Hotel at a Glance: Clementine Hotel & Suites Anaheim

Located about 10 minutes from Disneyland Park, this family-friendly hotel is a convenient base for a California vacation. The hotel even sells park tickets to save guests time in long lines. After a full day at Disneyland, crews can return to Clementine to run around the playground or play volleyball on the sports court.

• Studio suites stretch 450 square feet, with full kitchens and dining tables.
• Best way to unwind: swimming in the heated outdoor pool
• Hangout spot: a barbecue patio with a fire pit

Anaheim, California: Magical Play Land Outside LA

Less than 35 miles from Hollywood, Anaheim is perfectly situated for making the most of a Southern California getaway. But most visitors never make it that far, as Disneyland Park has long dominated the city’s tourism scene. As Walt Disney’s original park, it has a handful of classic attractions that, though upgraded over the years, have been around since the park opened in 1955. You can ride the Mad Tea Party spinning teacups, hop on the King Arthur Carrousel, or sail in the Storybook Land Canal Boats (Walt Disney personally planted the small pine near Geppetto’s home).

Disneyland Park has plenty of modern rides too, including Cars Land, one of the newer additions to Disney California Adventure Park and a life-size re-creation of the town from Disney Pixar’s Cars. The highlight here is the slot-car attraction, which puts you in an automated vehicle that swerves around animatronic characters before engaging another car in a high-speed race.