The pixie dust is about to settle on the new Pixar Place Hotel after a two-year makeover of the Paradise Pier Hotel that will bring a fresh splash of Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Coco, Wall-E, the Incredibles and other Pixar characters to the 40-year-old hotel.
The refreshed Pixar Place Hotel officially reopens on Tuesday, Jan. 30 with three new eateries, a gift shop and a rooftop mini water park.
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The 15-story Paradise Pier Hotel has remained open during the transformation into the first Pixar-themed hotel in the United States.
From the front desk to the lobby to the guest rooms, never-before-seen Pixar artwork will showcase the artistic process from early sketches to maquette models to finished designs.
A new Great Maple restaurant opened in November on the ground floor of the hotel with a menu that includes the restaurant’s signature maple bacon doughnuts along with fried chicken, ribs, fish and breakfast items.
The new Sketch Pad Cafe in the hotel lobby offers coffee, tea, baked goods and other grab-and-go items.
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The new Small Bytes Pool Bar next to the rooftop pool serves salads, wraps and cheese plates along with signature drinks.
Both the Sketch Pad Cafe and Small Bytes Pool Bar are also run by Great Maple.
The new Stor-E gift shop – a play on the “Wall-E” Pixar film – sells Disneyland apparel, toys, souvenirs and sundries.
While much of the Paradise Pier Hotel lobby has already gotten a Pixar makeover, the iconic centerpiece has yet to be unveiled with a character mobile hanging above the Luxo Jr. lamp balancing atop the red-starred blue and yellow Luxo ball.
The mobile suspended from the lobby’s skylight atrium is expected to feature characters from “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Wall-E,” “The Incredibles,” “Inside Out,” “Toy Story,” “Soul” and “Coco.”
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The Pixar storytelling will extend to the hotel rooms with Luxo Ball pillows, Luxo Jr. Lamp lighting fixtures and illustrations created by Pixar artists just for the hotel. Expansive headboards arranged from warm to cool colors feature concept art from “The Incredibles,” “Brave,” “Toy Story” and other Pixar films.
The hotel’s Pixar-inspired Pixel Pool has been open since August with the Nemo’s Cove splash pad and the 186-foot-long Crush’s Surfin’ Slide.
Outdoor fire pits themed to hotheaded Pixar characters like Jack-Jack from “The Incredibles” and Anger from “Inside Out” line the rooftop swimming pool area. After dark, the pool deck also serves as the ideal viewing spot for Disneyland fireworks.
When it’s time to work up a sweat, the hotel’s fitness center boasts an inspirational mural of Mike and Sulley from “Monsters University” running on a treadmill.
Possibly the best perk of the new Pixar Place Hotel? A dedicated entrance across the street with direct access to Disney California Adventure just for hotel guests.
The hotel has been through a few facelifts over the years. The 1984 Pan Pacific Hotel was acquired by Disney in 1995 and rechristened the Disneyland Pacific Hotel before being transformed into the Paradise Pier Hotel in 2000 as part of the debut of Disney California Adventure.
