The Disneyland Hotel isn’t just accommodation; it’s the pink icon that welcomes every visitor. Following its reopening in 2024, the hotel has transformed from a classic Victorian building into a royal residence dedicated to Disney princes and princesses.
But beware: with luxury comes exclusivity. This building holds incredible secrets, but they are now much harder to discover.
Here are the most fascinating curiosities and the new golden rule for entry.
🚫👑 1. Watch Out! You Can No Longer Enter “Just to Look”
This is the most significant change. Formerly, any park visitor could enter the lobby, take photos, visit the shop, or listen to the piano.
That is over.
Although there was an initial opening period after the renovation, the hotel is currently exclusive to residents and confirmed guests. There is a security checkpoint at the door, and they will only let you pass if:
- You have a room reservation.
- You have a confirmed lunch or dinner reservation at its restaurants (Royal Banquet or La Table de Lumière).
- You have a Spa reservation.
If you don’t meet these criteria, you’ll have to admire its secrets from the outside.
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💎 2. The Lobby Chandelier Has the Castle Inside
If you manage to get in, the first thing you’ll see in The Library (The Rotunda) is a monumental Bohemian crystal chandelier.
It’s not just any chandelier:
- It weighs tons and spans several stories high.
- If you look at the thousands of crystal drops, you’ll see they form the inverted silhouette of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
- It is designed to sparkle with magical “pixie dust” thanks to special lighting.
🌹📚 3. The Library Is a “Beauty and the Beast” Museum
The lobby has been redesigned as a stately library. If you approach the shelves (while waiting to enter the restaurants), look closely:
- The books look ancient, but their titles reference Disney movies.
- There is a special display case resting the original manuscript of the Beauty and the Beast story, a nod to Belle’s passion for reading.
👸🪞 4. Hallway Mirrors Make Magic
If you stay there and walk towards the rooms, don’t forget to look at yourself in the oval mirrors in the hallways.
Some are interactive. Depending on who passes by, the mirror might “transform” your reflection, placing a virtual crown on you or making magical elements appear around your image, as if you were fairytale royalty.
🚪🎢 5. The Only Hotel That Is the “Gate” to the Park
The Disneyland Hotel maintains its most unique characteristic in the world: it is the only Disney hotel built literally above the entrance turnstiles.
- The “Park View” rooms don’t just see the castle; they see people entering excitedly in the morning and leaving exhausted at beautiful night.
- Sleeping here means that, technically, you have never left the park.
👃🌸 6. The “Royal Perfume” Remains Iconic
Despite the renovation, Disney has kept (and slightly updated) the hotel’s olfactory signature.
It is a blend of soft citrus, white flowers, and a powdery touch that smells “clean and expensive.”
It is so famous that they sell candles and sprays with this scent in the hotel shop (which, remember, you can only visit if you are a guest or dining there).
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🍽️🕯️ 7. La Table de Lumière: Versailles in Miniature
The hotel’s most luxurious restaurant, La Table de Lumière, is inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and the ballroom from Beauty and the Beast.
- Curiosity: The statues of Disney kings and queens decorating the hall aren’t generic; they are based on the original animation models from the movies (The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, etc.).
🎭👋 8. The “Royal Greeters” Are Exclusive Actors
Upon entering, you are no longer greeted by a normal receptionist. There is a group of actors called Royal Greeters dressed in period costumes.
Their job isn’t to check you in, but to bow to you, announce you as if you were a duke or marchioness, and tell you stories about the hotel. It is immersive theater from the very first step.
❄️🏮 9. Rooms That Tell the Story from Floor to Ceiling
The new rooms are specifically themed (Frozen, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella).
- Hidden detail: Look at the carpet and the headboards. In the Tangled rooms, the floor pattern mimics the magical golden flowers. In the Frozen ones, the ceiling design has subtle ice crystals that glow in the dark.
🕰️🏗️ 10. The Giant Clock and Artisan Imperfection
On the exterior facade (which you can see without a reservation), the large clock remains the protagonist.
If you look at it from the right side, you’ll see that some hour markers are not perfectly centered.
Far from being a mistake, the Imagineers left it this way to mimic the manual craftsmanship of the Victorian era, where industrial perfection did not exist.
📸 11. The Forbidden “Photo Spot”
The interior balcony overlooking Town Square (mentioned in old guides) still exists, but access is now strictly for guests.
If you are lucky enough to sleep there, it is the only place in all of Disneyland Paris where you can take a photo with the giant Christmas tree or the Gazebo in the background without any other person blocking the frame.
🏰✨ Conclusion
The Disneyland Hotel has gone from being a luxury hotel to being the private castle of Disney royalty. Now, its secrets are kept under lock and key and reservation.
If you want to see the magic chandelier or smell its exclusive perfume, you’ll have to treat yourself to a meal at the Royal Banquet. Otherwise, we can always admire its pink facade and dream of what happens on the other side of its glass doors.
