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Feb 2008
We are planning to go to Disneyland in April. We are a family
of four (2 adults and 2 kids, 7 and 3 years). Searching for the
right hotel is a daunting task and I simply don't have 24 hours
a day to do all of that research. Therefore, any recommendation
for a nice hotel would be helpful. Our budget is around $200 a
night, more or less. The lower the cost the better as long as
it offers what we need. We are looking for a hotel that's in
close proximity to the park so we can head back to our room
during nap hours for our 3 years old. We would prefer to have
amenities like complementary breakfast, a full kitchen in the
suite, coin laundry facilities, shuttle service to and from the
park etc... This will our first trip and any advice you can
give will be appreciated.
Working mom
From my experience one of the most important things you need is a balcony
so that after the kids are in bed you can go into another room so-to-speak.
I recommend Howard Johnson which is about a block or so away from the Park.
We always found that the younger child fell asleep in the stroller and the
older child wanted to keep going so we never went back to the hotel for the
nap. You also need a refrigerator, but I doubt that you will find the full
kitchen unless it's far away from the park or too expensive. Try to bring
plenty of snacks for the day so you don't have to buy the food in the park
which is too expensive. Have a great time!
We stayed at the Paradise Pier on the Disneyland Resort this last December
and loved it. You can easily get a room for around $175 (two queen beds)
and it was worth it to stay at the resort -there are so many benefits. To
get into the parks you cross the street into the Grand Californian and
there's an entrance to California Adventure from the lobby. It took me less
than 10 minutes to walk from the Disneyland gate to our room. If you buy
anything in the park you can have it sent to your room, there's a kid's
club for older ones and having downtown Disney right there is great for
eating and entertainment. The rooms at the Paradise Pier were nice, and
clean (our son loved that there was Mickey Mouse soap!), and there is a
cafe, store and two restaurants downstairs. Room service was excellent and
not outrageously expensive, we never used the pool (December!) but it
looked nice, and there was a workout room, arcade and a kid's movie room
etc. We booked our whole vacation thro!
ugh AAA - and got food vouchers, booked character breakfasts, park passes
and got a bunch of nifty little bonuses (preferred seating at the shows was
a huge bonus, the pins and lanyards and stuff was great for the kid). It
was nice to have everything taken care of before we left, I really was
pleased with our experience.
Now a Disneyland Fan
I usually stay at the Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate on Clementine. It's
about a 15 minute walk from the park, or there's a shuttle. It's all
suites, with a variety of room configurations all with a full kitchen. I
think we paid $239 last year for a penthouse suite (loft bedroom, regular
bedroom, sofabed) that we put 5 adults and 1 child in. They also have 1
bedroom and studios that would accommodate you (I don't know how much you
value having a separate bedroom; I think it's great for naps). Oh, and they
really have quite a good complementary breakfast.
Speaking of naps, my 3 year old got so wound up a Disneyland that she
wouldn't nap until she crashed, even when we took her back to the hotel (it
was just a lot of walking and wasted time), so we ended up letting go until
she crashed in the stroller on subsequent days.
Carrie
My family and I go to Disneyland every Christmas Day for three days. We
ALWAYS stay at The Alpine Inn. It is one of two non-Disneyland properties
physically sharing property with Disneyland (and is the closest hotel to
the parking lot pedestrian entrance). It is across the street from the
Anaheim Convention Center. You don't need a shuttle, you walk about 500
feet(maybe?) and turn into the parking lot where people pay for parking!
It is an additional 100 feet(maybe?) to the tram stop. They have family
suites, single rooms, continental breakfast, and they sell theme park
tickets at the hotel office. I checked on online prices, they are really
good! Somewhere around $100. Also, check for AAA, Credit unions, and other
discount organizations you may be apart of for more discounts!
The not so great stuff:
They don't have full kitchens(only microwaves and refrigerators), or
washer/dryers, they don't have shuttles(too close!), and it is important to
go early in the day of check in and get good parking. The parking lot is
small and they usually sell out the hotel so all the parking spots are
taken.
But, the hotel is clean and the staff is very friendly(they cleaned our
room and let us in early when we had a sick kid one year). I love being
able to pass this gem on to all of you! Have fun at Disneyland no matter
where you stay.
