Family Hotel Review: The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance with Waterpark

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If you are looking for a hotel within walking distance from Disneyland, with room for the family to spread out, a great pool and waterpark, and some great amenities, then the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance may be the hotel for you. Check out this full review of the hotel, as a hotel for families. Spoiler: It is one of my favorite hotels near Disneyland, and has a waterpark!

This review of the Courtyard was originally written in 2019, after our second stay at the hotel. Since then, this has easily become my family’s FAVORITE Disneyland area hotel.

We have stayed here probably 8 times or more after this review, and have more stays booked.

Read my review and then decide if it is right for you. You can book this hotel directly on Marriott.com or as part of a Disneyland Vacation Package via my partners at Get Away Today.

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Review

The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is located across the street from Disneyland park. It is a short 7 minute walk (I timed it) from the hotel doors to the security check point on Harbor Blvd.

Its close proximity, and full waterpark, make it a hotel that many families are curious about when booking a Disneyland vacation.

In order to help you decide if the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance is a good fit for your family, I am here to give you a review of the hotel. I have stayed at this hotel multiple times, so sit back as I share all the details families need to know.

Disclosure: During my most recent stay at the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance, I received a discounted (media) rate to aid in my review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and are my honest opinion.

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Location

The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is on Harbor Blvd, across from Disneyland Park.  As I mentioned, I timed the walk from the hotel lobby doors, to security on the Harbor Blvd side at approximately 7 minutes. This was probably a fast paced walk, so parents may find it takes about 10 minutes.

It is next door to Fairfield Inn and Howard Johnson Anaheim. Mimi’s Cafe is located directly in front of the hotel.

Is The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Right For You?

To know whether or not this hotel is a great fit for your family, I wanted to share all about the hotel, from the rooms, to the Surfside Waterpark, and beyond. I made sure to take note of anything that might be of special interest to families.

Arrival – From Parking To Check-In

When you arrive at the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance, if you are driving a vehicle, you will need to utilize their valet parking. There is a cost for this, when we visited it was $25/night (plus tax).

With the Valet parking, you will have in and out access, and if you need to grab something out of your vehicle they can either bring the vehicle up front to you, or they will let you know where it is located in the garage.

The bell service and valet are located outside, so if you are renting a stroller for Disneyland you will want to pick that up here as well.

If you need a luggage cart, you will also utilize bell service to deliver your bags. I like to mention this because many Courtyards have luggage carts available for guests to use themselves, but this one does not.

As you enter the lobby, you will find that it is quite modern and spacious. The lobby has lots of seating for their in-lobby Bistro, a small area for kids to lounge and watch television, and a fairly large gift shop.

When you check-in to the hotel, in addition to your room keys, you will receive wristbands for each member of your party for the waterpark. Do not lose these as they are quite strict on only allowing hotel guests into the waterpark.

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance – The Rooms

One reason my family loves The Courtyard Theme Park Entrance is because of the rooms. The rooms in this hotel are very spacious, and even better, standard rooms sleep 6.

As you walk into the room there is a large area where you could easily put a double stroller. A “hallway” is lined with a closet and plenty of cupboard space.

The closet has an in room safe, shelf space, iron, and ironing board. The cupboards contain a mini fridge and microwave. It is important to note that the mini fridge does not have a freezer shelf/space.

On the opposite side of your room’s “hallway” is the bathroom. This is one of my favorite features of the room. Every room has a bathroom with dual sinks and 2 full showers. Yes, you read that right, 2 full showers.

As you enter the bathroom you have a double sink vanity and a shower/tub combo. This area has plenty of space as well.

As you go into the room with the toilet, you will also find a full shower with glass doors.

We loved that we were able to send our oldest son in to shower and then bath our twins at the exact same time.

Continuing into the main part of the room, you will find 2 queen beds standard in every room, as well as a twin bunk bed. That is correct, every standard room sleeps 6, which is perfect for my family as none of my kids have to share a bed. (HOORAY! Less fighting!)

The beds are extremely comfy (I should know, on our March 2019 trip I was sick and spent 2 1/2 days in that bed.) The wall behind the headboards has a giant mural of waves crashing down on the beach. It gives the room a California feel for sure.

One thing I loved about the beds, with the nightstand, is that there is plenty of room between the two beds. Some hotels the room is so tight that two people cannot both stand in between the beds at the same time. Not the case at the Courtyard by Marriott, Anaheim Theme Park Entrance.

The nightstand was also plenty big so that we could put both of our phones, my husband’s smartwatch and a couple of books on it and not have it feel crowded.

The twin bunk beds are sturdy, and the top bunk has a good railing to keep kids from rolling out of the bed.

The room also has a spacious desk area with plenty of plugins and room to put devices. Above the desk is a smart TV that has Netflix and other streaming apps on the television. You are able to sign in to your personal accounts so you can binge your favorite shows during breaks from the park (or if you are sick).

