Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground

Why We Like It

Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground in Anaheim, across the street from Disneyland, consistently shows up as a fan favorite on every survey or website we’ve ever seen. The accolades are deserved, because this hotel offers great value, lots of family-friendly amenities, and has a terrific location within easy walking distance of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Designed by world-renowned architect William L. Pereira (who also designed the famous Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco and the “space age” Theme building at LAX), this particular hotel is probably the nicest in the entire Howard Johnson chain and it’s mid-century design is unusually interesting. Even though its design dates back to the 1960s, Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground is well-maintained and is continuously updated to keep things fresh.

It is an easy 7 – 10 minute walk from Howard Johnson to the main gate into the theme parks. That’s about the same distance from the furthest tower of the Disneyland Hotel to Disneyland’s main entrance plaza! If you prefer not to walk, the hotel participates in the Anaheim Resort Transportation system, which will take you to and from the Disney parks all day for a small fee.

The hotel doesn’t add on any “resort fees” or “energy fees.”

We have enjoyed many stays at Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground.

Rooms

The 296-room HoJo Anaheim is nearing completion of a $12 million renovation, completely updating its standard rooms with contemporary retro-inspired and Disney-themed decor including new furniture, soothing resort blue wall coverings and vintage Disney themed art. HoJo’s Building 1 and 2 Towers have been completed. Rooms not yet fully renovated are very well maintained, and are nicely decorated in golden tones, with oak-colored furnishings.

Howard Johnson Anaheim’s generously-sized guest rooms are spread over several buildings, all of which are located on a pleasant and attractively landscaped 7-acre property, giving it a feeling of spaciousness that you won’t find at most of the other hotels along Harbor Boulevard. And all of the rooms are accessed by interior corridors– unlike most of the accommodations within walking distance of Disneyland. This is advantageous both in terms of safety and noise reduction. Many rooms will give you at least a glimpse of the Monorail, and some rooms on the top floor of certain buildings offer views of the Matterhorn; there is an extra charge for these rooms.

Standard rooms are equipped with two double beds, two queen beds or a King bed, or you can request a family suite with 1 queen bed and junior bunk beds. Most rooms have double sinks and large balconies.

All rooms include:

• flatscreen LCD television with Netflix, Hulu and Pandora
• highspeed internet access (Wi-Fi)
• small refrigerator
• microwave oven
• Keurig coffee & tea maker
• hairdryer
• iron and ironing board

All rooms have expanded channel selections, including Netflix and Hulu  –so you can keep watching your favorite show or have a movie night right in your room! And another value feature: all rooms at the Howard Johnson have FREE Wi-Fi Internet access!

Dining Options

The hotel does not have a restaurant or room service but there are many dining options nearby.

Mimi’s Cafe, a terrific, value-priced restaurant is located across the street about 100 feet from the Howard Johnson’s lobby. Mimi’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is a regional chain and we’ve eaten there many times. Each room at this restaurant has a slightly different theme, and the food is excellent.

If you get tired of Mimi’s — which will be difficult, because it has a huge menu — you’re only about a 3- to 5-minute walk from other dining options, including McDonald’s, Denny’s, Panera Bread, and IHOP.

If you want to stock up your in-room fridge with some quick snacks or cold breakfast items, you can pick those up in the hotel’s Main Street Market convenience store, which charges reasonable prices for items like milk, cereal and bread. The fridge and microwave in your room are very handy if you just want to feed the kids some Cheerios or oatmeal before you head off to Disneyland. Main Street Market also sells a variety of Disney theme park tickets and souvenirs.

Amenities

If you want to take an afternoon break from the parks, HoJo Anaheim offers guests two separate swimming pools and much more.

• Castaway Cove, a pirate-themed water playground with something for adults, kids and toddlers so the entire family can play together. Castaway Cove includes:
  • 30-foot Pirate Ship with two slides
  • Cargo-net climb
  • 300-Gallon Drench Bucket (dumps every seven minutes after the warning bell rings!)
  • Water Curtain and Water Umbrellas
  • Water Cannons, two on the ship’s deck and two on the ground
  • Hot tub with 15-person capacity featuring additional back and foot jets
  • “Speedy’s Sprayground” toddler pool and fountain play area
  • Two outdoor showers
  • Restroom facilities

• Garden Pool, a relaxing heated pool with expanded deck areas (lots of space for sunbathing), a 5-foot deep end and two outdoor showers
• video game room for kids with a variety of arcade games
• Main Street Market convenience store
• water and soft drink vending machines
• free Wi-Fi access in rooms and public areas
• iMac internet stations with printing
• two coin-operated laundromats
• 24-hour front desk

Transportation

There is a convenient shuttle stop and waiting area for all airport, tour and resort trolley buses. ART or Anaheim Resort Transportation buses stop at Howard Johnson’s and travel to the transit terminal at Disneyland. You’ll save money with a 1-day or multi-day pass: 1-day passes for ART are $6 for adults (ages 10+), $2.50 for kids (ages 3-9). A one-way fare purchased onboard is $4 for adults, 1.50 for kids.

Self-parking at the hotel is $25/day + tax per vehicle. RVs and oversized vehicles that do not fit in one parking space are not permitted.

That said, it’s an easy 7 – 10 minute walk from the hotel to the park entrance!

You Should Know

In an effort to respect your space, housekeeping will be provided every 2nd day during your stay, or scheduled upon request.

The use of the hotel’s Castaway Cove and the Garden Pool is on a first-come, first-served basis; in order to avoid over-crowding, the number of guests at each pool is limited to the number of seats available. Guests will be asked to queue outside of the pool facilities until seating becomes available.

We get a lot of great comments about Howard Johnson’s in Anaheim and have never had a complaint.

“Last night I booked a double room at Howard Johnson’s with an AAA Discount. After I did that I kicked myself for not checking your newsletter first. I have been receiving your e-mails for a couple of years now. I don’t know what I was thinking! Then I went to your website. I re-booked tonight using your Corp. Code and saved $934.00 for the week for the same category of room. I am so happy right now I am just smiling from ear to ear. My husband is probably even happier!! Thank you so much!!

Kelly T from Poughkeepsie, NY in November 2019

“Thank you for hooking me up with a substantial discount at the HOJO Anaheim. I saved so much money, I felt comfortable booking a park view room instead of a standard. Of course, we will enjoy our park view very much…My HOJO discount is not the first I’ve enjoyed by consulting MouseSavers. I always use [this] resource before visiting the Land or the World.”

– Mary B from Oxnard, CA in August 2019

My wife and I took our 3 year old to Disneyland and tried your tip on staying at Howard Johnson’s – what a great savings and a nice place to stay! We appreciate your tip. One suggestion – if traveling with a toddler that you would like to have nap in the afternoon, request a ground floor room. The upper rooms have attractive arch windows on the front and back of the room with no curtains – so sunlight comes in and doesn’t allow for the room to get dark in the afternoons. Otherwise, I would give our stay at Howard Johnson’s a HUGE thumbs up! We’ll be going back!

– Chris C from Chula Vista, CA