Best Hotels Near Disneyland
This guide to accommodations near Disneyland ranks the 10 best hotels within walking distance of the California parks, weighs pros & cons of staying off-site v. on-site, perks of choosing an official DLR hotel, which options are best at Anaheim Convention Center. (Updated April 3, 2022.)
When Disneyland vacation planning, there are a ton of options: Good Neighbor Hotels, Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier 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.
In addition to this post, which focuses heavily on whether you should stay off-site or on-site, we have a much more comprehensive list that shares all of our Anaheim hotel experiences, including hotel room photos, pros & cons, and a numerical score for each hotel. For that, check out our Disneyland/Anaheim Hotel Review & Rankings list. It’s very long, but thorough!
Get Away Today already has some great package discounts, and more are likely on the way. 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 this year, as we anticipate rooms increasing in price in the coming weeks and months.
The reason for this is that the Anaheim Convention Center has a jam-packed schedule of events (see above). This is unlike last year, when most events were cancelled or delayed (until this year!). The result then was atypically low prices for hotels near Disneyland. The result this year is likely going to be surging prices, driven by a mix of pent-up demand among tourists and convention-goers.
In spot-checking hotel prices and availability in Anaheim, we’re already starting to see this for the next two months, but June 2022 and beyond aren’t bad…yet. Those prices will only go up, not down. You should lock something in ASAP if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland between now and mid-August 2022. During the fall off-season, there are only a handful of conventions and deals should return. (With one big exception: September 8-11, 2022, which is the 2022 D23 Expo.)
If you’re a longtime reader, you might note that this advice is the exact opposite of our recommendation last year. Again, that’s because of the Anaheim Convention Center schedule. When there’s an event in town, there’s a shortage of hotels around Disneyland, driving prices higher.
When there’s not an event in Anaheim, there’s a surplus of hotel rooms, and prices fall. 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.
None of this is to scare you away from visiting Disneyland in 2022. To the contrary, we think it’s a great year to visit. The California parks have gotten back to normal at a faster pace than Walt Disney World and will be pretty close to 100% by April 22, 2022. Even though it’s Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, it’s arguably a better year for Disneyland.
We make the case for California in Disneyland v. Walt Disney World: Is West Best in 2022? Beyond more normalcy, there are a number of reasons for this recommendation, from a more laid back experience (Genie+ isn’t stressful at Disneyland) to lower prices for hotels. But in order for the last part of that to be true, you need to lock-in hotel reservations sooner rather than 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…
10 Best 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!
Top 5 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
Top 5 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
2. 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
- 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
- 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
5. 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
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.
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 – Currently (as of April 3, 2022), there are no perks of staying at Disney-owned hotels beyond the themed design and proximity to the parks (although as discussed below, the latter is not always an advantage). Normally, the biggest on-site perk is the Extra Magic Hour benefit. However, this early entry has been suspended with no timeframe for its return. We will update accordingly if/when Disneyland brings it back.
The Extra Magic Hour perk is a nice way to experience some attractions in the morning one hour before the park opens to regular guests. The current Extra Magic Hour schedule is as follows:
Disneyland Park: Tuesdays, Thursdays and SaturdaysDisney California Adventure: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
As far as on-site perks go, that’s it. Even the Extra Magic Hour is not all that magical. On many mornings, it’s not necessary, or doesn’t offer much of an advantage over sleeping in and rope-dropping the park that does not have the Extra Magic Hour.
There are no evening Extra Magic Hours at Disneyland, and during the Extra Magic Hour only select attractions are open. If you’re staying off-site, you can have just as much of an advantage by rope-dropping the park that is not offering Extra Magic Hours.
The only scenario in which Extra Magic Hour really makes an actual difference is with Cars Land. It can help minimize waits for Radiator Springs Racers, and also make it easier to experience other popular draws like Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
However, as we discuss below, rope dropping Disney California Adventure on a non-Extra Magic Hour morning offers pretty much the exact same opportunity…
Reasons to Stay Off-Site
Cost – What’s the saying? “Money talks.” Disneyland doesn’t have Value Resorts. Rack rates start at around $300 per night for both Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier 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 five minute walk to the turnstiles.
