Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel Review
Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel is located near Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. This review features photos of the hotel, plus thoughts about our experience of staying here. Disneyland locals may not recognize the name, but surely they recognize the hotel. We pass it every time we head to Mickey and Friends from the 5.
For those of you who aren’t locals, this is one of approximately 37 hotels (okay, more like 3) in the Disneyland area that has a medieval castle theme and motif. I suspect one hotel owner started this trend back in the day, playing off of Sleeping Beauty Castle, and a couple other entrepreneurs thought, “hey, that’s pretty clever…I ought to do the same!” I have yet to stay at Camelot Inn & Suites, but as I said in my Castle Inn & Suites Review, I think this style is fun for kids and works fairly well.
July 7, 2017 Update: We’ve heard from a reader (and confirmed independently) that Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel now charges $25 for early check-in. Regardless of what we previously thought of the hotel, we now would not return here on principle, even if we didn’t need an early check-in. This guest-unfriendly practice should not be condoned, and consumers should vote with their wallets. Moving on with the rest of the original hotel review…
On the plus side, a $6 million overhaul to Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel a few years ago gives it a fresh look. The medieval theme has been given a modern refresh and is restrained in the right places on the interior, so it doesn’t simply feel like the hotel version of the tired Medieval Times Dinner Show. Actually, the whole hotel has been given a modern refresh, which is now complete.
This overhaul has made the hotel appealing to us…
Before we get to why it’s so appealing, let’s cover the downsides that limit its appeal from our perspective. Actually, there’s really only one significant downside, and that’s location. It’s back by Mickey & Friends, which means it’s a bit of a hike to the parks. You could walk if you want (we always do from Mickey & Friends), but fortunately, there’s a free shuttle service offered by the hotel every 30 minutes.
We used this shuttle the first morning of Halloween Time at Disneyland, lining up for the first (7:30 am) shuttle at about 7:20 am. We were the last people to get on before the shuttle filled up (the driver informed the guests who couldn’t board that he would make another run in 10 minutes). I’m not sure whether this is the norm, but the hotel is quite large, so I could easily see those prime morning shuttles filling up, especially during the summer months.
From the hotel, the shuttle took only about 5 minutes to drop us off at the bus stop just outside the Esplanade. When it came for pick-up later in the day, the shuttle arrived on-time, and had us back to the hotel in about 5 minutes. This shuttle is a huge upside to staying at Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. I know folks love the shuttle that Candy Cane Inn offers, so I assume the reaction to this will be similar. Suffice to say, this shuttle is infinitely better than using the ART buses.
Personally, I still prefer being in control of my own destiny and being at a hotel that’s a short walk from the Esplanade, so I don’t have to worry about a bus being on time, filling up, etc., but your mileage may vary on that. If you prefer a shuttle to walking, then Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel should have a lot of allure.
Then there’s the hotel itself. The millions of dollars the owners have dumped into the overhaul should be indicative of just how competitive the Anaheim hotel market has gotten in the last few years, and the results are pretty impressive. The easiest way to describe this hotel would probably be Castle Inn meets a major chain-brand Anaheim Convention Center hotel, with the best elements of each.
The castle elements are fun, and are well-balanced so as to not be off-putting to travelers without children. For those with children, the “Legend of the Lair” is told throughout the hotel on the carpet and walls. I’m told that, additionally, Princess Corrine will soon be doing meet & greets at the hotel and appearing at breakfast. I have no clue who Princess Corrine is, but I hope she’s a B.A. warrior princess of the Xena variety, and one who slays dragons on the reg. Girls could use more empowering role models, and what’s more empowering than defending California from dragons?!
Beyond that, there are bunk beds in some rooms that are fortress-shaped, and decor throughout the hotel evokes a restrained, medieval vibe. The hotel manages to feel fairly classy despite the fantastical decor, which is an accomplishment.
The rooms and amenity slate rival the Convention Center hotels in terms of quality (they’re not quite at that level–but close). Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel has a fitness center, gift shop/grab ‘n’ go eatery, guest laundry, business center, and dry cleaning, among other things.
