Review of the Howard Johnson Anaheim Near Disneyland

For many generations of Disneyland vacationers, the Howard Johnson by Wyndham Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground has been the go-to off-property hotel. Founded in 1965 - just 10 years after Disneyland itself - the HoJo Anaheim has been witness to a lot of theme park history. Six decades later, it is still one of the most popular and well-known hotels within walking distance of Disneyland.

The hotel is one of the properties I've stayed at most often in the Disneyland area over the years. I have found it to be an ideal fit for family travelers as well as anyone else looking for value close to the parks. The walking distance location, the awesome water playground, and the mid-century modern vibe make it one of my top off-property recommendations in the area.

Here's my complete review with everything you need to know to decide whether the HoJo Anaheim is the right hotel for your Disneyland vacation. Plus, be sure to scroll to the end of this post for all my tips for finding discounts on a stay!

Location: Walking Distance to Disneyland

I'm a big proponent of hotels within walking distance of Disneyland, and that's one of the reasons I keep returning to the HoJo Anaheim. Located on Harbor Boulevard about a 10 minute walk from the esplanade and pedestrian entrance to the parks, the location is pretty fantastic.

Guests need to cross two crosswalks to make the short walk to Disneyland - the one over Harbor itself and one right at the corner of the hotel at Manchester.

Although it's pretty close and definitely walkable for the vast majority of guests, the HoJo Anaheim is not the closest off-property hotel to Disneyland. You'll pass about 5 other hotels on the walk along Harbor. I've found, however, that some of the very closest hotels are often a bit more bare bones in their offerings.

For the 2-5 extra minutes on foot from Disneyland, the HoJo Anaheim has more to offer. If you plan to spend any time at the hotel taking advantage of an amenity like the pool (especially on an arrival or a departure day), that matters. If, however, you plan to spend every waking minute in the parks and just need a clean crash pad as close as humanly possible, this might not be the optimal hotel choice.

HoJo Anaheim Rooms & Price

The HoJo Anaheim near Disneyland has a wide variety of different room types. The result is that there are lots of options at different price points with different layouts.

For families, the layout of a room can really matter a lot to whether a vacation is a success or a bust. I remember well a few years ago when what I needed most in a hotel room was a quiet and spacious corner for a Pack N Play for my son. Now that my kids are older, it really matters how many beds a room has as well as what the bed size and type is going to be.

So many hotels make it hard though to figure out exactly what type of room you are going to get. The HoJo Anaheim is definitely not one of them. The property makes all the room types crystal clear on its website, with lots of photos and a full description of each one. You can book into the one that works just right for your situation with no concerns that you'll be given something different at check-in.

Room types at the Howard Johnson Anaheim include the following:

• 2 Double Beds Economy Rooms: Buildings 3-6
• 2 Queen Beds: Building 1 or 2
• 2 Queen Beds Superior/Park View: Building 1
• 1 Queen Bed and 1 Bunk Bed: Building 1
• 1 King Bed Deluxe Pool View: Building 2

Suites available are:

• King 1 Bedroom Suite: Building 1
• Family 2 Bedroom Suite: 1 King, 1 Bunk
• House of the Retro Future Suite

There are also two accessible room types:

• 2 Queen Beds, Deluxe Pool View: Mobility Accessible Room
• 1 Queen and 1 Bunk Bed: Building 1 Mobility Accessible Room

I've now stayed in a wide variety of room types at the hotel. The first one I stayed in was the Queen/Bunk room type in Building 1 with a park view. It features a queen bed as well as bunk beds in the corner. My kids do not do so well when they have to share a bed, so this was the ideal room type for us. We also especially loved being able to see the Disneyland fireworks from our room even when we had to call it a night early from the parks.

Check out my video room tour of our stay in this room type:

I also have stayed several times in a room with 2 Queen Room in Building 2 that works well for a family of four too (the kids can easily share a queen, even if they prefer bunks when available). The bathrooms in this layout are a tad more spacious, with two sinks and a longer vanity.

