Is it worth it to stay with Disney?

[tritown]

At Disneyland, the hotels, Disney-owned or not, are fairly close to the parks, several within walking distance. Do you think it's worth the comparitively substantial monetary investment to stay at one of the three Disney hotels versus the hotels across the street or down the road that are not Disney-owned and operated?

[Giant Panda]

If you have more time than money, you're better off staying an extra night at a good neighbor hotel (and maybe an extra day at the parks) with the money you save.

However, if you have more money than time, then I suppose it might make more sense to stay "on property".

[dramaqueen]

I would love to stay on a disney property someday, but I figure you usually don't spend any time in your hotel anyways, so it hasen't been worth it yet.

Someday though.........

[LightBeer]

It's all about the Castle Inn

[Momzilla59]

We've done both, stayed on and off site. I agree, if you have more time than money, offsite is good. However, we Really like the Disney hospitality. Little perks like being able to have your purchases delivered to your hotel room, Mickey wake up calls...it's an indulgence that I love.
That having been said, if it came down to the cheapo motel or no Disney, the cheap motel would win hands down.

[Druggas]

You should stay in the Disneyland hotel at least once in your life. We did a long time ago, and we have it as a cherished memory.

[DznyVan]

I always hear about the Disney Hotels being so much more expensive than the others??? We have been staying on property for years and enjoy it immensely. Sure, there are some other nice places, but the DL Hotels are our first choice.

We have been staying on property for many years now and we rarely pay over $119 a night. Sure, we don't go in the middle of summer, but not because of the rates, because of the crowds. We stayed at the DL Hotel in the Sierra tower (overlooking Downtown Disney and the Parks) a couple of weeks ago at the start of spring break and paid $109 a night for the week.

We make our own reservations and stay away from the "packages" that cost a bunch more.

Some friends of ours stayed at the Candy Cane at the same time and paid $89 a night. Twenty bucks less, for 5 nights that was a hundred bucks.

To our family, a hundred bucks more is well worth it to be on the property, not worry about any shuttles or their schedules, packages delivered to the room, autographed pics of Mickey and Minnie for the kids, balloons in the room, 3 pools, (not to mention the Lost Bar!!!), Goofy's Kitchen just steps away and all just a short Monorail trip to the center of TL.

For us, it's well worth it (and we are not related to the Rockefeller's), just regular working folks.

Either way, no matter where you stay, enjoy yourselves. That is the bottom line...

[dramaqueen]

See, I always book my hotels on hotwire.com and I never spend more than 45 dollars a night (of course, we are very familiar with the area and have stayed in Orange, Anaheim Hills, Fullerton, Brea, etc) So the price is prohibitive to us, if we spent 80 or 90 a night on lodging, then I would definitely break out the extra 20 bucks a night.

[Tom Chaney]

Since we live quite close to Disneyland, we rarely spend the night...but every now and again it's nice to have two days at the resort. We have very much enjoyed the Annabelle Motel nearby. Our last overnight was spent at the Alamo Motel since it was very inexpensive. We got what we paid for. Both will let you leave your car while you visit the park. A couple of years ago, we stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel. It was about $169 per night. It was pleasant enough but one of our light bulbs was burnt out....not very Disney! It was basically like staying in a nice ($50) motel. We did get a "secret" entrance into the park and it was fun staying at a Disney Hotel, but not from a cost standpoint. I'd love to stay at the Grand Californian someday since it is so...well...GRAND! It is pricey, though. So, if you're looking for value...sorry...Disney hotels don't offer it. If you're just looking to have a complete Disney experience, it is kind of fun to stay in their hotels.

[quasimodo1384]

I've never gotten to stay on park before....just too much $$$ for me right now...so I guess it really doesn't matter to me, I'm there for the parks anyways. But, I think I'll probobly feel different if/when I do stay on Disney...

[Gwyren]

At Disneyland, the hotels, Disney-owned or not, are fairly close to the parks, several within walking distance. Do you think it's worth the comparitively substantial monetary investment to stay at one of the three Disney hotels versus the hotels across the street or down the road that are not Disney-owned and operated?

