Best Good neighbor hotel at DL

[JOEYDIS]

I need to know from my fellow dis lovers which good neighbor hotel you have stayed in and was it nice. I would love any info you could give. Do you think it is better to stay at a Disney resort. I have never been to DL, only to WDW and I love staying on site there. thanks

 

[pixiewings71]

HoJo
BWPPI
Tropicana
CCI
Anaheim Plaza
are all walking distance (for my family) and we enjoyed them all very much. Our favorite out of those is the HoJo.
We've also stayed at the Crowne Plaza, Peacock Suites and Days Inn on Ball. We didn't like the Days Inn that much but we like the Crowne and Peacock, both are too far to walk IMO.
We've also stayed at the GCH and PPH, which are very nice but for the savings we would rather stay offsite.

 

[HydroGuy]

I need to know from my fellow dis lovers which good neighbor hotel you have stayed in and was it nice. I would love any info you could give. Do you think it is better to stay at a Disney resort. I have never been to DL, only to WDW and I love staying on site there. thanks

See the links in this thread:

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

There are lots of good choices. I have a high bias towards those within walking distance. I stick with what has worked for me which is BWPPI. But the post about Hojo, CCI, etc. is good. Tropicana and Fairfield seem to get consistent positive reviews. There are some Harbor hotels that get mixed reviews.

Is it better to stay at the DLR hotels? Well, yes. The best of all is the GCH. But it costs a fortune. The DLH and PPH are not as expensive and more magical than the good neighbors. But more pricey too.

I will say the advantage of the DLR hotels are less than the WDW hotels.

 

[JOEYDIS]

Hydroguy
thanks for the input it is most helpful. DL is very foreign to me but I can't wait to visit it.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

No reason to stay on site at DLR IMO ~ we have spent 1 night at each of the 3 on site hotels mostly for MM privelages ~ we're AP holders so no MM for us. My favorite is the DLH but it's still too much $$$ - this year we've stayed at the *HoJo ~ $59 per night! the Anaheim Plaza ~ $52 per night! and the Crowne Plaza ~ no more than $60 per night (incl. $12 daily resort fee) got that through priceline.com twice!

 

[Amy&Dan]

While I am a huge fan of staying onsite it is very pricey at DL. I do agree its not quite the same as it is as WDW, but for us, we enjoy spending long breaks some of our days at our resort pool, so staying onsite at either the DLH or GCH really is something we try to do as much as possible when we go to DL.

All that said, we do very much like the Tropicana, BWPPI and the Hojo. They are all very nice and clean. I like the fact that Tropicana and BWPPI are right at the crosswalk, have a free breakfast and the BWPPI has very nice mini suites (just an oversized room that will sleep up to six). Both of those also feature a frig and microwave in every room. The Hojo has very lovely grounds, two nice pool areas and if you can get the Entertainment rate, its an incredibly good deal.

 

[Hound 109]

Regarding onsite vrs. across the street:

I've stayed on-site 3 times....& i've stayed at one of the hotel/motels walking distance on Harbor 4 times..... & I'll say it depends.

- What are your dates (or days of week)?
- Who all is coming (ages?)
- How many days will you have?

If you're coming for 3+ days (preferably during the week) then I agree that you'll get more bang for your buck across the street.

But if only for a day or two, it might be worth it (so you'll get MM & also for Resort-like amenities & DTD convenience) to stay "on site".

Plus, ALOT of WDW'ers are big on the "immersion" thing. If that's important to you, then on-site may also be worth it to you. Or if it's a once in a lifetime trip....or if money is no object then on site is the way to go.

Anyway you do it, have fun planning a visit to Walt's park.

 

[sreace]

I've stayed at several Good Neighbor Hotels. My faves are BBPPI or Tropicana. They are both directly across the street from the main entrance. If you book your trip through Disneyland.com, you receive MM privileges as well. They are not just for Resort Hotels. I hope this helps!!

 

[jory29]

My favorite good neighbor hotel is definitely Hojo's. We stayed at BWPPI back in 2006 and although it was close to the park, the beds were only double, not Queen as what is in most of the rooms at Hojo's. The beds at BWPPI were also hard, not heavenly, (the name Hojo's uses for their very comfortable beds.) There is just something about Hojo's that makes us feel at home, which is very important to us when traveling with kids. We love the splash pool play area there, too. It's literally only a 7-8 minute walk to Hojo's, so a person can go back and rest mid afternoon. It's nice that it's so close to Mimi's and McD's, our fav. restaurants when we're there. We save money by either going during an entertainment book discounted rate, or, saving 15% off just for being a member on the DIS boards. I love the in-room safe at Hojos, too. The housekeeping staff and all staff we've seen have been very friendly and courteous. There is free wired internet, too. There's a fridge and microwave in each room, and the best coffee machines ever at Hojo's. We like the Disney Park view rooms - you can watch the fireworks while the little ones are asleep in their beds, or you can go down to the hottub to watch the fireworks for an awesome view. We don't stay anywhere else anymore. I highly recommend Hojo's, as do so many others on these boards.

