The transformation of Disneyland‘s Paradise Pier Hotel into a Pixar-themed hotel will be completed and open for business on Jan. 30, 2024, Disney announced today.
The Pixar Place Hotel will be the “first fully Pixar-themed hotel in the United States,” according to Disney, which also released artist renderings of the hotel’s guest rooms and lobby. The hotel renovation is adjacent to the section of property that Disney is seeking to expand with DisneylandForward, the company’s 30-year plan for expansion and innovation in the area. The plan promises the “diverse, integrated experiences theme park visitors now seek.” In other words: mixed use, with attractions and some Disney magic sprinkled in.
“Pixar Place Hotel will evoke the inspiration and humor that goes into every Pixar film, while celebrating the artistic process,” according to Disney. “Showcasing early sketches to finished design, the art and decor will highlight vibrant Pixar stories, revealing some never-before-seen artwork.”
The lobby, as portrayed in an artist’s rendering, will be centered upon a giant version of the iconic Pixar Lamp balancing atop its ball, with a mobile of beloved Pixar characters floating above. The mobile will, per Disney, “depict the beginning stages of Pixar filmmaking, when animators create the characters’ designs with their most basic shapes and colors.”
Disney officials noted that some Pixar-themed elements at the hotel are already in place, such as outdoor fire pits modeled after “hotheaded Pixar characters,” along with the Stor-E retail shop.
Guest rooms will also contain a version of the iconic lamp, as well as headboards created with concept art from a variety of Pixar features, including The Incredibles and Toy Story 3, that are arranged in order from warm to cool colors.
The rooftop features a Finding Nemo-themed splash pad and pool area. Its Pixel Pool is lined with lounge areas on deck as well as Nemo’s Cove, a pop-jet splash pad. The main attraction for kids will likely be Crush’s Surfin’ Slide, a 186-foot-long water slide inspired by the cool character from the film. An adjacent play court and pool bar will open later this fall.
The hotel’s Great Maple restaurant will open on the ground floor in November, followed a few weeks later by the Sketch Pad Café coffee shop and the Small Bytes rooftop pool bar, according to Disney.
Artists’ renderings of the DisneyForward plans, while conceptual, show one major development to the west of the current parks near the soon-to-be Pixar Point and (now) Disneyland hotels and another to the southeast of California Adventure. Both plots are currently dedicated mostly to parking.
“Today hotel, theme park, retail and dining are all part of one immersive experience. Guests expect that the future of entertainment will seamlessly weave all uses together in ways that were hard to imagine more than 25 years ago,” the company said in a statement earlier this year.
Last month, the media giant unveiled a comprehensive plan to double its investment in theme parks to $60 billion over the next 10 years.
City News Service contributed to this report.