Finally, each room has a little nook with a table, cushy bench, and lamp. The bench easily fit my three small children at once and was great for eating snacks or a meal we brought up from The Bistro.

Finally, the rooms we stayed in were all Waterpark views, which meant we also had a Theme Park view. It included a large sliding glass door and a small balcony, but it was enough for my kids to step out and watch the fireworks from the balcony.

Overall Room Impressions:

The rooms are very clean, and have a great list of amenities. As for the hotel for larger families, it works well for families of up to 6 and you won’t feel overly crowded.

The room had mostly everything you could ask for in a hotel room, but there are a couple of things I would add if I was designing my dream hotel room.

The only thing I wish was different about the layout of these rooms is perhaps some room separation so that adults could stay up while kids sleep. While this wouldn’t stop me from staying here, it would make me profess my love for this hotel even more than I already do.

I also wish the table in the nook area was slightly larger so and there were a couple extra chairs in the room so that a family could sit around the table, or so parents could maybe bring chairs over to view the fireworks at night, while kids sit on the bunk bed.

Last, I wish the fridge was larger with a freezer area in it. Even if just a small one. Disney recently banned loose ice from entering the parks, so it would be nice to be able to freeze ice packs to take in a small cooler of snacks for bringing food into Disneyland. Not so much needed for full meals as the hotel is close enough to walk back for lunch if desired, but at least for snacks and maybe some soda.

Amenities At The Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

The Courtyard Theme Park Entrance has a lot of great amenities that families will love. I took time this last trip to explore the amenities in the hotel a little more than I have on previous Disneyland vacations.

Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance – Surfside Waterpark

One of the reasons this hotel is such a big draw for families is because of the waterpark. When my family stayed here in March, I was sick, so we didn’t get to utilize the Waterpark. I didn’t want to write a review until we were able to fully utilize this amenity, which we were able to do when we stayed in September 2019.

The Surfside Waterpark at Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is located on the second floor (yes you read that right, the parking garage is located under the waterpark). All guests will need to have a wristband and valid room key to enter the waterpark area.

TIP: If your room is not ready, or you have already checked out, you can still get a pool access key. This was great when our room was not yet available, but we did not want to use a park day to head to Disneyland on our arrival day.

The Waterpark has 2 large slides with a height requirement of 40 inches. Guests may recognize this height as one of the biggest ride height requirements at Disneyland as well.

It also has 3 smaller slides, plenty of water play structures, a pool, hot tub, and a wading pool. The giant water bucket fills and dumps water every few minutes.

I also liked that the waterpark has plenty of seating available. Even when we visited the waterpark on a hot, and very busy, day we were able to find chairs and even a table for our family to utilize.

UPDATE: Since reopening, Surfside Waterpark has started a reservation system for the waterpark. I love this as it helps keeps crowds low. Reservations are available 30 days in advance using your confirmation number.

Other Amenities at Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance

Of course the waterpark isn’t the only amenity that families care about. Here are some of the other amenities that you may find valuable.

Gym – Located on the second floor the gym is very large and clean. I didn’t get a chance to use it but stoppped by to see it and it is large, well maintained, clean, everything you want in a hotel gym.

Dining – There is a small Bistro and Starbucks located in the lobby of the Courtyard, and my family has eaten quite a bit here. The Bistro hours are 6:30 am to 11 pm. We thought the food was quite delicious.

Firework Viewing/Patio – Outside from the Bistro is a patio with firepit/tables and seating. This is a great area for guests to relax at night and view the Disneyland fireworks.

Water Refill Station – I love that there is a water bottle refill station in the lobby. It is filtered water and perfect for filling up your bottle before heading to the parks.

Guest Laundry – there is coin operated guest laundry on site.

Missing Amenities I would like to see:

Free Breakfast – Many Marriott’s include free breakfast, but this location (and the Fairfield Inn next door) do not. Free Breakfast is often a big must for families, but I think it would not be a deal breaker for me.

The Verdict: Is Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance A Good Choice For Families

In short, The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is a great fit for families of 6 or less heading to the Disneyland Resort that want a nice, more luxury hotel with a small water park.

The cost of the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance can often rival Paradise Pier hotel. I would honestly unless I plan to use every single on-site perk, choose the Courtyard over Paradise Pier. The size of the rooms, room layout, waterpark, and fact that this hotel is MUCH more updated than Paradise Pier would win out for me.

It is also closer to the front gates of the parks than Paradise Pier, another great perk for families that want to take a mid-day break.

I have ruled this my favorite hotel on Harbor Blvd, and I know some of my Disneyland with Kids co-founders would agree with this. If this fits into your family’s budget I would definitely consider this hotel for your next Disneyland vacation.

Want to save an extra $10 on your stay at The Courtyard by Marriott, Theme Park Entrance? Book your stay through my partners at Get Away Today and use code ThisCrazy10 on packages of 2 or more nights (2 theme park ticket minimum).

Or, if you prefer to book direct with Marriott you can do so here. If you are booking direct, I definitely suggest making sure you are a Marriott Bonvoy member so you earn points.