Disneyland's Good Neighbor Hotels: A Review of the Fairfield Inn Anaheim by Marriott

Are you considering a trip to Disneyland but can't swing a stay at a resort hotel? How do you determine which good neighbor hotel to visit during your vacation? During a recent trip to Disneyland, I stayed at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim by Marriott which is situated just a short walk away from the main Disneyland entry gate.

We made our reservations at this resort based on two major concerns: walking distance to Disneyland as we were traveling with young children and price. We needed to be able to walk back to the hotel for a naptime each afternoon, and we wanted want the extra walking time to wear us down over a five-day stay. The actual walk time to Disneyland is about five minutes, if you discount the waiting time to cross Harbor Boulevard. The wait time at the light was usually five minutes or less, but a sizable crowd can build up quickly.

Price was another major consideration, and this hotel was in the $100 to $130 range during our stay in August. The Disneyland Resort website (www.disneyland.com) rates the Fairfield as a moderate hotel with some upgraded amenities as compared to budget hotels. We definitely needed a mini-refrigerator and access to a crib in our room and some of the cheaper hotels either charged extra for these services or simply did not offer them.

Upon check-in, we noticed the hotel lobby area was very clean and a pitcher of ice water accented with lemons was available to guests. The check-in process itself was quick; however, one aspect of our reservation was incorrect. We had booked two rooms and requested that they be connecting rooms. I called one week before arrival to confirm the connecting rooms. However, the connecting room request was not honored but we did get rooms with a view of the firework show only three doors apart.

When we arrived at the rooms, I immediately noticed that they were clean and well-appointed for a moderate, family-friendly hotel. The beds didn't have thick comforters, but had a small blanket serving as an accent piece near the foot of the bed. With the heat in southern California, we did not miss having comforters in the least! The sheets were crisp and clean and the bed was very comfy, a bit on the softer side which I prefer.

The sink area was outside of the bathroom which made the morning routine go much faster. The refrigerator was in a cubby below and to the right of the sink for easy access.

Both of our rooms contained two queen beds, but I believe a king-sized room is available upon request. The queen beds were perfect in our situation. The entire hotel is non-smoking which is a bonus for most travelers, particularly those with small children.

We also enjoyed spending time in the outdoor pool and hot tub. We tended to visit the pool in the early afternoon hours and experienced very small crowds. There were plenty of lounge chairs, clean towels, and tables available. The pool is rectangular-shaped and a bit small, especially in the evenings when more families came back from Disneyland to relax and cool down. I would recommend not staying in a pool-facing room if you want to catch a wink in the late afternoon or early evening as the pool area can get rather noisy.

This hotel also offers a Pizza Hut and a Seattle's Best Coffee shop, both of which are often for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You can walk to Millie's Restaurant and Bakery, Mimi's Café, and McDonald's right within minutes. Millie's even offers room service to guests staying at the Fairfield. We ate once at Millie's and found it to be average American-style breakfast food ranging from pancakes to waffles to omelets. However, on most mornings, we pinched a penny and had breakfast right in our room.

Would I stay at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim again? Yes, especially if I'm traveling with children and can't afford to stay at a resort hotel. The Fairfield offers a room for a fair price. The rooms appeared to be well-insulated as we didn't hear noisy neighbors during our entire stay.

I would recommend asking for a room with a view of the fireworks. We were able to watch the entire show from the hotel balcony one night (minus the music), and were delighted to not have to fight the post-firework crowds in Disneyland to walk back to our room.