Paradise Pier tips?

[ryleeranger]

We are leaving for Disneyland in 10 days and staying at the Paradise Pier! I'm looking for any tips/tricks you can offer to maximize our stay.

I thought I saw someone say you can see the Disneyland fireworks from the hotel? Where should we be? We arrive on Oct. 16th but are not going to Disneyland that day, however, fireworks are scheduled that night.

Any other tips you can provide? Thank you!

 

[skiingfast]

To see the fireworks go to the north end of the pool deck.

If you have a park view room you can listen to the WoC music on your TV and watch from your window.



To get to the parks. Exit the PPH go to the northeast corner along Disneyland Dr. Cross the street there and follow the sidewalk into the GCH. Enter the GCH make a left around the front desk. Follow the sign to DCA which will direct you along the edge of the lobby, or go strait along the registration desk into DTD to get to DL.

 

[bumbershoot]

I believe you can see the fireworks from the pool deck. (note, the pool is on the roof of the 3 story part of the hotel...so if you have a pool view room that's higher than that, you can watch from your room if you can't make it out to the pool)


Make sure you have the walking path correct! For our first big trip to DLR we stayed at PPH, and I goofed. Had us following the marked path that takes you behind the theater, by DLH, and alllllll the way through Downtown Disney. That's not the shortcut. Go out the *front* doors, go left then cross the street at the crosswalk, walking into the Grand Californian area. Go in the big fancy doors (sliding *stained* glass).

If you wish to use the entrance to DCA, you are eligible to do so since you're staying on-site, and so you go through the lobby and follow the signs to DCA.

If you wish to go to Disneyland, turn left when you can, after walking in through those doors, go down a LONG corridor with a couple short sets of stairs (if you have a wheeled conveyance of any kind, there's a ramp over to the non-window side!), then go to the right out automatic sliding glass doors. Follow the sidewalk out and to the left, and you'll be more than halfway through DTD, pretty close to the bag check area which leads to the esplanade and DL!


During the times we've stayed there (last stay was October '09), the restaurant has been a nice place to eat when we've gotten back relatively late from the parks. Even without a reservation. If they still have the quesadillas on the menu, beware, they are spicy!

 

[skiingfast]

I believe you can see the fireworks from the pool deck. so if you have a pool view room that's higher than that, you can watch from your room if you can't make it out to the pool)

You can NOT see the fireworks form a pool view room at the PPH. Those rooms face West. The fireworks are to the north north east. You have to go out to the pool deck to its north end to view them.

 

[jetskigrl]

If you plan to hit the parks early and also want to try the Surf's Up breakfast, try getting a 7:00 am reservation. We did that a couple of weeks ago and it was a blast. We had Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, Daisy and Max almost all to ourselves. Lots of memorable character interaction. It was my birthday so Minnie came over with a card, pen and crayons in hand, pulled up a chair and proceeded to sit down at the table with us. She then drew me a custom birthday card that was just adorable. She must have sat with us for 10 or more minutes....it was so cool.

By the time we were done, it was getting more crowded so the characters were busier. But that first 1/2 hour in the restaurant was priceless

 

[bumbershoot]

You can NOT see the fireworks form a pool view room at the PPH. Those rooms face West. The fireworks are to the north north east. You have to go out to the pool deck to its north end to view them.

And yet...we had a suite (booked AP rate, got majorly upgraded by being the Big Kahuna Family of the Day) that overlooked that area and saw them.

It wasn't impressive at all, but I do remember seeing them.

Maybe it was because we were up so high (if I recall correctly) and had more than one window to look through, that we could see it? A lower down, one window to choose from, room wouldn't have done it?

 

[skiingfast]

And yet...we had a suite (booked AP rate, got majorly upgraded by being the Big Kahuna Family of the Day) that overlooked that area and saw them.

It wasn't impressive at all, but I do remember seeing them.

Maybe it was because we were up so high (if I recall correctly) and had more than one window to look through, that we could see it? A lower down, one window to choose from, room wouldn't have done it?

Do you have x-ray vision? There are no rooms that face the pool and have a view of the Disneyland Fireworks.

Were you looking at fireworks over the city of Garden Grove? That would be possible. Were you on the park side, you would slightly be able to see them at a slight angle?