Bright Suns fellow readers! As I complete our Walt Disney World Trip Report, I thought it would be a good idea to post our trip report from a recent trip to the Disneyland Resort. To summarize, Stella, myself and our two friends, Jonny and Kelsey, booked a Club Level room at the Disneyland Hotel from September 1 – September 3, 2019.
Unlike previous visits, we decided to focus on the hotel exclusively, rather than spend much time in the parks. As passholders and Kelsey a castmember at the Disneyland Resort, we can visit the parks anytime. However, the hotel is a star in its own right and we wanted to focus on relaxing and enjoying its amenities. As the Disneyland Hotel is one of our favorite hotels, we could easily spend a couple days enjoying the property.
We booked the room back in July with a 50% castmember discount with the room totaling $754 for two nights. But, with four people, it was a more reasonable $189 per person for two nights. The hotel prices at the Disneyland Resort are notoriously expensive and discounts are a must for some level of affordability.
We also believed we booked a Club Level room. However, we arrived and checked in, we found out our reservation was only for a standard room, not a Club Level room. I should have known $754 for two nights in a Club Level room was impossible. Fortunately, we were able to upgrade to a Club Level room, for $249/night extra. Now, $249/night seems steep, but between four people, it becomes $62/night a person.
With breakfast and lunch covered in the lounge, plus food, drinks and alcohol available all day, $62/night per person isn’t a bad price. Paying for breakfast and dinner, plus snacks and drinks can easily topple $62 a day. Additionally, the lounge is located within the hotel, removing the need to leave the hotel to find places to eat. And, the lounge provides a great place to watch fireworks, check out DVDs and board games and generally have a place to relax.
Based on our prior experience, we find Club Level worth the added price. But, if you plan to spend all day in the parks and no time at the hotel, then Club Level is not worth it. Staying at an onsite Disneyland hotel isn’t worth it too if you plan to spend all day in the parks. To get your money’s worth, time needs to be spent at the hotel. And of the three onsite Disneyland hotels, we find the original Disneyland Hotel to be the best value for your money.
As I stated above, we arrived around 7AM on Sunday, September 1, 2019 for our visit. And, although Club Level was missing from our reservation, we were able to add it on for the extra price. Check in was quick and simple. The castmember checking us in had a great sense of dry humor and we enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere he created.
He also asked us if we wanted to upgrade to one of the Signature Suites. For those unfamiliar with the signature suites, let’s just say they are out of this world. The Disneyland Hotel currently hosts five signature suits:
- Pirates of the Caribbean Suite
- Fairytale Suite
- Adventureland Suite
- Mickey’s Penthouse Suite
- Big Thunder Mountain Suite
Running for around $3500/night, these suites, which can sleep up to 12, are decked out to their respective theme. And I mean decked out. They look incredible. For example, I’ve been given a tour of the Adventureland Suite and I truly thought I was in a hotel room version of the classic land. Words can’t describe it. These suites are meant to be seen to appreciate their value.
For us, we were offered the Pirates of the Caribbean suite (the only suite available) for an additional $1850/night. To clarify, the $1850 would be added to our nightly rate of $626/night for grand total of $2476/night. Of course, I thought about it.
But, there is no way I can justify paying $2476/night for a hotel room. Although I can only imagine the awesomeness of waking up in a suite decked out to pirates, $2476/night is too just much for my current budget. But maybe one day when I make my millions. Unless, someone who would like to sponsor us for the purposes of research? =)
Once we were all set, he informed us our room was not yet ready. Like previous trips, we would receive a text when the room was ready and we were free to use the Club Level lounge (the E-Ticket Club) right away. He asked if we would like an escort to the lounge and we said let’s do it.
Another perk of staying at a onsite Disneyland hotel is trivia. The hotel provides trivia sheets for four Disneyland attractions (Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Small World and Finding Nemo). Guests of the hotels can answer the trivia questions and turn them in to Guest Services for a prize. Currently, the prize is a luggage tag of that attraction. And before it was luggage tags, it was a pin. Before our escort, I asked for the four trivia sheets and we headed off towards the lounge.
