Amazing Hotel Within Walking Distance of Disneyland: Howard Johnson Anaheim
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for awhile, you may have noticed my family and I love to stay at Howard Johnson Anaheim! It is my favorite off property hotel within walking distance of Disneyland. We have stayed there for Dapper Day weekends, Oogie Boogie Bash, and each year for Amelia’s birthday (upon her request). When we are going to be spending two days in a row or a few days at the Happiest Place on Earth, staying nearby the parks is essential, as well as having a hotel that feels fun and magical. After all, you don’t want the magic to end when you leave the parks during a Disney vacation! That’s why Howard Johnson Anaheim has become one of our faves, it meets both those criteria. Now let’s dive into what the hotel is like and what it offers.
Since Howard Johnson Anaheim opened in 1965, the newly remodeled lobby and Tower 1 (the first of the towers to be remodeled at the hotel) gives a nod to its 1960’s roots by having a mod retro design throughout. If you’re also into this mid century modern/googie style you will LOVE this hotel!
When you arrive, you’ll first park and then check-in to the lobby. Even if your room isn’t ready, you can have them hold your bags, and you can get a parking pass. A HUGE bonus that the parking at Howard Johnson Anaheim is free. Plus its a hotel within walking distance of Disneyland? That means no paying for shuttles or Disney parking. Once your luggage is stowed and you have your parking pass, you can get a complimentary sword balloon and pirate hat for the kids, and you can even get wristbands to use for the pirate water playground and start with the vacation fun right away! There’s a spacious bathroom on the bottom floor of tower 1 near the gift shop, so if your room isn’t ready you can change into swimsuits there (I’ve done it many times).
My daughter and I often spend the whole afternoon there – it’s so fun and relaxing – my daughter could go down numerous water slides, splash pads, and there’s a jacuzzi I can relax in all in the same space.
After the Castaway Cove fun, it might be ready to check-in! We most often get their two-queen-bed room, which had recently been part of Howard Johnson Anaheim’s remodeling so has the 1960’s style vibes. To get these rooms, you will want to specifically request to stay in Tower 1. Eventually, all of the towers will be remodeled, with Tower 2 beginning its remodel in November 2020. Those additional 200 remodeled rooms will then be completely renovated and ready for booking as of March 2020! Now time for the room tour:
The room is just as retro as the lobby, with a clean, mod look and pops of bold colors. The beds are incredibly comfortable (not too firm or too soft). And there was even a mini fridge, microwaves, and Keurig machine. The room was made complete with Disney art throughout the room.
To add some extra magic to your Howard Johnson Anaheim hotel stay, I recommend requesting a street view room, which faces Disneyland. From there, you can see the Matterhorn, and at night see the fireworks! Most of the time we leave Disneyland before the fireworks start to avoid crowds (and because we’re tired!). So getting to watch from our room is the perfect way to end the night.
Something else I want to mention about the rooms, which is a huge plus to me, is that they have Hulu and Netflix apps on the TV. You can login to your Netflix or Hulu account to access and watch shows in your room from your account on their flat screen TV!
Other offerings on property is their gift shop, which has a lot of Disney gifts, as well as lots of snacks (including popcorn, which we like to pop in the in-room microwave) and beverage (including alcoholic beverages).
Another great tip I wanted to share, if you’re planning on going to the parks the day of check-out is to look into extending your parking pass. Before you leave to go to the parks you can go to the front desk to request they extend your parking pass if you need more time in the parks ($23 charge). They accommodate as long as they’re not too packed with reservations and are anticipating limited parking.
Howard Johnson Anaheim Discount!
If you’re looking to stay at Howard Johnson Anaheim and water playground, there’s a special discount code for guests, as well as guests who are Disneyland Annual Passholders. You will enter these codes in the “corporate code” section of the checkout page:
20% off discount code for Annual Passholders: 1000025935
15% off discount code for everyone: 1000022077
Visit here to start booking your stay with Howard Johnson Anaheim!
