt Disney Company decided it was time to expand Disneyland further into a vacation destination as well.  Additional real estate surround the park and hotel had been purchased during the decade, with a second theme park due to open in 2001. So as Disneyland was undergoing construction and expansion, the Downtown Disney District was also added.  This shopping and nighttime entertainment district connects the theme park with the hotel by way of a walking bridge over Disneyland Drive (which was lowered to accommodate this new area).  Today the Monorail Station is no longer directly located at the Disneyland Hotel, but rather near the hotel, as Downtown Disney’s addition meant the removal of the much beloved bungalows that once provided “villa-like” accommodations at the hotel.  They bungalows were removed, and today the ESPN Zone, Rainforest Café & AMC Theatres stand in place of what once were the bungalows and the former Olympic sized pool.

In 2010 a massive project was undertaken to refurbish and completely modernize the Disneyland Hotel.  Each tower was gutted, rebuilt, and completely re-themed, paying homage to the theme park that started it all just a short walk away.  The towers today are the FANTASY, ADVENTURE and FRONTIER, celebrating original lands from the park, and use wall coverings, light fixtures, artwork, concept art and themed furnishings throughout to demonstrate the theming.  The pool complex was once again re-built, and the Monorail Pool & Slides, the D-Ticket and E-Ticket pools all help celebrate the other original land at Disneyland, the land of TOMORROW.

The resort features several unique places to wine and dine.  These include: 

•  Goofy’s Kitchen, which features brunch and dinner with the Disney Characters.
• Steakhouse 55 offers fine dining, including steaks, chops, seafood and a large wine list.
• Tangaroa Terrace, which celebrates Adventureland, features casual island dining. This quick service location is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
• Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, is a delightful hideway that must be seen and enjoyed! Tropical cocktails, juices and an ambrosial bar menu – plus – interactive fun depending on what you order!
• The Coffee House – quick, casual coffees, beverages and snacks 

There are 975 hotel rooms, including 65 suites.  Standard rooms will accommodate up to 5 guests, and the suites can accommodate larger groups, and each room features the "nighttime fireworks" headboard, which plays "When You Wish Upon A Star" and lights up at the flip of a switch.  The resort towers surround the pool complex, and the Adventure Tower provides rooms that have a theme park view, which will allow for fireworks viewing.

The hotel features a Convention Center, as well as Fitness Center, Outdoor Fireplace and two gift shops.  As a hotel guest of the Disneyland Resort, parents can utilize child care services offered in Pinocchio’s Workshop, across the way at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, when looking for an afternoon or evening of dining or entertainment that is child-free.  In addition to the pools, the hotel features two hot tubs, and private, poolside cabanas available for rent.  Valet & self-parking is available for a daily fee. 

Of the 3 hotels at the Disneyland® Resort, the Disneyland Hotel_® is mid-range in price, but with the completion of the 2010-2012 renovation, provides some of the largest rooms on a square footage basis, of all 3 of the on-site hotels.