$100 more for Hojo, is it worth it?

[Epek]

i'm a local who will often do 2-3 day trips and stay on Harbor Blvd. I usually just find the cheapest stay I can. I'm planning on taking my mom and kids for 2 days, 3 nights during my son's spring break. The cheapest hotel I can find with my AP discount is the Annabella. I thought it was a no brainer until I realized the original total was before taxes and fees. Once I added those and the $18 (!) per night parking, it came only $100 shy of a kids bunk bed room at the HoJo. So, I booked the HoJo. Am I silly to pay the extra $100? I haven't stayed at the Hojo with my kids, and it's been 10+ years. I figure it's closer, probably nicer and maybe the kids can use the water play area on the day we checkout. On the other hand, I have had good experiences at the Annabella and that $100 could go towards my mom's ticket. Help! Talk sense into me! What would you do?

 

[SMD]

$100 per night, probably not. $100 for a 3 nights? Yes, worth it. Especially during spring break, when rates are higher everywhere.

 

[siskaren]

I'm curious - is the Annabella a reasonable walk to the parks? I'm staying there in December and I chose it because the DL website says that it's less than 1/2 mile (which certainly seems reasonable), but I'd like to know what someone thinks who's stayed there.

 

[Zbugz]

It depends on the age of your kids. Younger ones would enjoy the HoJo's splash area. Keep in mind that the bunk beds aren't as big as a twin mattress, IIRC.

 

[Epek]

$100 per night, probably not. $100 for a 3 nights? Yes, worth it. Especially during spring break, when rates are higher everywhere.

Yes, $100 total!

I'm curious - is the Annabella a reasonable walk to the parks? I'm staying there in December and I chose it because the DL website says that it's less than 1/2 mile (which certainly seems reasonable), but I'd like to know what someone thinks who's stayed there.

It is a pretty easy walk. A nice walkway down Disneyland drive towards DTD. I have young kids and it has never been an issue. We used to cut through the Grand Californian, but with new security measures, you'll probably have to enter the same way as those staying at the PPH.

It depends on the age of your kids. Younger ones would enjoy the HoJo's splash area. Keep in mind that the bunk beds aren't as big as a twin mattress, IIRC.

Thanks, I didn't know that about the bed size. My kids are 6 and 2, so that shouldn't be an issue. But, now I know neither my mom nor myself will be able to take the bunk if my 2yr old protests!

 

[GatorChris]

$100 for 3 nights? Worth it. It's definitely a closer walk, the rooms are nice (especially the kids suites), and they'll love the mini-waterpark.

 

[4Mickeys]

Depends on the age of your kids ... younger and I would say pick the closer hotel - even though they have the water park you only seem to think about using it on your check-out day so sounds like you will spend most of your time at the parks. So $100 probably isn't worth it for a splash around on your last day but sometimes can be for minimising that walk.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Which room is it? Because the one with the queen and the "junior" bunks is not worth it in my opinion. Its so small there was only one place where a twin air mattress would fit on the floor and then it made it so you could only exit the queen bed from one of the 3 open sides. And I swear the queen was really a full. How much more is courtyard theme park? Keeping in mind parking. Because those rooms are worth it.

 

[VandVsmama]

It is worth $100 more to stay at Hojo's. For a couple of reasons:

1. The walk from the Annabella to the Esplanade is now 0.99 miles since you can no longer walk all the way up Disneyland Drive to DTD. You have to enter DTD on the ESPN Zone end of DTD near the DLH. That adds extra walking.
2. The walk from Hojo's to the Esplanade is ~0.50 miles.
3. Hojo's has free parking.
4. Hojo's lets you keep your parked in their lot on your check out day until Disneyland closes. I'm not sure about Annabella's policy, but a lot of hotels require you to move your car out of their lot by a certain time on check out day. If that's the case at Annabella, then you'd have to move your car to Mickey & Friends or the Toy Story lot and pay $20 to park in addition to hotel parking that you already paid.
5. If you're tired and want to rest at your hotel in the afternoon, it's a lot easier to do that if you only have to walk 1/2 a mile to your hotel compared to a mile one way.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Annabella is decent and not many complaints from people but $100 is worth the proximity and distance of the Hojo for three nights hands down IMO.

