Where to Stay when visiting Disneyland
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When it comes to choosing where to stay, I'm a firm believer in staying somewhere where you can walk. It's just more convenient and saves you time. With that said, there are a selection of hotels that allow you to walk. Most of these hotels are located on Harbor Blvd., Katella Ave., or one of the Disney resorts on Disney property.
I always joke that I am really cheap but have really expensive tastes, and that doesn't stop with hotels. I struggle to stay at hotels that aren't updated or newer, clean, and provide a lot of amenities. So, this does narrow down the hotels I would recommend when coming to Disneyland. You will find some hotels very close to the entrance, but I simply wouldn't recommend them, either due to reviews, cleanliness, or lack of amenities, such as a nice pool. You won't be spending much time in your room, but you will want a place you feel comfortable in and can get some good sleep. |
You can see how Katella Ave. runs alongside the bottom of the Disneyland Resort and Harbor Blvd. runs along the side.
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There are three groups of hotels near the Disneyland Resort. They are the Disney Resort hotels, Good Neighbor hotels, and ones not affiliated with Disneyland at all. I personally have only stayed at Disneyland Good Neighbor hotels. Even thought these Good Neighbor hotels have a relationship with Disney, I can't recommend them all. They vary in price and quality, so be careful when choosing one of these.
So, which hotels do I recommend? Let me break it down for you.
Disney's Grand Californian
If price is no option and you really want the full Disney experience, the obvious choice is Disney's Grand Californian. I have not stayed at this hotel because of the cost. It's hard for me to validate spending that kind of money when the only time I really spend in my hotel room during my Disneyland trips is while I am sleeping. But...I do want to stay here some day.
I've done a lot of research about this hotel and the reviews can be hit or miss, with most of them saying that it's not worth the cost. It averages around $600-$700 a night for the cheapest rooms. So, you are most likely going to spend more, especially for more popular times such as Halloween and Christmas.
The hotel design takes notes from the outdoors of Northern California and creates a warm and inviting feeling as soon as you step inside. I have been inside the Grand Californian several times, and it's beautiful, especially at Christmas time. During Christmas, the interior is all decorated and they even have a large gingerbread house. Even if you don't stay here, you can still go inside and see all the beautiful decorations, try some delicious treats, and enjoy the ambiance.
And hands down, it has the best pool out of any hotel/motel surrounding the Disneyland Resort area.
So, which hotels do I recommend? Let me break it down for you.
Disney's Grand Californian
If price is no option and you really want the full Disney experience, the obvious choice is Disney's Grand Californian. I have not stayed at this hotel because of the cost. It's hard for me to validate spending that kind of money when the only time I really spend in my hotel room during my Disneyland trips is while I am sleeping. But...I do want to stay here some day.
I've done a lot of research about this hotel and the reviews can be hit or miss, with most of them saying that it's not worth the cost. It averages around $600-$700 a night for the cheapest rooms. So, you are most likely going to spend more, especially for more popular times such as Halloween and Christmas.
The hotel design takes notes from the outdoors of Northern California and creates a warm and inviting feeling as soon as you step inside. I have been inside the Grand Californian several times, and it's beautiful, especially at Christmas time. During Christmas, the interior is all decorated and they even have a large gingerbread house. Even if you don't stay here, you can still go inside and see all the beautiful decorations, try some delicious treats, and enjoy the ambiance.
And hands down, it has the best pool out of any hotel/motel surrounding the Disneyland Resort area.
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Christmas tree in front of the fireplace during Christmas season.
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One of the biggest perks about staying at a Disneyland Resort is that you get Early Entry into the parks. With this perk, you get into the parks 30 minutes before other visitors. During this 30 minutes, select rides are open. The most popular rides, such as Rise of the Resistance or Radiator Springs Racers are not available during this time. Another huge perk to staying at the Grand Californian is that you get an exclusive entrance into California Adventure. It puts you into the park right by Grizzly River Rapids in the Grizzly Peak area.
The other Disneyland Resort hotels, Paradise Pier (currently being renovated to have a Pixar theme) and the Disneyland Hotel also have the Early Entry perk. They aren't as expensive as the Grand Californian, but they still are more expensive than other hotels in the area and feel you get more bang for your buck with other non-Disney hotels.
Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel
One of the more popular Good Neighbor hotels is the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel or Hojo as many people call it. We have stayed here and really enjoyed our stay. It's clean, most rooms have been recently updated, and has one of the better pools in the area. This hotel is located on Harbor Blvd., making its location pretty ideal and within an 8-10 minute walk to the gates at Disneyland. Probably the biggest drawback to this hotel for us was the lack of food options. There are times when you aren't in the park (or your sick of the park food) and you want something different. Hojo doesn't really have anything and you will have to go to one of the nearby restaurants, most of which are quick service such as Panera or McDonald's.
So, if you are looking for more of a no frills hotel, but has a good pool to come back to, I highly suggest this one.
Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
If I were to choose my favorite hotel to stay at while visiting Disneyland, this would be it. The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is to me the perfect hotel for families, especially if your children are getting older. The biggest perk to staying here is that even the basic rooms come with bunk beds. So, for us, with two children, they each had their own bed, and so did we.
