Where should you stay when visiting Disneyland? This guide will help you choose the best hotels near Disneyland that will best fit you and your family.
To be honest, since we lived in Southern California for 5 years, we’ve rarely stayed at a hotel near Disneyland. The only time we stayed in a hotel near Disneyland when we lived in SoCal was when I ran a RunDisney race and had to be there at 5 am. BUT since moving away, we recently went back to Disneyland and needed a place to stay near the parks—forcing me to research hotels near Disneyland.
We ended up at Springhill Suites Maingate and booked through Get Away Today. I can’t recommend Get Away Today enough. They are truly the best when it comes to planning vacations—especially to Disneyland. Their prices can’t be beat and their customer service is top-notch.
I loved the ease of their website and viewing the highlights of each hotel right in one place. I was looking for something that could accommodate our family of 5 comfortably, had easy access to the parks, had a pool, and offered a free breakfast. While Springhill Suites was a little farther from the parks than I wanted, it was great in all other aspects. (And if the trams from the Mickey and Friends parking would have been running, it would have been an easy walk to the tram loading area and we could have ridden the tram.)
When you search the Get Away Today website, you’ll get highlights like this for each hotel that fits your search criteria–making it easy to pick one!
When looking for your hotel, make a list of things you want before searching. This way you can filter quickly through and find what you really want.
There are 3 types of hotels to consider when looking for hotels near Disneyland—Disney hotels, good neighbor hotels, and others (including Airbnbs).
Disney hotels
There are 3 hotels on Disney property in Anaheim. The Grand Californian is the top-tier, Paradise Pier is the lowest priced, while the Disneyland Hotel is somewhere in-between. Staying on property is convenient and fun, as you’re immersed in the magic. Disney hotels often offer perks such as early park access or fast passes, which adds to the magic as well. I’ve always wanted to do this, but haven’t been able to justify the cost yet. But I’ve loved walking the grounds, especially during the holidays and eating at a couple of the restaurants.
The Grand Californian
The Grand is a luxury property featuring craftsman-style elegance and a pampering spa. This is the closest to the parks, with its own private entrance to California Adventure. There are several different types of rooms—from a standard to a luxury 3-bedroom suite. Themed pools and fine dining make this an enticing option. They also have a gorgeous Christmas tree during the holidays! I love to just wander through the lobby during Christmastime and take it all in!
The Disneyland Hotel
The original Disneyland hotel is located at the opposite end of Downtown Disney from the parks, making it another convenient option. You can catch the monorail just inside Downtown Disney and take it all the way into Tomorrowland—bypassing the entrance gates. The Disneyland Hotel features 4 towers—all themed after different “lands” within Disneyland. Themed pools (with waterslides!) and dining also add to the ambiance. If I could stay in any of the Disney hotels, I’d probably choose this one just for the nostalgia and theming.
Paradise Pier
This beach-themed hotel is the farthest from the parks of the Disney hotels, but is still within a walkable distance. The sand and surf décor, whimsical atmosphere, and rooftop pool makes for a fun stay for little ones. We also really enjoyed the Surfs Up character breakfast at Paradise Pier.
Good neighbor hotels near Disneyland
Several hotels near Disneyland offer “good neighbor” status and rates. These hotels have teamed up with Disney Parks to offer close proximity to the parks, discounted prices, and themed rooms. You can search these hotels on the Get Away Today website to find exactly what you’re looking for.
I’ve heard great things about the Courtyard Anaheim, Best Western Plus Anaheim, and Howard Johnson. I think we’ll try one of these next time we go because of their location. And they have fun-looking pools too. I really want to stay right across the street from the parks next time in one of these hotels. After a long day in the parks, it would be so nice to just have to walk across the street to hit my bed!
Other hotels near Disneyland & Airbnbs
There are tons of other options for hotels near Disneyland as well. For me, it’s important to be in close proximity to the parks, which is why I prefer the good neighbor hotels. It’s not important for me to have a full kitchen or separate bedrooms because we’re usually in the parks all day and I don’t really want to cook. We also don’t really need space to hang out because we don’t spend a ton of time in our hotel room.
But if that’s important to you, there are great options. Airbnbs are a good choice for this because they’re often apartment-style or even whole homes where you can gather and relax. Hotels and airbnbs that aren’t in super close proximity to the park are often cheaper as well. It’s usually not too bad of a drive to one of the parking areas and then you can shuttle right to the gate.
Whatever type of hotel you choose, most can be found on the Get Away Today website. Again, I can’t say enough about Get Away Today. Their website is so easy to use, you can package your hotel with your park tickets, and you can even do payment plans. They really do have the best prices for the best hotels near Disneyland!
For example, this last time we went, I priced out the hotel directly through Marriott and also through Get Away Today and I saved over $100 by booking with Get Away Today. And they almost always have specials going on too, like buy 3 nights, get the 4th free or whatever! Plus, they sent us cool lanyards that we could keep our tickets in for easy access. Use the code LIVELY10 when purchasing a hotel/ticket package to save a few extra bucks!
For more tips on navigating Disneyland, check out my Disneyland Tips for Families post. I hope you have the best time at the happiest place on earth!
Note: I only recommend products that I love and would use myself. This post may contain a few affiliate links. When you purchase something through a link on this site, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you). See our full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting our family!