Disney's Pixar Place Hotel has officially opened and footage from the grand opening has started to hit the internet. The new hotel, which is a transformation of the previous Paradise Pier Hotel pays homage to Pixar's rich history of animation and features plenty of nods to many of the studio's films.
From the room decor to the themed restaurants and rooftop pool, Pixar's animated films are on full display everywhere you look -- including the lobby itself!
The lobby of the Pixar Place Hotel features 16 Pixar character silhouettes, but the highlight is the live entertainment. At select times throughout the day, guests can catch a performance from Joe Gardner from the movie Soul. He'll dazzle guests with beautiful music and share lovely anecdotes.
Disney shared an official clip of Joe playing in the lobby, but even more videos can be found on social media from media and press who attended the opening.
Admittedly, I've yet to see Soul despite my immense love of jazz music. I also live in Florida so the odds of me getting out to California to see this new hotel in person are slim, especially with two young kids. So for now, I'll have to enjoy his smooth performance via the internet. But it is my goal to one day check out this amazing-looking hotel.
Soul was released in 2020 but due to the pandemic was sent straight to Disney+. It was one of Disney's most-watched straight-to-streaming titles of the year. Although the film was eventually re-released in theaters this year, the Oscar-winning film failed to attract mass audiences.
Soul scored an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with audiences equally impressed (88% Audience Score). But despite the critical success of the film, it still feels like one of Disney's underappreciated movies. It's nice to see Disney giving the movie the spotlight it deserves at the Pixar hotel, and I hope we continue to see more of it at the parks.