There’s also a game room…
The pool, which is located in a center courtyard of the hotel, is actually reasonably nice. It’s still nothing you’re going to feature on your vacation slideshow, but it’s “not awful” which is good by Anaheim standards.
One of the courtyards also has a cute little area with a koi pond, although I didn’t spot any koi in it. Perhaps they were sleeping?
We dined at the on-site restaurant, and it was pretty solid, too.
We started out with the calamari. I’ve never met a calamari dish I didn’t enjoy, and this was no exception. It was well above average.
For my entree, I played it safe with the burger, and found it to be your average table service burger.
Sarah had the Grilled Salmon with Quinoa Taboulleh, and she raved about it. I would not try this ambitious of a dish at a moderate hotel restaurant for fear of being underwhelmed, but she was rewarded for her risk.
Judging by the menu options, service, and general vibe of the restaurant, the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel is aspiring for a high quality restaurant here. It’s not simply an afterthought to fulfill an amenity checklist box.
This ambition is evident throughout the hotel, where there are several upscale common areas for lounging and unwinding. Viewing the above few photos of these common areas in isolation from the rest of the review, you’d probably never guess this hotel also features hallways filled with medieval lore. In paper, it’s tough to reconcile the upscale with the medieval, but in person, it works.
Likewise, the recently renovated guest rooms are quite nice and are among the most spacious standard rooms in the Disneyland area. The bedding was all quite obviously new, and the comforter and bedding was all very plush, while the down pillows moulded right to your head.
Of course, none of that matters if the walls aren’t adorned with some sweet horse art. I spent a good 95 minutes gazing at that majestic stallion. You can’t tell from the photo, but it has a metallic finish that makes you want to leap into the print and go for a wild ride.
My snarky comments and this oddball horse print aside, the room was really well put together, and felt like nicely finished. The carpet was new and were textured, there was trim above the window, and the wallpaper subtly evoked the feeling of a forest.
I wouldn’t out and out say the rooms were hip, but they were not bland, either. They felt modern, with plenty of high-quality accents. I’d rate them on the higher end of hotel rooms in Anaheim. Not quite rivaling the best at the Anaheim Convention Center or Hotel Indigo, but better than virtually everything along Harbor Boulevard.
For as large as the entire room was, the one disappointment was how relatively small the bathroom was. It was pretty much the same size and quality as most other hotels in Anaheim, which I felt was underwhelming (and a poor allocation of space) given the quality and size of the rest of the room.
The shower was perfectly serviceable, but like so many hotels in Anaheim, nothing special.
In terms of price, Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel is fairly competitive on some dates, but prices seem to vary widely. I found rates around $110-180/night, with weekends skewing higher, plus savings for Annual Passholders and on non-refundable promotional rates.
Keep in mind that parking is another $16 on top of that. As high-quality as the hotel is, my personal maximum would be around $130/night, but that’s in part because I’d prefer something within walking distance. If the shuttle and a well-appointed yet themed hotel interest you, I could see paying slightly more than that. (In the interest of full disclosure, our 1-night stay and dinner were both comped for the purpose of this review.)
Overall, we were both impressed with Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel. It delivers a host of amenities you’d expect from major business-tier chains, but not from an independent hotel in Anaheim. It’s clear that the owners have already dumped a lot of money into modernizing and improving the hotel. Likewise, the guest rooms are very well done, comfortable, and spacious.
This ultimately makes it a solid option if you’re looking for a hotel with whimsy that will appeal to your kids, but isn’t tacky or over the top in the execution of a theme. Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel toes that line very well, which could be a big plus for many potential guests. The biggest downside from my perspective is the location, even with the efficient, free shuttle.
I’m a big advocate of being able to quickly walk from Disneyland to an off-site hotel, and that’s not something you can do here; if this hotel were on Harbor Boulevard, it would easily be one of the top 3 hotels near Disneyland. For anyone who doesn’t need that “feature,” Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel should be on your short list of places to stay near Disneyland.
Distance is the only strike against Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel, as evidenced by its ranking in our Disneyland Hotels Reviews & Rankings post. You can also read our overall comparison of the benefits of staying off-site versus on-site in our Where to Stay at Disneyland post. It’s one of the 39 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels, and one of only 7 in the highest “Deluxe/Superior” tier.
