Close to Disneyland for half the price: My stay at the Hyatt Regency Orange County

Most hotels near Disneyland have theme park perks like a shuttle service and a gift shop with Disney souvenirs, but they also have some things you won't find in an official Disney hotel — the ability to earn or spend hotel loyalty points and reap the benefits of elite status.

Related: Best Disneyland hotels in and near the park

One of those hotels is the Hyatt Regency Orange County. I recently returned from my first stay at this full-service hotel near Disneyland. Here's everything you need to know before you book a stay here for your next theme park vacation.

Getting there

The Hyatt Regency Orange County is in Anaheim, California, on Harbor Boulevard, the road that leads to Disneyland's front gates. It's almost 2 miles away, though, so you will want to drive, use a ride-hailing service or take the hotel's shuttle versus walking (which you'll be doing plenty of when you get to Disneyland). The shuttle is $6 per person per day, but kids 3 and under can ride for free.

Related: The best airports for Disneyland

You can get to the Hyatt Regency Orange County from any of the Los Angeles area airports, but John Wayne Airport (SNA) is only 12 miles away, and Long Beach Airport (LGB) is 14 miles away. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is 35 miles away, but transit time between the hotel and the airport can be longer than an hour with traffic, so I recommend trying the other two before resorting to LAX.

Hyatt Regency Orange County partners with Karmel Shuttle to provide transportation to and from all three of these airports. You can save $20 when you book directly through the hotel's website.

Booking details

The Hyatt Regency Orange County is a Category 4 property with 653 guest rooms, ranging from standard rooms with one king or two queen beds to one- and two-bedroom suites and family suites with bunk beds.

Cash pricing for standard rooms ranges between $150 and $325 per night. For suites, the prices range between $192 and $679 per night. As you can see in the image below, some rooms are more recently renovated than others. If you want one of the renovated rooms, request a room in the south tower.

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If you are booking with World of Hyatt points, you can expect to pay 12,000 points per night for a standard room, 24,000 points per night for a suite during off-peak times, or as much as 18,000 points per night for a standard room or up to 36,000 points per night for a suite during busier times.

You also have the option to use a combination of cash and Word of Hyatt points to upgrade to a standard or premium one-bedroom suite. You can also redeem Hyatt Category 1-4 certificates at this property, which is especially valuable when points pricing reaches 18,000 per night on peak dates.

When booking the Hyatt Regency Orange County, you'll want to use one of the credit cards that earn the most points for Hyatt stays, as well as one that possibly offers automatic World of Hyatt elite status for value-added benefits. These include:

• World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and resorts; automatic Discoverist status; and five elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.
• World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and resorts; automatic Discoverist status; and five elite night credits per year toward a higher tier.

Things we loved

• The 17-story atrium gave the hotel a bright, airy feeling. The overall design throughout the property allows for plenty of natural light without the sun blaring through guest room windows each morning.
• The guest rooms had Disneyland artwork, which made it feel like we were in a theme park hotel without being overly extravagant.
• In addition to a pool, the hotel has outdoor games like pickleball, basketball and cornhole, so guests can have fun even when they are taking a break from the parks.
• The lobby had a Starbucks, gift shop, sports bar, ice cream shop and breakfast buffet. Guests have everything they need to start or end their Disney day.

Drawbacks

• The Hyatt Regency Orange County is nearly 2 miles away from Disneyland. There are several hotels on Harbor Boulevard that are within walking distance of Disneyland, but this is not one of them.
• The rooms in the north tower have not been renovated and have more dated decor and furnishings than the newer rooms in the south tower.
• The Disneyland shuttle costs $6 per person for guests 4 and older. Depending on the size of your party, you could save money by using Lyft or Uber.

The vibe

The public spaces were bright and inviting, and the hotel was exceedingly family-friendly.

Aside from hints of Disney here and there, the Hyatt Regency Orange County felt more like a convention hotel than a theme park hotel (the hotel does have 65,000 square feet of meeting space). But that isn't necessarily a bad thing if you are looking for a spacious escape from the parks at the end of the day.

