It wasn’t too long ago that my family and I stayed at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground, (HOJO) for the first time. It’s just minutes away from Disneyland and home to a 7 acre property and 296 rooms with FREE Parking*, FREE Wi-Fi-, and more – but let’s be honest, as a mom and play therapist, they had me at water playground!
Built in 1965, 10 years and 1 day after Disneyland, the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground is a six-time winner of TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Hotels for Families in the United States! And this year they are celebrating their 54th birthday in a BIG way!! And YOU have the opportunity to be one of 54 winners! I have all the details at the end of this blog!
The hotel is only an 8 minute walk to Disneyland but the HOJO also offers a shuttle throughout the Disneyland Resort that leaves every 20 minutes for only $5.50/day for adults. Children 3-9 are only $2 and children under 3 are free! And you are also close to Knotts Berry Farm, Angels Stadium, and The Honda Center to see a Ducks hockey game!
There are 6 buildings total and we stayed in Building One – which was fully renovated in March 2018. With 111 rooms in this building, we stayed in a very spacious Kids Suite where there was a King bed in one room and twin sized bunk beds and a twin pull out couch in the second room! And two full bathrooms, one on each side!
And our room was a Pirates of the Caribbean theme, which was too much fun! It definitely brought a little bit of Disney magic to our stay!
We had a city view and soundproof windows with a microwave, fridge, and Keurig coffee maker!
And there are some other perks for staying at the hotel – like FREE gifts in your room! After a certain number of stays at the hotel, you can be eligible for a free returning guest gift! And starting at only $10, the HOJO can arrange balloons with the gift shop prior to your arrival for birthdays or other celebrations! They even have a laundromat and a game room on site!
Castaway Cove is a pirate-themed water playground with slides, water cannons, a toddler wading pool, a super drench bucket, and large hot tub! You can also enjoy the garden pool, which is set to 80 degrees all year long!
The HOJO will be undergoing another big renovation from Novemeber 1, 2019 through March 1, 2020, which will provide another 90 rooms! This new area will also be home to the Future Room and I only hope I’ll have the opportunity to stay in there one day!
I love that the hotel has fun activities all year long for families and children. They have complimentary face painting during the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, an Easter Egg Hunt in the Spring, and “Talk Like a Pirate Day” in the fall coming up on September 19th!
They also have temporary pirate tattoos you can pick up at the front desk that say “If I am lost, please call…” and parents can write their phone number on the tattoo before putting it on their child.
There are also plenty of restaurants nearby, but if you want a quick snack or a souvenir on property, you can stop by the Main St. Market for water, sunscreen, breakfast items, beer, wine, a tee shirt, a stuffed animal, and even a toothbrush that you may have forgotten to bring with you!
Want a 15% discount off of their regular rate? Of course you do! Use with the code LNLR to start saving! They also offer Disneyland annual passholders a 20% discount with the code LNAP and if you call them directly they can override the minimum length of stay for annual passholders as well!
To be one of the 54 winners, you have to submit a photo on social media from the HOJO and or Disneyland and use #hojoanaheim54 to be entered! The older, the better!
- The prizes for the guests:
- Limited Release Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse collectible Plush Dolls
- Limited Release Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse collectible Plush Dolls
- Star Wars Antenna Topper Set
- BB-9E Spinning Top with lights and Sounds
- “If you need me I’ll be in my castle” Tumbler
- Mickey Mouse Tumbler
- Darth Vader’s Tie Advanced Bubble Blower
- The Fighter and Pilot Set
- “These are not the droids you are looking for” Mug
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Mug
- Oswald The Lucky Rabbit: The Search for the Lost Disney Cartoons book
- The Haunted Mansion Limited Release Plush Series
- Nightmare Before Christmas Ears
- Minnie Retro Ears Aqua
- Food and Wine Ears
- Mulan Danielle Nicole Purse
- Snack Magnets
- Little Mermaid Danielle Nicole Purse
- WALL•E 10th Anniversary ”Tsum Tsum” Set – Mini
- Minnie Mouse Queen Hat Ears
- World of Color Throw Blanket
- Minnie Mouse Sequin Ear Headband
- Red and White Minnie Mouse Ear Headband
- Sorcerer’s Apprentice Harvey’s Purse
- “All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust” Kate Spade Clutch
- Kate Spade Diaper Purse
- Edna Mode Stuffed Animals
- Minnie Mouse Sequined Ear Headband – Pink
- Minnie Mouse Sequined Mini Ear Hat Headband – The Mickey Mouse Club
- Minnie Mouse Americana Ear Headband
- 50 Years of Pirates Print
- Rubber Ducky
- Hojo Mug
- Hojo Mug
- Rubber Ducky
- Rubber Ducky
- Hojo Shirt
- Hojo Shirt
- $20 Disney Gift Card
- $50 Disney Gift Card
- $100 Disney Gift Card
- Attracationeering Gift Set
- 1 complimentary night at Hojo Anaheim
- 1 complimentary night at Hojo Anaheim
- 1 complimentary night at Hojo Anaheim
- 1 complimentary night at Hojo Anaheim
- Harvey Designer Ears
- Alex and Ani Designer Ears
- A year of 40% off at Hojo Anaheim (only valid on ONE room per visit and the winner NEEDS to be in the room)
- A year of 20% off at Hojo Anaheim(only valid on ONE room per visit and the winner NEEDS to be in the room)
- 54% off of one stay
- 54% off of one stay
- 20% off of one stay
- 20% off of one stay
Good luck everyone!!!
This post is sponsored by the HOJO but all opinions are my own. Some photos in this blog belong to the HOJO but most are my own.
*Parking is free for the first car and $20 + 17% tax for any additional cars/night.
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