If you’re heading to Disneyland, we have tons of other posts to help you plan, including our Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets, a look at Disneyland Area Hotel Reviews & Rankings, our Unique Packing List for Disney Trips, an index of our Disneyland Resort Restaurant Reviews, and a number of other things in our comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
YOUR THOUGHTS…
Have you stayed at Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel (or any of its prior incarnations)? Are you a fan of it? Did you enjoy the amenities? find your room to be nicely appointed? Do you prefer staying off-site or on-site at Disneyland? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
I stayed at this hotel one night in August 2019. The hotel was clean, there were no bugs anywhere (we saw not a single roach, spider or bedbug–and the bedbug registry does not indicate that bedbugs have been an issue at this hotel). We needed one night in Anaheim and wanted to be somewhat close to Downtown Disney. We have stayed at other Anaheim neighbor hotels in the past, all were within walking distance. This one really is not walkable to get to the entrance.
This hotel is offered at a fairly low rate per night. I am not at all turned off by any “early check-in” fees. As a registered guest of this hotel, you have full access to all of its amenities, including the free shuttle to the park entrances. I don’t believe most guests are checking in early and going off site and not using any hotel amenities; they are likely either using hotel facilities or the free shuttle. I would consider the early check-in fee a “user” fee. If you get there early, you will be using otherwise free amenities, and instead of the hotel raising prices for all, they are asking for a fee only from those who want to use the early access. I find this practice to be similar to Extra Magic Hours if you pay the additional costs of staying in a Disney Resort, or extra cost of hard-tickets for additional parties or time in the park.
BEWARE! Do not say here! Roaches, bed bugs, filthy carpet, hard beds, hair in bathroom. We left. I paid $102, no wonder you get what you pay for. We always begin our trips at CandyCane for 1st night then go to Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel. I have visited DLR every week since the reservations started for Galaxy’s Edge and because of the low attendance I had to take advantage. So this week after looking at my checking account balance I decided I could stay off site and save 2 grand. Win-win! Wrong wrong. I love Candy Cane because of shuttle and of course we see the majestic shuttle so when I saw the rate on Expedia I booked. Big mistake. Huge. Luckily I was able to get a room at Grand Californian yesterday evening they still gave me the pass holder special even though I didn’t book in advance. Lesson learned.
Did the Anaheim majestic garden hotel have bed bugs? Or are you referring to another hotel?
The Majestic Garden, formerly known as the Anaheim Sheraton, is our hotel of choice for every visit to Disneyland. With over a dozen trips in as many years we’ve never had a bad experience. One particular occasion, we made a last minute decision to visit Disneyland on December 23rd. My 87 year old mother had never been. I was surprised there was availability and we were greeted by the front desk manager who remembered me by name. It really impressed me and my family. The hotel was decorated exquisitely. My daughter has a wheelchair and the shuttle has a lift to accommodate her. First rate, first class and always our first choice!
I stayed here in April 2016 and found it to be a very nice hotel. I got it as a package deal and was very impressed with the amount of $$ I spent for both flight and hotel. I found the shuttle to be a great asset to not pay $20.00 for parking at Disneyland and it runs every 30 minutes. There is a restaurant on-site and a little store which is nice for a late night snack. But what I really liked was that we were able see the fireworks, right up front, from the hotel parking lot from the back of Disneyland, where they are set off.. We left the park 30 minutes before the fireworks went off and didn’t have to file out like cattle. Not all hotels are created equal so this may not be for everybody, but it was for me and I’m a returning customer next month for Halloween!
I will never stay at this hotel again, i will not recommend this hotel to anyone! The hotel is not worth the amount they charge for their rooms. The beds are uncomfortable, the walls are very thin where you can hear the doors opening and closing all night long, you can hear people next to you, walking in the hall way, the maids making noises in the other room, there was constant construction all night long out the window! We were a family of 4, two adults and two toddlers, plus me being pregnant, they placed us on the second floor wayyyy in the back of the hotel and said that is all they had to offer. We ate there that night at their hotel charged to the room, then ordered in the room later, the hotel ended up charging our card $800 dollars saying that by our first stay they estimated our stay for the week so they took that amount out of our card! without us authorizing it!!! They ended up crediting back a portion but not all of it! which put our trip spending short till it would be returned! JUST DO NOT STAY HERE it is not worth it. I can seriously go on and on about the other stuff here at this hotel but i will leave it at that. It may look like a castle but it is nothing like it!