As the front desk is located in the Fantasy Tower, the castmember led us out of the building towards the Adventure Tower, the location of the E-Ticket Club and the Club Level rooms. Along the way, he informed us the tour of the Disneyland Hotel would be coming back! I took the tour back in 2014 and loved hearing all the old history of the hotel. However, it was gone by 2016 and I’ve missed it ever since. Thankfully, it is coming back (he said “soon”) and I can’t wait to experience it once again.
He took us up to E-Ticket Club, located on the top (11th floor) of the Adventure Tower. We said farewell, entered the lounge and grabbed breakfast! During the breakfast hours, the lounge serves devil eggs, pastries, bagels, fruit, cheeses, cereals and Mickey waffles. Plenty of juices and coffee is available, and by request, mimosas! We grabbed a couple of plates of food, plus a mimosa, and sat down.
The lounge overlooks Downtown Disney and out towards the parks. It offers an excellent view of Pixar Pier and Galaxy’s Edge. It was a beautiful clear morning and we could see past Disneyland towards Anaheim and the mountains on the horizon.
Breakfast was excellent and filling. Once we had our fair share of food and plenty of deviled eggs, we decided to head to California Adventure and spend time in the park as we waited for our room. After grabbing another cup of coffee, we said goodbye to the club staff and walked towards California Adventure.
Despite being Labor Day weekend, the park was dead with wait times averaging 15 to 30 minutes. We rode most of the major attractions and only used a Fast Pass for Toy Story Midway Mania. Once we finished, we secured a reservation at Carthay Circle for lunch and walked towards the restaurant on Buena Vista street.
As one of our favorite restaurants, we were excited to chow down for lunch. We checked in and waited about two minutes before they called us upstairs. Kelsey is friends with one of the managers and he placed us in one of the private dining rooms upstairs. It was my first time in one of these rooms and offered seating for about six people, perfect for our party of four.
The manager came by to introduce himself and brought out a complimentary basket of Carthay’s signature item, the Carthay Signature Fried Biscuits. As always, they were excellent. I also learned they always serve seven biscuits to represent the seven dwarfs, as Carthay Circle Theatre (the inspiration for the restaurant) was the theatre where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered. It’s a great detail.
We also ordered the other signature item, the Fire Cracker Duck Wings. The wings are my favorite item on the menu as they give off a great kick with the Siracha based sauce and the meat just falls of the bones.
For an entrée, Stella and I shared the Pork Chop and Kelsey and Jonny shared the special, a shrimp-based dish. Both were excellent. I have yet to have a bad meal at this restaurant and our service was excellent.
After paying, the manager stopped by again and gave us a personal tour of the rest of the restaurant. He showed us the large private dining room, which seats up to 12. The table is round and the base of the table is themed to Snow White’s wishing well. The room also included the first known photograph of Walt and Mickey Mouse and also the last known photo of the two before he died. Again, another set of excellent details.
He then took us outside and showed us the patio area, which offers a great view of Buena Vista Street and the front entrance of Disneyland. He walked us out before saying goodbye. Our room was now ready and we were excited to walk back to the hotel and change for the pool!
As Club Level guests, our room was located on the 10th floor of the Adventure Tower. Our room was located right next to the elevators and offered a direct view of Downtown Disney and the parks. The view was excellent and we quickly changed for the pool.
We headed up one floor up to raid the E-Ticket Club to take advantage of the afternoon snacks. For the afternoon offerings, the lounge offers the following:
- Tortilla and potato chips
- Varity of salsas
- Fruit and vegetables with ranch dipping sauce
- Smuckers Uncrustables and granola bars
- Cookies
The afternoon offerings are light, as most hotel guests are in the parks. Whereas breakfast and dinner can be eaten in the lounge, the afternoon offerings cannot be made into a meal. But they are perfect for a quick snack. And of course, beer and wine can be ordered upon request.
Once we filled up on snacks, we made our way down the elevator and towards the pool. In my opinion, the Disneyland Hotel has exceptional pools. Of all the Disney hotels we’ve stayed at, the only competition to the Disneyland Hotel pools is Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. The hotel includes the following:
- Two hot tubs
- Two pools
- Three waterslides
The pools also include poolside service for food and drink orders. Additionally, Trader Sam’s is just outside the pool gates and drinks can be ordered to go to be consumed at the pool. The pool also includes cabanas for rental. At the time of this report, the going rate was around $250 for a day. The rentals include a dedicated server and bottles of water.