Contact Info:
Alpine Motel
www.alpineinnanaheim.com
715 W Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 535-2186
Le
For everything you're looking for, I would recommend Homewood Suites by
Hilton on s. Harbor. They have a free shuttle to and from Disneyland, have
a complementary breakfast buffet (not just muffins and fruit, you can have
eggs, waffles, etc. and they don't care if you take some of this food up to
your room...we did that when we stayed there last Nov.) The rooms are a
good size, there's a kitchen with all the utensils/dishes/cups that you
could need. The staff was pretty friendly too. It's also in the same
''complex'' as a Red Robin and some other eateries and across the street is
Target (in case you have any last minute purchases). Have fun!
Mai
The first time we went (2000) we stayed at the Tropicana Inn & Suites at
1540 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheaim 92802
714-635-4082. They are located directly across the street from the
entrance to Disney so it's a great place to take the kids back to for an
afternoon nap or romp in the pool.
The 2nd time (2005) we stayed on the street perpindicular to Disney called
Anabella Hotel at 1030 West Katella Ave.,
714-905-1050. This was more upscale (two pools). Rooms were much nicer and
I think the breakfast buffet was free for kids under 12. We walked to
Disney and entered through the Grand Californian entrance but you can also
take the bus and it drops you right in front!
We booked through Triple A so the bus tickets were included with the
package.
Have a great time!
Janet
We just got back from Disneyland and go regularly. We usually stay at one
of the hotels across the street, usually the Camelot Inn or Carousel. They
are reasonably priced (compared to the Disney hotels) and are really
conveniently located. I think they are probably a closer walk than the
Disneyland hotels. This time around we stayed at the Camelot Inn, in the 2
room suite, which was great. The rooms were big and there was a small
fridge and microwave. It was remodeled last year and was nice (we stayed
there two years ago, it had another name....Park Inn maybe?, and it was
pretty worn out at the time). There is also a small pool and laundry
facilities. We have also stayed at the Carousel Inn, also across the
street, and it was good too. Both offer breakfasts (no frills - cheap
pastries, basic cereal, fruit, juice/coffee). I would suggest a suite, if
you can manage (I think they're around $200) because they offer you more
space and the kids can be put down to nap or to bed ear!
ly while the adults can stay up later. Have fun!
Disneyland fans
Jan 2007
We are planning our first family vacation to Disneyland with our
3 yr old and 16 month old. We are trying to figure which hotels are the best as
far as space/accomodations/cost. We've heard from many people that it is best
to stay as close to the park as possible. But what is the difference between
the Disneyland and Grand Californian Hotels? The reviews are about 3-4yrs old
and they don't mention the Disney hotels, so we're looking for recent visitors
to the Disney area. Thanks!
Mickey mouse fan
We started out three years ago at the Disneyland Hotel with our
then 1.5 year old and our 3.5 year old. It was fun - but it was
very long walks back each day/night. Our kids still napped at
that time and we would walk them back in our stroller all the way
down downtown disney to the hotel during the day for a rest and
then back again in the evening. You can use the Monorail, but the
wait can be long and they don't allow strollers. The last two
years we have stayed at the Grand Californian. We love it!
Although it is a bit more expensive the location has been key. It
is so easy for us to get in and out of the parks. We now rent our
strollers daily. Easier than schleping them for us. We also stay
on the concierge level at the hotel. That helps with breakfast,
snacks and late night cookies and fruit. It also allows for
another space to hang-out when the kids are napping. There is
also the view of the fireworks with the music piped in to the
lounge. So if you want to put the kids into their PJ's - grab
some cookies and milk (we like the complimentary wine) and watch
the fireworks. Either hotel is very accomendating. We just found
that the convenience of the entry from the hotel to the park(s)
made a HUGE difference. You can get good deals through AAA.
