The Ultimate Guide to Vacationing with Kids | Howard Johnson Hotel and Water Playground, Anaheim

Traveling with kids, whether a true vacation or a staycation, can be difficult. As parents, there are so many things to consider, not the least of which is entertainment. So for all intents and purposes, today, I would like to focus on fun and entertainment. We can talk about the boring stuff in another post.

This year, we kicked off our summer early with our friends from The Mommy Blogger Tribe. Where? We splashed and partied our hearts out with our friends and families at the Howard Johnson Hotel and Water Playground aka "the Hojo" in Anaheim, CA. Check out the hotel HERE.

Tip: For more fun and adventures, don't forget to follow us on Instagram at @Sweet.P.and.Sky where you can see even more about our stay at Hojo.

Tip: If you are looking for a place to stay while visiting Disneyland, the Hojo, is only an 7-8 minute walk away.

You have heard me say this many times before, but I absolutely adore all of the amazing moms/bloggers who are members of The Mommy Blogger Tribe. So, spending a few days with them at a fun, family friendly vacation spot near Disneyland, well, it's a dream come true. We loved taking over the Hojo!

The Howard Johnson Hotel and Water Playground is one of my children's favorite places to go. To be perfectly honest, we don't only use is as a place to lay our heads while we visit Disneyland. Quite often, it is our destination. The boys simply love it so much that once in a while we book a room for a couple of nights and just relax and play at the hotels Castaway Cove and their Garden Pool.

You can see some of our previous trips HERE. HERE, and HERE, and also HERE

Rooms

What I love more than anything else about the Hojo, even more than the water playground, is their Kids Suite. This is a two room suite, one room with a king, one with a bunk bed, couch and breakfast nook. Two bathrooms, one with a shower, one with a bath for the kids, and their signature rubber ducky for the kiddos. THIS, is my favorite thing about the Hojo. Why? Because I'm so tired of trying to find rooms at hotels that can fit my family. Aren't you? This hotel really caters to families, and I truly appreciate it.

During The Mommy Blogger Tribe's TAKEOVER of the Hojo, we experienced their newly renovated rooms in Building 2. We enjoyed a two queen bed room, with all of the amenities, a balcony looking over the Garden Pool, and had fun with ALL of our friends.

Castaway Cove Water Playground

I have to give the Hojo credit for really nailing their safety protocols. The Castaway Cove Water Playground and the Garden Pool are now reservation based to keep their patrons safe. The jacuzzi at the water playground is also by reservation only, for 10 minutes at a time.

Tip: Reserve your personal 10 minutes of jacuzzi time as soon as you arrive. It does get booked up fast.

We all really enjoyed our jacuzzi time, but what the kids really loved is running around splashing and spraying water, going down waterslides and getting water dumped on them from a literal giant bucket.

For the very little ones, the kiddie pool is shallow, warm and very inviting. Even some of the bigger kids loved spending a little bit of time there between getting all of their wiggles out.

Garden Pool

If you are looking to relax poolside, the Garden Pool is just the quiet and peaceful place for you.

We had the best time at the Garden Pool. All of the parents sat around chatting and having a blast while the kids swam and built up those appetites. My Mommy Blogger Tribe's managing members and I got to really sit down and talk business, get plans for other event underway, a really enjoy fun with our families, as well as other members of the tribes and their kids.