Official Disneyland Resort and good neighbor hotels reviews

SSG

Well-Known Member
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Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'll start with a review for the Howard Johnsons Anaheim that is directly across the street from Disneyland. I've stayed at this one and found it very cool. It reminds me of old Tomorrowland with it's retro architecture. The water play area was fun for the little ones. It was cool seeing the monorail go by every fifteen minutes across the street. The rooms were typical for most hotels and clean. The staff was great.


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Mike730

Well-Known Member
Hotel Indigo was great for the price.

For those looking for a quiet, clean, cheap room for 5 people: There are many rooms available with two queens and a decent sleeper sofa. Friendly staff, great free parking (available all day after check out), great bar/breakfast place downstairs. Very nice bathroom and shower. Everything seemed new or at least well maintained. There are obviously more luxurious hotels but considering this was probably a converted motel, I think they've done an excellent job. 10-15 minute walk to the park.
 

SSG

Well-Known Member
We've stayed a few times at Clementine Hotel & Suites Anaheim. Around $150 per night. About half a mile from DLR. Kitchen, Complimentary breakfast buffet, Swimming pool, Children’s pool, 2 whirlpool spas, Playground, Barbecue grills, Business center, Complimentary Wi-Fi, free parking, Fire pit, Fitness center, Laundromat, Shuttle service to Disneyland, Sports court. And a Disney Concierge Desk – A full-service ticket outlet staffed by Disneyland Cast Members.
 

DrAlice

Well-Known Member
I'll start with a review for the Howard Johnsons Anaheim that is directly across the street from Disneyland. I've stayed at this one and found it very cool. It reminds me of old Tomorrowland with it's retro architecture. The water play area was fun for the little ones. It was cool seeing the monorail go by every fifteen minutes across the street. The rooms were typical for most hotels and clean. The staff was great.


howard-johnson-hotel-anaheim-california-disneyland-420.jpg


I'll second this one and add the following: 1) it's a shorter walk to the gates than Paradise Pier; 2) If you reserve the right room, you can watch the fireworks from your balcony. Alternatively, many guests camp out on chairs by the pool and watch from there. :)
 

Curious Constance

Well-Known Member
I’ll add that we enjoyed the Howard Johnson the one time we stayed here. And since our stay, the rooms seem to have been remodeled so it looks even nicer. The water play area was so fun for my kids we never even went to the regular pool.

The reason we haven’t returned there was because we found the Park Vue Inn and it has become our favorite hotel to stay at. It is literally the closest hotel across the street from the Disneyland pedestrian entrance off of Harbor and with kids (who up until this point have always liked to take an afternoon break at the hotel pool) the location has made all the difference for us. I’d say it’s about a third of a mile closer than the Howard Johnson from the Disneyland gates. That third of a mile is huge at the end of a tiring night with kids.

They also have a free hot breakfast every morning. You can make your own waffles, they have prepared sausage, breakfast potatoes, bagels, eggs, cereal etc. Saves time and money to grab something there before heading over to the parks in the morning.

The rooms are good sized and clean.

All rooms have microwaves and a small refrigerator too. Good sized bathroom sink area outside of the bathroom so someone can be showering while everyone else still has sink access.

I’ve been recommending them for so many years, I think they owe me a free stay by now!!!

EDIT: Park Vue now offers a continental breakfast rather than a full hot breakfast. Although, they did say they still have a waffle maker.
 
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PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Americas Best Value Inn on Katella: I booked this for a low price and because of very positive TripAdvisor reviews. I'm still not sure where those came from; it wasn't horrible, but the stay far from great. One of those hotels where the amenities are so cheap that the provided soap shatters if it's knocked on the floor. Never again.

Park Vue Inn: The gold standard. Great location, the best breakfast of anywhere I've stayed, and great beds. No complaints, though the price increases have kept me from returning.

Desert Inn and Suites: Great location, fine for a no-frills trip where it's just a place to sleep, but poor soundproofing that made it difficult to rest up and sleep in the middle of the day.
 

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Gee, there are only a couple of flea traps left, most nearby are new construction or have been kept in great condition.

Between all the Convention business and DLR visitors, Hotels and Inns (Motels) have been stepping up their game.

To be honest, I have seen a lot more improvement off-property than the 3 DLR owned ones.
 

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
When it comes to restaurants, always stay away from Tiff's unless you like bad service and food poisoning.


