My Problem with Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

[forestlite]

Two months after my return from TDR, I still could not place my finger on exactly why the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel was the least favorite of the places I stayed while in the parks (the other two included MiraCosta and the Hilton). While reading Walt Disney's biography, it came to me reading the section devoted to Disneyland. Walt purposely scaled Main Street and other areas of the park to be smaller and more intimate. In his opinion, other parks tried to overwhelm guest with their size and power. Walt wanted the guests at Disneyland to feel they were in control of the environment and not feel intimidated. While the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is a work of art in terms of design and style, that hotel is too huge and overwhelming for my taste. It lacks the intimacy and warmth that is crucial to the Disney experience. Although I did not stay at the Ambassador, I did visit the lobby and prefer it much more. That will be the hotel of choice on my next visit (and the Hilton was pretty awesome too)!

[TDLFAN]

Too bad you feel this way. Personally, I have no problems with the hotel and I think it's quite elegant and lavish.

[jedimaster7313]

I haven't tried any of the 3 Disney hotels yet, but have always stayed at the Hilton-

I did visit the DL hotel and was impressed by it- I don't know if it would be my next choice, but I would love to try out the MiraCosta first someday- It always seems to be sold out or is about triple the price when it is available for me.

The size of the Disneyland hotel is grand to say the least, but knowing how quickly rooms sell out in the resort, I'm surprised it's not larger.

[TDLFAN]

I much prefer the Sheraton.

[Grizzly]

I've stayed at the three TDR hotels and while I still prefer MiraCosta cause it seemed more "cozy", I was amazed by the TDL hotel. I think it's because it's so grand in scale that I liked it. I think I will stay there again next time.

What you said about Walt and Disneyland is all true though, and that's a big reason why I love the original Disneyland.

[Himorogi]

I think the TDL hotel is great. It also helps the whole overall look of the resort, being the final piece of that puzzle creating a "berm" of sorts between the ugly highway and Keiyo line and the inner Main Gate section of TDL (used to look horrible from the park looking out...outside world EVERYWHERE, ugh!). The size doesn't bother me at all, because it HAD to be that big to make everything perfect. Now the TDR feels "complete" to me in a way it never had before.

Still, the Mira Costa is my favorite Disney hotel anywhere and probably always will be. Can't beat THAT amazing location!

[TDLFAN]

What you said about Walt and Disneyland is all true though, and that's a big reason why I love the original Disneyland.

I agree, yet HKDL, being almost a copy of the original DL park, is also cozy and charming me thinks. Yet many put it down for being small. Go figure.

[hikarii]

I agree, yet HKDL, being almost a copy of the original DL park, is also cozy and charming me thinks. Yet many put it down for being small. Go figure.

^Agreed. I love HKDL's coziness and intimacy, something which her rival park in HK lacks. I like people complain of the place being too small, as in too few attractions. Even if the scaling of the whole place was smaller, if there were more attractions, then people would somehow feel it is "big". Walt Disney's vision is a great one, creating a park that everyone feels close and personal. But probably, nowadays more care about the number of E-ticket attractions present than the atmosphere of the park.

I'm looking forward to visiting TDH later this year I'd like to see how it differs from our HKDH

[ashleyR]

Too bad you felt that way.

[lonegungirl]

I much prefer the Sheraton.

Over the Hilton? What are the differences? I've only stayed at the Hilton, but I liked their "Happy Family" rooms--they were very cute.

[KevinYee]

The Sheraton manages to feel classy yet familiar, ritzy yet intimate, and just overall COMFORTABLE. The Hilton isn't bad, but lacks some of the public facilities I found more easily at the Sheraton.

[Fukai]

I've stayed at all three Disney hotels as well as the Hilton.

Love the Hilton: superb staff, nice accomodations, and the price is often/sometimes much less than any of the Disney hotels.

The Disney Ambassador Hotel is the most intimate of the three Disney hotels. It's quite nice, but inconvenient to get to the Resort Liner (monorail). While staying there, I only took the Resort Cruisers (bus) to both parks. If you like Iksipiari, this is a good hotel to stay at.

The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is beautiful and I'll stay there again. Particularly with the hotel-exclusive entrance line that means an extra half hour of sleep in the morning.

I've stayed at the Miracosta twice--it's a big cold and gaudy. Not my favorite.

[TDLFAN]

Over the Hilton? What are the differences? I've only stayed at the Hilton, but I liked their "Happy Family" rooms--they were very cute.

For one.. I can't stand Paris Hilton. For two, what Kevin said. I love this facility... seemed to me brighter and nicer than the Hilton, and frankly.. it's a tad closer to the TDR Line than the Hilton, assuming you walked over there.

[TDLFAN]

I've stayed at the Miracosta twice--it's a big cold and gaudy. Not my favorite.

"Gaudy"? The Miracosta??
Have you ever stayed at the All-Stars or Pop Century at WDW? Now that is gaudy!
I believe the Miracosta to be the most refined, unique and elegant of the grand hotels ever built at Disney.

[Another Voice]

I agree with the original poster. When I think of "quaint Victorian" it should feel grand but also comforting. I should have a human dimension to it. The Hotel del Coronado is a grand Victorian structure, but feels very intimate and very cozy, just as Disneyland's Main Street did.

But as Disney's parks were dumbed down throughout the late 1990s and through the 2000s, Disney's design philosophy shifted from "movie realism" into "grandiose on the cheap". Instead of trying to create environments that projected the emotion of place, Disney built places that tried to overwhelm and awe the visitors. So we get monstrosities like the Grand Floridian. Disney took the charm of the Hotel Del but made everything MORE MORE MORE like an overwrought summer movie blockbuster that's nothing but 120 minutes of explosions.

I was sorry to see that trend carried into Tokyo Disneyland. To me, the Mira Costa is Disney's best designed hotel. It feels like an Italian palace-turned-hotel in every element of its being. The feeling I has stepping into the lobby the first time was that I had stepped back into Naples. Now I know not everyone enjoys that elegant but formal atmosphere - either in Italy or in Tokyo Disney - but that's the overall design of the hotel and why Disney used to offer so many differing types.

I haven't been inside Tokyo's Disneyland Hotel yet, but from I have seen it too is along the lines of the "Disney Victorian" instead of a truly themed environment. I wonder if will really matter much as I don't think many in Japan have an association with true Victorian/Main Street.