When we decided to take our first trip to the Disneyland Resort, I knew that soaking in every bit of the history that Disneyland has to offer was going to be a top priority. For this very reason, we decided that the Disneyland Hotel, a property every bit as rich in history as Walt’s first park, would be the perfect place to stay during our time in Anaheim. The Disneyland Hotel first opened its doors to guests on October 5, 1955, less than three months after the opening of Disneyland Park. It holds the distinction of being the first on-property Disney resort hotel, built for park guests to be able to enjoy more time in the magic. Many visitors at the time traveled quite a distance to get to the city of Anaheim for a single day at Disneyland, but with a hotel directly next to the park it became possible to turn a busy day trip into a leisurely vacation. Since its opening in 1955, the hotel has undergone many changes, including several expansions and renovations, and yet it still captures the spirit of its historic past. Disneyland Hotel’s most recent transformation was completed in 2012, with all of its newest design elements and theming centered around Disneyland Park. Nowadays, the Disneyland Hotel continues to proudly celebrate the origins and development of Disney’s first park, all the while exuding the same nostalgic charm and delightful ambiance always present at the park.
Guest rooms at the hotel are located in one of three buildings – Adventure Tower, Fantasy Tower, and Frontier Tower. The towers are each named for one of the three original lands of Disneyland Park and are decorated accordingly. For our visit, we stayed in a room in the Adventure Tower that overlooked the entrance to Downtown Disney. It was elegant and spacious and (the most magical part of all!) it included a special Sleeping Beauty Castle headboard for the beds that lit up with fireworks at the press of a button.
There are a variety of dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel.
When we weren’t at the parks, we loved wandering around Disney’s Fantasia Shop searching for souvenirs. And, of course, the kids took advantage of every opportunity they could get to swim at the hotel’s amazing pool area. There are two pools, the E-Ticket Pool and the D-Ticket Pool, fondly named for Disneyland Park’s original ticketing system. And, the biggest hit for my kids and husband – two fabulous monorail-themed waterslides!
My favorite part of the Disneyland Hotel was the beautiful artwork and photographs displayed around the resort. I loved spending time taking in all of these moments commemorating the early days at Disneyland Park.
It has been a few months since we returned from the Disneyland Resort, and I still often find myself daydreaming of our week there. It was such a wonderful vacation, with our time in the parks only enhanced by the magic and the rich history prevalent throughout the Disneyland Hotel. It was truly the perfect place to stay for our first visit to The Happiest Place On Earth!
