My Honest Review of Four Points Anaheim (Formally Hotel Menage)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

Deciding on which hotel to stay at when planning a trip to Disneyland can be a daunting task. There are countless options within walking distance to Disneyland, each offering their own varying nightly rates and amenities.

If you’re like most guests, staying at one of the three Disney hotels would be preferable. Unfortunately, the sky-high rates price many guests out. However, that shouldn’t stop you from going to Disneyland, as there are plenty of affordable options nearby. Enter, Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim.

I’ve stayed at this property a couple of times and generally have had positive experiences. The rates are often reasonable, especially considering the hotel’s proximity to Disneyland, the amenities are decent and the customer service is phenomenal.

The property was previously owned by Casa Resorts and operated under the name, Hotel Menage. Sometime in 2015 or 2016, Casa Resorts was bought out by Sheraton, who then rebranded the property under their Four Points banner.

I have no previous experience with Hotel Menage, but two good friends of mine have stayed there a number of times and described staying there as a, “great experience”, every time. Does Four Points live up to Hotel Menage’s solid reputation?

Four Points by Sheraton Location

Four Points is located on the intersection of South Harbor Blvd. and Ball Road. It’s on the other side of the overpass from Disneyland, so the back of the property hugs right up against Interstate 5. Its exact address is 1221 South Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA, 92805.

Because you’re sandwiched between a freeway and a busy city street, there is going to be traffic noise no matter which direction your room faces. The pool facing rooms, while the most scenic, are also freeway facing. Keep this in mind when booking.

In my honest opinion, the traffic noise didn’t bother me much (not accounting for random police sirens). I’m one of those weird people who fall asleep better with ambient noises going on around me. That said, I’ve stayed in rooms facing both directions and found the freeway side less bothersome.

Many may view being right up against the freeway as a bad thing, but there is an upside that many don’t realize. We’ll get into that upside further into the review…

Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim to Disneyland

Whether or not Four Points is in what’s considered a “walkable” distance to Disneyland entirely depends on what you consider walkable. I’ve timed my walks to and from the hotel and Disneyland, which distance-wise is just under a mile, and came up with an average walk time of 19 minutes. To me, a 10-20 walk to the parks is decent, but not great.

The walk is a straight-shot to the parks and aside from the elevation change on the overpass, it’s flat and along a well-maintained sidewalk. I did notice a couple homeless encampments near the overpass but once you get to the “Disney side”, it’s free and clear.

However, something to consider, especially if you have small children and strollers with you, you will need to cross over a rather large overpass with two sets of on/off ramps to negotiate. My wife and I had no issues, but towing small children over an overpass in a city with aggressive drivers makes it a bit worrisome.

That said, Four Points is part of the ART shuttle network, with a pick up/drop off spot right at the front door. Additionally, summoning a ride share is fairly easy, though it does get a bit convoluted given the hotel’s corner location.

Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim Prices and Parking

For the most part, I feel the nightly rates at Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim to be reasonable, especially considering its proximity to Disneyland. Throughout the year, nightly rates tend to be sub-$200 during the week, if prepaid. If you’re wishing to pay when you arrive, the rates rise to the low $200’s.

Weekend rates, when prepaid, tend to hover just below or just over the $200 mark. If not prepaid, expect to pay from the low to mid $200’s on average. On certain weekends and holidays the rate does flirt with and exceed the $300 mark as well.

There is on-site parking, with the majority being behind a coded gate. Additionally, there are several EV charging stations. Parking doesn’t come cheap, as you can expect to pay $33.99 per night as of January 2025. This is always a point of contention with me, as I feel hotels nickel and dime their guests by charging them to park.

By comparison, Hotel Indigo Anaheim, which is located on Katella but almost the exact distance from the park as Four Points, doesn’t charge parking or resort fees. Sure, their nightly rate is higher, but the amenities and rooms are superior, in my opinion.

Common Area Amenities

In my experiences with Four Points, their property has always been neat, clean and mostly well-maintained. I say, “mostly”, because the property does show obvious and not-so obvious signs of ware. For example, the elevator doors have numerous scratches and discoloration marks that could easily be fixed with a bit of paint.

On the flip side, the employees are great. Every staff member my wife and I encountered during my two stays were always smiling, said hello, asked how my day was going, etc. They’re truly great people who care about your stay and how it’s going.

