Best Hotels Near Disneyland
This guide to accommodations near Disneyland ranks the 10 best hotels within walking distance of the parks, weighs pros & cons of staying off-site or on-site, perks of choosing an official DLR hotel, plus staying in Anaheim vs. beach cities or Los Angeles for California vacations. (Updated February 25, 2024.)
When Disneyland vacation planning, there are a ton of options: Good Neighbor Hotels, Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel, or one of the cheaper hotels on Harbor Boulevard? We regularly tour and stay in hotels near Disneyland, and update this post regularly with thoughts on the benefits and drawbacks of hotels around Disneyland.
This post narrows down the literally hundreds of hotels near Disneyland to our favorites. If you’re looking for something more comprehensive that covers all of our Anaheim hotel experiences, including hotel room photos, pros & cons, and a numerical score for each hotel, check out our Disneyland/Anaheim Hotel Review & Rankings list. It’s very long, but thorough!
For booking any hotel near Disneyland or other points of interest in Southern California, we recommend Get Away Today’s great package discounts. Some hotels have ‘4th night free’ promos, and you can save an extra $10 by using code TOURIST at checkout (valid on 2-night and longer stays). Click here to check out the package discounts available.
If you’re booking at the last minute, we’d instead recommend using the Hotel Tonight app for maximum savings. Along those lines, Priceline Express Deals can offer better last-minute savings if you don’t mind using a ‘blind booking’ site. However, we’d caution against (voluntarily) booking at the last minute if you’re traveling during peak seasons–pretty much any holiday weeks or times school is out of session. Last minute reservations are a great option for saving more, but only during the off-season and slower times of the year.
Even during slower seasons, you should be mindful of the Anaheim Convention Center schedule of events. When there’s not an event in Anaheim, there’s a surplus of hotel rooms, and prices fall. When a big event is being held at the ACC, there aren’t enough hotel rooms within walking distance, and prices absolutely skyrocket. We’re talking $400 per night for hotels that are normally $150!
We have consistently seen this play out year after year for almost the last decade. (The worst was back when runDisney races coincided with conventions!) This happens so consistently that it’s not as much a prediction as it is an inevitability. If you don’t believe us, hedge your bets by reserving something that’s refundable to see if prices fall later.
With that out of the way, we will start off with our favorite hotels near Disneyland in a variety of categories, and then discuss the reasons to stay on-site versus the big advantage of staying off-site…
Top 10 Hotels Near Disneyland
We’ve stayed at every on-site Disneyland hotel and most of the Good Neighbor Disneyland hotels and other off-site hotels within walking distance of the Disneyland Esplanade. Thus far, we’ve reviewed over 50 of these. One thing we really want to stress is that not all hotels near Disneyland are equal.
Many are relics from a different era when most of the hotels near Disneyland were shady motels that thrived simply due to their location and the fact that people would book them regardless. We’ve stayed at many of these, and have had some downright creepy experiences.
Other hotels near Disneyland are brand new, built during a huge construction boom that began post-Cars Land and continues to this day, and will likely for years to come now with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Avengers Campus (Marvel Land), and more being built. While these hotels tend to be a bit pricier, they also are considerably nicer. Along those same lines, many older motels have been renovated in the last several years, elevating their quality.
With that said, here are our favorite hotels near Disneyland, along with the strengths of each hotel. Since there are huge variances in pricing, we’ve broken this list down into great value for money options (most of which are around $150 per night) and excellent luxury options, which typically start at over $250 per night. Clicking the name of each hotel will open our full review in a new tab (which includes room photos and more), so click away!
5 Best Budget Hotels Near Disneyland
1. Best Western Plus Park Place
- Closest hotel to Disneyland (less than 10 minute walk)
- Good pricing, nice bedding, and free breakfast
- Click here to book discounted rates at Best Western Plus Park Place Inn
2. Residence Inn Anaheim Resort
- Great for families on a budget wanting more space, but not two separate rooms
- Brand new hotel built within the last few years
- Click here to book discounted rates at Residence Inn Anaheim Resort
3. Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn
- Great location within a 10 minute walk
- Very similar to BW Park Place in all regards–but usually cheaper
- Click here to book discounted rates at Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn
4. Springhill Suites Anaheim Resort
- Spacious family suites with modern decor, nice bedding, and sectional couches
- Great value for the amenities
- Click here to book discounted rates at the Springhill Suites Anaheim Resort
- Chic and stylish decor plus large rooms
- Great for travelers wanting more space on a moderate budget
- Click here to book discounted rates at Hyatt House Anaheim
Many of our favorite hotels near Disneyland can be booked via Get Away Today at a discount. If you bundle tickets into your hotel stay, you’ll get an even better deal. You can check package prices here.
