Disneyland Hotel or Hojo?

[Tinkerbellie16]

The Hojo is $230/night for a kids suite (during spring break week) and I LOVE the idea of the separate rooms for me and DH and the kids. The Hojo looks fine, clean, and fun and I have no issues with it. I am looking at Disneyland hotel though and it looks so much fun! I am a WDW Vet and haven't been to DL since I was 5 so I know the area is 'different'. I am not a stickler to be 'on site' at DL but that hotel and pool look like so much fun! But the price is $400/night for a standard room.

So - anyone stay at both and have any recommendations for me? Thank you!

 

[soaringirl]

Haven't stayed in either, sorry... but I think that it would depend in how many days you are staying.. if it was only a couple, I would choose DH no doubt about it! But if it's longer, you will save much more at HoJo's and use that extra money for souvenirs or breakfast at Mimi's (wonderful choice)... by the way have you use the special code with 15% discount? I booked that suite at $194 w/tax for May.

 

[jenpace]

I've stayed at both and I say stay at the DLH if you can swing the $$. For my family and me staying onsite avoids a lot of potential unpleasantness of walking on Harbor. We've stayed a few times at Hojo and while the hotel is fine, last time we stayed there were a couple of disturbing things that happened as we were walking back to the room mid day. An onsite stay takes all of that out of the mix.

We are an 'onsite only' family now.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Haven't stayed in either, sorry... but I think that it would depend in how many days you are staying.. if it was only a couple, I would choose DH no doubt about it! But if it's longer, you will save much more at HoJo's and use that extra money for souvenirs or breakfast at Mimi's (wonderful choice)... by the way have you use the special code with 15% discount? I booked that suite at $194 w/tax for May.

I actually did book the Hojo to reserve the room since it was the last kid suite they had and I can cancel if I decide to go with another hotel. With tax per night it was $230 and we are staying 3 nights. I tried to use a AAA discount but they weren't allowing it during that time.

I've stayed at both and I say stay at the DLH if you can swing the $$. For my family and me staying onsite avoids a lot of potential unpleasantness of walking on Harbor. We've stayed a few times at Hojo and while the hotel is fine, last time we stayed there were a couple of disturbing things that happened as we were walking back to the room mid day. An onsite stay takes all of that out of the mix.

We are an 'onsite only' family now.

The price for DLH is $400 + tax per night. And is parking included? So at $1200 + tax + parking (???), it is quite a difference from the $680 for the Hojo plus we would get the 2 rooms there. BUT I REALLY like the look of DLH. I'll keep an eye out for any potential discounts for DLH. Oh, this is so hard!!! I'm always the WDW person saying "go deluxe!" so it's funny that I can't make a decision now

 

[sonnyjane]

I actually did book the Hojo to reserve the room since it was the last kid suite they had and I can cancel if I decide to go with another hotel. With tax per night it was $230 and we are staying 3 nights. I tried to use a AAA discount but they weren't allowing it during that time.



The price for DLH is $400 + tax per night. And is parking included? So at $1200 + tax + parking (???), it is quite a difference from the $680 for the Hojo plus we would get the 2 rooms there. BUT I REALLY like the look of DLH. I'll keep an eye out for any potential discounts for DLH. Oh, this is so hard!!! I'm always the WDW person saying "go deluxe!" so it's funny that I can't make a decision now

Parking is not included in that price. Parking is $15 a night and taxes in Anaheim hotels are high - 17% I believe. Just be sure to include that in your calculations. DLH is great. Staying on-site is great. Just know that it is much, much more expensive.

 

[BayAreaMom]

We stayed at the HoJo kids suite for 2 nights in Nov. I absolultey loved the kids suite- it was nicely decorated, and we liked having 2 bathrooms, a big king bed, and the kids pool area. The only drawback is the layout- with younger kids (ours are 2 and 5), we did not feel safe letting them sleep in the "outside" room that has the corridor door. So I slept in the interior room with our 2 yo in the PNP, and DH slept on the fold out twin bed with our 5 yo in the bottom bunk. He actually hated the cot- very hard/lumpy- and DD fell out of the bunk. So that wasn't ideal...but it will get easier and we did like having the outside room with the tv and small couch (seats 1-2) since our 2 yo sleeps from 7pm-7am.


