Sequoia Lodge Review Disneyland Paris
Disney's Sequoia Lodge is one of six on-site hotels at Disneyland paris. It is themed to the California National Parks, has some great facilities and is in a fantastic location for getting to the parks.
I have stayed at the Sequoia Lodge many times over the years and I recently stayed there for the first time in a while in August 2022.
This is my review of the Sequoia Lodge.
Theming
The Sequoia Lodge is themed to California's National Parks. Behind the main lodge building, there is a forest of sequoia and pines trees surrounding the other buildings, making for some beautiful walking paths.
To fit in with the theme, the lodges at the hotel are all named after areas of California: Yosemite, Yellowstone, Big Sur, Monterrey and Sierra.
If you have ever been to Florida, the Sequoia Lodge has a similar feel to the Wilderness Lodge, although on a much smaller scale. The buidlings look as if they are made of wooden panels and stone, realling adding an authentic feel to the environment.
The Sequoia Lodge's theming particularly shines during the winter months. Inside the main lodge, there is a bar with a giant fireplace, which gives a very warm and cozy feel.
The theming at the Sequoia Lodge is one of my favourites. I love the rustic feel of the resort and the forest surrounding the smaller lodges. It really doesn't feel like you're in Paris at all.
Location
The Sequoia Lodge is in a beautiful location on the shores of Lake Disney, facing Disney Village. The lake is actually at the back of the hotel, but there is an entrance here which you will use when walking to and from the Disney parks.
The walk from the hotel to the parks takes 10-15 minutes, depending on whether your room is in the main building or one of the lodges further back in the trees. The walk to Disney Village is only five minutes, which is great for grabbing a quick bite to eat or doing a bit of shopping on your way back from the parks.
If you don't want to walk to the parks, Disney provides free bus transportation from all its hotels. The bus departs from just outside the main entrance of the hotel and leaves approximately every 20 minutes. It drops you off outside Marne-La-Vallée train station, which is just a 5-minute walk from the entrance to both parks.
Personally, I think it is worth walking to the parks for most people. You are probably saving 5 minutes at most, especially if you are staying in the main lodge, which is closer to the walking path to the parks.
I always walk to the park when staying at the Sequoia Lodge. It isn't too far and I really enjoy the peaceful surroundings of the lake and then the lively atmosphere in Disney Village.
Of course, being on the shores of a lake also makes for some beautiful views from the hotel. There is an outdoor terrace on the back of the lodge where you can sit and take in the view of the hotel lawn and the lake.
The Sequoia Lodge has one of the best locations for both beauty and distance from the parks.
Hotel Layout
As I mentioned, the Sequoia Lodge comprises of the large main lodge and a number of smaller lodges set back into the forest environment.
In the main lodge, you will find most of the hotel facilities, including the reception, the bar, the buffet restaurant, the gift shop and the Golden Forest Lounge (more on that later). There are also some rooms in the main building, which you can upgrade to stay in.
There are six smaller lodges at the back of the main lodge. Five of these lodges house hotel rooms. The sixth, which is actually the closest to the main lodge, houses the swimming pool and fitness centre.
Luggage services, the bus stop and the car park are out of the front of the main lodge i.e. the main entrance to the hotel.
The back of the main lodge (down the stairs and next to the Hunter's Grill) leads to the lake, and the walkway to Disney Village and the Disney Parks.
Rooms
Like all Disneyland Paris hotels, Disney characters have been woven into the existing hotel theme. At the Sequoia Lodge, the woodland themed rooms also have theming details from the film Bambi.
The Bambi theming is perhaps not as widespread as the Disney touches in other hotel rooms on property, but you do get a portrait of Bambi and Bambi-themed wall decorations in your room.
There are a number of room categories you can stay in at the Sequoia Lodge:
- Standard Room
- Standard Room Near Hotel Facilities
- Standard Room Near Hotel Facilities Lake Side View
- Golden Forest Club Room
- Golden Forest Club Room Lake Side View
- Golden Forest Club Suite
All rooms (with the exception of the Golden Forest Suite) have two double beds and sleep up to 4 adults. Rooms also come with the following:
- Cupboard with drawers and a TV on top
- Table and two chairs
- Bathroom with bath/shower combo
- Sink separate from the bathroom
- Small storage area with some hangers
- Safety deposit box
- Heating and air conditioning (temperatures are limited for energy saving purposes)
Golden Forest Rooms also come with a mini fridge.
I personally like the rooms at the Sequoia Lodge. I can understand the criticisms that they are a little dated in terms of their décor, but they are clean and comfortable.
