Hi Folks!
Laurie asked me to pop over to this thread and see if I could help with some ideas.
The hotels at the
Disneyland Resort do not have kitchens included (except for maybe the absolutel most expensive suite, where special arrangements can be made for their (usually celebrity or wealthy) occupants. That being said, each room does have a dorm-sized refridgerator, which would allow you to store some items.
If you are looking for a hotel that would accomodate some cooking, you probably want a Residence Inn, Courtyard, Homewood Suites, or something of that nature - which are farther down Harbor Blvd. (Homewood is by the Target - about a mile away.) Since I'm local and a DVC member, we stay on property and not off, so that isn't my strongest area, but I used to be a business traveller and used hotels like these a lot. They are pretty standard around the country in quality and accomodation style, so you won't be disappointed. (There is also a Super Target down the street for necessary items like medicine and such. Keep in mind also, that if you should have an emergency and need a hospital during your stay, there are several very close - including Children's Hospital of Orange County and UC Irvine Med Center)
I did find a link to the Disneyland "Good Neighbor hotel Comparison" chart on the DL website. It lists some of these hotels.
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...sComparisonPage&tab=2&ResortCompareDropDown=1
I would definitely ask on the DL Boards to see if other hotels like the HoJo have special suites like that.
AAA agents could help you with that, too, if you are a member. The Walt Disney Travel Company brouchure is available from almost every
travel agent and it would have a tangible breakdown, also.
The downside to these hotels is that they are offsite and it is harder to just "pop back for a nap" if they are further down the road. You can do things like go over to the Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel and find a place there to relax. The lobbies of each hotel tower at the DLH have large pit seating areas - especially the Wonder Tower - and you do not need a hotel key to get into the building as there are convention meeting rooms in the bottom of the Wonder. They are really quiet during the day. The GCH fireplace has long benches on either side that are really nice for a nap, too.
As far as pools go, they do not have wc entry, but they do all have lifejackets for use. There is also a really nice pair of shallow quiet pools at the DLH and a quiet lap-style pool at the GCH. My husband and I took 4 kids from ages 6 - 2 to the DLH quiet pool when we stayed a few weeks ago. It was really easy to manage them there. We just picked up our towels and life jackets when we walked into the gate (you need a room key to enter).
Will you be bringing your own wc or renting one? There are companies locally that will drop off a chair at your hotel, as the ones at the park can only go to security, where you must leave them. I don't have any names of these companies, but I know someone has posted them before. Maybe Laurie could help on that end. It's not like at WDW, where you can rent a wheelchair at the hotel on check-in - although you might be able to - I've never tried!
As far as rides go, I would say that he should safely be able to do anything that doesn't have a height restriction. That would be a good guideline to use. (Soarin and maybe the Jellyfish don't count, as they have a height restriction, but don't move anywhere but slowly move straight up in the air.) That means there are only like 10-12 things he wouldn't be able to do out of 150 or more.
Getting a teen interested - have you thought about picking up the hidden Mickey book and doing a Hidden Mickey Quest? You can pick one up at any bookstore or get it when you get there. Also, help them plan what they want to do and if there are any special things like tours. Once they are 16, they can do the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour. That is very cool and it gives people a new appreciation for the place - let's them see it in a new light.
Hope some of this helps!!!!
. This could be a challenging trip, but I want it to be fun for all!
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