Best DLR Good Neighbor Hotel?

[irlandaise]

If you stay at Pixar Place, will Disney transfer your luggage to the GCH for you?

I thought about this, but then I realized that I would essentially be paying a couple hundred dollars for this service and it just didn't seem logical.

Do you mean you now want a hotel that's a couple hundred dollars less than PP? Because originally you said that up to $500 was okay, and PP is in that range for a standard room.

You can definitely find some hotels on Harbor in the $300 range if that's what you prefer.

 

[amyg1975]

Wouldn't I have the same issue as above with Park Place Inn - we'd have to go through security with our luggage to get to GCH/VGC, or go around the block, right?

We have been told we could not travel through security with luggage in the past. We asked the night before and we were told we could, the next day a different person said no. In that case, it might be better just to choose a place anywhere and Uber/taxi over to the Grand in the morning.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Wouldn't that require us to take our luggage through security to get to GCH/VGC...or go around the block?

Oh, sorry....I thought you meant convenience to the parks. I also thought you mentioned that you were planning to Uber your bags to the the Grand so I didn't think it mattered about security. I don't think there's really any off-site option for easily transferring your bags over.

Edited to add - If you do want to just walk your luggage over, you'd want to look at places on Katella instead of Harbor, like Best West Plus Stovall's that was mentioned earlier.

 

[maleficent55]

Wouldn't I have the same issue as above with Park Place Inn - we'd have to go through security with our luggage to get to GCH/VGC, or go around the block, right?

Personally, I’d take a Lyft from the Tropicana to the next hotel with my luggage

 

[BlueGreen5]

Because originally you said that up to $500 was okay, and PP is in that range for a standard room.

You're right; -- I did say "up to $500" and still mean that. It doesn't mean I'm seeking out ways to spend $500. It means that I'm okay spending $500, if there's good justification.

It's the whole balancing act...

Pixar Place looks really cool, but I need a reason to stay there beyond the fact that they'll transfer my luggage for free. Given that we'll be there 12 hours only and will have EE the next morning, the cool theming wasn't enough.

Oh, sorry....I thought you meant convenience to the parks. I also thought you mentioned that you were planning to Uber your bags to the the Grand so I didn't think it mattered about security. I don't think there's really any off-site option for easily transferring your bags over.

Edited to add - If you do want to just walk your luggage over, you'd want to look at places on Katella instead of Harbor, like Best West Plus Stovall's that was mentioned earlier.

Appreciate it! I really didn't mean anything in particular -- I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. Just trying to sort out heads from tails at this point.

You're right. 100% we're not walking luggage over if it's more than a 5 minute ordeal.

 

[tamitru32]

We've only stayed at 2 good neighbor hotels but had wonderful stays. Last March we stayed at Candy Cane Inn for 1st time. They do serve breakfast but if you have the Premium rooms you can order the evening before and it will be delivered in the morning. Very nice for busy park days while getting ready. They also still have a shuttle to take to the parks however it lets you out at one of the first stops. The hotel is so close really that we usually went ahead and walked but it was nice to know shuttle was available if we wanted to use it. The other hotel was Best Western Stovall's, great stay also. It's a little further to walk but not bad and you walk by Grand Californian hotel so lots of greenery making a nice stroll, and you can avoid busy Katella Ave.

Have also stayed at the 3 onsite hotels over the years. Grand Californian is lovely but $$$ and I thought the rooms were a little small and dark. Always loved Disneyland Hotel, but again $$$. Stayed at Paradise Pier hotel before it became Pixar. Always enjoyed it and the prices were better but still had Disney vibe.

 

[irlandaise]

You're right; -- I did say "up to $500" and still mean that. It doesn't mean I'm seeking out ways to spend $500. It means that I'm okay spending $500, if there's good justification.

It's the whole balancing act...

Pixar Place looks really cool, but I need a reason to stay there beyond the fact that they'll transfer my luggage for free. Given that we'll be there 12 hours only and will have EE the next morning, the cool theming wasn't enough.