This list should be great for families looking to be close to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure without breaking the bank. All of the above hotels are within walking distance, but some are really close. Others make the list for their modern amenities, more spacious rooms, and other features. Basically, something for everyone–except those wanting true luxury or distinctly Disney accommodations.
Best Luxury Hotels Near Disneyland
- True luxury resort with refined accommodations, dining, and amenities
- Lacking the theme park location and Disney style of Grand Californian, but more refined and less expensive
- Click here to book discounted rates at JW Marriott Anaheim Resort
- Brand new luxury hotel that opened last year
- Overlooks Disney California Adventure (located behind Pixar Pier)
- Click here to book discounted rates at Westin Anaheim Resort
3. Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
- Nicest off-site rooms of any hotel near Disneyland
- Large family suites are expensive–but a good alternative to on-site options
- Click here to book discounted rates at Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
There are not other off-site luxury hotels in Anaheim. Honestly, even calling the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance “luxury” might be a stretch. It’s an incredibly nice family-friend hotel that has great rooms and amenities–like a water park–but it isn’t your prototypical luxury-caliber hotel. (Hence the “Courtyard” branding.)
You might find lists of 4-star or AAA Diamond hotels that include The Viv Anaheim Tribute Portfolio Hotel, The Anaheim Hotel, Anaheim Marriott, Sheraton Park Hotel, or Hilton Anaheim. All of those are really nice (except The Anaheim Hotel), but The Viv is really far from the parks and the others are slightly-dated and closer to the Anaheim Convention Center. None of them are on par with the above trio or Disney-branded options below.
Disney-Owned Hotel Rankings
1. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
- Private park entrance to Disney California Adventure
- Lavish and posh Californian design…albeit with the highest prices of any hotel in Anaheim
- Click here to request a price quote on a Grand Californian Hotel vacation package
- Perfect rooms and themed environment for Disney fans, plus a great pool
- Very expensive given a walk that’s longer than many off-site hotels
- Click here to request a price quote on a Disneyland Hotel vacation package
3. Pixar Place Hotel
- Recently reimagined with markedly improved Pixar-styled guest rooms and private park entrance to DCA
- Expensive, inefficient elevators, and bones of a decades-old third party tower hotel
- Click here to request a price quote on a Disneyland Hotel vacation package
Okay, so there are only three Disney-branded or owned hotels near Disneyland and that’s all of them on the list above. Pixar Place Hotel is the “new” addition as of 2024, and we’ll have a full review very soon. For now, we’ll concede that we were haters of its predecessor (Paradise Pier Hotel) and like the reimagined resort more, but don’t love it.
At the end of the day, it’s a lot of window-dressing on what used to be a third-party hotel. The window-dressing does look nice and Imagineering did a fairly good job with the transformation, but it’s still just not on the same level at Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian. Big improvement, though!
For us, Pixar Place Hotel is still a tough sell and it’s hard to say that it’s “worth it.” (Definitely a closer call than before, at least.) This isn’t to say that the Grand Californian Hotel or Disneyland Hotel necessarily are–they can be quite expensive and cost-prohibitive for most travelers.
Nevertheless, both can be worth it for some people depending upon their budgets, circumstances, and priorities. We far prefer the Grand Californian, but that’s largely a matter of taste and its location. For a point-by-point comparison, see Disneyland Hotel vs. Grand Californian.
If you’re still having trouble deciding, we recommend contacting a fee-free Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They can help choose the option that’s right for your family. Hope this list of the best hotels near Disneyland helps narrow down your decision! If you’re still debating whether to stay off-site or on-site, here are the pros and cons of each…
Reasons to Stay On-Site
Environment – For us, the most compelling reason for staying on-site is that staying in a Disney-owned hotel keeps you fully immersed in that “magical” Disney environment. Many people discuss liking to be inside the “Disney Bubble” when on vacation, and at Disneyland, that’s only possible at the Disney-owned hotels.
