Hotels with a Disneyland Shuttle

Picking your Disneyland hotel is one of the biggest steps in planning your Disneyland vacation. Many of the hotels offer a shuttle that can get you to/from the parks with ease, but how do they all work and which is the BEST option for you? Let’s find out.

Cliff Notes: The Anaheim Majestic is my favorite Hotel with a free shuttle. Good stuff there! Keep reading for my full review of it!

Hi, I’m Hilary, the curly head behind this website Pulling Curls. I’m what you call a Disneyland trip planning pro. I’ve been going to the parks for years and I spend a few hours each month researching pricing and options for your best Disneyland experience. I almost like planning trips as much as I like going on them, so I’m a great resource for you as you make this decision.

While I think getting to the parks is a huge part of your plan — check out some of my other posts on Disneyland including: Disneyland Hotel Tips, Disneyland hotels with family suites and the Best Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels. I really am your guide to hotels in the Disneyland area, I have toured a lot of them through my hotel partner Get Away Today (and you’ll see a lot of the links go to them as they have amazing pricing).

But for now, let’s talk bout how to get to the parks!

OH, be sure to grab my Disneyland Trip Calculator to help make sure you stay on budget:

Hotels with Free Shuttle to Disneyland:

There are two hotels in Anaheim that have a free shuttle service to the Disneyland area, as far as I know at this time…. Keep in mind that many other Anaheim hotels have offered free shuttles in the past, but these are the current ones, I also have one that has a paid dedicated shuttle service (meaning it doesn’t stop anywhere else). We’ll talk more about group shuttles coming up if you want more options.

Anaheim Majestic Garden Hotel

This is my personal top pick for a hotel with a free shuttle — why, you might ask?

This hotel is NOT walkable (you have to go over the free way which would not be fun), and has GREAT pricing (in my opinion) but has a hotel-specific shuttle that I think just skyrockets its value.

That means it doesn’t pick up anyone else along the way.

I stayed at this hotel (full disclosure, it was a hosted stay, but I was very clear I’d give my clear and honest opinion of them) in spring 2024. We had an AMAZING visit. Some of the highlights of the hotel:

• The rooms and property are HUGE loved their gardens (and baby ducks)
• The restaurant/deli was reasonably priced. Not regular hotel restaurant pricing which was nice to see
• The shuttle was efficient and easy to use (which was REALLY nice to see).

They have a few different options for their shuttle, some are converted school busses, some are shuttle busses. Either way they all ran well and got us to the parks.

They start running an hour before the park opens. They go every 30 minutes til’ around noon-4, and then it went to hourly until 4 when they resumed every 30 minute shuttles.

They were on time, they were efficient, and I was SUPER pleased with it.

We took the 7 am shuttle and were to the gates (through security) by 7:18. I think we were dropped off to the park by about 7:10.

The hotel is not fancy, but it’s roomy and clean. While they don’t offer free breakfast they do have a nice on-site restaurant that serves breakfast.

We also ultimately decided we wanted 2 rooms for 4 adults and 1 child (I did book my 2nd room through Get Away Today) and they were able to give us a connecting room which was really nice.

Ultimately I was VERY happy with the shuttle service and it’s a huge perk for staying there! I have also had friends stay there and they had a very good experience with the shuttle as well.

Pro tip: I like to book with Get Away Today, and then keep an eye on the Majestic specials page to see if they offer a price less, and then ask Get Away Today to price match if it goes lower.

Candy Cane Inn

This hotel has almost a cult-like following. Prior to the creation of Disney California Adventure Park this hotel was just across the parking lot from Disneyland. The rooms are dated, but there is free breakfast, and a free shuttle service. It is often sold out. It’s a boutique family-run hotel that people seem to just love.

Hotels with a Paid, Dedicated Shuttle

The Hyatt Regency Orange has their own shuttle, It comes every 30 minutes, but it costs $6/person. They are not serviced by The ART Shuttle, and I don’t consider it to be walkable — so it’s a good option (if there’s a few of you, an Uber may be cheaper though).

There are a few other hotels that have offered a complimentary shuttle in the past including the Days Inn and suites, and the Delta Hotel (free art passes)… but as far as I can tell (and have talked to my travel agents) they are no longer offering these rewards.

In reality, if it is just free ART tickets, maybe that’s not a huge value to ALL of their guests (at a big cost for the hotel), so maybe they decided to lower their rates and let people decide if they wanted to buy their own tickets or not.

The good news, there are other transportation options…

But, before we get to them, you’ll find that a lot of my hotel links go to my favorite partner Get Away Today. I’ve actually used them since 1998. I am consistently shocked by how great their rates are and how much you can save when you use them. While browsing on their website can be helpful, I think their customer service is one of their best benefits. Their agents just know those hotels (and have visited most of them). Whatever way you choose to book use code CURLS10 to get an extra $10 off your vacation hotel/ticket package.

