Hotels by Disneyland: Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim Review

If you’re looking for hotels by Disneyland, it’s hard to get much closer than the official Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. Just hop on the monorail for a direct ride into Disneyland Park or take a stroll through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa for entrance into Disney California Adventure Park. Staying here is like a continuation of the parks, letting families feel fully immersed in the fun of their special Disney vacation.

Hotels by Disneyland: The Official Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA

As you know, Disney surpasses all other brands when it comes to theming. Careful detail is put in everything at the hotel. From the wall art, the restaurants, the monorail decked water slide at the pool, and even the carpet you can see traces of the mouse and his friends. Of course, after initial photo taking, your experience really starts at the front desk. The woman that helped us was especially kind and gave our daughter and her friend signed photographs of their favorite princess/mouse/duck. All of the Cast Members (staff) we encountered were friendly and helpful.

The room itself (we stayed in the Fantasy Tower) was a little on the small side and seemed a bit dated. Despite that, we had a fantastic view of the pools and the beds were very comfortable. A mini-fridge was also in the room but it barely made any noise if at all. If I wasn’t so stressed during the conference, it would have been relaxing 😛

The room was quiet throughout our stay. This made it even more enjoyable to watch the wooden headboard light up and listen to the musicbox-like songs play.

I mentioned the theming earlier. You can spot the Mickey Mouse heads in the carpet and the lamp stands pretty easily. It’s in the bathroom, though, where you notice the most unique hardware. The bathroom light fixtures are actually comprised of Mickey hands holding the lamps. Even the tap handles in the shower and in the sink had that famous shape.

In and Around the Disneyland Hotel

The new pools were impressive and the water slides were a hit with my daughter and her friend. Even at ages 10 and 13, the girls were giddy and overjoyed to spend a full day in the pool while going on the water slides as much as they wanted. I wasn’t able to get a shot of it but, when the slides are open, walls of water are cascading around the stairs tower. Kids love it and get soaked. Just so you know, the monorail models are attached on top of enclosed tubes and kids don’t actually slide through them.

We did not eat at any of the restaurants on-site but they all looked good. Unfortunately, they also looked pricey. There was no counter-type service and the options for gluten-free eating were not as plentiful as they are in the park. However, we saw families bustling at Goofy’s Kitchen in the morning as character breakfasts are held there.

Staying at the Disneyland Hotel is more about getting into and staying in the Disney spirit. Plus, you get to take advantage of the 

 which lets you get into the Disneyland Parks an hour earlier than the general public. That means shorter lines and more rides! Other official hotels by Disneyland are closer but the Disneyland Hotel is simply a classic icon and one of those places that you need to try staying at at least once. But, with rooms starting around $350-$450 per night, you might want to save up a bit before booking your stay.

Discounted stay provided for attendees at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. All opinions are my own.