Our Stay at the Hyatt Regency Orange County

We have just come back from the most amazing trip to Disneyland, California! My family and I spent 11 days in Anaheim with 9 days at Disneyland and California Adventure. We had the best time and can’t wait to go back!

One of the things that made our holiday so amazing was our choice of hotel. While we really would have loved to stay on property at a Disneyland Resort, our budget didn’t stretch quite that far. So after a few months of researching, we found a place that had pretty much everything we were looking for in a hotel, the Hyatt Regency Orange County. We really loved the amount of space we had in our room and the amenities were fantastic.

Our room at the Hyatt Regency was a Kid’s Suite. The suite had two separate rooms, one with a king bed and the other with bunks. The kids loved the bunk beds and it was nice that they didn’t have to share a bed. The beds were very comfy, although the king bed was a little high for our youngest to climb up onto. Made for a few very funny moments.

Both rooms had their own flatscreen TVs (with cable), free wifi access and as a family we had plenty of space to stretch out over our 10 night stay. The bathroom had a shower tub combo, which was great for the kids.

Our room was located on the 8th floor of the North Tower and had huge windows with a distant view of the Disneyland fireworks. There was a bar fridge and microwave in the room too. There was some wear and tear to the furniture, but this didn’t worry us.

The hotel amenities included two heated outdoor pools, fitness centre and a recreation deck where families could play a game of basketball, tennis, bocce, ping pong or even giant connect 4 and in the evening there was a fire pit. Unfortunately we never got round to sampling the smores which were available for purchase from the deli in the hotel. But the kids, Max especially, loved the recreation deck. It really was a lot of fun! Our only complaint was that it was really hot up there, so we made sure to visit in the morning. A few shade sails would have been a nice touch. The pool located on the recreation deck was shallow enough at one end for both of our children aged 5 and 7 to stand up.

The hotel had two onsite restaurants, Tusca for breakfast options, including a buffet breakfast featuring Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes and the OC Brewhouse for dinner and drinks. We really enjoyed the buffet breakfast, there was lots of variety and Zoë loved the pancakes. We only ate at the OC Brewhouse once, tending to eat dinner at the parks or grabbing quick options from the hotel’s deli.

The deli was very convenient and we had their pizza slabs for dinner twice during our stay. They also sold individual pieces of fruit, which we bought on our way out in the mornings.

Another great option in the mornings was the Starbucks located in the hotel lobby. There was also an icecream parlour onsite and a giftshop with lots snacks and much needed travel sized supplies including medicines. During our stay one of our children came down with an upset tummy and the giftshop was a godsend. The staff were also very understanding during that time.

There was also quite a few dining options within walking distance to the hotel and a Target across the street for any supplies, including food, alcohol and a pharmacy. We found the Target to be very handy, as we were able to buy breakfast foods and snacks, even some bathers for Zoë. There was also lots of Disney merchandise for those who are looking for cheaper options, or surprise gifts for the kids during your stay.

The Hyatt Regency was approximately 4 km (2.6 miles) from Disneyland, but don’t let the distance put you off. There was a shuttle bus available for a small daily fee of $6 per person, $3 for children aged 4-10 and children under 3 were free. The shuttle ran every 30 minutes and was really convenient. The drivers were very friendly and helped the guests with stollers. The buses were airconditioned and some had Disney movies playing. The drive itself took about 10 minutes.

There was also a Disney desk located in the foyer of the hotel. The cast member at the desk was very helpful, and was able to answer all our questions, including giving us a very useful tip about PhotoPass photos. If you, like us don’t want to purchase MaxPasses for your family, but you would like to download photos taken by a PhotoPass photographer, just purchase a MaxPass for one member of your group and link the photos to their account, it is cheaper than purchasing them individually or paying for PhotoPass+. It was great advice and saved us lots of money, especially as we only ended up purchasing the MaxPass for one day and taking our own photos for the rest of our holiday.

Overall we loved our stay at the Hyatt Regency Orange County and will definitely stay there again!

Interested in which hotels near Disneyland made it to our shortlist click here, or to read about our first day at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ check out this blog entry.

*All photos were taken by me please ask my permission before using.