Hotel Review: Disney’s Sequoia Lodge

I recently visited Disneyland Paris for a mere day-and-a-half to experience the resorts’ 25th Anniversary celebrations. Today I’d like to share my review of staying at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge – one of the seven on-site hotels.

Themed to reflect a lodge you’ll find within some of America’s National Parks; Disney’s Sequoia Lodge is a 3-key Disney hotel situated on the shores of Lake Disney; which is about a 15-minute walk through Disney Village from both the Disney theme parks.

The hotel itself comprises of seven buildings; a main lodge housing the reception, bar, restaurants, shop and some guest rooms, and six smaller lodges housing rooms and the swimming pool/fitness centre.

Guest Rooms
Guest rooms reflect the American Crafts era from the 19th Century and as a minimum feature two double beds. I stayed in a Standard Room located in one of the lodges, however you can book a “Montana Room” which is located within the main building so you are closer to all the facilities. There is also the Golden Forest Club. This could be described as an executive-level rooms which feature additional amenities including access to a club lounge which offers complimentary drinks and snacks.

As standard all rooms feature two double beds, air conditioning, a television with Disney and international channels, a full bathroom, hairdryer and ample storage space with an in-room safe. The air conditioning is pretty powerful which was welcome considering I visited the resort in the midst of a heatwave.

Don’t you just love the rustic décor and little woodland creatures? I could spot Bambi, Thumper and Flower to name a few.

Food + Drink
The Redwood Bar and Lounge probably ranks amongst one of my favourite bars within the hotels at Disneyland Paris. Built around a stone fireplace, it is the perfect place to enjoy a drink beside the roaring fire at night. During the day a lot of guests are visiting the theme-parks, but the bar is open so you can enjoy a coffee or a refreshing drink.

Hunter’s Grill and Beaver Creek Tavern are the two buffet-style  restaurants located on the lower ground floor of the hotel. Open for breakfast and dinner, you can enjoy a variety of American and International dishes in rustic surroundings. Breakfast is no longer included with hotel stays at any Disney Hotel; however this can be added at a cost of £15 per person per night for Disney’s Sequoia Lodge. For children aged 3-11, it is £13. This applies to standard rooms only. For how I remember the breakfast buffet, you could never go hungry with plenty of food to choose from. The mini pastries happened to be one of my favourite treats. If you didn’t feel like enjoying breakfast at the hotel, certain restaurants within Disney Village and the theme-parks are also open for breakfast.

I did not dine at the hotel during my stay at Disney’s Sequoia Lodge. Instead, I dined at Walt’s – An American Restaurant inside Disneyland Park. (Review coming soon).

Recreation

I love that Disney’s Sequoia Lodge features an expansive indoor and outdoor pool area and fitness centre which is perfect for when you need time away from the theme parks. The indoor pool features a few water slides which are also quite fun. Additionally there are plenty of places to sit back and relax in Disney Village on your way to and from the parks. Not too far away from Disney’s Sequoia Lodge you will also find Golf Disneyland, the Val d’Europe shopping centre and the La Vallee outlet shopping village. These can be reached via a shuttle from the hotel, a short taxi-journey or by taking the RER into Val d’Europe.

Of course it is also very easy to reach Paris from Disney. You could either visit the city yourself by taking the RER or book on to an escorted sightseeing tour.

Why staying on-site at Disneyland Paris is best
Staying at a Disney resort hotel is more expensive than staying off-property, however you have the exclusive opportunity to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours. This allows you to enjoy up to two extra hours in Disneyland Park on certain days of the week. You’ll also receive a Disney Hotel Easy Pass; which allows you to easily charge purchases back to your folio – and the added ability to have packages delivered back to your hotel to save you carrying your shopping around the parks.

Final Thoughts

Disney’s Sequoia Lodge is a great family hotel which isn’t too far away from all the fun and excitement of the Disney theme parks. For me it offers the perfect balance of Disney and the ability to also relax in serene surroundings which really does make you feel you are in the middle of one of America’s National Parks. In terms of value for money, I’d give it a 3/5.