AGE OLD QUESTION...do you have to stay onsite?

[KyMattDisney]

Since this will be our first trip to DL..most likely in July......I am am struggling with where to stay...the DL hotel pool and area looks great but it is worth the high prices?

We are some great options close the parks and with great facilities..perhaps a suite..thanks!

Traveling with 2 boys, ages 5 & 10...

 

[Amy&Dan]

You will get a lot of differing opinions on this question! My family prefers the Disneyland Hotel, maybe because that is where we stayed our first visit and it just always brings back magical memories. It is expensive and you don't get the perks of staying onsite like you do at WDW. However, the pool area, the nice, large rooms and just the feeling of magic make it worth it to us. We have also stayed offisite at the Howard Johnson's and had a great time there too but we really missed the Disneyland Hotel. If you are okay with spending that money and are only going to go to Disneyland this once then I would definitely stay onsite at either the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian. Paradise Pier is the cheapest but we didn't like it as well as the Disneyland Hotel. If you are sweating the pricetag and thinking that staying there will cut down on other things you want to do, then stay offiste, you will still have a great time! Some of the offsite hotels are actually closer to the maingate of Disneyland, although we have always enjoyed walking up and down Downtown Disney on our way to and from the park. I hear good things about the Residence Inn on Harbor and the Sheraton. The Howard Johson's is always extremely popular and we really enjoyed our time there. They have lovely grounds, a great staff and a very nice pool area. They are close to the main entrance and have a McDonalds and some other restaurant options very close by. If you do decide to stay onsite, we have always gotten the best deals on Expedia. Have fun with your planning!

 

[daannzzz]

If possible it is more fun to stay at a Disney Hotel but at Disneyland it is not less convenient to stay off property.
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html
As you can see here there are many places to stay just across the street. Our favorites are the Howard Johnson, The Candy Cane Inn and The Best Western Park Place Inn. None of these compare to the Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian (though HoJo is more like a hotel) but are priced much less most of the time.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

We have gone to Disneyland too many times to count and have never stayed onsite. We spend little time in the room and maybe only one or two visits to the pool area. Our trips to DL are usually three to four days max and we spend every minute we can in the parks themselves. I think a lot of it would depend on what time of year you travel. We go off-season when it's less crowded. However, if we planned a trip during the "summer vacation" months I would try to stay onsite as the crowds are usually so large that a midday break for a nap/swim are more of a necessity than a luxury.

 

[WheresGoofy]

I have stayed on and offsite. I will note that GC is an awesome place to stay and will probably stay there again on a future trip, but we normally stay offsite due to the price difference and how much we use the room and the other features of the place we are staying. We spend the majority of our time in the parks and very little at the hotel. There are plenty of hotels in a short walking distance that makes them convenient.

 

[LucyKate]

If I'd had the money, we would have stayed at the Grand Californian - but for a great value family hotel you can't beat the Howard Johnson - clean, good beds, efficient, good service and heated pool for the kids and wet play area - what more could you want!

Oh, and it's a 10 minute walk from the gate and has a great restaurant "Mimis" across the street!

 

[Buttercup26]

I totally agree with LucyKate in the above post. If you want to splurge on the hotel the Grand Californian is the way to go. However, if you just a want a nice hotel to sleep, shower, and swim the HoJo is awesome. It's clean, well maintained, has two nice pool areas, with a water fountain splashy area for the youngest kids. We love the HoJo, I'm frugal and don't like to spend the $$ on GC, but it is the only "onsite" hotel worth the onsite cost IMO.

 

[JC Butterfly]

Did you mean that you are going to DL this July? Because July 17th is the "official" 50th anniversary date and the week before and after it are sure to have waaaayyyyy above average crowds. Since this is your first time visit, you may enjoy the pleasure of staying on site and enjoying the "Disney magic" at your hotel when you need a little break from the crowds.

If the park would get so full as to reach its capacity, you would have a better shot at getting in at all if you stay on property. The theme of the pool at the Disneyland Hotel is excellent, but only you can judge if it's "worth it".

 

[MrShiny]

Yes, the DL hotels have been sold out around the 17th for a long time (I know, I got one of the last reservations!).


If you see yourself spending most of the time in the parks, then the fine hotels and motels on Harbor are great. Most have good sized clean rooms and a very short walk to the gate. Haven't found a really nice pool yet, but we are trying! (Del Sol, Desert Inn, Candy Cane so far).

 

[mwehttam]

My DW and I will be staying at the GCH the first week of Aug. We both have been to WDW a couple times, the most recent for our Honeymoon this past October. We decided to splurge on the GCH since we are making this our last grand vacation before we start a family in '06 and this might be the only chance we get to go out to DL. We also decided to stay for 6 nights since we know it will be crowded and we want to be able to enjoy all the DL has to offer without feeling rushed.
Good luck with your decision!

-Matt

 

[amyup]

We have never stayed on site either. I always have reservations (even at great AP rates) but always end up cancelling, I'm too cheap. We stay at HoJo's a lot and love it! I think the walk from there is about the same as the walk from Paradise Pier and DL hotel. That being said as the kids get older and are really good swimmers I'm sure we will have to stay at the DL hotel just for the pool!

 

[CherCrazy]

OP ... do you really mean Walt Disney World in Florida?? In your post you used "DL" but in your countdown you spelled out "DisneyWorld".