Hotel help for a DL rookie...

[NuttyDisneyMom]

I was born and raised in WDW for the first 23 or my 33 years on this earth and am going to venture out with my 3 kiddos to DLR. I know WDW in, out, upside down, and inside out. I've never even been to California!!! So this is all new to me. Hubby will be overseas and I want to do something different than WDW for my kids Spring Break next year. We will be in WDW this November too. We were going to do a Disney Cruise and WDW short stay, but hubby is having a fit of me taking the kids on a cruise without him for "protection and such. So he brings up the idea of DL and I say...hmmmm. OK!!!

So.....I am looking for a hotel with good quality beds, shortest walking distance to parks (I have a bum ankle I have to "live with" and need to save my walking up for in the actual parks), and CLEAN (I'm a bit of a germ-phobe and will end up cleaning the bathroom with my comet when I get there like I always do!)

Any advice is MUCH appreciated!

[HydroGuy]

Check these links

Helpful Hotel Links

"How Far Is It?" (shows actual distances in feet from hotels to DLR entrance plaza) www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mm060329as

"Walking Distance Accommodations" (shows hotels within walking distance) http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/maps/...g_distance_map

"Bret's Disneyland Lodging Map" (shows hotel locations around DLR) www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap



Assuming you are looking off-site, BWPPI and Tropicana are the closest which also have consistently positive reviews.

Hojo's is further and has lots of fans around here. Also, Candy Cane Inn has a good rep and a regular shuttle.

If you want onsire the the GCH is the closest and nice$t.

[kimkatmom]

Without a doubt, our favorite place to stay at DLR is the Disneyland Hotel. We've stayed there more times than I can count.

You can walk to the monorail and ride it into the park any time of the day. Then, when your day is finished, you can ride it back.
You shouldn't have any problem walking to the monorail because in all reality, it's part of the Disneyland Hotel.

[debdreamsofdis]

I have to say, I find it interesting that your husband is concerned about your protection on a Disney Cruise ship, but feels o.k. with you going to DL without him and staying off site. I'm not sure the ages of your kids, but I know, personally, I would be really uncomfortable if I had to cross Harbor Blvd. to get back to my hotel, especially at nighttime by myself.

[caldad]

Nice avatar

Our friends stayed at the Fairfield Inn Anaheim and said the rooms were nice. Close enough for walking distance. The BWPPI would be the closest but I don't know how the rooms there are.

You might want to consider onsite. GCH is close and has nice rooms. More $$ but very convenient. We've stayed there a few times and love it.

[LuLusApple]

Originally Posted by debdreamsofdis

I have to say, I find it interesting that your husband is concerned about your protection on a Disney Cruise ship, but feels o.k. with you going to DL without him and staying off site. I'm not sure the ages of your kids, but I know, personally, I would be really uncomfortable if I had to cross Harbor Blvd. to get back to my hotel, especially at nighttime by myself.

I go to DL every 6 weeks or sooner stay offsite mostly at HoJo with my DD12 and DGD1. We usually come back to the hotel around 10pm sometimes later. I never have a problem with the walk back, there are always oodles of people crossing, walking. It doesn't bother me, of course I walk with purpose and would go completely psycho on anyone that tried anything!
Crossing Harbour doesn't bother me either. I would rather cross at Harbour with a huge herd of people than at a less populated crosswalk. I always think a
car could come out of nowhere and not see just the 3 of us.
IDK but is there some sort of safety scare going around for offsite hotels and crossing Harbour that I have missed? I honestly usually feel safe.

[HydroGuy]

Another vote for Harbor being a pretty safe place. There are tons of people around crossing the crosswalk and walking along the street.

I would have no problem with my wife walking Harbor at night.

The only bad experience we have had was when we were walking together towards Mimi's and a homeless person jumped out and shouted and scared my wife half to death. She is easily startled. The rest of us were standing around her and there were other people nearby. But she freaked.

[NuttyDisneyMom]

Originally Posted by debdreamsofdis

I have to say, I find it interesting that your husband is concerned about your protection on a Disney Cruise ship, but feels o.k. with you going to DL without him and staying off site. I'm not sure the ages of your kids, but I know, personally, I would be really uncomfortable if I had to cross Harbor Blvd. to get back to my hotel, especially at nighttime by myself.

He's a worry wart!!! He has this thing about the kids and ships and water all being mixed together. Also, the whole medical issue, or lack there of, on cruise ships bugs him...even tho I'm a nurse! He just retired from Navy at 37 and he feels he knows what's best in regards to ships. I'll just wait till he comes back from overseas and make him go on the cruise with us!

Now he is not at all concerned about me not being able to handle myself in the slightest He fears for the person threatening me or my children more

[caldad]

Originally Posted by HydroGuy

Another vote for Harbor being a pretty safe place. There are tons of people around crossing the crosswalk and walking along the street.

Another vote Forgot to mention in my post that our friends never had an issue walking back to the Fairfield hotel or crossing Harbor. They said there were always lots of folks walking with them and they never ran into any trouble.

[Eeyore's Wife]

Given what you have told us, I would recommend the Candy Cane Inn. Their free dedicated shuttle picks up people right in front of the lobby and transports them to a drop off a short walk into the parks.

Keep in mind that walking distances in The Land are MUCH shorter than what you experience at The World. Things are much closer together and you will be able to flit back and forth between California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disneyland, on foot, in a few minutes.

Candy Cane has very comfortable beds, an expansive continental breakfast, very clean rooms, and the aforementioned shuttle.

There are a lot of great places in the area, but Candy Cane would provide less walking than even some of the places directly across the street due to the shuttle.

Have a great trip!

[shelemm]

BWPPI (Best Western Park Place Inn) is right across the street, so you couldn't get closer except for staying on site, and even then the walk can be longer.

The place is not much to look at from the outside, but the rooms are perfectly fine.

We were happy staying so close. No reason for you to walk any further than you have to.

[leslie_537]

I recommed staying onsite. Either the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian. Paradise Pier is a little bit of a walk. We love the DLH and they are doing a hotel refurbish some of the rooms might already be done and they are beautiful from the press release photos I saw.

[Hound 109]

Originally Posted by Eeyore's Wife

Given what you have told us, I would recommend the Candy Cane Inn. Their free dedicated shuttle picks up people right in front of the lobby and transports them to a drop off a short walk into the parks.

Keep in mind that walking distances in The Land are MUCH shorter than what you experience at The World. Things are much closer together and you will be able to flit back and forth between California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and Disneyland, on foot, in a few minutes.

Candy Cane has very comfortable beds, an expansive continental breakfast, very clean rooms, and the aforementioned shuttle.

There are a lot of great places in the area, but Candy Cane would provide less walking than even some of the places directly across the street due to the shuttle.

Have a great trip!

I very much agree.

Given your comments (& my experiences).....if my wife daughter & son were going to DLR & they weren't staying on site, I'd put them in the Candy Cane for the reasons given by Eeyore's wife.

If you take a mid day break (which i highly recommend) that free DEDICATED shuttle is a nice benny.

I agree the Harbor Motels are perfectly safe...but the CCI shuttle & CCI's free breakfast (so they wouldn't have to futch around looking for early morning food) would be the deciding factors.