Another perk to this hotel is that it has the best non-Disney hotel pool in the area. They actually call it a waterpark. There are slides, a water play area, and it's big, so it doesn't feel crowded. My kids loved it here and would beg to leave Disneyland to go play at the pool.
The other Disneyland Resort hotels, Paradise Pier (currently being renovated to have a Pixar theme) and the Disneyland Hotel also have the Early Entry perk. They aren't as expensive as the Grand Californian, but they still are more expensive than other hotels in the area and feel you get more bang for your buck with other non-Disney hotels.
Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel
One of the more popular Good Neighbor hotels is the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel or Hojo as many people call it. We have stayed here and really enjoyed our stay. It's clean, most rooms have been recently updated, and has one of the better pools in the area. This hotel is located on Harbor Blvd., making its location pretty ideal and within an 8-10 minute walk to the gates at Disneyland. Probably the biggest drawback to this hotel for us was the lack of food options. There are times when you aren't in the park (or your sick of the park food) and you want something different. Hojo doesn't really have anything and you will have to go to one of the nearby restaurants, most of which are quick service such as Panera or McDonald's.
So, if you are looking for more of a no frills hotel, but has a good pool to come back to, I highly suggest this one.
Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance
If I were to choose my favorite hotel to stay at while visiting Disneyland, this would be it. The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is to me the perfect hotel for families, especially if your children are getting older. The biggest perk to staying here is that even the basic rooms come with bunk beds. So, for us, with two children, they each had their own bed, and so did we.
Another perk to this hotel is that it has the best non-Disney hotel pool in the area. They actually call it a waterpark. There are slides, a water play area, and it's big, so it doesn't feel crowded. My kids loved it here and would beg to leave Disneyland to go play at the pool.
Another benefit to staying at this hotel is that it's even closer than the Hojo. Even though these two hotels sit on the same side of the street on Harbor Blvd. and are only separated by a side street and a restaurant, this hotel felt like a much quicker walk than the Hojo. It's roughly 6-8 minutes before you are at the entrance to Disneyland, which is pretty amazing and quicker than some of the Disneyland hotels.
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Lastly, which might be the biggest perk for me and my husband are the dining options specifically the fact that they have Starbucks located right in the lobby. If you are a coffee drinker, the ability to grab Starbucks BEFORE you get to the gates preferable.
The food from the Bistro is also really good. Like I mentioned, sometimes you just don't want park food. To have this option of somewhere else to eat, and being able to take it to your room and eat, while you relax is so great. It has a really good kid's breakfast, too, making it a perfect option to fuel up before heading into the parks.
This hotel can vary in price. I have found the earlier you book, the better price you tend to get. And of course, if you are going during a peak time, you can definitely expect higher prices. One of the best ways to book this hotel is through Getaway Today as a vacation package with your tickets included. This is what we did, and it saved us quite a bit. I talk more about Getaway Today on this page and why they are always my first choice for booking my Disneyland trips and tickets.
The food from the Bistro is also really good. Like I mentioned, sometimes you just don't want park food. To have this option of somewhere else to eat, and being able to take it to your room and eat, while you relax is so great. It has a really good kid's breakfast, too, making it a perfect option to fuel up before heading into the parks.
This hotel can vary in price. I have found the earlier you book, the better price you tend to get. And of course, if you are going during a peak time, you can definitely expect higher prices. One of the best ways to book this hotel is through Getaway Today as a vacation package with your tickets included. This is what we did, and it saved us quite a bit. I talk more about Getaway Today on this page and why they are always my first choice for booking my Disneyland trips and tickets.
Westin Anaheim Resort
We stayed at the Westin Anaheim Resort for our latest trip to Disneyland. It is Anaheim's only AAA 4-Diamond hotel, and is located on Katella Ave. right across from Disneyland California Adventure. We loved this hotel. Like, really loved it. The only reason I prefer the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance over this hotel is because of the bunk beds. If it wasn't for those bunk beds, the Westin would be my first choice.
The Westin was built on the piece of property where the old Annabella Hotel was located and was recently opened back in June 2021. Because it's so new, there are so many updated features in your room like USB ports everywhere, which comes in handy when traveling with multiple people and multiple devices. Also, I've never been to a hotel that has so many people cleaning all the time. The hotel is spotless! More impressive is the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. And, if you want to splurge and spend a bit more money, you can get a room with a view of Disney California Adventure and the Incredicoaster. This hotel is so close to Disney property, you can hear the screams from that ride as you walk out the front doors.
We stayed at the Westin Anaheim Resort for our latest trip to Disneyland. It is Anaheim's only AAA 4-Diamond hotel, and is located on Katella Ave. right across from Disneyland California Adventure. We loved this hotel. Like, really loved it. The only reason I prefer the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance over this hotel is because of the bunk beds. If it wasn't for those bunk beds, the Westin would be my first choice.
