Pixar Place Hotel is now open at Disneyland Resort, officially marking the transformation of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel into the first fully Pixar-themed hotel in the United States. The 15-story high-rise overlooking Disney California Adventure Park boasts comfortable and contemporary guest rooms that celebrate the artistry of Pixar Animation Studios, new dining options by Great Maple, a relaxing rooftop pool area and play court, a renovated fitness center, and more. Character artwork, concept renderings, and more are displayed throughout the hotel, celebrating beloved films such as Finding Nemo, Inside Out, and Soul.
“At Pixar, our mission is to tell great stories. And nothing is more exciting than when we see those stories come to life in Disney parks. Pixar Place Hotel at the Disneyland Resort is the perfect example; it’s like walking into a world of Pixar,” says Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer at Pixar Animation Studios. “It’s truly immersive, and we’re thrilled to have collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to make such an experience possible for guests.”
Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock adds, “We are looking to turbocharge expansion at Disneyland Resort over the coming years, and the transformation of Pixar Place Hotel is a demonstration of how we’re creating high-quality guest experiences infused with our most popular stories.”
Pixar Place Hotel is designed to evoke the inspiration and humor in every Pixar film, while celebrating the artistic process. Showcasing early sketches to finished design, the décor depicts memorable moments from Pixar stories and reveals never-before-seen artwork. “Walt Disney Imagineering was so inspired to take a peek behind the curtain and learn more about the creation of our favorite Pixar films,” says Kirstin Makela, Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering. “We wanted to bring this iconic collection of artwork directly to our guests in unique ways throughout the property, as well as new artwork created for the hotel.”
A sculpture of the iconic Pixar Lamp balancing atop its ball is the focal point of the lobby. Floating from the skylight above, a mobile represents the beginning stages of Pixar filmmaking—and guests’ stays—with character designs made of basic shapes and colors. Specially composed for Pixar Place Hotel, the new lobby music includes 10 new arrangements of Pixar cues, which collectively celebrate themes from many Pixar films.
At select times, guests may encounter Joe Gardner from Soul playing the piano near the Pixar Place Hotel’s staircase, or they may be invited to create core photo memories with Bing Bong from Inside Out, who makes his first-ever appearance at any Disney property.
Just off the lobby is a new retail shop, STOR-E. The name is a nod to WALL-E, and the shop’s artwork is inspired by icons from Pixar films, including the scuba mask from Finding Nemo, balloons from Up, and Hank’s coffee pot from Finding Dory. Pixar-themed apparel and toys, as well as Disneyland Resort souvenirs and sundries, are also available at STOR-E.
From concept art on the headboards to pillows inspired by the Pixar Ball, the reimagined guest rooms incorporate whimsical nods to the animation studio. For example, the headboards consist of concept art from films such as The Incredibles and Toy Story 3, arranged in order from warm to cool colors to demonstrate the importance of color to the tone of a scene. What’s more, some of the artwork displayed in each guest room was created by Pixar artists exclusively for the hotel. “Our Pixar artists love seeing their stories come to life in Disney parks for guests to enjoy—and for them to enjoy, too!” Roger Gould, Creative Director, Theme Parks at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, says. “Now, with Pixar Place Hotel, our guests are welcome to stay in an environment that surrounds them with the joyful spirit of Pixar. One of the most exciting aspects of the hotel is that we’re sharing the story of how we create our films. There are amazing, never-before-seen pieces of concept art and storyboards as well as wireframes, maquettes, and other elements that illustrate how our films go from an original idea all the way to the finished image.”
Mike and Sulley from Monsters University can be spotted on treadmills in a mural at the expanded fitness center. Guests can also enjoy a colorful new pool area, where families can take a ride down the 186-feet-long Crush’s Surfin’ Slide; lounge around or splash in the Pixel Pool; and frolic in Nemo’s Cove, a pop-jet splash pad featuring Hank, Squirt, Dory, and Marlin. Guests may choose to rent private daybeds, cabanas, or pods in the daytime; relax at night around fire pits inspired by some of Pixar’s most hotheaded characters, including Ember from Elemental and Anger from Inside Out; and see fireworks from this rooftop deck on select nights. At the Pixar Shorts Court, next to the rooftop pool, guests can play outdoor games such as Bao Toss, Follow the Leader, Shuffleboard, and Burrow Path—respectively themed to the shorts Bao, For the Birds, La Luna, and Burrow. The nearby umbrella counter invites guests to enjoy food and drinks under the umbrellas from The Blue Umbrella.
“The different spaces in the hotel tell the story of how art and technology come together in the process of making Pixar films, starting in the lobby with the mobile representing minimalist character sketches to the rear entry hallway murals showing how animation thumbnails evolve into wireframes built in the computer,” says Tasha Sounart, Theme Park Creative Director at Pixar Animation Studios. “For the pool area, we had a lot of fun creating pixel-art versions of the characters out of tiles, to further represent the role technology plays in our art process.”
The creativity and comfort of Pixar Place Hotel is also reflected in new, upscale culinary offerings. Guests can savor elevated takes on American classics at three dining locations operated by Southern California-based Great Maple. Accessible to hotel guests, local diners, and theme park goers, the 6,500 square-foot Great Maple restaurant on the ground floor serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Signature dishes include buttermilk fried chicken and maple bacon doughnuts, Cajun shrimp and cheddar biscuit benedict, and soda pop-braised baby back ribs. The Sketch Pad Café, a grab-and-go lobby coffee shop, offers assorted pastries, coffee, and tea. When the rooftop pool bar Small Bytes opens in early March, a selection of beverages, salads, wraps, cheese plates, and more will be available with an incredible view of Disneyland Resort. In addition, Great Maple will provide food and beverage service to the Creators Club concierge lounge when it opens later this year; located on the second floor,Creators Club concierge lounge will honor the partnership between Walt Disney Imagineering and Pixar Animation Studios with attraction posters, concept art, and music from Pixar experiences in Disney parks around the world.
When final touches are completed later this year, Pixar Place Hotel will have 479 total guest rooms, including two new, two-bedroom signature suites. The colorful Coco Suite will pay tribute to Miguel and the Rivera family’s legacy through vibrant Oaxacan art, while the midcentury modern Incredibles Suite will feature Parr family memorabilia with a spy-fi twist. “With upgraded accommodations and amenities, plus stylish Pixar flair throughout, Pixar Place Hotel is proud to deliver an elevated, distinctly Disney experience that only comes with staying at the Disneyland Resort,” says Pixar Place Hotel general manager Ron Silagyi.
Overnight stays offer special Disneyland Resort Hotel benefits, such as early theme park entry and convenient theme park access.
Pixar Place Hotel is one of many ways guests can experience Pixar storytelling across the Disneyland Resort. From April 26 through August 4, 2024, the limited-time Pixar Fest celebration returns with the all-new “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” daytime parade at Disney California Adventure Park, the heartwarming “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” at Disneyland Park, colorful décor across the resort, and more.