They each have their own restaurants, Disney details, and can generally be accessed without seeing the rest of the “real” world. You won’t see Denny’s or Coldstone Ice Cream as you head directly from the Grand Californian Hotel right into its theme park entrance. You won’t find theming to a lavishly-designed arts & crafts style lodge or a monorail pool at the off-site hotels, either.
For some people, this is a big deal. For others, it’s not. If this does not matter to you, there’s honestly zero reason to pay a significant premium for a Disney hotel. They’re significantly more expensive, and don’t offer an advantage in terms of perks or proximity to the parks. If this does matter to you, strongly consider a Disney hotel.
While we tend to side with those who want to be immersed in the Disney Bubble as much as possible, that is not practical for us. Due to the high cost of the three official Disneyland hotels, we usually stay off-site at Disneyland in the hotels right across from Disneyland Resort on Harbor Boulevard.
If there was less of a price gap or Disney hotels offered more perks, that might tip the scales for us, but it’s so hard to justify paying an extra $300+ per night to stay in a Disney hotel just for the bubble. Your mileage may vary on that, though.
Perks – As compared to Walt Disney World, there are not as many perks of staying at Disney-owned hotels beyond the themed design and proximity to the parks. Other than that, the primary benefit is Early Entry. This is offered at both theme parks (every other day at each), and gives on-site resort guests 30-minute access to the parks before they open officially to the general public each day.
We’ve taken advantage of Early Entry at both parks and found it to be incredibly advantageous. See our Early Entry at Disneyland Photo Report and Early Entry at California Adventure Photo Report for a step-by-step look at what we accomplished during the 30 minutes and thereafter for rope drop. See our Guide to Early Entry at Disneyland for what you need to know about this pre-park opening access to Disneyland and DCA.
Reasons to Stay Off-Site
Cost – What’s the saying? “Money talks.” Disneyland doesn’t have Value Resorts. Rack rates start at around $400 per night for both Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel and can exceed $600/night. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is crazy-expensive (think of it as the sister resort of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa), exceeding $800/night during many times of the year.
During the busiest times of the year at Disneyland, rooms in these hotels can cost much more. Just check out the rates for a summer weekend in the graphic above. Those are starting rates for a standard room. If you want a suite or something special, you’re paying even more! Unfortunately, Disneyland has a serious shortage of on-site hotel rooms, so prices are often in exorbitant territory.
By contrast, off-site hotel rooms near Disneyland, are not nearly as expensive–and many of them are actually closer you the parks! These hotels can be a ~10 minute walk to the parks and priced around $150/night, making them ‘value’ options, of sorts.
Note that off-site hotels can creep up in price, too. The hotel shortage in the area even impacts off-site prices during tourist seasons (think any time school is out of session), as well as when there is an event at the Anaheim Convention Center. For this reason, we recommend booking a hotel near Disneyland far in advance most of the time. (Exceptions to this are the off-season, such as late August through early October and January through early March–last minute bargains can be found then.)
Distance to the Parks – The most compelling reason is that you can typically find an off-site hotel that is closer to Disneyland Resort than an on-site hotel. Sort of makes the terms off-site and on-site misnomers, right? Although Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is the closest hotel to Disneyland Resort, there are several hotels directly across the street from Disneyland Resort’s Esplanade (the open area between the two parks) that are a 5-10 minute walk to the turnstiles. Several of these are actually closer to the parks than Disneyland Hotel, which is 10-15 minutes by foot–albeit a lovely walk through Downtown Disney.
Even if your hotel does happen to be farther from the Esplanade than Disneyland Hotel or Pixar Place Hotel, there’s still a good chance your hotel will be within walking distance. You can–and should–easily be able to book a hotel within walking distance from Disneyland. Even if for some reason you book a hotel that isn’t within walking distance, chances are you can cheaply get to it via a hotel shuttle that it offers, or the Anaheim Resort Transit.
