A vacation to Disneyland in California is something that many of us dream of. This past weekend my wife and I were able to head to Anaheim and visit Disneyland for one day. We had a few requirements for our stay: The hotel had to be within walking distance of Disneyland, provide free parking, and be cost efficient for us for two days.
Many times veterans of Walt Disney World think that you have to stay on property to get the most out of your experience. While that is mostly true, in Anaheim it is sometimes closer and much cheaper to stay off-site at a “Good Neighbor Hotel”. We narrowed our choice down to the Howard Johnson Anaheim because it met all of our needs: close proximity to Disneyland, free parking, and only cost $59.00 plus tax using the Entertainment Book discount rate.
Some features of the hotel include seven private acres of gardens and landscaped walkways contain a secluded Garden Pool and the pirate themed Castaway Cove – A Watery Pirate Playground with a 30-foot pirate ship, slides, and water canons.
So how close is it to the entrance of Disneyland Park or California Adventure? The Howard Johnson is located right across from Disneyland’s Matterhorn Mountain on Harbor Boulevard, about a ten minute walk from your hotel room to the main gates of either park. In fact it is closer to the entrance of the parks than either the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier, as you have a long walk through Downtown Disney from those hotels. Another perk is you can easily view the nighttime fireworks displays from Disneyland Park via Castaway Cove or your hotel room if you are lucky enough to have a room facing Disneyland Park.
The area is filled with restaurants and shopping on your walk to the park and the sidewalks are very well lit and professionally landscaped. The Howard Johnson also has a great selection of Disney merchandise to choose from in its gift shop, an arcade for kids, internet access in the lobby, large rooms that are about the size of a moderate room in a Disney resort, and easy access to Interstate 5 a block away.
All in all we couldn’t ask for anymore from a hotel than what we found in the Howard Johnson Anaheim, CA. The staff was very accommodating and courteous and the entire hotel was clean, safe, and a quality place to vacation. We would highly recommend the Howard Johnson Anaheim to any of our readers if they are heading out West and will be in the Anaheim, CA area.