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09-25-26 | Feature
Design Program and Intent
The design program called for the creation of a dynamic, story-rich outdoor environment that supports hotel guests' physical, emotional, and social well-being. Program elements involving water include a sensory-rich water play area for children of differing abilities as well as a reimagined pool deck with enhanced seating, shade, and character. A multi-generational activity area features court games themed after Pixar Shorts, such as La Luna Shuffleboard and Bao Bun Toss. Other gathering spaces and gardens along the rooftop are inspired by Pixar's diverse film worlds, with integrated green roof planting to improve environmental performance. Wayfinding and art elements throughout were designed to celebrate the Pixar brand and storytelling. The design intent was to blur the line between play and landscape, sustainability, and narrative, creating a space that feels both fantastical and restorative. The project places special emphasis on joy, accessibility, and environmental responsibility.
Design Process, Materials, and Installation
The landscape design was deeply collaborative, involving the creative team, hotel operators, architects, and engineers. Landscape Architects worked hand-in-hand with animators and storytellers to translate the spirit of Pixar films into landscape forms, materials, and sensory experiences. Planting beds were sculpted to reflect organic, animated movement. Pavement patterns subtly reference animation motifs. Play features are scaled and shaped to accommodate a wide range of physical abilities while remaining true to Pixar's visual language.
Key Strategies
Modular roof trays and built-in planters provide high-performance stormwater management, reduce rooftop heat gain, and promote biodiversity using California native and climate-adapted plant species. Spray zones with tactile surfaces, gentle misting elements, and interactive sculptures allow guests of differing abilities to safely explore and cool off in a sensory-rich environment. Custom-designed elements provide shade and comfort while integrating art and narrative. Movable furnishings allow for social flexibility and accessibility. Recycled-content pavers, FSC-certified wood, low-VOC finishes, and local stone selections minimize environmental footprint. Energy-efficient lighting enhances nighttime safety and extends usability, while character-themed wayfinding helps orient guests. Installation required careful phasing to coordinate with hotel operations and structural constraints. As such, soil media and vegetation were craned into place; planting design was optimized for rooftop wind exposure, shallow depths, and seasonal interest.
Environmental Impact and Concerns
The project delivers strong environmental performance in alignment with and commitment to resilience and stewardship. The roof system is designed to retain rainfall and reduce peak runoff, meeting local regulations and contributing to watershed health in a dense urban context. Vegetated surfaces and shaded gathering areas reduce rooftop heat gain, lowering the building's cooling load and improving guest comfort. Native and pollinator-friendly plants improve rooftop air quality and attract beneficial insects and birds, contributing to urban ecological networks. Drought-tolerant plantings, high-efficiency irrigation, and water reuse strategies significantly reduce potable water use. The replacement of dark, exposed paving with vegetated, shaded, and reflective materials helps mitigate the urban heat island effect in a high-traffic tourist corridor.
Accessibility and Play
At the heart of the design is a commitment to universal design and play for differing abilities. The water play area was carefully crafted to ensure children with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities can participate joyfully. Features include ground-level spray elements and roll-in access zones, tactile paving and contrasting colors for visual and sensory navigation, quiet zones with seating and shade, and clear sightlines for caregivers and diverse family structures. These inclusive strategies focus on equity and community health, providing guests access to fun, connection, and nature.
Client and Team Collaboration
This project was made possible through deep collaboration between the landscape architecture team, Pixar Animation Studios, architects, hotel owners, accessibility consultants, and engineers. Regular charrettes and design reviews allowed the team to integrate storytelling, functionality, and sustainability without compromise. The Animation Studio's creative input helped ensure the emotional quality of the space aligned with its characters and film narratives, while the landscape team translated those ideas into tactile, ecologically responsible forms. Close collaboration with accessibility experts and stakeholders helped ensure the water play elements, circulation, and amenities exceeded standards and delivered a truly inclusive guest experience.
Significance and Lasting Impact
Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool deck and gardens are more than a resort amenity - they represent a shift in how themed hospitality spaces can serve environmental, social, and emotional functions. This rooftop is a model for resort design with the environment in mind, proving that roofs and stormwater infrastructure can be woven seamlessly into guest experiences. It also serves as a case study in play for differing abilities, embedded not just in compliance but in joy and belonging. Finally, the space is a celebration of art and landscape, where animation inspires immersive, biophilic, and emotionally resonant outdoor spaces. In a region heavily impacted by climate, water, and development pressure, the rooftop pool deck at Pixar Place Hotel demonstrates how landscape architecture can redefine luxury and entertainment while delivering resilience, beauty, and joy in one integrated design.
