Airbnb vs. Hotel for Disneyland Vacation- Which is Best?

When planning a Disneyland vacation, it’s not uncommon to compare and contrast different options for a variety of things – where you want to purchase your tickets, which airline you want to use, what transportation you want to use in California, and where you’ll be staying. All of these are very important vacation factors. Here, at Mickey Visit, we want to help your vacation planning process go as smoothly as possible!

In this article, I’m going to compare staying at an Airbnb and staying at a hotel to help you decide which option is best for you. I’ll take a look at all of the details and discuss the pros and cons of each. Utilize this guide to decide whether an Airbnb or a hotel is the right choice for your trip. Don’t let your magical Disneyland vacation be soured by the experience of not enjoying your lodging.

What is Airbnb?

Airbnb is a company that provides an opportunity for people to rent out their homes, apartments, select rooms, RVs, houseboats, and more. In return, this provides travelers with an additional lodging option besides hotels. Normally these are short-term stays for trips and vacations. However, sometimes long-term rentals are available.

Oftentimes, people opt to rent an Airbnb when they’re traveling to a location that doesn’t have any hotels available, or at least no hotels that interest them. Another reason that an Airbnb rental may be intriguing is if those traveling are interested in more than a standard hotel room. Perhaps they’re looking for more space or a place that actually feels like a home.

There are a variety of reasons why someone may choose an Airbnb rental over a hotel stay. So which one is more ideal for a Disneyland vacation? That really depends on what you’re looking for! Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Disneyland Resort hotels, surrounding hotels, and Airbnb rentals.

Disneyland Resort Hotels

Disneyland Resort has three on-property hotels: Pixar Place Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Guests who are staying at any of these Disneyland Resort hotels receive exclusive Disney perks and benefits that aren’t available to those staying off property at surrounding hotels or with Airbnb. Disneyland Resort hotel benefits include Early Entry, Activities and Celebrations, Access to the Theme Parks, Charge-to-Room Service, Preferred Access to Hotel Dining Reservations, and Direct-to-Room Service. Here's what each of those benefits entail.

Click HERE to see our breakdown of ALL the local Disneyland hotels and which we recommend!

Early Entry

With Early Entry, Disneyland Resort hotel Guests are given the opportunity to enter the theme parks 30 minutes prior to the park opening. This gives them the opportunity to enjoy select rides, attractions, dining locations, and shopping locations before the general public enters the park.

Activities and Celebrations

Throughout the year, there are select activities and celebrations that are available for Disneyland Resort hotel Guests to take part in. A few events that are currently on the calendar include:

Special Presentation with Disney Artist and Historian

Stacia Martin, a Disney artist and historian, will meet with Disneyland Resort hotel Guests to discuss Disney characters. She will also sketch some of them! This presentation is part of Disneyland Park’s 69th Anniversary celebration.

• When: July 17th, 2024 at 1:30pm and 3:30pm
• Where: Sleeping Beauty Pavillion at Disneyland Hotel
• How to Join: Guests who have a confirmed reservation at a Disneyland Resort hotel on July 17th, 2024 are able to attend this presentation. (This also includes hotel Guests who are checking in or checking out on July 17th.) While reservations are recommended, they are not required. Guests can make reservations by visiting the front desk of their Disneyland Resort hotel.

Pixar Fest

• Movie Nights – Enjoy watching a Disney•Pixar movie outdoors in the evening.
• Learn to Draw – Take part in a class where you’ll learn how to draw a Disney•Pixar character.
• Pixar Pier Fitness Challenge – This fitness challenge is great for those looking for a fun workout as well as those who are ready to push the limits!
• Inside Out 2 Exhibit – On the second floor of Pixar Place Hotel, you’ll find a display that features maquettes and artwork from Inside Out 2. This exhibit can be viewed 24 hours a day. However, Disney states that it can be experienced best during the daytime.
• Pixar Place Hotel Speaker Series – On July 13th at 4:00pm, Disneyland Resort hotel Guests can enjoy a presentation by Roger Gould (Creative Director, Theme Parks for Pixar and Disney Animation Studios). This presentation will take place at Pixar Place Hotel in A113 and is available to all hotel guests with a confirmed Disneyland Resort hotel reservation on July 13th. (This also includes hotel Guests who are checking in or out on July 13th.) Reservations are not required, but are highly recommended. Visit the front desk of your Disneyland Resort hotel to make your reservation.

To view events that are scheduled in the future, click here to view the Events Calendar.

👉🏼 Read our Top 6 tips for Disneyland's NEW Pixar Fest! 

Access to Theme Parks

All three of the Disneyland Resort hotels are in close proximity to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. Easy access entry points are within walking distance from the Disneyland Resort hotels and are available for hotel Guests to use.

Charge-to-Room Service

By using the Disneyland app, Guests of Disneyland Resort hotels are able to make dining and shopping purchases directly with their mobile device! No need to worry about digging through your purse or pulling out your wallet. Simply pull up the Disneyland app and charge your purchase to your room!

Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today,offers the best Universal Studios Hollywood discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.

Preferred Access to Hotel Dining Reservations

When staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, hotel Guests have preferred access to Hotel Dining Reservations. These reservations are good for table service restaurants within the Disneyland Resort hotels. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Direct-t0-Room Service

Hotel Guests can use the Disneyland app to easily check-in. This allows Guests to avoid stopping by the main lobby to check-in when they arrive. Rather, they will be given their room information ahead of time and will be able to go directly to their room upon arrival!

