If Disneyland is the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’, then it stands to reason that Disneyland Hotel is the happiest hotel in the world. Try telling Mickey and Minnie otherwise.

Within minutes of arriving at the famed Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California, you’re likely to be swamped by what this hotel does best: smiles. From obliging parking attendants to engaging front desk staff, it is like everybody here has taken a shot of happy gas.

But far from being overwhelming, the joviality is infectious. Walking around the hotel, you’d be hard pressed to find a single person, neither staff nor guest, who isn’t grinning from (mouse) ear-to-ear. And why wouldn’t they be happy?

Disneyland Hotel has just undergone a massive transformation. As well as offering 973 newly refurbished guest rooms, the property has opened the ‘Tangaroa Terrace’ restaurant, ‘Trader Sam’s’ tiki bar, new pools and a water playground, complete with towering slides.

Moreover, each of the re-imagined hotel’s wings now pay tribute to a bygone era, with the Fantasy Tower lobby boasting a Mary Blair-inspired ‘It’s a small world’ theme, the Frontier Tower displaying a scale model of ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’ and the Adventure Tower incorporating into its design a slew of characters from the Disney classic, ‘Jungle Cruise’. With the exterior of all three towers featuring energy efficient, sky-blue reflective glass, the hotel clearly has more than one eye on the future as well.

Decked out in navy blues and dark timber, the hotel’s guest rooms have been tastefully redesigned in a sophisticated, yet unpretentious style. The combination of subtle, and not so subtle, Mickey Mouse touches is charming. But the real highlight of the room is the Sleeping Beauty Castle headboard, which lights up and sings at the flick of a switch. With numerous kid-friendly television stations on offer (including of course the Disney Channel), it’s like the hotel rooms take care of the children themselves.

For those looking to immerse themselves even further into the Disney realm, Disneyland Hotel also offers five ‘Signature’ suites with special themes and décor: the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse, Fairy Tale Suite, Big Thunder Suite, and Adventureland Suite.

With so much to do at Disneyland Hotel itself, you could be forgiven for forgetting the world’s most famous theme park was just a short stroll away. But even closer is the Downtown Disney District, a promenade featuring great shopping, fabulous eateries and live entertainment. From the ESPN Zone Sports Arena to the House of Blues Stage, the AMC Theatre complex to RIDEMAKERZ (where you build your own radio control cars) Downtown Disney truly is fun for the whole family.

Walt Disney once said that Disneyland would never be completed, that it would continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. Well consider this then the latest, and greatest, chapter of the storied Disneyland Hotel.

All images courtesy of Disneyland Hotel.