Pixar Place Hotel
Rooftop Family & Water Play
Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool deck and gardens are located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, within walking distance of Disney theme parks and more. In-house Landscape Architects at Walt Disney Imagineering transformed this 14,000-square-foot rooftop into a vibrant, inclusive, and environmentally responsive outdoor experience for hotel guests of all ages. The project included the hotel's rooftop pool area, a new inclusive water play zone, immersive garden spaces, recreation areas, custom Pixar-themed elements, and a roof infrastructure with the environment in mind - all several stories above street level.
Dubbed "Nemo's Cove," the splash pad and water slide area features characters from the Finding Nemo and Finding Dory films with eight in-ground pop jets and varying water effects on a loop timer. The surfacing is a cushioned foam-rubber modular tile that is slip-resistant, non-absorbent, and UV-stable to support barefoot play. The slide structure was retained from the original rooftop of what was formerly known as Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and repurposed to match the Pixar theme of the renovated hotel.
Custom-themed signage throughout the rooftop was designed to blend with the ocean floor surroundings and coral reef-themed rockwork, providing guests a seamless wayfinding experience that only adds to the magic. Landscaped pockets feature a succulent plant palette carefully selected to evoke an underwater environment while remaining water-wise.
A synthetic turf lawn provides approximately 930 sq. ft. of space for everyday passive recreational use, with a side stage that facilitates character meet-and-greets or private events. Colored synthetic turf in the shape of the iconic Pixar ball reinforces hotel branding and reduces water consumption.
The Pixar Shorts Court contains permanent court games themed after short films made by the production company, like La Luna Shuffleboard on the left and Bao Bun Toss on the right. The surfacing is a five-part waterproofing deck system featuring acrylic topcoats in various colors.
Star-shaped LED string lights, evoking La Luna, encourage play to continue into the evening hours on the maze game "Burrow Path" themed after Pixar Short Burrow. All custom fiberglass planters were locally fabricated and contain one large Australian Coral Tree (Erythrina sykesii) and smaller Pineapple Guava Trees (Feijoa sellowiana).
A relaxation area at the fireworks viewing lounge contains GFRC fire features made of custom-carved molds designed to look like fire-related characters from Pixar movies and shorts, including Ember Lumen from Elemental, the volcano from Lava, Anger from Inside Out, and Jack-Jack Parr from The Incredibles (not pictured).
"Pixar Place Hotel pool deck & gardens is, and will always remain, one of the most cherished projects of my career," said Bryan Garrene, Principal Landscape Architect at Walt Disney Imagineering. "Working closely with our partners at Pixar Animation Studios, we transformed an underutilized rooftop into a vibrant, story-rich retreat for hotel guests. Through immersive storytelling, lush gardens, sustainable design strategies, and environmentally conscious materials, we created a unique destination where families can play, relax, and experience the creativity and magic of Pixar in an entirely new way."
On select evenings, music and dialogue from the Disneyland Park fireworks show is broadcast to the Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool deck so guests can enjoy unparalleled viewing of this special event.
This diagram from Garrene highlights various design choices made to improve the project's sustainability. A few include composite wood made of 60% recycled content, shade cloth made of 50% post-industrial recycled fiber, and roof gardens with pollinator-friendly plantings that reduce both heat island effect and energy consumption.
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Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool deck and gardens merge the art of animation with sustainable design to create a joyful, resilient urban retreat. Built atop a rooftop, the landscape incorporates roof systems that improve energy efficiency, reduce stormwater runoff, and enhance air quality - transforming the hotel's previous rooftop space while creating lush, vibrant areas for guests. A water play area and game court invites guests of differing abilities to engage in sensory-rich, inclusive fun, while lounge and fireworks viewing areas support wellness and social connection. Inspired by the imaginative spirit of Pixar, custom artistic elements and immersive storytelling are woven throughout, creating emotional resonance and visual delight. Shade, circulation, and landscape-driven design ensure comfort for guests while hardy subtropical and drought-tolerant plantings, efficient irrigation, recycled materials, repurposed structures, and cool-roof paving reinforce long-term ecological health. This project demonstrates how landscape architecture can deliver beauty, play, and environmental performance in one joyful, high-functioning rooftop destination.
Site and Context
The hotel is situated in a dense urban resort environment, bordered by major transportation corridors, surface parking, and theme park infrastructure. The existing rooftop was largely paved and exposed, offering little shade or ecological value. The design team began with a comprehensive assessment of the rooftop's structural capacity, microclimate, sun and wind exposure, drainage challenges, and adjacency to hotel amenities. The team also investigated the city's stormwater management goals, hotel sustainability targets, and the cultural significance of Pixar's storytelling legacy.
The site's rooftop location presented both challenges and opportunities: limited soil depth and wind exposure required careful plant and materials selection, while its height provided sweeping views and visual connection to the surrounding landscape and Disneyland Resort. Additionally, the team prioritized maximizing infrastructure with the environment in mind in a space constrained by building systems and egress routes.
