There aren’t any scarcity of locations to remain close to Disneyland, with roughly 100 accommodations inside strolling distance of the parks, practically 200 accommodations in Anaheim as an entire, and over 1,000 inside driving distance in Los Angeles and Orange County, California.
Regardless of a variety of choices, there’s far much less selection round Disneyland than there may be Walt Disney World. Anaheim accommodations are pretty formulaic: costly Disney-owned resorts, newer massive field household suites, conference heart accommodations, and old-fashioned motels.
Inside these classes, there are a selection of choices at a variety of value factors (even the Disney-owned resorts are broadly various levels of very costly), from budget-friendly motels to 5-star luxurious lodging. Costs are in all places, relying on elements reminiscent of distance from Disneyland, room high quality, facilities, and so on.
This Disneyland space lodge room focuses on an possibility that’s each an Anaheim Conference Heart lodge and an old style one. It’s far and away the most cost effective ACC possibility, with costs which can be straight out of the Eighties. Sadly, so too is the fashion of the lodge. It’s mainly a time capsule, proper all the way down to the bar that might host Cheers: Anaheim Version (coming to Hulu in 2027!).
In case you’re in search of a finances lodge possibility inside strolling distance of the parks that has older rooms however distinctive promoting factors, proceed studying. If not, you may need to as an alternative take a look at our Disneyland Motels Evaluations & Rankings, as there’s positive to be one thing best for you.
The lodge on the coronary heart of this overview is the Clarion Resort Anaheim.
Let’s reduce proper to the chase and canopy the most important promoting level of the Clarion Resort Anaheim: price.
Every time I’m making an attempt to determine the place to remain, looking for choices and sorting by value, the Clarion Resort Anaheim is nearly at all times the most cost effective possibility inside strolling distance. I’d say that’s about 90% of the time. The most typical exception is when there are giant occasions on the Anaheim Conference Heart. In fact, what’s inside strolling distance is subjective–should you’re keen to stroll from Backyard Grove, there will likely be cheaper choices.
The Clarion is routinely at or beneath $150 per night time, and there are even occasions when it’s beneath $100 per night time. Okay, so these aren’t really Eighties costs (extra like 2015), however at a time when lodge costs have exploded and plenty of of my favorites that have been $150 not that way back are actually ~$300/night time, the Clarion is a welcome reprieve.
Whereas there are different promoting factors, value is the explanation to guide the Clarion. In case you’re not on a decent finances, I can let you know proper now that there are two-dozen different choices which can be objectively higher. The crux of this overview is mainly whether or not the compromises of the Clarion (and there are a number of!) are price it for the low room charges.
Earlier than reserving the Clarion or any lodge close to Disneyland, we advocate pricing out lodge + ticket trip package deal by way of Get Away At this time to save cash. Along with the package deal low cost, some accommodations have ‘4th night time free’ promos. The Clarion is often certainly one of them!
Proper now, you may also benefit from the ‘Keep & Play’ low cost. With this double-deeply-discounted deal, you’ll be able to benefit from the 2026 California Resident Ticket Provide for $184 when mixed with a 3-night keep at a lodge close to Disneyland. With Get Away At this time’s package deal costs, California residents can get a 4-night lodge keep and a 3-Day Disneyland Park Hopper for lower than the price of only a common 3-day Park Hopper per particular person.
In line with the Clarion Resort Anaheim, it’s a “10 Time Gold Award winner from Selection Motels Worldwide”, essentially the most prestigious award for excellence in cleanliness and customer support. To their credit score, I’ve at all times discovered the Clarion clear and the employees pleasant. Two rarities for a lodge or motel in Anaheim at this value level. However I’m skeptical this lodge has received any notable awards throughout the final 20 years.
The Clarion Resort Anaheim presents 284 spacious visitor rooms, free Wi-Fi entry all through, a 12 months spherical heated outside pool, onsite eating, sports activities bar, present store, and seven,000 sq. ft of assembly house. Listed here are different facilities:
- Fridge in all rooms, suites characteristic microwaves
- Hairdryers
- In room espresso and tea service
- Expanded channel choices together with Disney Channel and HBO
- Iron/Ironing Boards
- Pet pleasant (charges apply)
- 24-Hour cardio health heart
- Snug enterprise heart
You realize it’s a Eighties fashion lodge once they’re nonetheless promoting having the Disney Channel and HBO!
