I have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel several times before and I must admit – it really is magical. For vintage charm and a fully immersive Disney experience, I can’t think of a better option as far as on-property Disneyland hotels go. However, just like everything lately, the cost has gone up and my most recent visit had me looking at the Disneyland Hotel through the lens of – Is it worth it? Keep reading for a fully honest review of our experience…
My family of four recently stayed five nights in Fantasyland Tower in a double queen, standard view room. Here’s a video of our room tour upon checkin.
The Disneyland Hotel underwent a refurbishment before reopening in July 2021, which was the first time the hotel was operational since Covid. My last stay in the Disneyland Hotel was March 2020, so I was looking forward to seeing the upgrades (also worth noting is I was not able to book a discounted room even though there was an advertised sale during the time period we were staying there).
On the software side, the checkin process can now be completed via the app, which was very convenient and for us was a smooth experience. The digital room key (also accessed in app) to open your room door is another a nice addition since my last visit (and I imagine when Magic Bands are introduced at the Disneyland Resort later this year that functionality will be included, making the digital keys an even handier feature). But as far as the tangible room upgrades, I found them… pretty underwhelming. There are new carpets, new linens and beds that (in theory) act as luggage storage bins underneath. Probably necessary improvements, but nothing that drastically enhanced a guest’s experience.
And on the topic of enhancing a guest’s experience, it seemed like the hotel might currently be feeling the pinch of the staffing shortages you hear about throughout the resort. We didn’t see any characters wandering around the hotel (and maybe they haven’t implemented that again post-Covid, but it was always a very special part of staying here), wait times at the onsite restaurants and poolside service were very long, hand sanitizer stations in common areas weren’t always filled, and it didn’t really seem like most cast members we encountered here were very engaged – whereas every visit I have ever had prior to this trip, the staff went above and beyond trying to provide magical experiences for guests. We experienced it ourselves, and we witnessed others receiving the same treatment. This time we didn’t feel it or see others experience it, either. It could be due to the fact that there just isn’t enough staff to meet the demands of what felt like a full hotel, let alone exceed expectations.
That being said, there are still many magical details that make a visit to the Disneyland Hotel feel special. Vintage photographs of Walt and Disneyland through the years adorn every room as well as common areas such as hallways and lobbies, there is memorabilia to explore, Disney music piping throughout the hotel, and the headboards of guest rooms are not to be missed.
So there is definitely plenty to love about the Disneyland Hotel, but as I mentioned previously – I was specifically thinking about the value of the hotel this recent visit. With rooms starting in the $550 per night range, and currently perks (such as Extra Magic Hour that grants early entry to the parks for Disney hotel guests, and the lack of character presence at the hotel) not being offered I have to say I wouldn’t currently recommend a stay here. It feels like a compromised experience based on previous visits, and while I’m sure these issues will work themselves out in time, it’s hard to justify the price right now – especially with park tickets and enhancements such as Genie+ coming at a premium.
For now my suggestion would be to mobile order a Dole Whip from Tangaroa Terrace and walk around the grounds enjoying all the hotel has to offer to non-guests (the lobbies of each building, the halls of the attached convention center and the gift shop in Fantasy Tower are all fun to explore). Reassess your travel parties’ needs once Extra Magic Hour is offered again (which is scheduled to resume summer 2022, although no exact date is available yet), and decide if this is worth the splurge for you.
Have you visited the Disneyland Hotel before? I’d love to hear what you think of it!
