The Pixar Place Hotel re-opened earlier this year with completely new theming, room upgrades, and new amenities! It is one of Disney’s newest resorts with some of the most immersive theming and charming details! We recently had the opportunity to stay at this Disneyland Resort and think it should be your must-do vacation for 2024 and beyond! Here are the top 4 reasons you must stay at the Pixar Place Hotel.
1. Proximity to the Theme Parks
Pixar Place Hotel is located right across the street from Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and is less than a 10-minute walk to Disney’s California Adventure (DCA). In fact, Pixar Place has a dedicated entrance into DCA that puts you right in the middle of Pixar Pier and close to San Fransokyo and Cars Land. This entrance into the park is arguably better than Grand Californian’s dedicated entrance into the Grizzly Peak area.
The entrance to Disneyland Park and Downtown Disney is also through the Grand Californian. Meaning you get to enjoy a very similar walk time. It also goes without saying that walking through the Grand Californian means you can easily stop in the lobby for a nice break by the fireplace, an afternoon drink, or any of its many dining locations. It extends many of the amenities in a 2 for 1 resort kind of way.
Not only is Pixar Place’s entrance into DCA my favorite of the three Disneyland Resorts, but it is also a much quicker walk to either park than staying at Disneyland Hotel.
2. Pixar Touches and Creative Details EVERYWHERE
There are SO many Pixar details, it really is hard to capture and see them all. You are immediately greeted by a giant Luxo Jr. lamp and in our case, a very familiar Pixar friend who often roams the lobby. But more on that later! More subtle details include the 16 Pixar characters embedded in the floor in both the lobby and elevators. I saw many kids on a scavenger hunt to find them all! There are also character silhouettes in the carpeted hallways. Which Pixar friends can you spot?
The Pixar artwork is incredible and each floor has a different film featured when you step off the elevator – in our case Brave.
The rooms at Pixar Place are also the best example of modern décor while also being heavily themed. In addition to a real-life Luxo Jr. lamp, there is a fantastic mural above the bed, and little details like the room signage themed for WALL-E. I wish every Disney Resort would take a page from Pixar Place’s book and make immersing theming a bigger priority.
I even so enjoyed seeing the character portraits inside the lobby restaurant, Great Maple. How can you not smile when you get to walk past these portraits of Jesse and Buzz Lightyear?
3. Surprise Character Moments
“Who’s your friend who like to play”… and stay at Pixar Place? Bing Bong! Our not-so-imaginary Pixar friend visits the lobby throughout the day and can be found greeting guests at check-in, shopping in the STOR-E gift shop, or visiting friends inside the Sketch Pad Café.
Maybe best of all, Joe Gardner from Soul can be spotted in the lobby playing piano in the evenings. It goes without saying that Joe is a phenomenal performer and his covers of popular songs, Pixar and otherwise, gave me so much joy!
The “surprise and delight” element to seeing these Pixar friends is truly what Disneyland is all about! It was so special to see Bing Bong when we first got to the resort and coming home every evening to hear Joe playing piano was pure magic.
4. Amenities for Everyone
Can we talk about this pool deck?? There is a phenomenal Finding Nemo-themed splash pad that is perfect for toddlers and young children plus a 186-foot water slide called Crush’s Surfin’ Slide. Of course there is also a resort pool with plenty of comfortable lounge chairs with umbrellas and cabanas available for rent.
To the right of the pool area is the newly-opened Small Bytes offering quick bites plus cocktails, and other beverages plus an entire area with Pixar-themed games for the whole family. Maybe the best feature of all, if the fire pit area with plenty of seating and themed fire pits like Anger from Inside Out and Ember from Elemental.
The pictures of this resort do not do it justice and I only have positive things to say about our stay! This is a must do for any Pixar fan or simply anyone wanting to be completely immersed in true Disney magic. Let us know in the comments if you are planning to stay at the Pixar Place Hotel!
Hannah Anderson is a Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent, DIS Contributor, former Disney Cast Member, and Orlando local. Mostly importantly, she is a mom and loves spending time in the Disney Parks each week with her family.
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