We had no issues with the walk on Harbor-- i had stayed there also in September (but in a 2Q room), and there was one night we walked on the darker side of the street around 10pm, and a man appeared to be following us...BUT he didn't do anything. In the future we will only walk on the busy side of the street when its dark.

PERSONALLY I would save the $$ and stay at HoJos. I actually usually pay only $129-149/night (plus taxes) with my AP or Retro Rate discount. That's a great rate obviously compared to the DLH. I think with an entertainment book you can save 15%- there are details on the HoJo Anaheim website "forum".

We are actually going back to HoJos - kids suite also at spring break (first week of april). I booked using my AP discount for a rate of $139.20/night plus taxes.

I also think being on site vs off depends on how often you plan on returning to your hotel and how you feel about walking back. We go back none or just once for a long break..so thats fine to be at HoJos. But if you want to go back more often thats more of an issue.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We have done both.

We have never spent as much as you quoted for the Hojo kid suite, so I can't say for sure yet if I would do it at that price. I have seen the prices going up on that room over the last several months though, even with early bookings, so I will probably eventually be faced with the decision.

The time we stayed at the DLH we had a standard room with a view. The room had two queen beds and no daybed. We paid a little under what you are contemplating for the Hojo kids suite per night, and stayed three nights. I don't think I would ever pay $400 per night for a hotel room, but that is a personal financial choice. That aside, we very much enjoyed being "immersed in Disney." The walk through downtown Disney is more pleasant than the Harbor walk. We loved the new style room, the hotel grounds, and the pool (which is now different). That was one of our best trips ever!

That all being said, DH and I are generally more fiscally conservative and find the resort prices really hard to take, especially since we would rather go to Disneyland more often and stay cheaper. We have in the last 1 1/2 ears started to splurge by staying at the Hojo kid suite. We love that there are two rooms and two bathrooms. It's fabulous to have the ability to get away from each other when we have trips longer than 3 nights. My two boys sleep better when they have separate bunks and don't have to share a queen. I sleep better because I don't have to listen to them grind their teeth or thrash around in their sleep. DH and I love that the boys can go to sleep before us, and we can still talk to each other and have the lights on. For a long trip, the Hojo kid suite can't be beat. The walk isn't as pleasant as the DtD Disney walk, but it's not long or arduous either, especially on the Disney side of the street. My boys love the water play area at Hojo although they will probably grow out of that soon. The pool is fine too. Parking is free. Our experiences at Hojo, whichever room we have stayed in, have been excellent. We have only ever encountered minor problems, and they were addressed quickly and satisfactorily.

On the subject of a discount, I have never heard of Hojo not giving at least some discount. Call in-house reservations directly and ask for the DisBoard discount which should be 15% or the AAA discount, 10%, and see if that works. If you were working with a reservation employee on the national line, they may not have given you the best deal available. As for the Disneyland hotel prices, there may be some discount that becomes available in the spring. If you book room-only, you will probably be able to get your reservation adjusted if a cheaper price becomes available.

 

[sonnyjane]

I also think being on site vs off depends on how often you plan on returning to your hotel and how you feel about walking back. We go back none or just once for a long break..so thats fine to be at HoJos. But if you want to go back more often thats more of an issue.

Of the three on-site Disney hotels, Disneyland Hotel is the farthest away from the front gates if you're measuring walking distance (mapmyrun.com). It's .45 miles from the center of DLH to the middle of the esplanade and .51 from HoJo's, so in this case there is very little benefit as far as distance goes for staying on-site.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Parking is not included in that price. Parking is $15 a night and taxes in Anaheim hotels are high - 17% I believe. Just be sure to include that in your calculations. DLH is great. Staying on-site is great. Just know that it is much, much more expensive.

