Are you an 'on property' or a 'good neighbor'?

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Just curious.

Elaborate as you choose..it may help other people in their decision making

I've NEVER been an on property. I choose to spend the extra money buying souvenirs or food in the park.

I've stayed at hojo's 2 times a LONG time ago, before any remodeling. Alllll the way down at one of the 'bus in' hotels (it made such an impression I forgot what one it was ) and at Desert Palms which we actually enjoyed.

 

[TheZue]

We've stayed off property lots. We've stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn, the Marriot Residence Inn, and another Best Western that was quite far away.

I loved the Marriott and would have stayed there again, but it was getting withing range of staying at Paradise Pier for price for our trip this time and was out of the rooms we had, and we'd have to drive in because we honestly weren't sure how tired our seven year old will be after walking the park all day. I also have used the ART system in the past and it's such a pain in the rear when you are alone with a stroller that I am not using that as my back up plan. When the kids are older I'll probably be looking at that hotel again.

And now that there are four of us and one needs a crib the Best Western just seemed too small, once you got the bed folded out of the sofa it was sooo cramped that I couldn't imagine adding a crib to the mix. I looked at the other hotels on Harbor and they all seemed very small as well. Hojo looked good; but they didn't have anything left except rooms that are possibly going to be next to the freeway. I don't care how cheap it is, I like a decent room and being next to the I-5 doesn't work for me lol.

So we are splurging and staying at the grand this October. The bunk beds seem like a better fit since there isn't a lot of furniture that needs to be moved around to fit both kids in their own beds. It's something we've always wanted to do, and it's not like they will be small enough to apreciate the bunk beds forever Our house is full of enough crap that beyond clothes for the kids I don't have a lot of desire to get too much stuff.

 

[kkmcan]

We are good neighbor people. I can't believe the amount of those on property rooms - $200-$300 a night after all the fees and everything. We can stay at Hojos for 2-5 nights for that much (if I get the ent rate)! I just can't spend that much on one night. It always comes down to would I rather stay a few more nights or even make another trip in a few months or one more expensive shorter trip. I always pick the longer trip or another one in a few months.

Some day I'd like to stay at the Grand for a total splurge trip but I don't know when that would be. It would have to be a real I-can't-pass-this-up kind of a deal or we get a bonus or win the lotto or something.

 

[dawnrose]

We've stayed at Grand Ca a total of 4 times...the first time we took my daughter when she was 3, and then various other special family vacations (usually at Christmas time when the lobby is magical) All the rest of our many trips we stay at the Candy Cane, which is great..and ends up costing us soooo much less. We are going to try Hojo this summer for the big pool and water play area.

I like both on site and good neighbor. I think it's magical either way...Of course, if the money wasn't an issue, I would probably always pick GC...It's so close to the parks.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

We're "Good Neighbor" now as kids are small--when they're old enough to appreciate staying in a deluxe hotel maybe we'll stay on site.
Case in point: DS keeps asking to go back to Park Vue because he loves the bunkbeds lol.

 

[8gr8mouseketeers]

We have never stayed on property before. I'm sure we would love it, but it just isn't feasible with a family our size. We can stay 7 nights across the street for roughly the same amount as one night on site. We stay at the DI&S in a C2 and have always been happy with it.

 

[DangerMouse]

I've stayed at all three DLR on-site properties, and I'm now a true blue HoJo girl. I prefer to spend less and stay longer, and I love HoJo's customer service, awesome pool areas, and super comfy pillowtop beds.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

I'm a "Good Neighbor" also. I would rather spend my hard saved money on food and souvenirs rather than on a room I'm never in except to sleep and shower. I've been a Park Vue Inn fan for about 8 years. Love the location...right across the crosswalk. My feet love me at the end of the day!

 

[tracer]

We've done all three; DL property, across the street and hotels which you must use ART to transport back and forth.

1- we won't do the far hotel thing for a while. we have 3 little kids and with strollers, bags, etc. it's way too much hassel to wait and ride back and forth

2- we stayed at BWPPI a few times a few others on that strip. they are ok. we will stay there when there aren't any special promos at the DLH. love that they are so close for walking back for naps and such

3- we prefer to stay at the DLH. we now wait to go when there is a fantastic deal. we just booked the 5 for 3 which is saving us a ton. the atmosphere there it great and we feel like we never really leave DL.

