Just the title of this review itself makes me beam with happiness, and I recall every single detail of my stay with much fondness. I admit the review sounds biased, but I do sincerely feel that they achieved the standards I set for them
It all starts with the booking, which goes back 4 months from the date of arrival. Disney hotels are so popular that the moment the rooms are released, they get snapped up pretty fast. I started researching about the different hotels as early as 6 months before my trip, and after reading multiple sites and hacks, I decided that getting the vacation package was probably the most fuss-free and convenient for me. Booking for vacation packages is opened 4 months prior, while rooms are released 2 months before, so vacation package customers get priority in the choice of rooms. There are various packages available, and I will not be going through them here, as I might write a separate post just for the vacation package itself
On the day of check-in, I booked a car to bring us directly to the Disneyland hotel, and the drive into the hotel entrance was breathtaking. It was like the start of a fairytale journey, where the car drop-off points were all decorated in Disney style
The Disney magic begins with the service, and the moment our car stopped, staff dressed in coats came immediately to us to welcome us to the hotel, as well as grab our luggage and bags onto the small trolleys to be brought into the hotel for us
To be honest, I was quite overwhelmed when I stepped into the main lobby and hall of the hotel, as the grandeur of the building itself emulates the feeling of stepping into a castle. I was quite star-struck that I forgot to take photos of the check-in counter
There was too much to see, so I took videos of the entire lobby instead. The main hall was filled with plush sofas and armchairs with a cute fountain as the centrepiece. There are rooms down the corridors from both sides, as well as a huge area set for the check-in counters and luggage deposit. The check-in process itself was pretty quick, but rooms were not ready till 3pm, so we had to leave our luggage at the deposit area. I was really disappointed that I could not use the early access, as I had not checked in yet, and the process can only be completed in the afternoon
At 1 level down, you can walk out from the back gates of the hotel and get linked directly to the theme park. You will pass the Disneyland station first, which is blocked off for early access guests. Since we did not have that access, we had to join the queue at both sides instead of the blocked area
We returned to the hotel at 3pm to get checked in and also drop off some items we were carrying. We got a room on the lower floor, which is the same level as the restaurant, convenience store, souvenir store, as well as the back gate to the theme park. The same decor is extended to the corridors, which are brightly lit and give off a cosy, homely feel
When you enter the room, it feels like a little cottage house with floral-designed wallpapers and carpet extending from the entrance to the entire room. The moment you enter the corridors leading to the rooms, it is carpeted all the way, so it feels lush and premium. The carpets are also well-maintained, so there is no musky smell at all. The room is huge and opens to a small walkway flanked by the dressing table and the bathroom area. The basin is in the centre with a traditional mirror and brass chrome tap, and a wash basin. To the left is the bath, which has a huge tub and a separate wash area and a small stool like those at the onsen. To the right was the bidet toilet; the room is smaller in size and rather bare, but it fulfils the basic needs. I love the layout as it separates the dry and wet rooms and doesn’t stop your roommate from using the toilet when the bath is occupied. Further towards the room is a small coffee and tea counter which comes with a kettle, ice bucket, tea cups, wine glasses and coffee and tea
The room is extremely spacious, and I selected the Standard Alcove room, which is on the 1st to 3rd floors only. They are also the cheapest options on the vacation package; other bigger rooms or themed rooms will cost differently. As my room was the standard room, the decoration mainly featured Mickey and Minnie. The TV is embedded in this old school wooden cabinet console with drawers, and the bed size is a super single. The alcove area is like a daybed where you can also sleep 1 adult or 2 kids. At the far end, there are 2 chairs and a table for you to eat or snack when you are in the room. We ended up using it for our suppers most of the night. The room was comfortable to stay in with more than ample space for kids to dance, run or cartwheel around. For me, the beds were the most comfortable on this trip as the hardness was perfect, and the pillows were also just nice. Each time we returned to the room, it was like coming home
Another thing most influencers talk about is the amenities and freebies provided by the hotel. For a start, the rooms are stocked with 4 sets of amenities, 2 for adults and 2 for children. The packaging and boxes all come in nicely printed Disney visuals, which are great as gifts for family back home. We took them back since they got replenished daily. Pyjamas were also provided in the same cream colour tone, but were not to be removed from the room. Other items like shampoo, shower foam, and hand wash were all provided and not to be removed
The breakfast restaurant is located on level 1, where our room was, so it was very convenient to walk over. Breakfast is open from 7 am to 10 am, and it can get pretty crowded since most of the rooms are paired with breakfast, and it is crucial to get filled up before heading to the theme parks to start queuing for the rides. The breakfast restaurant is huge, with different sectors and different types of seating. The staff at the entrance will bring us to the relevant sector, which is believed to be pre-allocated since we got the same table for both days. The decoration is the same as the rest of the restaurant, with plush chairs and sofas, and lush carpets
The breakfast spread was quite substantial, although not the best during this trip. They have the traditional Japanese dishes sector with pan-fried saba fish, pickled vegetables, miso soup and more. The Chinese section offering items like dim sum, the bread and pastries sector with croissants and dessert pastries and the cold section offering cold cuts and salads. They also have kid-friendly sections with items like Japanese curry rice, fried tonkatsu, baked beans, hamburg patties, French fries, waffles and French toast
The fun in breakfast for me was grabbing the Mickey Mouse plate, which is meant for kids, but which Mickey fan can resist this cute plate? While the plate doesn’t improve the taste of the food, it did make the start of the day much happier. I tried almost everything in the buffet line except for the beef items, and the food was generally ok in terms of flavour and taste. You can tell they were cooked in large batches with no specific personalisation, so the dishes were not extraordinary. The only thing which really surprised my palate was the pastries. They were extremely crispy and filled generously with either custard or jam. The pastry itself was buttery yet well-layered, so I made sure to grab more on my 2nd breakfast
Overall, staying at the Disneyland hotel was an entire experience, or one might say a dream come true. While they are not as sophisticated as 5-star hotels outside, they made up for that with their fantasy decorations and amiable service. The rooms were comfortable, and most importantly, staying at the hotel extends the magical experience from the theme parks into the rooms. For Disney fans or non-Disney fans, staying here at least once is such an experience that I would highly recommend
Address: 29-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0031, Japan
Room rates from: SGD 947
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 