A Visit to 21 Royal, The Disneyland Dream Suite
Nearly every Disney fan has a bucket list of things they want to do while visiting the Disney Parks. Some lists include dining at Club 33, looking out the window through Walt’s Apartment, riding the Disneyland Railroad tender seat, spending a night in Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World, or even visiting 21 Royal in New Orleans Square at Disneyland.
On July 19, 2019, I had the privilege of visiting 21 Royal, formerly called the Disneyland Dream Suite as a Cast Member of the Resort. This item was at the top of my bucket list (right next to Club 33!) and I feel so blessed to be able to have visited it.
Disclaimer: I won’t share too many “backstage” secrets and surprises. I’ll only share my own experiences and thoughts on my visit (and a few fun facts). Personal photos were not permitted, so online photos from external sources will be shared when possible. All external photos are properly cited and credited. Please alert me of any mistakes.
Also: major spoiler alert for those who want to experience this tour and all its gems on their own someday!
Cover photo: (c) Our Magical Disney Moments
History of the Suite
Let’s begin with a bit of history. The Disneyland Dream Suite is a fully built and operational apartment above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in New Orleans Square. It was built with the intention of Walt Disney using the space to host VIP guests and his family members. His apartment above the firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A. was simply too small for large gatherings, and he needed more space. The Royal Suite, as it was first called, was designed by Walt’s wife, Lillian Disney, who also designed Walt’s apartment above the firehouse and Club 33.
After Walt’s death in 1966, construction of the suite was abandoned, as were other productions and projects at the time. Then, in 1987, Walt Disney Imagineering decided to finish construction and utilize the space as a place to hold artwork and concept art for Disneyland Park, titled The Disney Gallery.
In 2007, it was announced that the space would be utilized as the Disneyland Dream Suite, the fully-realized apartment that Walt envisioned. The suite, with each room carefully designed and modeled after the original concept art, was randomly given away to visiting guests of Disneyland during the Year of a Million Dreams Celebration. As my tour guide explained to my group, the team in charge of randomly giving prizes to guests had the algorithm down to a science, where one person or family had to be standing at a very random spot at a particular fleeting moment in time to win a night at the Dream Suite. If you happened to round a corner and were walking along a random path in the park, perhaps the algorithm chose you and your family to stay in the Suite. It sounds like such an incredible and fun team to have been a part of.
Today, guests cannot spend the night inside the suite. The suite, now named 21 Royal, is reserved for backstage videos and promotions as well as VIP guests and celebrities. Guests can, however, reserve the space for a dinner experience with 11 of their closest friends and a price tag of $15,000. BRB, gathering 11 of my closest friends (and saving up my next few paychecks) to wine and dine at Disneyland. Here’s a post about someone’s experience at the 21 Royal dinner experience (read it after you read my entire blog post, though).
The Tour
After entering through a door backstage, we arrived at the Legacy Hall. I, unfortunately, don’t remember too much background information about this hallway. I know it had concept art of the suite all along the hallway walls. What I mainly remember is a dark hallway, with everyone crowding to the center and front, trying to get an early glimpse of what the suite had to offer. The darkness fueled the adrenaline, anticipation, and curiosity that were all mixed up within me. I don’t remember this hallway ever being lit up, I think to save energy and preserve the room. We soon walked into the first room— the master bedroom.
First Bedroom
I remember this room giving me major Cinderella vibes, but as our tour guide explained, it’s actually modeled after Peter Pan. Yes yes, I see it now. The tulle accents on the bed posts; the intricate flower design on the carpet; and the soft green, blue, and beige colors all give this room a sensation of romance and wonder.
The final touch of this room, the piece that reminds you you’re inside Disneyland, is the Kiss Goodnight. A Kiss Goodnight is a small detail that is given to many firework shows and entertainment at the Disney parks. Like a kiss goodnight would encourage a child to go to sleep after a long day, a Kiss Goodnight from Disney would be a final display of lights, music, and fireworks after a show that sort of says, “Thanks for visiting, now rest up, and we’ll see ya real soon!”
In 21 Royal, each room has its own unique Kiss Goodnight. Peter Pan’s room has one that lowers the room lights, raises colorful lights in the paintings and ceiling, and plays soft music. I remember fireworks and mermaids appearing in the painting behind the bed, too. So magical, lighthearted, and fun.
Peter Pan’s Room | (c) Loren Javier on Flickr
I chose this image of the bedroom because I stood at this exact spot and marveled at the room from this point of view. It felt fitting to show y’all the same angle and view.
Bathroom
Next, we walked into the adjacent bathroom. But as we all know by now, this is no ordinary bathroom. You may have seen photos of this room already because of how incredibly beautiful and ornately decorated it is. From the detailed furniture pieces to the bright blue mosaic above the bathtub, this bathroom was the clear star of the tour.
I remember walking through to the closet, which was left of the bathtub, and thinking of how lovely it was. I also remember the space being very small and confined, which obviously could have been because there were about a dozen of us trying to view this tiny bathroom at once. We all rotated to kindly let others see, but the closet opening and closet itself were very small nonetheless. But if I were ever given the chance to stay there for the night, I’m sure my clothes would fit in the closet just nicely ;).
The Kiss Goodnight in this room was the dimming of the lights and the twinkling and sparkling of the lights right above the bathtub. The lights were created to look like bright stars in the night sky. There’s even a hidden Mickey visible in the stars!
