Our Stay at the Courtyard Marriott Theme Park

“Let the good times roll” 

Our first official weekend after starting school was spent exploring the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance. We were HOSTED by the Courtyard to come and stay for two nights so I could share with all of you my review. So let’s get down to business…

The Location – The Courtyard Marriott is on Harbor Blvd right near the 5 freeway entrance/exit. We timed the walk from the hotel to the security line at Disneyland and it took us approximately seven minutes, if you had to wait for a signal to cross over Harbor it might take a minute longer. If you were to walk from the Disney Parking structure to Disneyland it would probably take longer.

There are lots of restaurants also in walking distance, one in the same parking lot as the hotel called Mimi’s Cafe (if you are Gluten Free I don’t highly suggest this, although I made it work). You can also walk to Downtown Disney or the Anaheim Garden Walk, which have lots of places to eat, shop and play.

We decided to walk to Downtown Disney and take the kids bowling at the new Splitsville. I would recommend trying to do this on a weekday because the prices are much lower than the weekends. They also give discounts to Annual Passholders.

The Lobby – There was a nice sitting area as soon as you walk in to the Courtyard with a table of Apple computers ready to be used. As you head further into the hotel there was a nice lounge area with a few toys for the kids to play with as well as a TV. 

There is a really great cafe called “The Bistro” with Starbucks coffee brewing and options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had dinner one night, which I was pleasantly surprised that they had some awesome Gluten Free options and I highly recommend the grilled Brussel Sprouts!;) There is also an area called “The Market” where you can grab food on the go if you are in a hurry. Plus, they also have the cutest gift shop with some treats for every age.

The Rooms – Calling all families of 4 or more, these rooms are a great size!! There are TWO queen beds and BUNK BEDS in every room!! So you could sleep 6 people in one room no problem. Another benefit is that there are TWO SHOWERS in every bathroom! So the little ones can take a bath on one side and the older ones can shower on the other side!

Of course there is the usual desk, TV, closet space, but we loved the little corner table and booth. Another bonus is a fridge as well as a microwave. We also had a half balcony, just enough to step outside and be able to watch the fireworks going off at Disneyland.

When we go back, I would ask for a room facing Harbor blvd. I saw that those rooms had a full balcony and a more unobstructed view of the fireworks. There were also a few full balconies facing the water park area, which I think would be nice too.

I had one reader ask me if the room was big enough not to hear Dad snoring…here are my thoughts on that. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a hotel room where it could eliminate a loud snoring person. Maybe if you had adjoining rooms where you could actually shut the door, but this is not that option. We always bring an IPad and use a sound app that makes the sounds of the ocean waves to drown out any additional noises. But if you have a loud snorer, this may not be the perfect solution for you.

The Water Park – Now here comes the fun!! Our kids flipped when they saw the water park called “Surfside” at the hotel. There was something for everyone to do. There was a small baby pool, a long lap pool, a hot tub, a splash pad area with three smaller slides then two large slides for kids 40″ and taller. There are lots of tables and chairs as well for the adults to lounge.

Fitness Center – In case you had some extra down time they also have a super nice work out facility right next to the pool. You could burn off some of those extra calories before heading for a swim.

Honestly, we would love to go back to the Anaheim Courtyard, especially if we were planning on doing some long days at Disney and we didn’t want to go home. There is so much fun to be had at the water park you definitely need a day just to relax by the pool. What do you think? Is there anything missing from my review? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.