Disney says that AAA offers the best price available, even better
than Disney travel. Email me if you have anymore questions.
adina
We went to Disneyland in November and stayed at the Grand
Californian. I really recommend it if you are looking for
convenience. I researched hotels a lot at tripadvisor.com first,
and learned that the old Disneyland Hotel no longer has a
monorail stop so it is not that convenient anymore. So we picked
Grand. There is an entrance just for guests right into the
California Adventure part, which we thought was more fun and less
crowded that the traditional part of Disneyland. It is a very
short walk from the hotel to the main Disneyland gate also via
''Downtown Disney''. We had 3 adults and 4 kids. We got two
rooms, each with a double bed plus bunk beds. The bunks are
really great - there is a trundle under the lower bunk too, so
you can actually get three kids into one room with a big bed left
for the parents. Warning: the bunks are smaller than standard
twin size so if you have tall teenagers they will be
uncomfortable. But, getting the room with bunks turned out to be
cheaper than a big-enough suite at the Disneyland Hotel. The
hotel was very comfortable, gorgeous lobby, nice pools, etc. The
restaurants in the Grand Californian are pretty ridiculous though
- don;t eat there. They are meant to be very fancy California
Cuisine type places but the food does not measure up to what we
are used to in Berkeley and the cost is crazy and the service
irritating. We used room service for breakfast and that was good
for the days when we wanted to get to the park early. You can
order one breakfast that 2 can share. We ate lunches and dinners
either at Cal. Adventure (there's a decent sort of Boudin bakery
type place in the area that looks like Monterey) and also in
Downtown Disney - the kids liked Rainforest Cafe and the big kids
liked the ESPN zone. The Grand Californian is expensive but we
only go to Disneyland every 5 or 6 years, and considering how
much it is to fly everybody down there and buy the tickets and
eat, it was so worth it to pay more and stay someplace
convenient. I actually think Disneyland is more annoying than
fun, but staying in a comfortable place conveniently located made
it a much more enjoyable trip. Have fun!
Ginger
This past fall we stayed at the Howard Johnson's right near
Disneyland. Prices were much better than those of the Disney
hotels, and it was walking distance from the park entrance.
The hotel was just fine -- nothing fancy, but perfect with
kids. Also they let you keep your car parked in their parking
lot until park closing, even if you had checked out of the
hotel that morning. Look on Mousesavers.com for discounts at
HoJo's and other hotels/packages.
Last year we stayed at the Grand Californian. It was GREAT and I
highly recommend it. That said, it was the in-laws who paid for
it so the cost wasn't a factor for us (when normally it would
be). It's located pretty much as close as you can get to both
Disneyland and California Adventures. Nice if you need to come
back for nap time and then out again, making the day VERY easy
compared to having to go further. If you stay there and cost is
not a factor, try to get a room on the concierge floor where you
have access to the ''lounge''. They serve food goodies throughout
the day there and, in our experience, because of this you never
have to actually eat out.
Like the Grand Cal if price is no object
you are going to have a great time at the Mouse House :) we
went last Fall & stayed at the Portofino Inn & Suites. They
have family suites, so you don't have to go to bed at 8PM when
the kids do :) (though it does take some jimmy-rigging of
blankets to make curtains, since you are separated by french
doors, not solid wood) it is definitely walkable to the park--
about 15 minutes-- a drop in teh bucket compared to how much
you will be walking all day around the park. there is also a
shuttle stop right next door, I belieive it comes every 15-20
minutes (we never took it-- walkled to & from the park at least
10 times...). it is SO much more affordable than the Disney
hotels & from what I hear more spacious as well. their website
is http://www.portofinoinnanaheim.com/. you can get some good
package deals (air, shuttle, park tix & hotel) through Disney
Travel, even if you do not stay at one of the Disney hotels-
local hotels (like the Portofino) form a 'good neighbor'
network they use.
have fun!
Mouse Lovin' Mama :)
The Grand Californian is very expensive, but for us it was very worth it. Given the
ages of your children, stay there if you can afford it. For us, each time we made this
trip it was our ''big'' vacation of the year, so we splurged on the hotel. We've gone
twice now, first when our children were 1.5 and 4 and then when they were 2.5 and
5. Each time it was so nice to be able to be the first ones in the park and to be able
to easily leave the park, and return later, when we needed naps. Getting the the
parks EARLY is key, and it is easiest to do that if you stay close (The Grand
Californian is the closest hotel). The pools at the Grand Californian are also very
nice, which is a nice way to spend some afternoon time when the parks are jammed.
The only problem is that except by the pool, there is no where to grab something to
eat at the Grand Californian. There is a nice very family friendly (but expensive)
restaurant, which we did once each trip. But it is too much time/money to eat there
for multiple meals. We ate our meals in the park or at local restaurants. Have FUN!!