In the lobby area is their on-site restaurant, Tru Grits. My wife and I tried the breakfast there (which isn’t included in your rate, by the way) and found it to just be ok. It’s all-you-can-eat, but to us it wasn’t worth the $25 per adult charge.

On the lobby side is a small cafe offering quick bites, such as breakfast sandwiches, Starbucks coffee, parfaits, and more. Personally, I recommend the breakfast sandwiches here over paying for the breakfast at Tru Grits as they’re much better.

The outdoor pool at Four Points is where the property shines. There’s a decently-sized wading pool and one adjacent jacuzzi. The pool is oddly shaped, making lap swimming challenging, but not impossible.

Additionally, there’s an abundance of seating around the pool, including covered options and palm trees dotting the landscape around the pool, giving it more of a beach resort vacation-vibe compared to a theme park trip.

What makes it even better is it’s open 24/7. Let me tell you, there is no better feeling than returning from a long day at the park and being able to sit in a jacuzzi. In my opinion, Four Points has one of the best pools of any hotel within walking distance to Disneyland.

Additional amenities include complimentary coffee and fruit-infused water and in the lobby, a fitness center (24 hour access), dry cleaning service, business center, an abundance of seating space in the lobby, ADA accessible rooms and check in desk, automatic lobby doors, physical access key, digital room access via the Bonvoy app, complimentary WiFi and a convenience store.

Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim Two-Queen Room

The rooms are fairly basic, but they do offer a few welcomed amenities. In the times that I’ve stayed here, I’ve stayed in a two-queen and a king room. Both are identical in size and amenities, with the only difference being the extra bed and their respective sizes.

All rooms at Four Points by Sheraton feature faux-wood flooring. I know a lot of folks prefer carpet but for me, my preference has always been hard flooring. It’s easier for staff to keep clean and sanitized. Plus, it’s far and away more visually appealing.

My first negative remark pertains to the lack of USB ports in the room. There are a couple scattered about here and there, but not nearly enough. It’s a good thing I brought my Anker 6-USB/USB-C charging port or I would’ve had to go without charging a couple devices.

Honestly, while the bathroom does the job just fine, it leaves much to be desired. The sink counter is separated from the shower and toilet, making it easier for groups of two or more to prepare themselves for a day at Disneyland. There are rooms where the sink and bathroom are conjoined in the same space, though.

The bathroom itself is small, with a traditional tub-style shower. Families with small children will likely appreciate this, but I tend to favor walk-in showers myself (their suites feature walk-in showers). The water pressure from the shower head was abysmal, in my experience. This wasn’t just a one-off, as it was the case during my second stay as well.

The sink counter featured additional storage space for towels (or whatever else you’d want to put away). Typical amenities were provided, such as hand soap, tissue, mouthwash, hair blower and body lotion. In the shower were full-size bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner.

To me, the best feature of our room was the semi-large, brown-wood armoire located adjacent to the sink/bathroom. The left side of the armoire is basically storage, with space to put away your suitcases and bags, with room to hang jackets and shelf storage above that.

On the right side is where your mini-fridge and digitally keyed safe are located. These were nice amenities by the property to include. The safe appears small, but it was large enough for me to store my Macbook Pro, with plenty of room to spare.

Above the safe and mini-fridge is a small coffee maker with a variety of complimentary coffee and tea samples, as well as sugar and other accompanists. I’m happy to report that the coffee maker was clean, unlike my horrific discovery in my room at J Resort Reno.

As far as the bedding is concerned, I found their mattresses to be a bit too soft. I prefer my mattresses firmer, with just some give. Additionally, the pillows were incredibly thin, which tends to be a common occurrence at Marriott-owned properties.

I can tolerate a lot of things, but a dirty room isn’t one of them. I’m happy to report that being dirty wasn’t an issue during either of my stays. However, the weak water pressure, uncomfortable mattress/pillows, and faulty A/C unit doesn’t have me in a hurry to book another stay here, despite all the positives.

Four Points by Sheraton Disneyland Fireworks View

Remember at the beginning of this post when I teased an upside to being hugged up against the freeway? Well…

Another positive about Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim is the unique view of the Disneyland fireworks. The hotel is situated behind Disneyland’s ToonTown, which is where Disney launches their fireworks from. During nights when Disney holds a show, you’ll get a uniquely awesome perspective.

