We visited the Hyatt Regency Orange County during a visit to Disneyland in Southern California and walked away feeling pretty good.

Booking the Hyatt Regency Orange County

Official link to hotel: https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/alica-hyatt-regency-orange-county

This stay ended up a combination of two factors:

• We were visiting both Disney parks, planning to stay decently late into the night.
• I had two Category 1-4 free night certificates expiring.

The combination of the two meant that I had a good excuse to stay near Anaheim. In case you weren’t already aware, there are three Hyatt hotels in the immediate vicinity of Disney: the Hyatt House, the Hyatt Place, and the Hyatt Regency. The Hyatt House is close enough to consider walking to the resort, with the Hyatt Place slightly further away. But the Hyatt Regency, a hotel we know very well, most definitely isn’t walkable.

With some family also deciding to stay at the Hyatt Regency Orange County at the same time as us, that made it easy for us to choose this hotel.

This is a Category 4 hotel, with a points cost that ranges between 12,000 and 25,000 Hyatt points per night. If looking to pay cash, expect cash rates that hover around $200/night.

Destination fee

The Hyatt Regency Orange County unfortunately has a mandatory $20/night destination fee. This fee includes:

• 2 bottled waters per stay
• One smores kit per stay
• Access to the children’s activity corner, which includes coloring kits and movies
• A daily $10 food and beverage credit to Citrus Grove, Vita Grill, or Vita Bar
• Seasonal poolside movies
• Access to the recreation deck with sports equipment (pickleball, basketball, cornhole, shuffleboard, and ping pong)
• Personalized guest request texting service for 24 hour assistance
• Outlets at Orange discount digital coupon book

On the plus side, Hyatt doesn’t charge resort or destination fees to Globalists (on any eligible cash or points rate) or to any guest using points of a free night certificate.

But if you had to pay for this, let’s say it’s a bit uninspiring. I’d wager the hotel would offer many of the features even without a destination fee as an incentive to get guests to stay with them over other hotels that are more conveniently close to Disney. The only items we think are likely to exist because of the destination fee are the smores kit and daily food and beverage credit. But you’re still losing value than just keeping the $20 in your pocket.

Earning World of Hyatt points

Full disclosure: in this section are refer-a-friend links where I may earn some points for referring. There is no requirement to use the below referral links to apply but note your offer may differ when going directly to the card issuer.

Chase has a couple of cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points that can transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 rate:

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred card (refer-a-friend link) has a limited-time offer of 100,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first three months. It has a $95 annual fee.
• There is currently a limited-time offer (refer-a-friend link) on the Chase Ink Business Unlimited that gives an excellent 100,000 points for spending $8,000 in the first three months. There is no annual fee.

The Hyatt personal credit card (not an affiliate link) offers a 30,000 point bonus when spending $3,000 in three months. On top of that, you get 2X earnings during the first six months until you reach $15,000 in spend. At most, this is a 45,000 card for spending $15,000–and most certainly not the 60,000 bonus it claims disingenuously claims. But, on the bright side, if that $15,000 spend happens within the same calendar year, you’ll also get six elite night credits and a Category 1-4 free night certificate.

The small business version of the Hyatt credit card (refer-a-friend link) offers a 60,000 point bonus when spending $5,000 in three months. The main appeal here is the easier path towards earning elite status (5 elite night credit for every $10,000 in spend per calendar year), but it also gives up to $100 back on Hyatt purchases.

First impressions of the Hyatt Regency Orange County

As mentioned above, we have a long history with this hotel. It’s one that I remember visiting for conferences back when I was a student at UCLA over 20 years ago. And after hitting the Diamond / Globalist status level with Hyatt, we’ve been here often too. If you’re first showing up at the hotel, just head directly to the parking lot in the rear of the property and then pass by the conference rooms to get to the front desk.

Once making it over to the front desk, the agent thanked me for my Hyatt status and comped our parking, one of the great benefits of having Globalist status on an award stay. We got a refresher of where breakfast is, some of the features of the property, and then we were off to our room.

This hotel has a large indoor atrium, with many of the rooms facing inwards toward this enclosed area. I suppose it helps with protection from weather events but not like Southern California gets much of that.

Before we leave the lobby, one thing to point out is the small business center out here. If you need a computer or a printer, they’re not far away from the front desk.

The room

The Hyatt Regency has two towers of rooms. It seemed like most of my stays previously were in the North Tower, but not this time. Our room was in the South Tower up on the 17th floor (Room 1718).

The bedroom

We booked a two queen deluxe room, which is ultimately what we got aside from an “upgrade” up to a higher floor. The beds were fine–not too firm or too soft, though the pillows were a little thinner than we prefer.

You can tell pretty quickly which tower of rooms you’re in. The South Tower has this large scene behind the beds where it almost looks like you’re on the beach. The North Tower instead has a plain background but there are bedframes. In theory, the South Tower is the one that’s marginally nicer (it also doesn’t have carpet but the North Tower does).

Across from the beds is the TV, dresser, and Keurig machine. Given we were here to visit Disney, we didn’t end up using the TV much at all.