And make sure you spend some time with your little on in A Bug's Land in California
Adventure. That is a great spot for toddlers.
anon
My family just went to Disneyland last week and stayed at the
Residence Inn Maingate. It's only 1/4 mile from the entrance to
Disneyland, and they offer a shuttle that runs every 20
minutes. The one-bedroom suite that we got was only $149 per
night and included a breakfast buffet. That was a lot less than
any room at the Disnay hotels.
dawn
we LOVED our stay at the grand californian. its super close to the parks: easy walk
to disneyland and has its own entrance to cal adventurland. there is even stroller
parking at the cal adventure entrance. there is a door right into downtown disney,
and there is a monorail stop. but the best part about the grand californian is when
you step inside - DISNEYLAND GOES AWAY. its built like the awahnee in yosemite
and is filled with craftsman furniture, tiffany lamps, has a huge stone fireplace, and
is dark and cool and calming and there isn't any music blaring and the damn mouse
isn't everywhere. in fact, there is almost NO mouse in the hotel, and its very subtle,
like the back of a high chair and the ceiling light fixture in the bar. the pools are
great and not too crowded. the food is pretty good and they offer a range from a
decent cafeteria to fine dining. and they have a character breakfast in their
storyteller cafe. we had way more fun than we thought we would, because the hotel
was so relaxing. the proximity made going in and out, and naptime, super easy.
the grand californian hotel is their most expensive - but if you are flexible with your
dates i've heard you can get bitchin' rates at expedia or travelocity. the hotel doesn't
always show as an option, its a waiting game. but the savings is worth it.
have fun
julia
We have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel twice, the Grand
Californian once, and at a couple of motels right near the park.
All were fine for two adults and our two kids. We started making
these trips when our kids were pretty little (1 and 5), up until
recently (they are 7 and 11). I think with little kids, you would
enjoy the Grand Californian or the Disneyland Hotel. You will
probably be going back to your room to take a rest/nap and such.
The Grand Californian is unbelievably close to the park and has
very nice amenities. It is pretty expensive, but you didn't
mention whether cost was big factor for you or not.The Disneyland
Hotel is a little further away--you have to walk through the
Downtown Disney shops and restaurants to get there, and there is
also a shuttle. It is fun because it has a great pool and
Downtown Disney is a nice stroll. We recently stayed at the
Carousel Inn, and it was a pretty decent motel. No grounds to
wander with the kids like the Californian or Disneyland hotels,
but it was right across the street and had a pretty decent
breakfast included in the room price. We had a one-bedroom room
that accommodated us comfortably, but it wasn't especially ''nice''
and didn't have the amentities a full-service hotel would
have.But again, our kids are older now and just want to spend the
entire day at Disneyland.
Again, the rooms and public areas were nice at the Disneyland and
Grand Californian hotels, which we appreciated with the
inevitable ''down time'' we had when our kids were little.
Anaheim Camelot Inn & Suites! We just got back from a
wonderful 2-day trip to Disneyland with our 3.5-year-old and my
64-year-old mom. It was our first visit to Disneyland, so I
had a lot of anxiety about finding the perfect place to stay
and spent an embarrassing amount of time researching Disneyland
and everything about the area. I probably looked at 50 hotels
and motels before we went. It really depends a lot on what you
can afford and what your needs are. If money were no object, I
would definitely stay at the Grand Californian. It is very
close to the parks (Disneyland and Disney's California
Adventure) and a very beautiful hotel. (We didn't see the
rooms, but the lobby and restaurants were impressive.) We
couldn't find anything there for under $280/night for a double,
and that was off-season. Out of the question for us! We
wanted a two-room suite within walking distance of the parks.
It only took us 5 minutes to walk from the Camelot Inn to the
gates of DL/DCA. We stayed in room 330, which is a 3rd floor 2-
room suite, with two balconies facing the park. We were
thrilled to see the fireworks from our balconies both nights.
There are very few rooms on S. Harbor Blvd. that truly have a
view of the park and the fireworks. It is really more of a
motel than a hotel (no restaurant, small lobby), but it was
absolutely spotlessly clean, the beds were comfortable, both
rooms had TV's, each had its own thermostat, and one room had a
refrigerator, microwave and (tiny) sink. The only downside is
that there was only one bathroom for the two rooms. The staff
people were responsive, helpful and friendly. We were so
pleased and plan to stay there next time! The cost for the two
rooms for 3 nights was about $600. We considered staying
within driving distance to save $30/night per room and I'm so
glad we didn't! Feel free to email me if you have any
questions. I feel like a Disneyland pro now. Have fun at the
Happiest Place on Earth!