I guess it depends upon what you are looking for. Yes, the Disney hotels are more expensive (although not more expensive than the Marriot or Hilton, where I stay when I go to AX). If money is an issue, stay at one of the other hotels. If it is not, stay at one of the Disney hotels.
The Grand Californian is very nifty. It reminds me of the Yellowstone Lodge (which, if you ever get the chance, you REALLY need to stay at). Large, open, friendly, with a fire, it is a nice place to relax. Paradise Pier, to myself, had a tastefully done carnival feel to it. I have never stepped into the Disneyland Hotel.

Like so many things in life it comes down to money. The experience at the hotels is a lot of fun and there a number of added conveniences.

Oh...if going at a busy time, does not staying on property GUARANTEE (as much as anything can) entrance to the park?

[Fantasmico!]

We have been staying on property for many years now and we rarely pay over $119 a night. Sure, we don't go in the middle of summer, but not because of the rates, because of the crowds. We stayed at the DL Hotel in the Sierra tower (overlooking Downtown Disney and the Parks) a couple of weeks ago at the start of spring break and paid $109 a night for the week.
Either way, no matter where you stay, enjoy yourselves. That is the bottom line...

Were those AP rates?

I have always wanted to stay at the DLH ever since I was a youngin'. Haven't been able to afford it yet. However, since they eliminated the hotel tram I haven't seen the point. Some friends told me DLH was just average. The one I would choose now would be the Grand Californian Hotel. I love the serenity of the lodge style setting.
At this moment, saving a few bucks makes a big difference. Staying in the Candy Cane Inn (which I loved) was a splurge. I haven't got the courage yet to go Hotwire yet.

[dramaqueen]

I have never been dissapointed with hotwire and I have used it many times all over the country. They allow you to choose practically everything except the actual hotel, including the amenities. I have been keeping an eye on their Disneyland prices in August and you can find a 3 star hotel with pool/ breakfast/etc. within walking distance for 45 dollars a night. I almost never book a hotel anywhere else because their prices are unbeatable. We have stayed in Fullerton, Anaheim Hills, and Buena Park for around $30 a night. I am a stickler for bargains and that is a great deal, and the hotels we end up in are never anything even close to a Motel 6- usually name brands like fairfield, La Quinta, etc.(Once in Phoenix, we stayed at a 5 star resort on Valentine's Day for $100 buck booked through Hotwire!)

Don't be nervous about it. They are heads and shoulders above any other travel site- Priceline included.

P.S. Don't EVER book through hotels.com- I have used them three times and every time my room was never reserved, or it took two days to cancel a reservation- the worst service I have ever found!

[fkurucz]

Were those AP rates?

I have always wanted to stay at the DLH ever since I was a youngin'. Haven't been able to afford it yet. However, since they eliminated the hotel tram I haven't seen the point. Some friends told me DLH was just average.

We stayed at the DLH in 1999. It was not worth it ($150+ a night) IMO. Not when there are some very decent places on Harbor Blvd. Heck, you get get a suite at the Embassy Suites (two blocks south) for less, and that price includes a real cooked to order breakfast.

[Zimbubba]

There is only one true Disney hotel at the Disneyland Resort. The Grand Californian was created from scratch making it and experience like WDW.

[cellarhound]

I think it depends on what it is you want with your Disney Experiance...

The Disneyland Hotel is more than just a business attached to DL... It is an institution of itself... And it's an important part of DL history and how Theme Parks where built...

I think it is important to stay there at least ONCE if you can... If not go exotic and pitch a tent at Traveler's World... That is a lot of fun too...

[Darkbeer]

I think off-site is better, all I really need is a bed and a shower....

Many of the hotels on Harbor are closer to the Main Entry Plaza and are great if you need to run back to your room.

Many come with a free breakfast, which helps the budget.

They offer hotel shuttle service, something that Disney doesn't offer, even though the Paradise Pier is 3/4 mile walk from the Main Entry Plaza.

Now, some hotels are better than others, and the pricing can be crazy...

I like to start with

https://www.travelaxe.com

That gives me the current pricing levels for the hotels specific to my dates.

Then I check the deals at

https://www.mousesavers.com

And see if I can find something better for the type of hotel I am interested, and of course, I check the current HoJo rate...

http://www.hojoanaheim.com/mousesavers/

After that, I check some hotel web sites, then go to hotwire.com to see what type of pricing they are offering. The drawback to Hotwire, you don't know exactly where you will be staying, so if you don't have a car, you could be in trouble.

Then folks have there favorites, HoJo's and Candy Cane Inn seem to come up a lot....