The Keurig machine sat atop the mini-fridge along with two bottles of water for free if you’re an elite member. At least they give you extra water beyond the two that you get per stay from the destination fee.

In the corner by the window is a desk with a chair. It’s functional as a work area and big enough for my needs.

If you were hoping that there would be more dresser drawers in the closet, I’m sorry to disappoint you. The closet just has a rod for hangers, a luggage stand, an iron and ironing board, and a safe.

The view from the room was of a Target and a couple of chain restaurants. Welcome to suburbia!

Bathroom

The bathroom was simple but it worked for our needs. Most of the lighting in the bathroom comes from the mirror above the vanity.

As for the shower, it’s one of those combination shower/tub setups that I’m not too fond of. At least you can turn on the water without getting doused with cold water when this arrangement exists. That said, the shower pressure wasn’t ideal but it was good enough.

Shower amenities are by Pharmacopia, the brand standard offering for Hyatt Regency hotels.

Dining options at the Hyatt Regency Orange County

Vita Grill

Hours:

• Breakfast
  • 6:30AM – 11:30AM daily
• Dinner
  • 4PM – 12AM daily

Vita is the hotel’s main breakfast restaurant with both a la carte and buffet options. If you are a Globalist or here on a Guest of Honor award, this is where you’ll get free breakfast for up to 2 adults and 2 children.

While the restaurant opens at 6:30AM, it actually doesn’t open early enough to have a peaceful breakfast if you’re planning to also take the first shuttle to Disney for rope drop. You can rush and still make it in time, some might still find it a challenge. You will be able to make the second shuttle easily if you come right at opening. The second shuttle arrives at Disney at the same time as the park opens, making you about 5 minutes late getting into the park. Remember if you’re on time, you’re considered late by Disney’s standards.

Anyways, the restaurant is out in the atrium, creating a pseudo outdoor feel. The decor is pretty simple and makes you feel like you’re in a generic Hyatt Regency. In other words, they don’t lean into the Disney or Southern California vibe at all.

You can either get the buffet ($30) or choose from a variety of side dishes. Children aged 12 and under pay $15 for the buffet. Now, despite having Globalist status where the full breakfast charge should come off, I was still hit with a $8.06 charge for breakfast that doesn’t align with any particular line item on the receipt. This is where having a My Hyatt Concierge is helpful as you can just send the information to the concierge and they can deal with removing the charge.

We ended up choosing the buffet, which was off in the corner. There is decent variety–enough to keep the kids pleased–but it could get boring if here for multiple days. Few dishes change on a daily basis. As for the quality, it’s about what you would expect from a Hyatt Regency: most definitely a step up from limited-service restaurants but not something I actively would seek out in not already at the hotel.

As we tend to do with buffets, we’ll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves.

If you’re in the mood for omelets, ordering the buffet will also unlock the ability to get some fresh eggs, a standard inclusion these days.

The omelet is pretty simple, like this sausage and cheese omelet below. That said, it at least hits the spot! This is the best thing about the buffet, but then since you can order off the a la carte menu anyways, maybe not eating the buffet is better?

Across the way from the Vita Grill is the Vita Bar. The Vita Bar is where dinner and drinks will be found in the evening and well into the night. We didn’t get a chance to dine here, opting instead to just eat at Disney.

Citrus Grove Deli / iSwii

Hours:

• 11:30AM – 12AM Monday – Thursday
• 8AM – 12AM Friday – Sunday

If you want something quick or simple, this is the place to visit. This is located between the Vita Grill and the conference center, directly across from the front desk. If you’re otherwise unsure of what to use your daily $10 food and beverage credit, this is the easiest pick.

Here, you’ll find ice cream, convenience store items, and simple meals like sandwiches.

The convenience store items are consistent with a small 7-11 with above-average prices. Maybe it’s a sign of the economy these days, but I remember my money going further in the past. As an example of how much things cost, you can get two bowls of instant noodles (1 Maruchan and 1 Shin Ramyun) for about $11.

Or, you can instead opt for some ice cream. Since this is open late, you could theoretically visit the park and then get dessert here afterwards. Of course, if you do that, good luck getting the kids to sleep that night. Ice cream was priced at $9 for a double scoop when we were here.

Starbucks

Hours: 6AM – 6PM daily

The good news is that this is an actual Starbucks, not just a quick service restaurant serving Starbucks coffee. The bad news is your daily $10 food and beverage credit or Hyatt Globalist breakfast benefit will not work here. This location closes at 6PM, so it won’t help you much in the evening after you get back from Disney.

In-room / Poolside / Firepit-side dining

Hours:

• In-room dining: 11:30AM – 12AM daily
• Poolside dining: 11AM – 10PM daily
• Firepit-side dining: 2PM – 10PM daily

We’re going to group all three of these together because I believe the menu is the same for each. Really the difference is just the hours of service, which vary slightly because it just does. Not everything has an clear reason why, I guess.

We didn’t need the in-room dining option, but I actually think the hours are a miss. In my view, this should go at least an hour past closing time for Disneyland. Because when you get done with the park and you realize you have the munchies, nothing at this hotel will help satisfy you anymore. It’s not like there are a wealth of options in walking distance that are open at this time of night.

