Although this wasn't the pilot, this episode was originally supposed to be the pilot episode.
Using their two-way radios, when Zack and Cody search for the correct vent into the ballroom, the radio Cody has a gold Mickey sticker on the back--a Disney production reference.
Having aired out of order, this was originally the first episode. According to the episode layout, it mirrors a pilot's style, and many of the props (such as Maddie's uniform or some furniture in the Martins' suite) don't appear in future episodes; Maddie has brown hair instead of blonde hair in this episode. Alternatively, this episode also aired with different cuts and extended scenes, including an extended scene after Maddie and London talk and London says "Hold that elevator!" and more conversations between Zack and Cody when observing armpit hairs when Carey refers to the previous hotel accident.
At first, in episodes such as "Grounded on the 23rd Floor," the sets were different (for example, the kitchen in Zack and Cody's room). However, they later changed.
Zack and Cody live on the 23rd Floor.