Hi there, Mike! Thanks so much for bringing this great planning question to planDisney. Staying at
Pixar Place Hotel is such a fun choice, and I love that you are thinking ahead about park entrances and how to make the most of your mornings.
Here is how it works. If your park reservation for the day is
Disney California Adventure Park and you also have a Park Hopper ticket, you may enter through the Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa entrance into Disney California Adventure. However, you would not be able to use that entrance as a shortcut to reach Disneyland Park until park hopping begins at 11:00 a.m. Before that time, you are only able to enjoy California Adventure.
If your starting park reservation is for
Disneyland Park, you would not be able to enter Disney California Adventure in the morning at all, which means the Grand Californian entrance would not be available to you.
Mike, I actually love starting my day in Disney California Adventure when I can. The mornings feel a little calmer, which makes it the perfect time to head straight to one of my favorite attractions, the Incredicoaster, before the lines build. On slower mornings, I enjoy wandering along
Buena Vista Street, browsing the shops, listening to the music, and soaking in that early park atmosphere before hopping later in the day.
Once 11:00 a.m. arrives, you are free to park hop and make your way over to Disneyland Park using the Disneyland Esplanade between the parks. (Fun tip, check out the personalized tiles from guests throughout the years on the ground between the parks! I love finding mine each time we go!)
One other tip while staying at Pixar Place is to give yourself a little extra time to enjoy the hotel itself. The
rooftop pool area is a great way to end the day or take a mid-day break, and I always recommend taking a few minutes to explore the Pixar animation artwork throughout the hotel. On my last stay, we ran into Bing Bong near the big Pixar Ball, which was such a fun and unexpected way to kick off our morning before heading to the parks.
It is a bit of a timing puzzle, but with the right starting park and a relaxed morning plan, it can turn into a really enjoyable start to your day. Mike, I hope this helps as you finalize your plans, and please feel free to stop back if more questions come up.
Many magical memories to you!
Kimberly