Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
parks to the east. The most lackluster views are the north-facing vistas of the Fantasy
Tower.
In August 2009 the Disneyland Hotel embarked on an ambitious and long-over-
due renovation that included major improvements to the guest rooms, as well as a
modernization of the hotel's exterior. While the hotel was formerly essentially theme-
less, the renovation has embraced the retro-nostalgia of baby boomer Disneyland de-
votees and added decorative elements evoking the park's early years; look for 1950s-
style signage outside each tower and a tribute to Frontierland's long-gone Old Un-
faithful geysers. The redesigned main lobby evokes Mary Blair's It's a Small World
designs, and features a blown-up fun map of the original park. The check-in area
sports early attraction concept artwork and seating styled after the spinning teacups,
whimsical touches that stand in stark contrast with the ultramodern sculpted steel be-
hind the front desk. Peek inside the Frontier Tower lobby to see an amazingly detailed
model of Big Thunder Mountain.
The refurbished rooms abandon the heavy blond traditional guest room furnish-
ings and decor in favor of a sleek monochromatic contemporary look. Each room has
one king-size or two queen-size beds, along with a pullout couch; one-bedroom suites
with a wet bar and living room are also available. Features include a headboard with a
carving of Sleeping Beauty Castle; fiber optics in the headboard create a skyline with
fireworks (accompanied by a tinny rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star”) at the
flick of a switch. Other decorative touches include black-and-white photography de-
picting the history of Disneyland and hidden Mickey designs in the carpet, though the
overall feel is more business modern than Disney whimsy. Each room has a flat-panel
HDTV, perfect for connecting a laptop or video game console. Other room amenit-
ies include mini-refrigerators, coffeemakers, safes large enough for laptops, and high-
tech phone, cable, and wireless Internet connections. Plumbing, electrical, heating,
and air-conditioning systems upgrades also were included in the project.
As part of the exterior modernization, large windows were added, giving the
facade a glistening sky-blue tint. The windows, which are specially designed to filter
outside noise, replaced the original 8-foot sliding doors and small balconies on all
rooms (except for a handful of corner suites and penthouses in the Frontier Tower).
On the upside, you get a few extra square feet of living space; on the downside, you
can't enjoy outside fresh air (or smog) anymore.
The bathrooms (with newly upgraded tubs) are still small for an upscale hotel,
but there is a sink and vanity outside the bathrooms. As in most family hotels built
in the 1950s and '60s, a connecting door, situated by the closet and the aforemen-
tioned single sink, leads to an adjoining room. Soundproofing around the connecting
doors is nonexistent, so be prepared to revel in the sounds of your neighbors brushing
