CA Orange County Howard Johnson Anaheim

[zbenye]

Good 2* hotel. Spacious, clean rooms. Coffee maker, mini-fridge. High-speed Internet ($10), local calls $.50. Free parking. Very nice swimming pool. Second pool and hot tub under construction (August 2002). Besides the two full beds, the rooms have folding beds in the closets, so 5 adults can fit it.

Avoid rooms facing the freeway (I-5). Also avoid the second (top) floor if you need total darkness to sleep: rooms there have skylights without covers.

[WillTravel]

My daughter and I liked this hotel also (package deal, not Priceline). It's about a 7-minute walk to the Disneyland entrance. This Howard Johnson is also on the shuttle system, so every 10-20 minutes there is a shuttle to the Disneyland entrance. I didn't see folding beds in our closet, but there were two good-size beds.

Mimi's Cafe, which is catercorner to this hotel, is relatively inexpensive with large portions. IHOP, about a block further down and directly across from Disneyland, has free kids' meals after 4 PM. There's a small store (like a corner grocery) in one of the hotels on Harbor Boulevard between Disneyland and HJ - I think it's in the Tropicana.

There's a video arcade room, which kids are quite happy to spend money at. The staff told me by email that I could get a microwave for an extra $30/night. (I decided it wasn't worth it.)

I was happy with this hotel, and my daughter was also, but she did like the extra convenience the time we stayed directly across from Disneyland (at the Best Western Anaheim).

[dbnyc]

OT comment regarding WillTravel's review: the Best Western mentioned is specifically called the Best Western Park Place Inn, and is literally in front of the crosswalk you would walk across to enter the "Main Gate". there are at least 3 different Best Western's in Anaheim, so don't get confused!

slightly OT comment: Mimi's Cafe right outside the HOJO is indeed a very good chain restaurant to eat at. very reasonable prices, and food quality is better than most of the restaurants inside Disney property. plus they've got unlimited refills on fresh brewed iced tea + delicious fresh strawberry lemonade. heh.

[WillTravel]

OT comment regarding WillTravel's review: the Best Western mentioned is specifically called the Best Western Park Place Inn, and is literally in front of the crosswalk you would walk across to enter the "Main Gate".  there are at least 3 different Best Western's in Anaheim, so don't get confused!

Sorry if I wasn't clear (and for responding so late). There is the Best Western Park Place Inn across the street from Disneyland, but that is not where we stayed in 2000. The Best Western Anaheim at 1630 S. Harbor Boulevard where we did stay then is on the other side of Denny's. It's almost directly acrosst the street from Disneyland, but the Best Western Park Place Inn is a little closer.

At any rate I am almost tempted to book my next Disneyland hotel directly for location reasons. But then I checked the prices - $99/night for the Best Western Anaheim, $89/night for the Howard Johnson.