We just stayed there earlier this week. We’re locals and like you have been trying to stay in various hotels, trying to find one we like enough with a decent price point for repeat visits. I’ve been wanting to stay here since the remodel, and reading your review finally plus the AP discount gave me the push I needed to book it. Unfortunately, it fell short of our expectations. While the grounds were lovely, dinner at the bistro was quite good and the shuttle was great that’s about all the good from our stay. The bedding was noticeably starched, it felt like we were sleeping in a layer of detergent. There was no bedding for our pull-out sofa, we had to call to get some. The customer service was non-existent. The breakfast buffet was not worth what we paid even with the AP discount, it was worse than most free hotel breakfasts. Parking is now $16/night, and even though I requested early check-in when I booked and there was a room available when we arrived a couple hours before standard check-in time, they charged $25 for this “service”; I always request early check-in anytime we stay at a hotel and have never been charged for this anywhere else. We won’t be staying here again.
“…there was a room available when we arrived a couple hours before standard check-in time, they charged $25 for this ‘service'”
Are you serious?! I had a hotel try to charge me $5 for this once, and I was really irritated by that (I wouldn’t pay it on principle). I’ll update this review when I have a chance to reflect that. That’s an awful policy.
Seriously. The only reason we paid it was because it was 90+ degrees outside and we had a sleeping toddler.
Hey tom, you mentioned ed a laundry facility! Is that like washer and dryer we can pay to.run our laundry thru?
does anyone know some benefits of working there, i have been asked to come in for an interview and i just want to make sure its worth it
My question is about distance, I know it’s not as close to the gates as park vue, or fair field (waiting for your review!), but what about distance for a race weekend. Would it be a preferable place to get to the races and the expo instead of something like park vue.
Very disappointed. Yup that’s the title of this review. First of all they said they’re across the street. When you’re description say right across we’re thinking walking distance when you could just walk without waiting for the shuttle. Besides that, it was noisy and people are so loud and inconsiderate on the floor we were in. The service was bad. They’re not very accommodating and not so friendly at all. Everyone knows a good service when you had one. There’s nothing good about this place except for the happy hour st the bar. If we’re going to pay as much as we paid we would rather stay at a nicer more convenient hotel.
Don’t book a “traditional” room! The main building looks nice, has new carpet, etc. All “traditional” rooms are in the tower. The tower is awful! The carpet was gross with stains and looked like it was never vacuumed. There were missing ceiling tiles with exposed pipes in the hallway. Our room had stained wall paper and two different shades of wall paper. The carpets were not clean and the walls were stained and banged up. The shower left everything to be desired with a trickle of water and absolutely no water pressure at all. The TV had no volume even with the volume turned all the way up. The toilet clogged twice with average use. We asked for a crib when making the reservation, but there was no crib in the room when we arrived late at night after a long day in Disneyland. I asked for it again when we arrived and waited. Still no crib. Called again for the crib and it finally showed up 30 minutes later after yet another call.
I walked all the way back to the lobby to talk with the front desk about the state of our room and the tower in general and she simply said they were in the middle of renovations and they hadn’t gotten to the tower yet. She “noted” my remarks on my reservation and that was it. No apologies that were sincere and no offer to fix anything. For the amount we paid for our stay I would have expected more.
FYI: They charge you to park there. $14 a day per car. We shared a room with my sister-in-law and her baby so we had two cars to park. I did not see that there was a charge for parking online so it was a surprise when we arrived.
I would not recommend anyone stay here. It was a big disappointment!
I have booked rooms for June 2016 direct from the hotel website. I am just wondering if there are any additional resort fees or taxes at the time of check in that are not included in the amount listed on my booking. Do you know?