The rooms are also more spacious than those at the Cheyenne and the Santa Fe.
Golden Forest Club
The Sequoia Lodge is one of four hotels which offer a club level at Disneyland Paris. At the Sequoia Lodge, it is known as the Golden Forest Club and comes with a number of perks:
- Room in the main building
- Room comes with a mini fridge
- Private reception desk for check in
- Free buffet breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge (7am to 11am)
- Free non-alcoholic drinks from 12pm to 10pm in the Golden Forest Lounge
- Free snacks from 4pm to 5:30pm in the Golden Forest Lounge
Upgrade prices vary, but I priced up a 3-night weekend stay in June 2023 for 4 adults. The upgrade to Golden Forest cost £561 extra. This may be worth it, considering the money you could save on food and drinks if you make full use of the free snacks.
I have stayed Club Level twice in the past. A few years ago, I would say it was definitely worth it because you also got one free Fastpass per person per day. Now, it is 50/50 for me, but the Golden Forest Lounge is a great perk. The breakfast tends to be less hectic there and of course, having free drinks and snacks is fantastic in the afternoons.
Dining
Like most Disneyland Paris hotels, the Sequoia Lodge has fairly limited dining options.
Having said that, in addition to the buffet restaurant and bar on site, Disney Village is just a 5-minute walk away, where you can enjoy a wide variety of quick service and table service options.
Hunter's Grill
The Hunter's Grill is the buffet restaurant at the Sequoia Lodge. It is open for breakfast from 7am to 11am and for dinner from 6pm to 10:30pm.
To eat here, you will need to make a reservation. You can make a reservartion using the Disneyland Paris App up to 12 months before your stay.
Dinner costs €45 for adults and €25 for children aged 3-11. This prices includes a soft drink.
I didn't eat at the Hunter's Grill on my last trip, but I have previously and I remember the food being fantastic. The hotel buffets are always a great choice because they have so much food on offer that everyone in your group will definitely find something they enjoy.
From what I remember, there is a bit of everything: grilled meat, fish, potatoes, salads, soups, cheese, vegetables and a big selection of desserts. You can definitely have a hearty meal here.
I would recommend eating at the Hunter's Grill once during your stay at the Sequoia Lodge. It is nice to spend some times out of the busy parks and the food here is great.
Redwood Bar & Grill
The Redwood Bar & Grill is my favourite hotel bar at Disneyland Paris. To fit in with the theme of a forest lodge, the centrepiece of the bar is a giant stone fireplace. If you can, get a seat around that area for the best experience.
The bar has a full drinks menu including hot and cold drinks and speciality cocktails. I tried the Chip and Nut, which was an extremely rich hot chocolate with syrup and tonnes of whipped cream on top.
You can also grab a few sandwiches and light bites to eat here. It might not be the best meal you can get, but it's nice to know there's somewhere else to get food at your hotel other than the buffet restaurant.
Of course, I would recommend sitting inside near the fire most of the time, but you can also take your drinks outside onto the terrace for some lovely views.
As I said, the Redwood Bar is my favourite hotel bar at Disneyland Paris and, in fact, I would actually recommend getting a drink there even if you're not staying at the Sequoia Lodge. It is such a nice place to sit back and relax in the afternoon or after the parks have closed.
Seating is first come, first serve though and the bar is very popular, so you may struggle getting a seat at the busiest times of the day.
Quarry Pool
A big advantage of staying at the Sequoia Lodge over some of the cheaper Disney hotel is that there is a pool.
The Quarry Pool is located in a separate building just off the main lodge. There is a covered walkway between the two, so you can still go and enjoy the pool without worrying about getting wet on your way there.
Most of the pool is indoors, but there is a small outdoor section for when it is particularly hot in Paris. Inside, there is a water slide and rock formation to fit with the hotel theming. From the pools that I have seen at Disneyland Paris, this one is my favourite.
Generally, the pool is open from 7am to 10pm, but this is subject to change. Check opening times with reception when you check in if you are planning on visiting the pool.
Going to the pool is not something everyone thinks to do at Disneyland Paris, but I think it is a great thing to do in the middle of the day, when the parks are at their busiest.
Other Hotel Facilities & Useful Information
- Reception: 24hr reception. You can check in at any time on your arrival day so that you can make the most of your park ticket, but your room will only be ready from 3pm. If you arrive early and don't want to wait in line at reception twice, you can give your phone number so that they can text you your room number when it is ready.