When we arrived at the pool, we found it to be incredibly busy. All cabanas were occupied, along with every chair around the pool. I noticed families finding small areas around the curbs to place their things. I’ve been to the Disneyland Hotel pool numerous times and never seen it this busy. Even with our recent trip to Stormalong Bay last week at the end of August, we had no issues finding a table to place our things. The Disneyland Hotel pool complex is nowhere as large as Stormalong Bay, but it was packed.
Thankfully, after scoping out locations for about ten minutes, a family of four departed and we raced to secure the spot before another family beat us. It was in the shade and under an umbrella, a perfect spot and quite frankly, I am surprised we grabbed it.
Once we dropped off our things, we immediately headed to the main waterslide. Themed to the monorail, it’s a great slide. The line was long but so worth it to go down the slide. At this time, I currently hold the world record for going down the slide in 9.26 seconds. And yes, we timed it. Multiple times. The average for other guests? 15 seconds. No one was remotely close to breaking my record.
We spent a couple hours at the pool. At 6PM, we decided to leave to head back to the E-Ticket Club for the club’s evening offerings. We ran back to our room, put on some dry clothes, and then headed up to the lounge. For the evening offerings, the lounge offered the following:
- Mini Chicken Pot Pie
- Caprese Panini
- Steamed Bao Buns
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Deli meats, cheeses, breads and vegetables (with ranch dressing)
Rather than spend money on an expensive Disneyland dinner, we filled up on the food until we were stuffed. Although Disney states the evening offerings are just appetizers, it is easy to make it into a dinner. Plus, beer and wine are available upon request!
Once we filled up on food, we headed back to our room. Kelsey had some friends stopping by and we decided to stay in the room and hang out before the 9:30PM fireworks. The E-Ticket Club pipes in the music for the fireworks as they can be viewed from the lounge. However, since our room faced Disneyland and we can play the music from our TV, we decided to watch the fireworks from our room.
At 9:30PM, we turned our TV on to the fireworks channel as the Disneyland Forever fireworks began high above Disneyland. Our room provided a great view of the show, minus the castle in the background. It was excellent and nothing beats watching the fireworks from your hotel room. As much as I like watching the show on Main Street, USA, it’s a whole lot more relaxing knowing you do not have to fight the crowds once the show is over.
Once the show ended, we decided to head to Disneyland to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade. Unfortunately, parades cannot be viewed from the Disneyland Hotel. Maybe one day in the future, but for tonight, we would have to venture into the park. We collected our things and walked to the monorail entrance.
Once in the park, we made our way to the Alice and Wonderland attraction and grabbed a great spot on the parade route. I grabbed some popcorn and waited for the parade. Before long, we could hear the quirky electrical music as it made its way around the castle hub and pulled up in front of us.
I’ve seen the parade once before and I enjoyed seeing it again. The floats looked great and it was entertaining seeing the different Disney characters as they passed by. I’m not a huge fan of parades, but I was entertained watching the Main Street Electrical Parade. Once the last float passed us by, we gathered our group and headed out the Main Street, USA entrance of Disneyland. With the park closed, we couldn’t take the monorail back to the Disneyland Hotel and were forced to walk.
We made the trek back to the hotel and arrived within 15 minutes. We thought about a nightcap at Trader Sam’s, but the line was out the door and up to the pool. Instead, we went back to the room to get ready for bed.
It was an excellent day of relaxation at the Disneyland Resort. We spent the morning at California Adventure and the rest of the day at the hotel. We used the pool, dined at the lounge and viewed the fireworks from our hotel room window. We made the hotel the star of our trip and used as much of its amenities as possible. With a full day ahead of us, we turned on the Sleeping Beauty headboard above our beds, set a Mickey wakeup call and drifted off to sleep.
Day 2
With a full day at the hotel planned, we decided to skip the parks entirely. And, it was great. Rather than waking up early to get ready and fight the crowds to rush into the parks, we instead slept in and woke up around 9AM. And it was more like roll around and move slowly before the 10AM cut off for breakfast at the lounge began approaching.
