Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel Review: What We Loved and What We Didn’t!

The image shows the exterior courtyard area of Disney Hotel Santa Fe at Disneyland Paris on a warm, sunny day. Several low-rise hotel buildings painted in shades of terracotta, burnt orange and sandy yellow surround a landscaped desert-style garden inspired by the American Southwest. The foreground is filled with pale gravel, large natural rocks, succulents and drought-tolerant plants arranged in winding patterns that resemble a desert landscape. Tall green trees frame the scene on both sides, adding shade and contrast against the warm-coloured buildings. Small pathways weave through the courtyard, leading toward hotel entrances and seating areas. The sky above is bright blue with thin wisps of cloud, while soft afternoon sunlight casts long shadows across the rocks and pathways, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere around the hotel grounds.

If you’re planning a magical trip to Disneyland Paris then choosing the right accommodation is key to making the most out of your trip.

Getting the balance of good value without breaking the bank can be tricky, especially when there are so many onsite and offsite hotel options. 

To help you decide where to stay during your visit we’ve written this Disneyland Paris Santa Fe hotel review to share our experience of staying at the Santa Fe hotel.   

The Santa Fe hotel is a good option that’s close enough to the park to walk, has a cool theme, and the rooms are clean and comfortable. 

The main issue I have with the hotel is that there aren’t really any amenities for kids, whereas other hotels have outdoor play equipment, pools and even pony rides, Santa Fe provides none of this. 

It’s a good value hotel if you’re on a really strict budget or have a Cars mad child, but for the minimal additional cost I’d pick hotel Cheyenne over Santa Fe. 

What’s in this post? 

In this post we review the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe hotel so that you can decide if this is the right hotel option for your stay at Disneyland Paris. 

In this review we’ll dive into the theme, amenities, food, where to book, how to get to the park from the hotel, and review the rooms to give you a full overview of what you can expect from this Cars inspired town. 

Table Of Contents
  1. What’s in this post? 
  2. Overview of the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel
  3. How to book Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe? 
  4. Check In at Hotel Santa Fe
  5. Getting to the park from Hotel Santa Fe
  6. Theme & Appearance at Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe
  7. What are the rooms like at Hotel Santa Fe
  8. What are the amenities at the Santa Fe Hotel? 
  9. Character Meet and Greets
  10. Eating and Drinking at Hotel Santa Fe
  11. Final thoughts of the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel
  12. Read these next …

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The image shows one of the exterior hotel buildings at Disney Hotel Santa Fe in Disneyland Paris. The multi-storey structure is painted in warm desert-inspired colours, blending shades of terracotta orange, deep rust red and sandy yellow. Rows of square windows with dark frames line the building, while decorative silhouettes of cacti, road signs and desert motifs run along the roofline, reflecting the Route 66 and Disney Pixar Cars theme of the hotel. The entrance area is visible at ground level with glass doors and a small paved pathway leading inside. A neatly trimmed hedge sits beside the building, while sunlight casts warm highlights and shadows across the textured walls. Above, large white clouds drift across a blue sky, giving the scene a bright and welcoming feel that matches the relaxed desert motel aesthetic throughout the hotel.

Overview of the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel

Hotel Santa Fe is one of the on-site hotels at Disneyland Paris and is the most basic and generally the cheapest on-site hotel that still offers easy access to Disneyland Paris 

Hotel Santa Fe is a great option if you want to visit Disneyland Paris on a budget but want to stay close to the parks and keep all of the standard benefits that come with staying at a Disney hotel. 

Staying at a Disney hotel offers benefits such as free unlimited Wi-FiI, access Early Magic Hour, a Zen Guarantee and the hotel exclusive character meets. 

If you have some knowledge of the other Disneyland Paris hotels, Hotel Santa Fe is ranked just below Hotel Cheyenne and Sequoia Lodge in terms of quality and price. Newport Bay, Hotel New York and the Disneyland Hotel are all more luxurious and higher cost hotels. 

How to book Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe? 

The best, and often cheapest way to book your stay is directly on the Disneyland Paris website. Opt for the hotel and tickets package so that you know you have tickets dated for your planned travel dates. 

You can book a package that includes your transport on the Disney website, whether that be the Eurostar to Paris, flying to Charles De Gaulle or ferry from Folkestone to Calais. 

The packages with transport aren’t always worth it though as it can work out more expensive than booking your transport separately so shop around. 

Check In at Hotel Santa Fe

Before you travel make sure to log into the Disneyland Paris app to complete the virtual check in, this will save you time when you arrive and make the check in process on site pretty painless.

When you arrive head to the main reception to complete any final bits and pick up your magic passes. Rooms normally aren’t ready until closer to 3pm but there is a baggage storage area next to reception to drop your luggage off and you can access the parks immediately once checked in. 

Disney makes check in that little bit easier for parents as next to the check in desk there’s a TV area for kids with Mickey’s friends takes place. 

The image shows a quiet pedestrian pathway surrounded by dense greenery and mature trees on a bright summer day. A smooth reddish walking path stretches through the centre of the scene, gently curving into the distance as it disappears into the landscaped surroundings. On the right side, a dark green metal railing runs alongside the path, partially covered by tall grasses and leafy plants. To the left, woodchip-covered ground sits beneath shrubs and trees with branches extending overhead, creating patches of shade along the walkway. In the distance, an adult walks hand in hand with two children, adding a sense of scale and calm family atmosphere to the image. Sunlight filters through the trees, illuminating the foliage in shades of green while a soft blue sky with scattered clouds is visible through the canopy above.

Getting to the park from Hotel Santa Fe

There are two ways to get to the Disney parks from the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel – you can walk or jump on the free shuttle. 