Captain Kidd's is also a place to avoid at all costs.


Back to the hotel reviews....
 

unmitigated disaster

Well-Known Member
A few years ago we got rooms so newly remodeled at the Tropicana that our rooms had a slight odor of paint! Turning on the A.C. for a few minutes got rid of it, though.
 

chadwpalm

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I've only stayed in a hand-full of hotels in the area, but I'll try and bundle them by location. Think of this as my check-down list of locations. If the first is too expensive I move to the second, etc.

Across the street:

Grand Legacy - I've stayed here twice, once on a solo trip and once with a couple friends. I found it to be pretty decent and short walking distance, but no breakfast. You can sometimes find a deal which is why I've chosen it over the others. I'm sure quality-wise it isn't too much different than the other Harbor hotels. Unfortunately, I've never stayed at the any of them except this one.

Toy Story Parking:

Red Lion Hotel - I've also stayed here twice. Again, if you can find a good deal this is a nice place to stay and is walking distance from the Toy Story shuttles. I do believe they serve continental breakfast, just don't think I've had it.

Clarion - Stayed here Christmas of 2016. The age of the place showed as it was a bit musty in the hallways, but the room wasn't bad at all. No continental breakfast, but it has a restaurant and a bar. It was nice to grab a cocktail before bed.

Hilton Anaheim - Will be staying here in a couple weeks. Stay tuned.

Further Down Harbor:

Hampton Inn & Suites - Stayed here back a few years back when I was with my sister and we tried to stay at Motel 6 (bad mistake) and re-booked this at the last minute. This place was pretty nice and served a continental breakfast with many choices. I think the only complaint we had was a loud A/C, but that could have been a fluke. IIRC, they share a shuttle (for a price) with Embassy Suites, or you can take ART to the parks (or drive or take ride-share, I guess).

Embassy Suites - If you got money to spend and want something nice, but don't want to shell out for an onsite hotel, this is a good choice. If you are familiar with Embassy Suites you know all the rooms are one-room suites. It's next to Hampton, so transportation will be the same as I wrote above. In the summer expect to pay close to $200/night. I think it's much cheaper off-season.

Mickey & Friends:

Days Inn by Wyndham Anaheim West - I needed a place to stay last November for three nights and I was on a budget, so I thought I'd try this place out. The reviews weren't glowing, but they weren't terrible either. The room itself wasn't bad, maybe a 3 out of 5. It is pretty old and shows, but the room was clean and had no major complaints. Beware though, the exterior walls are very thin and the residents of Anaheim love cars with loud mufflers, so expect to be woken up by one every couple hours. Also, since it's next to Disneyland Dr. and the entrance to the parking structure, also expect traffic noise starting around 7:00am.....lots of honking. There is a small continental breakfast of packaged muffins and cereal. I walked to either DTD or the M&F trams depending on how tired I was. By the last day the walk back to the hotel, even from the trams, sucked. IDK if I'd stay there again. Not because it's a bad hotel, but because of the walks.

Farther Away:

Hotel Pepper Tree - My family and I stayed here back in '13. We stayed only one night, but the place was nice and had a cool Spanish-style feel. We only went to Disneyland for a day, so we just drove to the parking structure and paid for parking. I honestly don't remember if there was a breakfast, but there is a Subway across the street. I suppose with ride-share you can use that nowadays if you end up finding a good price here.

Anaheim Lodge - This was one of my annual solo one-day Christmas trips. I was REALLY on a tight budget and got two nights for like $53/night. It's over on Beach Blvd. near Knott's, so I just drove to the resort for that day (M&F). The room was surprisingly descent, but the neighborhood there is slightly sketchy. I wouldn't take my kids there (if I had any). The thing is, by the time you pay for either parking or a ride-share, you might as well just stay somewhere closer.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Sheraton Park Hotel - The one that looms over DCA. Pretty standard Sheraton, one of the few places that still includes some limited alcohol with the club lounge, which is a nice perk. Apart from walkability, it is one of the very few (?only) non-disney hotels that you can actually see into a park. Yes it has a bit of the unfortunate backside of Radiator Spring, but the firework view from the upper level rooms are pretty killer. Proximity to the convention centre makes it a perfect D23 option.

I also stayed at America's Best Value Inn and The Ramada. Both fleabag priced accordingly. Good walkability from America's Best Value. The Ramada is questionably too far for probably most people's preferences.
 

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