You won’t have the accompanying music, of course, but you’ll get a fantastic (and not to mention, crowd-free) view nonetheless. This could also be looked at as a negative, though. No matter which side of the property your room faces, you’re going to hear the fireworks loud and clear. Prepare yourself for that.

Is Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim Pet Friendly?

Yes, this property is pet friendly. There are numerous grassy areas scattered around the outer perimeter of Four Points, but there’s no officially designated, fenced-off area for dogs. Additionally, most of the grassy areas are adjacent to busy streets, South Harbor and Ball.

In addition to your nightly rate, you’ll need to pay a non-refundable $150 fee per pet with a maximum of two per room and a 75-pound weight limit. Note that this is per stay and not per night. Not bad considering most hotels are charging nightly fees for pets now.

All in all, I feel Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim has a lot going for it and is worth considering. The 24 hour access to the pool is a welcomed and rare perk, and the fact that it’s within walking distance to Disneyland adds a few points to the pile.

However, the egregious parking fees, uncomfortable (to me) bedding, and thin walls leave a lot to be desired. If you’re flying into Anaheim, then the parking fees won’t matter to you. Conversely, if you enjoy a comfortable night’s rest and prefer a firmer mattress, then that may be a problem.

All in all, I wouldn’t mind staying here again. I do feel there are better options for the money, though, including my current favorite that you can read about here. What about you? Have you stayed at Four Points before? Did you love it, hate it, or thought it was just ok? Let me know in the comments below.

My Honest Review of Hotel Indigo: A Hotel Near Disneyland

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

My wife and I recently stayed at Hotel Indigo for our Halloween season visit to the Disneyland Resort. I’ve known about this property for a while, but never pulled the trigger on booking it until this trip and I want to share my experience with you.

I’ve stayed in many of the hotels surrounding Disneyland, including a couple of the Disney owned properties, and can say that Hotel Indigo was one of the better experiences I’ve had. The point of this post isn’t to convince you to book here, nor has this property given me any kind of incentive to write this.

The point is to simply provide you with the facts of my stay, images and descriptions of the room, amenities, etc, to help you decide if Hotel Indigo Anaheim is the right hotel for your upcoming Disneyland vacation. If you do decide to book here, you can support this blog by booking through Get Away Today, a reputable agency I’ve partnered with, as they’re simply the best Disney vacation planners out there (psst - use code INKED10 to save $10).

Hotel Indigo Location, Parking, Rates and Proximity to Disneyland

Hotel Indigo Anaheim is located on Katella Avenue in the Anaheim Resort District, in between the Harbor BLVD and South Clementine Street intersections, but closer to the former. One of its biggest selling points is its proximity to both Disneyland and the Anaheim Convention Center, making it ideal for park goers and business travelers alike.

It’s closest to the Anaheim GardenWalk, but also within walking distance to Disneyland. Dependent on your pace and timing at the two intersections you’ll need to cross, Hotel Indigo is a 10-15 minute walk to security check at the esplanade. To the convention center, you’re looking at a meager 5 - 10 minute walk.

Much like the interior, the hotel’s exterior gives a hip and trendy vibe, whilst avoiding being too trendy as to scare away families. The palm tree-lined Katella Avenue gives you the feeling of being in a true resort environment, while city employees work diligently to keep the area clean and safe.

I walked around the area extensively, both during the day and at night, not once did anybody bother me (even with lugging around a beast of a camera) and I never felt uneasy. I’m not suggesting that you let your guard down, I’m just saying it felt like a safe area, with the traffic being the only potential hazard.

Down the street, closer to the Harbor intersection and on the other side of neighboring Wyndham, is a fantastic pizza joint that seemingly never closes. You can buy a decently sized slice at a reasonable $4 bucks, making it a comparatively cheap meal outside of the Disney bubble.

Parking is hassle free at Hotel Indigo Anaheim, with complimentary parking in their on-site garage on the basement level. I love that they offer guests free parking, as that perk is becoming increasingly rare for hotels within walking distance to Disneyland.

As far as nightly rates are concerned, I paid $187 per night, which was the IHG rewards member rate. If I wasn’t a member, the rate would’ve been around $197. While not a great discount, it’s certainly better than nothing. Since the holidays are the busiest time of year at Disneyland, you can expect to pay similar rates. Looking at November and December, I’m seeing rates around $180 to $190 for the same room.

