For my son’s 16th birthday, I offered him the opportunity to choose a quick getaway with me – either to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Because he hadn’t yet visited Disneyland Resort, he chose a Southern California short vacation. We made some last-minute arrangements and planned a four-day vacation to Anaheim.
Because of the last-minute nature and peak timing of this trip, we did have fewer hotel options for our July trip. We decided to stay off property at Disneyland, instead of choosing one of the three Disney resorts.
Unlike Walt Disney World, it can be convenient to stay off property – most nearby hotels are very walkable to the parks, without the need for buses or other transportation. We booked a new hotel – the Westin Anaheim Resort, located right behind Pixar Pier at Disney’s California Adventure near the Anaheim Convention Center.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and a purchase/click through one of these links may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you. I have received complimentary admission to Disneyland as part of my participation in a conference and have also paid my own way.
Save money on your Disneyland California park tickets and your Southern California vacation by booking through Get Away Today. You can also save $10 on your Southern California vacation of 2 days or more with the code FTM10. Here’s the direct link for booking the Westin – hotel packages with tickets are also offered.
Review of the Westin Anaheim Resort Located By Disneyland
Location of the Westin Anaheim
Unlike many of the off-property Disneyland hotels that are located on South Harbor Boulevard in front of the parks, the Westin Anaheim Resort is located on West Katella Avenue along the back of Disney California Adventure’s Pixar Pier.
Despite the very close location, you do have to walk a bit further to get to the entrance of the parks. Unfortunately, there isn’t a public back entrance to Disney’s California Adventure.
A path along Disneyland Drive will take you on a short walk past Paradise Pier Hotel. Then, a path along the Disneyland Hotel leads to an entrance to Downtown Disney where you’ll go through security and bag check.
We found that the walk from the parks took about 12-20 minutes, depending on how far into the park we were. It certainly isn’t a long walk, but it did sometimes feel longer after a full day at the theme parks.
If your plans are mostly centered around Disneyland, you won’t need to rent a car. We used a car service to and from the airport and just walked back and forth to the parks. It saved us a considerable amount of money on car rental, parking, and gas.
However, if you are visiting some of the other Southern California attractions, you’ll want to have a car. You can compare prices on rental cars here.
There are three nearby airports. John Wayne Airport, Orange County is the closest, 11.7 miles away. Next is Long Beach, 20.6 miles away. LAX is 34.4 miles away but may have the best flight options.
I prefer to fly to the smaller airports, but for our trip, we had better flight times flying into LAX. Some of the nearest airports to Anaheim had fewer flights from Boston.
Parking is offered at the hotel if you are driving. There is both self-parking and valet parking for an additional fee. The valet station seemed to always be well-staffed during our visit. Parking is available in a parking structure.
Rooms at the Westin Anaheim
For our quick trip to Disneyland, we really didn’t spend too much time in the room. But, with the time change and the long flight, we did need a comfortable place to rest.
Like the other Westin resorts we’ve stayed in, the Westin Anaheim is extremely comfortable, offering hotel rooms with great Westin amenities like the Heavenly Bed and the Heavenly Bath.
When booking your room, you’ll have several options to choose from. We opted for the two queen-bed standard room with no view (our window faced a parking garage).
If you are looking for an upgrade, however, you can get a theme park view facing the IncrediCoaster. Other room types include deluxe guest rooms, studios, king-bed suites, and studio rooms.
Room amenities include WiFi (complimentary for members of Marriott’s free Bonvoy club), a mini refrigerator, plenty of outlets for devices, a table with two chairs, a television, robes, slippers, a lighted makeup mirror, a walk-in shower, and an in-room safe. The table was especially useful for the few times we ordered food delivery for dinner.
A laundry/dry cleaning service is offered for an additional fee, but it was pretty expensive. I wouldn’t rely on it for a family.
Our room had a small standing balcony. Because we faced the parking garage, it wasn’t something I would have used, except to step out and check the weather. If we faced Disney’s California Adventure, I probably would have used it more.
We found our room to be extremely comfortable. The beds and pillows were very soft, and we didn’t hear any noises at night. After some very long days at Disneyland, it was nice to be able to relax in comfort. If you are looking for spacious rooms, this is a good option.
Amenities at the Westin Anaheim
While the location is one of the biggest perks of this resort, there are many other fantastic hotel amenities that can’t be overlooked. After all, the area is filled with family resorts that are within walking distance of the two Disneyland theme parks.
For families, the resort offers a weekly schedule of family activities including yoga, board games, travel journaling, and a resort art quest. There’s also an outdoor pool and hot tub open daily with a full fitness center available to all guests. We checked out the fitness center a few times and found there to be lots of equipment open.
The Westin Anaheim is located next to the Anaheim Convention Center but also offers meeting and conference facilities. For printing needs, there’s an onsite UPS Store.
Valets are available in the loop of the hotel. There’s a separate area reserved for ride-share vehicles, so they are easy to find. When we ordered food delivery, we met the drivers at the entrance of the hotel.
Restaurants at the Westin Anaheim
While you may choose to eat most of your meals at Disneyland, there are lots of options right at the hotel. Our favorite was the casual Blossom Cafe and Market, a quick service cafe and coffee shop which also offers some gifts and basic necessities.
It was the perfect place to grab breakfast each morning before heading to the park for opening. The friendly staff greeted us each morning, remembering our names by the third day.
There are other restaurant options on-site. These include Puesto Mexican Restaurant, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, and the Tangerine Room. There’s also a lobby bar called Bar 1030 and Bella’s Splash Pool Bar, located outside by the pool area.
For a special treat, head up to the RISE Rooftop lounge, which is open from Wednesday to Sunday and offers rooftop views of the theme parks (and fireworks!). We didn’t visit the Rise Rooftop bar, but if I was with other adults I definitely would have.
If you prefer to dine in your room, room service is available. We loved all of the food we had at the resort, and if we hadn’t spent so much time in the parks, we probably would have tried all of the restaurants.
