This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Anaheim.
Anaheim is located between the popular hosteler destinations of Los Angeles and San Diego. It is thirty minutes from the ocean and the coastal cities of Long Beach and Huntington Beach. Anaheim is probably best known for being home to Disneyland, which opened in 1955, the only Disney park where Walt Disney himself supervised the construction. The Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney are also located in Anaheim. The California Adventure Park is themed around the culture of California and features attractions based on its landmarks. Downtown Disney is an admission-free outdoor shopping and dining area that often features live music (House of Blues and ESPN Zone sports bar are found here). The nearby Anaheim Convention Center hosts conventions such as the NAMM Show, BlizzCon, VidCon, and Anime Expo.
The hostels in Anaheim are clustered around the Disneyland Resort. Most are located a few miles from the Disneyland parks, with nearby public bus transportation available. Staying at a hostel in this area is the best way to save money in comparison with nearby hotels and you will still be extremely close to Disneyland. To beat the crowd at Disneyland, arrive early in the morning or on a rainy day. Disneyland is open year round; seasonal attractions include a redecoration of the Haunted Mansion with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme and a fireworks show staged nightly, with a theme based on the season.
A lesser-known theme park approximately thirty minutes away from the Disneyland area is Knott’s Berry Farm, which has a western-ghost-town theme; its major roller coaster is the wooden GhostRider. The park features Knott’s Soak City, a seasonally open water park, and Knott’s Scary Farm, an annual Halloween event where street monsters and mazes are added to the park. Staying at a hostel in Anaheim would provide the best access to this park, because there are no hostels nearby.
Anaheim is located along the I-5. There is an Amtrak station and a Greyhound station located within a few miles of Disneyland. The nearest airport is John Wayne Airport.