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Disneyland Hotel Review

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On my most recent trip to California, I was lucky enough to share a room with my mom at Disneyland Hotel! This is one of the three deluxe accommodations on property. Keep reading to see if I think it’s worth it.

Disneyland Hotel

Disneyland Hotel

There are three on-property hotels at DL: Paradise Pier (soon to be Pixar Pier), Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, and this one. Typically Paradise Pier has the lowest price of the three and we were initially planning to stay there. However, a promo came out in early July that made this hotel cheaper than Paradise Pier! So, we jumped on it and booked it immediately.

This hotel is special in its long history and current design. It opened during Walt’s lifetime, but he didn’t have the money to build it. Thankfully, the company now owns and operates it. It has the most pure Disney feeling of any domestic resort, in my opinion. So, without further ado, here are my pros and cons of staying here…

Pros

  • Magical touches – This resort has the most magical touches of any Disney resort I’ve stayed at. I loved taking in all of the little things in the room. My favorite part had to be the headboard with fireworks that light up and plays music! It’s fantastic to constantly feel like you are in this magical bubble.
  • Walking distance to parks – One of the reasons we love visiting DL (as opposed to WDW) is the walkability of it all. It’s so nice to just walk to the parks or back to the room for a break.
  • Early Park Entry – Staying at one of the three official resorts grants you 30 minutes early access to the theme parks. Although, starting in January 2024, this changes to just one park offering the perk per day. We took advantage of this perk on both of our park days and were happy we did so as we were able to knock out some stuff out early. We got in line for Runaway Railway at Disneyland and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure early.
  • Preferred access to dining reservations – I’m not entirely sure what this guarantees, but I will admit that I had no issues getting the reservations we wanted 60 days out.
  • Comfortable bed – This hotel has a significantly better mattress than most of the Walt Disney World resorts. It felt comfortable all night.
  • Quiet – I think I heard people only once or twice from our room. This is significantly better than the Value resorts at Walt Disney World.
  • Good food – The quick service here (pictured below) is my favorite domestic Disney quick service restaurant. They also have a character buffet offering both breakfast and dinner!
  • Safety – This is the sole reason we booked an official resort this time. We feel safe on property and prefer to not have to walk by the homeless, unlike in my Sheraton Park Hotel Review.

Cons

  • Price – This has to be the biggest con of staying on property. Even with our discount, the room was very expensive! Honestly, the costs of the flights and rooms are prohibitive for many return trips at this point. However, I suppose it’s difficult to put a price on feeling safe.
  • Few plug ins – This isn’t a deal breaker by any means. However, simply due to the age of the resort, there aren’t many electrical outlets in the rooms. They have added a desk with plug ins. That meant that all of our devices were across the room, away from the bed. I was happy I brought an adapter to add more plug-ins.
  • Annoying green light – Again, this isn’t a deal breaker. However, the smoke detector has a bright green light that glowed in my face all night long. I ended up stacking pillows in front of my face in order to sleep.
  • A lot of walking – This hotel is a bit further out than some hotels from the parks. So, wear comfortable shoes.

Is Disneyland Hotel worth it?

I think once again, the value of something is highly subjective. DL charges outrageous prices to stay on-property. However, it’s also hard to put a price tag on feeling safe and secure. It’s definitely a wonderful place to stay for any Disney parks fan though. If it’s in the budget, I say go for it. If it’s not, maybe consider Paradise Pier or an off-site property close to the gates.

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland Guide

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Having just returned from a trip to celebrate Halloween 2023 at Disneyland, I thought I would do an overview post about all of the fun happenings taking place this year. I will provide reviews and tips of anything I actually did or if I think something might be worth the money.