Since Disneyland can’t meet all of the needs of guests with its three hotels, Disneyland has a better working relationship with many “Good Neighbor Hotels” in the area. Due to the difference in pricing, Disneyland Resort does not even consider the off-site hotels competition (most people are not choosing between a $600/night room at the Grand Californian and a $125/night room at Alpine Inn!); this is unlike the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World, which are direct competition to the off-site hotels in Florida. Because of this, Disneyland tries to work with off-site hotels instead of competing with them.
Few On-Site Benefits – If you’re a Walt Disney World regular who stays on site there for the perks offered there to on-site guests, don’t expect anything comparable at Disneyland. There are no Extended Evening Hours or priority booking window for Individual Lightning Lanes. Walking is the best way to get to Disneyland, so the transportation system at Disneyland isn’t as important.
The upside to the lack of perks for on-site hotels at Disneyland Resort is that they are not really needed in the first place. The entire Anaheim Resort District (which includes Disneyland Resort and the off-site hotels) is far more compact than Walt Disney World, and is fairly easy to navigate entirely by foot. Moreover, Disneyland has that laid back “Californian” atmosphere, and requires far less planning, in general.
Best Hotels Beyond Disneyland
Obviously, this is a post titled “Best Hotels Near Disneyland” and touts the many options within walking distance of the parks. So it probably doesn’t make sense to list options that are outside of Anaheim and require a rental car or rideshare to reach.
Nevertheless, many people doing Disneyland are visiting as part of a bigger picture California vacation, and may also include Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Los Angeles, beach cities, or other destinations within Southern California. The good news is that Anaheim is a pretty centralized location, and easy access to I-5 makes it a breeze to reach everywhere on that list so long as you don’t encounter traffic.
With that said, here are a few other options:
- Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach – Best centralized beach hotel that’s more like a resort and is relatively reasonably priced.
- Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel – Incredible resort with a great location–pricey and inconvenient to Disneyland or Los Angeles.
- Laguna Riviera Resort – Great budget resort and a picturesque location in the best beach city–inconvenient to DLR/LA.
- Best Hotels Near Universal Studios Hollywood – Great options if you want to arrive early for Super Nintendo World.
- Montage Laguna Beach – Our favorite hotel in Southern California–incredibly expensive, and inconvenient to DLR/LA.
Turning back to Disneyland to wrap this up, there are a lot of selling points for the off-site hotels in Anaheim. They are cheaper, can be just as close to the parks, and offer most of the same perks as on-site Disney-owned hotels with the very big exception of early access. The actual biggest reason to stay in a Disney-owned hotel at Disneyland is if you want the Disney theming and environment.
For some, myself included, this is a big part of the experience of visiting the Disney theme parks. However, when that aspect of the experience is so costly, we’ll usually stay off-site. The cost difference and lack of on-site perks is a lot to overlook. While we always stay on-site at Walt Disney World, the off-site accessibility to Disneyland and the comparative lack of perks for staying on-site makes staying on-site at Disneyland less appealing. With that said, if your cost is no issue or you really want to splurge, then you can’t go wrong with Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian, both of which are fantastic.
If you’re still unsure of where to stay, we’d encourage you to read our full post that Ranks & Reviews Hotels Near Disneyland. In these reviews, you can see photos of the rooms and the premises, plus our analysis of whether each hotel is worth staying at, to whom it will appeal, and what our ideal nightly price point is for each hotel. We think these reviews will be really helpful if you’re thinking of booking a hotel near Disneyland.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
Your Thoughts
Do you normally stay on-site or in a nearby off-site hotel at Disneyland Resort? Which hotel in Anaheim is your favorite? Any hotels you don’t recommend? Has your opinion on off-site v. on-site changed since Cars Land opened in Disney California Adventure? Any questions? Hearing from readers is both helpful and interesting, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
I would love to hear your opinion on the Cortona Inn and Suites. I got a great price for our October stay. I’ve read mixed reviews, mostly good though. But just wondering what your thoughts are of if you’ve heard anything personally about this location. I already plan on taking the shuttle to Disneyland. I love the idea of bunk beds with the kids suite. I would love some input from someone who has stayed there before. I also like that they have a continental breakfast. Thanks for any input.
I’d also like to hear his thoughts on the Cortona Inn & Suites. I booked to for my August trip.
Thanks for this information. Like many we have WDW experience and LOVED the all inclusive feel. However after looking at these on-site options I was not impressed with the Family Friendly feel or location. Our kids range in age 5-16 so we are only planning 1/2 our trip in Disney and 1/2 at Universal. It looks like off-site will the way to go for us!