Design Program and Intent
The design program called for the creation of a dynamic, story-rich outdoor environment that supports hotel guests' physical, emotional, and social well-being. Program elements involving water include a sensory-rich water play area for children of differing abilities as well as a reimagined pool deck with enhanced seating, shade, and character. A multi-generational activity area features court games themed after Pixar Shorts, such as La Luna Shuffleboard and Bao Bun Toss. Other gathering spaces and gardens along the rooftop are inspired by Pixar's diverse film worlds, with integrated green roof planting to improve environmental performance. Wayfinding and art elements throughout were designed to celebrate the Pixar brand and storytelling. The design intent was to blur the line between play and landscape, sustainability, and narrative, creating a space that feels both fantastical and restorative. The project places special emphasis on joy, accessibility, and environmental responsibility.
Design Process, Materials, and Installation
The landscape design was deeply collaborative, involving the creative team, hotel operators, architects, and engineers. Landscape Architects worked hand-in-hand with animators and storytellers to translate the spirit of Pixar films into landscape forms, materials, and sensory experiences. Planting beds were sculpted to reflect organic, animated movement. Pavement patterns subtly reference animation motifs. Play features are scaled and shaped to accommodate a wide range of physical abilities while remaining true to Pixar's visual language.
Key Strategies
Modular roof trays and built-in planters provide high-performance stormwater management, reduce rooftop heat gain, and promote biodiversity using California native and climate-adapted plant species. Spray zones with tactile surfaces, gentle misting elements, and interactive sculptures allow guests of differing abilities to safely explore and cool off in a sensory-rich environment. Custom-designed elements provide shade and comfort while integrating art and narrative. Movable furnishings allow for social flexibility and accessibility. Recycled-content pavers, FSC-certified wood, low-VOC finishes, and local stone selections minimize environmental footprint. Energy-efficient lighting enhances nighttime safety and extends usability, while character-themed wayfinding helps orient guests. Installation required careful phasing to coordinate with hotel operations and structural constraints. As such, soil media and vegetation were craned into place; planting design was optimized for rooftop wind exposure, shallow depths, and seasonal interest.
Environmental Impact and Concerns
The project delivers strong environmental performance in alignment with and commitment to resilience and stewardship. The roof system is designed to retain rainfall and reduce peak runoff, meeting local regulations and contributing to watershed health in a dense urban context. Vegetated surfaces and shaded gathering areas reduce rooftop heat gain, lowering the building's cooling load and improving guest comfort. Native and pollinator-friendly plants improve rooftop air quality and attract beneficial insects and birds, contributing to urban ecological networks. Drought-tolerant plantings, high-efficiency irrigation, and water reuse strategies significantly reduce potable water use. The replacement of dark, exposed paving with vegetated, shaded, and reflective materials helps mitigate the urban heat island effect in a high-traffic tourist corridor.
Accessibility and Play
At the heart of the design is a commitment to universal design and play for differing abilities. The water play area was carefully crafted to ensure children with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities can participate joyfully. Features include ground-level spray elements and roll-in access zones, tactile paving and contrasting colors for visual and sensory navigation, quiet zones with seating and shade, and clear sightlines for caregivers and diverse family structures. These inclusive strategies focus on equity and community health, providing guests access to fun, connection, and nature.
Client and Team Collaboration
This project was made possible through deep collaboration between the landscape architecture team, Pixar Animation Studios, architects, hotel owners, accessibility consultants, and engineers. Regular charrettes and design reviews allowed the team to integrate storytelling, functionality, and sustainability without compromise. The Animation Studio's creative input helped ensure the emotional quality of the space aligned with its characters and film narratives, while the landscape team translated those ideas into tactile, ecologically responsible forms. Close collaboration with accessibility experts and stakeholders helped ensure the water play elements, circulation, and amenities exceeded standards and delivered a truly inclusive guest experience.
Significance and Lasting Impact
Pixar Place Hotel rooftop pool deck and gardens are more than a resort amenity - they represent a shift in how themed hospitality spaces can serve environmental, social, and emotional functions. This rooftop is a model for resort design with the environment in mind, proving that roofs and stormwater infrastructure can be woven seamlessly into guest experiences. It also serves as a case study in play for differing abilities, embedded not just in compliance but in joy and belonging. Finally, the space is a celebration of art and landscape, where animation inspires immersive, biophilic, and emotionally resonant outdoor spaces. In a region heavily impacted by climate, water, and development pressure, the rooftop pool deck at Pixar Place Hotel demonstrates how landscape architecture can redefine luxury and entertainment while delivering resilience, beauty, and joy in one integrated design.
As seen in LASN magazine, August 2026.
Filed Under: LASN PLAYGROUNDS, SEPTEMBER 2026, WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING, PIXAR PLACE HOTEL, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, LASN
