By Princess Diva

I have to admit that I was a little bummed when trying to book a room for the Disneyland Half Marathon,-all of the Disneyland properties were already booked.  I found one more room available at the Fairfield Inn Marriott in Anaheim, which is an official Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel, so I booked it.

Diva Tip: If you are participating in a Disney run, Patricia at All for Dreams Travel can find you an awesome room.

I was assured that we would be close enough for me to quickly get to the race corrals the morning of the race, and it would be perfect for my friends to get there as I was finishing (I don’t know why my friends didn’t want to get up with me before 5 a.m. on race morning). I didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by everything!

My friends and I checked in on a Friday afternoon and had no wait time at all at the front desk.  We were given the Princess Room on the 6^th floor (I swear, it was like they knew me).  We were also told that we would be able to see the fireworks from the balcony outside of our room.  When we reached our room, we did get a little worried because the rooms were all outside facing (the main door opens to the outside instead of a hallway), but it was perfectly quiet each night we were there.

Diva Tip:  Sometimes watching fireworks in your jammies can be just as magical as watching from the parks.

We were all happy with the size of the room; comparable to any regular room at a Disney property.  Our room had two very comfy queen beds with tons of pillows, a fold out twin bed (plenty of room for a family of 5), fridge, and large vanity area.  This last feature was very important for three women getting ready in the mornings. The room was very clean and the staff was very helpful.  With all the toiletries that three women could possible bring, we ended up with a lost toothbrush.  Less than 5 minutes after a phone call down stairs, there was a toothbrush at our door!  There were many runners staying at the Fairfield Inn, and after the races on Saturday and Sunday, there were tables set up with towels, water, and oranges.

There is an outdoor swimming pool on the property and complimentary wireless for guests.  Onsite parking for $11.00 a day.

Diva Tip: If you are flying in, contact a shuttle service to get you to and from your hotel.  We used Super Shuttle and found them to be on time and very affordable compared to some other modes of transportation.

The location couldn’t have been better.  It was less than a 5 minute walk to the parks.  There was no parking to worry about and no worrying about transportation.  There is a convenient store just a few doors down, which I’m sure we stopped at every night on our way back to the room.

Diva Tip: The convenient store is a great place to pick up a snack or some milk for the hotel room.  Really handy if you are traveling with kids.

McDonald’s is right next door for a breakfast on the way to the parks in the morning or for a late dinner after a fun day at Disneyland.  There is no complimentary breakfast at this location, but there is a Pizza Hut Express, Seattle’s Best Coffee and The Market that is open for breakfast and dinner.  There is also a really good restaurant that shares the same parking lot called Millie’s Restaurant and Bakery.  We had a late dinner here after our first day at the parks, and it was delicious!  I think everyone that was in there ordered spaghetti…including me!

We’ve already started planning our trip for the Disneyland Half Marathon next year, and this is definitely where we will be staying.

Diva Tip:  Check out the Good Neighbor Hotels when booking your vacation.