zanzibar138
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2007
- Messages
- 6,052
Another Desert Inn fan here! We also stayed in the C2 suite. Two whole separate rooms (great for privacy), 2 full bathrooms, plus the little parlour room with an extra sofa bed in there. There were only 4 of us, but there was plenty of space. And it was clean and comfortable (and only a 5 minute walk to the parks) to boot!
Having said that, in your situation I would definitely consider a condo. There are even decently priced full houses with private pools within a 20 minute walk. Added perks of a vacation rental over a hotel include:
* Kitchen (so you can bring in groceries and just have breakfast there before you leave for the day)
* Large dining table (see above point - everyone has room to sit down and eat)
* Separate living area with large, comfortable sofa (again, room for everyone)
* There is often a gaming console (and games), DVDs, and sometimes even air hockey/pool tables etc thrown in for extra entertainment
* Full laundry, often with laundry supplies included
* Pretty much all of the closer places are on the Disneyland Hotel side, so you don't need to do bag check to get to and from DTD
Depending on the size/type of house/condo you get, you may also be able to get a bedroom each, multiple bathrooms, and a private pool/hot tub, sometimes a fireworks view.
Cons include obviously not being quite as straightforward as a hotel reservation, not knowing exactly what you're going to get (make sure you check out all the reviews for places you're interested in), being further away from the dining options on Harbour, a little further from the parks on average, no maid service if that's important to you.
We've booked a condo this time around (the Enchanted Cabana), and so far everything has been smooth and easy. It was no problem to change a couple of things on my booking, and we have even been given access to a little private website with further information/FAQs about the actual houses, and tips for DLR newbies. Closer to the date, they'll send us a questionnaire so that they can make sure we have everything we need (linens/towels etc I'm guessing). We're going to place a grocery order through Vonn's to get delivered on our first day with our breakfast supplies etc. I'm really looking forward to it!
Having said that, in your situation I would definitely consider a condo. There are even decently priced full houses with private pools within a 20 minute walk. Added perks of a vacation rental over a hotel include:
* Kitchen (so you can bring in groceries and just have breakfast there before you leave for the day)
* Large dining table (see above point - everyone has room to sit down and eat)
* Separate living area with large, comfortable sofa (again, room for everyone)
* There is often a gaming console (and games), DVDs, and sometimes even air hockey/pool tables etc thrown in for extra entertainment
* Full laundry, often with laundry supplies included
* Pretty much all of the closer places are on the Disneyland Hotel side, so you don't need to do bag check to get to and from DTD
Depending on the size/type of house/condo you get, you may also be able to get a bedroom each, multiple bathrooms, and a private pool/hot tub, sometimes a fireworks view.
Cons include obviously not being quite as straightforward as a hotel reservation, not knowing exactly what you're going to get (make sure you check out all the reviews for places you're interested in), being further away from the dining options on Harbour, a little further from the parks on average, no maid service if that's important to you.
We've booked a condo this time around (the Enchanted Cabana), and so far everything has been smooth and easy. It was no problem to change a couple of things on my booking, and we have even been given access to a little private website with further information/FAQs about the actual houses, and tips for DLR newbies. Closer to the date, they'll send us a questionnaire so that they can make sure we have everything we need (linens/towels etc I'm guessing). We're going to place a grocery order through Vonn's to get delivered on our first day with our breakfast supplies etc. I'm really looking forward to it!