For some baffling reason, their rates tend to be even higher during Disneyland’s off-season (if there’s even such a thing anymore). Rates from January through late April hover between $230 and $250, with rates for select dates in March breaking the $300 mark. Clearly, this isn’t a value hotel but considering the free parking, free Wifi, and no resort fees, those rates are a tad easier to swallow.

Hotel Indigo Anaheim Shuttle to Disneyland

Unfortunately, this is one of the few downsides of this property. Unlike many hotels surrounding Disneyland, Hotel Indigo Anaheim is not part of the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) network. However, there is a work around to this.

Less than a quarter-mile (or four minute walk) away from the hotel on the corner of Katella Ave. and S. Clementine Street is a Cheesecake Factory. The ART shuttles pick up and drop off in front of that Cheesecake Factory (route #8).

You can purchase a multi-day ART pass ahead of time (recommended) or if you think you’ll only use the shuttles sparingly, you can now pay as you go with their “Tap2Ride” feature with a credit or debit card. You cannot purchase the passes at the hotel.

Hotel Indigo Anaheim Amenities and Lobby Area

Hotel Indigo is considered a Disney “Good Neighbor” hotel. Meaning they’ve passed certain criteria to be included as a hotel you could book as part of your Disneyland vacation package. Additionally, it’s listed with the highly reputable Get Away Today travel agency as well.

The lobby is fairly small, but they make good use out of the space. To the right of the front desk is a small seating area for guests to use, as well as their on-site restaurant, Chambers Bar & Bistro, located to the left (which we’ll discuss further into this post).

To the left of Chambers is a small area where various drink and snack items can be purchased. Additionally, on the counter next to that is a microwave for guests to use. There are no microwaves in the rooms, so this is a nice and welcomed perk, though I would’ve preferred an in-room.

Above Chambers Bistro on the second floor (only accessible with room key) is a small, chic lounge. When I say small, I mean it. It’s only big enough for about a half a dozen people or so. On the plus side, there doesn’t appear to be much competition for it, as I only saw one other guest using it throughout my four day stay.

The pool left much to be desired, to be honest. It screamed afterthought to me, as it appears there was minimal effort put into it. That isn’t exactly surprising to me, as that’s par-for-the-course with most hotels by Disneyland, with very few of them going the extra mile. It’s distinctively utilitarian, it serves its purpose, but I was hoping for more from this property.

There are a handful of lounging chairs scattered around the edges of the pool, with a lounge-style couch on the south end and another lounge-style couch under a canopy on the north end. Near the canopy is the hot tub where maybe four or five adults could fit in, comfortably.

As far as work spaces go, there was one at the end of hallway behind the front desk, but I didn’t use it as there wasn’t much in the way of privacy. I did utilize the outdoor space in between the pool and bistro, which had a plethora of seating options and provided a bit more privacy.

The fitness center is a small space, with a couple of treadmills, one elliptical, one bike, and a handful of weights making up the available equipment. There’s a nice view of the pool through the floor to ceiling window, but all of the cardio equipment is facing a wall with no TVs. Next to the fitness center is the laundry room that’s available for guest use.

Hotel Indigo Anaheim King Room

Now we’re getting to the ‘meat-and-potatoes’ part of the review - the room. Since it was just the two of us (and our dog), I booked the standard King room. The room was a cushy 310-square feet with one bed, hard-wood flooring (possibly faux), a chair, TV, Keurig coffee maker, mini refrigerator, walk-in shower, vessel-style sink, hair dryer, small work space, area rug, and premium toiletries by Zenology.

Our room was impeccably clean, well appointed, and had an amazingly comfortable mattress and pillows. Storage space was decent, as we had a closet near the bathroom to hang our clothing and stash away our luggage. Also, there was a safe inside the closet, which I appreciated. There was additional storage in the ottoman and drawers in the TV stand.

The mini refrigerator was roomy enough for us. We brought protein drinks, a few PRIMES, a couple energy drinks, and drinkable yogurts and still had more room to play with had we needed it. This was for just two people, though. For a family of four or five, you may have to get creative with the space.

