Choosing the best hotel near Disneyland Resort for you is a big decision! There are many lodging options in the area, so we are going to walk you through your choices along with points to consider before making your hotel booking near Disneyland Resort.
This article is number 4 in our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. You can fins the three previous steps here: (1) select your dates, (2) purchase parks tickets and (3) arrange transportation. Thanks for reading!
Option 1: Local Family and Friends (lucky you!)
If you are lucky enough to stay with family or friends in the area, be sure to ask them about traffic and real travel times, so you can plan for getting to the parks.
Remember that Disneyland Resort does charge for parking. It does not charge for short guest drop-offs or pick-ups by friends, taxis or ride shares. There are two guest drop-off areas: one east of the resort on Harbor Boulevard and one on the west side of the resort off Downtown Drive. We recommend using the Harbor Boulevard drop-off if you are headed straight to the parks and the Downtown Drive drop-off if you are visiting the Disneyland Resort Hotels or Downtown Disney itself.
Option 2: Disneyland Resort Hotels
Disneyland Resort offers three onsite hotels: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel. These three hotels are operated by Disney and staffed by Disney cast members.
Disneyland Resort Hotels are not always the closest hotels to the parks, but they do echo the magic of the parks in their decor and offerings. They are generally more expensive than their off-site counterparts, but your stay comes with on-site perks like Early Entry and the best pools and recreation in the area. We do think there is a special “Disney difference” to staying at these whimsical hotels, but we also think you are going to see that difference in price!
If you want to figure out if one of these hotels is right for you, spend some time browsing around our site. We have a comparison chart for the three hotels here and some guidance for how to choose between them here. That comparison chart should also give you an idea of their locations and benefits. We even have a loving tribute to the new Pixar Shorts Court here.
Discounts at Disneyland Resort Hotels
Disneyland does regularly offer discounts on stays at the three Disneyland Resort Hotels. You can find-out what discounts are available during your stay by visiting the Disneyland website page for special offers and discounts here. This is the same page where you will find any special offers on admission tickets. If there are no discounts available when you look, we recommend still signing-up for their email list to get alerted to future offers.
The discounts are usually restricted to certain room types and a limited number of rooms. If discounted rooms are not available when you first check, keep checking back. People can and do cancel.
Do also keep in mind that the rack rate (before discounts) for Disneyland Resort Hotel rooms does vary by date and season as well as room type. If you have some flexibility in your dates, try selecting different date ranges. You may be able to get your cost down.
Option 3: Other Hotels Around Disneyland Resort
If you plan on spending most of your time in the Disneyland Resort parks, you may prefer to save some money by staying at a hotel outside the resort. There are many great options. If you are a frequent traveler with hotel points, you are likely to find options for your preferred chain nearby.
Several of these off-site hotels offer a shorter walk to the park turnstiles than either Disneyland Hotel or Pixar Place Hotel. If your priority is proximity to the parks, start with the hotels just east of Disneyland Resort on Harbor Boulevard like the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn and Mini Suites, Marriott’s Fairfield or the Howard Johnson.
Walking to Disneyland From Your Hotel
Keep in mind that the pedestrian entry points to the Disneyland Resort are only on the west and east sides of the resort. The park entrances are easier to reach from the east entrance. We advise mapping your walking route before committing to a hotel that looks close. In other words, a hotel can be just across the street from Disneyland Resort, but you may still need to walk around the perimeter of the resort to reach the entrance.
Getting Good Value for Your Disneyland Area Hotel
As you get further from the parks, you can usually get more amenities and larger rooms for less money. Most of the hotels on Harbor Boulevard no longer offer free breakfast, free parking or other perks that may be available at more distant accommodations. You will have to decide how much value to place on these different factors.
If you are looking for a good value on a hotel near Disneyland Resort, we advise that you start by considering any hotel loyalty programs you participate in. Most large U.S. hotel chains have at least one location near Disneyland, and you may be able to stay with points.
Tips for Booking Your Hotel Near Disneyland
As many hotel options as there are near Disneyland Resort, rooms do fill up. If you have your heart set on a particular hotel or want to save some money, we recommend booking as early as possible.
We also recommend booking a refundable rate. We always book hotel rooms with no penalty for changing reservations, because we find that we can often save money this way.
Yes, when we initially go to make our hotel reservations, we often see that the cheapest rate comes with booking a pay-now and non-refundable reservation. This cheap rate is tempting, but we book the refundable rate and then monitor hotel prices until our stay.
When we see prices go down—at our original hotel or another one—we rebook at the cheaper rate. More often than not, we end up saving money this way. (We also like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that we can cancel our reservation if one of our kids gets sick.)
The Disneyland Resort Hotels do not have different rates for non-refundable and refundable reservations. All reservations at Disneyland Resort can be changes or canceled before a certain date. Be sure to check the terms before you book.
Thank you for reading our tips on choosing and booking a hotel near Disneyland Resort.
If you are following along in our Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep, you have now gotten through the biggest and most expensive parts of planning your visit. Up next, we are talking about dining with tips on how to save money and how to eat at the more popular spots, so stick with us!