Hi fellow Disney fanatics! This is Guru Nick, and I wanted to review a hotel we stayed at when we took the kids to Disneyland for Christmas. To save as much money for spending in the park, we decided to skip the Disney resorts in favor of a less expensive option. I know, I know, we must not have read Guru Joeys, “Deluxe resorts at a moderate price.” Nevertheless, we chose the Kings Inn.
Guru Nick’s Ratings:
Overall: 6/10
Lobby: 4/10
Check-in: 10/10
Room: 4/10
Transportation: 7/10
Food: 3/10
Pools: 5/10
Location: 8/10
Lobby:(Back to top)
The lobby was clean and small, about like you would expect in a plain-Jane inn. We walked in and there wasn’t a whole lot to it. There was a counter with friendly staff and a few couches to sit if you needed to wait. We arrived pretty late in the evening so there wasn’t much of a wait. We didn’t spend much time in the lobby either as we were looking forward to settling into our room.
Check-in:(Back to top)
Check-in time is at 3pm. The staff was incredibly friendly and informative. They let us know about the continental breakfast that morning as well as other things to see in do around that area. Thanks folks, but we only come to Anaheim for one reason. What was helpful was letting us know what dining options were in walking distance. The actual checking-in portion was quick and to the point. We had already paid for the room online to secure a certain price, so check in did not take long at all. It was a positive experience.
Room:(Back to top)
We stayed in a room on the second floor. Basically, one of those you can park right in front of your door or by the stairwell. This did make access to our room and getting all of our stuff up to the room so much easier. The room itself was incredibly small. Enough for two queen beds, a bedside table and a TV. We were pretty crammed in there. Beds were somewhat comfortable but certainly not the nicest hotel beds I’ve slept in. Room was clean but felt very dated. The room did not hold a candle to the rooms at any of the Disneyland resorts but at the price we didn’t expect it to.
One of the best parts about the room was that we were facing the direction of the park so we could see the fireworks once they started. That was exciting and with children that need to go to bed at earlier times and have lost all their energy long before the fireworks start, it gave us an opportunity to see the show and go right to bed. Big plus! I can’t promise every room there would be able to have access to seeing the fireworks, but it worked out perfectly for us.
Transportation:(Back to top)
As far as transportation, the park is about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the hotel and its free parking. That was nice because they did not offer a shuttle to or from the park. One of the things I was worried about most was walking back around midnight to the hotel. We are “open to close” kind of people so with children I am happy to report that it was a well-lighted walk and safe. It is a very nice area, plus you are walking home with a large group of people also returning to the hotels around there.
Food:(Back to top)
So, as I mentioned earlier, one of the reasons we chose the King’s Inn was for their continental breakfast. We were trying to conserve money for things inside the park, so this was supposed to be a plus. We were a bit disappointed. The eating area was very tiny and filled up very quickly. They had assorted things such as cereal, toast, yogurt and a few other odds and ends spread out along the counter in a very crammed space. Most of it was picked over, so there wasn’t a ton to choose from. We ended up eating a bit from there but then went and found IHOP down the road. Again, everything is in walking distance. There are also vending machines if you feel in need of a late-night snack or beverage. All in all, the food offerings at the King’s Inn were nothing to brag about.
Pool:(Back to top)
The pool area seemed very nice. It was enclosed and had a modest size pool with a hot tub. We actually didn’t use the pool area as we didn’t want to waste any time outside the parks. From what I could tell, it was clean and well kept. The wife did find out from the front desk that the pools are heated so can be used year-round.
Location:(Back to top)
The location of the Kings Inn is by far the best part. I have already talked about how it’s in walking distance of the park. Simply walk west Katella Ave, make a right on S Harbor Blvd., and stroll down to the Front Gate. There are also a tons of food options nearby. We walked around pretty late at night, not only walking back from the park, but also around the area looking for dinner. I felt very comfortable even with my three daughters and two-year-old son.