Staying at a Disneyland Resort Hotel

There are obviously many benefits to staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel. One of the biggest advantages is the Early Entry into the theme parks. The more time you have in the parks, the better! Another big benefit is the close proximity that the Disneyland Resort hotels have to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. 

However, even though on-property hotels at Disneyland Resort may seem like a great idea, they do have one major downfall. These hotels are very expensive. While Walt Disney World has a variety of hotel pricing, including affordable Value Resort hotels, that is not the case at Disneyland. All three of the Disneyland Resort hotels are pricey. Due to this, Guests will need to decide if the price is worth the additional perks and benefits that come along with staying on-site.

Disneyland Resort Hotels Are Best For These Guests

Disneyland Resort hotels are perfect for Guests who want the ultimate Disneyland experience. These hotels are the only ones that are truly able to fully immerse Guests in the Disney atmosphere. They also come with a wide variety of perks and benefits, including Early Entry, which may be very important to Guests who are looking to make the most out of their Disney Day.

The Disneyland Resort hotels are also ideal in situations when price is not a factor. All three on-property hotels are very pricey. However, if cost is not a concern, then staying on-property and staying within the magic is a great option.

Off Property Hotels

Unlike at Disney World, at Disneyland, everything is within walking distance. The two theme parks, three on-property hotels, and Downtown Disney District are all in a general hub that provides easy access to each location. To take it a step further, Disneyland Resort is SURROUNDED by hotels.

There are many, many hotels in the nearby area. Because of this, Guests are able to book their stays at hotels in the surrounding area and still have the ability to walk to all of the Disneyland Resort destinations. Since Guests who choose this route won’t be staying on property, they will lose access to the exclusive Disneyland Resort hotel perks and benefits, such as Early Entry, Charge-to-Room Service, and Direct-to-Room Service. However, even though they don’t have access to Disneyland Resort hotel benefits, that doesn’t mean that their hotel doesn’t have benefits of its own!

Many hotels offer free breakfast, free parking, have pools and/or waterslides, and more! These hotels also give Guests the ability to not overspend on their lodging. If price is a factor, a nearby hotel is a great option! There are very budget-friendly hotels in close proximity to Disneyland Resort.

🥞 Click here to see which hotels near Disneyland offer FREE breakfast. Plus what they serve!

I personally always choose this option for my trips to Disneyland. I’d rather stay at a nearby hotel, pay less for my room, and have more money to spend on my actual vacation! However, everyone is different in what they prioritize. My family and I are a park open to park close type of group. Because of that, we don’t actually spend a lot of time in our hotel, which is why I don’t care to spend an excessive amount on it.

Off Property Hotels Are Best For These Guests

If you are someone who is looking for close, easy access to Disneyland Resort, but would rather pay less for your hotel stay, nearby off property hotels are a great option for you. Don’t forget, by staying off property, you will not receive the same benefits that are provided to Disneyland Resort Hotel Guests. You can, however, look into what benefits are offered by the hotel that you choose to stay at!

Airbnb

Previously, I mentioned some of the pros of Airbnb. One was that it gives Guests the option to stay in full homes as opposed to a standard hotel room. It’s also a great option for Guests when there are no hotels near their desired destination. However, as I just discussed, Disneyland doesn’t lack nearby hotels. On the flip side, since Disneyland is surrounded by so many hotels, there actually aren’t many residencies nearby. Meaning the number of Airbnb offerings are limited in the area.

I personally checked Airbnb to see what options were available. I came across two different problems: distance and price. There are plenty of options that aren’t too far of a drive. There are a lot of available rentals that are only a 10-15 minute drive away from Disneyland Resort. The prices of these rentals weren’t bad either, with plenty of options in the $115-$250 per night range. While these are a short distance from Disneyland when driving, they would be a far walk. Again, a big perk of Disneyland is that you can walk everywhere. However, if you’re not opposed to driving to and from the parks each day, this may be a good choice for you!

There were, however, a couple rentals that were only a 1-5 minute walk from Disneyland. The problem with these rentals is that they are extremely expensive, ranging from $485-$700 per night. Personally, I couldn’t think of any reasons to justify paying that price. At that price point, you might as well stay on property at a Disneyland Resort hotel and receive the additional Disney benefits. Airbnb may be very beneficial in some areas. However, in Anaheim, when Disneyland is your main destination, there doesn’t seem to be too many reasons to opt for an Airbnb rental over a hotel.

Airbnb Is Best For These Guests

Guests who are looking for morse space and a homier feel would benefit greatly from renting an Airbnb. However, these Guests would need to be prepared (and willing) to drive to and from the parks each day since walking isn’t an option for most Airbnb rentals. Guests could also consider taking an Uber or Lyft to and from the parks if they don’t personally want to drive and/or don’t have a vehicle with them.

If someone is not interested in the perks and benefits that come with staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel and price is not an issue for them, then they could consider renting an Airbnb that’s only a couple minute walk from Disneyland.

Airbnb or Hotel – Which Will You Choose?

Your preferences will play a big role when deciding whether an Airbnb or hotel is the best option for you on your Disneyland vacation. The biggest things you’ll want to consider is the style of lodging you want, what type of price you’re willing to pay, if you want to be within walking or driving distance, and what benefits you want to receive (if any). Once those factors are figured out, you’ll be ready to Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo-k your stay for your vacation to The Happiest Place on Earth!

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