 

[teatime]

I have stayed on property, and off and I choose off. Im not into that " magical stuff" I did it to try and see what the fuss was about, stayed at all three and choose to stay off site becuase the on sites are to expensive , to far to go to eat off property and some times we feel like eating out side the parks. The magic for me is the parks, having fun and enjoying my kids faces as they ride the rides and see there favorite characters , but magic? in the hotels? I found the hotels out side the park to be just as clean, and just as easy to walk to the parks. now don't get me wrong, if I had more money and wanted to eat only in the parks I would do the disney property. so I can do the monorail, but the fact is I do not want to walk down town disney, i see no magic in there motels , for me the magic is being able to go each year and enjoy the rides. what I do not find magical is the price it costs now days, and the cost of the motels of disneyland for a non Ap ticket holder.
So what I like is a very nice clean hotel out side the park where I can eat at tony roma's, ( way less then the BBQ round up or what ever its called) eat at milli's or mimi's .
we are doing the fairfield this year, did the menage and loved that place, and several around harbor before also.If I was to ever stay on property again, it would be at the paradise pier. much brighter, cleaner and better up dated furniture

 

[nunzia]

When the kids were little we always stayed off site and were very happy with it (stayed once as a kid at DLH in the 60's). Then we were taken to the Grand Californian on a paid for trip, and fell in love and decided we can NEVER stay off site again. We are very frugal (OK Cheap..) so this is our one huge splurge in life. I would have never bought DVC if they hadn't built in DLR.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

We're a bit of both but mostly neighbors ~ we have spent 1 night at both PP & DLH and we'll stay 1 night at GCH in Sept. We've stayed at the Crowne Plaza (got it through priceline) for our last 2 trips and it's lovely ~ the price makes it lovelier. We stayed at HoJo's in Dec, I love it there. Desert Inn 4/08, Comfort Inn Maingate 9/07 (kids suite ~ it was nice) Anaheim Hilton 6/06 (w/my mom ~ work convention) and Travelodge Anaheim International Inn for 3/06 ~ we won't go back there.

Past trips ~ I don't know, visited with my ex in 2001 or 2002?? Went a few times during my childhood, but pretty sure never on site.

 

[bumbershoot]

Both!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I've always wanted to stay on site and since the CGH opened up I wanted to try there sometime. When our 20th anniversary plans came up we thought that would be a good occasion to stay there. But then we realized that we can stay for an entire week in a nice hotel off site for the price of a few days there. Since we already have APs, we thought we may as well stay longer. (The Disney Snowball Effect says that every trip you plan just gets bigger and longer)

Last summer we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Garden Grove. It was very nice- comfy beds, clean room, very nice shower head, and free breakfast. I would stay there again.

This time we are staying at Embassy Suites South which will give us a living room and bedroom, two tvs, a microwave, a fridge, a very nice free breakfast, and free drinks and snacks in the evening (if we aren't in the parks).

We drive to the parks. I would love to be within walking distance, but it seems that all the nicer hotels are farther away. The closer places just don't appeal to me, although maybe sometime we'll have to try Hojos. We just wanted an extra nice place for this trip. Maybe I'm the only one, but I just feel disappointed with the offsite walking distance options.

BTW- do you see a theme in my hotel choices? Free breakfast!

 

[Disneyanajc]

For us it is ON PROPERTY, hotel of choice DLH, have stay there at least once a year since 1970. We have seen a lot of changes to this Hotel and can not wait for the newest upgrade The only time we were not at the DLH we tried DGC (lovely but, didn't like the smaller rooms). We have stayed in all the towers, love the Dreams (Sierra) DTD view. The last three trips we have splurged and stayed in a two-bedroom suite, but not this year. We stay anywhere from 4/6 nights a trip...jc

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We've never stayed "on property." We've been at Desert Inn multiple times and will be staying there again in just over a week! This time we're getting the biggest suite since my sister will be joining us and she needs her own bathroom. What we're paying for that room is still much less than a regular room at any of the on-site hotels. And the walk to the front gates is shorter, too.

We're also stayed at Park Vue, Fairfield Inn (when it was Ramada Maingate), Days Inn, Conestoga (not there anymore), Paul Bunyun (also gone) and slept on a bus to and from several times (w/high school band).

 

[pixiewings71]

Both for us. We've done the GCH once and the PPH once, when the AP rates are out and the stars align we would rather stay on site. Unfortunately the stars don't always align for us so we end up off site a lot. We also have a time share in Anaheim that we can use. The majority of our stays have been off site tho, usually at the HoJo.

 

[JoRo]

We used to stay Carousal, Castle, BW Park cause I could get amazing rates booking directly online. We stayed once many many moons ago at DL hotel (before the Grand) as a treat.

But since we found our selves going once a year and every other to WDW we just bought into Disney Vacation Club so now we will be spoiled by staying at the Grand California Villas - our kids will learn how to "rough it" in other ways.

 

[wdhinn89]

This is our first trip to Disneyland. We live on the east cost and frequent Disneyworld.

It did not even cross our minds to stay off-site. We are totally immersing our self in the Disney experience and that does not include walking on a busy boulevard early in the morning and late at night in the dark. NO WAY!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Both here, but prefer on property when possible. For offsite we like the Tropicana.