Anabella hotel?

[LavenderPeach]

Anyone have any opinions about the Anabella hotel? I've been looking at where we can get the cheapest deal while still having a decent hotel room and we would prefer it to be within walking distance. There's no ent. rate for Hojos the night we're looking at but I can get the 20% off AP rate. I saw on Orbitz.com that I can get the Anabella hotel for about the same price ($83) as the Hojo if i book today. It looks further away (to walk) but maybe it's a nicer hotel?

Also, has anybody walked from DLR to the Anabella? On google maps it looks like you can go down Katella and then turn on Disneyland Dr. and walk through GCH to get to the gates. I'm guessing it would take 15 minutes?

DH and I usually drive home after a day in the parks but we will be going in April with DH's family. They are getting the 2fer deal so we will be doing DL on Monday, April 6 and then we plan on spending the night in a hotel (preferably within walking distance) because DS has 2 appointments at CHOC in Orange Tuesday morning and it seems silly to go home and then drive back the next day. After his appointments we'll meet DH's family at DCA for a few hours before going home.

Any opinions or help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sherry E]

Bumbershoot stayed there, if I recall. Hopefully she will catch this thread soon!

 

[deletedpenguin]

I've stayed there a number of times, and will stay there again next month. It's not a hard walk at all. In fact, for me it's an enjoyable one. Just across the street from DCA, you can walk up the street, through the Grand Californian and DTD and be at the gates in no time (unless you're in my party and waiting for me to take pictures).

The rooms are nice, and the beds comfortable. I had a problem with one of the rooms in the very front of the hotel once (road noise), but the management moved us (and upgraded us) when we brought it up. Obviously it's good enough for me to stay there again (probably my 4th time). And for $83, it's a good deal for what you're getting. (I think that's what we paid too)

 

[bumbershoot]

83 is a good deal! Don't forget the parking fee, though, if you have a car.


We stayed there once and would stay again. The walk was a bit much for us, but that's only because hubby convinced me to leave the stroller at home. DS was 3, and although we rented a stroller in the parks, that didn't help us when we were walking back to the hotel...I think my back and hips are finally back to normal, after lugging his heavy weight back!


We had a ground floor room, and we LOVED it b/c they have hardwood floors on the 1st floor! I haven't looked at a carpeted hotel room in the same way since, carpets just seem so grungy to me now.

The staff was just lovely, so nice. They have (or at least they had) bellhops at the door, always there to open the door for us. One helped me and DS in with luggage...DS had fallen asleep on the shuttle, and I couldn't carry anything but DS...I used my cash to tip the shuttle driver and had nothing for the bellhop guy, and he loaded his cart with our luggage and the carseat...and didn't say anything or even give a negative look when I said I'd tip him later when i got cash. And later on when I got back to him with a tip, he didn't look surprised or anything...just pleased and happy! That made me pleased and happy, that he was fine helping me for no tip, and also wasn't shocked that I'd followed through.

You have the walk figured out perfectly! If you go to a broad view of the area on google maps, you can see that the walk is part of a big hidden Mickey as you go up to PPH.

 

[bumbershoot]

The ONE thing I would say is that if you book through one of those sites, know if you can cancel it, and if you can, WHEN you need to cancel by.

I booked Carousel for my one-night stay last year, through Orbitz, and I had a 5 days from stay cancellation period. Well wouldn't you know, I checked HoJo 4 days out, and they had added my night to the Entertainment Rate list! That was very very frustrating (especially since I really disliked Carousel...which is funny b/c they are sister hotels with Anabella!).

So if you CAN cancel the booking, be sure to know the date when you need to stop checking HoJo's entertainment rate list. And if you cannot cancel it, just never check HoJo for those dates, to save your "aw I coulda saved more money" heart.

 

[Sherry E]

You have the walk figured out perfectly! If you go to a broad view of the area on google maps, you can see that the walk is part of a big hidden Mickey as you go up to PPH.

That's one of the best Hidden Mickeys in the history of Hidden Mickeys. So obvious, in a weird way, and yet impossible to see if you are on the ground.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Thanks everyone! And good reminder Bumbershoot about checking the policy on cancelations. Now I just have to see what DH says about it. I'm ready to book it but he might not be ready so not sure where we'll actually end up.

We'll bring our stroller with us instead of renting so i think the walk should be okay. We normally don't stay very late when we go to DLR but one time we stayed for the fireworks and DS3 fell asleep and we had the rented stroller. We carried him all the way back to the parking garage! We didn't even wait for the tram because it was crowded and we figured instead of waiting there holding him, we might as well just carry him back. So yeah, definately bringing the stroller.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Oh yeah, and I must be blind or something because I don't see the hidden mickey.

 

[bumbershoot]

One half of Mickey is on the DCA side of the sidewalk/path, and the other half is on the PPH side. He's split down the middle by the road.



I went to googlemaps, typed in "paradise pier hotel anaheim CA", went to satellite view, and from that map I clicked + .....OK I lost count, and I had to re-center the map. The map is killin' me b/c they have PPH labeled as GCH, even though it's on the wrong side of the street, tiny, and you can see the big ol' blue and white pool umbrellas. OK, anyway...

It's actually on a section of the street "down" on the map from PPH, more aligned with a parking lot, and you have to click all the way in with the satellite view to see it. It's not as good a view as it was a year ago, I guess foliage has grown in since whenever the photo was taken before this one!

When you're walking, if you stay there, pay attention to when the pathway suddenly veers way out, and strangely, to the right as you're walking to GCH to get to the parks. That's an ear.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh gracious, that map labels part of DTD as being PPH.

And who knew that ESPN restaurant/bar has a baseball diamond outline on the top of their building????

 

[LavenderPeach]

Okay, thanks bumbershoot, now I see it. You're right, the foliage blends it in pretty good. I was also looking for a much bigger mickey than it is. That's pretty cool that they put that in there.

Funny about the baseball diamond on ESPN zone too.

 

[Tasscrapper]

Oh my gosh the satelite maps are amazing. It looks so different from the air. Cool.