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Disney's Paradise Pier. | Paradise Pier California Adventure Room View |
The Paradise Pier Hotel is the least expensive of the three Disney properties. This had us a little concerned after having previously stayed at the Grand Californian several times and loving it… as well as several stays at the Disneyland Hotel which were always great.
We actually had two big concerns with this hotel before our arrival. One is the aforementioned fact that it is least expensive and we wondered if that would be noticeable in the hotel's décor and amenities. Secondly we were a bit concerned about the distance from Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. We had also remembered a former trip when we did walk to the hotel but later could not find an easy way to Downtown Disney. All of this was on our minds on the way to the Paradise Pier Hotel.
The first thing I noticed upon entering the front doors of the Paradise Pier hotel was that the large statue in the lobby was not the one shown on the Disney website. Instead of having Mickey, Goofy and other characters; the sculpture is now simply of Goofy holding a surfboard. It is a great statue and a wonderful place to take pictures. Also immediately visible is a glass elevator.
Check-in is to the left after entering through the front doors. We arrived around 4:00 pm and had no wait at all to check in. The cast members at the front desk were wonderful. They quickly got us checked in and handed me the packet from Vacation Planning. We headed toward the bank of elevators and up to the 13th floor. Our room was 1308 on the park view side. We quickly found that my key card didn't work but our other one did so it was no big deal. Later that day we did stop at the check in desk to tell them about our key and I was promptly given a new key. We walked into the room which had been an upgrade from a standard room thanks to Vacation Planning. Our window looked right into California Adventure with an incredible view of the Orange Stinger.
Inside the room were two queen beds and a sofa bed. Extra pillows and blankets were on the closet shelf. There was a nice table in the corner of the room near the window; with a pull-out table underneath if you need a larger area. The hotel does have an easy to use internet connection. (as do all of the Disneyland Hotels) Our room had two pictures on the walls, both of California Adventure. One of the lamps was a Mickey Mouse lamp with Mickey and a lighthouse. I would have loved to been able to purchase this lamp but never found it for sale.
Next to the bathroom is a little area to make coffee, including both the coffee and the pot. Here you will find one of the two trash cans in the room. The other trash can is in the bathroom. We thought it was weird to just have the two trash cans. It was not an issue until the day we checked out when we had more trash.
The table between the beds held the telephone and a pad of paper. The phones here do have message capabilities if you wish to set your voice mail up while on vacation.
The elevator banks have large windows so we were also able to look out and see what our view would have been if we would not have been upgraded. Let me assure you that if you have a standard room your view is not going to be great. We were able to see the hotel parking garage and looking down we saw the pool deck and the large slide.
The hotel does have a single exterior glass elevator. From our floor you could not ride done on this elevator. You can ride up on it from the lobby. Our almost 4 year old really enjoyed this elevator which starts inside then go outside after passing through an atrium in the lobby.
The Paradise Pier has a great room for children to watch movies and also a little arcade area. We didn't find the vending machines until our second to last day but were happy when we did. These machines had the standard drinks but also had chocolate milk and juice. The prices for the machines are the same prices you would pay at Disneyland for these drinks yet they are very convenient.
Two restaurants call the Paradise Pier Hotel home. The PCH Grill is the location of the Lilo and Stitch breakfast in the morning. Afternoons and evenings the restaurant is open for general dining and serves standard fare such as hamburgers. Yamabuki is the other restaurant which serves oriental food and specializes in sushi.
You will also find a large work out center at the Paradise Pier hotel where you can maintain your workout if walking the parks isn't enough exercise.
The swimming pool is on the 3rd floor. Here you will find a pool for adults and older children as well as a toddler pool. There is also a large slide that empties into another small pool. Children do need to be able to swim before using this slide. Drinks are served at the pool and at night the music for Disneyland's fireworks is piped in and you can watch from the pool deck.
The gift shop here is wonderful. All of the merchandise can be found at the Disney Resort elsewhere but it is great to have many items easily accessible here. They also carry many different newspapers and once again the cast members here are wonderful.
The beds at the Paradise Pier Hotel are way too comfortable! A nice soft bed feels so good after walking all day and these have just the right amount of firmness. The pillows are very soft; and this comes from someone who uses a Fom pillow from Brookstone. I packed my pillows and ended up not having to use them because the ones supplied by the hotel were wonderfully soft.
Housekeeping at the Paradise Pier was wonderful. Our room was cleaned early each morning and the shampoos and soaps in the bathroom were replaced each day.
We also found the gentlemen at the bell desk to be very friendly and helpful. Not only did we have packages sent to the hotel, but we also stored our luggage on the last day, and this worked out very well. They also called a taxi for us when it was time to go home.
Our second concern was answered quickly. The Paradise Pier Hotel is right across from the Grand Californian.
The walk to the Disneyland Resort is very easy and is actually closer than the walk from the Disneyland Hotel. When going to Disneyland or California Adventure you can simply walk out of the hotel to your left, cross at the light, and enter the Grand Californian Hotel.
Once you are in the Grand Californian: If you are going to Disneyland follow the signs to the Downtown Disney exit. If going to California Adventure follow the signs to the Grand Californian's private entrance to the park.
Both are a very short walk taking less than 10 minutes. If you prefer to walk through Downtown Disney you can go out the back door of the hotel and follow the red brick pathway. This pathway will take you to the front of the Disneyland Hotel where Downtown Disney begins.
Our stay at the Paradise Pier Hotel was wonderful, and we will definitely stay there again.