Disneyland Hotel Pool Through the Years

The Disneyland Hotel Pool Then & Now

The Disneyland Hotel has gone through several updates over the years, and so has its pool area.

Of all the resorts Disney owns and operates, The Disneyland Hotel will always be the most iconic. The hotel has gone through several renovations and changes over the years. Besides updating guest rooms, and creating unforgettable suite experiences, the hotel has offered guests unforgettable aquatic experiences.

The Marina

One experience I missed out on being a part of Generation X was the Disneyland Hotel Marina. I was shocked to discover that before the 2000s a marina sat in the middle of the Disneyland Hotel. Guests could actually get in small boats and tour the waterway. Restaurants lined the marina, giving guests the option to dine by the water. The Marina Tower offered guests a bay view. The tower was later renamed as the Fantasy Tower.

Olympic Swimming Pool

From 1956 until 1999, guests could escape the Southern California heat by taking a dip in the Olympic sized swimming pool. The pool was located on the other side of what is now the Adventure Tower. When Disney made plans to create Downtown Disney, everything north of first tower (Adventure Tower) would be demolished to make way. That also meant the removal of the Olympic sized pool, creating a need for a new pool area. The grass area that separates the hotel from Downtown Disney is where the former pool was located.

The Never Land Pool

What the Disneyland Hotel lacked was a distinct “Disney” experience, so the Neverland Pool was created and opened in July 2^nd, 1999. For 12 glorious years, guests could swim around Hook’s ship, hit the hot tub with Tinkerbell, and slide around Skull Island. The pool featured a replica of Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship, the Tick-Tock Crocodile, Mermaid Lagoon, Tinker Bell themed Jacuzzi, Skull Rock, and a 100 foot long water slide. The pool was officially closed in 2011 when the walls went up for the new E-ticket pool.

E-Ticket Pool

In 2009, Disney reimaged the hotel once more with a new theme. The theme this time around would be “a nostalgic, family destination that pays tribute to the early days of Disneyland,” according to Yesterland.com. E-ticket attractions were considered the best attractions in the park. The new pool area would include monorail themed waterslides, which makes sense since the monorail was one of the first E-ticket attractions. The new pool area features the main E-Ticket pool, the D-Ticket pool, and two waterslides.

Want to see what the Disneyland pool area looks like today? Watch the video below

Which was your favorite Disneyland Hotel pool and why? Let us know in the comment section below.