Even if you’re hotel does happen to be further from the Esplanade than Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel (which are both around 10-15 minutes away), 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 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.
We already covered the Extra Magic Hour above, but there’s another, similar perk for off-site guests. The (sorta?) good news is that even if you don’t stay on-site, you can be eligible for Magic Mornings. As with the Extra Magic Hour, we aren’t huge fans of Magic Mornings, as they tend to offer little actual advantage over skipping the perk and simply doing regular rope drop.
Magic Mornings function similarly to the Extra Magic Hour, except are open to anyone with a qualifying 3+ day ticket. Currently, Magic Mornings occur only at Disneyland on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. You might notice these are exactly the same days as Extra Magic Hours. On these days, you have a lot of people getting up early to go to Disneyland to take “advantage” of what they think is a special perk.
It’s to the point where you’re actually better off skipping this perk and rope-dropping Disney California Adventure on these mornings. With so many people heading to Disneyland for this special access, DCA is actually very quiet on those days. In other words, the Extra Magic Hour and Magic Mornings are pretty much a perk in name only. The actual advantage they offer is illusory.
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.
Conclusion
Off-site hotels 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 just too much 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 to us.
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!
Are you prepared to offer any spoilers about your Hyatt House review? Was it good? I am tossing up between it and the Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park entrance which I see you recommend quite highly and is a little closer than the Hyatt House but would cost $30 a night more.
I’m a bit late with this reply, but I’d–without a doubt–take Courtyard by Marriott Theme Park Entrance for the lower price. In fact, I’d probably pay slightly more for it.
Hopefully you already saw our Hyatt House review, though! 🙂
Awesome This article is amazing, I plan to meet Disneyland in soon and now with these valuable tips there are not excuses to meet it. I love this blog and always accompany the tips and trips.
Hi, I am concerned about bed bugs in hotels near Disneyland. Any advice or experience?
Unless you are staying at very shady hotels, I would not worry about it. Almost every hotel had a bed bugs issue ~3 years ago (which is why you’ll see scary reports online), but all of the reputable hours took significant action to remedy the issue.
I too am worri d about bed bugs
We are from Canada and a family went Oct 2016 and stayed at holiday inn and Bed bugs! The hotel substaintiatef this and refunded money.
Which hotels are newer and within walking distance and which do you recommend a hotel or try renting a condo.
We are there for 5 days with 4 adults and one child so would need two rooms or a large suite. Online searching can get confusing not knowing the area do any advise would be appreciated.
I too am worried about bed bugs
We are from Canada and a family we know went Oct 2016 and stayed at holiday inn and Bed bugs! The hotel substaintiated this and refunded money.
Which hotels are newer and within walking distance and which do you recommend a hotel or try renting a condo.
We are there for 5 days with 4 adults and one child so would need two rooms or a large suite. Online searching can get confusing not knowing the area do any advise would be appreciated.
I stayed at offsite hotels as I was with my wife and kids. They enjoyed going early at parks nearby. It was also walking distance to Disneyland. Hotel was worth and affordable.
Hi we r talking my daughter and husband and two little boys ages 2 and 4 to Disneyland in September. Where would u suggest to stay. Would love to have bigger rooms or suites. The boys love the pool and water slides. Any hints at all would be awesome
What are your thoughts on the Anaheim Camelot Inn & Suites?
Yes, I am interested in this one too…
Thanks!
We have stayed at several of these and have decided that hands down, Desert Palm in the place for us. From the deluxe breakfast that saves us loads of money, to the free parking, we just feel like it’s better than many others. I would be curious to read a review from you on that hotel.
Dear Tom:
Leaving park night of July 18 and need a place to stay, next day going to Malibu and other areas but will be tired after full day at Disneyland, recommend a place to stay not too far away, thanks,
Dale
Have you stayed at Hampton inn, Anaheim. If so what’s it like. Have stayed at Hilton garden inn before and loved it and still found it close enough.
Have you stayed at Hampton inn, Anaheim. If so what’s it like. Have stayed at Hilton garden inn before and loved it.