Walking from the Santa Fe Hotel takes around 20 – 25 minutes and is an easy walk that is well lit and signposted (not that it needs to be, it’s a straight path between Santa Fe and the lake at the top of the Disney Village). 

The path is flat with no steps but if you have a physical disability or pushchair you may find it easier to cross the bridge and walk along the wider path from Hotel Cheyenne to the Hotel New York. 

The free shuttle bus runs regularly throughout the day from a bus stop just along from the Hotel Santa Fe reception to the bus station outside the Marne La Vallee train station, from here you can see the park and it’s a 2 minute walk at most. 

The only time you may struggle with the shuttle bus is during the peak times like first thing in the morning, when the parks close or after the fireworks. Everyone is travelling at the same time so there are a lot of people trying to squeeze onto the bus at the same time. 

Once the last one leaves your only option would be a taxi or walking back to the hotel, it’s worth considering if it’s easier to make the 20 – 25 minute walk straight away rather than waiting in a queue for the bus only to not be able to get on! 

Theme & Appearance at Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe

The Santa Fe hotel at Disneyland Paris is in the Cars theme and set around the idea of route 66 with an American south west style.

You can find the Cars theme throughout the hotel and the rooms from the cone shaped light fixings to the bedding, and the racing stripes in the bathroom. 

What are the rooms like at Hotel Santa Fe

The rooms at Santa Fe hotel are a good size with the Cars theme threaded throughout. They’re cleaned daily and we’ve never checked into one of their rooms that is anything other than spotless. 

They’re a reasonable size with enough room to comfortably fit a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. If you’re travelling as 4 adults then one room may be a bit uncomfortable. 

The bathroom is a good size with a bath and overhead shower. Towels are provided as standard as well as some themed toiletries. 

While clean and comfortable the rooms are quite dated when compared with other Disney hotels. 

The amenities in the room are pretty basic. There are no fridges in the rooms at the Santa Fe hotel, however if you need one for medical reasons then you can request one with the concierge ahead of your stay. There aren’t any tea and coffee making facilities either but there is a hairdryer and a TV with some Disney and international channels.

The image shows a family hotel room at Disney Hotel Santa Fe decorated with a Disney Pixar Cars-inspired theme. Two double beds with wooden headboards stand side by side against warm orange walls, each topped with white bedding and colourful runners featuring Cars characters and Route 66 designs. Matching traffic-cone-shaped lamps sit on shelves above the beds, adding playful themed details to the room. A ceiling fan hangs centrally above, while patterned wallpaper borders the upper walls with road signs and motel-inspired graphics. On the right side of the room, a large window lets in natural daylight through striped curtains, brightening the cosy interior. A dresser with another themed lamp sits beneath the window, and the carpet is a warm rust-red colour that complements the desert-inspired palette used throughout the hotel room.

What are the amenities at the Santa Fe Hotel? 

Aside from the restaurants and cafes on site they also have a shop if you forget any essentials or want to pick up a Disney souvenir. 

There’s no laundromat at this hotel, but you are opposite Hotel Cheyenne and the Laundromat there is close to the river entrance so you could always walk over and use this one – you’ll just need to remember some change.

There’s a small kids area in the main restaurant La Cantina but there’s no outdoor play area or pool like you can find at other Disney hotels. 

Character Meet and Greets

At hotel Santa Fe you can meet the Mickey friends character, including Goofy and Pluto. You can meet them daily, usually first thing in the morning in the hotel reception. 

This is a major benefit of staying at an on-site hotel as the queue is much smaller than if you were to try and meet them in the park. 

Eating and Drinking at Hotel Santa Fe

In terms of food and drink at the Santa Fe hotel you have three options.

  1. The La Cantina is the main restaurant at the hotel and offers a buffet breakfast, lunch or dinner. 
  2. For a more relaxed experience head to the Rio Grande Bar to snack on sandwiches, crisps, nachos or a range of desserts, alongside a wide choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. 
  3. If you’re on the move then the onsite Starbucks serves sandwiches, snacks, cakes and coffee. 

We’ve eaten at La Cantina and it was a good meal with reasonable quality and a varied selection, however it just wasn’t worth the cost. In general the buffet restaurants at Disneyland Paris aren’t worth what you pay for them which is why we normally avoid them when we visit Disneyland Paris on a budget.

The image shows a landscaped outdoor area at Disney Hotel Santa Fe in Disneyland Paris, designed to resemble the desert scenery of the American Southwest. In the foreground, pale gravel and rocky pathways are scattered with large reddish-brown boulders, small shrubs and desert-style plants including yucca and succulents. Beyond the garden, low-rise hotel buildings painted in warm shades of orange, terracotta and pale yellow stretch across the background. The flat rooftops feature decorative silhouettes of cacti and desert motifs along the edges, reinforcing the Route 66 and Cars-inspired theme of the hotel. Tall trees and shrubs soften the edges of the buildings while bright sunlight illuminates the scene. A pale blue sky with thin clouds hangs overhead, creating a warm, dry atmosphere that resembles a desert resort despite being located in Disneyland Paris.

Final thoughts of the Disneyland Paris Santa Fe Hotel

Hotel Santa Fe is a good value budget hotel at Disneyland Paris that allows you to walk to the park in 25 minutes or jump on the free shuttle to the park. 

The Cars theme and character meet and greets make it an ideal hotel for young children. However, it’s lacking some of the amenities other Disney hotels I have and the price reflects this. 

Don’t forget to check in on the Disneyland Paris app before you travel to save time when you arrive. 

Overall, Hotel Santa Fe is a great budget option for your Disneyland Paris stay that still provides tons of value. While it’s more expensive than off-site hotels the benefits of being onsite outweigh the additional cost. 

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