Thanks - that is a HIGH tax

We stayed at the HoJo kids suite for 2 nights in Nov. I absolultey loved the kids suite- it was nicely decorated, and we liked having 2 bathrooms, a big king bed, and the kids pool area. The only drawback is the layout- with younger kids (ours are 2 and 5), we did not feel safe letting them sleep in the "outside" room that has the corridor door. So I slept in the interior room with our 2 yo in the PNP, and DH slept on the fold out twin bed with our 5 yo in the bottom bunk. He actually hated the cot- very hard/lumpy- and DD fell out of the bunk. So that wasn't ideal...but it will get easier and we did like having the outside room with the tv and small couch (seats 1-2) since our 2 yo sleeps from 7pm-7am.


We had no issues with the walk on Harbor-- i had stayed there also in September (but in a 2Q room), and there was one night we walked on the darker side of the street around 10pm, and a man appeared to be following us...BUT he didn't do anything. In the future we will only walk on the busy side of the street when its dark.

PERSONALLY I would save the $$ and stay at HoJos. I actually usually pay only $129-149/night (plus taxes) with my AP or Retro Rate discount. That's a great rate obviously compared to the DLH. I think with an entertainment book you can save 15%- there are details on the HoJo Anaheim website "forum".

We are actually going back to HoJos - kids suite also at spring break (first week of april). I booked using my AP discount for a rate of $139.20/night plus taxes.

I also think being on site vs off depends on how often you plan on returning to your hotel and how you feel about walking back. We go back none or just once for a long break..so thats fine to be at HoJos. But if you want to go back more often thats more of an issue.

I will check out the forum - thank you so much for all the information!!!

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

We have done both.

We have never spent as much as you quoted for the Hojo kid suite, so I can't say for sure yet if I would do it at that price. I have seen the prices going up on that room over the last several months though, even with early bookings, so I will probably eventually be faced with the decision.

The time we stayed at the DLH we had a standard room with a view. The room had two queen beds and no daybed. We paid a little under what you are contemplating for the Hojo kids suite per night, and stayed three nights. I don't think I would ever pay $400 per night for a hotel room, but that is a personal financial choice. That aside, we very much enjoyed being "immersed in Disney." The walk through downtown Disney is more pleasant than the Harbor walk. We loved the new style room, the hotel grounds, and the pool (which is now different). That was one of our best trips ever!

That all being said, DH and I are generally more fiscally conservative and find the resort prices really hard to take, especially since we would rather go to Disneyland more often and stay cheaper. We have in the last 1 1/2 ears started to splurge by staying at the Hojo kid suite. We love that there are two rooms and two bathrooms. It's fabulous to have the ability to get away from each other when we have trips longer than 3 nights. My two boys sleep better when they have separate bunks and don't have to share a queen. I sleep better because I don't have to listen to them grind their teeth or thrash around in their sleep. DH and I love that the boys can go to sleep before us, and we can still talk to each other and have the lights on. For a long trip, the Hojo kid suite can't be beat. The walk isn't as pleasant as the DtD Disney walk, but it's not long or arduous either, especially on the Disney side of the street. My boys love the water play area at Hojo although they will probably grow out of that soon. The pool is fine too. Parking is free. Our experiences at Hojo, whichever room we have stayed in, have been excellent. We have only ever encountered minor problems, and they were addressed quickly and satisfactorily.

On the subject of a discount, I have never heard of Hojo not giving at least some discount. Call in-house reservations directly and ask for the DisBoard discount which should be 15% or the AAA discount, 10%, and see if that works. If you were working with a reservation employee on the national line, they may not have given you the best deal available. As for the Disneyland hotel prices, there may be some discount that becomes available in the spring. If you book room-only, you will probably be able to get your reservation adjusted if a cheaper price becomes available.