 

[Leopardstars]

$100 for 3 nights? Worth it. It's definitely a closer walk, the rooms are nice (especially the kids suites), and they'll love the mini-waterpark.

I agree. For the shorter walk and the waterpark if you and/or the kids need downtime. Google maps gave me a 12 minute walk time from the front of HOJOs to the middle of Esplanade. I like to know the true walking distance to the park gates, not just the edge of the property.

I had a coworker stay at HOJO's last year and she said her kids (both under 7) handled the distance just fine.

 

[kirstie101]

I completely agree...definitely worth it for the closer location and water park for the kid alone. I've never stayed at Annabella but I can say that Hojos has amazing beds and keurig coffee makers in their rooms and that is an additional plus IMO.

 

[agamble]

I would stay at HOJO for the extra ~$33 a night. I can't find rates like that when I look. It seems they're always close to $200 a night and Desert Inn is just over $100. We stayed at HOJO almost 5 years ago now (time is flying) with a retro AP discount they used to offer. It was a good deal. But I can't find anything like that when I've looked since.

 

[agamble]

Funny that I should say HOJO is always more expensive than Desert Inn when I've looked. I just went and looked and for the last weekend in July it is cheaper for a family of 5 to stay at HOJO with an AP discount than to stay at Desert Inn. And the following weekend it's only a few dollars "cheaper" to stay at DI, but actually more expensive due to their fees. Hmm...now to get my husband to agree on dates for our the first of our short trips (making the AP worth it) post June trip. Looks like late July or early August would be a good time to go...

 

[elliefusmom]

I just made the same decision and booked at Hojo... glad I did after reading about the new security! We haven't stayed there in a few years and my kids are way too old for the water park. It was the charge for parking that made me switch my decision!

 

[heybets30]

It is worth $100 more to stay at Hojo's. For a couple of reasons:

1. The walk from the Annabella to the Esplanade is now 0.99 miles since you can no longer walk all the way up Disneyland Drive to DTD. You have to enter DTD on the ESPN Zone end of DTD near the DLH. That adds extra walking.
2. The walk from Hojo's to the Esplanade is ~0.50 miles.
3. Hojo's has free parking.
4. Hojo's lets you keep your parked in their lot on your check out day until Disneyland closes. I'm not sure about Annabella's policy, but a lot of hotels require you to move your car out of their lot by a certain time on check out day. If that's the case at Annabella, then you'd have to move your car to Mickey & Friends or the Toy Story lot and pay $20 to park in addition to hotel parking that you already paid.
5. If you're tired and want to rest at your hotel in the afternoon, it's a lot easier to do that if you only have to walk 1/2 a mile to your hotel compared to a mile one way.

Vandvsmama-we're at HoJos now, just checked in for our first stay here, and checking out Saturday. We were told we had to have our car moved out of the lot by 3pm, no exceptions.

 

[Midnightred]

The kids may enjoy the Garden Pool at Hojo if it's not too cold. The bunks in the Kids Suite are regular sized as far as I know.

Midnightred

 

[VandVsmama]

Vandvsmama-we're at HoJos now, just checked in for our first stay here, and checking out Saturday. We were told we had to have our car moved out of the lot by 3pm, no exceptions.

Well, that's good to know! They must have changed their policy.

 

[agamble]

Vandvsmama-we're at HoJos now, just checked in for our first stay here, and checking out Saturday. We were told we had to have our car moved out of the lot by 3pm, no exceptions.

Bummer. They used to let you stay all day.

 

[Nevada Jen]

We had to pay a 20 fee to park all day after checkout and they wouldn't tell us if it was available until checkout