10 Best Hotels Near Disneyland for Families

Planning a trip to the “Happiest Place on Earth” and looking at places to stay? The three onsite hotels at Disneyland—Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel—are super convenient, but typically come with a hefty price tag. Instead of staying onsite, consider one of these off-property Disneyland hotels. All are Good Neighbor Hotels that offer some really fun perks for families and are still close to the theme park’s front door.

1. Fairfield Inn by Marriot Anaheim Resort

 

The Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort is perfect for families with younger kids because of the Disney-themed rooms. The theming ranges from generic Disney with photos of a castle and The Walt Disney Studios’ Earful Tower to more detailed movie themes like Cars, Toy Story, Frozen and the Disney Princesses. There is something for every family to bring the magic of Disney into the hotel at a price that is much less than staying at any of the three official Disneyland Resort Hotels.

2. Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is super close to the esplanade of Disneyland, but the real perk here is the water park-style pool. If you or your kiddos are looking for a hotel to take a break at in the middle of the day when it’s just too hot to be in the parks, this might be the one. The Surfside Waterpark covers 20,000 square feet and is the largest themed water park in the city (outside of the Disneyland hotels). The water park is for hotel guests only, meaning it will never be overly crowded so you can truly enjoy it.

3. BEST WESTERN Plus Park Place Inn – Mini Suites

If your family is wanting to stay as close as humanly possible to the Disneyland parks without actually living inside Sleeping Beauty Castle, you’ll want to check out the BEST WESTERN Plus Park Place. This hotel is the closest Good Neighbor Hotel to the parks, just across Harbor Boulevard to the entrance of Disneyland. In fact, this hotel is even closer than some of the official Disneyland Resort Hotels!

4. Hyatt Place at Anaheim Resort

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when you’re planning to tour a theme park for 12 to 14 hours. While many of the Good Neighbor Hotels don’t offer any type of complimentary  breakfast to guests, the Hyatt Place at Anaheim Resort does! Grab a bagel or some fruit as you walking out the door. The Hyatt Place at Anaheim Resort also has an outdoor pool and hot tub.

5. Anaheim Marriott

If you like your Starbucks, you’ll love the Anaheim Marriott, one of the only hotels near Disneyland with an onsite Starbucks. The lines inside this Starbucks are guaranteed to be shorter than the lines inside the Starbucks at the parks, saving you and your family valuable time once you get to Disneyland! This hotel is a little farther away from the main entrance to the park (so you’ll definitely have time to drink all of your coffee before getting on the Matterhorn). Other perks include an outdoor pool and onsite convenience store.

6. Howard Johnson by Wyndham Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground

Not only is the Howard Johnson Anaheim super close to the parks at only an eight-minute walk, but it also has a super cool water playground onsite. Castaway Cove is the place to be when it gets too hot to be in the parks, especially in the middle of summer. Inside the water playground, there’s a toddler waterslide and a big kid s-slice, a 200-gallon drench bucket, water cannons, a water curtain, water fountains, and water umbrellas. That sure sounds like a lot of fun to us! You might even have a hard time getting the kids out of the water and back into Disneyland!

7. Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim Convention Center

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim Convention Center is pretty far from the entrance of Disneyland, but is located right next door to one of the official Disneyland parking lots! Disneyland transportation picks up and drops off guests here every few minutes. At the end of the night, grab a ride on the complimentary shuttle to be dropped off at the parking lot; then it’s about a two-minute walk back to the hotel. This hotel also offers a social hour with complimentary drinks, Monday through Thursday.

8. Candy Cane Inn

If you’re driving to Anaheim, you should know that parking at hotels is pretty expensive. But the Candy Cane Inn has a major perk for Disney visitors: free parking! This boutique hotel is just down the road from Disneyland, and is family owned and operated. Other complimentary perks at the Candy Cane Inn include free shuttle service to the parks, free breakfast, and free Wi-Fi.

9. Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim

Great food and drink are endless at Disneyland and it even extends out into the Good Neighbor Hotels! At the Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim, the lobby bar, Organic, serves up local craft beer—the perfect ending to a crazy-busy day at the theme parks. The hotel also has an onsite restaurant and is within walking distance to Disneyland.

10. Residence Inn Anaheim Resort

For families who are looking to spend a little more time in sunny California, the Residence Inn Anaheim Resort is a great fit. It’s one of just a few area hotels to offer full-size kitchens in the guestrooms, allowing families to cook their own meals and save some serious cash. Tip: If driving to Anaheim, bring a slow cooker and have dinner waiting for you when you return from the parks! The hotel also has kid-themed suites, a convenience store, outdoor pool with kids’ splash zone, and an onsite laundry facility.

Megan duBois is a theme park expert and frequent traveler to magical places. She covers all things Disney and Universal and runs marathons for fun. She thinks you can tell a lot about someone by the name of their signature lipstick, and hers is NARS Dragon Girl. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter.