Disneyland Hotel Packages for Families: Finding YOUR Hotel at Disneyland

This post will show you the very best in Disneyland family packages, plus how to find YOUR perfect hotel and Disneyland Tickets.  These Disneyland park vacation packages for families are cheap — in fact, they come with a best price guarantee.

Disneyland Family Packages

That walk down main street gets me teary every time.  I looked forward to Disneyland SO much as a child.  It was my favorite place.  I remember days of being unable too excited to sleep just to be able to visit my favorite place.

Being able to provide that for my own kids means a lot to me.  But it also means a HUGE investment.  I am slowly getting to be fine with spending the money, but making sure that it is spent well is still VERY important to me.  I really don’t want to spend a lot of money, only to be frustrated by the results.

That’s why picking the right hotel at Disneyland is #1 on my list for our trips.

This post is going to talk about figuring out what you’d really like in a hotel as well as some of the ones we’ve stayed at and our experiences there. Don’t miss my most recent trip to The Viv Anaheim (it has BUNKBEDS!!!).

Best Disneyland Family Packages

Your Disneyland family package will include

• Theme park tickets
• Hotel room
• Possibly Airfare
• Travel to/from the park

BTW, wondering how much (roughly) all of that will cost — check out my Disneyland Trip Calculator.

Disneyland Ticket Deals

Get Away Today has amazing prices on tickets.  It is super easy to book your hotel and tickets together (although, you don’t have to book them as a package all the time — if you have a question about their current offers, ticket prices, etc, always call their agents)!

I have a whole post on if you can get your tickets at the gate at Disneyland {no} that shares the CHEAPEST way to get Disneyland tickets!

Other options are to book through your local travel agent (I promise that will cost you more, or they actually already use Get Away Today) or in the past I have found Disneyland resort tickets for a lower price through my workplace — but if you book with Get Away Today and find a lower price they will price match it (which I’ve done, you just have to call and they credit your card).

Cheap Disneyland Packages

But, the reality is that we don’t all want to stay at the Motel 6.

BUT, we want to pay a low price for a room that our family feels comfortable in, and gets a good night’s sleep.  For every family that will be different.

And, I will promise you that not every room near Disneyland is neither clean nor comfortable. You will want someone to vet that room for you. 🙂

Which, is why I love Get Away Today.  All of their agents have toured the hotels and seen what each room looks like.  You can tell them what you’re hoping for, and they can give you GREAT options for the happiest place on earth — at the best price.  So if you are looking for a Disneyland resort hotel or off site hotels for your family trip, they have you covered. You can even use code CURLS10 to get $10 off your trip when you book hotel & tickets together (at least 2 nights and 2 tickets).

>> Book a Hotel with Get Away Today << 

And, if your plans aren’t FIRM, you may want to consider their Peace of Mind plan that will give you full flexibility of the trip to change dates, cancel or whatever (EVEN DISNEYLAND TICKETS) with no cancellation fees.

**Btw, I am going to share all of the hotels in the area that we have stayed at towards the end of this post — so if you’re wanting to know what I liked and did not like (and there are some we REALLY didn’t like) hotel reviews start here!**

In 2021 I also did a hotel tour of 16 of the best Disneyland hotels for families.

Discount Travel to Disneyland

If you are looking for A Disneyland California vacation package with a flight Get Away Today knows which airlines will get you the best price to the many LA area airports.

It’s super confusing as there are a TON of airports and you won’t always find the best price as you search other places online.

Personally, we fly into either Long Beach of Orange County, just because they’re quicker to Anaheim and are smaller airports than LAX.

Discount Pricing or Shuttle to Disneyland

Disneyland parking is always $30 — there is no discounting that.

However, the majority of hotels use the ART transit system. We have used the ART transit system many times.  The busses are regular (most of the time, we have had a few broken-down busses, which is part of mass transit), clean, easy to do with strollers, and well air conditioned (a must in the hotter months).

All-Inclusive Disneyland Vacations

They are ALMOST a thing — except Disneyland doesn’t have any dining packages.  You can learn more about all inclusive Disneyland vacations.

Ok, so how do you pick a hotel for Disneyland…?

How to find your best Disneyland Hotel Family package:

These are questions you should ask yourself before picking your choice of hotel (and don’t miss out on my best Disneyland Hotel tips)

How many beds do you want?  Does each child need their own (they do in a perfect world in our family, but we are willing to sacrifice a bit to save money sometimes).  Keep in mind that when you hit over five kids (guilty) a lot of hotels make you get larger rooms, just do to the laws and how many can be in one bed.

Walkable or Not?  Do you need to stay close enough to the parks to walk (most hotels tout how close they are, but there are truly only a few that are actually walkable), or are you OK to use a shuttle?

You might aloso want to stay at on property resort hotels — so check out this post that tells the perks from staying at the parks.