 

[Hound 109]

I've stayed at several Good Neighbor Hotels. My faves are BBPPI or Tropicana. They are both directly across the street from the main entrance. If you book your trip through Disneyland.com, you receive MM privileges as well. They are not just for Resort Hotels. I hope this helps!!

One day of MM is available for (non DLR hotels visitors) on 3 day (or longer) park hopper ticket purchase.

 

[Eeyore's Wife]

Hmm...best is such a subjective term. When we travel with a herd of hungry teens then we stay at Embassy Suites Anaheim North. It is a few miles from Disneyland, but it has its very own dedicated shuttle and a huge, all you can eat, hot, made to order breakfast.

When you have four teen boys who NEED a big breakfast, and who cannot be filled up with a few danish and juice, this is a lifesaver. The hotel also has a very nice indoor pool, so if you want to be able to watch the kids swim and stay inside, or be insured a swim/hot tub option during inclement weather, then this is a great place. The cost here is usually much less than the Embassy Suites South, which is closer to Disneyland. They also have free drinks in the evening and free snacks as well as very inexpensive pizza.

My husband and I adore Candy Cane Inn. We like the expanded continental breakfast, the beautiful rooms, lovely floral grounds, and cobblestone parking yard. It literally adjoins the California Adventure Property. There are no hotels, on that side of the street on the walk to and from Disneyland, and it is always uncrowded, but very safe. The beds are very comfortable and the feeling very magical. They also have a free shuttle.

Yet, the rooms are rather small, and there is not much room for storage. The standard rooms can only fit four, snuggly. The deluxe rooms can fit five, with a roll out, snuggly. When I called and asked about connecting rooms, I was told they only had those for deluxe rooms. By the time I pay for two deluxe rooms to accomodate our family, I could have easily paid for a room at Disneyland Hotel.

Hojo has a great pool/water play area for kids. The rooms are nice, and most of them have very comfortable bedding. The heavenly bedding isn't in all the rooms though. Yet, their "standard" bedding is still very comfortable. It is a bit of a walk from the entrance, but it is directly across from the park and well within walking distance. There is no included breakfast but they are very close to reasonably priced restaurants.

For our next trip we will be heading to HOJO's. We need more space than Candy Cane Inn provides, but we won't have all of our teenagers friends along, so we won't be staying at Embassy Suites. Since it is just the three kids, we will stay in the Family Suites, at Entertainment Rate of $99 a night. We will have two rooms, two bathrooms, bunk beds, a fold out couch, a KING sized bed for Mom and Dad as well as a DOOR between the two rooms, so Mom and Dad can have a little privacy.

For this trip HOJO is the best option. If I were traveling alone with the Baby then I would stay at a hotel directly across the street. Several of those hotels are actually closer than Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier to the front gates.

If I was on a REALLY tight budget, then the best hotel would be the one that I could stay at for the lowest out of pocket expense that kept me safe & let me sleep and shower.

In general I would say, if you are looking for a hotel, then telling us when you are going to be there, how many are in your group, the ages of the group, and the ammenities you are seeking will elicit a much more helpful recommendation.

I hope that helps.

 

[blackjackdelta]

In general I would say, if you are looking for a hotel, then telling us when you are going to be there, how many are in your group, the ages of the group, and the ammenities you are seeking will elicit a much more helpful recommendation.

I hope that helps.

I agree with this, everything is very subjective. The older I get the closer I get...

Jack

 

[JOEYDIS]

Thanks to all for the great info. It has made my decision a lot easier. You guys are great

 

[Piglet99645]

This is really helpful. Saved me asking the question all over again.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

My favorite good neighbor hotel is definitely Hojo's. We stayed at BWPPI back in 2006 and although it was close to the park, the beds were only double, not Queen as what is in most of the rooms at Hojo's. The beds at BWPPI were also hard, not heavenly, (the name Hojo's uses for their very comfortable beds.)

BWPPI does have 2 Queen mini suites as well as 2 double rooms, as well as 1 King mini suites, etc. Could it be possible that you booked a double room without realizing it? Best Western Anaheim Inn only has 2 double rooms, no 2 queen rooms, so we've never stayed there because of that.

FWIW, OP, BWPPI and BWAI are owned by Stovall's hotels. They also own BWStovall's Inn and some others.

OP we like Fairfield Inn and Hojos. Our room at FFI gets a slight edge because it was very clean as opposed to our last experience at Hojos. Otherwise we have had many good stays at Hojos in years past. The beds at both places were very comfortable! FFI is slightly closer and imo, a little more conveniently located to the nearby restaurants and McD's. Also they have a Pizza Hut express and Seattle's Best, and you can get room service from Millie's restaurant which is a good amenity to have. Sometimes you just don't feel like running out and bringing food back to the room. HTH!