I did call the in-house reservations and they said AAA wasn't available We don't typically spend a lot of money on 'things' so I don't mind spending extra on vacation - as long as it is worth it! I would hate to book DLH and find out it wasn't worth the price. BUT the slides look too cool. We are total pool people and while the HOJO looks fine, my kids enjoy swimming and staying underwater (they are older kids and swim very well). I also prefer a slide at a pool and I don't know if HOJO has one?

We also like service at the pool or being able to order some quick food nearby and take it to the pool. It sounds like that is not available at the HOJO. Maybe I'm convincing myself to stay at DLH

Anyway, thank you so much for the information! It really is helping me!

Of the three on-site Disney hotels, Disneyland Hotel is the farthest away from the front gates if you're measuring walking distance (mapmyrun.com). It's .45 miles from the center of DLH to the middle of the esplanade and .51 from HoJo's, so in this case there is very little benefit as far as distance goes for staying on-site.

Very interesting! The distance is actually not too much of a concern for me - as long as we aren't a mile away!

 

[hojogm]

I'm not sure if you called Hojoanaheim In-House or Disneyland Hotel In-House Reservations, but AAA, Disboards and AP discounts are ALWAYS available as long as we have rooms to sell. Our "in-house" folks are at (866) 757-3050.

Jonathan

 

[skiingfast]

Because you mentioned Spring Break, I will mention what I find to be the two biggest perks of staying onsite, because it will be very busy.

If you stay offsite if you have a 3 day park hopper or longer you get access to one Magic Morning. Magic Morning let you enter DL one hour early and enjoy the attraction in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. They are usually held on days the start with T+S Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

If you are staying onsite you can go everyday MM takes place, from check in to check out day as long as you have valid park ticket for that day.

So if you know your dates, you might check this against the day of the week you are there.


Another nice perk is a resort guest entrance into DCA. It opens at 9:15, giving a 15 minutes headstart to DCA. It may even open at 9am, like it did during the summer, but hasn't gone back to so far this Holiday Season.

You can go in and get your WoC tickets for the blue zone at the distribution though often they hand these to the resort guests who were waiting at the entrance. Also you can ride and get FPs for Soarin. Ride Little Mermaid. And lastly wait for the 10am rope drop into the rest of DCA.

There is no dollar value to assign to those perks, but they are nice when crowds are big and time is limited.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I'm not sure if you called Hojoanaheim In-House or Disneyland Hotel In-House Reservations, but AAA, Disboards and AP discounts are ALWAYS available as long as we have rooms to sell. Our "in-house" folks are at (866) 757-3050.

Jonathan

Oh, thank you! I did call that number and they said they didn't have the AAA discount available. If I call back with my reservation #, can I get that discount applied? Well, I'll try - thanks

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Because you mentioned Spring Break, I will mention what I find to be the two biggest perks of staying onsite, because it will be very busy.

If you stay offsite if you have a 3 day park hopper or longer you get access to one Magic Morning. Magic Morning let you enter DL one hour early and enjoy the attraction in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. They are usually held on days the start with T+S Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

If you are staying onsite you can go everyday MM takes place, from check in to check out day as long as you have valid park ticket for that day.

So if you know your dates, you might check this against the day of the week you are there.


Another nice perk is a resort guest entrance into DCA. It opens at 9:15, giving a 15 minutes headstart to DCA. It may even open at 9am, like it did during the summer, but hasn't gone back to so far this Holiday Season.

You can go in and get your WoC tickets for the blue zone at the distribution though often they hand these to the resort guests who were waiting at the entrance. Also you can ride and get FPs for Soarin. Ride Little Mermaid. And lastly wait for the 10am rope drop into the rest of DCA.

There is no dollar value to assign to those perks, but they are nice when crowds are big and time is limited.

I did not know this! Thank you! That is why I just love the DIS boards!