Children’s activity corner

So, the destination fee says you get access to the children’s activity corner. What exactly is it? It’s this little area of couches in the lobby between the front desk and Starbucks. They have Disney movies playing all day long and a variety of seating options like bean bag chairs.

There are some books and an abacus–because that’s what all the cool kids play with–but otherwise, not much else. Kind of weird that they implicitly charge all guests for using this space. We only saw it used once during our stay by a parent who abandoned his kid here and the kid panicked, realizing his dad wasn’t there anymore.

A more interesting area of the hotel for kids is this arcade, but this isn’t officially part of the activity corner. This is around the corner from the Starbucks. If only the destination fee paid for this!

And just to close off the list of hotel features, right across from this arcade is a gift shop. If you want a Minnie Mouse doll, they have you covered.

The recreation deck

On the third floor of the South Tower is the recreation deck, another feature of the destination fee. When you first walk outside, you’ll immediately see the outdoor pool. I feel like they could turn this into a nice outdoor area next to the pool but they haven’t tried dolling it up in all the years I’ve seen it.

Next to the pool is the firepit. Depending on when you stop by, there might be crowds in the evening trying to roast some smores.

And then in an enclosed area is the sports area. Along the lefthand side are the tennis courts.

Straight in front of you are a couple of shuffleboard lanes and some cornhole. There used to be lawn bowling here but I guess they decided instead to just turn it into cornhole.

In the back of the sports deck is a single basketball hoop. Though we didn’t play any basketball this time, the last time we did it, some of the balls seemed flat.

And then on the right is a single table tennis table.

If you’re not into sports, there are also some other party games out here.

Overall, it’s fine. It can get awfully hot out here if you’re here during the day because there’s absolutely no shade anywhere. And like the pool, it would be nice if there were some decorations or something to liven up the area. As it is, it kind of feels forgotten. Sure, it’s nice to have options to do stuff at the hotel, but if the intent is to charge for this, at least put some shade up here.

Fitness Center

Next to the recreation deck is the fitness center. Just head to the “Stay Fit” signage on the third floor and you’re there.

Of course, nothing says “stay fit” like having a microwave next to the gym entrance. Nothing like rewarding them gains like heating up a burrito.

Anyways, inside the fitness center are some disposable headphones and towels.

As for the variety of machines, it feels comparable to other hotels of similar size. You’ll have some cardio equipment in one corner.

And the weight-training equipment in the other. The views from the fitness center are of the pool immediately outside. You’ll at least get some natural lighting and I suppose an opportunity to people watch. Just don’t get caught staring at the people in the pool?

The Disney shuttle

Before we wrap up our review, there’s one last major feature of the hotel we didn’t discuss yet. The Hyatt Regency Orange County operates a Disney shuttle. This shuttle departs twice an hour from the hotel (:15 and :45 past the hour) and departs twice an hour from Disney (:00 and :30 past the hour).

The first shuttle from the hotel should get you to Disney about 30 minutes before the park opens. The last shuttle from Disney should be about an hour after Disneyland closes.

If you want to purchase tickets, you can do so on arrival to the hotel for the same day or the next day. You cannot buy tickets further out than that. Once you scan the QR code the front desk provides, you’ll be talking to a bot that will guide you through buying the tickets. The shuttle tickets cost $7/person (free for children 3 and under).

After buying your tickets, you just need to wait outside for the bus to arrive. There’s a bus tracker you can find on a monitor outside. However, that’s not necessary since the bus should just arrive at the scheduled time anyways.

The bus is large enough to seat a couple dozen people at once. If you want to ensure you get on the shuttle, come about 10 minutes early.

The shuttle drops you off at Stop #13 (how lucky). Just remember to come back here at the end of the day. Other hotels also use #13, so don’t mistakenly get onto the wrong shuttle. You will need to show your receipt to get back on the shuttle at the end of the day.

Recommendation: Yes, a decent option for Disneyland California for Hyatt loyalists

The Hyatt Regency Orange County attempts to be a hotel that appeals to families beyond just those who will go to Disney, but it honestly feels best for Hyatt loyalists looking to go to Disney.

• You can’t walk to Disney from here, so you’ll need to rely on the shuttle system or drive yourself (at a much higher fee).
• Room rates are attractive, given the distance from Disney (you’re technically in the next city over).
• This is a Category 4 hotel, making it a good use of those Category 1-4 free night awards, especially if you’re a Globalist to get free parking.
• The free breakfast is decent enough to get you filled before you visit the expensive world of Disney.

The recreational deck doesn’t really move the needle for us. We’ve tried stays here when not visiting Disney, but we’ve always come away expecting a little more. If you’re looking for more of a staycation without the intent of visiting Disney, consider the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance instead. And, yes, I know it’s weird saying a Courtyard has more features than a Hyatt Regency, but trust us on this one.

Where do you stay when visiting Disneyland or California Adventure?

Suggested reading:

• Is Disneyland Still Worth Visiting? Honest Review and Tips
• Is Disney’s California Adventure Worth Visiting? Review and Tips
• Hyatt Guest of Honor: How It Works & What to Know