The Westin was built on the piece of property where the old Annabella Hotel was located and was recently opened back in June 2021. Because it's so new, there are so many updated features in your room like USB ports everywhere, which comes in handy when traveling with multiple people and multiple devices. Also, I've never been to a hotel that has so many people cleaning all the time. The hotel is spotless! More impressive is the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. And, if you want to splurge and spend a bit more money, you can get a room with a view of Disney California Adventure and the Incredicoaster. This hotel is so close to Disney property, you can hear the screams from that ride as you walk out the front doors.
This hotel is located on the opposite corner of the park from the Hojo and Courtyard Anaheim on the corner of Katella Ave. and Disneyland Dr. Even though it is technically located farther from the entrance to the parks, I preferred this walk more. The walk was closer to 20-25 minutes. As soon as you cross the street from the corner of the hotel, you are on Disney property. When you walk down Harbor, you are passing fast food restaurants, older hotels, and lots and lots of people, all hustling to Disneyland just like you. But this walk from the Westin takes you down past the Paradise Pier Hotel, then the Grand Californian, and eventually to Downtown Disney. What we found by going this way is that you get through security faster and feel like you are in the Disney bubble almost instantly. So, despite the longer walk, we liked it more. Given the fact you will be walking, and walking, and walking all day long, this extra time might be a deal breaker for some. For us, we were exhausted by the time we got back to our hotel and made us enjoy the Westin Heavenly beds even more.
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This hotel also had several dining options right on site. Some were more fancier than others, but had something for everyone. We even took advantage of ordering food from the bar at 10:30 one night and brought it back up to our room. It was really good! There is also a small coffee shop called Blossom Cafe that was perfect to grab a quick breakfast and coffee in the morning.
Our favorite restaurant here was Puesto. We LOVE Puesto! My kids love this place and were begging to go there the whole trip. We had discovered Puesto while in San Diego, and was one of the main choices for staying at this resort. This location of Puesto is located on the same property as the Westin. So, on our last night at Disneyland, we went here for dinner as a last hurrah. It was delicious! I recommend the Puesto Perfect margarita (or two) and the short rib quesabirria taco. Neither will disappoint and keep you wanting to come back for more the next time you are in California. |
When looking into hotels to stay at when we visit Disneyland, a pool is always a must. You never know what the temperatures will be while visiting Southern California. One year, when we visited in October, we had temperatures in the mid-80's. A few years later when we visited at the same time in October, we had low 60's and rain. But the year it was in the mid-80's we used the pool a lot.
The pool at the Westin is on the smaller side, like many hotel pools near Disneyland. It is by no means fancy or waterpark-like, like the Hojo, Courtyard, or Grand Californian, but they did a nice job designing it. It sits towards the side and front of the hotel, and they have tried to create a more secluded feel with lots of tropical landscaping. There are big palm trees and bushes blocking the nearby street. My kids enjoyed it and that was all that mattered.
The pool at the Westin is on the smaller side, like many hotel pools near Disneyland. It is by no means fancy or waterpark-like, like the Hojo, Courtyard, or Grand Californian, but they did a nice job designing it. It sits towards the side and front of the hotel, and they have tried to create a more secluded feel with lots of tropical landscaping. There are big palm trees and bushes blocking the nearby street. My kids enjoyed it and that was all that mattered.
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One other benefit to this hotel is that they have bottled water for you. They place a few bottles in your room, but you an also grab water at the valet station right outside of the hotel entrance. So, each morning when we were heading to the park, we would grab fresh bottles, and each time we returned, we grabbed more to take back to our room. To me, this is a really big extra that other hotels don't offer. I don't like the taste of the water in California, so I always buy bottled water. This saved me some money, and was very convenient.
Overall, these are the hotels that I would recommend when staying at Disneyland. They definitely aren't the cheapest hotels, but the cheaper hotels are ones that I haven't stayed at, nor ever will. After spending so much time researching reviews, these are the only hotels I would stay at. The next time we go, we will be staying at Courtyard Anaheim simply because we will have kids in tow. This hotel consistently gets raving reviews from almost everyone who stays and it was the most comfortable stay for us in terms of space, number of beds, and amenities available for the whole family.
On the other hand, if we were traveling as an adults only trip, then hands down, we would be staying at the Westin Anaheim Resort again. These are both amazing hotels to choose from, and I know you won't be disappointed either way. But these are my top two picks for places to stay while visiting Disneyland.
Overall, these are the hotels that I would recommend when staying at Disneyland. They definitely aren't the cheapest hotels, but the cheaper hotels are ones that I haven't stayed at, nor ever will. After spending so much time researching reviews, these are the only hotels I would stay at. The next time we go, we will be staying at Courtyard Anaheim simply because we will have kids in tow. This hotel consistently gets raving reviews from almost everyone who stays and it was the most comfortable stay for us in terms of space, number of beds, and amenities available for the whole family.
On the other hand, if we were traveling as an adults only trip, then hands down, we would be staying at the Westin Anaheim Resort again. These are both amazing hotels to choose from, and I know you won't be disappointed either way. But these are my top two picks for places to stay while visiting Disneyland.