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland

Halloween 2023 at Disneyland

Personally, I found planning a trip to Disneyland for Halloween a little annoying. They don’t really announce much in advance, so it’s hard to plan a trip to visit from across the country. For instance, they initially announced that Halloween time would kick-off at the resort in early September. Then, in August they announced a special Halloween themed meal that didn’t start until September 21st. Unfortunately, by then I already had my trip booked and couldn’t change it to accommodate a meal. Ha! So, here’s a rundown of everything I know about celebrating spooky season at the resort.

Halloween at Disneyland Park

Disneyland became fully decorated in early September. You can see characters in their special costumes as well as a special fireworks show “Halloween Screams” with regular park admission. Unfortunately, we only met Minnie in her costume as the line for Mickey was too long. Also, I was very surprised to discover people staking out spots for the fireworks 2+ hours in advance!

In mid-August they announced and started selling tickets for the Happiest Haunts Tour as well as the Plaza Inn Dining Package. I didn’t book either of these add-ons for a couple of reasons. For one, we visit the park so infrequently that a tour eating up hours of our day didn’t make sense. I decided against the dining package due to the timing (we are east coasters) who don’t eat dinner at 10 PM ET. However, if we ever go back at Halloweentime, I will look into booking something with reserved seating since people started lining up hours in advance to see the fireworks.

Halloween at Disney California Adventure Park

DCA also has some decor that can be seen during a regular park day. However, the real fun comes during the separately ticketed Oogie Boogie Bash event. I just published a full review of this party in addition to the Oogie Boogie Bash Dessert Party that you can read by clicking those links.

Halloween at Downtown Disney

Individual businesses in Downtown Disney celebrate the fall season with seasonal foods. Additionally, guests can pay $10 to do Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunt to look for character-inspired pumpkins. You can also look for pumpkins without paying for the scavenger hunt, but you receive a prize of a small character sipper for completing the hunt.

Halloween at Disneyland Hotels

The one late addition to the offerings that annoyed me is the Goofy’s Kitchen Halloween meal. It didn’t start until September 21st! I would have loved to have done this, but we were there too early. Nonetheless, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel had a nice display for spooky season. Unfortunately, the treat stand doesn’t open until later in the day so we didn’t get to sample any of those goodies either.

Is Fall a Good Time to Visit Disneyland?

While I encountered some frustration with DL releasing special events too close to the dates, I still enjoyed my trip. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back during this time of the year. My biggest complaint was the heat. If I go back in fall, I will probably aim for a late September date just to avoid the heat and ensure maximum Halloween event enjoyment.

2023 Oogie Boogie Bash Review and Tips

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After hearing so much about this highly sought after separately ticketed event at Disneyland, I was finally able to attend the 2023 Oogie Boogie Bash! I spent 11 hours in an online queue over the course of two days and we paid hundreds of dollars just for the tickets. So, was it worth it?

2023 Oogie Boogie Bash

2023 Oogie Boogie Bash

I’ve attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World several times. However, a year or two ago I started hearing people go on and on about Disneyland’s version of a Halloween Party. I am happy I was finally able to attend this party and see what the hype is all about.

Treat Trails

Just like at MNSSHP, there’s trick-or-treating at this party! However, Disneyland kicks it up a notch by having Treat Trails. Basically, they added a popular villain for guests to see at the end of the line for candy! This is more of a drive by experience so the line is continuously moving. This isn’t a character meet and greet. I had ample time to take pictures though. I loved this addition to the candy trails as we didn’t really use the app and just wandered in to be surprised by the characters!

I also think it’s worth mentioning the types and quantity of treats you receive here. It’s not just candy. In fact, we even received some mini bags of a carrots at one stop! We also got a couple bags of Sun Chips, Mickey Goldfish crackers, and giant Cinnamon Goldfish! Then, Mars Wrigley supplied lots of candy! My mom was really impressed with how much we were given with very little effort here.

Parade

I was so excited to see the Frightfully Fun Parade that we even booked the dessert party for reserved seating! You can read my full review of the Oogie Boogie Dessert Party here. This parade is similar to the one at Mickey’s Not So Scary, but shorter. However, it also features The Mayor from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” driving his car! I think the parade is a must-see, regardless of if you book the dessert party.