I seriously still use them because of their great customer support. I even booked an upcoming cruise with them too. 🙂

Other Disneyland Transportation Options

Walk

Your feet are my favorite transportation to Disneyland, ESPECIALY when the hotel is close!

I actually have a whole post about Disneyland feet and making sure you keep your feet happy (which isn’t a small task when you’re walking so much).

Now, if you haven’t been to the Disneyland resort, you may be thinking that the on-site hotels are probably the closest, but you might be wrong (this is very different from Walt Disney World, if you’re coming from that).

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is very close to California Adventure. But the hotel is VERY long and depending on where your room is placed you may have a bit of a walk just to get out of the hotel. AND, if you plan to go to Disneyland you have to walk through most of the Downtown Disney District. It’s a great hotel, just don’t book it for being the closest.

The Disneyland Hotel again walks through all of Downtown Disneyland. There is also Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel (soon to be Pixar Place) where you also have to walk quite a ways (although they do have a special entrance into California Adventure, and can get through the Grand Californian decreasing the walk time a bit).

Favorite Walkable Hotels

I have a whole post on my favorite closest hotels to Disneyland, but to save you a little time — here are my top three walkable hotels near Disneyland.

Best Western PLUS Park Place — if you want to stay close, this is hands-down my favorite place to stay because not only is it close, but it also has a decent free breakfast. I have stayed here, and while the accommodations are nothing fancy they are 100% adequate and being able to back on your BED within 5 minutes of the park is a HUGE plus! It has the most easy access of one I’ve found.

Pro Tip: if you want to stay here, but don’t quite have all the cash for your room use trip layway to get it booked early and then pay it off before your visit!

Tropicana Inn & Suites — This is a very basic hotel. No free breakfast, and parking is always a little sketchy (valet only with a fee), but it’s close — and cheaper than the Best Western. All the rooms also have a sleeper chair so they sleep 5 (it’s tight, but it works — I did it last year with 4 adults and a child).

Fairfield Inn & Suites — I think if you’re looking for a room that is a BIT nicer, the Fairfield is a nice option. No free breakfast, although it is close to the McDoanlds and the Panera.

Bonus Splurge Option: If you’re looking for a bit of a splurge, the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is walkable, AND has a water park on site of the hotel (which you can see from the road and your kids will go just bonkers over). I’m always surprised by how expensive it is, but it truly is a guest-favorite and I see a ton of people booking this one each year. And once again, you can always use layaway to pay it off month by month before your trip.

Art Shuttle

Ok, so back to shuttles. There is an Anaheim-provided shuttle called the ART Shuttle — which stands for Anaheim Rapid Transit. It is the same shuttle that the Sheraton uses, and you can purchase tickets {get discount ones here}.

Almost all “Disneyland” hotels have access to the ART shuttle (except for the Great Wolf Lodge). The good news is that the shuttle itself isn’t all that expensive. Pricing at the time of writing is:

1 Day Pass:

Adult: $6 Child: $2.50

3-Day Pass:

Adult: $16 Child $3.50

You can learn more about the ART Shuttle & pricing here.

Now, I want to be really transparent that since Disneyland re-opened in 2021 I have tried the ART Shuttle several times.

About 80% of the time I am very happy with it. But the other 20% I have been really frustrated by it. As I am a family with no car seats, we’ve chosen to just Uber or walk to the parks at this point, BUT you can save a lot of cash by staying further out and using the ART system.

A few thoughts about using it:

• Some hotels are only regularly serviced in the morning and evening times. During the day you “on-demand” request the shuttle. One time it took 45 minutes for the shuttle to get to us after we requested it.
• There is an app where you can see your shuttle, although sometimes it doesn’t update which makes it totally useless. One day our shuttle was just “stopped” a few miles away so we ended-up requesting an Uber, only to see the shuttle pulling into our hotel right then (but still not on the app).
• Some hotels have a few shuttle stops nearby — which makes it nice since you can use a variety of shuttles (or whatever one is coming first).
• The shuttles make large loops that can sometimes be annoying to wait through — we were one of the first stops in the morning being picked-up at 7 am, but didn’t make it to the parks til’ 7:30. BUT, we were also the first dropped-off after a tiring day, so that was nice.
• The hotel staff is generally pretty knowledgeable about the ART system and can help you out. Make sure you find out what “line” you’re on so you can get back to your hotel at night!
• You can buy the passes through the app.
• You can also buy 1-time passes for just $4 — which is cheaper than an Uber ride for one.
• They really are working to improve it. Each time I’ve had a horrible time they’ve reached out to see what they could do to help it. It may be my luck, but I have been frustrated by it.
• This is the BEST option if you have car seats as Ubers will NOT work and it is still likely cheaper than parking (and less frustrating) — this is a good one for the whole family.
• You do have to fold strollers to bring them on the bus
• If you’re planning to use the shuttle maybe call the hotel (or Get Away Today) to ask how far away the shuttle stop is. Having a hotel NEAR the shuttle stop is a win (and some have a bit of a walk to their shuttle options).
• ART also takes people out to Knott’s Berry Farms in Buena Park so you can save yourself the hassel and parking fees if you use it out there.