There’s also a fully stocked Keurig set up, complete with a variety of coffees and teas, just above the mini-fridge. I can’t tell you if the provided coffee’s good or bad, as I’m always weary of using in-room coffee machines, even in the nicest hotels. You just never know what the previous occupants may have done with it.

The bathroom, at least in the king room, is the part of the room that makes Hotel Indigo stand out from most, as many hotels in the area tend to phone it in as it pertains to bathrooms. I feel Hotel Indigo did a great job, especially considering the space constraints.

The vessel-style sink is a nice touch, as is the in-mirror lighting. The big winner is the walk-in shower, as walk-ins are my preference. Though I do acknowledge that it may be a deal breaker for families who prefer a bathtub. Fret not, there are dozens of other hotels within walking distance to Disneyland that offer bathtubs.

Jumping back into the sleeping area, the bed comes with pillows of varying firmness. On the opening side of the pillow sheet there is wording indicting which is which. That was a nice touch as at other hotels in Anaheim, I’ve had to deal with what I call “flat” pillows that offer me no support.

Excitingly, the mattress was the real winner. It allowed me to sink into it just enough, while having the right amount of firmness without me feeling like I was sleeping on the floor. It made for a great sleeping experience after schlepping myself through the parks all day.

Honestly, my only gripe with the room was the severe lack of USB ports. For a modern hotel, especially one close to a convention center, the room should be crawling with them. The only ports was the one on the Apple Home device and one on the desk lamp. That was it.

Hotel Indigo Anaheim Chambers Bistro

The hotel’s on-site restaurant, Chambers Bistro, is located in the lobby, to the left of the check-in desk. It’s open for breakfast and dinner, with varying hours depending on the day. They’re closed mid-day, as most guests are in the parks during that time. You can see the current hours listed in the photo above.

The restaurant has a strange, blue-hue in the dining area. This lighting is on whether it’s breakfast or dinner. I could understand the blue lighting during dinner, as it’s night time and it helps to set the mood. During breakfast is another thing entirely, as it should be a brighter color, such as yellow or orange. It just comes across as strange to me, but I digress.

We ate here for breakfast on our final day before hitting the road. I went with the Hearty Breakfast platter ($17). It came with two eggs, hash browns, a choice of meat (I went with bacon) and two pieces of toast. It was decent. Wasn’t great. but wasn’t bad either. My friend tried their chorizo burrito a few days prior and said it was tasty, but there was no way I was going to eat chorizo before heading out on a road trip.

You can opt to eat in the dining room, take your meal to go, or order room service. The food is decent and the service from the staff was great (as was the case with the rest of the hotel). There aren’t many affordable options for breakfast in the parks, so Chambers makes a great option to carb-up before rope-dropping Space Mountain.

Is Hotel Indigo Anaheim Pet Friendly?

This is where our stay somewhat fell apart for my wife and I, because the answer to that question is subjective. Is Hotel Indigo Anaheim pet friendly? Yes, in the sense that they do allow your pets to stay with you (with restrictions, of course), but no in the sense that there’s absolutely no designated area for them to do their business.

After we checked in and got our stuff situated, my wife took our dog to go do her thing and when she asked an employee where that area was, she was told (I’m paraphrasing) that there wasn’t a designated area and that people just take them around the “neighborhood”.

As stated at the beginning of this post, Hotel Indigo is located on the super busy Katella Avenue. That road is always experiencing heavy vehicle and foot traffic, day and night. If your dog has severe anxiety like ours does, it can make for a challenging and frustrating experience trying to get them to do their thing in that environment.

We made it work, and we still had a good stay, but if you’re going to call yourself a pet friendly hotel, having a designated space for dogs to go do their business is one of the bare essentials. Hotel Indigo was legitimately the first “pet friendly” hotel I’ve stayed in to not have this. Even Motel 6 Maingate had one! For this reason, I can’t recommend this hotel for those traveling with their pets.

Aside from that, and a couple other annoyances I discussed above, we had a great, overall experience at Hotel Indigo. I would never bring my dog here again but if we were traveling without her, I wouldn’t hesitate to book it. If you found this post helpful and are interested in this hotel (or any other hotel by Disneyland), visit Get Away Today for great deals on Disneyland vacation packages. Doing so helps this website stay afloat.