Any plans to do an updated review of Grand Californian? Looking to stay there mid-October during the week, but the rates are almost $500/night! Would you consider renting DVC points a better option? Taking my eight y/o niece and sister for a surprise birthday trip 🙂 Love your blog!!
We usually stay at the Disneyland Hotel (every 3 months or so) and LOVE it, but we usually go during slow times so we can grab rooms for just over $200/night. We went with some friends during Easter and the rates were crazy high, but we wanted the magic hours )and as Tom says “to stay in the Disney bubble”), so we stayed at the Paradise Pier…and we did not like it. It was a glorified Holiday Inn IMO, and the elevator situation, especially with a stroller, is awful. On our most recent trip, last week, we stayed at GCH for the first time. It was about $100/night more than DLH, and really not worth it for us. The view from our room at GCH was nice (we may have gotten a free upgrade to a view room, because we certainly didn’t pay for it), a pretty clear view of Screamin’ and the Mickey Wheel. I also liked the bunk beds in the rooms at GCH. The rooms at DLH tend to be nicer and more modern. Plus there are always lots of characters hanging out at the lobby and grounds of DLH. For me, there’s also the nostalgia of staying at the original DLH. I remember always wanting to stay there as a kid, but we always ended up staying with family or friends in the LA area.
Have you stayed at The Anabella Hotel? I have a room booked there in September and am hoping the photos on the website are accurate.
How about the alamo? Im staying there in sept and wonder what its like there and how long of a walk it will be to the parks
Stayed at Alamo Inn a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the worst hotels I’ve stayed at near Disneyland. I would not recommend it.
Any info about your experience would be helpful. From what ive read its hit and miss now..just looking for a place to sleep and shower. Im running the half in sept and not planning on spending much time at the hotel..any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
We just booked Ramanda Maingate for our stay in July. We got a great rate with a veteran’s discount….but now I’m ready some pretty harsh reviews on travelocity! Is it still a decent place to stay? Are we going to get some trashed out, unrenovated room? Is the construction horrible? Thanks for any input!!
I would like to see reviews of the Sheraton Park and Doubletree Suites by Hilton. I’ve stayed at both – pros and cons.
Have you stayed at any other Marriott brand hotels near DLR? Such as Fairfield, Courtyard, Residence Inn. If be very curious to read your reviews of those.
I think the Fairfield is solid (albeit often a tad overpriced), but I haven’t stayed at the others yet.
Staying at good ole Del Sol for the 24hr party in May, easy to take a nap!
Tom,
Disneyland no longer does any kind of voucher or meal plan system for guests. You can get vouchers for character dining, but that is it. I was there for a training a few weeks ago and was told that by the agent trainers. Just FYI 🙂
Can you use those character vouchers for other meals? The Disneyland Dining Plan pretty much was always for character dining, but they let you use it other places. It’s hard to tell if it’s totally gone, because there are still some references to it on Disneyland’s website, but no one I’ve talked to really knows what the deal is.
Thanks for the info!
I’m not sure as I haven’t seen them yet. I know that is the only meal thing that can be added on to a package. We were given the old paper vouchers to use at the training in the parks and they worked fine. But there were some Cast Members who didn’t know what they were. I haven’t seen anything else where you can buy them separately, not even for character meals, those are part of the package. It seems to me they could sell more food in the park of they did a credit system with a plastic card or even a magical type of band 🙂 (gasp!)
Looking for information on the Castle Inn and Suites. Last time we visited we stayed at the Travelodge on Ball Road and were disappointed with hotel and location. Would like to stay across main gate and looking for economical options as we are hardly in the room.
thanks,
Lee-Ann
We’re taking our kids on their first trip to Disneyland this fall, and trying to decide where to stay. We want to get the best deal we can, but we’re also aiming to stay 8 nights, so we’d prefer to have a suite where we can sleep separate from the kids, hopefully maximizing everyone’s chances of a good sleep. The suites at the Desert Palms Inn & Suites seem to be a decent choice, but are their better values out there?
Separate question–do most people recommend waiting till the summer to book for the fall (thinking late Sept at the moment)? Really want to make sure we get the best deal.