The Clarion Resort Anaheim is an roughly 12-15 minute stroll to the Disneyland Esplanade, and fewer than 5 minutes to the Anaheim Conference Heart or Anaheim GardenWalk, which is like an off-brand Downtown Disney.
There’s additionally a variety of eating and comfort shops on the nook of Harbor and Katella which can be actually proper exterior the lodge. These choices are worthwhile, and embrace a CVS and Walgreens in addition to a number of newer eating places. The one draw back is the Disney-adjacent pricing premium, that means Blaze Pizza is like twenty bucks per particular person.
The Clarion Resort Anaheim is situated simply previous Katella on Harbor Boulevard. Its location makes it a really perfect candidate for these splitting time between a conference and the parks. The Clarion is a incredible possibility for the D23 Expo; it may cost a little you lower than half of the opposite accommodations which can be within the ACC cluster.
Whereas Clarion Resort Anaheim has a very good location, it doesn’t have an incredible one. Ideally, I strongly favor not having to cross the Katella/Harbor intersection. Not solely is it a busy intersection and lengthy gentle, nevertheless it’s disagreeable.
There are sometimes non secular fanatics with megaphones right here (it occurs sufficient that it deserves mentioning), activists, and so on. that may make it uncomfortable. I’d advocate staying on the opposite facet of Katella should you’re from a smaller city or are unaccustomed to California cities. It may be a little bit of tradition shock.
The upside is that the Clarion is correct throughout from Toy Story Parking Lot, which presents a free shuttle to the parks. You do must cross Harbor Boulevard, so this isn’t as enticing because the Resort Lulu or Homewood Suites; nonetheless, it’s a straightforward 5-minute stroll and also you’re on the shuttle. (I favor simply strolling, however the Katella intersection doesn’t hassle me.)
In case you favor simplicity and don’t thoughts paying, the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) system is even simpler. However should you’re staying on the Clarion, you’re doing so for a cause, so take the free bus on the Toy Story Lot. These are fixed and may find yourself being sooner, even with the stroll over there.
One other promoting level of Clarion Resort Anaheim is that it has inside hallways. This might sound inconsequential, and positive, it’s frequent with the newer luxurious resorts, conference heart accommodations, and large field household suites.
Nevertheless, it is vitally unusual of the old-fashioned motels, virtually all of which have exterior hallways, uncovered stairs, and so on–therefore them being old-fashioned motels. The Clarion isn’t simply the most cost effective strolling distance lodging possibility close to Disneyland, it’s the most cost effective lodge.
Whether or not that is essential to you is your name. We might’ve given this zero thought up to now when it was simply the 2 of us. As mother and father to a toddler, this stands out as a promoting level. Particularly as contrasted with the opposite choices at this value level, all of that are both motels or farther away or (often) each.
On this regard, Clarion hits the candy spot for households involved about consolation and security, however are additionally on a decent finances and can’t afford one thing on the “proper” facet of Katella.
As famous above, the Clarion has a pool. The spotlight right here is that it’s on an elevated deck and feels a bit secluded consequently. It’s small and nothing particular, however a minimum of it’s not between parking spots, which is quite common amongst Anaheim old-fashioned lodge/motels.
The Clarion additionally has an on-site sports activities bar and informal cafe. I get the impression that breakfast was once included, however now’s accessible for a separate cost. Paid breakfast–particularly at a lodge like this–is a whole nonstarter for me, so I didn’t even give it a strive. You’re close to loads of actual world eating places and comfort shops; seize meals at a kind of.
Then there’s the assembly house. This in all probability doesn’t bear mentioning in a lodge overview like this; you aren’t reserving a keep right here for its 7,000 sq. ft of occasions house. It however stands out to me as a result of it underscores the old-fashioned nature of the Clarion.
Many of the trendy accommodations being constructed in the present day don’t have the Clarion’s slate of facilities and options, except they’re excessive finish luxurious accommodations. And a lot of the older accommodations which can be caught up to now are, as famous, motels. They’re easy and fundamental–even those which have been up to date.
