I recently had the unique and privileged opportunity to not only be a guest at the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance hotel, but also do an Instagram Takeover for them during my stay! It was so fun documenting our entire weekend with a whole new audience in one of my favorite cities in the world!
With my daughter’s birthday being in October and my son’s and husband’s birthdays being in November, we have made a family tradition to spend the weekend at Disneyland as a family every fall. Even though me and the kids are annual passholders to the parks, my husband is not, so he only makes the trip once a year, so it’s a big one! And this little family vacation was no different! We packed so much into our weekend and I can’t wait to share it all with you!
When we first arrived to the area, it was dinnertime, so we took the kids straight to eat at Splitsville in the Downtown Disney District. It was my second time there but the first for the rest of my family. It is such a short walk from the hotel to Downtown Disney, it was a no brainer to kick off our weekend at one of the newest and trendiest hot spots in town! In addition to eating dinner, we played a game of bowling (we had our own lane right next to our table)! I was ecstatic to even get a strike on my first bowl! It was my son’s first time bowling and my daughter’s second, so it was special to see them love the sport and have so much fun! To read more about our trip to Splitsville, I invite you to read my full blog review here!
After dinner and bowling, we officially checked into the hotel. We were given a warm welcome from the manager and front desk staff and the kids were even given a stuffed animal (the hotel mascot) upon check in!
Our room was gigantic and perfect for family travel. We not only love to spread out, we loved that we had ample space to set up the pack n play. The room came complete with two queen beds, a set of bunk beds, a dining table, and a mini kitchenette with a microwave and refrigerator.
And did I mention that every room at the hotel has TWO showers?
But want to know the best part? We had a room overlooking the hotel’s water park AND Disneyland! We could see the monorail, Space Mountain, and Matterhorn from our balcony as well as see Disneyland’s fireworks right from our room! Everything was not only spacious, but new and clean. We were also on a corner room, so everything was really quiet!
That night, after our son was in bed, I took my daughter to California Adventure for a few rides before calling it a night. We really intended to see the Paint the Night parade but we just didn’t make it there in time. She hasn’t been to the park at night in years so it was special for her and I to walk around and see all the lights! It was such a quick and easy walk from the hotel to the park and there were so many others walking around, we felt safe, too!
After a good night’s sleep we awoke the next morning and spent the day at Disneyland! After going on some rides and meeting some characters, we headed back toward the hotel for lunch and a nap! There are some great dining options in the hotel including The Bistro and a Mini Market for a quick snack or beverage! I also loved that they have self serve water bottle refill fountains in the lobby!
And if you want to eat outside the hotel, I love that there are so many dining options within seconds of the lobby. In fact, Mimi’s Café shares the same parking lot as the hotel. (photo below taken from the front valet area of the hotel facing Mimi’s)
There is also a McDonalds and a Panera Bread next door. We ended up getting Panera Bread and taking it back to the hotel to eat at our dining nook in the room!
Both kids took a nap and I was able to get some work done and even sleep a little while my husband worked out at the hotel gym!
Once my daughter woke up, my husband took her to the waterslides while I stayed in the room to rest and wait for our son to wake up from his nap. It was a perfect break before heading back to the park to hit a few more rides and catch the Pixar Play Parade at sunset (which no longer exists for the time being due to the holiday parade).
Once it started getting dark, we went back to Downtown Disney to eat a quick bite and experience the newly renovated World of Disney store before heading back to the hotel to watch the fireworks from our balcony! And let me tell you the view of the waterpark at night is even more beautiful at night!
The next morning, my husband and I surprised our kids with breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen, located in the Disneyland Hotel. It took us less than 5 minutes to drive there and since we had valeted our car at the hotel and have unlimited in and out privileges it was super easy and quick to do! Keep in mind that the hotel only has valet parking and it is $20/night. And since we were eating at the Disneyland Hotel, we were able to get complimentary valet parking with validation. It was our entire family’s first time at the restaurant and it was so special and fun! The kids LOVED meeting Goofy, Minnie, Pluto, Chip, and Dale. And since it is a buffet style restaurant, we all were able to eat our favorite foods, and they even had some gluten free options for me! My favorite part was when the restaurant sang my kids’ “Happy Birthday” and presented each of them with some commemorative buttons and a cupcake!
After breakfast, we went back to the hotel and spent the day at the water park and pool!
They have multiple water slides for children of most ages and even a toddler pool for the little ones!
The water park is heated all year long, so even on a cooler day (which Southern California doesn’t have many) the water slides are still warm!
We had so much fun going on all the slides multiple times. They also have a bucket that spills water and a splash pad! There was so much to do and we were having so much fun it was hard to leave.
Before we checked out, we made a trip to the gift shop located in the lobby. There are so many options, it is the perfect place to get a keepsake of your trip for yourself or pick up a souvenir for someone else!
While I was checking out, my husband took the kids to the lobby where there was plenty of seating, a business center with multiple computers, and even a library!
We also met the hotel’s robot, that makes appearances throughout the day!
We had such a wonderful time at the Anaheim Courtyard. It’s now our go-to hotel when we travel to Disneyland and I can’t emphasize enough how much you should consider staying there during your next trip to Anaheim! I can’t thank them enough for hosting us!!!
To catch all of the videos I posted during my Instagram Takeover, check out my stories on my Disney Highlights on my feed over the next few days!
This post is sponsored by the Anaheim Courtyard Hotel but all opinions and photos are my own.
Leave a Reply