We’ve used both (and there are perks to both of them).  Keep in mind that the shuttle system really IS great.  It is affordable, it runs frequently and is air-conditioned.   However, I hate waiting for it so we have stayed walkable in the last years.

Breakfast?  Is a good hot breakfast enough for you to spend a bit more?

Lately, our kids haven’t eaten all that much with the excitement of Disney.  I wish I had just stashed some gogurt and Jimmy Dean Sandwiches in our hotel fridge and gone with that.

I find most rooms close to Disneyland do have a fridge, and often a microwave (but be sure to check before you plan on it).

How much time will you be in your room?  Will you be just sleeping there, or do you think you’ll come back for naps?  Naps for young kids means you’ll want to be closer.  However, my little ones napped well in their stroller at Disneyland, seemed like the noise put them to sleep.

Other amenities?  Do you need a pool, or a workout room (frankly, if you really need to workout AND walk all freaking day that is a lot, but if you need it — you need it).  Sometimes other things like having a tub or free parking can be really important as well.

** This is actually one of the reasons I like Get Away today SO much.  Their agents have visited almost all of the hotels (or they can grab someone who has) so if you need something specific — they can help you out. I needed at least a half wall to hide playpen from me (kids didn’t sleep well if they could see me) and they always knew where would be a good spot.

Disneyland Hotel Reviews

I’ve stayed at quite a few hotels around Disneyland.

With that said, my goal is to, at some point, stay at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.  We’d just REALLY like to try it. 🙂  We’ll see if we love it. I do have a whole post on perks for staying at the Disneyland® resort hotels in case you’re wondering.

BUT, here are the hotels we’ve stayed at (with our most recent stay first).  I also have another post about Disneyland hotels with bunk beds.

{Full disclosure: many of these hotels did provide me with free nights, but I was under no requirement for a positive review, and you will find that I found pro’s and con’s for each hotel and that I try to be REALLY balanced when I stay at a hotel}

In Fall 2022 we stayed at

The Viv Anaheim

This is a fairly new hotel (formerly the Radisson Blue — but built just before 2020). It is a new favorite. The view from the corner suites and quiet rooms make The Viv Hotel the best deal.

I also have a whole tour of it on an Instagram highlight that you can see here.

Pro’s:

• QUIET. I didn’t hear s single other person once I was in my room. I LOVED THAT!!!!!!
• Clean. This is honestly one of the cleanest hotels I have stayed at. Most of the hotel is a vinyl flooring (I think) with just a few rugs. It was really clean
• Toiletries — they’re just super nice, and sometimes the small things make the difference
• The view — we were on the 8th floor with a theme park view and it was so pretty to look out. We could even see the fireworks from our room!
• My husband and I used the rooftop pool, and we weren’t sad that kids weren’t invited up there. It was lovely
• The other people staying there were just really nice people, we had many conversations at the pool or on the bus that were just nice. 🙂

Con’s:

• I don’t personally call this hotel walkable to Disneyland® Park(although I have had friends walk it and say it was about 20 minutes).
• It’s not particularly near any restaurants. I have eaten at one of their on site restaurants and I also heard from others that enjoyed the more casual restaurant.

Honestly, I’d 100% stay here again. You can use the ART bus or an uber to take you to the parks. It was about $7 each way for an Uber — and you’re more than saving that (plus the hotel is nicer than the ones on Harbor).

BTW, Get Away Today OFTEN has free nights with The Viv (so, buy 3 nights, get a 4th night free) — and I think it is the cheapest 4-star rating hotel in their portfolio (especially if you’re staying 4 nights).

BOOK THE VIV ANAHEIM HERE

Fall 2018 we stayed at the…

Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort

We liked it there.  It wasn’t my favorite hotel ever — but I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that when you go CLOSE, you aren’t going to get a great hotel!

Positives:

• It’s as close as we’ve ever stayed to the park (but I always wish we’d stayed closer) — this is a HUGE benefit!
• It has a pull-out sofa, so no child had to share a bed with another (we only took 2 kids, and it’s nice that this hotel will comfortably sleep 5)
• The beds and pillows are nice
• You can see the park/fireworks from your room (as I could stay awake longer than 3 minutes after I laid in the bed)
• The McDonalds or Panera is on your way to the park, so it’s easy to grab breakfast
• It has hardward floors, which I prefer in hotel rooms as carpets can seem gross
• It has a fridge (a small one, but with a couple of nights in the freezer, our waters did freeze)

Negatives

• The bathroom is REALLY small
• It’s cramped, not a lot of extra storage space for luggage, etc
• No free breakfast
• The fireworks are REAL loud at night, and don’t sound like fireworks — I thought the hotel was collapsing the first time (they do provide ear plugs)
• Doesn’t have a microwave — kind of annoying, although they are available in one are of the hotel, which is nice.

