Red Lion Hotel - Anaheim Resort

Overall Rating: 1 Star

Just down the road from the Resort entrance and right next to the Toy Story Parking Lot, the Red Lion Hotel is a moderately-priced hotel in a great spot. The curb appeal is awesome and they're currently undergoing some renovations, but be aware of what you could be paying for.

Location: 3 Stars

As I mentioned, the Red Lion Hotel is not far away from the parks at all. It's just past the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue and it takes about 5 to 7 minutes to walk up Harbor to the main Resort entrance. It's also nice when you leave the parks because most of the crowds head the opposite direction to get to their hotels so there is a lot more room on the sidewalk and you don't feel like you're a part of a giant horde! For those who may have forgotten some things at home, it's also immediately next to both a Walgreen's and a CVS so no need to worry.

Accommodations: 1 Star

I don't know what it is about our luck with Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotels. The room was not at all what we were expecting based on the website. The furniture was updated but in terrible shape (the armchair was slightly chewed). The wallpaper was bubbling off the walls in multiple spots, the mirror in the bathroom was old and chipped, the plug in the bathroom stopped working altogether with no fuse to fix the problem, and there's a serious lack of outlets in the room (a big issue these days). We also quickly discovered a loud, annoying dog in the adjoining room (pets may explain the armchair).

I can get over most of these because they're not totally serious problems, but bugs are! There were never any less than five tiny flying bugs in our room at one time. It seemed like every time we killed one another would take its place! I know that probably not every room has these problems but it shouldn't happen in any room ever!

Amenities: 2 Stars

Their pool was being renovated during our stay, but the idea of a new pool is fantastic! They also have a quaint little cafe off the lobby which always has plenty of open tables. As a Good Neighbor Hotel they also have the added benefit of a dedicated employee to work a Disneyland ticket counter so you don't have to mess with that inside the Resort.

I give it 2 stars because of the serious understaffing at the front desk. There was never any more than two groups in front of us at a time but they only had two people at their counter. If one got tied up with a complicated guest issue (which they usually did) then the other was left alone to deal with everyone else causing a back-up. This also becomes a problem if you need them to hang on to your bags for a bit after checkout. They can get really busy when you come to drop off/pick up and it can take 10 minutes or more to deal with - not fun if you end up in a hurry!

Value: 1 Star

Considering that this is a moderate-priced hotel costing on average $120/night you expect things to run much smoother. There are other hotels in a similar price range nearby that do a much better job and don't have bugs. If we had payed a lower rate then I would give a much higher "Value" rating, but for the price you pay here you deserve something nicer.