Considering staying OFF-site for the first time- HOTEL HELP please?!

[Lynzer Torte]

DH & I are thinking of taking another (shorter) trip to DL this year with DS (2). It would be Sep 24-28 for DH's bday.

We have always stayed at the DLH but because this would be our 2nd trip in a year, we'd like to try and save $ by staying offsite, perhaps HOJO?

What is the best way to research hotel rates? Do you go directly to the hotel websites? Do you use the DL site? Perhaps a travel site like Expedia, Travelocity, etc?

 

[bumbershoot]

HoJo is definitely a Dis favorite! 15% discount by mentioning you're a Dis member...20% discount for AP holders. Or if they have the special Entertainment Rate during your stay and you book that, buy an Entertainment Book (from OR, from CA, from wherever you want), and show the card at checkin!

That said, we enjoyed the Anabella, which is probably further away than you want to stay (a bit longer walk than DLH).

Simple map showing lots of hotels.

 

[teatime]

Don't forget the fairfield inn by marriot, another dis favorite. and closer to the parks then the hojo..... both are comparable in price if you do not get the hojo discount rate.

 

[kirstie101]

To research prices I like to go directly to the hotels websites. My next step is AAA to see if the rate is cheaper through them. I did have an experience where hotels website said the AAA was about $10 more a night then the AAA website was saying.

 

[Chris420]

I was pretty unhappy with motel 6, its probably the cheapest but it was obvious why it was so cheap when I stayed there, we didn't even have a dresser in the room

 

[LavenderPeach]

Last spring I looked at the map of the hotels around DLR to determine which ones looked close enough to walk from and then looked at the websites for the hotels I wanted more info on.

Also, may I suggest the Candy Cane Inn? It's not the cheapest hotel but it's not expensive either, especially if you're used to staying on-site. IMO, it's the nicest looking hotel that is that close to DLR. It's really just a regular motel (2 stories) but they've done a great job making it look cute with a fountain, trees and plants and the driveway/parking lot is all pavers instead of cement. And there is free parking, a free shuttle and a free breakfast. I believe all the rooms have refrigerators and it's close enough to walk if you don't want to wait for the shuttle. We got a AAA discount which gave us $10 off of the regular rate plus we got a coupon for our next stay (within a year) for $10 off/night on top of any other discount.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Hojos or Fairfield Inn. I'd stick with motels/hotels associated with major hotel corporations or who are known to have a good reputation. That way you have some recourse if anything major goes wrong and you get no help from local management. A lot of the smaller motels seriously don't treat their customers right, imo, or have things lacking about them (like cleanliness) and don't care because they know they'll sell out regardless. Hojos is great if you can get the Ent rate, otherwise, Fairfield Inn is closer and has better hotel amenities like Room Service, an on site Pizza Hut and Seattle's Best. The walk is a lot easier at the end of the night at FFI. (5 minutes leisurely stroll at max, vs. 7-10 minutes at Hojos.) Check out the hotels' website and compare w/ Expedia and Hotels.com. FFI, for example, has better online rates at Marriott.com if you prepay in advance w/ no cancellation, but if you book through hotels.com you can get the same rate, prepay in advance and have a reservation that can be canceled w/ 48 hours notice. If the online rates are not good,you should always try to call and see what the best rate you can get is. We've sometimes gotten better rates by calling directly than what they offer on their websites, so it's worth it.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Also, check out these threads on Micechat:

http://micechat.com/forums/so-cal-hotel-reviews/81895-how-use-priceline-your-advantage-anaheim.html

http://micechat.com/forums/so-cal-h...nyone-try-2-2-1-2-stars-priceline-lately.html

Many people bid 3.5* and get the high end convention hotels like Hyatt, Hilton, Crown Plaza, etc for around $50 a night. Can't beat that. Some have their own shuttle and some you have to ART or drive your own car. But if you have an AP w/ parking I'd just drive.Otherwise, $50 + resort fee of $12 + shuttle fee of $4/day for ART is still a steal for one of these hotels.

 

[Amy&Dan]

We generally stay onsite as well, in 13 trips we've only stayed offsite totally (sometimes we do a split stay with a couple of days offsite then switch to onsite for five or more nights) three times. Here are the places this onsite lover recommends!

