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Staying at Disney’s first Pixar-themed hotel in the U.S. is like stepping into a behind-the-scenes Pixar featurette. It stands out not just for its fun theming though, but also its convenient location right across the street from Disney California Adventure Park.
Even though it opened in January 2024, the hotel continuously evolves even to this day. Ahead of summer 2025, Disney will launch new, themed suites that can make the stay extra-memorable for fans of the movies “Coco” and “The Incredibles.”
So what's it like when you stay at the Pixar Place Hotel? We got a look inside during a press tour for the grand opening in January 2024, which is where we took these photos and videos. Here's a look inside.
Pixar Place Hotel location
The Pixar Place Hotel is walking distance from Disney's California theme parks, as are the two other hotels that Disney owns in California: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Disneyland Hotel. Of the three, Pixar Place Hotel is farthest away from the parks.
Downtown Disney, the shopping and entertainment district outside of the theme parks, is also within walking distance and offers easy access to the Monorail to ride into Disneyland.
» Learn more: 10 free or cheap things to do near Disneyland
Inside the Pixar Place Hotel lobby
The relatively plain exterior of the hotel doesn’t do the rest of the hotel justice. Once you step inside the lobby, you’ll find modern finishes, tastefully curated artwork, some reimagined areas for play, and, of course, little details that will delight Disney enthusiasts.
The Pixar Place Hotel lobby showcases Pixar’s animation process, starting from the simple, geometric shapes in the mobile above the lobby’s centerpiece. The larger-than-life lamp balancing on the Pixar ball is instantly recognizable when you walk through the front door.
This atrium space within the lobby has a mobile of Pixar characters that catch the light from the skylight above. A pleasing custom soundtrack created for the hotel plays in the background, and the lights in the atrium are timed to dance along to the tunes.
The lobby is also decorated with sketches of Pixar characters, showing how earlier depictions progress into computer wireframes. You’ll even find clay models and other concept art throughout the check-in area.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Kids will love finding the 16 character silhouettes embedded on tiles in the lobby. 
One of my favorite touches is the character cameo of Joe Gardner from the movie “Soul.” On certain afternoons, a real life Joe will play jazz music on the lobby’s piano and even interact with some of the guests who pass by.
Guest rooms
Pixar Place Hotel guest rooms are modern and colorful in a way that would appeal to both adults and children. They come in various sizes — and some even have their own unique themes.
Standard rooms
The focal point of each room is the mural of Pixar art above the bed. There are controls, too, to adjust the mood lighting behind the bed. The more subtle theming elements include a pattern of the Pixar lamp on the carpet (homage to a design used at Pixar’s Emeryville, California, headquarters) and the Pixar ball printed onto the bedsheets.
The standard rooms also have a bright red couch across from the beds that can turn into an additional twin-size or queen-size bed. It’s perfect for a family that needs the extra bed space.
Next to the couch and opposite from the beds is a desk, TV, closet and minibar, as well as a mini version of the iconic Pixar lamp on the desk.
Depending on which side of the hotel you’re on, you can get some great views overlooking Disney California Adventure Park or overlooking the pool and parking lot. Some of the third floor (Club Level) rooms facing the pool also have a patio.
The bathrooms are upgraded, and should be more than adequate to wash off a day of theme park roaming.
Suites
The standard room sleeps five adults, but what if you have a group bigger than that? The Pixar Place Hotel has options.
The one-bedroom suite sleeps up to six adults and the two-bedroom suite can accommodate 10 adults. There’s even a three-bedroom suite that can fit up to 14.
These rooms also have small kitchens, which can ultimately help you save money on traveling if you prep in the room versus dine at a restaurant.
Themed suites
For summer 2025, the Pixar Place Hotel intends to add two new, two-bedroom themed premium suites, which might make for a more memorable stay particularly for fans of the movies “Coco” and “The Incredibles.”
The Coco Suite embraces Oaxacan-style architecture, all the way down to terracotta tiling, Mexican artisan quilted and woven pieces, a fireplace and handcrafted wooden furniture.
The Incredibles Suite embraces the mid-century design that's so iconic in the film. The primary bedroom is inspired by Mr. and Mrs. Incredible (aka the Parr parents) and then there's a connecting room said to be designed by Edna Mode herself.
What about club level rooms?
Guests who really want that VIP treatment might consider booking a club level room. Prices vary by date (and thus are largely tied to availability). But with club level room comes access to a concierge lounge called Creators Club.
Creators Club offers continental breakfast, wine and cheese receptions, beer, sparkling wine, hot bites and desserts in the evening. That can be worthwhile for families otherwise seeking a "free" hotel breakfast. Plus, the buffet-style breakfast served here can be a huge time saver for travelers looking to get into the theme parks as early as possible, rather than spending time waiting in line at a cafe in Downtown Disney or the theme parks.
The evening reception may also comprise enough to serve as a dinner for certain travelers, largely thanks to the hot bites served. Plus, the wine, beer and desserts on offer to guests can make for an excellent accompaniment to watching the evening fireworks. After all, the Pixar Place Hotel's pool deck is one of the best places on property to watch the fireworks — and the show might be even better with a little tipple.
There's also a dedicated concierge seated within the Creators Club, which might come in handy for travelers with questions or who need assistance making reservations.