If you don’t book with Get Away Today (and honestly, why would you?) you would have to pay for valet parking each night of your stay.

That’s a pricey add-on (if you have a car), so just be aware!

I even have a little video review:

Christmas 2017 we stayed at the…

Disneyland Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

We stayed here on our last trip.

It was amazing.  One of my favorite hotels ever:

Pro’s:

• Rooms are super quiet
• Includes a water park (but the water slides close early, so be aware)
• It’s a short walk to Disneyland
• The rooms are well appointed, and I LOVED the bunk beds – which is one of the main reasons we stayed here.
• Nice to have a tub (great for young children) and a shower — so multiple people can get ready in the AM.
• Includes a microwave and fridge.

Cons’:

• You have to valet park, and it’s $20/night (at the time we stayed there) — which seems a little pricey.  I wish it was just included in the room rate.  BUT, the valet was super quick and it was nice when our feet were tired (aka, all the time).
• There isn’t a magical cloud to transport you from the park. 🙂
• It is more expensive than some
• The front desk told me they were a shorter walk than the Disney garage, which is a lie.  The Disney garage is also $20, and since you can ride their tram — it was a closer jaunt.

All in all, we loved it.  I would 100% stay here again.  If they served a free breakfast I think it would be PERFECT!

Castle Inn and Suites by Disneyland

This one is just your basic motel, but has a castle theme.  When we just had two little boys they were THRILLED to stay here.  The walk isn’t bad (although I always wish it was shorter).  No breakfast, but it does have a microwave and a fridge (so grab some breakfast sandwiches and yogurt at the local Target).  I’d stay here again.  Nothing fancy, but Get Away Today often adds a free night when you buy 3.  That’s a great deal!

Desert Palms Hotel & Suites

We recently stayed here.  I’d heard glowing things about them and their breakfast.  Since it’s fresh let me show you the pro’s and con’s:

Pros:

• Had awesome bunkbeds in a second room with double beds, great for a large party (and there was room for a sleeping bag at the foot of those beds).
• Clean rooms
• Walkable to the park
• Good morning breakfast with a good # of options and enough seating.

Cons:

• They were under renovation, and while I understand that happens it was annoying.
• Front desk was snarky one morning when I called to see if we could keep our car there, I was clearly bothering them (and we weren’t allowed to keep our car there after checkout)
• The walk was a bit long.  I longed to be in one of the closer hotels as we trudged home
• Morning breakfast wasn’t that amazing, and didn’t change much in the 3 days we were there.  It was fine, but nothing amazing.
• The BIGGEST con is that my husband and I were unable to sleep well.  You could hear every single word of what happened in the hallway.  When you’re paying so much money for each night you’d expect for the doors to be able to keep noise out.  It was super frustrating, I wish I’d brought my earplugs.

Due to the last factor, plus the snarky front desk, I don’t think we will stay there again. I didn’t end up feeling like a valued customer or happy with our stay.

BUT, it is decently walkable and the hotel is pretty nice.

Anaheim Great Wolf Lodge

This is a hotel chain throughout the US and it has recently opened one in Anaheim.

This hotel doesn’t have any shuttle service to the park (I guess they have a van that goes once a day to the Disney resort that you have to reserve seats in), so if you’re going to the park — you’ll need to take your car.

In reality — this hotel is 100% its own resort.  They have a GIANT water park and the also Magi-Quest that is SO fun for kids.

Personally, I would do Disneyland for your chosen # of days — and then I’ll stay a couple of nights here (which is what we did).  It’s very different than Disneyland, but still VERY fun.

Pro’s

• The whole lodge has a rustic feel.
• There is a Daiso just around the corner
• Amazing Water Park
• Everyone gets bands that allow you to unlock your room as well as charge things to your room.
• On-site pizzeria, and Dunkin’ Doughnuts
• Magi-Quest was a very fun game where kids use magic wants to make stuff happen.
• We went at Christmas and it was decked out so fun.  They even made it snow.
• A little animatronic show in the lobby for kids

Con’s

• Rooms can be pricey — especially on the weekends
• The room itself is kind of small (although there are larger rooms, we stayed in a basic room)
• Kids are running through the halls doing the Magi-Quest game, which can be annoying (my kids did it too, and the kids are certainly busy trying to win the game)
• Restaurants are a bit expensive, and beyond the water park, the other activities are an additional fee.

It was a nice way to wind down from the park.  Plus, adults can relax as kids do the magi-quest.  The water park is large enough that there is something for every age- – and the water park is included with your room.

This hotel specializes in kids age 5-12’ish.  Much older than that they will think it’s a bit juvenile, but when you catch kids in the right age frame they will have a GREAT time.

