With new rides, restaurants, and experiences debuting throughout the year, the only constant at Disney’s theme parks and resort hotels in Anaheim and Orlando is change. From one vacation to the next you may notice anything from slight changes (like new Dole Whip flavors) to major ones (like as the opening of a brand-new land or even the launch of a new service like Genie+). And at the Disneyland Resort in California, the landscape of its hotels is changing in a big way this year.
In addition to a new tower being built at the Disneyland Hotel for Disney Vacation Club, there’s also a huge transformation underway at Paradise Pier Hotel, soon to be re-named Pixar Place Hotel. When complete, it will be Disney’s first hotel in the U.S. that’s fully themed around Pixar films and characters.
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Paradise Pier Hotel Will Become Pixar Place Hotel
Disney recently unveiled new details about Pixar Place Hotel, including what you can look forward to in terms of theming and design. The redesigned hotel will feature a sleek contemporary interior with colorful splashes of iconic Pixar characters found throughout the lobby. The central focal point of the lobby will be Luxo Jr., the bouncing lamp seen at the start of every Pixar animated film. Guests can expect the lobby to be completed this winter.
The transition to Pixar Place Hotel will be completed in phases, with some features being made available to overnight gusts throughout 2023. This summer, the hotel’s pool deck will reopen themed after the film Finding Nemo, complete with a 186-foot-long water slide and splash pad area. Nearby, guests will be able to kick back and relax in a family-themed play court, with nods to several Pixar shorts including Bao, La Luna, and For the Birds.
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Foodies have plenty to look forward to as well with a brand-new restaurant opening at Pixar Place Hotel. If you live in Southern California, you may already be familiar with Great Maple, which has locations in Newport Beach, Pasadena, and San Diego. The restaurant will open its fourth location at Pixar Place Hotel, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. Menu items will include Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Maple Bacon Doughtnuts, Cajun Shrimp and Cheddar Biscuits Benedict, and Soda Pop-Braised Baby Back Ribs.
Great Maple will also be the food provider at other areas around the hotel, including pool service, a brand-new coffee shop off of the lobby and a concierge lounge coming at a later date.
Disneyland Hotel Prepares to Open its New DVC Tower and Pool Area
Of course, Pixar Place Hotel is not the only noticeable change you’ll see at the Disneyland Resort. The iconic Disneyland Hotel will soon open a brand-new tower called The Villas at Disneyland Hotel. This new Disney Vacation Club property will be housed in what will be called Discovery Tower, featuring duo studios, deluxe studios, and one- and two-bedroom villas.
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In addition to the new 12-story tower, Disneyland Hotel will also open a new pool and splash-pad alongside The VIllas for all Disneyland Hotel guests to enjoy. The pool area will include the new Palette Pool, Palm Breeze Bar, and a Steamboat Willie-inspired splash pad. The Villas at Disneyland Hotel tower and its brand-new pool area are set to open September 28, 2023.