- Concierge: the concierge desk can help you with any queries you might have. You can ask about dining reservations (although in my opinion it is just as easy to book a table yourself in the Disneyland Paris App) and transport for getting to the airport when you're leaving.
- Magic Pass: Your magic pass is both your room key and your park ticket.
- Northwest Passage Boutique: This is the gift shop at the Sequoia Lodge. It is actually quite big and sells a variety of Disney souvenirs as well as some snacks and drinks.
- Fitness Centre: Located in the same building as the Quarry Pool.
- Luggage Storage: Luggage Storage is just outside the main entrance of the hotel.
- Security Check: To enter the Sequoia Lodge via the main entrance, you will have to put your bags through a metal detector.
- Free WIFI: Free Wifi is available in common areas of the hotel and in your room. Free Wifi is also available at the Disney Parks.
- Free Parking
- Free Hote Drinks: Every night of your stay, each person gets one free hot drink credit to use at the hot drinks machines at the hotel. You can get a few different coffees, tea and hot chocolate. Drinks machines are not available in all buildings so you may need to ask a Cast Member to show you where they are. To redeem the credit, you use your Magic Pass.
Disney Hotel Perks
If you stay at any of the six Disneyland Paris official hotels, you benefit from a number of perks which can help make your stay even better.
Extra Magic Hours
The biggest perk for Disney hotel guests is Extra Magic Hours.
Extra Magic Hours allows you to enter both Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park one hour earlier than other guests in the morning.
Not all the rides open during this time, but some of the most popular attractions are usually included. The rides change periodically, but the last time I visited in December, I saw that the following rides were open in Extra Magic Hours at Disneyland Park:
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Peter Pan's Flight
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Hyperspace Mountain
- Phantom Manor (only at the weekend)
Using Extra Magic Hours is my number one tip for avoiding lines at Disneyland Paris. I tend to go to Big Thunder Mountain and I get to ride twice in the hour with a minimal wait on most days. Later on in the day, Big Thunder Mountain tends to have at least an hour-long queue.
Extra Magic Hours is a massive perk for Disney hotel guests. It usually runs from 08:30am to 09:30am, but check the Disneyland Paris app or website for opening times before your trip.
Free Shuttle Bus and Walking Distance to the Parks
When I go to Disney, I don't want to worry about public transport or driving to get to the parks.
All the Disney hotels offer a free shuttle bus to the parks. The buses run approximately every 20 minutes and drop you off outside Marne-La-Vallée train station. This is just a 5-minute walk from the entrance of both parks.
You can also easily walk to the parks. As I mentioned before, the walk from the Cheyenne takes 20-25 minutes by the river and then through Disney Village.
One advantage of walking is that you get to use the dedicated security check point at Lake Disney which is exclusive to Disney hotel guests. This check point opens half an hour before the parks in the morning (so usually 8am) and is generally much quieter than security at the main entrance.
Once you have been through security here, you are good to go straight to the parks.
You Don't Need to Make Park Reservations
A recent park which has come about since the pandemic is that those who book a Hotel + Ticket package through Disneyland Paris don't need to make park reservations.
As a Disney hotel guest, you are automatically allocated a reservation for the parks for all days of your stay, including both your check in and check out day.
Staying in the Disney Bubble
This is just a personal thing, but I like staying in the Disney Bubble throughout my stay.
By the Disney Bubble, I mean that, once you've been dropped off at your hotel, the free shuttle buses and walking paths means that you do not have to leave Disney the entire time you're there.
For me, this is not only convenient as you don't have to worry about transport, but it also means that you're having the 24/7 Disney experience. Even when you've finished your day in the park, you can spend time in Disney Village or go back to your hotel and enjoy the Disney theming there.
Having access to the Disney attention to detail and Disney level of service 24/7 is a big perk of staying at a Disney hotel for me.
My Final Review
I think the Sequoia Lodge is a beautiful hotel. I just love the atomosphere in the main lodge with the giant fireplace and wooden and stone décor.
The rooms could go with an update, but they are spacious, comfortable and clean. Both the buffet restaurant and the Redwood Bar are fantastic food and drink options. And the location of the hotel is perfect for walking to the parks and not having to worry about any transport for your whole stay.
Pricing for the Sequoia Lodge varies. It is usually slightly more expensive than the Hotel Cheyenne and slightly cheaper than the Newport Bay Club. However, sometimes it is cheaper than the Hotel Cheyenne. In this case, it is definitely worth going to the Sequoia Lodge.
Overall, the Sequoia Lodge is a great hotel and is my second favourite hotel at Disneyland Paris.
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