CHOOSING THE BEST HOTEL FOR YOUR DISNEYLAND VACATION DOESN’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED! IN FACT, WITH ALL THE OPTIONS IN ANAHEIM, DECIDING WHERE TO STAY MIGHT BE THE EASIEST CHOICE YOU MAKE!
So you’re thinking about planning your next visit to Disneyland? Hooray! So are we!! There are so many things to consider when looking at a trip to Anaheim. Let’s take a look at how to pick the best hotel for your Disneyland vacation.
What do you look for in a hotel? Are you all about convenience, luxury or budget? Do you look for on-site dining, extra amenities or pool time? These are all excellent factors to think about before booking your home away from home. Let’s break them down.
Location
The location of your hotel is a pretty big factor. You’ll need to consider whether you are within walking distance to the parks, or if you’ll need transportation. Many of the hotels surrounding the Disneyland Resort do offer shuttle services to and from the parks. You might also need parking if your hotel is far enough away that there isn’t a free shuttle. There are several Disneyland Resort parking lots that offer tram service into the Resort itself. Be sure to check on the official Disneyland site to confirm pricing and availability!
We like to stay within walking distance, for several reasons:
No waiting for shuttles
At the end of a long day, we just want to go back to the hotel and not wait in yet another line. Being able to walk back, no matter how tired we might feel, is always a preferred option for our family.
Mid-day breaks
On days when the parks are particularly hot and crowded, we like to head back to our room for a little refresh. We like to be able to just come and go, without worrying about someone else’s timetable.
Get up and Go
Having the park next door comes in handy on Magic Mornings. Everyone can get a bit more sleep and be refreshed and ready to tackle the day.
Amenities
Depending on how much time you spend at the hotel rather than in the parks, the amenities offered by the hotels can really influence your decision on how to choose the best hotel for your Disneyland vacation.
If you plan to be in Disneyland for the rope-drop and stay until they make you leave each day, a lot of amenities probably aren’t a big deal. But if you like to pop back and forth, or if you have smaller kids that need a break or two throughout the day, you’ll want to consider what your hotel offers.
Look into whether or not your hotel has any or all of the following:
- Pool
- On-site dining
- Convenience Store
- Coffee shop
- Concierge service
- Park ticket sales
- Kitchenettes
Budget
When choosing a hotel, it’s important to remember that they are NOT all created equal! You can easily find a hotel to fit every budget in the Disneyland Resort area. There are very budget-conscious options right up to extremely luxurious accommodations, and everything in between. Depending on the frequency of your visits and your own personal budget and tastes, you’ll be sure to find a hotel that works for you.
Again, how much time you spend in your room can help dictate your decision. If you only need your room to sleep and shower, and you don’t expect to spend any more time there than that, do you really need to splurge on luxury? Or would you rather allocate that money to a different experience? Of course, I’m not saying DON’T book a 5-star hotel if you really want to, just consider whether you need it.
The non-Disney properties around the Disneyland Resort are referred to as Good Neighbour Hotels. What does this mean? Simply put, these are hotels that Disney does not own, but they “approve”. Good value, good location and good reputation.
The Good Neighbour Hotels fall into four main categories – Moderate, Superior, Deluxe and Suites. They are:
GOOD NEIGHBOUR HOTELS
Moderate
Anaheim Camelot Inn & Suites
Anaheim Portofino Inn & Suites
Best Western Plus: Anaheim Inn, Park Place Inn & Mini-Suites, Pavilions, Raffles Inn & Suites and Stovall’s Inn
Candy Cane Inn
Castle Inn & Suites
Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort
Cortona Inn & Suites Anaheim Resort
Fairfield Inn by Marriott Anaheim Resort
Four Points Sheraton Anaheim
Grand Legacy at the Park
Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground
Motel 6 Anaheim Maingate
The Anaheim Hotel
Tropicana Inn & Suites
All the hotels on this list are within a mile of the Disneyland Resort – some are right across the street! We have stayed at seven different hotels on this list and have been happy with each and every one of them.
Superior
Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel
Anaheim Marriott
Delta Hotels by Marriott Anaheim Garden Grove
Hilton Anaheim
Hyatt Regency Orange County
JW Marriott Anaheim Resort
Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort
The Westin Anaheim Resort
These hotels are a little further from the Resort, with some being over a mile. Be sure to confirm if the hotels have transportation options!
Deluxe
CAMBRIA Hotel & Suites Anaheim Resort
Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
Desert Palms Hotel & Suites Anaheim Resort
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Anaheim Garden Grove
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Garden Grove
Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort
Holiday Inn & Suites Anaheim
Hotel Lulu Anaheim Resort
Hyatt Place at Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Radisson Blu Anaheim
Sonesta Anaheim Resort Area
SunCoast Park Hotel Anaheim
The hotels on this list are anywhere from across the street to over a mile away. Again, do your research and determine how far from the park you’d like to be.
Suites
Anaheim Marriott Suites
Candlewood Suites Anaheim Resort Area
Clementine Hotel & Suites Anaheim
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Embassy Suites by Hilton Anaheim North
Embassy Suites by Hilton Anaheim South
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Anaheim Resort Area
Home2 Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort
Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim Maingate Area
Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim Convention Center
Hyatt House at Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Residence Inn by Marriott Anaheim Resort Area Garden Grove
Residence Inn Marriott at Anaheim Resort Convention Center
Sonesta ES Suites Anaheim
Springhill Suites by Marriott Anaheim Maingate
Springhill Suites Marriott at Anaheim Resort Convention Center
As with the other categories, these hotels vary in distance to the resort. They all indicate that transportation is available for a fee, but given that these are suites, they may be the best choice for longer stays or larger groups.
We often stay at a designated Disneyland Good Neighbour Hotel when we go. This way of planning allows us to spend a little less on the hotel rooms and be able to visit more often!
DISNEYLAND RESORT HOTELS
The Disneyland Hotels are lovely, there’s no doubt about it. So far, I’ve only stayed at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. But we are booked into Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa for our next trip – I’ll be sure to provide a FULL review.
These properties have wonderful amenities and, of course, AMAZING locations. And if your budget allows for it, they are definitely a great experience!
Extra perks abound when staying on a Disney property. However, during this time of uncertainty and changes, be sure to read up on what may or may not be available to you at the time of booking.
The most important thing is to be sure that when choosing your hotel, you do your research. Choose a property that works for you and your particular needs and BOOK IT! Hotels can fill up fast, especially around holidays or long weekends.
All in all, there are so many great options to fit all budgets and families. You can find the list of Disneyland Good Neighbour Hotels on the Disneyland site. At the time of writing, there are 50 hotels on this list! You can also find the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort on the site.
For even more tips, you’ll want to see where we choose to save and splurge on our Disney vacations!
And remember – regardless of what you decide is the best hotel for your Disneyland vacation – it’s Disneyland! Have a Magical time!
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