Review of the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground Near Disneyland

For many generations of Disneyland vacationers, the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground has been the go-to hotel. Founded in 1965 - just 10 years after Disneyland itself - the HoJo Anaheim has been part of some serious theme park history. Over five decades later, it is still one of the most popular and well-known off-property Disneyland hotels.

Even though I had vacationed at Disneyland for two of those decades and admired it often, it took me long time to find my way to the Howard Johnson Anaheim for a stay - too long! Finally, my two kids (then ages 10 and 5) and I had the opportunity to check it out for ourselves not long after Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened. I recently returned in 2022 to the property for a stay during the Halloween Time season for Oogie Boogie Bash.

My family and I have found the hotel to be an ideal fit for family travelers. 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 what you need to know to decide whether the HoJo Anaheim is the right hotel for your family vacation at Disneyland. And... a bonus for reading until the end of this HoJo Anaheim review is all my tips for finding discounts!

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

Howard Johnson Anaheim Location: Walking Distance to Disneyland

I'm a big proponent of hotels within walking distance of Disneyland, so it's a bit crazy that it took me so long to stay at the HoJo Anaheim. Located on Harbor Boulevard about a 10 minute walk from the pedestrian entrance to the parks, the location is pretty fantastic. Guests need to cross just 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.

Just be aware that the HoJo Anaheim is not the closest off-property hotel to Disneyland. You'll pass about 5 other hotels on the walk. I've found, however, that the very closest hotels are often a bit more bare bones in some of 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 possible, this might not be the ideal 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.

So many hotels make it hard 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.

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

Room types at the HoJo Anaheim include the following:

• Standard Rooms: Either 1 King ADA or 2 Doubles
• Deluxe Rooms: Either 1 King, 1 Queen/Junior Bunk, 2 Queens in Building 1, or 2 Queens in Building 2
• Premium Rooms: Either 1 Queen/Bunk ADA, 2 Queens, or a 2 Queen/2 Room Bundle 
• Suites: House of the Future Queen Suite, a King Suite, or a Kids Suite

My family first stayed in the one of the Premium Rooms - the 1 Queen/Bunk ADA room type. This room is located in the newly-renovated Building 1. 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 (even a queen!), so this was the ideal room type for us. Check out my video room tour of our recent stay in this room type:

I also have stayed in one of the Deluxe rooms - a room with 2 Queens in Building 2 that would have suited my family of four as well (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.

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 rope drop like my family did. Other in-room amenities include a safe, hairdryer, and ironing board.

All the rooms in the premium room categories and some of the rooms in the deluxe and 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. Standard rooms are in the adjacent two story buildings 3-6 in between, and come at a more affordable price of course.

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 very reasonable at $15 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 on arrival.

Speaking of price, like all Disneyland area hotels, room prices at the HoJo Anaheim fluctuate considerably based upon seasonal demand. Generally speaking, standard 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!

Howard Johnson Disneyland 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. It is as fun as the description suggests.

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 of water cannons and sprayers. There is also a medium thrills waterslide and two smaller slides perfect for toddlers. Finally, I spotted a small wading pool for babies off to one side as well as a hot tub.

What I loved as a parent about the area was that it was fully enclosed and gated for safety. All of the water features were also shallow enough for non-swimmers to enjoy. It was freeing for my son when he was 5 years old 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 - she doted on my kids, learned their names, and just generally made an already fun experience that much more so.

I must admit that I worried a bit that the space might be too young and tame for my daughter when she visited at age 10, but she enjoyed every minute we spent there. She was definitely one of the oldest kids enjoying the area though, 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 travel with the Puddle Jumper for my son). The pool area is of course very safely gated from the rest of the property.

HoJo Anaheim 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. It also has a cute arcade that kept my kids entertained on two separate visits during our trip. For longer stays, there are two guest laundry facilities on the property as well.

We found the hotel 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.

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. Get Away Today offers several of the room types on its website, 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 if you are booking discounted park tickets too!

Howard Johnson by Wyndham Website Direct: Alternatively, book directly through HoJo's website - my special direct link gives you an automatic 15% off all room types! Select the exact room that interests you, including the newly renovated rooms in Building 1 and 2 like the ones featured above. Direct bookings with HoJo also earn Wyndham Rewards points if you are into hotel loyalty points like I am.

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 many more options if you run both.

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? I priced out a few different 2 night stays in 2023 with both of these methods and found pre-tax rates like the following:

• 2 Doubles Standard Room for $170 a night mid-week in mid-May 2023
• 1 Queen/Bunk ADA Room (the room type I stayed in with my kids) for $262 on a peak season summer weekend in late July 2023

The Bottom Line on the HoJo Anaheim Near Disneyland

So will my family and I return to the Howard Johnson Anaheim? A resounding yes! The customer service we have received there has always been excellent and the property is an exceptionally family friendly hotel. 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. Additionally, the newly renovated rooms have bright colors and decor that made my kids feel like they were still in the Disney bubble. And finally, the rooms and hotel generally had all amenities family travelers need without any extra hidden fees.

Disclosure: The HoJo Anaheim provided complimentary 2 night accommodations to my family on one of our stays for review purposes. I have stayed at the HoJo Anaheim on another occasion at my own expense. As always, all opinions are my own.