Our Tour of the Pixar Place Hotel at Disneyland

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.

In 2022, Disney announced what many Disney fans were longing for since the reimagining of Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier in 2018; the loathed (I’m probably sugar-coating it a bit) Paradise Pier Hotel would receive an reimagining of its own into Pixar Place Hotel.

Unlike other Disney projects, it didn’t take long for Disney to begin the construction process on the project. Slowly but surely removing old references of its former identity and throwing in splashes of badly needed color and character (literally).

With this transformation, it was also announced that Southern California favorite Great Maple Modern American Eatery would take over the space inside the hotel once occupied by PCH Grill. Great Maple would go on to open to guests months before the grand reveal of the hotel’s refreshed identity.

Finally, in late January, 2024, the transformation was completed (sort of) and guests could now say they were staying at the first Pixar-branded hotel in the company’s extensive portfolio, and the reviews have been largely positive.

Admittedly, I initially thought this was going to be another cheap re-theme of an already cheaply re-themed, aging property, but Kisha and I recently had the opportunity to tour it and I must admit, the Imagineers did a wonderful job. They indeed redeemed what was once considered Disney’s worst hotel.

So what does the exterior and interior look like? How about the rooms? Wondering if the food at Great Maple is worth it? I answer all of these questions and more in the post below. Let’s get into it.

Pixar Place Hotel Exterior, Lobby and Great Maple Restaurant

If you are at all familiar with Paradise Pier Hotel, it wouldn’t take long for you to notice the stark difference of the new exterior. While a bit bland, the newly painted building’s eggshell white exterior is complimented by the Pixar reds, yellows and blues, beating out the building’s former uninspiring, drab look of yellows and greens by a long shot.

Additionally, branded signage has been added to the upper portions of the building on either side. At night is when the hotel’s exterior comes to life, as a newly installed lighting package illuminates the walls. I feel the street-facing portion of the building could use some additional signage to give it more character but as is, it’s a huge upgrade.

Upon entering the lobby from the hotel’s main entrance off Disneyland Drive, you’ll immediately take notice of a large scale model of Pixar’s long-time mascot Luxo Jr balancing on another iconic symbol of Pixar, the Pixar ball. Additionally, you’ll also take notice of the dozen or so color changing panels hanging above from the upper atrium.

A plethora of seating options and faux plants have been added to area, making it a nice place to hang out while you wait for check-in or for the rest of your party to arrive. Just to the right of Luxo is the hotel’s sole gift shop STOR-E, a quick-bite eatery and coffee spot called Sketch Pad Cafe, and further down the hall, Great Maple Modern American Eatery.

We had the chance to dine at Great Maple during our tour and it instantly became one of our favorites on property. Prices are a bit high, but the service was great, the food was delicious and the vibes were vibin’. If you want to read more extensively about our experience and what we ordered (including prices), you can read my review here.

Continuing with the tour, to the left of the Luxo statue is where the check-in desk, elevators and additional sitting areas are. Here is where Imagineers went wild with Pixar theming elements. Across from the check-in desk is a lounge-style seating area themed after Finding Nemo, on the walls behind the check-in desk are illuminated portraits of several Pixar characters and near the staircase is a jazz-style piano where Joe Gardner from Pixar’s Soul makes sporadic appearances.

In addition to Joe Gardner, another regular character appearance is Bing Bong from Pixar’s beloved movie Inside Out.We spotted him by the Luxo statue, but I have heard he also makes regular appearances on the pool deck for hotel guests. Don’t count on either of these characters being a permeant fixture at the hotel, as Disney will likely phase them out as the newness of the hotel dissipates (or swap them out).

One thing I noticed about the lobby was how peaceful it was in comparison to the Grand Californian’s lobby. GCH’s lobby is top-tier and my favorite, but it’s often busy as non-hotel guests from the park utilize it for mid-day park breaks, mixing with the already heavy hotel guest crowds.

Of the two, GCH definitely has the better lobby, but we were at Pixar Place in the middle of the day on a Saturday when both parks were packed and we had it largely to ourselves. Furthermore, we were in the lobby at several points of the day and aside from check-in time, there were very few people around.