Hojo. Your toddler would probably love the new splash zone. The rooms are large sized, the grounds very pretty and you have Mimi's and McDonald's right nearby for easy meals. Mimi's does takeout which is very nice. The Hojo employees are all very nice. The walk is about the same as the walk to the DLH, but it seems longer. As opposed to going up DTD, you are on a busy street. Some of the hojo rooms face the highway, so make sure you pay for a room not on that side. I know a hojo regular can point you in the right direction to accomplish that. And the great discounts make it very cost efficient.

Best Wester Park Place Inn: This is the closest hotel there is. Its nice and clean, its not fancy and there are no grounds. But its at the crosswalk and so nice at the end of a long day! It also comes with a free contiental breakfast to save you even more money. Our room was spotless and every bit as nice as our Hojo room but for a longer stay or if you want much in the way of a pool scene, the hojo is nice. The BWPPI has a small pool that is very lackluster!

Tropicana: This is right next door to the BWPPI so also very close. It also has a free breakfast. Our room was very nice, extremely clean and while it has no grounds, it does have some pretty landscaping touches (potted flowers and plants, palm trees) and a very nice pool area (small pool, large spa but no baby pool). It has much less of a parking lot feel and a bigger parking lot than the BWPPI. I really liked this one probably the best. Simply for the location and the fact that it had a nice pool area my kids loved.

I picked BWPPI for our next trip because I have two teens (boy and girl) and the BWPPI has very reasonable mini suites that give us a sofa bed. That is the only reason I go there over the Tropicana I might add, those mini suites!

I'll also chime in that the Candy Cane looks nice. I just can't find a room there big enough for us now that my kids are older. But it looks very charming, they have a much nicer breakfast than the places on Harbor and it has its own, dedicated shuttle. Its about the same distance to the gates as DLH and Hojo, but that shuttle would be nice to have. Its generally pricier than the ones right across the street.

I always start out looking on Expedia and then check with the direct hotel sites. For my upcoming stay, Expedia was $10 a night cheaper than going directly through Best Western. But of course I had to pay up front. The Candy Cane doesn't have any rooms available through Hot Wire or Expedia. You have to book with them direct and they do have AAA rates.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I just wanted to add that hotels.com is owned by expedia. So if Expedia doesn't allow cancellations (not sure if they do or not because I've never finished the booking process w/them; it didn't appear clear to me when I visited their pages) Hotels.com does. It's subject to the individual hotels' rules so always double check.

 

[eddieras]

we just stayed at the park vue inn - directly across the street from the main entrance. room was very nice - queen with bunk beds, had microwave, fridge and coffee maker -there is a pool and free breakfast and free internet. would definitely stay there again. i think we paid about $130

 

[wvnative]

I just checked HOJO for your dates and the entertainment rate is not currently available. It's still probably my fav offsite hotel though. They do still offer 15% off of the regular room rates with your entertainment card. I have a friend who always stays at and swears by the Anabella. I know they offer a discount to members of another disney fourm. We've done Desert Inn before and it's decent as a place to sleep and shower and really close. The kid stayed at Tropicana once before as well. The room looked nice but I can't honestly tell you anything about comfort. The girls were all of 14. lol Shoot she can still sleep just as well on my hardwood floor as she can my pillowtop mattress and can even sleep through the smoke detector.

I ahve a friend from Australia that spent two weeks at BWPPI and had no issues. She said they were very comfortable and you can't beat the location.

 

[tamtam81]

I third the Candy Cane Inn! We stayed there last Christmas and it was perfect for what we needed.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Do any of the offsite hotels have a more whimsical feel similar to what you get at Disney hotels? We haven't decided on whether to stay onsite or off, but I definitely don't want a plain motel that you can find most anywhere.

 

[rossip]

What about the Ramada Maingate , anyone stayed there ?

 

[avalon451]

Read Hydroguy's Hotel Rule for staying at a walking distance hotel-- it's so worth it to be able to use your feet.

Even though HoJo is not currently showing your dates, I would book them as backup anyway, and then you can cancel before the deadline-- what is it, 3 days? Because they almost always add more dates last minute. Just keep checking back on their website and I'll bet at least some of your dates come up.