The room

As I mentioned, I was in one of the older rooms that had not yet been renovated. While it was still plenty comfortable, the furnishings and decor made the room feel darker and a bit dingier compared with what I've seen of the renovated rooms.

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There were no standard rooms available when I checked in, so I paid an additional $30 for a one-bedroom suite. The room was spacious, with a sofa bed, television, microwave and minifridge in the living area and a king bed and second television in the bedroom. There was gray patterned carpeting throughout the suite, as well as standing lamps and mixed-wood furnishings.

I had an atrium view room, which let in a good amount of natural light when I opened the curtains. I loved the addition of the framed Disneyland photos in the room to keep me in the Disney spirit.

The bed was simple and very comfortable, featuring white linens and a bedside table on either side of the bed, each with a small lamp and standard outlets.

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The bathroom felt pretty standard for this type of hotel, with marble countertops, a large double vanity and a shower/tub combo with reusable bath products from Pharmacopia.

Food and drink

The hotel had several dining outlets, with options for everything from a quick morning coffee to a sit-down meal to a nightcap after a long day.

One of the biggest dining highlights for families is the Mickey-shaped waffles for breakfast at the TusCA breakfast buffet ($26). As an added bonus, kids 5 and younger can eat at TusCA for free.

OC Brewhouse stays open daily until midnight, which came in handy when I needed a bite to eat to power through a long night of writing. It was a bit dark by that point for food photos, but I had the nachos with guacamole and salsa ($14), which really hit the spot. The chips were warm and crispy, and the salsa and guacamole tasted freshly made.

The aforementioned late-night work meant I made several trips to the Starbucks in the lobby. If you have a favorite Starbucks drink, baked good or snack, you'll likely find it on the menu here.

Room service is also available from 11:30 a.m. through midnight via Citrus Grove Deli.

Amenities and service

You probably plan to spend most of your time at Disneyland, but the Hyatt Regency Orange County has plenty of activities to keep you busy during your time away from the parks. The hotel has two outdoor pools — one designed for family fun and one has a quieter atmosphere.

The hotel also has a fire pit (you can buy a s'mores kit at the Citrus Grove Deli in the lobby) and a recreation deck with games like shuffleboard, basketball, pickleball, oversized checkers and more. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day.

Out and about

In addition to being a stone's throw away from the Happiest Place on Earth, the hotel is also near Anaheim's Angels Stadium and the Honda Center if you are in town for a concert or sporting event and Knott's Berry Farm if you want to get a "taste" of other area theme parks.

Accessibility

All areas of the hotel are wheelchair accessible, including the self-parking area, the Disneyland shuttle, the lobby and dining areas, the pool and the fitness center.

In addition to wheelchair accessibility features like widened doorways, showers with grab bars and a raised toilet, accessible guest rooms are available with TTY text telephones and closed-captioning detectors.

Checking out

Unlike Walt Disney World, which has more than 25 on-site hotels, Disneyland only has three official hotels. That means most Disneyland guests stay at one of the dozens of hotels in the surrounding area. While staying outside of the park may seem like a drawback, the Hyatt Regency Orange County proves there are some big benefits to staying in one of these "close to the magic" hotels.

I enjoyed my stay and if I were judging on the room and amenities alone, I would stay here again in a heartbeat. But, if the sole reason for my visit to Southern California was to spend time at Disneyland, I would probably choose a hotel within walking distance of the parks. Those properties can be much more expensive than the Hyatt Regency Orange County, though, so if you don't mind trading proximity for extra cash in your pocket, you really can't go wrong with this hotel near Disneyland.

Related reading:

• The Pixar Place Hotel is now open at Disneyland – here's a look inside
• What it's like to stay at a hotel that pairs Disney history with a fresh look: The Disneyland Hotel
• Inside The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, the park's 1st new hotel tower in 14 years
• The hotel with a private entrance at Disneyland: Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa