It’s one of the biggest decisions when planning your Anaheim Disney holiday – where to stay at Disneyland! If you’re searching for an affordable Disney hotel that’s walking distance from the parks, has a fabulous kids play area, water park and pool plus so much more then we recommend the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground. We stayed here at Christmas and now we know why it’s one of the most popular Disneyland hotels in Anaheim.
I find when choosing a hotel at Disneyland the first decision to make is if you want to stay on-property at a Disney Resort Hotel or at off-site at a Good Neighbour Hotel. The difference is that when you stay on property you get some benefits like Magic Mornings which give you early access into the park. On the downside they are a much greater financial investment. The Disney Resort Hotels are generally closer to Disneyland than their Good Neighbour Hotels – but not in this case!
We have previously stayed on-property and loved it – but it’s getting more and more expensive and so, this time we decided to try the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground and honestly, it was amazing. If you’re planning your stay in Disneyland as part of a bigger trip around California check out this guide to the best kid friendly California road trips or maybe take a day off from the rides and explore more of California on day trip from Los Angeles.
So what’s so great about the Howard Johnson?
Let me take you through all the important considerations (in my opinion) for selecting your hotel when visiting Disneyland.
Proximity – the Howard Johnson is an eight minute walk from the Disneyland entrance (even closer than some of the on property hotels!)
It’s super important that you’re close to Disneyland. Walking distance close. You want to get through security and into the lines early in the morning so you’re at the front of the queue and can head to your first ride. And check out the Jedi Training – it’s so much fun.
It’s also important to be close by when you have small children who need afternoon naps. You can simply walk back to the hotel and rest and then return to Disneyland for the evening.
And with the Howard Johnston’s pool and water park you can pop back to cool down on hot days before returning to the park at night.
Even without children it’s great to be able to return for a little rest. We did this on our last trip in December. When you’re walking 20 kilometres a day you need to rest those legs a little!
And finally, in the evening, when those little legs are tired and all you want to do is fall into bed, you know you’ve only got an eight minute walk to your room and magical dreams before starting all over again the next day!
Play time for Kids
Kid are so excited and have so much energy when visiting Disneyland. And parents need a break! The Howard Johnson has a fabulous pirate-themed water park playground called Castaway Cover with a water bucket, slides, water cannons and a wading pool. There’s also a swimming pool and a games room.
It’s the perfect place for families to keep having fun after the park, and for mum and dad to have a little downtime if you choose. I love Disneyland so much I just want to keep going – but sometimes your kids want to rest. We had a slow start one morning while we were there as Emmie wanted to swim instead of racing to the park, so we did.
The vibe
The vibe here is fun fun fun. From check in where chests of chocolate gold dubloons are waiting to be sneaked out by little (and big hands) to the fun themed rooms and Castaway Cove. The walls are decorated with retro Disney posters and the colours and theming all adds to the excitement. There are little details scattered over the property like the oversized chairs and the big Christmas tree.
The Howard Johnson has a strong family vibe and I loved seeing other families each morning as we all set off to Disneyland with big smiles and excited kids (and parents).
The rooms
I was really surprised at the size of the rooms – they are really big and the bathrooms are also super sized. We loved our room – comfy beds and pillows, lots of space and a big balcony. They are fun and bright and so spacious. In this aspect I really feel that the Howard Johnson has better rooms than some of the Disney Hotels in terms of space, brightness and freshness. You can check out the rooms here.
There’s also Disney channel and Nikelodeon on the TV, which we didn’t get at the Disneyland on-property hotels and which makes a big difference when popping kids into bed for a goodnight show to settle them down.
Now we LOVED the room we stayed in and guess what? They’re now even better after a refurb so enjoy!
The suites are amazing and check out the Kids Suite with bunks. The junior queen suite also has bunks – it’s the perfect family room.
And bring those epsom salts to soothe tired legs after walking all day because each bathroom has a BATH. This is a heavenly inclusion and much needed after your days of walking. We average around 18kms per day at Disneyland and you probably will too and a bath is a neccessity!
Extras
The hotel also has a laundry and a convenience store for snacks and basic food items like bread and Mimis Restaurant plus other restaurants and fast food stores are only footsteps away (between the hotel and Disneyland).
Honestly I can’t rave enough about the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground.
It really is the perfect spot for families traveling to Disneyland and is excellent value with almost the same benefits of staying on property.
Five stars from us!
Check out prices and availability here.
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