Go Happy...Go HoJo!!!

My family and I just returned from one of the most wonderful weekends we've ever had. We were celebrating Father's Day and I wanted to do something really special for the kids and make sure that my husband felt special as well. Since we are Annual Pass holders for Disneyland I figured we'd take a trip to Anaheim and out of all the hotels I researched the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel was the most inviting. The Howard Johnson, also known as the HoJo, is located directly across the street from the Disneyland theme park. It's only an 8 minute walk from the Hotel Lobby to the main entrance of Disneyland. That means you don't have to pay for parking at the theme park.

The HoJo blows the competition out of the water because of the amenities it has to offer. Easily the MOST kid friendly hotel on the entire street. They have a great Garden pool that's quiet and very relaxing...until my kids showed up of course! They swam and played with me & Dad for hours.

The HoJo has an AWESOME water park called Castaway's Cove. It's a Pirate themed adventure filled with water slides, water canons, a wading pool, Speedy's splash fountain and a 30 foot Pirate Ship! I have never seen anything like this offered at any hotel. My kids went completely nuts! Even I had to take on the water slides. You can't resist jumping into all that fun.

They also have a Game Room that's filled with cool video games, air hockey, pinball & a photo booth. My son insisted that he wear his pj's so he can be comfortable playing The Simpsons game.

Located directly across from the game room is Main St., the hotel's gift shop. This is no ordinary gift shop! They literally sell EVERYTHING! Fruits, breads, snacks of all sorts, drinks, spirits, toiletries, clothing, flip flops, sunscreen & the list goes on. Disney stuff everywhere! Not to mention AP holders get their 10% discount!

Finally, as if all these incredible features haven't already convinced you to book a stay here, I've saved the best for last! Our room had a balcony facing Castaway Cove & Disneyland! I could see CA Adventure & Disneyland right across the street. My kids loved waking up to a view of Castaway Cove and so did I!

Both nights of our stay we put our chairs out on the balcony and watched the Disneyland Fireworks show. It was breathtaking. No crowds, no one telling you "you can't stand here" or "keep moving" with those flashlights! We ended each day with a little family bonding and fireworks. I cry every time those fireworks go off and since we have Annual Passes you know that's quite often! It was truly the perfect way to end a day of fun in the sun.
Would you believe that during the entire stay we didn't make it into Disneyland once? The HoJo entertained my kids so much that they were perfectly content with staying at the hotel. My son told me, "Mom, it's not like we can't come back next week and go to Disneyland. Let's just take time to enjoy this hotel"...he's 5yrs old! Seriously folks...the HoJo is a MUST MUST MUST STAY!!!

The Hojo offers special rates for Annual Pass holders all year long as if their standard rates weren't already a deal! You can check rates on their website at http://www.hojoanaheim.com/ and for AP rates and other special offers you can call In House Reservations at

(714) 776-6120.