10 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid When Booking Hotels for Disneyland

There are a number of rookie mistakes we see first timer guests make when visiting Disneyland and my goal is prevent some of the biggest ones for hotel reservations!

Disneyland has a wide variety of hotel options whether you opt to choose an on-site Disney property hotel or stay off-site. All of these hotel options have their various pros and cons but I often see first timers making common rookie mistakes when booking their Disneyland hotels.

I visit Disneyland multiple times a year with my family and I have stayed a number of different hotels both on property and in off property. Keep reading to see what rookie mistakes you should avoid when booking your Disneyland hotel!

1. Only Considering Disney On Property Hotels

One common rookie mistake I see guests make when picking their Disneyland hotel is only focusing on the three Disney property hotels. Disneyland has three official, on-site hotels that include the Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and the newly reimagined Pixar Place Hotel.

We have stayed at all three of these hotels and do enjoy the close experience that a Disneyland hotel offers, the on property Disneyland hotel benefits like theme park access and early entry plus the incredible Disney theming.

However, these hotels are all priced at a significantly higher rate than the other local hotels in Anaheim. And some of the Disney on property hotels are actually further away than some of the local hotels! The high cost of the Disney hotels may be worth it for some families, but others may want to at least research other options rather than feeling locked into that higher price point. You do not have to stay on property to have a great visit to Disneyland.

2. Booking a Hotel Too Far Away

Another common mistake first time guests visiting Disneyland make is booking a hotel too far away. Hotels near Disneyland can be deceiving if you don't know the area. Many hotels will advertise as being a Disneyland hotel, even if they are more than two miles away!

Renting a car on a Disneyland trip is an unnecessary expense especially as you pay for parking at the parks and at your hotel. But if you are a few miles away you will be looking at expensive ride share costs to get to and from the park. And it also doesn't make taking a midday hotel break, something we recommend for families with kids, any easier.

Type In the Hotel Address on Google Maps

 

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Before booking any Disneyland hotel, type in the address on Google Maps so you can get an accurate view of how close it really is to Disneyland. This is also true of when trying to gauge how far your family can handle walking. While there are many hotels near Disneyland that are technically walkable, some of those walks can feel quite tough after a long day in the parks. Comparing the distance to the front gate on Google Maps to the address of the hotel you're considering is the best way to make sure the hotel is truly walkable!

Let's walk through an example of this. One of my favorite hotels within CLOSE walking distance to Disneyland is the Tropicana Inn & Suites which is located directly across the street. If I put in the walking directions on Google maps, you can see how truly close this walk is which amounts to about 6 minutes. This is even less than some of the on-site Disney hotels!

Deciding If Your Hotel Is Within Comfortable Walking Distance

 

But if I look at another popular hotel, Cambria Hotel Suites Anaheim, you can see the huge difference in distance. While this hotel could claim it is walkable, according to Google Maps this is over a 20 minute walk. Your family might not feel up for that walk after a long day in the parks. In fact, when we stayed at the Cambria, we found ourselves using ride share to go the few blocks to save our energy! I still enjoyed our stay but the distance was something I would factor into my consideration to stay again.

Whether or not your hotel is truly walkable is a decision you should make before booking and not knowing this information when you book is a rookie mistake a lot of first time Disneyland guests make!

3. Misunderstanding “Disneyland Shuttle”

It is also common for many local Anaheim hotels to list that their hotel offers a Disneyland shuttle. It is actually extremely rare for an neighborhood hotel to have their own dedicated Disneyland shuttle (see which ones do). There is only one that is most talked about and that is the Candy Cane Inn which does charger a higher nightly rate to account for that amenity.

In most cases, the Disneyland shuttle being referred to on the nearby Disneyland hotel websites is actually the Anaheim Resort Transit bus system. ART is a service provided by the city of Anaheim that is essentially a city bus but one that only goes to and from the local area hotels and Disneyland. Personally, my experiences with ART has usually been positive but there is a lot of waiting involved at both the hotel and the parks to go back and forth. This is not just one hotel dedicated shuttle but a bus system with multiple hotel stops. There are a few different routes so not ALL the hotels share one bus but each route typically only uses one bus which can create some of those longer wait times.

One rookie mistake is to confuse the ART bus with a dedicated hotel shuttle so that is something to verify in your research!

4. Staying On The “Wrong Side” Of Disneyland

One of the more popular locations to be when visiting Disneyland is on the south and east side of the resort. This is where the majority of the hotels are located along with multiple fast food options, convenience stores, and other shopping options. There are two security entrances to Disneyland. One being located on Harbor Blvd (shown on the map above) and the other on the west side of the resort at the entrance to Downtown Disney.

Most families prefer staying at a hotel that makes entering the hotel entrance on Harbor easier as this entrance is quicker to get to (as opposed to walking through Downtown Disney, through the hotels, etc.) if you are staying off-site.

There aren't as many hotels west of Disneyland, aside from the on-property hotels, but there are a few that are pretty far out of the way and most families will enjoy staying off of Katella or Harbor instead.