Villains Grove

The Villains Grove is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. They take the Redwood Creek section of the park (which is very much like the redwood forests of California) and make it spooky. Each area is themed to a particular villain, including specific scents (like roses) and other touches. It makes for a fun and unique experience. We hit this up towards the end of the night, during the end of the second parade without too much of a wait. I think it’s worth checking out this experience just because it’s so cool.

Characters

There were several special rare characters with meet and greets around the park. However, the lines to meet them were long! We managed to do the Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle as the Sanderson Sisters one during the second parade. The estimated wait was around 45 minutes, but it didn’t feel that long. I highly recommend this strategy if you want to see them since the line was much shorter and we didn’t have to wait in the hot sun.

Mickey’s Trick and Treat Show

My mom wanted to see Mickey’s Trick and Treat Show as it was the only exclusive show at the event. We managed to walk up after the first parade and join the line as they were entering the building. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was a cute show. I enjoyed seeing the different costumes on the characters. I wouldn’t wait long for this show personally. However, if you have little kids, they will love it. It’s also a nice place to sit in some air conditioning if it’s hot.

Tips

The party sold out in hours this year. So, if you want to attend next year, I recommend clearing your schedule and packing patience to secure tickets. I also highly suggest hitting up the more popular stuff (characters, Villains Grove) during a parade. Additionally, we ate dinner at Lamplight Lounge at 4:15 PM as I always make sure to eat prior to an after hours party so as not to waste precious party time.

Is it worth it?

Was the 2023 Oogie Boogie Bash worth the 11 hours in queue and the hundreds of dollars we spent? I think so. My mom even said during the party that it was the most fun she’s had with candy since she was a kid! I don’t think you can get a much more glowing review than that.

Oogie Boogie Dessert Party Review

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I just got back from a trip to Disneyland to kick-off the Halloween season with my mom. I was lucky enough to secure tickets to their separately-ticketed seasonal event at Disney’s California Adventure (I intend to publish a review of the event later this week). We also decided to book the Oogie Boogie Dessert Party to give us a seated view of the Frightfully Fun Parade. Here’s my review to help others decide if it’s worth the additional cost.

Oogie Boogie Dessert Party

Oogie Boogie Dessert Party

As I said above, this is an add-on to an already expensive separately ticketed event. However, I really enjoyed the World of Color – One Dessert Party that I attended in May and wanted to try another dessert party at Disneyland. Plus, my mom really liked the idea of having a chair to sit in for the parade. Due to the pricing, it took a little convincing, but my mom finally warmed up to the idea.

The Food

For this dessert party, we each received a plate of goodies and some beverages. The treats included: chocolate mousse cake, pumpkin bundt cake, cookies & cream tart, caramel cheesecake, orange dreamsicle crispy, salted caramel macaron, and some gummy worms. The best treat was the pumpkin bundt cake. It tasted like pumpkin, instead of just cinnamon like some treats do. The caramel cheesecake was our second favorite item. The caramel flavoring made it a less tart/sour cheesecake. The cookies & cream tart was a little hard to cut, but tasted good. The macaron was also good. The gummy worms were fun to look at, but not much to eat. The worst item had to be the orange dreamsicle crispy treat. It was really hard and left my fingers black from just picking it up. I don’t think anyone at our table finished this treat.

There is a specialty mixed drink as well as non-alcoholic beverage. The mixed drink was really strong. I took one sip and was done. The non-alcoholic drink was fruity and sweet. I enjoyed it. We were all served a small bottle of water too, which was nice given the high temperature.

2025 Update

I was able to do this dessert party again in 2025. There were some updates to the experience. For starters, instead of a plate of desserts, you are now given a box of various goodies. There’s some meat and cheeses, freeze dried fruits, and some sweets now. I think that is a better balance of food versus just sweet treats previously. The box also makes it easier to take your goodies to go. In fact, they even brought around some OBB bags to pack things up!

