I am planning our first trip to California. We would like to stay at the Disneyland hotel for the first 4 nights of our trip then head to the beach. Does anyone have any hotel suggestions for an oceanfront hotel? Thanks!

I would check out the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach (http://huntingtonbeach.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp?src=tig_hunrh_brand_google). It is right on the ocean, and a few blocks from the pier.

Other beach communities to consider: Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Sunset Beach, Seal Beach, Long Beach. Further North: Hermosa, Manhattan

All of these beaches have oceanfront hotels and some like Laguna also have motels that would fit your needs. Do you want a big resort hotel, or an intimate small hotel/motel?

Also, what kind of beach experience do you want?
Family friendly? (Huntington/Laguna)
Party all night long? (Manhattan/Hermosa/Newport)
Quiet ocean relaxation, fewer people? (Laguna/Seal/Sunset)
Shopping district (Laguna/Mahnattan/Hermosa/Huntington/Long Beach)
Touristy (Laguna/Huntington/Long Beach)

Ditto on Hyatt HB. I live in HB and though we could have picked any hotel on the coast to stay at for our anniversary, we stayed at the Hyat - a whopping 4 miles from home. It is awesome, they have the best spa I have ever been to, a great pool with a grotto hot tub area for adults only, a nice restaurant and a fun one, and a neat little grocer type shop that sells snacks and wine and other alcohol and souveniers stuff. If you stay there - buy the smores kit at the little grocery shop and take it over to one of the fire pits on the property for a nice little evening snack during sunset! They also have a walking bridge that takes you over PCH directly on to the beach so you do not have to cross traffic to get there and you can get rentals like beach chairs and surfboards and stuff from the hotel.

Thank you so much for your information. We have been to disney world 6 times but have never been to disneyland. I am so excited!

Ditto on the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, great rooms, grounds really nice, walkway to the beach, great view. In Laguna I'd recommend The Surf and Sand Resort, it is right on the beach. It doesn't seem as kid friendly as the HR-HB but a great hotel.

I'll also through in a rec. if you decide on Laguna Beach- The Inn at Laguna Beach. We were just there last week and loved it!

Here's a list of some other options.

http://www.orangecounty.net/html/beach-hotels.html

Thank you Poolslide for the link. That's helpful to me, as our next trip may include a coastal escapade. I would like to know what resort/beach would be best for experiencing the OPPOSITE of DL?
I know, that sounds crazy. But my husband immediately planned a Maui trip after we got back from DL because he said that DL does not feel like a vacation! (I know, crazy... but opposites attract, right?) He has fun and all, but would like to "relax" during vacation.
So, in order to lure him, what beachside resort (or hotel or condo) would be a laid-back place to visit before we hit DL in late August? In other words... quiet pool area, nice walks on the beach, and eating/drinking when we feel like it (no PS/ressie plan-aheads).
Thanks in advance. Although the websites all look attractive, I prefer to listen to those who have experienced these areas.

Neverlander, I live in Socal, but not OC. I used to spend a lot of time down there before marriage. I was just thinking how much its all changed and I don't find any part of SoCal laid-back anymore. Traffic is bad. Lots of people. Few really open spaces. Huntington Beach used to so cute, but now....I don't know...lots of people will probably disagree with me. I suppose my best advice would be Laguna Beach. Its got a nice beach (but popular!), lots of art galleries, shops and good restaurants. Its still retains something of a unique vibe that isn't all Gap-BananaRepublic-Gymboree-AnnTaylor-mall-ish. Balboa Island is very cute - a B&B there would be fun. But its all pretty hectic now. Come to think of it, when I want empty beaches these days I head north.

Neverlander, I live in Socal, but not OC. I used to spend a lot of time down there before marriage. I was just thinking how much its all changed and I don't find any part of SoCal laid-back anymore. Traffic is bad. Lots of people. Few really open spaces. Huntington Beach used to so cute, but now....I don't know...lots of people will probably disagree with me. I suppose my best advice would be Laguna Beach. Its got a nice beach (but popular!), lots of art galleries, shops and good restaurants. Its still retains something of a unique vibe that isn't all Gap-BananaRepublic-Gymboree-AnnTaylor-mall-ish. Balboa Island is very cute - a B&B there would be fun. But its all pretty hectic now. Come to think of it, when I want empty beaches these days I head north.

I still think Huntington Beach is a great choice, but if you want a beach all to yourself, Laguna Beach is a good choice, but you have to go south of the main beach. From PCH there are a few paths that go down a very long (and tiring) set of stairs to some of the more secluded beaches. Even though there are houses right on the beaches, the beaches are still public. It's just tricky to find them, and a bit of a trek to get to them. Be prepare to hike back up those stairs, your calves will burn.

Since I live in San Diego, I say take a little drive down south and enjoy La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Coronado. I would suggest Coronado and stay at the Hotel Del Coronado. Truly an experience.

Laguna was fantastic for relaxing. We just strolled around every day and stopped in to most places with no reservations (which is great considering there were 15 of us haha ). Our pool was excellent and very quiet, I don't think I saw any kids at the hotel at all.

Thank you Poolslide for the link. That's helpful to me, as our next trip may include a coastal escapade. I would like to know what resort/beach would be best for experiencing the OPPOSITE of DL?
I know, that sounds crazy. But my husband immediately planned a Maui trip after we got back from DL because he said that DL does not feel like a vacation! (I know, crazy... but opposites attract, right?) He has fun and all, but would like to "relax" during vacation.
So, in order to lure him, what beachside resort (or hotel or condo) would be a laid-back place to visit before we hit DL in late August? In other words... quiet pool area, nice walks on the beach, and eating/drinking when we feel like it (no PS/ressie plan-aheads).
Thanks in advance. Although the websites all look attractive, I prefer to listen to those who have experienced these areas.

I would still suggest Hyatt HB then. You can stay within the resort for your entire stay and feel like you are in your own world, it is very quiet and slow paced there, and not nearly the family place that DL is, I rarely see kids there. You are a little distance off Main St (still walking distance but a long walk) and the ocean views are amazing. The spa, again, is out of this world and the rooms are awesome. Their room service is great too. You are just far enough away from the pier that the beach traffic is a little lighter and you can even rent a private cabana on the beach with a cabana boy from Hyatt which they will set up for you. That part alone is too cool.