A tour guide operates the
elevator access.
by GingerJ

Ginger loved the the
Dream Suite tour!
by GingerJ

Magical is the only word that really describes Disneyland Park’s Dream Suite—although fabulous, posh, and gorgeous are also close.

The “Royal Suite,” as it was originally named, was envisioned as a replacement for Walt Disney’s 500 square-foot studio apartment over the Disneyland Fire House,  and set designer Dorothea Redmond (Gone With the Wind, The Ten Commandments) created exquisite watercolor designs for the décor. But those plans were dropped when Disney died unexpectedly in late 1966; the Disney family felt they couldn’t enjoy it without Walt.

The façade and the staircase were added in 1987, and the area served as the Disney Gallery for about 20 years.

The Royal Suite’s plans came back out of storage in 2007, with plans to award stays at the renamed Dream Suite to lucky park visitors. Completed the following year, the Dream Suite follows Redmond’s designs fairly closely, and sits atop the Pirates of the Caribbean, with lovely balconies overlooking the Rivers of America and offering a prime view of Fantasmic!, complete with piped-in sound from the show.Lucky visitors enter the two-bedroom, two-bath suite from the grand staircases in front or a discreet elevator (accessed with a special pass) tucked beside the line for Pirates of the Caribbean. The lovely foyer from the elevator gives a hint of the Victorian-style splendor inside, with porcelain birds inelaborate cages, exquisite inlaid marble floor tiles, and views of a private enclosed courtyard with a lovely fountain.

The two bedrooms are themed and gorgeous; the Adventureland master suite features a lovely canopied bed, fanciful wrought-iron bedside lamps, and a magnificent Tiffany-style overhead lamp. Press the Goodnight Kiss button on the wall, and the lovely lagoon painting over the headboard comes to life with mermaids lounging on rocks and a pirate ship sailing past the moon, while moody music from The Jungle Book plays softly.

The lavish en suite bathroom must be seen to be believed. A beautiful stained-glass window sits beside the fancy whirlpool tub, and the tub nook’s ceiling and walls are lined with gorgeous cerulean-blue tiles. Press a hidden button before climbing into the tub and you get 30 minutes of soft classical music, while hidden lights in the deep-blue tiles twinkle. A walk-in closet large enough to be called an actual dressing room is attached to the master bathroom.