Disneyland Hotel & Balcony Alcove Room

On day three, we chose Disneyland Hotel again. This time, we'd managed to book a Balcony room before they sold out. That was the part I was happiest about.

Our room was a Concierge Balcony Alcove Room (Park Grand View), near the middle of the hotel on the side facing Disneyland. Looking out from the balcony, we were almost directly in line with the castle inside the park.

The children loved being able to open the door and stand out on the balcony, taking it all in. In both the Character Room and Standard Room we'd stayed in the year before, the windows only opened a little.

For me, the difference became clear the moment I stepped outside. The park was right in front of us, and being out in the fresh air made it feel that much closer. Just having that balcony made a familiar room feel different from our last stay.

H2 Journey

The overall decor was still similar to a Standard room rather than a Character Room, with Disney pictures and patterns on the headboards and walls. The door opening onto the balcony made the room feel more airy too.

I took photos from several angles to share, including the alcove, the space at the foot of the beds and the entry passage. This time, there was also a humidifier and a shoe dryer in the storage area.

There were plenty of details in the room to photograph, but every time I looked back at the balcony door, I thought: this was exactly what I'd hoped for when we came back to Disneyland Hotel this year.

Marceline Salon and our Concierge room benefits

Our Concierge room came with two main extras when we stayed. Breakfast was included, and we could choose to eat in the restaurant or have it brought to our room.

The other was access to Marceline Salon, the hotel lounge. We could check in and out there, and there were snacks and drinks while it was open.

H2 Journey

It was quite spacious inside, with several different seating areas. The wood tones and lighting made it feel relaxed, a comfortable place to stop for a rest during the day.

During our visit, the lounge was open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Snacks and drinks were available throughout those hours, with cocktails and other alcoholic drinks added from 5 p.m.

There was a TV area for the children while we waited, too. Of course, our daughters weren't going to miss that. We let our family's no-screen rule bend a little this time.

In the evening, there was another selection of snacks and drinks. It was another part of our Concierge stay that we got to enjoy.

Two little princesses, one year older

Our day with the children had started back at MiraCosta Hotel that morning. We had our tickets ready for a day at Disneyland, before heading to our next hotel that night.

Our eldest had loved her princess makeover the year before, so we went back to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We booked the makeover service for her and brought our own dress, as the package including a dress was quite pricey.

Our youngest was getting more interested in it all, but she still wasn't old enough for a makeover. We brought her a Snow White dress instead, so both girls could walk around as princesses. Her big sister was also wearing a dress we'd brought from home.

Our youngest had been so small on the first trip. This time, she was joining in with more of what was going on, while her sister still loved many of the same things. We were back in the same place, watching the children experience it at a different age.

We revisited some rides too, including Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, which was still on our family’s list. Walking past the castle this year, I had to take photos again, just as before.

When we passed, the wait-time sign already showed 140 minutes. Coming back this year, Beauty and the Beast was still one of the rides we’d made a point of doing again.

Castle lights, Winnie the Pooh and Groot

As evening fell, we spent some time in front of Cinderella Castle. The lighting around it was so different from the daytime. Standing there, I could feel our day in the park drawing to a close.

The light show we watched that night was called Reach for the Stars, with images projected onto the castle alongside lights and music. It had started after our first-year trip, so this was another new thing to see on our return.

The disappointing part was that the parade was canceled because of strong winds again. We'd only just missed Believe! Sea of Dreams at DisneySea the night before, and now another cancellation. The wind really did keep us from seeing all the shows we'd hoped for on this trip.

Among the rides we added this time was Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. After returning to a favorite story with Beauty and the Beast, we took the children into Winnie the Pooh’s world too.

Another clear difference from our previous visit was Small World. When we went, it was the it’s a small world with Groot version, with Groot and other Marvel characters added to the scenes.

This time, we rode through the colorful scenes while looking out for the characters added along the way. This version ran from January 15 to June 30, 2025, so we had something different to enjoy from our previous visit.

The next morning, our second Disney trip was nearly over. We'd started at Fantasy Springs Hotel, moved on to MiraCosta, and finished at Disneyland Hotel in the Balcony room I'd been so determined to book.

The same view from the balcony felt different again in the morning light. We could see the Monorail passing through the station, and looking a little farther down, people beginning to gather below.

This trip had rides the children asked to repeat, new things to try, two little princesses, and shows we'd have to come back for another time. As for the balcony room we'd managed to book, it became one of the best parts of this return visit for me.

I'll finish with a photo from our walk out of Tokyo Disney Resort on February 14. Bye-bye, Disney. We'll see you again.