What do you think of the Paradise Pier Hotel?

[SFMommy]

We have never stayed at a Disney property and are considering a stay at the PPH in November.

What do you love about it? Is it convenient? (We are used to staying at Hojo's and walking.) Is it true that you can watch the fireworks from the roof pool area? And can you really watch World of Color from your room if you get a DCA view room?

It will be me, DH and DD (5) and from what I've read, the rooms are spacious for 3 people.

Since we are going at the Holiday time, I thought that a Disney resort experience would be a little more special than staying at Hojo's again. But the other two Disney properties are out of our budget.

Any other tips and thoughts would be appreciated!

 

[ballarinamom]

We stayed off site once (Desert Inn because of the location). It was fine. But there was something about leaving the property and crossing that busy street that made us loose some of the magic. I know that may sound sappy- but oh well!
PP will be a bit further than DLH or Grand California. You will walk about half a block and cross the stree and up the drive of the Grand California before you are feel on property. If that makes sense. I have never stayed at PP but we eat at the character meal every trip. So we walk from the DLH each time. The hotel is bright and clean with a big Goofy's statue in the front. You'll have all of the cute Mickey toiletries that all the Disney hotels have. But I do not know how well you would see WOC. We had heard you can see the fireworks from the DLH resort view rooms. Not so much. resort view has many meanings to the DL people. You can definately see the fireworks. Hope some of this helps! I would rather stay a PP than HOJO every day. Have fun whatever you choose!

 

[kelmac284]

I've stayed there twice and LOVE it. I have stayed at DLH and GC and the rooms at GC are dinky and while I have heard the new rooms at DLH are nice I have yet to stay in them since the remodel although we are staying there in Feb so will be anxious to see how it compares.

But we just love PP because the rooms are spacious and the cast members really go out of their way. The first time I stayed it was my mom's birthday and we got all kinds of fun stuff and then last time it was mine and my dh's and same thing. They really went all out whereas when I stayed at GC on my birthday I had to ASK for a button and then we got NOTHING else. At PP we got chocolates on our pillow every night and it was just a great place.

Plus LOVE the surf's up breakfast!

Anywho just my 2 cents

 

[tlovesdis]

We love PPH and will be staying there again in November! It is smaller than the other two hotels, but that's kind of what I like about it! The walk is not but a minute or two more than the walk from the DLH. You just come out the doors, walk across the street to the Grand and then walk through the Grand to get to either DTD or DCA!

The beach theme is really cute and the customer service there is great! I highly recommend it!

 

[Sherry E]

I'm a Paradise Pier veteran (and 90% of my PPH stays have been during the holidays)! To be honest, when I first began staying there in 2000, it was because the Disneyland Hotel prices had gone up and PPH was a less expensive option. So for several visits the PPH was kind of the default hotel because I wanted to stay onsite and it was the cheapest.

Somehow, over the years, the PPH has grown on me by leaps and bounds and now I really enjoy it. I look forward to staying there. They have recently redecorated and freshened up their rooms, so you will be getting the newer versions of the rooms. My last stay there was in December and they had not redone all the rooms yet - but they upgraded me for free to an amazing Park View room and I couldn't get enough of that view! I kept gravitating towards the window every time I was in the room! I could see WoC and hear the music, but couldn't see any of the projections on the water, which is kind of the whole point of the show.

Seeing WoC from a PPH room is more like, "Hey! Look! I can see World of Color from here!" rather than an actual, viable way to see the show instead of going into DCA to see it.

The walk will probably seem far at first. When you get the lay of the land and realize exactly how close it is in relation to everything else, it will not seem bad anymore.

Basically, the PPH is right across the street from the Grand Californian. Do not follow the signs on the PPH property that direct you to the parks, or it will seem like you are walking to New York! You need to take the short cut.

What you do is simply go out the front entrance of the PPH (past the valet guys), veer left and head to the crosswalk. Cross the street (Disneyland Drive) and voila! You are suddenly on the Grand Californian property! Go into the gorgeous lobby of the GCH and follow the signs to Downtown Disney or California Adventure.

When you head back to the PPH, just cut through the GCH lobby, out the front entrance, veer left and cross the street to the PPH! Easy!

The Goofy statue that ballarinamom mentioned may be missing for your stay, if you stay at PPH over Thanksgiving weekend. That statue is there year-round, until they put up the holiday decorations...and then Goofy disappears!

The PPH Christmas tree and decorations come out right after Thanksgiving is over - like early on Friday they bring them out, I think. If you are there long enough to see the tree in its fully decorated form, you will love it. It is just gorgeous. While the PPH does not have the same welcoming lobby environment like the GCH has, its Christmas tree is beautiful. The tree absolutely glows in blue-green lights, and the ornaments are jewel tones. It's prettier than an 'average' Christmas tree. I've posted lots of photos of it in our Christmas Superthread.

 

[Disneyanajc]

We loved this hotel...we were there last year on an unplanned last minute weekend trip...the service from the staff was outstanding...the walk was fine, we used the short cut through the CGH (we are on the older side and found the walk very relaxing) We had a room overlooking DCA, great view did not watch the fireworks from the hotel...and the room was large with two queen beds, very clean...We too highly recommend this hotel

 

[ballarinamom]

Thanks for the info on the Goofy statue Sherry! A picture with him is a tradition right after breakfast at Surf's Up. Good to know!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info on the Goofy statue Sherry! A picture with him is a tradition right after breakfast at Surf's Up. Good to know!

You're welcome! I don't know where they hide Goofy when the tree replaces him, and I don't know why they can't stick Goofy somewhere else that's visible in the hotel just for fun (and to continue the beachy theme), but they must think he clashes with the holiday decor or something. They keep him there all during Halloween Time (then again, the hotels don't get in the Halloween spirit much at all), but Surfer Goofy apparently cannot happily co-exist with the pretty blue-green glowing Christmas tree and he vanishes!