All rooms at the HoJo Anaheim come standard with a microwave, mini-fridge, and Keurig coffee maker. Those make it easy to prepare a simple breakfast in the room so you can get to the parks quickly for Disneyland rope drop like my family always likes to do. Other in-room amenities include a safe, hairdryer, and ironing board.

All the rooms in the premium/deluxe/suite room categories are in the newly renovated Buildings 1 or 2. Building 1 is the tower closest to the lobby, and Building 2 is towards the back of the property behind the garden pool.

Economy rooms are in the adjacent two story buildings 3-6 in between, and come at a more affordable price of course. The hotel will soon close these buildings for a complete renovation as well, currently scheduled from April 1, 2026 until early 2027.

HoJo Anaheim permits up to one rollaway in rooms (king rooms have an occupancy of 3 and two queen rooms can sleep up to 5). The rollaway charge is reasonable at $25 a night.

Cribs for babies and toddlers are free of charge. I recommend calling ahead and letting the front desk know if you require a crib so it is more likely to be ready and ideally even in your room upon arrival.

Speaking of price, like all Disneyland area hotels, room prices at the HoJo Anaheim fluctuate considerably based upon seasonal demand. Generally speaking, economy rooms can often be found for about $200 a night before tax. Expect to pay about $25-75 more per night for the rooms in the renovated buildings.

But keep reading below to find out how to save money off these rack rates!

Pools & Water Playground

The highlight for families at the HoJo Anaheim is most definitely the pools. Castaway Cove is the hotel's pirate-themed water playground.

The centerpiece of the Castaway Cove water playground is a giant pirate ship play structure. There are numerous splash pad features surrounding it, including a drench bucket that drops a ton of water every few minutes and several water cannons and sprayers.

There is also a medium thrills waterslide and two smaller slides perfect for toddlers. Additionally, there is a small wading pool for babies off to one side as well as a hot tub where parents can keep a watchful eye while relaxing themselves.

What I have loved as a parent about the area is that it is fully enclosed and gated for safety. All of the water features are also shallow enough for non-swimmers to enjoy. When we visited when my son was younger, it was freeing for him to be able to roam without a life jacket in this space. 

There is a staff member monitoring the top of the larger waterslide to make sure kids are using it safely. I was so impressed with the young woman in charge during one afternoon we spent there a couple of years ago - she doted on my kids, learned their names, and just generally made an already fun experience that much more so. It was definitely Disney cast member level attention and service even outside of the Disney bubble.

I must admit that I worried a bit that the space might be too young and tame older kids, but my daughter spent a full afternoon enjoying every minute of her time there when she was 10. She was definitely one of the oldest kids enjoying the area though that trip, and older tweens and teens may want more thrills.

One note about timing - the water playground doesn't open until 10am. We had hoped to spend a little time there in the morning on our departure day before a noon flight, but the later morning opening didn't make that possible. Luckily, the area does stay open late until 10pm, so it's possible to enjoy in the evenings on an arrival day or after time in the parks.

There is also a second pool area on property. Located near Building 2, the garden pool is pretty standard but does the job for families who want to take a regular swim. There are no lifejackets that I spotted, so I'd recommend bringing your own if you have a little one who is a non-swimmer (we traveled with the Puddle Jumper style life jacket for my son before he was a proficient swimmer). The pool area is of course very safely gated from the rest of the property.

Hotel Amenities & Perks

While the pools are the biggest highlight of the property, the HoJo Anaheim has a few other amenities of note. The hotel includes free WiFi - a must-have essential these days. For longer stays, there are two guest laundry facilities on the property as well.

We found the hotel's on-site gift shop extremely well stocked. There are tons of snack options for grabbing a quick bite. The gift shop also has a wide variety of Disney essentials and souvenirs, from autograph books to stuffed characters. For the most part, we found them all quite a bit cheaper than the items found in the parks.

