So, maybe the cost of the “on site” Disneyland hotels has got you a little more “budget conscious” or perhaps you aren’t all that concerned about being surrounded 24/7 by the Disney magic. Never fear, as there’s a hotel option for you too! Well . . . technically, there are at least 41 options for you!
The Disneyland Resort has partnered up with 41 neighboring hotel properties, called Good Neighbor Hotels. Though there are (literally) hundreds of hotels in the immediate area surrounding the Disneyland Resort, Disney has chosen just these 41 to partner up with. The majority of the Good Neighbor Hotels are located on Harbor Boulevard (the street that runs along the east side of Disneyland’s property) though there are a few hotels located on Katella Avenue (the street that runs along the south end of the property). There are a couple of hotels that are on neighboring streets as well but all 41 are located within just around one mile of Disneyland property. Through the Walt Disney Travel Company (booking through the Disneyland site or a travel agent) you can book vacation packages that include stays at the Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels along with your Disneyland park admission, optional airfare, etc. The Good Neighbor Hotels are grouped into 4 different categories: Suites, Superior, Moderate and Value hotels. Which category YOU choose depends entirely on your budget and/or preferences in a hotel.
Portofino Inn & Suites - a Good Neighbor "Suites" option
There are 11 options in the “Suites” category averaging around $125-130 per room per night (some more, some a little less). Residence Inn Maingate, Anaheim Marriott Suites, Portofino Inn & Suites and Desert Palms Hotel & Suites, just to name a few. Most of these hotels offer a complimentary breakfast, complimentary internet access and free parking for guests, though not every one of them does. All of the hotels offer a microwave and refrigerator in their suites. Of the eleven Suite Good Neighbor hotels, only ONE of them offers free transportation to and from Disneyland Resort property (Homewood Suites by Hilton) while the others offer (if needed) transportation to the Disneyland Resort “for a fee”, which usually means you can purchase passes for the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) bus.
Hilton Anaheim - a Good Neighbor "Superior" option
In the “Superior” category, there are 7 options: Anaheim Marriott, Sheraton Anaheim and Hilton Anaheim are just a few of the options available. (author’s note: As a kid, we would always pass the Sheraton Anaheim anytime my family was traveling to or through Anaheim as it is right alongside Interstate 5. I always remember the little castle turret on the front of the building and how it has always been decorated in that Tudor style on the outside. I remember thinking that it looked kind of funny being decorated all “English-like” mixed in with all the California palms growing all around the property. I always wanted to stay there when I was a kid. I still never have. One of these days, maybe I will remedy that. Maybe. But back to the Superior hotel options . . . )
The Superior hotels average between $90-165 per room per night. All of the hotels offer a refrigerator in the room however only one (Anaheim Marriott Hotel) offers a microwave in-room. None of the hotels offer a complimentary breakfast (well, the Sheraton Park Hotel does, but it is a concierge room perk) but all have restaurants where guests can have breakfast and most offer a “Kids Eat Free” type of program. All of the Superior level hotels offer complimentary internet access to their guests. Two of the seven offer complimentary transportation to the parks while the other 5 (if needed) offer transportation for a fee.
Inside of a standard room at Carousel Inn & Suites - a Good Neighbor "Moderate" option
The most “populated” Good Neighbor category is the “Moderate” hotels with 20 options to choose from. You can choose from known national chains like Hampton Inn, Howard Johnson, Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, Clarion, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn (there are two) and Best Western (there are FIVE Best Western options!). There are also a bunch of locally owned hotels such as the Tropicana Inn & Suites, Hotel Ménage, Anabella and Carousel Inn & Suites (just to name a handful). These hotels range in average price between $90-140. About half offer a complimentary breakfast (usually continental). All hotels offer refrigerators in-room and half of the hotels offer microwaves as well. If you are in need of internet access during your stay in the area, almost all of the Moderate hotels offer complimentary internet access (the Camelot Inn & Suites and Tropicana Inn & Suites being the only hotels that do not offer internet free). Sixteen of the hotels offer complimentary guest parking while the other four offer parking to guests for a fee. (I usually stay at the Carousel Inn & Suites and they charge $9 per night for valet parking. There is no option for self-parking.) Only the Candy Cane Inn offers complimentary transportation to the Disneyland parks (they have their own dedicated shuttle) while most of the others offer transportation for a fee. However, for the majority of the Moderate hotels you really won’t need to use the transportation as it is just a quick walk from the hotels to the parks!
Jolly Roger Hotel - a Good Neighbor "Value" option
Finally, are the four Good Neighbor “Value” (also known as “Economy”) hotels: Jolly Roger Hotel, Motel 6 Anaheim Maingate, Quality Inn Anaheim Resort and Ramada Inn Maingate. Room rates at these hotels range between about $55-100 per night per room. All hotels offer in room refrigerators with only two of the four (Ramada Inn Maingate and Quality Inn) offering in room microwaves. The Ramada Inn Maingate and the Quality Inn are also the only two of the four that offer a complimentary breakfast. All but the Motel 6 offer guests complimentary internet access. None of the hotels offer complimentary transportation to and from the parks. However, if you have a car with you, all of these hotels offer guests complimentary parking.
Again, it all comes down to your needs/wants from a hotel. When weighing your options, you have to ask yourself: “How long am I really going to be in my room?” “How important is being completely surrounded by the Disney magic all day and night to me?” (though, some of the Good Neighbor Hotels *do* have Disney touches in their rooms! In fact, the Kids Suites at the Carousel Inn & Suites are totally decorated in Disney from the bedding to the television!) “How far from Disneyland do I want to stay?” and “Do I really want to have to haul on to a bus at the end of the night to get back to the hotel?” Once you have a good idea of what your budget looks like and the type of amenities you need from a hotel, making a choice of the right Disneyland hotel for YOU is really pretty easy!
So, readers . . . which do YOU prefer: A Disneyland Resort Hotel or a Good Neighbor Hotel? Which hotel is your favorite and why?
Enjoyed your article! While at WDW, I always choose the “on property” options, I find that at DLR, staying at the close non-D hotels is a great choice! Since Hilton gives me waaaaaay more loyalty recognition than Disney, I prefer to stay there. It is an easy walk to the main gate, or into the parking lot for DL if you want to take the shuttles. I have also stayed at one of the resorts right by the main gate, which was OK since we really were just sleeping there, and spending our day at the parks.
When I can’t use my DVC points, I stay at Quality Inn Anaheim on Manchester. Quiet rooms with good beds, micro and fridge. A 10-15mn stroll and I’m at the main gate. Near my favorite restaurant, Mimi’s.
We always stay at a WDW on-site property, but at Disneyland we stay right outside the gate at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim. It is such an easy walk to the parks entrances. The savings allows us to spend extra nights and make extra visits tot Disneyland.