Dream Suite Bathroom Lights | (c) Disney Parks Blog
Oh, to be submerged in this dimly lit, spa-like bathtub with the twinkling lights shining down on me as I luxuriously bathe myself in opulence and comfort.
Living Room
We next walked over to the living room. Like the previous rooms, the living room is beautifully decorated, adorned with intricate Victorian-era furniture with pops of blue on the couch, carpet, and curtains. This room radiated elegance, grace, and class. It also reminded me of the 60th anniversary celebration at Disneyland, since they both used bold blue colors in their theming.
On the left of the living room were two sets of patio doors that lead out into an outdoor courtyard. We didn’t spend too much time in the courtyard, but I imagine lots of laughter and joy are shared over glasses of wine or sparkling water on this patio.
To the business executives reading this: I love getting to know new friends and peers over a nice dinner with a classic view! If you find yourself in need of a +1 for the next gathering, you may find my contact information on my website.
21 Royal Patio | (c) Frank Wonho Lee via Eater
To the right of the living room was the balcony that you have probably passed by and always wondered what was up there if you’ve ever walked through New Orleans Square. The golden ironwork on the balcony spells out the initials of Walt Disney and his brother, Roy Disney. At Disneyland, it’s in the details.
I don’t remember if we were allowed to step outside onto the balcony, but I remember looking out through the window and thinking wow. Small, special moments such as these are why I love where I work. It is truly such a privilege to step into the Dream Suite and look out of the windows that thousands and thousands of guests look into each year at the resort. When looking out through the window, it felt surreal and magical. It’s almost unbelievable that you’re standing there and yet, here you are.
Outside View of Balcony | (c) Joe Flowers
The balcony, which famously overlooks the Pirates of the Caribbean queue and entrance, once hosted a surprise visit by Captain Jack Sparrow in 2017. I was working a shift in Disney California Adventure at this time, but a couple of my co-workers were able to see him. I was luckily sent some photos from my friend who saw him live and in action back in 2017. Special shout-out and thank you to Savannah who was kind enough to give me these clear shots!
Okay, let’s travel back to 2019…
While photos were prohibited on the tour, Disney kindly brought in a PhotoPass photographer so we could take pictures in front of the fireplace. This was it. THIS is why I dressed up in my cutest dress with a full makeup look. As soon as it was my turn, I rushed over and immediately posed.
The photographer had to be positioned at a very specific location in the room since we did not want their reflection to show up in the mirror in the back. Also, did you notice that the fire in the fireplace is fake? Every few moments we saw mini fireworks spark out of flame. Details.
Taking photos of every Cast Member on the tour took a short while, since everyone wanted a photo in front of the fireplace (and understandably so). After touring this room, we walked over to the next bedroom.
Children’s Bedroom
I cannot remember if the tour guide told us so, but this room seems like it was meant for Walt’s children: two twin-sized beds sat parallel to each other while a shelf around all four of the walls held up various books, models of boats, decorated plates, ceramic horses, and even a toy train. This bedroom was themed to Frontierland and all that Frontierland represented. The room was very red, brown, and warm; which only added to its sense and spirit of adventure.
I remember standing very close to the door because I knew this room would have a Kiss Goodnight and a button to activate it. I thought if I stood near the door, where the light switches and buttons were, I could be the one asked to click and activate the Kiss Goodnight. Unfortunately, I wasn’t asked to do so. The tour guide pressed the buttons herself. However, seeing the Kiss Goodnight soon turned my disappointment into awe and excitement: the lights lowered except the ones highlighting the shelf, and the model train that was sitting on the shelf started moving and zipping throughout the room. It was circumnavigating the room, highlighting and “activating” the model ship, figurines, and other toys on the shelf to move and shake in place. It was very cute and unexpected (yet somehow I had a feeling the train would move from the moment I stepped into the room).
Frontierland Themed Children’s Bedroom | (c) Entertainment Weekly
Dining Room
After exploring the children’s room, we walked into the dining room. Here, we were able to sit down and make ourselves comfortable. This is the room, our tour guide explained, that guests can reserve and dine in for a high price. Once seated here, we could ask any last-minute questions and take one last look at the suite. We were also handed these souvenir postcards:
The dining room was incredibly ornate and decorated. Blue, maroon, and gold were adorned in every square inch. This room, like the others, exuded class, sophistication, and elegance. I remember sitting down in the blue velvet seats (although my memory tells me they were a maroon color…) and gently tucking my legs underneath the table. I didn’t want to accidentally mess up the table set up or pull down on the tablecloth.
21 Royal Dining Room | (c) Mark Eades via OC Register
Once we were finished, we all started walking out of the room and back to the door which we entered from. I remember looking over to my right as I exited the dining room and seeing a brightly-lit hallway, with a couple of doors on the other end. Our tour guide told us that was an entryway into Club 33, the elite dinner club for high-paying and loyal members.
Someday, Adriana. Someday.
As for right now, we’ve just concluded our tour of 21 Royal, formerly the Disneyland Dream Suite! Yay!
To see a video of the tour, California Travel Tips has a great short video on YouTube!
HUGE thank you to the tour guides and Cast Members who made this tour possible! Thank you for sharing your facts and history, taking photos of us, and answering all of our questions. This tour was truly a dream come true!
Have you visited the Disneyland Dream Suite before? Dined at 21 Royal? What is on your Disney bucket list? Be sure to comment below and share with me!
Until next time, friends!
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