 

[llump41]

We have never stayed at a Disney property and are considering a stay at the PPH in November.

What do you love about it? Is it convenient? (We are used to staying at Hojo's and walking.) Is it true that you can watch the fireworks from the roof pool area? And can you really watch World of Color from your room if you get a DCA view room?

It will be me, DH and DD (5) and from what I've read, the rooms are spacious for 3 people.

Since we are going at the Holiday time, I thought that a Disney resort experience would be a little more special than staying at Hojo's again. But the other two Disney properties are out of our budget.

Any other tips and thoughts would be appreciated!

We spent 3 days last Aug.. Watched WOC from our room and could even feel the heat. But, you are looking at it from the side. Not the same as in person but a great alternative. They do pipe in the sound track via TV.

A few pics fro our trip- www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2302209000461.138479.1406302301&type=3

The walk is not that bad. Maybe one day they will even 'theme it'

 

[Disneyanajc]

I Goofy!

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed there twice on DVC points, it was great! Both times had park view but this was before WoC. I was on the top floor the second time and could see the Disneyland fireworks.

I would stay there before offsite. I've stayed at Homewood Suites a couple of times and the shuttle is a pain. It always came on time but it was just a time waster.

 

[ZanderMan]

My family has stayed at PPH a few times. We do enjoy this property and the staff goes out of their way to make you happy! Example, I booked a trip for my birthday when we checked in the CM noticed this and gave us a park view room at no extra charge! Also waived all resort fees parking etc! Rooms are nice not real big, but a nice place to stay and beds a comfortable. Walk to DTD *minutes away via GCH or short cut threw parking lot next to AMC theaters.*

Now I don't want to be "Debbie Downer" but this is what I didn't like. No laundry at Hotel during our stay. (now I've heard there is) Park View is nice but street noise is really bad. Example there was a labor strike at GCH and we could hear the protestors chant "Shame on Disney" from our room the whole trip early in the morning to late at night "Shame on Disney" over and over and over. *

Rooms are not sound proof we could also hear our neighbors kids scream and chase down the halls. I know that's just part of the territory of hotel living. *

Over all I would stay there again!*

 

[Breyean]

We just got back from PP last weekend. First time we'd ever stayed there.

Rooms are very nice and big.

Location to the park is great.

Only problem we had was we were on the 4th floor facing the pool. I mean LITERALLY facing the pool and what I take to be a lot of new landscaping work. So between the workers and the pool goers, we had people outside our window pretty much all day and night. Good thing we were at the parks most of the time, but it was far from quiet or private.

So I'd recommend avoiding the 4th floor, esp room 407!

 

[Keurigirl]

pp is CLOSER than the DLH, and right across the street from GC. Very easy walk. The rooms are big, but not super luxurious (though they are the same as other disney hotels, IMO).

Surf's up breakfast is the best one in Disneyland, IMO, because there are less people and more one on one with the characters.

 

[greenkai3000]

We spent 3 days last Aug.. Watched WOC from our room and could even feel the heat. But, you are looking at it from the side. Not the same as in person but a great alternative. They do pipe in the sound track via TV.

A few pics fro our trip- www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2302209000461.138479.1406302301&type=3

The walk is not that bad. Maybe one day they will even 'theme it'

I looked at your pics because my family and I will be staying at PPH at the end of this month. I must say the room looks great, and the view y'all got was incredible. Can you please tell me what type of room is that? Do you happen to remember your room number?

 

[Kauinohea]

I looked at your pics because my family and I will be staying at PPH at the end of this month. I must say the room looks great, and the view y'all got was incredible. Can you please tell me what type of room is that? Do you happen to remember your room number?

I am interested in this info too please we are staying at PPH December 25-January 3. I have a standard room booked but plan to upgrade to a theme park room....would love to do concierge, but seems quite costly.

 

[Tollerwalker]

We are going to be staying at Paradise Pier from Jan 2-5 using DVC points (we can not get a room at the Grand Californian).

I am looking forward to it now that I have read all these great comments!

 

[Bashara]

We stayed there the last week of September, room 1404. It was a concierge premium view room, I don't know if you can get those rooms without paying for concierge, but the view of DCA and World of Colour was great. We could see the projections really well from the back. It was almost as good as having been front row of the preferred dining section, certainly easier on the feet lolz!

We found it to be a good roomy hotel and there were 5 of us in the room. I had done alot of shopping so we had 7 suit cases and it was only a little cramped. The slightly longer walk was no problem with all our kids big enough to walk, and even after we put the youngest (Mr 4) in a stroller when he was tired, there are ramps through GCH so you don't have to negotiate any stairs on the walk to the park.

I was really happy with it, would definately stay there again

 

[ryleeranger]

Love this thread! We are staying there for the first time in 1 week and now I'm so excited!

 

[Kauinohea]

We stayed there the last week of September, room 1404. It was a concierge premium view room, I don't know if you can get those rooms without paying for concierge, but the view of DCA and World of Colour was great. We could see the projections really well from the back. It was almost as good as having been front row of the preferred dining section, certainly easier on the feet lolz!

We found it to be a good roomy hotel and there were 5 of us in the room. I had done alot of shopping so we had 7 suit cases and it was only a little cramped. The slightly longer walk was no problem with all our kids big enough to walk, and even after we put the youngest (Mr 4) in a stroller when he was tired, there are ramps through GCH so you don't have to negotiate any stairs on the walk to the park.

I was really happy with it, would definately stay there again

How often did you visit the concierge room? Were there good selections for dinner or did you have to purchase meals for dinner as well?