The HoJo used to be able to offer free parking, but guests now are charged $25+17% tax for one car. Cars can remain until noon on checkout day (if you plan to stay longer, I suggest parking at one of the Disney lots). If you are flying into Disneyland, you may not need a car if you plan to stay in the Disneyland area only. So consider your trip's logistics carefully before renting a car. Personally, when I arrive by plane, I almost always take Lyft or Uber (even with kids!).

The hotel doesn't charge any other extra resort or hidden fees, so that's a plus.

As for dining, there's no restaurant on-site but there are plenty of eating choices nearby. The closest is Mimi's Bistro & Bakery, a casual sit down restaurant with French inspired cuisine and a very family-friendly vibe.

Just a few steps beyond that is a Panera Bread location, which is perfectly positioned for a quick breakfast stop on the walk to the parks. There's also a McDonald's on the way to the parks as well. Within a 5-10 minute walk on that same block, there are quite a few other kid-friendly restaurants, from Denny's to IHOP to the Pizza Press.

Howard Johnson Anaheim Booking Discounts & Deals!

Interested in booking the Howard Johnson near Disneyland for your own vacation? I have two ways for Trips With Tykes readers to snag a great deal.

Get Away Today Deals & Packages: First, you can book the HoJo through my partner Get Away Today where significant discounts are almost always available, especially when you bundle in tickets by purchasing a package. Get Away Today offers several of the room types on its website (usually the 2 Queen and 2 Double bed configurations), but if there is another room type that interests you, you can contact them via email or phone to access those. Just be sure to tell them Trips With Tykes sent you. No matter how you book, always be sure to apply the code Tykes10 for an additional $10 off vacation packages.

Howard Johnson by Wyndham Website Direct: Alternatively, book directly through HoJo's website - my special exclusive direct link gives you an automatic 15% off all room types (just click and it will show "Rate Applied"). Select the exact room that interests you. Direct bookings with HoJo also earn Wyndham Rewards points if you are into hotel loyalty points like I am, so you essentially get to double dip on the savings.

I'd recommend comparing these two options to find the best prices for your given vacation dates as well as the room type that meets your needs. The two choices regularly do not have the same room inventory or the same prices available so you'll get more options if you run both. (Remember that Get Away Today's quotes include taxes and the Wyndham site doesn't add those until a few screens into the booking process, so be sure you are comparing apples to apples on the total price).

These two options almost always beat other discounts I've seen, like pre-paid nonrefundable rates, Wyndham Rewards member rates, or AAA discounts. And remember that if you book your room directly via HoJo's site when it has the best price, you should absolutely still book your park tickets through Get Away Today to save off of the Disney ticket rack rates!

Just how much can you save with these methods? I priced out a few different 2 night stays in early 2026 and found pre-tax rates like the following:

• 2 Doubles Standard Room for $169 a night mid-week in early January 2026
• 1 Queen/Bunk Room for $220 a night on a peak spring break weekend in late March 2026

Bottom Line on the HoJo Anaheim Near Disneyland?

So do I recommend the Howard Johnson Anaheim to other Disneyland visitors? A resounding yes!

On days where we have had down time (like an arrival day), we have really been able to take the time to enjoy Castaway Cove for several hours. The newly renovated rooms have bright colors and decor and the whole hotel has a cool retro vibe that makes my kids feel like we are still in the Disney bubble.

The customer service my family and I have received at the HoJo Anaheim has always been excellent, and the property is exceptionally kid-friendly with all the core amenities family travelers need. I've recommended the hotel to real-life friends and neighbors as well, and they always come back from their trips raving about the value it offers.

We'll most definitely be back!

Disclosure: The HoJo Anaheim has provided me with some complimentary accommodations for review purposes over the years. I have stayed at the hotel on other occasions at my own expense. As always, all opinions are my own.