And the design might be enticing to Pixar super fans. Concept art covers the wall. Plus, there's a snake ride vehicle from Jessie’s Critter Carousel serving as delightfully eclectic decor.
» Learn more: 10 easy ways to do Disneyland on a budget
Pixar Place Hotel pool
The rooftop pool deck is actually on the third floor, and it has plenty of spaces for guests to play outside of the room.
There’s a large pool with cabanas and pods on the side to rent, and a small hot tub.
Right next to the pool is a splash pad that’s entirely “Finding Nemo” themed, complete with water jets, a succulent garden playing the part of a coral reef and custom seaweed light fixtures.
Crush’s Surfin’ Slide is sizeable for a hotel water slide, and will send kids flying down the EAC, or East Australian Current, from “Finding Nemo.”
If it’s too cold for water activities, there’s also an outdoor seating area with fire pits. Each pit is shaped like one of the Pixar characters that has fire for a head, like Ember from “Elemental” and Anger from “Inside Out.”
Speaking of “Inside Out,” there’s another character from the hit movie that’s making his debut at Pixar Place Hotel. At certain times, kids will have the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Bing Bong, the pink elephant from “Inside Out.”
The Pixar Shorts Court is another place to play outside on the third-floor rooftop. It has some games painted onto the ground that are based on some beloved Pixar short films, like a “Bao” toss and “La Luna” shuffleboard, but kids will probably use their own imagination and make up their own games for this space.
If all this playtime makes you hungry, there’s a poolside cafe nearby called Small Bytes (more on that later).
Plus, you also can watch the famous Disneyland fireworks without the theme park crowds from this rooftop. The soundtrack is piped in, too. It's arguably one of the best spots to watch Disney fireworks (just check the schedule to make sure there's a show the day you're visiting).
» Learn more: Is Disneyland cheaper than Disney World?
Restaurants at the Pixar Place Hotel
Whether you want a sit-down, waiter-service meal or you want to quickly grab a snack, Pixar Place Hotel offers a range of dining options. They are:
The Sketch Pad: Located just off the lobby, this quick-service cafe serves coffee, tea and pastries.
Small Bytes: Head upstairs to the pool deck for dishes like shrimp ceviche, nachos and soft pretzels.
Great Maple: The full-service Great Maple restaurant is on the ground floor. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and the menu is full of American comfort food like macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and the signature maple bacon doughnuts.
Best credit cards for a stay at the Pixar Place Hotel
The Disney Inspire Visa strategy (best for Disney diehards)
If you stay at Disney resorts or take a Disney cruise at least once annually, the Disney® Inspire Visa® Card typically delivers the best value, but only if you book directly with Disney.
How it works:
- Earn 200 Disney Rewards Dollars after spending $2,000 per anniversary year on U.S. Disney Resort stays and Disney Cruise Line bookings.
- Earn 3% back in Disney Rewards Dollars at most U.S. Disney locations (including Disney's online store, park tickets, most restaurant and shops in the parks and add-ons such as tours).
- Stack it with additional park perks, including 10% off select restaurants and merchandise, plus exclusive character meet-and-greets with free PhotoPass downloads.
If you're a frequent traveler who doesn't necessarily visit Disney every year, other premium travel credit cards may serve you better.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 4x points on hotels booked direct. You can also earn 8x points per dollar when booking through Chase Travel, where you can book flights, rentals cars and hotels (just note that Disney's own hotels are not bookable through Chase Travel, so you'll only get the 4x rate when booking Disney hotels).
Still, that's better than the 3% back in Disney Rewards Dollars that you'd get with the Disney Inspire Visa Card. Just note that this card has a hefty annual fee of $795, offset by many luxury-coupon-book-style benefits.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 10x miles per dollar when booking hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. That means a $2,000 Disney hotel booking earns 20,000 miles (worth between $200 and $320 based on NerdWallet's valuation).
Other benefits of holding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card include a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, which can offset its $395 annual fee.
The Target RedCard gift card hack (for upfront savings)
This isn't a traditional credit card strategy, but it's one of the most effective ways to save money on Disney hotels booked directly with Disney, as well as the food, tickets, souvenirs and other expenses you have at Disney.
How it works:
- Hold the Target Circle™ Credit Card ($0 annual fee).
- Buy Disney gift cards at Target and receive an instant 5% discount.
- Use those Disney gift cards to pay for your Disney hotel booking.
With this strategy, a $2,000 Disney hotel stay paid with Target-purchased Disney gift cards saves you $100 instantly. That's a guaranteed 5% return with no annual fee and no category restrictions.
Pixar Place Hotel: is it worth it?
Disneyland’s newest hotel definitely makes a splash. The Pixar Place Hotel leans into the art and technology of animation, and it generally pulls it all off without making Pixar’s primary colors of red, yellow, and blue look too childish. In fact, this is one of the most modern-looking Disney accommodations I’ve seen with the rounded-edge furniture and light wood paneling.
But even though it's generally the cheapest of the three Disney-owned hotels in Anaheim, this hotel is hardly cheap.
Most nights at Pixar Place Hotel start around $400 or more, and that’s not including the self-parking fee of $40 per night or the theme park tickets.
The proximity to the theme parks is the biggest draw for me, as I can save time and not worry about theme park money. After all, time is money too.
Featured photo by Meghan Coyle.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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