By 9:40AM, we were in the lounge and shared it with one other party. Presumably since all the other guests were fighting each other for spots on Radiator Springs Racers (not Smuggler’s Run), we ordered some mimosas and enjoyed our breakfast with its breathtaking view of Downtown Disney and the parks.
After 10AM, we left the lounge and headed back to our room to get ready for the pool. One member of our party scoped out the pool earlier and it was nowhere as busy as it was the day before. As the waterslide opens at 10AM, we could now get ready and pile on the sunscreen needed to battle the September California sun.
Closer to 11AM were ready and raided the lounge for some snacks (and beer) before walking to the pool. Thankfully, it still wasn’t crowded and we found a great spot in the shade next to the waterslide. We dropped off our things and raced to the top of the waterslide.
I lost count how many times we went down. And if it wasn’t for the slow kids, we could have gone down a lot more! But it was fun. The water felt great as it was hot and we dried as we reached the top. We took a break a little later and fly asleep on our pool chairs. And once we awoke, we went down the slide again!
Closer to 2PM, we left the pool as Kelsey needed to get ready for work. We went back to the room and cleaned up. As Kelsey left for work, the rest of us fell asleep and took a long nap. The beds are very comfortable at the Disneyland Hotel. After an afternoon racing down the waterslide, it can take a lot out of you.
We awoke around 5PM to take advantage of the evening offerings at the lounge. For the evening appetizers, the lounge offered the following:
- Mini Pizzas
- Mini Hot Dogs
- Potato Balls
- Asparagus Salad
- Deli meats, cheeses, breads and vegetables (with ranch dressing)
Like the night before, we filled up on appetizers, rather than spend money on dinner. However, we also planned to visit Trader Sam’s after we ate to enjoy some tropical libations. We spent about an hour in the lounge. Once we filled up on the food, we departed the lounge and made the quick trek to Trader Sam’s, my favorite bar at the Disneyland Resort.
Thankfully, the bar was empty (it was a Monday night) and we found a table for the three of us. Since Jonny needed to leave in an hour for work, he would not be drinking. Stella and I ordered the Sea Monster’s Embrace and I agreed to purchase the drink bowl. Since all mugs at Trader Sam’s have been in stock since Galaxy’s Edge opened in May, each hotel trip I now purchase a mug. Currently on their 4th Edition, I purchased the Shrunken Zombie Head mug back in June and now the Kraken bowl for this trip.
I do enjoy the Sea Monster’s Embrace more than the Uh-Oa, however, there is no show for the Sea Monster. Hopefully, Disney will one day create one. As we finished our drink, Jonny departed, leaving just Stella and myself. As we had no plans for the rest of night and didn’t plan to enter the parks, we ordered another drink, this time a Navy Grog and Safari Swizzel, two of the stronger drinks at the bar. We also ordered some wings and spam musubi (the spam musubi is no longer on the menu).
As it the clock approached 9PM, we departed and headed up to our room to watch the fireworks once again. Its hard to justify watching the show on Main Street when we can watch it comfortably in our hotel room, with music included. Just before the show, we entered our room, positioned our chairs and turned on the TV.
Like the night before, the fireworks started right at 9:30PM, and the music on the TV instantly changed to reflect the show. The show flew by and before we knew it, our second and final night at the hotel was quickly coming to a close.
For the first time, we stayed on property and did not enter any of the theme parks or Downtown Disney. Boy was it great. We spent all day enjoying the amenities of the hotel, from the E-Ticket Club, the fantastic pools and Trader Sam’s. As we are passholders and we have experienced every attraction hundreds of times, it was relaxing to skip them all and just relax at the hotel.
Between visiting four different Disney resorts around the world, the Disneyland Hotel is still our favorite Disney hotel, with the Polynesian Village Resort coming in as a close second. Although the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is the flagship hotel at Disneyland, that title should be given back to the Disneyland Hotel, which is superior in every way to the Grand.
After the fireworks show, we cleaned up and prepared for bed. Stella needed to leave early for work and Jonny and Kelsey would be returning later once they finished their shifts. With that, we turned off the lights and quickly fell asleep. Another fantastic trip in the books.
