Why is Howard Johnson Anaheim the Best Disneyland Hotel for Families?

Across from the street from Disneyland in Anaheim, the Howard Johnson by Wyndham Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground, affectionately known as the HoJo Anaheim, routinely ranks high among families. The praise is well-deserved as this hotel provides good value, a ton of family-friendly features, and an unbeatable location just a short stroll from the entrance of Disneyland. Read on for my honest review of this hotel and how to get a 15% discount when you book your Disneyland vacation at this hotel.

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Rooms

The rooms at the HoJo are sprawled over 6 buildings. Buildings 1 and 2 have been recently renovated with a retro vibe. Remember this when making your reservation. The hotel offers different room configurations able to accommodate up to 5 guests. Rooms are well appointed and are very spacious but they vary in layout and price. The different room types are as follow.

• Standard Rooms: 1 King ADA or 2 Doubles in building 3-6
• Deluxe Rooms: 2 Queens ADA in Building 2, 1 King, 1 Queen/Junior Bunk, 2 Queens in Building 1, and 2 Queens in Building 2
• Premium Rooms: 1 Queen/Bunk ADA, 2 Queens, and 2 Queen/2 Room Bundle 
• Suites: House of the Future Queen Suite, a King Suite, and a Kids Suite

Each room is equipped with a microwave, mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker, and a breakfast nook making it very convenient to make a quick breakfast before heading out to the parks for the day.

Furthermore all rooms have premium TV channel selections such as HBO, Disney Channel and Nick Jr, as well as streaming options like Netflix and Hulu. Another great feature is FREE Wi-Fi Internet access in all rooms and public areas.

Amenities Offered at the Howard Johnson Anaheim

Castaway Cove

Families love this Pirate Ship-themed water playground at the HoJo. Featuring slides, water cannons, and even a 200 gallon drench bucket, it will keep kids entertained for hours. For younger kids, there is an area complete with wading pool and spraying fountains where toddlers can safely play.

Parents can relax in the hot tub, in one of the lounge chairs, or at the umbrella-covered tables.

Garden Pool

The Garden Pool is a relaxing outdoor heated pool with a 5-foot deep end. The deck has several lounge chairs perfect for sunbathing and umbrella-covered tables and chairs. Towels are provided and there are two outdoor showers.

A secluded oasis surrounded by lush landscaping, the Garden Pool is the perfect spot to unwind midday or at the end of a busy day at the parks.

Food Options

The HoJo does not serve breakfast. There is however Mimi’s Café just next door to the hotel. This restaurant is open daily from 7 am to 10 pm and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is good and it is affordable.

Another option is Main Street Market, the hotel’s convenience store located inside building 1 where you can shop for snacks, fruits, sundries, ice cream, and even souvenirs.

There is a multitude of restaurants and stores including a Walmart within a one-mile radius of the hotel. My recommendation is to shop for breakfast items at Walmart when you arrive and store them in your room.

For a quick food option, you will pass by a Panera Bread and a McDonald’s on your walk to/from Disneyland. You can easily grab something quick to eat.

Other Amenities at the Howard Johnson Anaheim

When we visited in April 2022, parking was complimentary. The HoJo has since started charging $20 a night for parking in par with other Disneyland hotels in the area. I sincerely hope this will be reversed in the future as complimentary parking was a big draw for some families (mine included)

Other amenities that would appeal to families are coin-operated laundromat, conveniently located vending machines, and a video game room for kids with a variety of arcade games. The 24-hour front desk can also assist with scooter and stroller rentals.

My Review of the Howard Johnson Anaheim

Disclosure: The HoJo Anaheim provided discounted 3 night accommodations for review purposes. However the opinions below are entirely my own.

I’ve heard so much great things about the HoJo Anaheim through the years that I always knew it would be my hotel of choice when visiting Disneyland. And when that time came, it still managed to exceed my expectations!

The rooms are spacious and are super clean (an important feature in these times) I love the touches of vibrant colors around the room from the cute Mickey Mouse art wall to the blue wall paint. They make the rooms more lively and fun. The beds are very comfortable, the pillows fluffy.

What makes makes the HoJo so irresistible is its unbeatable location. You are literally across the street from Disneyland and can even watch the nightly fireworks from select rooms. When used to transportation and parking at Walt Disney World, it is very refreshing to be able to walk back and forth the hotel and parks. We took mid-day breaks every day of our visit to go back to our hotel and relax and even nap.

Special Discount

If you are reading this far, I hope I have convinced you to book your next Disneyland family vacation at the HoJo. If I have not, maybe this will: take advantage of my special 15% discount! The discount even goes up to 20% for Disneyland Magic Key holder.

All you have to do is go to this link and use the appropriate codes below

💜 20% off for Disneyland Magic Key Holder
Corp code: 1000025935

💜 15% off for everyone
Corp code: 1000022077

Hope you find this review helpful and you decide to book your next Disneyland vacation at the Howard Johnson Anaheim. Let me know in the comments if the discount code doesn’t work properly or if you have other questions.

As always, thank you for reading!

FOR MORE DISNEY PARKS, READ:

• Disney World: How to do Disney World on a budget?
• Disneyland: How we did 25 rides at Disneyland Resort in one day?