Pixar Place Hotel Pool Deck

On the third-floor rooftop deck you’ll find an abundance of seating, a pool, splash pad, whirlpool and the 186-foot water slide themed after several characters from Finding Nemo. The pool area is fenced off and only accessible with a room key. Out of respect for people’s privacy, I didn’t photograph the pool area. However, Disney was kind enough to provide the above photo.

The remaining area of the rooftop deck is open to all guests, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not. Here you’ll find fire pits in the form of several Pixar characters, ample lounge-style seating and overhead lighting. With the fire pits providing warmth and the walls blocking the wind, I can see this eventually being a popular hangout space among locals.

If you plan to book, keep in mind that the pool area is fairly undersized for a Disney hotel, as compared to the Grand Californian and The Disneyland Hotel’s pools. While winter won’t be a problem, I can definitely see it being one in the summer. Especially in the afternoon when many families take a break from the parks.

Additionally, a cast member tipped to us that the pool deck is a great place to watch the evening fireworks show. During the show, the lights are dimmed and music is piped in. Even though you don’t need to be a hotel guest to access it, most people are unaware of this spot so it’s rarely ever crowded. If you just want to see the fireworks and don’t care where you watch them from, this is a solid option.

Pixar Place Hotel Rooms

Guest rooms have received a serious upgrade from their previous set-up with, you guessed it, several not-so-subtle touches of Pixar-themed decor all throughout the room. Pixar has never been known to be subtle, though, so it works with their brand identity.

Coming from someone who typically prefers hotels with the “less is more” philosophy as it pertains to room decor and color palette, I can make an exception here. If you are going to book a room at a hotel branded after Pixar, stepping into an animated multi-colored room shouldn’t come as a surprise, after-all.

Most rooms come with a pull-out sleeper couch, though in the two queen rooms pictured above, the sleeper is twin-sized whereas the king bed rooms come with a queen sized sleeper. Either one would be advantageous for families with several children, though. Additionally, one and two-bedroom suites are also available. Additional room features include:

• Tons of indirect and recessed lighting options

• A work desk with a literal (bolted down) Luxo Lamp

• Mini-fridge and coffee maker (K-cup variety)

• An abundance of USB and USB-C ports

• Storage options

• Shampoo, conditioner and body wash dispensers on the shower wall

Your view will depend upon the room you book and floor you receive. Most east facing rooms get a view of Disney California Adventure, with elements of Pixar Pier and the Cadillac Range of Cars Land highly visible. These rooms could offer an excellent vantage point of the park’s nighttime spectacular - World of Color.

West facing rooms won’t get as good of a view, as all you’ll see is the hotel’s pool and a vastness of parking spaces (for now, that is). I say this because if Disney gets their way with their DisneylandForward expansion plans, these rooms will have a prime view of whatever land they’re planning to build there (Pandora, anyone?).

For now, if you don’t book a room with a prime view of DCA, you could always utilize the elevator and get the “in between the towers” view, as pictured above, for free. Though I wouldn’t count on it being crystal clear as it seems someone forgot the “clean the elevators” element of the redesign (during our tour, anyway).

Pixar Place Hotel Nightly Rates

Like any hotel, rates at Pixar Place will vary based upon season and availability but generally, you should find Pixar Place to be a couple hundred dollars cheaper than The Disneyland Hotel and a few hundred less than the Grand Californian. I say generally because if the lower-tier rooms at either property sell out, Pixar Place will command higher prices as a result.

Furthermore, despite the official re-opening in late January, there are still many yet-to-be finished rooms unavailable to guests. They are expected to be completed later this year but in the interim, expect the dip in available inventory to inflate nightly rates.

That said, I would expect Pixar Place to fluctuate between the $350 - $600 range for a basic room with either a standard or premium view throughout the year. For club level, tack on another couple hundred, probably more once the club level lounge opens later this year.

While Pixar Place is still considered third place behind the Grand Californian and The Disneyland Hotel in terms of class, it is now at least on-par with many of the higher end good neighbor hotels with this re-branding and new amenities, which makes the price tag much more tolerable than it was previously.

Planning a trip to Disneyland? If so, read about the changes made to Advance Dining Reservations at the resort. Additionally, read about the upcoming closure of Critter Country and what I think Disney should do with the area. Furthermore, read about what to expect during this year’s Pixar Fest here. Finally, to save money on Disneyland tickets and hotel packages, visit my preferred Disney travel agency, Get Away Today.