Noel
April 2006
Hi,
We are looking for a nice hotel (not a motel)outside Disneyland
that has a nice pool and ideally a suite type room. Any
recommendations?
Thanks.
(traveling with a 6 y.o. and a 4 y.o.)
ellen
When we go to Disneyland, we always stay at the Hyatt (about a mile
away). They have a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes, two pools,
and best of all, wonderful family suites for approx. $130/night (that's
the AAA rate). There are also several good family restaurants within
walking distance.
Have fun!
fourdunz
I just got back from a trip to Disneyland. We stayed at the
Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate. It is an all suite hotel. We (4
adults and one toddler) stayed in a 2 bedroom suite (2 bedroom, 2
bath, 1 living room, full kitchen). The room was great, although
we had some kitchen issues (one of the elements on the oven was
out and it wouldn't get hot enough to cook anything). The beds
were comfortable for everyone except the person with a herniated
disc (she prefers the Grand Californian). A buffet breakfast was
included. There were always eggs (plain scrambled and scrambled
with cheese and stuff), some kind of breakfast meat, pancakes or
french toast, oatmeal, a selection of cold cereals, yogurt,
muffins and pastries. You could cook your own waffle. The hotel
was about a 15 min walk from the entrance (including some long
stoplights). There was a nice pool, hot tub and kiddie pool,
although they were closed one day during our visit for maintenance.
I'd definitely stay there again.
Carrie
The Candy Cane Inn is great-not a chain, clean, 5 mins walk to
Disneyland.
April 2004
Has anyone stayed at the Disneyland Hotel? (I'm asking about the
middle Disney hotel - not the more luxurious ''Disney Grand
Californian'' nor the more economical ''Disney's Paradise Pier'').
In particular, I'm interested in the 3-bedroom suite which we
are considering sharing with another family and their two kids.
How separate are the bedrooms from the living area? How separate
are they from each other? Will we still be friends when the
vacation is over? I've stayed in so-called suites where the
bedrooms don't even have doors, so I want the real scoop here.
Seeking specific info
I do not know the answer abou the hotel suites, but try posting
to this site http://www.disboards.com. I have found them
extremely helpful in planning my Disney Vacations. There is a
Disneyland forum listed on the left, someone there is bound to
have the answer.
cc
In addition to the answers you receive here in response to your
post, I strongly suggest you call the hotel directly with your
questions. Many hotels with suites and adjoining rooms have
multiple layouts, so the suite one person stayed in at that
hotel may not be the same as the one you end up with. When you
talk with the hotel, you probably can't reserve a specific
suite, but you may be able to request one that may improve your
chances of getting optimum accomodations for your group.
Also, ask them when the hotel was last renovated. I heard from
someone about a year ago who stayed at the Disneyland Hotel --
they said it was old and funky, and in need of renovations.
Perhpas they've done that, but you may want to check to be
sure. We stayed at the Grand Californian about 1.5 years ago,
and it was very nice. Have a great trip!
Kim
We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel last Thanksgiving in one of
the suites with the living room in the middle and it was great.
The rooms were on either side of the large living room area and
each of the 3 rooms had its own bathroom. One bedroom was
entered through the living room; the other had it's own door. It
is a 10-minute walk (for adults) to Disneyland from the Hotel,
but the monorail is very close. The pool at the hotel is really
fun with 2 waterslides (one small one for little kids). We
splurged and stayed on the ''consierge'' level, which allowed us
to go to a special room that had buffet breakfast and snacks,
and drinks, all day, unlimited rental of Dinsey DVDs, and a
great view of the fireworks if they're happening. It was worth
the extra to have decent snacks available at any time.
natalie
I went with the kids I nanny-ed for about three years ago and the twin 3
y/o and 5 y/o boys and I had a blast. We ended up spending time at the
pool at Disneyland California Hotel than at the park, we just sort of
scooted in behind people who were staying there, because the pool
was so super fun, maybe more fun than the park for such little guys. The
staff was great, totally at our beck and call and we went out to eat a lot
which the boys liked because they could shmooze with the characters,
eat very kid friendly stuff and drink from those disney sippy cups. We
swam, we ran around with other families we met around the hotel, we
went on a couple rides, and after 5 days? a week? we returned to the
Bay Area happy and totally disneyed out. Have fun, and check out the
Disneyland California Adventure Hotel's pool, it has a rockin water slide.
