In June 2018, my son and I passed by the Paradise Pier Hotel, just after covering the opening event for Disney California Adventure’s Pixar Pier. He pointed to his sign and asked, “When will they change his name?”
Late last month, Disneyland Resort finally announced that it would soon be renaming the Paradise Pier Hotel, a hotel named for a land at California Adventure that was built by Disney nearly four years ago to convert that land to Pixar Pier. Has not existed since. Disney did not specify what that new name would be, only that the hotel would be turned into a variety of Pixar Animation franchises.
The plan, described by Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock, would create a modular structure that would allow Disney and its Imagineers to convert the Pixar franchise into a hotel at any time. That way, Disney will always offer its most popular and enduring Pixar franchise, rather than leaving hot new properties on the sidelines as old franchises took over all over.
Disney fans want to have Disney characters on their Disney vacation. Disney promotes its hotels with the idea that the “magic” of the Disney experience doesn’t end when you leave the park. That’s why it makes sense for Disney to employ Disney themes in its hotels. But is Disney really planning a “theme” at the Paradise Pier or is it just decoration?
Theme park resorts typically limit their hotel themes to architectural styles or motifs. A variety of styles allow resorts to differentiate their hotels from the guests. But if a resort wants to differentiate with intellectual property (IP), a resort has a lot to extend to using IP to make certain decisions.
This is the same process that parks use when creating attractions. Do you slap certain characters on during the ride, or do you build a more immersive, custom experience? It’s the difference between Inside Out: Emotional tornado spinners and bespoke Radiator Springs racers.
For an IP theme to work on a hotel, the hotel’s role as a place to stay must be included in the IP story. Otherwise, what passes for theme is really just decoration. The current gold standard for themes in the theme park resort hotel experience is Walt Disney World’s new Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, which is presented as an interstellar cruise ship within the Star Wars universe. Disney even went so far as to build the ship, called the Halcyon, the setting for Leia and Han’s honeymoon.
As with Pixar, until Disneyland builds a real-life Cozy Cone motel, what fans will get will be like sentimental tornado-style decorations. which is fine. Disney should offer a variety of stay experiences, and IP decor should be a part of that mix. The new Pixar Hotel should be a good move for Disneyland Resort.
But someday, Disney fans in Southern California will also welcome a true themed hotel experience.
