Paradise Pier Pros & Cons

[Pluto468]

I've seen so many negative reviews about Paradise Pier. Is it really THAT bad? Or is it only bad when compared to the other resort hotels?
What is it that people don't like about it?

On the other hand, what are some features people really like about Paradise Pier?

 

[AuntieKels]

PP is fine - it's clean - it's fine. It's not worth the money if you don't get "on property" perks. In the future if perks came back I would consider it. Currently though, I've heard their pool area is completely closed and under renovation plus none of their food options are open right now. If you're thinking about it next year then maybe but right now it's definitely a no for me.

We stayed there December 2019 (always DLH before that) and we liked that the room was large enough and the kids like the beachball pillow in the room and we LOVE extra magic hours. We also met characters in the lobby which was super fun. That's it. The pool was uninspiring, the food was mediocre and not Disney special, the location was not that great.

 

[Iceman93]

Pre-COVID, my family liked the PPH just fine (and certainly placed it miles above the DLH). The best thing about it was the CMs, who for whatever reason seemed to be the best of all the three hotels. We found the theming to be a perfect balance of Disney and California beach, which reminded us of the best-themed hotels at WDW (not to belabor the point, but "Disneyland" is not a theme which is one key reason the DLH falls flat for us). We always had fun on the pool deck, our kids loved the waterslide and we had good experiences with the bar. The theme park view rooms are incredible, and unlike some others we never had long waits for an elevator. The on-site restaurants were hidden gems, serving great food at good prices, and they were never crowded because most people didn't think to go to the PPH to eat. And along those lines, we loved that it was always the lowest-price on-site choice, given we loved it so much anyway!

Now all that being said, I find it unacceptable that there are no F&B outlets open at the hotel and apparently the pool deck is now closed as well. Just like @AuntieKels, these limitations make it a non-starter for us. But unlike her, as you can tell from my list of pros above, we liked the pool and the food!

 

[gelatoni fan]

I'd be happy to stay at Paradise Pier if it were less than $100 a night and they were doing character breakfast. The issue is that there are hotels on Harbor that I like more than Paradise Pier and the fact that those are cheaper means that there's never a reason for me to want to stay at Paradise Pier.

The Disneyland Hotel has actual good Disney theming and a fun pool for kids. The Grand Californian is the closest to the parks. Without hotel perks, there really isn't much that makes Paradise Pier unique.

 

[Steven G]

I'm only going to compare the 3 disney hotels:

Pros:
It's the cheapest of the 3 disney hotels
the rooms are actually pretty nice and decently sized
good views of DCA if you have theme park view

Cons:
no restaurants on site currently
no pools on site currently
if you like the disney bubble, the other hotels really make you feel like you are in the bubble, Paradise Pier does not
furthest walk to the park, even if you can use shortcut through GCH.
the theme of the hotel is closer to the older Paradise Pier in DCA, before it became Pixar Pier, so that's a little strange.

 

[DLgal]

The room decor is really, really outdated. It literally looks 20+ years old because it is. It is SUPER generic in theme. There is a Goofy statue holding a surfboard in the lobby, and that's basically the extent of it. There is nothing "beachy" about the hotel. The theme matches the OLD Paradise Pier theme, which doesn't exist anymore. This hotel needs a COMPLETE overhaul and retheme.

There is nowhere to get food there right now except the gift shop which sells snacks and has a drink refrigerator. That's literally it. That's unacceptable. They have not announced when other food/beverage outlets will reopen.

And for this, they are charging over $300/night. Insane.

 

[ParkHopper1]

I'm only going to compare the 3 disney hotels:

Pros:
It's the cheapest of the 3 disney hotels
the rooms are actually pretty nice and decently sized
good views of DCA if you have theme park view

Cons:
no restaurants on site currently
no pools on site currently
if you like the disney bubble, the other hotels really make you feel like you are in the bubble, Paradise Pier does not
furthest walk to the park, even if you can use shortcut through GCH.
the theme of the hotel is closer to the older Paradise Pier in DCA, before it became Pixar Pier, so that's a little strange.

I disagree with the bubble con...while it is indeed more of a hike than the other two resort hotels, entering and exiting through DTD and even using the GHC shortcut each day is a WORLD of difference to the Disney Bubble feeling than going through Harbor Street IMO. While clean and safe Harbor is riddled with cheap shops, busy traffic intersection, pan handlers, and peddlers on the sidewalks.

I stay on Harbor all the time when all we need is a bed and shower so not knocking it but for me 100% different feel than the more inclusive resort vibe we get when staying at the PPH which we also do often. All depends on what you value in a stay.

 

[Steven G]

I disagree with the bubble con...while it is indeed more of a hike than the other two resort hotels, entering and exiting through DTD and even using the GHC shortcut each day is a WORLD of difference to the Disney Bubble feeling than going through Harbor Street IMO. While clean and safe Harbor is riddled with cheap shops, busy traffic intersection, pan handlers, and peddlers on the sidewalks.

I stay on Harbor all the time when all we need is a bed and shower so not knocking it but for me 100% different feel than the more inclusive resort vibe we get when staying at the PPH which we also do often. All depends on what you value in a stay.

I was comparing the PPH to the other two disney hotels, not the stuff on harbor in my post.

 

[jordan13402]

here's the only pro/con you need to know about PP:

Pro:its an on property hotel (I guess)
Con: its about 2 to 3x more pricewise than it ought to be

 

[DizMe]

It's an older non-Disney property that Disney bought and remodeled. Right now, there's not a lot going for it. It has no grounds. It has no theming, really. It has no restaurants, currently. It hasn't got much of a lobby or front desk. Unlike the other two Disney hotels, it's directly on a (busy) street, and you don't really feel like you're on property the way you do at the other two. In my opinion that's because you're NOT on property like the other two, lol. There's no bar, no place to hang out, and no on-site activities now. I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing there's no club level either since they have no restaurants.

You CAN get a really nice view. Of course, it costs more.

 

[the1dog]

Yes, I agree totally with DizMe, the view is really nice if you pay the extra cash for it. But without a restaurant, bar or a better pool, it is definitely not worth the money you spend to stay there.