Great Maple at Pixar Place Hotel: How Disney's Culinary Rebrand Came Together
By Alexander Ross
The scope of Great Maple’s culinary footprint extends well beyond its main ground-floor dining room. When Disney finalized the partnership, it handed Great Maple culinary stewardship of the entire hotel.
That footprint includes Sketch Pad Cafe, the grab-and-go pastry and coffee counter situated in the lobby, which satisfies guests hurrying to rope-drop Disneyland Park. Up on the third-floor recreation deck, Great Maple oversees Small Bytes, a poolside lounge serving light bites, ceviche, and loaded sliders alongside panoramic views of Disney California Adventure's Pixar Pier.
Inside the main restaurant, a sprawling central bar delivers signature craft cocktails that rival the drinks served across the street at the Grand Californian's Hearthstone Lounge. The bar program leans into bold, culinary-minded presentations:
- The Great Maple Manhattan: Bourbon, Carpano Antica, maple syrup, and bitters, garnished with house-cured bacon and a maraschino cherry.
- Blood Orange Cosmo: Premium vodka shaken with blood orange liqueur, freshly squeezed lime juice, and white cranberry.
- Scratch Bloody Mary: A meal in itself, laced with signature seasonings and crowned with a miniature slider, thick-cut bacon, and pickled vegetables.
The presence of a full craft cocktail program solidifies Pixar Place Hotel dining as an adult retreat after long afternoons spent steering strollers through theme park crowds.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
