Disneyland Hotel’s New DVC Villas are a Delight

If you are looking for the perfect place for a Disney Vacation, look no further than Disneyland Hotel’s newest rooms. And, you don’t even have to be a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Member to stay there!

Disneyland Hotel’s Newest Rooms

Disneyland Hotel opened a new section called The Villas at Disneyland Hotel a little over a year ago on September 28, 2023. This tower is dedicated to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villas.

There are several different room category offerings to meet a variety of accommodation needs. These include Duo Studios, Deluxe Studios, and one, two, and three-bedroom villas.

This particular review focuses on a deluxe studio. My (Kate’s) family had the absolute joy of calling one home during our recent Disneyland Vacation, and it was practically perfect in every way.

Who Can Stay in the DVC Rooms

Of course, DVC members can book rooms at Disneyland hotel. Members who have purchased it as their home resort get first crack at the availability, but eventually availability opens to members with home resorts elsewhere.

But, what many people don’t realize is that Disney keeps an inventory of cash rooms at DVC properties. Anyone can book these rooms as long as there is availability. I am not a DVC member myself, yet I have stayed at nearly every DVC property over the years.

If you want to try to save money, you could also rent DVC points and book that way through various avenues. Here is a review covering point rentals.

Now for the good stuff. Here is everything that makes staying in the DVC studios at Disneyland Hotel great!

Location

First of all, we love the location of Disneyland Hotel. It is so close to the magic.

I don’t know about you, but I love staying in theme park accommodations that are within walking distance of the theme parks whether I am in Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or Universal. And, Disneyland Hotel is no exception.

Getting from Disneyland Hotel to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure requires just a short walk through Downtown Disney. It takes no more than about 10 or 15 minutes depending on your pace. You could always stop and ride the Disney Monorail into Tomorrowland if you prefer.

Checking In

Checking into our room was a breeze. My family had completed the online check-in process, but we needed to head to the front desk to pick up room keys rather than relying on our phones to open the door.

If you are a Walt Disney World regular, know that your MagicBand+ won’t open your door at a Disneyland hotel. You will need to use the digital key or pick up keycards.

Your MagicBand+ won’t open the door in Disneyland.

While we were there the Cast Member gave us a map with a detailed explanation of everything we needed to know to get to the parks. She also gave us our first visit buttons.

Since we had children with us, she also gave them fun little activity books and crayons. And she gave us a few Disneyland ink pens as well!

Hotel Amenities

We had access to all of the Disneyland hotel amenities. This included all of the restaurants and recreation areas.

We especially liked the pools. There was an adorable Steamboat Willie Splashpad and a pair of Monorail waterslides!

The DVC Building

All of the DVC villas are in Discovery Tower. It is just a quick walk from the lobby in Fantasy Tower.

The whole building still looks clean and new from the lobby to the elevators. The hallways were intricately designed with alternating architectural elements for a unique stylistic effect. Moreover, the wallpaper was covered in silhouettes of Disney characters.

We loved the gorgeous mural we passed heading to the elevators. It showcases Disney characters from a variety of films.

Our Deluxe Studio was on the 12th floor, which is the highest floor of the building, so up we went. From such a height, we had a nice view of the pool and the city lights!

Our Disneyland Hotel Deluxe Studio Room

The DVC Studios at Disneyland Hotel are honestly gorgeous, well-designed, and comfortable. When we opened the door, the entryway led right into a colorful room filled with touches of Disney!

All of the DVC Studios are either themed to Sleeping Beauty or Princess and the Frog. Ours, as you will see, was a Princess and the Frog Room.

The DVC Studios all have a queen bed and a sofa with a bed that pulls down over it. The bed was plenty comfortable, and we found there is enough under-bed storage for multiple pieces of luggage.

The artwork above the headboard was a beautiful Princess and the Frog piece. The colors were so vivid and pulled the room together.

My whole family especially loved the yellow sofa. It added just the right pop of color to the room, and the style was lovely.

We had to pull down the bed right away. We always love seeing the headboard designs hidden away in Disney hotel rooms.

We were not disappointed by the sweet scene that unfolded, a young Tiana tucked in bed with the shadow of her parents subtlety cast across the bedspread. New Orleans shines outside the window with a star, perhaps Evangeline, watching over her.

Across from the beds is a long dresser with plenty of drawers. We noticed they are soft-close drawers, which is a nice touch.

A flat-screen TV hangs on the wall. It had a welcome message for us, which is always fun.

There was also a sitting area with a green bench. There was a rolling coffee table with storage inside. And there were two little stools.

The Window

But the most interesting thing of all was the window. The section of the window closest to the headboard created some sort of optical illusion.

It looked like a golden tunnel of light leading out to the city. I have no idea how it was achieved but we liked it. If anyone knows how these work, tell us in the comments.

The Kitchenette

The kitchenette was on the wall opposite the window. It backed up to the bathroom.

There was a mini fridge, a sink, and a bit of counter space with pretty backsplash. We had a Keurig, which didn’t work, but we never called to get it replaced.

Above the counter was a microwave. There were also cabinets filled with dishes and utensils. We did not use this area much because we wanted to get as much Disney dining in as we could!

Alongside the kitchenette was the closet. There was an open space for hanging items.

Tucked behind the hangers was a special surprise. There was wall art featuring Princess and the Frog-style outfits.

There was also a wardrobe. It had lots of storage cubbies as well as a safe.

One thing we really appreciated was the pop-up laundry basket we found there. It fit perfectly in the bottom section of the space for hanging clothes.

I can’t believe how game-changing something as simple as a pop-up laundry basket was. But now that I have had one, I can say with certainty that this is a simple convenience that would elevate any Disney hotel room. I think they should come in every room!

Bathroom

I think the bathroom in the Disneyland Hotel DVC studio is the prettiest of any Disney bathroom. It was so modern and sleek.

The colors were bright and beautiful and perfectly captured the Princess and the Frog Theme. Even the mirror decoration was carefully considered.

The shower had both a raindrop showerhead and a removable sprayer. I imagine this comes in handy for families with small children.

There was a separate area for the water closet, which is always nice. There was only one sink, but it was a gorgeous sink, and. we didn’t find ourselves missing duel sinks.

So Many Details

Overall, it is probably my favorite Deluxe Studio of any Disney hotel I have stayed in. It might even top the redesigned Grand Floridian studios. It was so beautiful and the design details were so carefully and intentionally woven in. I appreciated every little detail.

We also loved that we found a little Steamboat Willie art print waiting for us. This was an unexpected keepsake!

I do want to try the other hotels in Disneyland someday, but it is certainly going to be tough to top Disneyland Hotel!

Have you stayed in the DVC Studios at Disneyland Hotel? Where do you prefer to stay when you visit Disneyland? Let us know, and be sure to pass this review along to your friends who are planning a trip!