Grand Californian has a great location and feel…it’s just really, really expensive!
The best overall value is Ramada Maingate. We stay there every time. http://www.ramadamaingate.com/
They are right across the street from the transportation entrance.
It is a 5 min walk. Their pricing is usually the lowest on the block. They have been upgrading their rooms for the past few years and just added a whole new wing with suites. The have a new pool an jacuzzi. The staff is very helpful. They have a complementary breakfast. Free parking. Look for discount specials.
You won’t be disappointed.
Note: I have no personal or professional connection to this hotel. Just a very satisfied repeat customer.
I love the Ramada Maingate as well, but their prices have increased since they put up the new wing. They may now be out of our price range for our July trip. I wish they had built a parking garage instead of a new wing. It was already a challenge to find a parking space.
How would you rate the beds??? It’s been years since I stayed at the maingate… because it was like sleeping on plywood!
We stayed at Candy Cane Inn last week for three nights. We were very pleased with our room and how quiet the resort was. We upgraded to a premium room and had breakfast delivered to us each morning. They brought a sheet to us with all of our breakfast options each afternoon, and we just chose what we wanted, as well as what time we wanted it delivered. I timed our walk to the park one morning and from the time we left our room (in the back) to the time we reached the front gate at Disneyland was 10 minutes. The only downside for us was that the pool was really small, which wasn’t such a bummer for me as it was for my husband. Overall our experience was very pleasant, and I would definitely stay there again.
Candy Cane Inn is nice enough, but we’ve found it to be pricier than the other off-site hotels in the area. Still, not a bad option!
Which off site hotel has the best parking for large truck?
The HOJO has excellent parking for large trucks. They have parking along the outerwall which runs parallel to the other parking spots so you can get larger trucks in there – and the HOJO doesn’t charge for parking either as long as you are stay there
While I can certainly understand your comparison of WDW and DL, we always stay on-site on both coasts. We travel to WDW several times per year and usually choose a Value or Moderate resort (although we have stayed at every one of the WDW resorts). We only visit DL once per year, so we splurge and stay on-site. We’ve stayed at all three DL resorts, but we were absolutely blown away by the Disneyland Hotel refurbishments and it has become our favorite when traveling there.
I am surprised that I have never seen any source, guidebook or website, talk about renting a home or condo. We have rented through Homeaway & VRBO (vacation rental by owner) & also Craigslist once. We have Pricelined 2 reaaly nice but super cheap hotel rooms when taking our older kids, and also stayed on-property. For us, a private home or condo is definitely the way to go! More room, more bathrooms, more amenities. We do not use the kitchen beyond a very breakfast or to eat a take-out meal (after all, it’s Moms vacation too!) but it’s so nice to have the option, especially as we will be traveling this time around with our 2nd set of kids, almost three & just turned one, and a friends 2 year old. Plus, having a washer & dryer on-site is great with small kids! How come no one ever discusses this option? It is also usually less expensive! We are staying in a 3 bedroom condo, 2.5 baths, W&D, pool area, sleeps 11, for $185.00/night. I could not find anything for our party of eight that inexpensive & also that nice at any hotel!
where did you guys end up staying and how was it
What about the Hilton Anaheim? We booked a night there so we can use our 2 day 2 park hopper passes. We got it off Hotwire and it’s listed as a 4 star…it appears to have gotten horrible reviews though.
Don’t have any personal experience with that one, but I haven’t heard anything negative. Report back if you end up staying there!
We stay at the anaheim hilton all the time. We collect hilton points. It’s nice and you can get a disney view room and sometimes see world of color from the window. it’s less than a mile walk. It’s an easy walk and doesn’t even feel very far. But they have shuttles to disneyland every 15 min. I highly recommend it.
I just reluctantly booked Best Western Plus Park Place for August, have u stayed here before? Thoughts? Is it directly across the street to DL? There’s so many hotels to choose from and I’m a bit over whelmed! Help!
We have not stayed there, and I’m drawing a blank as to where it’s located. I know there’s a Best Western right across the street on Harbor, but not sure if that’s the one. Check out Google Maps.