When it first opened in 1972, I’d hazard a guess that the Clarion was one thing particular. In all probability forward of its time, and undoubtedly certainly one of (if not the) first Anaheim Conference Heart accommodations. A minimum of a pair others proper round right here opened for the 1982 Los Angeles Olympics, so the Clarion beat them by a couple of decade. Not that any of that is germane to a lodge overview; I simply discover it fascinating.
Right here’s a take a look at the visitor rooms on the Clarion Resort Anaheim (a number of completely different room varieties since we’ve stayed right here a number of occasions earlier than lastly getting round to publishing this overview):
On the threat of stating the apparent, these rooms are dated. Rooms have been allegedly redone in 2011, which tracks with my pictures from right here through the years.
One main promoting level of the Clarion is that the rooms are giant and spacious. The primary room pictured right here is the studio suite, so it’s larger than the usual room, however we’ve had a wide range of room varieties on the Clarion through the years, and all of them have been bigger than the Anaheim norm.
From my expertise, that is frequent with older accommodations and those tucked away again by the Anaheim Conference Heart. These rooms don’t essentially maximize their expanded footprints, however generally it’s simply good to have a bit extra respiration room, even when the sq. footage isn’t absolutely optimized.
Regardless that they’re clearly exhibiting their age, my impression is essentially optimistic of those rooms. They’re not as good or trendy as many accommodations within the space, however they one way or the other have much less put on and tear than rooms which can be half as new. Possibly I’ve simply been fortunate with the Clarion and unfortunate elsewhere.
In the end, the Clarion Resort Anaheim is an fascinating lodge and one with out many comparable counterparts. The bones are there for this to be one thing very nice, if they simply invested a bit of cash bringing the visitor rooms out of the Eighties.
I’m actually shocked this hasn’t been purchased by one of many massive chains, because the close by Marriott, Sheraton, and Hilton all display the potential for this fashion of lodge. (And all of these have had main investments made in them over the past a number of years.)
The situation of the Clarion is fairly good, minus having to cross Katella, the rooms are spacious, and inside hallways is a plus virtually not one of the older motels in Anaheim which can be comparably priced have going for them. Then there’s the value. The Clarion is usually at or beneath $150 per night time, which is changing into actually uncommon for accommodations inside strolling distance of Disneyland.
That’s mainly the entire ballgame right here. A dated lodge straight out of the Eighties (however in a interval piece kind of approach; one which’s been well-maintained) in alternate for a few of the absolute lowest charges of the accommodations close to Disneyland. The Clarion is fairly removed from my favourite lodge in Anaheim, nevertheless it’s robust to beat when on a decent finances and doing a cost-benefit evaluation.
The room wasn’t that dated, the facilities are higher than virtually all different motels within the finances tier, and the compromises are price it for the decrease price and spaciousness. Whether or not that’s true for you goes to come back all the way down to what you prioritize in a lodge close to Disneyland and the way a lot you’re keen to spend on lodging.
In case you do any quantity of researching accommodations, you’ll discover combined opinions for the Clarion. To be completely frank, these leaving detrimental opinions for the Clarion (principally) have unrealistic expectations. In case you’re judging this lodge towards the Grand Californian, Westin, or JW Marriott, positive–these all blow the Clarion out of the water.
However how a lot do these price per night time? Undoubtedly greater than $150 per night time! In all probability much more. (As a normal matter, we frequently see the harshest opinions for essentially the most economical choices close to Disneyland. Folks reserving finances motels in Anaheim appear to have an odd mixture of the tightest budgets and highest expectations.)
If you wish to know the way the Clarion Resort Anaheim compares to the competitors for my part (which is predicated on the attitude of somebody who has stayed in ~50 completely different accommodations close to Disneyland), examine our Disneyland Motels Evaluations & Rankings.
Comparable alternate options may embrace the Anaheim Portofino Inn, Cambria, SunCoast, or Homewood Suites. All of these are prone to be costlier than the Clarion, but when that’s not true in your dates, undoubtedly guide the Cambria, SunCoast, or Homewood Suites over this. I’d pay a slight premium for any of these, however chances are high, the premium is not going to be slight. It’s actually troublesome to beat the Clarion on price.
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site accommodations in our Anaheim Resort Evaluations & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Evaluations. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seashore, and tons of different locations!
Your Ideas
Have you ever stayed on the Clarion Resort Anaheim? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Ideas on the rooms or facilities? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
