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!
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.