Day 3
The next morning, Stella and I awoke early to walk to her vehicle as she needed to leave for work. We said farewell and she headed off north towards Los Angeles. I walked back to the room and went back to sleep. We requested late checkout the night before and were granted an extension to 12PM, over the normal check out of 11AM. Per the Disneyland Hotel castmembers, they can grant late checkout after 6PM the night before, as they know their inventory for the next day by then.
With a late checkout, we slept in until 9:30AM and walked to the lounge to grab breakfast before they stopped serving at 10AM. Once we finished eating, we cleaned and packed and left the room shortly before 12PM. As all our Disney trips, it flew by and seemed to end before it even started.
We left the hotel and walked to California Adventure as we had a reservation at Lamplight Lounge later in the afternoon. Once we finished eating, we departed the resort and went back home. Although lounge access is granted until the end of the night on checkout, I was tired and ready to be home to prepare for my work week. Plus, I would be back in two weeks with my mom!
Conclusion
Although we’ve stayed at the Disneyland Hotel numerous times over the years, it is still our favorite onsite Disney resort hotel. It continues to reflect the whimsical nature of Disneyland itself through its excellent theming. When walking through its various towers, the theme of Disneyland itself is presented but rather in a cartoony fashion, it is instead reflected in a modern and luxury way, to reflect a luxury hotel.
The rooms are excellent. They feel modern and continue the theme of Disneyland, whether through old black and white photographs of Walt and his park, or the symbols of Mickey sprinkled throughout the room. Plus, its hard to find something better than watching the fireworks from your hotel room, with the music pipped in and a plate full of cookies from the Club Level Lounge. Why stay anywhere else?
And, as forever Club Level guests, we cannot get enough of the lounge. Yes, it can be pricey and yes the food isn’t anything to write home about (for the best food, hands down it’s Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge in Orlando). But, it adds a level of luxury and relaxation to the vacation experience.
When we stay at a Disney resort hotel, the hotel becomes the star. One can only spend so much time in the parks. As a kid, I loved spending sunup to sundown in the parks. But as an adult, I like to relax and be comfortable. I cannot do that by spending all day in the parks. But I can relax at the hotel. I love waking up early, eating breakfast in the lounge looking over the whole resort, spending the morning in the parks, before heading back at noon and spending the rest of the day at the hotel.
I can comfortably ride every major attraction at both parks in the morning hours. But once its lunchtime, the parks become crowded and I become tired. Instead, I rather walk back to the hotel, eat lunch at Trader Sam’s and swim in the pool until the evening hours. Then, its time for a drink and some appetizers at the lounge, relaxing and reflecting about the day. I don’t have to fight crowds for a place to sit or to gain the attention of a castmember. Instead, the lounge is quiet and relaxed, with excellent pieces of Disney history decorating its walls.
Once we eat some food and have some drinks, its fun to head to Steakhouse 55, drink an excellent whiskey cocktail in its lounge, before heading into the restaurant for dinner and some wine. Plus, they offer free wine tastings!
Once dinner is over, we head back to the lounge, grab dessert and watch the 9:30PM fireworks from our window. And once those end, our bed is just behind us. No walking down Main Street. No walking through Downtown Disney. No people.
In my opinion, it’s the only way to do Disneyland. We’ve done Disneyland so many times, but I always find myself reliving the same experiences at the Disneyland Hotel, because they work. I visit Disney parks to break the mundane of ordinary life. And for a brief moment, I break with reality when I take a day trip to the park. But when I stay at the hotel, I break with ordinary life throughout the entire stay. Yes, Disney isn’t the best with hotels and I’ve had some issues over the years, but it isn’t enough to ruin the experience. Fortunately, Disney does try to make it right and pulls me back in.
The next time you plan a trip to Disneyland, consider a stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I know its expensive, but try to plan during the offseason and during the week. It’s the best way to experience the Disneyland Resort and I haven’t met anyone who regretted staying at this wonderful hotel. I only wish I could have experienced the hotel back in the old days, during Walt’s time and under the leadership of the Wrathers. Luckily, I can experience it now and it’s a homerun.
Now, anyone have a room ready where we can watch the fireworks? I think its time.
Thanks for reading our trip report! Have you stayed at the Disneyland Hotel before? What about Club Level? Let us know what you think in the comments!