I am currently staying at Anahiem Majestic Garden, and the air conditioning isn’t working. We have called the front desk 3 times and no one has come up. The cable doesn’t work. The toilet has yet to be cleaned. I booked through Disney, so nothing has been done to improve my stay. I mean I just want them to show some effort in fixing the situation. Maybe since I prepaid and I am off to the extended building we don’t matter.
This hotel was AWFUL!!!! I fully read this review and booked our stay. Was excited because we are a family of 6, and there was no extra charge for a bigger party. There was a valentine special for $99!! Score, I thought. Until I saw our room… Not like the ones pictures in this blog!! They must have only redone half of the hotel. Our room had popcorn ceilings and the bathroom was full of ants!!! The shower was really gross and had rust stains all over the bottom. The drain was plugged and was backing up into the shower!! The sheets were washed with so much bleach it made my kids itchy and burned one of my boys faces. His face was all red!! I was so excited that I was going to save so much money but I didn’t. We got in at the Disneyland hotel and had the best time of our lives. Not to mention we missed our extra magic morning hour because we had to pack up all of our stuff, switch hotels, and re park the car!! Don’t waste your time going to this hotel. You will be SORRY!! Worst place ever!!!!
Thanks for the review on this, and all of the local hotels you’ve reviewed around Disneyland. I’m considering taking my kids to the resort this year, and will be considering a different hotel than where we stayed last year (just to try somewhere else and compare), which was the Majestic Garden Hotel.
As the visit was to be my kids’ first to Disneyland, and in a hotel, I wanted one that was both nice and added to the experience. I consulted with a friend who has been many times (pass holder), and stayed at many of the hotels. This was on her short list, and I loved the elegant castle look, and knew my kids would love that aspect. Plus, as I’m someone on a very tight budget, the price was fairly reasonable, even with the parking fee.
While lobbies aren’t the most important feature, this one made me immediately glad I chose this hotel. It was very welcoming, and very nice. My experience was similar to your review, though our room was slightly less impressive, being that it was probably a tad cheaper, though still very large, and very comfortable (omg the beds are so incredibly comfortable and hard to get out of).
Our budget was also small for food, so the plan was breakfast at IHOP or Denny’s, a packed lunch (yay mini fridge!), and splurging on dinner at the park. Before heading out, however, we stopped by the restaurant to inquire about the buffet price, and decided it would be comparable to IHOP, and much more convenient (no leaving then returning to avoid parking at the park). The servers were very nice, smiling when I apologized for my kids taking too much food at the buffet (as kids don’t always realize how much food they’re actually taking and everything looks good). There was a large variety of both cold and hot foods, and while it wasn’t excellent, it was pretty good, and worth eating at the hotel. Our dinner plans changed when we couldn’t decide on food to get inside the park, and we chose to try to find something a little cheaper. This turned out to be very fortuitous as we first stopped by the little shop off the lobby. There’s a fair amount of souvenirs, some pre-packaged foods, and a small variety of hot or cold foods (sandwiches, salads, pastries, etc.). They will also make custom salads or sandwiches and have a soup of the day. That night’s option was clam chowder, which my kids and I all love, even to risk trying from a hotel shop (probably made on the restaurant kitchen and kept to temp in smaller soup kettles in the shop). We each had a bowl of the chowder, grabbed a bottled drink, and a pastry dessert. It was a hot meal we ate in the comfort of our room, and was absolutely delicious!
If we can’t decide on a different hotel to try for our next trip, my kids and I have already decided we would return to the Majestic Garden Hotel. They loved staying there and didn’t want to leave. Plus, as I have a bad back, the shuttle was very welcome after a long day at the park. Also, just a side note, but we saw several coy in the pond when we took a walk in that area.
we stayed at this Hotel a few weeks ago and it was a clean Hotel unfortunate the only complain we had is the Heater was not working right, first it would go on and stay on that it would get so HOT!!! then it would go off and the air would go on and get real cold, My husband and I got sick and had to leave a day early, They try to fix it. We could not sleep because it was either to cold or to hot, We asked for our money back for the second night and they could not refund it because we booked through a on line site. I will never book again on a on line site.
