When you wish upon a star, they say, it makes no difference who you are. When you book a Disneyland-adjacent hotel, however, it makes a big difference how much homework you do.
So I’ve been nosing around Anaheim, dodging unenchanted castles, sidestepping minuscule swimming pools and sniffing out small-print resort fees and parking charges, in the search for lodgings that both make sense and save cents. These are my 12 favorites.
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In their ranks you’ll find a water park or two (looking at you, Howard Johnson) and a few renovated old favorites (that’s you, Candy Cane Inn). And there are enough bunk beds in lodgings along Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue to accommodate all of Steamboat Willie’s progeny.
Before making my very subjective best-values list, I narrowed the field by using a few objective measures. I started by ruling out Disney’s three hotels, which cost a lot more than the rest. I further narrowed the list a lot by sticking to hotels whose rates for Saturday night, April 22, started below $270 (as of early March).
I scoured reports from Disney devotees (including prolific hotel-watcher Tom Bricker) and citizen critics. I stuck to lodgings within a one-mile walk of the park entrance (hoping to avoid the park’s $30-a-day parking fee and the $6-per-day shuttle bus).
I paid extra attention to the 57 Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels (which means they’ve been Disney-vetted and Disney-affiliated, teaming up to offer vacation packages). I read enough American Automobile Assn. inspection reports to sink a Jungle Cruise boat. I checked out more than 20 hotels in person, most with daytime visits, some with overnight stays.
The list is alphabetical, because these 12 are all strong in their own ways — but for the record, I liked the Candy Cane Inn best. Also, I wished I could include the Courtyard Marriott Theme Park Entrance, which has a great water park and location, but its rates are over my self-imposed limit.
Here’s a little more about rates. The hospitality analytics company STR says the average daily rate at Disneyland-area hotels was $212.70 in January. That’s up 19% from January 2019. If last year is a fair guide, prices will rise another 15% by June.
On top of the advertised rates, consumers can expect to pay bed taxes (17% in the resort area), often hotel parking fees and sometimes resort fees (even at old motel properties). The result? In the time it takes for Tinkerbell to swing her wand, the tab for a $200 room can levitate beyond $250, as if by magic. And then there’s the gift shop.
However, you often can save money by booking midweek, using loyalty-program credits or mentioning your AAA membership (which saves you $10 some places, 10% in others). Paying in advance could save you $30 a night at many places (but if your plans change, you could be stuck with a bill).
Still curious about those Disney-run hotels? Their rates on my Saturday-night-in-April test date started at $761 (Disney’s Grand Californian), $593 (Paradise Pier Hotel) and $431 (Disneyland Hotel).
Now on to the bargains.