This morning at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, the resort hosted the Grand Opening Ceremony for its newest hotel: the Pixar Place Hotel, which is newly remodeled and rethemed from the former Paradise Pier Hotel (among various other previous names).
Fortunately for us, Laughing Place cofounder Rebekah Moseley had the wonderful opportunity to be on-hand for Pixar Place Hotel’s Grand Opening Ceremony, which featured appearances by Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock, Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, and– for the first time ever– Bing Bong! But first, that world-famous fashion designer Edna Mode got things started with her co-stars from The Incredibles.
Edna Mode / The Incredibles pre-show at Pixar Place Hotel Grand Opening Ceremony – Disneyland Resort:
Watch Pixar Place Hotel Grand Opening Ceremony with Pete Docter and Bing Bong – January 30, 2024:
Disneyland Resort Ambassador Jada Young hosted the ceremony, which she kicked off by thanking Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater for making it there “all the way from Radiator Springs.” Then she continued by saying, “We are thrilled to be celebrating our love for all things Pixar, and we are so honored and excited to have you all here today.” Then Ken Potrock took the stage, saying “I wanted to welcome all of you that are here today to help us mark an incredible milestone that has been years in the making– the first completely dedicated Pixar-themed hotel here in the United States. I [also want to] make sure that I’m thanking all the people that put enormous hard work, creativity, perseverance, and commitment into this project.” Potrock then specifically called out three different groups: Walt Disney Imagineering, Pixar Animation Studios, and the Cast Members of the Disneyland Resort, but especially those working at the Pixar Place Hotel: “They are extraordinary. They are so excited. They are true storytellers in their own right, taking our guests through all of the wonderful things that are happening in this hotel.”
Then it was time for Pete Docter to come out and say a few words. “It’s amazing being here,” he began. “I was lucky enough to start at Pixar in 1990, when we were working on the very first Toy Story, and I can tell you 27 films later, we would never have dreamed that someday there would be a hotel dedicated to the artwork of Pixar. It’s crazy. It’s really great. And for those of you who are into the creative process, I think you’ll be really happy. This hotel really celebrates that– you get to see rough drawings, animation sketches– it kinda feels like you’re walking into Pixar, in a way, when you step in here.” Doctor also recognized the creative collaboration between the Pixar team and Walt Disney Imagineering: “It really was a wonderful effort, and we’re so happy with how it turned out.” Lastly, Doctor welcomed out a collection of Pixar characters– including Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, Carl Fredricksen and Russell from Up, Miguel from Coco, and Joy and Bing Bong from Inside Out.
Pixar Place Hotel is now open at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Be sure to visit the official Disneyland Resort website for additional information.