We returned from a 3 night stay at the Paradise Pier (June 11-14). We visit Disneyland 2 times a year and this was our first stay at one of the 3 Disneyland hotels. We obtained a AAA discount which you can only obtain by telephone and is not available through the internet (we did not see an option on the Disneyland site). The discount made it more "reasonable" although it was still more expensive than some of the other surrounding chain hotels, e.g. Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott and Hyatt. We arrived a little before 10 a.m. but were not able to get a room until 3 pm. We were allowed to "pre-register" which is where they do everything but give you your room number. They given you a telephone number that you can dial in to see if your room is ready. Given that it is summer vacation, the hotel is likely at full occupancy and they are not likely able to give you an early check-in. This was fine as we left our luggage with the bellhop and went into the park. We went through the Grand Californian into DCA. It is a short walk into Disneyland - approximately 10-15 minutes via Grand Californian to Downtown Disney.

The room itself was nothing special and there was little to distinguish this "Disney" room from any other hotel room. We had two queen beds and a sofa bed. The room was clean and spacious with the most basic furnishings. I thought the lighting in the room left much to be desired. I understand how they are trying to conserve energy by using fluorescent-type bulbs, but it made the room look dark. We did not have a park view but had the view facing the parking lot and the pool. We were up on the 12th floor and did not hear any noise from the pool area. Our son enjoyed the time at the pool and playing on the slide.

We ate only 1x at the hotel which was for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was $12 for children and $22 for adults. We ordered off the menu for me and my wife whereas my son sampled the buffet. The big attraction was the visits from the various characters who came and greeted the children. My son took pictures with Lilo, Stitch, Goofy, Pluto and Minnie.

Only two negative comments about this hotel: (1) given the caliber of the hotel and the price, we expected the hotel to have a higher level of quality for its bathroom toiletries, e.g. soap, shampoo, conditioner; (2) there were people picketing outside the hotel very early in the a.m. (around 7 a.m.) clanging and chanting loudly which was very disruptive and annoying.

If we are able to get the same rate, we'll stay here again. You really are paying for the convenience and the location. I thought the staff were all very friendly and helpful. Other places that are similarly distanced from the park are not nearly as nice and family friendly. To get the same level of accommodations, you'll have to either drive or take the Anaheim Hotel shuttle which makes it less convenient.

We stayed at the Paradise Pier hotel for two nights in April. Our party consisted of my wife and I. We booked the room through Disney using an annual pass special.

Location: The Paradise Pier is located in the southwest section of the Disneyland resort and is around the same distance to the parks as the Disneyland hotel. It is less than a ten-minute walk from the hotel to the parks. The bad thing about the walk is you either have to cross a busy street to get to the Grand Californian, or basically walk through a parking lot to get to Downtown Disney. Being next to Downtown Disney there are plenty of shopping and dining options. Basically if you’re on a Disneyland vacation, the Paradise Pier is in a pretty good spot.

Outside Appearance/Lobby: Both the outside of the hotel and the lobby are spotless, just what you expect from Disney.

Check-in/Parking: Check-in took less than 5 minutes and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Parking is included in your rate and is located behind the hotel in a small garage. We couldn’t find an elevator in the garage, which was disappointing when we were trying to get back to the ground floor with our luggage. Bottom line; take out your luggage when you pull up to check in.

Accommodations: Our room had two queen beds along with a couch/daybed with a parking lot view. Everything was clean and well maintained. Amenities included free high speed internet, coffee maker, iron, and a small fridge. There was no remote for the TV when we arrived, but maintenance quickly brought one up for us. We were able to hear a bit of noise from the neighbors, but nothing major. Water pressure was good and we always had enough hot water. We really had no complaints about the room.

Extra Amenities: There’s a big pool area, and I believe there was a workout room somewhere. On the first floor there is also a room that played Disney movies all the time if the kids need a place to hang out for a bit. There are multiple restaurants and a gift shop in the hotel, which include a character breakfast at the PCH grill if that’s what you’re looking for.

Our only major complaint with the Paradise Pier was the elevators. There are only two of them for this fairly large hotel that gets lots of people going through it. This bad combo created very long waits to catch an elevator. And when I say long waits, I’m talking about 15-20 minutes plus. This was pretty unacceptable in my opinion for a hotel of this size.

Summary: The Paradise Pier was a ‘Just to say we’ve stayed there’ experience for us. The prices are astronomical, the elevators are ridiculous, and the distance to the parks is longer than some of the smaller places across from the Harbor Blvd Disneyland Entrance. We more than likely won’t be staying there again. You don’t typically get your money’s worth while staying in the Disney bubble.

I have no real complaints about the hotel but nothing great to say either. It was Okay. The room was a little tired (carpets seemed a bit dirty), sofa was a bit shabby, the room was clean enough but not sparkling, the pool was a little cold, there was almost no "Disney" atmosphere. Nothing horrible, just okay. For half the price, I would have been happier. We had 2 adjoining rooms @ close to $300 each per night once taxes and resort fee were added onto the bill. I think for $1200 for 2 nights, there must be way better choices. Next time, I'd either step up, hold my breath and stay at the Grand Californian and not look at the bill or stay somewhere else, likely have a much nicer room and save major money. Yes, it's close to Disneyland but I'm not sure it was worth Double the price of other highly rated hotels. The staff was fine. I think all in all, I'm just underwhelmed. If you decide to stay here, I strongly advise getting a view room. We had a very good view of the fireworks. It was wonderful to have the little ones be able to watch from the window. Two minutes after the fireworks ended, they were tucked into bed:)

This was our second stay at the Paradise Pier hotel. Our first stay was for one night just to sleep so we thought we would try it out again for a longer period of time. This stay was for 3 nights and we were not disappointed. Overall the hotel is very clean and the staff seemed friendly. My two boys, ages 3 and 6, loved the pool area. My 3 year old spent all of his time in the 1 foot deep toddler pool area and loved every minute of it while my 6 year old spent all of his time on the water slide and loved every minute of that! The pool at the Disneyland hotel is bigger and has a disney theme, but if you have kids that aren't great swimmers yet, the one at the Paradise Pier is better suited. It also seemed like there were more life guards on duty, which was definitely a plus. When you stay at one of the Disney hotels you can use any of the pools at the different Disney hotels.

The rooms are very comfortable and we had a wonderful view of California Adventure. We could even see the fireworks from our room which is great for tired kids who can't stay awake long enough to see them in the park! We were also able to see the Electrical Parade in California Adventure. We stayed on the 12th floor and used the glass elevator every chance we could get because the other reviews are right in saying how slow the elevators are. The glass elevator however is only available to go up which is why it is faster. The only floors it will take you down from are 2 and 3.

If you want more of a Disney atmosphere however, I would recommend the original Disneyland hotel over the Paradise Pier. There wasn't much of a Disney feel to this hotel other than the goofy statue in the lobby. We have stayed in both hotels and have enjoyed both. It was very easy to walk to the park from the hotel, especially if you went through the Grand Californian. Also, as a hotel guest we were able to use the seperate entrance into California Adventure from the Grand Californian. We were also able to get into Disneyland an hour early on designated days as a bonus for staying at one of the Disney hotels.

So far, we have had good experiences at both the Paradise Pier and Disneyland hotels. On our next trip we are going to try the Grand Californian!