Thank you so much for this great review! We will be staying there Jan 3 thru Jan 7. There are mixed reviews on Tripadvisor so you have put my mind at ease. We will also be there Oct 5 thru Oct 9 and will be staying at the Fairfield Marriott for the 1st time. I’m sure you will enjoy the Halloween Party we are going for the 5th year in a row. I really appreciate all the detail you put into this blog. I can live vicariously through your trips. Not ashamed to call myself a Disney fanatic.
My husband and I are actually saying at the Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel right now. We are here for our first DL visit, and this was just one of the first good neighbor hotels we happened upon while we were booking this trip. Having nothing else to compare it to being our first trip to Anaheim, we’ve been extremely happy and would probably come back again. Other than the bathroom being a bit small, our room is fantastic! We are WDW veterans so this was a learning experience and adjustment in some ways because we’ve never stayed “off property”, but to be honest, the shuttle service provided by the hotel is much nicer than the WDW buses! Always on time, never having to stand for the ride home. My only complaint is I wish they ran the shuttle to accommodate DTD hours and not just the park hours, but it’s a minor detail. We love it here!
First of all, if you’re on vacation to Disneyland, why are you wasting your time reading this blog?! 😉
Second, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Mickey & Friends is a pretty easy walk from the hotel. From there, you can take a tram to Downtown Disney. The tram runs as late as Downtown Disney is open. Hope that helps!
Thanks Tom! It was a much needed midday break 🙂
Tom,
My lovely wife, Katrina, and I are now in the lobby waiting for our shuttle to the airport. I have a few other things to add to her review:
– The bed, oh Lordy, the bed. We were lucky enough to get a King room and I must say… this is the first time we’ve been so pleased with the quality of the bed/bedding at a hotel. Super comfortable.
– This is weird to say, but… The carpets in the hallways are very soft. They’re easy on your feet after a long day in the parks.
– For the most part, the Disneyland shuttle drivers are extremely kind, helpful, and fun. All were informative.
– I am shocked to be able to say this: Free. Bottles. of water. This is completely new to me. I travel for work a decent amount and I’ve never seen bottles of water offered free of charge at a hotel before, especially 2 bottles per day. Great little perk.
– Luggage service. Their luggage service was quick and attentive. The first time we used it, it was offered before we even walked in the door. The second time we used it, I pulled out our tickets and the attendant came from across the room and offered to go get it. I hadn’t even looked in his direction yet. Little things are often the things that wow me, and this certainly did the trick.
– Location: While I’d prefer to be within walking distance, the fact that the shuttles get you to/from the parks in approximately 5-7 minutes makes up for it. These trips each day seemed extremely quick to WDW veterans like us, who are used to spending 20-30 minutes on the bus. Also, you can see the nightly fireworks from the parking lot (or from your room, depending on location in the hotel).
All in all, we really liked the hotel and all the amenities and would certainly stay here again should we make a return trip to DL.
I stayed here over New Year ’94-’95 and it was dreadful. The beds were hard as a rock, no amenities, but it was nice and close to Disney. And as a kid, that’s all you really want. Looks much improved over that visit.
Yeah…but was it a castle back then?!?! That’s really all that matters! 😉
“Of course, none of that matters if the walls aren’t adorned with some sweet horse art.”
The best (and funniest) line yet from your hotel reviews!
I think I am going to start rating hotels solely on the bizarre art on the walls. There are some real gems in Anaheim.
I stayed here a few years ago when it was still the Sheraton and had the same reaction as you, even before the remodel. The hotel public areas and pool were very nice and the room was huge. But the location. . . ugg. The shuttle was full the first two mornings we tried to use it (and they wouldn’t’ even allow you to stand like the Candy Cane shuttle does,) so we hoofed it up Disneyland Drive, and it’s a hike! We also hoofed it on the return trip because we didn’t want to wait a full half hour for the next shuttle, this time Harbor Blvd. to Ball, a longer hike! We ended up taking taxis the rest of our stay which is really silly and costly but ended up being the most convenient way to get to and from the parks.
I don’t know what the situation was then, but I know now if the shuttle is full, they immediately do another run…so you’d be looking at an extra 10 minutes or so. There were multiple (3) shuttles parked at the front of the hotel–I wonder if on busier days they dispatch them all at once.