Berkeley Nanny
On our recent trip to themepark world we stayed in a house we
found through www.vrbo.com instead of a hotel. I know there are
some advantages to staying in the hotels- early entrance and
transport to the parks but I actually preferred to be a little
removed from the whole thing for at least part of the day. We
had a private pool so the kids could go in anytime day or
night, an xbox and dvds, a ping pong table etc. The house was
great it was less than most of the hotels- we had a full
kitchen to cook the 10 meals a day required by a household
ranging in age from 1 1/2 to teen to 50+. We were a 15 minute
drive from the parks so we were close enough to go home for
naps and snacks and return later in the day rested and ready to
go. Just another thought to throw in the mix.
Juliette
Sept 2002
Looking for a clean, comfortable inexpensive hotel/motel within
a few blocks of DisneyLand that would be good for a family with
2 small children. An indoor pool is a plus. There are many
places to choose from so any advice (and warnings) would be
appreciated. I have checked the info in the archives and am
hoping for more current info.
Nicole
Stay at the Disneyland Hotel. It's a rip, but they designed it
so it is a long haul if you stay elsewhere unless you have a
car. The monorail service is right to the hotel, so you can
come and go as often as you like. We found this to be perfect
with our small kids. Yeah it's a little bit more money, but
it's much easier. If you look around, especially this time of
year, you can find package deals that are the same price as the
local motels. When we when we went, they gave us non-public
hours to the park.
Caution! .... Watch out for the flashers. My wife and I were
horrified when we saw a woman showing all on the Monorail while
here friend was taking pictures. We later learned this is a big
deal, and ride with a high-speed cameras, like Splash Mountain,
are targets. Parents from my daughter's pre-school class
related a similar story. The computer guy at work said to do a
Google search for Splash Mountain changing the Sp to an F.
DRS
We have used getawaytoday.com to purchase disneyland packages in
the past. The closest place we stayed was the park place inn,
which was small, and a bit cheesy, but it was right across the
street from the main gate. The nicest place which was about a
block away, was the portofino. They have suites designed for
families, it's very clean, and the people there are very friendly,
and it's about a 10 minute walk from the main gate. I believe you
can check out the rooms on line. good luck, and have fun!!
jentomsoda
We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel for an overnight this summer
and had a great time. It was really nice to be so close to the
park so we could easily go back to our room when we felt like
it, but the best part was that when we got really hot and didn't
want to wait in lines anymore we went swimming at the very fun
pool. This pool was stocked with life jackets for little kids
and had two waterslides, one for the wee ones and one for big
kids and adults. After we cooled off in the pool, we were able
to go back to the park and tolerate the crowds again. The room
rates were not too bad if you are a AAA member. We went with
my parents and got the AARP rate which was incredibly reasonable
(under $130 per night). I don't think they allow early entry
anymore if you stay at their hotels but they do have breakfasts
with the characters which was fun for the kids in our family.
If you go, be sure to check out the the AAA deals on tickets.
Hannah
2001
Any reccomendations on where to stay (hotel, motel, residence type, etc)
in Anaheim for a Disneyland trip? We have an 18 month old and would
like to stay somewhere that is a little more affordable than $200 a
night (like Disneyland's Californian Hotel). Or, in anyone thinks the
California is worth the money, I'd like to know as well. Thanks in
advance.
We went to Disney a few month back. We stayed at the fairfield inn. The
hotel was just across the street from the park, when we walked we beat the
shuttle. The rooms were clean and fairly new. I would ask for a room facing
the park or pool, because the back side faces a noisy freeway. I think we
paid about $60.00 per night. JSObiedo
For hotels within walking distance, try the following site
http//homepages.go.com/~seanyodarouse/
A couple of good web sites with *lots* of useful info
http//www.laughingplace.com/
http//www.mouseplanet.com/
Greg
When I went to Disneyland for my honeymoon 5 years ago we stayed at the
Saga Inn (which is now the Ramada Maingate Saga Inn). Their rates were
really good and they are literally across the street from Disneyland.
