The Disneyland Hotel is the flagship hotel of Disneyland Resort, residing on the opposite side of Downtown Disney from the theme parks. Opening in 1955, this is the oldest hotel that has dawned the Disney name (even though the company didn’t actually own it until 1988). The Disneyland Hotel is one of three on-site options at the resort. In this post, we’ll review the hotel’s location, rooms, amenities and value.

Staying on-site at Disneyland Resort is something that Melissa and I have always balked at, even as this site has become a more integral part of our everyday lives. It’s not that we didn’t want to, but the prices just aren’t conducive to stopping in for a review. That became even more true when we moved to Anaheim and ended up living about a mile from these hotels. Staying at the Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel fell into the ‘we’d love to do that someday’ category.

The specifics of that example don’t fit everyone but I’m sure the overall thought does. There are so many hotels on Harbor Boulevard (and surrounding streets) that have just as good of a location as the Disneyland Hotel and are anywhere from half the cost to 1/5 of the cost. I write this review knowing that staying at this specific hotel isn’t feasible for many people and just doesn’t make a lot of sense from a value standpoint.

Disneyland’s on-site hotels have become slightly more accessible for us thanks to more DVC rooms. Disneyland Hotel opened up their new Discovery tower, filled with different sized villas, in 2023. The tower is popular among members but the influx of rooms have made this spot much easier to stay at than the Grand Californian, if booking with DVC points. That’s how we finally ended up staying at the Disneyland Hotel! Although my parents will have you know that I did stay at the famed hotel once before, when I was about 6 years old. Most everything has changed since then, not that I remembered in the first place.

Location of the hotel hasn’t changed, although what’s in between the hotel and parks has. Disneyland Hotel rests on the opposite of Downtown Disney from the theme parks. To get to either DCA or Disneyland, guests will walk through the shopping, dining and entertainment district. If going to Disneyland, then the monorail is just a few steps inside of Downtown Disney and is a fun ride. Regardless of route, it’s going to take about 10 or 15 minutes to get inside the parks depending on security and turnstile lines. That’s a good location but not in elite in terms of the hotels around the theme parks, though the monorail does help things.

Moving to the rooms, we stayed in a duo studio that’s fit for 2 guests. This is easily the cheapest option and something we’re seeing more and more at DVC resorts, starting with the Riviera.

There’s a Jungle Book theme throughout the room that blends well into the blues and greens. I like more decor and found all of the touches to be pretty charming. As you can see above, the duo studio features a murphy bed with a couch under it. I didn’t think the couch was all that comfortable but we both thought the bed had a nice queen-sized mattress for being a murphy bed.

There’s another Jungle Book mural (for lack of a better word) with the bed down. Fittingly, Mowgli and Baloo are sleeping in that one. The room is only 250 square feet but uses the space well with the murphy bed. We had a short stay so it’s not the best litmus test but the room didn’t feel crowded.

This is the other side of the room including more Jungle Book art, a mini fridge, microwave, TV and small seat. There’s a lot fit in here. If there’s a bone to pick with this room it’s that there’s not a ton of room for storage. Even so, I don’t think this will be a big issue as there’s a little more room further to the left, off frame. Maybe it would get tight after a few days.

The bathroom was spacious, with a walk-in shower, sink and toilet. It’s a modern design and fairly standard for a hotel but I liked the space. These lights in the mirror were a fun touch.

Maybe the highlight of the room, at least from a quality perspective, is the shower. It’s sleek, includes two different shower heads and never feels like it’s inside of a smaller room.

We liked the room overall. Depending on where you’re staying and the room size, the decor will be different. But it was nice to stay in a Disney hotel where the theme didn’t feel muted at all. That’s been an issue recently at Disney World and I never thought that once throughout the Disneyland Hotel.

History plays a significant role in the hotel, to the point where you could call it the actual theme. Near the convention spaces are photos and trinkets from Disneyland Resort over the last 70 years. For anyone interested in this, it’s one of the best features of staying here. Wandering around late at night, taking the time to enjoy the history was one of my favorite parts of our stay.

If you’ve read this site regularly then you probably know that I prefer a more transportive theme like the Grand Californian offers. Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating Disneyland’s history! But that’s exactly what this hotel is, there’s no park lodge or island inspired theme. Instead the towers are named Adventure, Frontier, Fantasy and Discovery – each celebrating different parts of Disneyland.

Being an older hotel, the main lobby can feel a little ordinary. There are some fun touches like Tea Cups and old attraction art.

The subsequent DVC lobby is more modern and open, featuring some comfortable seating and cool light fixtures. You can definitely tell which space is newer but that’s not necessarily a knock on the other section. It’s emblematic of how the hotel can feel historic and modern at the same time.

As far as amenities go, the pool and food here are tough to beat. The towers enclose most of the grounds including the sprawling pool complex. Keeping the theme fixated on itself, the monorail water slide is a blast! We’ve walked past that slide hundreds of times and have always talked about wanting to go on it. Zipping down the slide did not disappoint and the vintage Disneyland sign above it looks as good as ever.

The pools are kind of spread out all over this section, showing a clear sign of expansion over the hotel’s 70 years. It can feel slightly disheveled, just because there’s lots of getting in and out of different pools to go to the next but that doesn’t diminish how nice the area is. This is the best pool area among Disneyland’s 3 on-site hotels and is probably the best one in Anaheim outside of Great Wolf Lodge and (maybe) the Courtyard.

Dining is also exceptional at Disneyland Hotel. Tangaroa Terrace is one of our favorite counter-service restaurants in the entire resort and the neighboring Trader Sam’s is still the best bar Disney has ever created. Goofy’s Kitchen offers a character meal if you’re so inclined while Palm Breeze Bar offers a more relaxed, poolside setting. Grand Californian eclipses the Disneyland Hotel in terms of dining options but it’s close and the food here is very good.

Enjoying the grounds at Disneyland Hotel is another highlight. In the back of the hotel is where they host weddings and receptions and it’s easy to see why, with beautiful greenery and a peaceful setting. Spaces around Trader Sam’s are really comfortable, with a large outdoor fireplace and oversized chairs. Heck, even the hallways in the hotels have history to explore.

Like most nice hotels in the world, the stumbling block here is the price that I mentioned in the first few paragraphs. Everything about Disneyland Hotel falls in the good to exceptional range. But paying $600/night for a hotel that doesn’t ever transcend beyond feeling like a hotel is a tough sell. Again, some of that is personal preference as I get the case for staying at the Grand Californian a little more. There’s a more unique setting to offer there.

If money is no issue then sure, staying at the Disneyland Hotel is easily one of the best options in Anaheim. You can’t beat the grounds there and the rooms are very well done. Sadly, money is usually an issue.

Part of this value talk comes down to the type of vacation you’re on. If you’re going to really use the Disneyland Hotel’s amenities then you can make a much better case that the hotel is worth the exorbitant price. On the flip side, if you’re planning to be in the theme parks from open to close then justifying the cost is really difficult. Use that money on your actual park experience instead!

I don’t say that to dissuade everyone from staying at the Disneyland Hotel. After staying in around 20 hotels in the Anaheim area, this is easily my favorite when not considering cost. I don’t think anyone’s going to be disappointed in a stay here if they are okay with the cost of booking it. Once you get past the non-transportive theme and the lack of grandiose (ala Grand Floridian), Disneyland Hotel offers a great blend of history, amenities and practicality that all theme park fans will enjoy!

Overall Rating – 8/10

Do you like the Disneyland Hotel? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Resort then check out our planning guide. Looking for discount Disneyland tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!