Credit: DisneyHundreds of Disney resort guests were forced to evacuate the Disneyland Hotel last night.
Located beside Downtown Disney, the hotel offers guests a dedicated pedestrian route to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. Its placement keeps visitors within the resort footprint without sitting directly at the park entrances, a factor that has long contributed to its popularity.
The property recently underwent a multi-year refurbishment that updated guest rooms and common areas and introduced new Disney Vacation Club villas. The redesign emphasized mid-century modern styling, subtle Disneyland references, and upgraded in-room technology, reinforcing the hotel’s position as a premium offering.
Amenities include multiple pools with the Monorail Waterslides, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, and several dining locations. Early Entry access to both theme parks has historically been a key incentive for guests, helping sustain demand despite high nightly rates.
That perk is set to change on January 5, 2026. Disneyland Resort will eliminate the daily 30-minute Early Entry benefit, replacing it with a single Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection per guest, per stay, at Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Pixar Place Hotel.
Despite these changes, Disneyland Hotel remains a flagship resort option. Still, last night’s evacuation underscored that operational disruptions can occur even at Disney’s most established properties.
Guests Evacuated From Disneyland Hotel
As per those staying at Disneyland Hotel (via Reddit), the resort experienced issues with its sprinkler system yesterday (December 31) that forced some guests to leave the property.
Sprinklers on some floors allegedly malfunctioned, flooding certain areas.
Apparently, Disneyland Hotel has experienced other issues with its plumbing in recent weeks. One guest who stayed at the hotel between December 26 and December 28 wrote, “Came back 27th night and security informed me there were water pipe issues and all ice machines down except on 7th floor. Looks like they have been having lots of issues and hotel showing its age again and with such high room rates.”
In an update, the guest who reported yesterday’s evacuation also noted that acapella performers were brought in to entertain those temporarily barred from their rooms.
Much like non-Disney hotels, evacuations occur frequently enough on Disney property that they are difficult to characterize as rare.
In 2025, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa was evacuated on Valentine’s Day. In this case, it was seemingly a false alarm, with those on the scene claiming on Reddit that guests were forced to only briefly wait outside the hotel until firefighters spoke to someone – presumably a cast member – on the scene and swiftly departed.
A few months prior, the same hotel was evacuated in the early hours of the morning. Again, this incident ended up being a false alarm.
Over at Walt Disney World Resort, guests staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort were evacuated due to fire alarms in December. A similar instance occurred at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge in October.
Beyond hotels, evacuations are also somewhat commonplace within the parks themselves. You’re not a true Disney parkgoer until you’ve been escorted off at least one attraction, with some shows also sporadically evacuated to ensure the health and safety of both guests and performers.
For example, earlier this week, guests were ushered from the amphitheater hosting Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after a cast member placed himself in front of a rogue 400-pound rubber boulder. Having broken free of its tracks, the prop was rolling towards the audience until the employee – who has reportedly since received stitches and is recovering – heroically blocked its path.
Have you ever been evacuated from your Disney hotel?