They do provide a free shuttle to the park and I believe they can get
you a hotel/Disneyland pass deal. Try checking out the Disneyland
website too - they have a reservation area where you can pick your hotel
and park tickets.
Have fun!
Heather
We had a lovely stay at the Peacock Inn a couple of years ago. It's too
far to walk, but they use the shuttle. We found it in the AAA guide book.
The Castle Inn is also very convenient (walk or shuttle to Disneyland) and
the kids love the Camelot motif.
Shuttle warning Unless your motel has it's own shuttle (i.e. Marriott),
shuttles make many stops and can result in a very long ride - about 45
minutes. Regan
We stayed at the Desert Inn and Suites a few years ago (1600 S. Harbor Blvd,
Anaheim, CA 1-800-433-5270). I was attending a conference at the Anaheim
Convention Center, and my husband and son (then 3) came along to play. It
is located right across from the Disneyland entrance (plus was also across
from the Convention Center). They have deluxe rooms for $44, but we had the
Parlor Suite, for $64 per night. This included complimentary continental
breakfast (toast, muffins). In the room was a refrigerator and a microwave,
which were great! We quickly figured out how expensive it is to eat at
Disneyland, so we could pack lunches (the refrigerator was great for lunch
stuff), and then come home before dinner, pick something up at a local
take-out (lots within walking distance), and reheat in the room. It was
great with the 3-year-old. Just remember to bring a picnic basket with
plates and cutlery. And the best part of the parlor room is that it was like
a mini-suite there was a little side room off the main bedroom, with a tv
and couch. It meant that we all didn't have to go to bed at 8 pm. We
purchased the 5-day flex-passes through AAA, which were a good value for us,
because we were there for 5 days (they are the price of 2 days of regular
admission). We liked being able to come and go when we wanted - especially
back to the room for an afternoon nap, if we were staying late for the
fireworks at the Park. It was also great with the conference, because I
could go to my sessions in the morning, and then meet my family at the park.
We were there in late Oct, and the weather was good. An added bonus - no
lines or crowds. The longest lines were for the Dumbo ride (10 min. max).
In fact, our son accidentally got onto the space mountain ride, although he
was too short, because no one stopped us (we didn't know until we got off
that he was too short). Unfortunately, some of the rides, like the
Matterhorn, were closed for repairs, because it is usually their quiet
season. However, with the big conference, they stayed open later than
normal for October. December should be fine. Although there is always the
chance of rain, it is less likely than here that time of year.
Barbara
For our first trip to the Happiest Place on Earth we stayed at the Marriot
(near the convention center, about 2 blocks from Disneyland) this July. We
got a package deal through AAA; 3 nights at the hotel and 3 Flexpasses for 2
adults and 2 kids for around $550. The Marriot is considered one of the
"premium" hotels in AAA's pricing package. We wanted to stay at the
Disneyland Hotel, but the same package would have cost us $1100.
There is a shuttle to and from the park every 30 minutes. We thought we
would walk to and from the park rather than wait for the shuttle, but those
couple of blocks seemed way too far after a day of Disneyland!
Usually when we travel we tend to stay at the budget type hotels, so we felt
very pampered staying at a place that brought our luggage to our room. The
hotel was nice and fancy in a big hotel sort of way- valet parking, room
service, 2 pools with hot tubs and towels, a health club which we never got
around to visiting, a couple of restaurants and a bar, a gift shop (of
course), a Starbucks for a caffeine fix, a Pizza Hut that stays open until 1
AM in case you get a late night craving, a helpful conceirge, and a video
game room for older kids. I think they even have a sitter service for an
extra fee, but I am not positive.
There is a lot of construction going on around Disneyland and many of the
hotels right now, but the Marriot was not affected by any of that at the
time we were there.
I would recommend calling AAA if you are a member and booking your vacation
package through them. You get a discounted package price that is better than
the price off the Disney web site. You can check out all of the hotels that
offer a package deal (passes and hotel rooms) at the Disney site
(www.disney.com); there are several different price levels you can choose
from.
Have fun and don't spend too much on the souvenirs!
Connie
this page was last updated: Jul 16, 2010
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