Our Hotel Room
Paradise Pier gets a bad rap because this was once a chain hotel. Disney purchased the hotel and converted it into a Disney property, rather than building it from the ground up. Please don’t let this hotel’s early days make it less attractive to you though. I think it captures all the magic Disney has to offer, and then some.
Paradise Pier, of course, draws its inspiration from the Paradise Pier section of Disney California Adventure (DCA). So the décor is 1920s beach boardwalk inspired and fun. Our room was comfortably-sized and featured colorful décor accents – from beach-ball shaped pillows to a sunburst mirror and fun in the sun Disney art on the walls. The color scheme consisted of soothing sand tones punctuated by all the bright colors you’d find on your favorite beach towel – blue, green, pink, and yellow.
Upon check-in, a generous Disney employee upgraded us to a room with a view of the fireworks AND the World of Color show! The value of this really can’t be summed up in words or dollars. It was just incredible to be able to choose from two fabulous shows out our hotel room window every night. And because my son was only 18 months old at the time, we were in our room every night by 9:00 when the shows began. My daughter, who was four, loved watching the shows in her jammies. For my husband and I, it was such a wonderful gift to be able to see these shows even though we had our small children to care for. Just the kind of magic you expect on a Disney trip!
When it was time to rest for the night we slept soundly and peacefully. My #1 concern with any hotel is: are the beds comfy and is the hotel quiet in the evenings? Because walking around exhausted on your vacation is the worst. Paradise Pier has high-quality bedding and the mattresses were sooooo comfy. Our stay was quiet and peaceful and keep in mind, my son went to sleep at 8:00 every night we stayed there. It was every parent's dream - a good night's sleep for all.
Hotel Amenities
From Paradise Pier it’s just a short walk to Disney California Adventure (DCA), which is so nice when you’re vacationing with toddlers and babies because of the stroller and the tons of baby stuff you have to deal with. Being so close is also a pretty awesome perk even if you don’t have stroller, of course. We didn’t have to worry about parking and shuttles and we could easily head back to the hotel for a quick nap before the Pixar Parade. (Which we caught every night we could! Parades are such a great option for parents with toddlers and babies.)
We rented a car for this trip. But when we got into the car to drive back to the airport we realized we had not used the car once! Learn from our mistake and don’t bother with a car if you stay at Paradise Pier and don’t plan to leave Disney/Anaheim. We wish we would have just used a shuttle to get back and forth from the airport and saved some money. There’s also a handy Enterprise car rental on Harbor Boulevard if you’d like to go on a day trip or two but want to avoid the cost of a rental car for your entire stay.
Another great perk at Paradise Pier, if you come at Christmas time, is the Christmas Carolers. Every night of our trip carolers in traditional outfits sang songs in the lobby, which was so nice to come back to. Our children were completely enchanted by their singing and it added a real touch of Christmas cheer to our stay. It's also a quick walk to tour all the Christmas decorations at Disney's Grand Californian (Where we took a pic with their amazing Chrsitmas tree!) and the Disneyland Hotel. Wait until you check out the gingerbread house at the Grand Californian. Wow.
The Gift Shop
One of the best things about staying at a Disney hotel is that the magic never stops. The Paradise Pier gift shop has an excellent selection of Disney Park items and the slower pace in the hotel gift shop means you can take your time while picking out your favorite items.
My kids got baby versions of Mickey and Minnie they still treasure at this store so it is full of happy memories for us. My 18-month old son picked Mickey out for himself and Minnie for his sister, then carried both babies in his arms (while I carried him) until his sister came running towards us to claim hers. Baby Mickey and Baby Minnie still sleep on their beds today.
The Rooftop Pool
What a cool way to cool off! Take a dip in the Paradise Pool and then take a trip down the California Streamin' water slide. You'll also find a a kiddie pool for the little ones and the Paradise Spa whirlpool for adults. The Sand Bar, a poolside bar with quick meal items like hot dogs, sandwiches, and snacks is open seasonally.
We only made it to the pool once during this trip as our son did not yet like playing in the water. But my husband and daughter enjoyed swimming on the roof and we’re hoping to get back there soon and make the most of this one-of-a-kind pool experience!
PCH Grill
This restaurant has a character breakfast daily. We are MASSIVE Lilo and Stich fans so this breakfast, where the Hawaiin duo often appear, was the perfect fit for us. We got the kids dressed up in their Christmas outfits and headed down for breakfast at the PCH Grill the first morning of our trip. The kind staff oohed and ahheed over our toddler’s cute Christmas duds and the characters did not disappoint. Is it possible to meet Stitch and not just want to throw your arms around his blue tummy? I’m pretty sure not.
We all enjoyed our breakfast. Choosing between Mickey Mouse waffles and Minnie pancakes can be tough. (Better just try it all!) But there were plenty of delicious treats for everyone. The Bananas Foster topping might possibly be my favorite topping ever. For anything. Our kids got to meet beachy keen Mickey and Minnie and take a surfing lesson with them. Then we snapped an adorable pic with Lilo and Stitch to help us remember this fun breakfast forever.
The PCH Grill is closed for lunch, but they do a seaside picnic themed buffet dinner. My family and I have not been to this dinner, but it is at the top of my list for our next Disney trip. There are plenty of kid- (and adult-) friendly main dishes like cheeseburger sliders, ribs, hot dogs, and roasted fish.
But it’s dessert that I’m really dying to try because they have a S’mores Bar! Guests can make their own custom s’more with a selection of house-made coconut, strawberry, or vanilla marshmallows. Doesn’t that sound like the ultimate combination of fun and delicious?
Fireworks Viewing
When the Disney fireworks are going up in the air, guests at Paradise Pier head up to the rooftop deck for superior fireworks viewing. Bring a drink and a bag of popcorn and settle in for an unobstructed view of the most explosive, colorful show around! As I mentioned before, select rooms at Paradise Pier have a view of the fireworks and the World of Color show. If you’re a big fireworks fan, if World of Color is a family fave, or if you have small children that turn in early, I would highly recommend this.
(When we're in the park, we love to sit down in front of It's A Small World for the fireworks!)
Special Stuff for Kids and their Parents
Kids will enjoy spending some time in the Paradise Theater, a (you guessed it) beach-themed room with kid-size Adirondacks and continuous viewing of Disney favorites on a sandcastle-shaped television. We stopped in for some downtime after our park adventures most days. There's also Flounder's Fun and Games, an arcade to entertain the kids. This would be fun after a long day at the park when Mom and Dad just want to relax for a few minutes but the kids have energy to spare.
If you're spent after a long day at the park, check and see if there's a Disney movie showing that night at Paradise Pier. There's no better way to relax. Movies are shown both outdoors and indoors and the schedule is available at the Front Desk. (I told you the magic never ends, right?)
After a restful night you'll be ready to get up and get in a couple of miles before breakfast. Did you know you can powerwalk through Disney California Adventure before the park opens? If you stay at a Disney hotel, you can!
The walks start at 6:00, you have to be able to keep up with a 15-minute mile, and you should sign up ahead of time. (I so want to do this on our next trip. Walking is my favorite form of exercise and seeing the park quiet and undisturbed would be a one-of-a-kind experience.) After you get your exercise in, head over to the Mandara Spa at Disney’s Grand Californian for a massage and other spa treats.
Writing about our stay at Disney's Paradise Pier makes me want to book our next trip today. From the second we woke up to the moment we drifted off to sleep, our stay at Paradise Pier was nothing but pure Disney magic and fun, fun, fun! We can’t wait to go back!
