Anaheim Maingate Inn Review

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I’m pretty sure Guy Selga is trying to kill me. He has the motive: I’m way better than him at both Walt Disney World Magical Racing Tour and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. And, about a month ago, he had the opportunity: he booked a hotel for us to share during Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.

Honestly, I should’ve seen this coming. Regular readers of the blog will recall that last year, Guy pulled this same stunt, booking us in a hotel that literally collapsed on its guests. After I narrowly escaped bodily harm there with Indiana Jones-esque agility, I guess he had to come up with a new plan.

I’m not sure whether his judgment is suspect (he also thinks that Crystal Pepsi doesn’t taste like regular Pepsi!) or if he’s actively trying to catch bedbugs, but has become an ongoing problem. A national epidemic, you might say. None of you probably care about this at all, so I’ll spare you further words of warnings about Guy Selga’s reign of terror through Southern California, and cut to the chase on this review of Anaheim Maingate Inn.

The thing is, this review only needs to be one sentence long: Anaheim Maingate Inn should not just be avoided by those looking for a place to stay near Disneyland, it should be condemned by the city of Anaheim.

What was wrong with it? Well, the photos say a lot, but not the whole story…

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The television didn’t work, the beds were uncomfortable, and most of the furniture looked like it was found along the side of the road. This place was a dump.

It currently stands as the #110 of 117 hotel in Anaheim on TripAdvisor, which makes me wonder what those other 7 hotels are doing to their guests to rank worse than this?! Even an actively haunted hotel might be superior to Anaheim Maingate Inn, so long as the ghosts were only mildly spooky and not malicious.

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Completing “the look” of this hell hole, the picture frames and lamps were cattywampus, really helping the “We Don’t Care…And It Shows!” motto of Anaheim Maingate Inn.

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In addition to being a dump, the room quite literally smelled like a dump. Too bad photos can’t convey scent yet (actually, in this case, that’s for the best)…

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The bathroom smelled like there was a sewage leak, and we had to keep the door closed because it was nauseating. (In hindsight, we should have refused the room. I have no doubt that this was a Cal. Health & Safety Code violation.)

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In “fairness,” we did pass by other rooms that looked like they had seen a more recent refresh, and these did not look totally inhospitable.

However, other rooms we passed looked exactly like ours, so booking a room here means a 50/50 roll of the dice (at best) as to whether you get an awful room or “luck” into a mediocre one.

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There were two silver linings to our stay here. First, we discovered a new Disneyland hack, and that’s cutting through Cast Member parking to access Mickey & Friends (through a new-ish public walkway), which makes hotels in this area much more attractive than they’ve been in the past. Fortunately, this hack can be utilized for guests of several other hotels in this area, so you don’t have to stay at this dump to take advantage. I’ll detail that hack in a separate post.

Second, no one got bedbugs or any number of the other diseases lurking in the shadows of our room. It’s the small victories.

In short, the takeaway from my experience at Anaheim Maingate Inn? Don’t be friends with Guy Selga. He has a penchant for booking rooms at sketchy hotels, and someday, this will end in tragedy. (I will take one for the team and continue being “friends” with him so he subjects me to these awful rooms instead of you. You’re welcome.) Also, don’t stay at this hotel because at least half of the rooms are totally disgusting. It’s not worth saving $10-15/night.

If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!

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Your Thoughts

Do you agree or disagree with our take on Anaheim Maingate Inn? Hopefully you haven’t had the “pleasure” of staying here, but if you have, please comment on your experience! Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!

12 Responses to “Anaheim Maingate Inn Review”
  1. L. Denney January 17, 2022
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  4. Kelly November 27, 2016
    • Tom Bricker November 27, 2016
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  5. Angela Brown October 29, 2016
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