Quality Inn and Suites

We stayed here two trips ago.  The rooms were fine, and the breakfast was fine but the walk was just too far.  You have to go all the way around the corner.  Crazy annoying.

Disneyland StayBridge Inn and Suites

We stayed here the first couple of times we went to Disneyland as a family.  I loved it here.  The rooms are a good size and the breakfast is great.  The only problem was the shuttle.  I hated waiting for it (and hauling the stroller on board).  If we were good with the shuttle, it would be an awesome place to stay.  It can also save you a good amount of money by staying at a hotel a bit away from the park.  Enough that you can probably afford an extra day and slow

down a bit.

Disneyland Tropicana Hotel

I stayed at this one when we went with the Jr High Chorus.  It is your very basic motel room.  And it is SO close I could hug it.  I think they currently have breakfast, but double-check.

But, VERY doable.  Clean, fine.  Nothing fancy.  Honetly, I think this is a great option because it is SO close.

If you’re looking just for a suite, my friend Katie has a good post on Disneyland Family Suites.

Disneyland Family Packages FAQ’s

Are Disneyland tickets cheaper if I buy a package?

Honestly, not necessarily.  Get Away Today sells tickets separately (you just can’t use my coupon code if you’re only buying tickets).  Some hotels will advertise they sell tickets cheaper, but it’s likely no better than Get Away Today! With Get Away Today you can often bundle tickets (to like Universal Studios Hollywood or Knotts Berry Farms) in a ticket package too!

What is the best hotel near Disneyland?

Well, probably the BEST one is the California adventure, but if you’re looking to keep your budget in our stratosphere, I really liked the Courtyard.

Are tickets cheaper if I buy them online?

Yup, they sure are.  You can buy them cheaper through Disneyland, OR through Get Away Today. 🙂

Are tickets cheaper with AAA or Costco?

When I last checked, no — I would certainly check around — but Get Away Today has a best price guarantee, AND the best customer service, bar none.

Is Disneyland Expensive?

Yes, it is.  It is also super fun and can be a GREAT trip with less stress for your family. 🙂

Is Disneyland free on your birthday?

Nope, not even close.  They did run a promo a few years ago, but no more. 🙁  You can get a badge at Town Hall though.

What are the Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels?

Just hotels near Disneyland that they endorse for people to stay at if their hotels aren’t an option.

Do Disneyland hotels have airport shuttles?

In my experience, no.  Get Away Today recommends Karmel Shuttles, and the price is pretty reasonable (for LA traffic).  But if you have a large group, you might just want to do an Uber.

Does Get Away Today Sell a One Day Ticket

Nope, Disneyland is the only one that can sell those and the pricing on those tickets is based on the dates you have chosen (busier dates will be more expensive). They do sell 2-5 days though.

Can I get Disney Genie with my tickets?

Yes, as of this writing you can get Disney Genie as a ticket magical extras. This gives you lightening lane access to select attractions. Read more about they Disneyland Genie here.

How do I get a theme park reservation if I use Get Away Today?

As soon as you make your package selection and you put your credit card in (and it is processed) Get Away Today will send you your tickets. You then put those tickets (barcode is on the upper right, you can just copy and paste) into your DIsneyland account and make your reservations. Everyone needs a Disneyland account to make a reservation.

Once you have a valid ticket in your account, you can make your appropriate park reservation. ALSO, if you need to switch dates, you just do that through your Disneyland account as well.

I hope you enjoyed this post that has some of the best Disneyland packages 2019.  This will also help you find last minute Disneyland hotel deals, consider Disneyland Travel Insurance, as well as the best way to book Disneyland.  I hope you enjoy your California Vacation packages 2019!

So, to sum it up:

Stay on Site:  This costs a fair amount more but can be the most convenient (keep in mind that the Disneyland Hotel is amazing, but also kind of far away — but you can use the Monorail)

Stay walkable:  Most convenient, rooms are often just basic rooms but are meant for families headed to Disneyland (often come with a fridge and microwave to aid in your trip)

Stay further away:  Take the shuttle or your car and you can save quite a lot of $$

Either way, talk to the agents at Get Away Today.  You WILL get the best deal and they know EVERYTHING about the rooms.  Go through those first questions and then call them, knowing what you really want and they can match you with what’s available.

Also, call early before you go.  Their rooms (because of the amazing rates) go fast.  You don’t want to miss out and end-up paying more!

Get Away Today offers trip layaway for just $175 down, so if you know you’re going, you can start your hotel package early (with the best availability) and then pay it off as you go.  You can even get trip insurance for just $75 where you can get a refund if you have to cancel.  Remember to also save $10 with code CURLS10 when you book with Get Away Today!

If you liked this post, be sure to grab my parent’s guide to Disneyland:

Don’t miss my list of Best Affordable Disneyland hotels — a list of 30+ of my favorite hotels (plus my own current top 10 hotel list).