At a glance
Rated 2 stars, the Disney Hotel Santa Fe first opened its doors in April 1992, alongside Disneyland Paris itself. Its 1000 rooms fill boxy buildings painted ocher and terracotta, a nod to New Mexico’s architecture and the desert scenery of the American Southwest.
Since 2012, the hotel has carried the theme of the Disney-Pixar movie Cars. Up high, the facades show murals that light up at night with silhouettes of the movie’s heroes, and the screen towering over the entrance shows Lightning McQueen and Sally like an American drive-in. The rooms play on Route 66 and car culture: bedspreads in Lightning McQueen’s colors, traffic cone lamps, friezes of vintage license plates, a mirror topped with a light-up arrow, and a picture of Mater the tow truck.
The hotel has neither a swimming pool nor air conditioning in the rooms (just a ceiling fan). On the other hand, it offers several free activities for families: a kids’ play area, an arcade game room, and outdoor spaces dotted with things to discover, like a dormant volcano or a saguaro cactus under glass, which recall the history of New Mexico. For meals, there’s a single restaurant, La Cantina, serving breakfast and dinner as an all-you-can-eat Tex-Mex buffet, plus the Rio Grande Bar for drinks and a Starbucks Coffee near the front desk.
Some of the lowest prices of any Disney hotel, a Cars theme kids adore, and a daily meet and greet with a Disney character in racing or mechanic gear: for families on a small budget, the Santa Fe remains the ideal pick. Hotel guests also get Extra Magic Time to enter both parks before official opening.
The lowest price. This is the cheapest official place to stay at the resort, and you still keep the big perks, like early entry to the Disney parks. The decor pays tribute to Route 66 and the Pixar movie Cars. The free shuttle bus drops you off in front of the train stations after a ride of just eight minutes.
History
The Disney Hotel Santa Fe welcomed its first guests on April 12, 1992. Its architect, Antoine Predock, gave it pueblo-style buildings that bring New Mexico to mind, along with Route 66.
Starting in 2011, the hotel gradually took on the world of the movie Cars. The original sign, which showed Clint Eastwood, gave way to Lightning McQueen and Sally, and the facades were then fully refurbished in 2012 and 2013.
- Rooms
- 1000
- Floors
- 4
- Opened
- 1992
- Refurbishment
- 2013
Theme & world
Rooms & suites
The hotel has 2 room categories across 4 floors, from the Standard room to accessible standard layouts. You can book all of them as a room-only stay or with park tickets included.
The nightly price at the Hotel Santa Fe depends on the date: for the same room, the price can swing a lot from one period to the next. To see the real price day by day, open my price calendar and set up an alert so you get an email as soon as a stay drops below your budget.
Standard Room
2 double beds OR 1 double bed and 1 bunk bed
Accessible rooms
2 double beds OR 1 double bed and 1 bunk bed
- Accessible showers
- guide and assistance dogs welcome
Dining
At the Hotel Santa Fe, you’ll find 2 dining spots and 1 Starbucks.
Afternoon snack
Starbucks Coffee near the front desk, open all day for hot and cold drinks
Dinner
Unlimited Tex-Mex buffet at La Cantina, set in a large dining room decked out in immersive American decor
Restaurants included
Services & amenities
- Shuttle bus Free, to the parks
- Parking Hotel and resort parking
- Luggage storage Free, at the hotel entrance
- Extra Magic Time
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free parking
- Concierge desk open 24 hours a day
- Shopping Service
- Trading Post shop
- Starbucks Coffee
- Laundry room (extra charge)
- Arcade game room
- Kids’ play area
- Babysitting service
- Extra Magic Time included
- Ceiling fan (no air conditioning)
- Air conditioning Ceiling fan
The services catalog (PDF, in French)
The official document from the venue. Prices and services change regularly, so treat this brochure as an overview of what’s available on site. File size: 2.5 MB.
Disney perks
Get into both parks 1 hour before they open to the public, on select headline rides. Included.
You’re staying inside the resort. The parks are a shuttle ride or a walk away.
The vacation package includes unlimited 2-park tickets for your entire stay.
Purchases made in the park are delivered free to your hotel’s store. An exclusive Disney service.
Character meet and greets
Hotel guests can meet a Disney character once a day, every morning between 8:15 and 11:00, near the front desk. The character is picked at random from Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto, who show up dressed as race car drivers or mechanics to match the world of Cars.