Okay, then, as a few people have suggested, the Best Western Stovall's might be a good choice for you. It will be a straight shot down Disneyland Drive to the GCH. It's very inexpensive so you'll have money left in your DL budget even if you take a cab to the GCH.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Yeah, I'd go with Best Western Stovall's and just walk your luggage over.

Or I'd go with literally any hotel and Harbor and take a very quick Uber over to the Grand with your luggage. If you aren't going to the parks that day, then it doesn't even matter how close the hotel is to the gates so you could go a bit farther away for a 'nicer' hotel at a decent price too.

 

[sky13]

In the past we've stayed at the Fairfield Inn (can't remember how many nights, probably 2 or 3) then took a 6am Uber to the Grand Californian to check in and get into early entry.

This year I'm staying at the DLH for a couple of nights, then a night at the Westin before I leave for LAX the next morning. Still deciding whether I want to walk the 10-15 minutes with my luggage or take an Uber between the two, guess I'll decide on the day...

 

[Pluto468]

My favorite off property hotel is Best Western Anaheim Plus Inn. It's a 2 minute walk to the Disneyland entrance on Harbor.

 

[Disneyhanna]

My favorites in the middle-tier range are Fairfield and the Hyatt House. Fairfield is much closer, but Hyatt House (free breakfast) is nice if you can get on points (super cheap). I stay at the HH if I don't plan on taking any mid-day breaks as it's like a 15 minute walk. Fairfield is maybe a 7-8 minute walk? Both are very clean and quiet, and have comfy beds (important for me). I used to stay at the BW Park Place Inn for proximity but the mattresses got so bad and the thermostat was unreliable last time I stayed (October 2021). I wish the Westin was on Harbor as that would probably be up my alley but the walk is pretty far from there.

 

[crystal1313]

If you’re looking for a budget place, Alpine Inn is a favorite of ours. Hojo is also really nice and is a hotel and has super comfortable beds and pillows. If you want free breakfast, Candy Cane is fantastic. And if you want something higher end, we loved our stay at the Westin.

 

[irlandaise]

@BlueGreen5 I just realized that you haven't mentioned whether your family wants to go to Disneyland the evening of your arrival. You said that you only need a hotel for about 12 hours, which suggests that you aren't getting to Anaheim until 6-7 p.m. If you aren't going to the parks that night, then you don't need to consider proximity to the Harbor entrance in your hotel decision.

 

[BlueGreen5]

I just realized that you haven't mentioned whether your family wants to go to Disneyland the evening of your arrival. You said that you only need a hotel for about 12 hours, which suggests that you aren't getting to Anaheim until 6-7 p.m. If you aren't going to the parks that night, then you don't need to consider proximity to the Harbor entrance in your hotel decision.

You are right -- we do not plan on arriving until later in the evening.

I really appreciate all of the recommendations here -- they were all super helpful to get my bearings!

My takeaway is that, in our situation, since we will be arriving in the evening, not doing anything that night, and taking a ride share to the GCH the next morning, every place that was recommended (and I now have a helpful list) is more-or-less going to be a wash compared to the others. It sounds like comfort/safety are not a big issue at any of those places and the location might only mean the difference between a 5 minute ride share ride and a 7 minute ride.

I learned that staying on Harbor is fine, but it's no more convenient for us than staying a couple of blocks away. Knowing that definitely helps me compare prices more intelligently.

At this point, I think we'll just figure out which of the options gets us the biggest bang for our credit card points. Or, as one of the first posters suggested, "pick a place and call it a day" lol.

 

[ter-moo]

Besides the BW Stovalls as others have mentioned, You could also look at the hotels near the Anaheim Convention Center (Marriott, Residence Inn, Springhill Suites) or the Westin, which are closer in proximity to the VGC--particularly if you have Marriott points that could be useful.