Earlier this month, Disneyland Resort unveiled significant upgrades to the Disneyland Hotel, marking a milestone in a big remake of the property. New additions to the hotel include an event lawn, a new themed suite, and courtyard enhancements that include a new water-recreation area and poolside restaurant and bar.
Adjacent to the resort’s 136,000-square-foot convention center is the new Frontier Lawn, an intimate venue that accommodates as many as 60 people for receptions. A second lawn is slated to become available in the fall, and will offer an additional 12,500 square feet of flexible space and a permanent stage.
The newest addition to the roster of themey accommodations is the Adventureland Suite. Named after one of the areas in Disneyland Park, the two-bedroom suite is meant to evoke a safari lodge from the 1930s or ’40s. It’s filled with Disney memorabilia and special effects. A grotto in the master bathroom uses light and sound effects to simulate settings like a rain forest and an African savanna. Other touches include a doorbell that sounds like tiki drums and, a first for any Disney suite, themed background music inspired by Disney attractions and movies. The Adventureland Suite joins other themed suites in the hotel, including the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, the Big Thunder Suite, the Fairy Tale Suite, and the Mickey Mouse Penthouse. Each can serve as a hospitality suite or as accommodations.
A new poolside casual restaurant and bar are among the upgrades being made to the hotel’s huge courtyard. The new Tangaroa Terrace restaurant and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar derive their look from the original Tahitian Terrace restaurant in Disneyland Park and the Polynesian architecture that was popular during the early era of the original hotel.
The hotel’s pool complex has a new slide pool, private cabanas, and hot tubs. The slide pool offers two water slides and a monorail theme, and the new cabanas offer luxe touches like flat-screen TVs, refrigerators, safes, phones, and ceiling fans.
Coinciding with refurbishment of guest rooms and public areas, the three guest room towers have been renamed to match their new Disneyland themes. The Dreams Tower has been transformed into the Adventure Tower, the Wonder Tower has become the Frontier Tower, and the Magic Tower, which should be finished in late 2011, will be renamed the Fantasy Tower. Tower renovations include all-new guest rooms with Disney decor touches. Each room has a new wall-length headboard with a carved representation of Disneyland Park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. The background on the headboard uses fiber optics to create a skyline with fireworks for a taste of the theme-park experience.