I know it’s been a while since these comments, but hopefully this will help someone. If I don’t stay at a Disney hotel, I always stay at the Best Western Park Place Inn. It is the one directly across Harbor, and while nothing special, I’ve always found it to be clean, fairly cheap, and there’s free wifi. But mostly the location can’t be beat. Just don’t go to Captain Kidd’s next door for the free breakfast. Yuck.
Give Ramada Maingate a call. They are on the same block and I think a better overall value. See my note farther down.
We love to stay at Best Western Park Place. It has the absolute best location, continental breakfast, and the rooms were renovated just a few years ago. We have stayed at Porto Fino, HoJo, and a few others I can’t remember the name of. Park Place is the best!
We stayed at BWPP in summer 2014 and it was fine! Clean, helpful staff, pool was decent and rarely busy when we went and the continental breakfast was good with lots of variety. The best thing was the location! Quick to get to the parks, which is a bonus with a five year old. Am already planning to stay next trip to DL. It can also fit larger families, up to 6 in a room if you don’t mind a fold out couch for two.
We were originally booked at Fairfield Inn for our two day pre-cruise stay in May. But being such a short trip and wanting to see as much as possible in such a short time we swapped to GCH. Just 2 nights so figured we could swing it.
That sounds like a smart move. It means you won’t have to wait in standby for Radiator Springs Racers (as long as you get up early). That alone should save a lot of time!
My sister and I are taking our 3 boys (age 3 – 11) to Disneyland in August and staying at the HoJo. We are planning one day each for each park. Do you suggest Park Hopper tickets or are the one park per day tickets fine for how long we will be there?
Check out our full trip planning guide: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disneyland-first-time-visit-2012/
From there, you can find ticket information and a whole host of resources for planning. Have fun!
Thanks so much for your tips. Looking forward to staying at the fairfield rather than the best western pavillion or plus raffle. The desert and the other one looked nice too but sadly, were booked.
Since Cars Land opened, Desert Inn has been tough to book. Enjoy your trip!
Anyone stay at the Candycane Inn? I booked that for this summer
The Candy Cane Inn is very nice. It’s a bit further away than some of the hotels mentioned in this article, but definitely still within walking distance (15-20 minutes away).
Thanks for this blog–it’s great!
We stayed at HOJO’s with a family of 5 and loved it–but it was a far walk for my little one’s. We needed to take the shuttle after walking a couple of times. Since we hate having to depend on and wait for the shuttle and our family has grown (5 kids now) we LOVE staying at the Desert Inn and Suites! Perfect for a large family or group and so economical! They have suites that sleep 8 and it’s cheaper or about the same as trying to get two adjoining rooms at a cheap motel further away. Plus we don’t have to pay the shuttle fees so it kind of works out:)
I completely agree with your logic, and I might add you presented it quite well, thank you so much for sharing. I too stay off site at DLR and onsite at WDW for the same reasons.
When you reserved the Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites for under $80/night and the Del Sol Inn for even less; did you book your reservations through the hotels website or through a third party site? Also how far in advance do you advise making hotel reservation to get the best rate; months in advance or last minute?
Directly through the hotel websites. Sometimes we’d even call to see if their “best available” phone rate was any better.
HI,
Hotel reservations. Remembering that there are heavy and,
slow season’s in Disneyland as a seasoned pass holder, I would advise you to make your reservations ASAP for confirmed reservations. Also be sure to compare expedia rates, etc. with a live quote from the individual hotel
that you are interested in. The International Travelodge
on S. Harbor Boulevard is where my family usually stays.
Free transportaion to and from the Parks, Free parking,
free breakfast. Safe. $ 49.oo @ night. Great deal.
Renovated rooms. Good Luck!
Note that you don’t have to book a hotel package to get into Magic Mornings – the multi-day tickets (three days or longer, I believe) also include a Magic Morning entry when you buy them from the website. You can book your hotel separately and only get the tickets from Disney.
Magic Morning itself is a bit hit-and-miss, and the more popular Fantasyland attractions are often busier then than other times because everyone has the same idea. It is an extra hour in the park, though.