5. Staying at a Hotel Without Free Breakfast

One of our favorite budget tips for traveling to Disneyland is to eat breakfast at your hotel before you arrive at the parks! Not only is this a good way to save money, you can also save precious time in the morning that can be better spent following our Disneyland morning strategy.

While Disneyland does offer some breakfast options, this time of day is a bit more limited for meal options in the park and staying at a local hotel that offers a complimentary breakfast can be a great way to start your day.

One of my favorite hotels near Disneyland to book with a free breakfast is the Element by Westin Anaheim Resort Convention Center. Their free breakfast was one of the best I have enjoyed at a local Disneyland hotel with rotating buffet options every morning plus classic options and grab and go items.

6. Not Using Get Away Today to Book Your Disneyland Vacation

One of the best ways to get additional perks and savings on local Disneyland hotels is to book through our travel partner Get Away Today. Get Away Today has a long standing relationship with the hotels in Anaheim and the local hotels offer perks to their customers!

Book Discounts on Vacation Here >

Some of these perks often include free parking, free breakfast, waived resort fees, plus savings on per night rates. I have also noticed when I book with Get Away Today I tend to get better rooms than if I booked on my own and am upgraded often to rooms with a view.

I am an avid price checker and budget traveler (see my extensive breakdowns of Walt Disney World discounts for proof of this!) and I will even compare Get Away Today's hotel rates to those offered by booking directly with the hotel. 9 times out of 10 the price at Get Away Today is always better! You can read more about Get Away Today in my review and start cruising hotels and discount Disneyland tickets on their website.

7. Settling for a Parking Lot Pool

Some families might be content with the standard motel style parking lot pool. I grew up in a family that often stayed at the basic, no frills motels on our Disneyland trips and I survived just fine! All I remember from my childhood is there was a pool… no idea on the specifics of it.

But it's not the 90s anymore and there are plenty of options for BETTER Disneyland pool options for affordable rates. You can get a great pool experience at your hotel without necessarily having to stay at one of the most expensive hotels.

Favorite Hotel Pool Near Disneyland

Rather than take a hotel at its word for the quality of their pool, read reviews of some of the best pools offered at Disneyland hotels and get a realistic idea of what to expect. One of my favorite hotel pools is located at the Howard Johnson Anahiem Hotel & Water Playground! This hotel is a favorite for many reasons but when my son was younger he absolutely loved the water playground at this hotel.

There is also an option for older kids and adults with a separate, larger pool. This is a lovely pool area and I always appreciate the extensive landscaping the Howard Johnson uses to create a relaxing vacation vibe.

8. Staying at a Convention Center Hotel During a Convention

The Anaheim Convention Center is located just minutes away from Disneyland holds large conventions throughout the year. Sometimes these conventions can literally overtake all the hotels in the nearby vicinity which can be a bit of a pain for guests traveling to Disneyland and not attending the conventions itself.

You will notice that rates will also increase for the hotels nearby the Anaheim Convention Center during this time too which is another reason to avoid these nearby hotels. A great way to get a head start of knowing if there are major conventions to avoid is to consult the Anaheim Convention Center events calendar to get a jump start on planning your trip dates.

Now that's not to say that all conventions impact the area but there are some larger ones that will see a considerable impact. A good example of an event that impacts the area is the Disney D23: Ultimate Fan Event which takes place every two years at the Anaheim Convention Center. This is a huge event that will sell out most hotels in a block radius around the convention center. Seen above, the lobby area at the Hilton Anaheim.

9. Traveling During Peak Holidays

This rookie mistake comes with a bit of a disclaimer- some families have no choice but to travel during holiday weekends or school breaks. But the prices of nearby hotels often surprise families during this time along with the larger than usual crowds.

It's always good to be prepared if you have to travel during one of the dates we say to avoid at Disneyland.

But if you have the flexibility, you will get better hotel rates along with lower crowd levels if you pick a time of year that is less popular to visit. For budget travelers that do not have a large preference on when they visit Disneyland, this can be a good idea.

10. Taking Reviews Too Seriously

The thing about the hotels near Disneyland is that they are all stayed at often meaning many, many guests repeatedly. This brings in a lot of variety when it comes to hotel reviews especially when you have folks traveling with different expectations.

If you pull up the Google or Trip Advisor reviews for some of our favorite Disneyland hotels, chances are you will not be able to avoid even one negative remark or commentary. This is why I say to read them with a grain of salt.

One of my favorite budget hotels near Disneyland, The Clarion, is one of those hotels that gets blasted often in reviews online because it is an older hotel and that age shows in the rooms. This is a no frills hotel that is best for guests trying on a budget and are just looking for a place to sleep each night. For that purpose, it works great! But if you want a higher end hotel, this might not be your top choice.

If you follow all these tips for avoiding the most common rookie mistakes when booking hotels at Disneyland you will end up in a hotel that is perfect for your family's needs!

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