Hyatt Regency Orange County
Near Disneyland in California
While Hyatt Regency hotels can be filled with business travelers, this one is a popular destination for families given its proximity to Disneyland. One of their suite types even has bunkbeds for kids. Read on to find out what to expect when staying here, and my experience as a Hyatt Globalist.
HYATT LOYALTY HIGHLIGHTS
Globalists receive free breakfast from a buffet in the lobby restaurant. A la carte is not included. This, coupled with the lack of a Regency Club, made the Globalist experience feel less differentiated than the Hyatt House down the street.
Suite Upgrade Awards (SUAs) are accepted for several options: Kid’s Suite, 1 Bedroom King Suite, or 1 Bedroom Queen Suite. Kid’s Suite has bunk beds and 1 king bed.
Dedicated check in line for those holding Hyatt status.
Valet and self-parking ($36 and $28 per night, respectively) waived for Globalists on award stays.
Free Disneyland Park shuttle tickets for Globalists (otherwise $6 per person). Note: the hotel has flipped flopped on this benefit. As of Jan 6, 2024, this pass is no longer offered to Globalists.
No welcome note, but Globalist status recognized upon check in.
On the move! The lobby was nicely decorated for Christmas
HOTEL BRAND OVERVIEW
Hyatt Regency hotels are popular among business travelers as they often host conferences and meetings due to their large size. However, they also frequently attract families as they tend to include a full set of amenities and supply of suites.
This hotel was mostly full of family travelers due to its proximity to Disneyland.
This Regency has two towers and over 600 rooms
BOOKING
This is a Hyatt category 4 (out of 8), meaning a stay here requires 15,000 Hyatt points per night at the standard rate. Cash rates are typically $200-$300.
I opted to book a standard King room and used a Free Night Award (Category 1-4) that was soon to be expiring.
LOCATION
There are 3 Hyatt hotels close to Disneyland Park, all within a 10 minute drive. The other two are a Hyatt House and Hyatt Place.
Although the Regency is the farthest from the park, I opted for it because my Globalist benefits tend to go further at a Regency (e.g., better quality free breakfast).
A quick 10 minute drive to Disneyland Park
CHECK IN
Check in is at 4:00pm. We arrived at 12:00pm and requested an early check in. The only available room was a 3rd floor King room, which we accepted. Otherwise, we could have waited for a higher floor, but preferred not to as we wanted to spend the afternoon at Disneyland.
There was no availability to be upgraded to a suite as the hotel was sold out around Christmas.
I was proactively given a 4:00pm check out. However, at noon the next day housekeeping barged into the room and told us we should have checked out at 11:00am. I let the front desk know of this when we checked out and they were apologetic.
Those with Hyatt status can use a dedicated check in lane
ROOM
We stayed in a King room within the South Tower. Our priority during the visit was not the room, as we were only staying 1 night to visit Disneyland. If we had been more focused on the room, I would have definitely preferred a different one.
There was no view - it looked out onto the fence of the activity area, so we could hear people playing basketball in the morning.
The room size was plenty of space for two people. We had two bottles of water waiting for us, which was perfect before we headed to Disneyland.
The bathroom had one sink and a shower (no tub).
The standard King room on the 3rd floor
We received complementary water bottles as Globalists
Bathroom in our King room included one sink and a shower
View from our 3rd floor King room in the South Tower
AMENITIES
Breakfast is served at the restaurant in their lobby. Kids 5 and under eat free.
The hotel offers a shuttle to and from Disneyland Park every 30 minutes. The last pickup is 1 hour after the park closes. Tickets for the shuttle are $6 per person round trip, but kids 3 and under ride free.
There are a number of amenities onsite (e.g., pool, gym, activity area) that you can take advantage of, but we did not given the short stay.
Breakfast at the lobby restaurant, Tusca
Globalists receive a free buffet breakfast, but not a la carte
My favorite part of the buffet was the omelette station
Kids 5 and under can eat at the breakfast buffet for free
SERVICE
Everyone we encountered was friendly - the font desk, valet staff, Disneyland shuttle driver.
NEARBY ACTIVITIES
As most guests here, our primary activity was visiting Disneyland Park. California Adventure is another option, directly across from Disneyland.
We spent 1pm to 1am at Disneyland, armed with Genie Plus. In total, we were able to go on 15 rides and sit down at 2 restaurants. Not bad statistics for a holiday at Disney!
Entering the magical world of Disneyland
Running out of steam while finishing ride number 14 of 15: It’s a Small World
SUMMARY
I would stay here again during a visit to Disneyland in California. I wish that there were a Regency Club lounge, which would differentiate it more from the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House options nearby. However, if you’re traveling with a family, this is a great place to redeem a Suite Upgrade Award (SUA) to confirm plenty of space in a kid-friendly hotel.
