If you are taking a vacation in Anaheim, it is likely it involves Disneyland or other theme parks (especially if lots of little ones are in tow). It would take a book and not a simple article to describe all of the Anaheim hotels hotel with all of their ins and outs, but I can guide you as to what to expect and what you should know as you research your own hotels.

The first thing to look for is how well the hotel suits your trips to the park. The resorts right within the theme park (including those owned by Disneyland) are obviously going to be the obvious choices for ease of access. If you can’t find a deal and those resorts are much more expensive than other nearby offerings, you may not want to be so picky. Some hotels offer free transport to the theme park and others simply advertise that it’s a short walk–but waiting 15 minutes longer to spend an entire day at the park isn’t going too bad if closer options are going to really hurt your wallet.

Also look out for any packages or deals the hotel offers. These hotels have a lot of competition, and they want to make all those nervous dads feel better about their expenses. Look for free or discounted food and extra amenities. The amusement park itself will likely be a similar price no matter which hotel you buy tickets at, but parks are expensive so try to save where you can elsewhere.

If you are traveling with younger family, some hotels might make the experience a little more special for them. Some of the hotels sponsored by the theme park itself will have a whole assortment of additional features like characters in costume and areas decorated in Disney themes. If the trip is really only about Disneyland, these might be an option to consider.

Don’t forget the hotel and room amenities. The theme park is very stressful, and it may pay to have a relaxing place to return to at the end of the day. Make sure that the home-away-from-home you return to is a place where you feel comfortable. Extras like Internet access and media players prove beneficial here (you’d think that a hotel seeing so many family vacationers might have a DVD player, but not all of them do!).

Take some time as you research the Anaheim hotels because you will be spending a lot of your vacation inside one of them. You might not be able to afford being too choosy, but you still want to be as comfortable as possible.