Disneyland Resort

Arcadia Suite - Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Mount Whitney Suite – Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

El Capitan Suite – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Image: Disney

Trivia buffs know that it’s the only Disneyland resort designed specifically by Disney employees. The architect of The Disneyland Hotel was a gentleman named Jack Wrather, an oil tycoon by trade who got into the hotel industry at the urging of his friend, Walt Disney. Meanwhile, Japanese investors from the Tokyu Group constructed Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. Disney later acquired both resorts in 1988 and 1995, respectively.

At the turn of the millennium, Disney finally had a chance to build their own property near Disneyland. They had anxiously waited 45 years for such an opportunity. Their priority was on size. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers more than 1,000 rooms. The available amount of suites is quite limited, though. Guests have their option of approximately 45 Vice-Presidential or Presidential Suites. These rooms are understandably extremely expensive. Disney execs consciously chose to tweak the pricing such that they’re more affordable than the rooms at the Disneyland Hotel.

The Arcadia Suite is one of the Vice-Presidential Suites, and it’s a masterpiece of design. The hotel’s architects sought to pay tribute to the early career of Frank Lloyd Wright. Little touches throughout the multi-bedroom suite accomplish this goal. As an example, hotel designers embedded his Tree of Life stained glass design in the windows and even the brick fireplace. You can appreciate all the dutiful details in this video (complete with stellar narrator accent).

In terms of square footage, the Vice-Presidential Suites at this property are larger than the exotic suites at Disneyland Hotel, meaning they’re better value, albeit at the price of bragging rights. The Arcadia Suite costs about $2,000 per night on average, soaring as high as $3,000 for holidays such as New Year’s Eve. Some lucky guests suggest that they’ve stayed there for $1,500 or less while others swear they received a free upgrade (!) during times when the rest of the resort was sold out. Dare to dream that’ll happen to you one day, fellow theme park tourists!

The Presidential Suites bear distinct names, too. The Mount Whitney Suite is the alpha of the two. Priced at $3,500 a night or more, it’s one of the most expensive Disney-related hotel rooms in the United States. If money is no object, however, the bragging rights for a night’s stay in this suite are off the charts. It’s allegedly Johnny Depp’s preferred spot when he’s in town to perform PR for Pirates of the Caribbean movies. That tells you everything you need to know about the reverence guests have for the suite. Depp could literally stay anywhere in Los Angeles on Disney’s dime yet he chooses the Mount Whitney Suite.

What’s the appeal of this particular room? Well, it’s certainly spacious. At 2,272 square feet, this suite might have more room than your home. And it can also do something that you can’t where you live. The design of the Mount Whitney Suite allows for up to 75 guests. It’s the perfect hotel room for parties where your favorite rock band can destroy all the furniture as groupies stare lustily. Incongruously, the suite also offers a home office area, although you’ll struggle to get any work done while being the life of a 75-person party. The room is truly breathtaking, which is why the narrator of this video sounds so giddily breathless. Staying in the Mount Whitney Suite makes you the de facto ruler of Disneyland for the night.

As for the El Capitan Suite, the room offers similar features. Contained within are a double-sided rock fireplace and an adjoining eight-person dinner table. Combined with the nearby sofa and living room chairs, you’ll never want for a place to sit in this suite. I maintain that the glory of the space is in the master bath, though. Three rooms connect into one larger bathroom suite, and the whirlpool bath section is worthy of royalty. Plus, the view is spectacular. This is what you’ll see if you’re ever blessed enough to stay here.