It really can be a fine option, and if the app is working you can see when your bus should be to the parks, which is nice compared to how it used to be.

Some of you might be wondering if there is shuttle service from the airports. So far, no cheap shuttle service is offered from John Wayne airport, Los Angeles International Airport, or Long Beach Airport — but there are shuttle services you can book directly. The one I’ve heard the most about is Carmel shuttles (but it is not cheap).

Uber/Lyft

This is my preferred method. They pick you up at your hotel and wisk you right to the parks. In general this is about $10/way for anaheim-area hotels.

The main issue is the drop-off/pickup area can be slow. I wish this was done better by Disneyland, it’s a really poor experience, but there are curbs to sit on while you wait for your Uber.

Keep in mind that even if it shows your Uber as being 1-minute away there is still a long line of Ubers for them to wait in to get into the lot — so it can still be a bit of a wait.

Drive & Park

Driving and parking at the park is still a good option.

Daily parking at Disneyland is currently $30/car, with the option for “priority parking” for $50.

The structures are SO efficient. Seriously, we got out with fireworks one night and I was sure we’d be there for hours, but we got right out.

They are a bit of a walk, or you can wait for the tram to get you. There is also the Toy Story lot that uses buses to get you to the parks (it’s not on-property).

They really do try to do it well, it’s just one more thing in my book.

Which is why I try to stay walkable. 🙂

Remember that Disneyland has a few walkable areas — see if your hotel lists how far it is from the park in minutes away or miles from Disneyland. Some of them list it as “1-mile from Disneyland park” and that usually means to the property line, not the spot where you can get into the parks. There are several hotels that are walkable via Ketella or Ball as well (just not AS close as the ones I listed).

Favorite Hotels with a Shuttle to Disneyland

Keep in mind that the hotels in the Disneyland® resort area all seem to have the same basic amenities, incluidng:

• fitness center (as if Disneyland was enough of one)
• Outdoor pools (although a few do have indoor pools) & hot tubs
• Free Wi-fi
• Most also have a fridge, and some have a microwave — but check on your particular hotel.
• Enhanced cleaning and safety measures

Some hotels also have full kitchens, tennis courts, a basketball court, Koi Ponds (Majestic has one of those), game rooms and more — so be sure to know what is important to you! Oh, and be sure to check on the bed size. Some only offer double beds vs a queen bed.

Cheapest Hotels with Disneyland Shuttle:

The Clarion consistently has the best rates. It’s definitely an economy hotel, but it does have an ART Shuttle stop — OR you can cross the road and ride from the Toy Story lot. So many guests find this a GREAT option!

The Cortana has great rates. I haven’t actually stayed there, but it isn’t TOO far to walk (I would probably consider walking there and ubering back — or you could also take the free toy story shuttle and save yourself some steps). It also offers a free breakfast!

Eden Rock has great pricing — and it could be walked up from Katella. I had a friend who stayed there who said it was very adequate.

Nicest Hotels With Shuttle Service In the Anaheim Resort Area

These are three of the best hotels I know of near Disneyland park

JW Marriot — I have stayed here and walked (but I Uber’d back at night) but they do also have an ART Shuttle stop.

The Westin — this could also be walkable, but also does have an ART stop.

I love The Viv — it is not walkable, but the ART shuttle comes right outside the door (which is really nice). They do have great pricing, but the rooms are so well-appointed and nice it’s probably my 3rd nicest hotel in the area. The front desk was lovely, as were all the guests.

Larges Hotel Rooms with a Shuttle

The Cambria has nice spacious rooms, and does have a water park. Bonus is that it has a couple of shuttle stops nearby in case the one closest is taking a while. Plus it has a water park — which is a pretty fantastic amenity (and guests who book with Get Away Today get free access to it). It also offers complimentary breakfast and a huge breakfast room.

The Residence Inn is a favorite of mine. We recently stayed in the 1 king, 2 queen with a sofa bed hotel room and it was SO nice. Comes with two bathrooms! It is also close to the Anaheim Convention Center, and has full kitchens.

Embassy Suites books a LOT of guests. It also has a couple of shuttle stops that can work for it (I think the one for Residence Inn isn’t too far away).

I do have a post about my favorite hotels with bunk beds, in case that interests you too.

Ok, hopefully that gave you some ideas of how to book. That Majestic is probably my favorite as far as taking a shuttle — but be sure to use my calculator to estimate all your costs, and compare room rates– because even adding ART tickets to some of these makes them a better value than the walkable ones.

And, be sure to use CURLS10 if you book with Get Away Today (remember you can use it on the phone or online) Whatever you do, check their rates before you book to see if they fit your family’s needs (or, frankly just use them because it’s SO much easier than checking 400 hotel rates).

And, grab my Disneyland day planner to get the most out of your trip 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).