Disneyland hotel is one of three Disney owned resorts in Anaheim. This is the hotel closest to the monorail. The monorail is right outside of the entrance to the hotel. I can almost guarantee, the Disneyland Hotel checks all of the boxes when it comes to choosing a hotel for your next visit to Disneyland.
Speaking of the monorail, the monorail at Disneyland only has 2 stops. One in Downtown Disney right outside of the Disneyland Hotel, and one in Tomorrowland (yes inside the park!). Since it drops you off inside of the park, that means that you can only ride the monorail if you have a ticket to get into Disneyland Park that day. Another thing that’s different is that there is a center aisle of seats inside of the cars where you can face the windows. The other major difference is that the windows are open on the monorail (I’m not sure if they can even open at Disney World).
The first Disney resort hotel ever built; the Disneyland Hotel opened on October 5, 1955. It wasn’t actually owned by Disney at the time, however. It was originally a Motor Inn owned resort operated by Jack Wrather. Disney’s financial resources were significantly depleted from the construction of Disneyland Park, so he had to make a deal with an outside company. The hotel underwent several expansions and renovations and was eventually acquired by Disney in 1988. Since then, the resort has actually been downsized to make way for Disneyland expansions (Downtown Disney), and none of the original buildings remain today.
The hotel is sprinkled with a lot of classic icons from the parks, like these Mad Tea Party tea cup seats in the lobby.
Now, Disneyland Hotel has three towers. Fantasy Tower (which is connected to the lobby), Frontier Tower, and Adventure Tower. Aside from villas and suites, there are three different hotel room configurations. There are rooms with1 king bed, rooms with 2 queen beds, and rooms with 2 queen beds plus 1 day bed (which can sleep up to 5 people). The suites and villas can fit more people.
I have never stayed here, but I visited it on my last trip. Even though it has changed a lot, it was great to see all of the history in it, such as the displays in the convention center.
This is a display in the hotel that you will definitely not want to miss. Tucked inside the convention center building, on the same floor as Goofy’s Kitchen, is this massive collection of Disney memorabilia. Thousands of pieces spanning decades of the sweetest Disney memories you’ll ever see! And there is even an old Autopia car positioned for a photo op!
Shopping and Dining
Disneyland Hotel has 2 gift shops, 2 table service restaurants, 1 quick service restaurant, and a coffee house. The main gift shop is Disney’s Fantasia Shop. This is the bigger of the 2 gift shops, and it is where you will find most of your traditional souvenirs. The other shop is small world Gifts & Sundries. This is a smaller shop that also offers some souvenirs (like hats and apparel), but you’ll also find things like snacks, drinks, and medicine.
The big restaurant here is a character dining location called Goofy’s Kitchen. If you are more familiar with Disney World, the experience is very similar to Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary resort, except Goofy is the chef here! In fact, you won’t even find Mickey here. On a normal day, you’ll meet Minnie Mouse, Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Goofy! It is recommended to make advanced dining reservations. Another dining location that is very popular is inspired by the Jungle Cruise, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. Even though it is a bar, they actually have a pretty big menu of food here too! The quick service restaurant is Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill, which serves Polynesian inspired food. For a snack, or an afternoon pick me up, The Coffee House serves all kinds of specialty coffees, soft serve ice cream, pastries, and other assorted snacks.
Pools
There are 2 pools. The E-Ticket Pool and the D-Ticket Pool. Those familiar with Disney history will recognize these names. When Disneyland first opened, instead of one fee to get in, you would have to purchase a “ticket book” in order to ride the rides. “E-tickets” referred to the best and most high sought-after attractions, while “D-tickets” were just a step below.
With that in mind, the E-Ticket Pool, ofcourse, is the main pool. This one has 2 water slides that are themed like mark 1 Monorail trains. The Red Monorail is 25 feet high and 180 feet long, and the Yellow Monorail is 13 feet high and 80 feet long. There is also a 2-lane mini slide designed for smaller children that slides out into a smaller pool. The D-Ticket Pool is a more relaxed pool and is good for swimming laps. There are also Mickey and Minnie Spa whirlpools, or you can rent a poolside cabana.
Transportation
Since this is Disneyland (and not Disney World), everything Disney related that you would want to go to is within walking distance. However, as mentioned earlier, the monorail stop is right outside of the hotel. The monorail will take you to Disneyland Park on days that you have a ticket and park reservation for Disneyland Park (since it drops you off inside of Tomorrowland). The park is within walking distance too, but the monorail is always a fun ride and is an attraction in and of itself.
Fun Historic Facts
We already went over the fact that Disneyland Hotel wasn’t originally owned by Disney due to Walt Disney’s finances at the time. Walt Disney first went to his friend, Art Linkletter, to build the hotel. Linkletter declined because he thought Disneyland was too “shaky” of a business. Years later, it is said that Linkletter would ruefully walk along the sidewalk in front of the property while telling himself with each step “And that’s another million I missed out on.”
As mentioned earlier, Jack Wrather ended up building the hotel, and expanding it later on. Walt Disney tried to purchase it from him multiple times, but he always refused. Years later, when Michael Eisner became CEO in 1984, he was determined to bring it under the Disney umbrella. Jack Wrather again refused, and when he passed away his wife also refused. However, when Jack’s wife (Bonita Granville) passed away, Eisner was finally able to bring it under the Disney umbrella by purchasing the entire Wrather Company (in true Disney fashion). Disney always gets its way eventually!
Final Thoughts
Even though Disneyland Hotel wasn’t actually owned by Disney, I still would consider it the first Disney Hotel that was built. It has gone through countless changes, but there is still a lot of history in the hotel. This can be found on pictures throughout the hotel, memorabilia displays, replicas of old models, and even the names of the pools! The history contrasts well with the new modern look. The Disneyland Hotel is the perfect blend of both nostalgia and sleek. If you are looking to experience Disneyland with a lot of Walt Disney history, this is the hotel to stay at!