 

[rcgrahamm]

We are staying at the HOJO in less than 2 weeks! I even just called today and added an extra night so that we can spend more time in the area. We were lucky to get the Entertainment rate! I can't wait - HOJO - don't disappoint me

 

[GrandBob]

Oh, thank you! I did call that number and they said they didn't have the AAA discount available. If I call back with my reservation #, can I get that discount applied? Well, I'll try - thanks

When they get busy at the front desk in Anaheim, their phone rings through to the national HoJo reservation office. They know little to nothing about HoJo Anaheim. Be sure to ask for in house reservations. Even so, they sometimes lie and say they're in-house, but you can tell the difference because they can't find all the special discounts that Anaheim offers. If that happens, hang up and call back later.

Yes, if you get through to in-house at Anaheim, they'll apply any discounts that are applicable. They're real easy to work with (as opposed to those national folks).

Really, this is the only problem I've ever had with HoJo Anaheim -- actually getting through to their folks, that know their policies and procedures, as opposed to the national reservation line.

-Bob

 

[Tinkdaz]

I just wanted to add that I have been to both hotels, and as much as I want always stay on site for the disney experience/magic, I have been let down to many times, to make it worth your money. I didn't read everybody's posts, but they do charge for parking and then there is always the resort fee, on top of the nightly rate. The last time I went over the summer, they gave out my room, told me they "over booked" and asked if I'd like to stay at the Paradise Pier. Granted they were going to give me a night there free, but I worked my butt off to be able to stay there with my kids. So they "found" me a king size room that we made work, and then I over heard later 2 other guests got the same type of story but were offered to stay at the GCF for the same price as DLH. I was miffed! No one offered me that. Anyway grumbling aside, the room will be smaller, and it is a longer walk, and the monorail isn't always running due to DCA construction. HOJO, isn't glamorous, but it is worth the savings, you can splurge rather than pinch from the savings, and it's a bit closer and 2 rooms wow! Hope you have a wonderful trip, we will be there over new years, hope we can handle the crowds.

 

[hojogm]

Our new number is exclusively for in-house reservations and will not forward to the national res center. It is only open during our regular hours, and you may encounter longer wait times, but you'll definitely get the right info.

(866) 757-3050

Jonathan

 

[princesskayla]

I have stayed at both and will only stay at HoJo's from now on. I found the customer service to be lacking at DLH. The room was awsome but not worth $400 a night. The monorail was not working the entire time and it closes exactly at closing time so if you are not there before closing time then you have to walk. The walk is about the same from each hotel to the entrance. If are renting a stroller at the park then do not stay at DLH - you will end up walking further to get the stroller. Especially if you take the monorail (you have to exit the park, get the stroller, and reenter the park. It was such a pain we took a cab to Target and bought a stroller.) The benefits did not outweigh the cost.

Walking though Harbor Drive, I never felt unsafe. There was always a bunch of people and the pool is just as cool at HoJo's for the kids.

 

[Eeee-va]

There is no resort fee at the Disney hotels; just parking fee and tax. I think $400/night at any Disney hotel is really steep...I'd definitely vote for Hojo anyway, but CERTAINLY at that price difference. (We stayed at Paradise Pier and I don't know that I thought it was worth the $200 a night when we could've stayed elsewhere for half that; in fact, we DID stay elsewhere for half that, for half our trip.)

The perks are nice, granted, but unless you have an AP or military ticket, you will already be getting one Magic Morning. Some families have trouble getting up for them anyway; IDK if that applies to you. But for the price difference of just a night or two, you could book a Fantasmic dessert package if you wanted to, or a meal at the Blue Bayou, or a character meal, etc.

Another option would be to check the hotels nearer to the entrance of the parks. That may be a bit pricier than Hojo (and the rooms are just OK)--though IDK if they'll be more than the kids' suite. And it may prevent some of the potential issues of walking down Harbor (though in fairness I've never seen anything disturbing myself). It will also make for a much shorter walk than the DLH.

Have a great trip, wherever you stay.