Also, included in the box is a special OBB Dessert Party Pin! There are three different pins with two being considered “rare” and “ultra rare”. I have no idea what that means in actual percentages, but it’s neat to see which one you get.

I think the addition of the other foods, pin, and box make it even more worthwhile now! Although, it has gone up in price from $89 in 2023 to $94 in 2025. Although, that really is a slight difference when you look at Disney’s pricing in recent years and the addition of the aforementioned food and pin.

The View

Sitting in chairs gave us an elevated point of view of the parade over sitting on the ground. I’m sure some will argue that you can get a similar view by standing, for free. However, after walking 8.9 miles the previous day and similar mileage this day, sitting in a real chair was a fabulous thing. My mom really appreciated sitting in a chair comfortably instead of on the hard ground. Plus, it was nice to sit and enjoy a few treats while we waited for the parade begin.

Is it worth it?

At $89/each, this is an expensive add-on. However, it was worth it for my mom and I. Standing for long periods of time hurts her back and feet. So, being able to sit down at the end of the night was a great thing. Plus, we enjoyed trying the treats. Overall, it was one of the highlights of the trip. Although, if you are on a budget, you will probably have to skip this experience. Plus, there are loads of places to watch the parade around the park without paying extra. So, I guess it depends on what you value: comfort or time/money.

Disneyland Package: Should You Book Room and Tickets Together

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In my Sheraton Park Hotel Review I mentioned that I booked the room as part of a Disneyland package. That means that I booked the hotel through Disney and added on park tickets to make it a combo deal. Today, I’m going to look at the pros and cons of doing it that way.

Disneyland Package

Disneyland Package

You can book a Disneyland package either by booking an official resort or a Good Neighbor Hotel through Disneyland’s website and adding park tickets. On my trip in May I stayed at a Good Neighbor Hotel, however I chose to book through Disneyland for the ease of simplicity, among other reasons. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of doing so.

Pros

  • Easy – Honestly, it’s easier to access my hotel information and tickets all on one website or app.
  • Ability to make payments – Typically, hotels require you to pay a deposit and then pay the remainder of the bill prior to departure. However, Disney requires the full amount to be paid a month in advance. The good news is that you can make payments towards your trip anytime you want! That makes it especially useful if you are planning a trip with another person and are splitting costs (like when I travel with my mom).
  • Cancellation/Modification Policy – After booking my May trip, I decided to change my hotel to a cheaper one and add a night on. With a few clicks, this was easy to do. I also like that Disneyland has a more generous cancellation policy than some hotels have when you book direct. Personally, I find the peace of mind to be priceless.
  • Free pin and lanyard – This certainly shouldn’t be a reason to book a package, but it’s a nice perk. I received the free pin and lanyard shown in the image above for booking a package! It’s a nice souvenir to remember my first solo trip to Disneyland and the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland.
  • Trustworthy – I’m sure individual hotel sites are trustworthy. However, I just feel more confident dealing with the Disney website. I also like the assurance they might be able to help me if something were to go wrong.
  • Extra Savings – I didn’t use it, but you receive a voucher to save 10% off at select dining and merchandise locations at Downtown Disney.

Cons

  • More Expensive – The package was a little more expensive than booking the hotel directly and purchasing park tickets separately.
  • Limited Availability – There seems to be a limited number of rooms available for the packages. For instance, I was seeing availability on hotel’s websites but not on Disney’s website. So, if you have a specific hotel in mind, you should book early.

Should you book a Disneyland package?

Honestly, I think it comes down to what is most important to you. If the budget is tight, it may be better to book direct and buy tickets separately. Although, I would encourage you to check for any deals before booking anything. However, if you value the ease and cancellation policy, than a package may be best. So, have you ever booked a package or do you prefer to book things separately?