Once a day, a Disney character picked at random greets guests in the lobby, and you’re welcome to come back on other days of your stay.
Who it’s made for
Pros and cons
The highlights
- The lowest prices of all the Disney hotels
- Cars decor that kids love
- A getaway feel inspired by Route 66 and New Mexico
- Quiet outdoor areas and a good room size
- Handy storage space under the bed
The downsides
- The walkable Disney hotel farthest from the park
- No swimming pool on site
- No air conditioning in the rooms (just a ceiling fan)
- Soundproofing in the rooms is sometimes lacking
- Limited 4G/5G coverage inside the buildings
My verdict
The Santa Fe is the least expensive official hotel at Disneyland Paris, ideal if all you’re after is a bed for the night. Its decor, inspired by Route 66 motels and the movie Cars, is a huge hit with kids even though the facilities are simple.
My one stay there was in 2026, when I wanted to see what the low-budget option is like. Don’t expect more than basic comfort. There’s no air conditioning in the rooms (a ceiling fan is all you get), and in my experience the walls let noise through on crowded nights. Still, getting Extra Magic Time at this price is a big plus over the outside partner hotels. La Cantina serves a decent Mexican-inspired buffet, which comes in handy after a long day.
Perfect for families with kids who love Lightning McQueen and are watching their spending. Skip it in the middle of summer if you don’t handle warm nights well without air conditioning.
Julie’s tip
Extra services
If you want to add a little something to your stay, the Hotel Santa Fe has a few add-on services.
For example, you can request flowers or champagne in your room, gifts from the hotel shop, a birthday cake, or a personalized message.
To use these services, you need to have a booking already and then get in touch with the hotel concierge.
Disneyland Paris may change the prices and services, and they also depend on availability.
To see every service on offer, feel free to download the services catalog.
Map & getting there
The Disney Hotel Santa Fe is past the Disney Village lake, across from the Hotel Cheyenne. It’s the walkable Disney hotel farthest from the park: plan on about 20 minutes on foot to the Disneyland Paris park entrances along Lake Disney, or 8 minutes on the free shuttle from the stop in front of Marne-la-Vallée - Chessy station.
- Check-in time
- 15:00
- Check-out time
- 11:00
- Concierge
- 24/7
Your questions about this hotel
01 Which Disney hotel is the cheapest?
The cheapest official Disney hotel is the Hotel Santa Fe, themed around Cars and Route 66. It’s the resort’s entry-level hotel, about a 20-minute walk from the parks. If your budget is even tighter, the Davy Crockett Ranch (cabins in the woods, reachable only by car) can work out cheaper for families, but you’ll need a vehicle. For exact prices, which change with the dates, I go straight to the official Disneyland Paris website.
02 Can you meet Disney characters right at your hotel?
Yes, several Disney hotels offer character meet and greets, usually in dedicated spots in the lobby. At the Disneyland Hotel, Castle Club rooms include a royal breakfast with Disney princesses in the private lounge. Other hotels host occasional character appearances, and the program changes with the season. I always check the schedule with the concierge as soon as I arrive.
03 Are there shuttles between the Disney hotels and the parks?
Yes, free shuttles serve most of the official Disney hotels. Some hotels are also within walking distance (Disneyland Hotel, Hotel New York, Newport Bay Club, Sequoia Lodge). The Davy Crockett Ranch has no shuttle, so you really need a car there (its guests get free parking at the parks). You’ll find the schedule at the hotel front desk or in the Disneyland Paris app.
04 Is breakfast included at Disney hotels?
It depends on the package you book: some "breakfast included" or "half board" stays include breakfast, while other packages charge extra for it. At the Disneyland Hotel’s Castle Club, though, the royal breakfast with princesses in the private lounge is always included. I always double-check the package when I book so there are no surprises.
05 What theme does each Disney hotel have?
Each Disney hotel has its own world: the Disneyland Hotel is themed around princesses and royalty, Disney Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel celebrates Marvel superheroes through works of art, Newport Bay Club evokes seafaring New England, Sequoia Lodge takes you into a Bambi-style forest, Hotel Cheyenne recreates a Wild West town complete with a saloon, Hotel Santa Fe draws on Cars and Route 66, and Davy Crockett Ranch offers cabins out in the woods.