We stayed at the HoJo Anaheim during Thanksgiving week last year and were very pleased. The walk to the Disneyland turnstiles was about 10-15 minutes. We had a “Disney view” from our balcony and yes, the freeway traffic could be heard from our room but that did not bother us. We, too, didn’t want to spend the extra $$$ at a “Disney” property especially since so many other hotels were within walking distance and significantly cheaper. Of course, WDW is a whole different story and I believe staying at a Disney property is your best best due to the vastness of the parks and their transportation can’t be beat!
Absolutely agree with you about on-site WDW v. on-site DLR!
I’m with you both on this one. I can’t imagine spending the extra $ for onsite at DL, just doesn’t seem worth it, but ALWAYS at WDW.
I will be visiting Disneyland this summer – my primary reason for attending a work-related conference in Anaheim. Am so excited to get to go to the parks every afternoon after sitting in meetings all day! My question is about safety; where would you recommend staying for a solo female? Is the short walk to the off-site hotels well-lit with lots of pedestrians at night? Disneyland Hotel is one of the conference hotels, but a bit pricier than I would like. I’m currently booked at Fairfield Inn, if you’ve seen that one, how close is it in proximity to the park?
I have travelled solo and as a single mother with children and now grand children for over two decades now. I have never felt threatened in the least. If you are concerned about this, stay at the DH otherwise any of the properties already mentioned will be fine. The only caveat I offer is to be sure to do you research, as there are plenty of very scuzzy properties in the DLR area. Check the distance for the Fairfield, as you will have to factor in transportation/parking. I had an unpleasant experience at a DLR area Fairfield so cannot recommend them. I personally stay at Hilton properties and prefer the Homewood or Embassy Suites but also always travel with a vehicle and parking included in my AP. The Hilton is very nice after the huge remodel and is next door to the convention center, but is not particularly close to the DL or DCA entries even though it may look that way on a map.
BTW I totally agree with those who ALWAYS stay on property at WDW!!! I would not consider anything else, but caution you to do your homework in the DLR area.
I too am a single mother, and our monthly perk is our Disneyland Annual Passports. We visit the parks every month, but make a 2-4 day stay of it every other month. We always stay at Embassy Suites. The shuttle is $5/person & parking is free. They do a Manager’s Reception each evening for 2hrs with free snacks & cocktails that is always nice. The best part is the incredible “Cook-to-Order” breakfast they provide every morning! The food is delicious & plentiful. This saves us so much money on food & snacks in the park for the first half of each day. The average cost is $119/night if booked a few weeks in advance and that makes it better than a lot of the hotels “across the street” from the parks. When you add parking, shuttles (15-20min to get to the park), and breakfast to their beautifully appointed 2-room suites, I think the choice is a no-brainer. These rooms fit up to 6 guests- the more you bring the more you save with amenities such as the breakfast- and there is a lovely indoor pool & spa, a fitness center, restaurant, bar, and business center. The atrium is wonderful with cobblestone paths, wooden bridges, a picturesque gazebo, twinkling lights, plush greenery, and a pond situated down the center of it all with vibrant fish & playful turtles!
Please give this place a try & see how it improves your experience!
We stayed at Ayres Inn Orange for 3 nights on our visit to Disneyland. I thought it was awesome! The room was very nice, especially for the price, and the shuttle got us to the park in about 15 minutes. The parking is free and the substantial free breakfast were huge pluses for our family of four.
Great tip. Free breakfast can be a substantial benefit depending upon the quality of the meal at the place you stay!
Parking is free but when I looked at the website they charge for the shuttle which is required due to the distance from the hotel. Many of the hotels within 1 mile from Disney charge an average of $12 a day for parking and based on the shuttle fees at the Ayres you are paying more for a family for the shuttle and it takes longer to get to/from the park…
HoJo for the pools, if you have kids who have to have a pool,or pools. The new pools at the DL hotel look nice, but not nice enough for the up-grade. Do you or Sarah swim? Or just dip your toes in developing solution?
I’ve heard a lot of great things about the HoJo pool. I’ve also heard the HoJo rooms can be noisy due to its proximity to the highway. We typically don’t have enough time to swim, although I enjoy it!
Thanks for this! We’re planning our first Disneyland trip for this fall (hopefully the first week they have holiday decorations up) and the hardest thing to decide is definitely where to stay. Do you recall by chance when the discounts for that time of year start surfacing?
Expect discounts to start surfacing this summer.