Cry Me a River or *how far?*

[CoolPool]

Okay, I'm a Disney resort hotel lover. I love the pools, the restaurants, the bars, the ambience, the convenience. I like a total resort environment.

Now I wanted to book a quickie one night trip for me and the kids but there is no room at the Mickey Inn. Not one of their hotels has an opening for the night in November when I can go. Cry me a river.

Cue violins. I have tentatively booked the HOJO with a "premium park view." Hoping for the best.

My question is "Is it an easy walk from the full service restaurants at DTD to the HOJO?" I don't want to save money. I don't want to eat fast food. I want to sit and eat a fine repast with wine then amble back to The Howard (if I must). Will this work or am I better off booking one of the motels that is a wee bit closer. (No, I'm not fat or out of shape or infirm).

Is this all going to work out for me or will I wish I had just stayed home. *Sob*

 

[bumbershoot]

Imagine the walk through DTD to the esplanade from Paradise Pier. That's about how long the walk from the esplanade to HoJo's is. Actually HoJo's is closer.

But of course HJ is through the OTHER security entrance, so you'll walk that far, go through the esplanade, out the other security, and into DTD.

But there are many people who really enjoy Mimi's, which is just across the street from HoJo's. We got to-go from them (DH walked over and back to pick it up while I watched our son sleep and sleep and sleep), and it was really good!

I can't imagine you will wish you stayed home.



Of course you have seen this map, yes? http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

 

[Amy&Dan]

From the gates of DL to the Hojo its indeed about the same distance as to the DLH. However, it will be a bit further to get from most of the restaurants on DTD to the Hojo. But still a very doable.

Mimi's is very good but its really more of an upscale Denny's as far as atmosphere. I would definitely give it a thumbs up for food but think if you are looking for much in the way of ambiance go ahead and give one of your DTD faves the business and know you won't have that far of a walk.

I love staying onsite too. However, I have had great trips to DL staying offsite. Either because I wanted to save money or like you, once encountered sold out onsite hotels for my last minute trip. I never once felt like I wished I had stayed home! Who knows, you may enjoy the Hojo so much, you might not want to spend the $$$ for the onsite hotels in the future. You won't know until you give one a try. And I think the Hojo is very nice. It has the nice grounds and a very nice pool area. I do enjoy the proxmity of the Tropicana and the BWPPI, however they don't have the same atmosphere as the Hojo since they don't have grounds. The rooms at those two are also smaller than the Hojo's. However, if you plan to just shower and sleep in the room and want to spend a lot of time in DTD, being close to the crosswalk would be nice as well. It would shave about five minutes off the walk by staying at the crosswalk.

Again, I just want to stress, as much as I love onsite, I have never not had a marvelous time at DL staying at one of the places on Harbor. Don't not go! And keep calling, cancellations happen, you may snag a room at one of the onsite places.

 

[DLR29]

Is this all going to work out for me or will I wish I had just stayed home. *Sob*

Just because you might walk another minute? Yikes! Picky, Picky. j/k

No, HOJOs is very well liked on these boards. I've stayed at hotels much farther and walked and had a blast. I've never stayed onsite, but it seems as though the walk from HOJOs is very similar in length to DLH or the PPH. I know you will have fun no matter where you stay.

 

[mattmommy]

We loved Candy Cane Inn and picked it over any of the DL hotels. Breakfast is bagels, cereals and fruit, but it was closer than DL to the parks and had a dedicated bus. Yep, lazy mom here.

 

[Emmo]

We recently stayed at the Radisson maingate on Harbor and that was a lovely walk to and from Disney each day!! I personally like to save my money for other things and stay off site as we have to pay for international flights too!(I would stay onsite if I could! )

 

[Master Mason]

here is another thought.

Have you tried price line and other sites like that. Often you can get into the Disney hotels though them long after Disney says they are sold out, because they have a certain number of rooms set aside for the outside vendors.

If you do stay at the Hojo's, the walk is no problem, my pedometer said it was .7 miles from the room to the DL entrance, so your talking maybe just over a mile to DTD.

 

[ilvpoohbear76]

Another thought would be to call at least 2 times a day for the next sevearl days or more as long as you can up until the time that you can no longer cancel your current ressie.
I say this because I have done it so many times it is not funny and it has always worked.
There are always times when someone cancels so I would just take a phone with you and call as many times a day as you can handle.....you will be surprised because it will happen!
They could have even had a room open up minutes after you got off the phone with them.
Good luck and keep us posted as to if you are able to get your ressie at on of the DL resort hotels.
Can't help you with the HOJO because like you I am spoiled and have always stayed at the DL resort hotels with the exception of 1 time where I stayed at the Carousel which was a nice little hotel but not the DL resort.....it had a great location though with a walk right across the street to get into DL.

Can't wait to see how it goes for you.

Best of luck.....TTFN

 

[noryglory]

Would you like some cheese with your whine?

This posting just cracked me up! You will have a great time regardless. Just think on your "long" walk you'll burn extra calories from all your DTD eatin'.

 

[JennHales]

Mimi's Cafe. It' good and close to the HoJo. In fact I think it's better then any DTD restaurants. The walk from DTD to HoJo's is doable.
Jen

 

[CoolPool]

I phoned Mickey and he still says "hahahahaha - no." Sometimes that silly laugh is not funny.

I'd try priceline but don't you have to accept what you are given? I'd be sorely dissappointed if I ended up in Lower Minsk or Pinsk instead of an easy stroll to DTD/DLR. That makes me nervous. I've looked at Travelaxe and a few other sites but no availability there either.

I think I shall do as many of you good people suggest and just hound reservations.

I should point out in all fairness they did offer to let me have a suite at the DLH for $600. Duh. (That's me: slapped into virtual stunned silence) And then I realized I do want to save money. I offered to meet them halfway but my Las Vegas tactics failed to entice. Keeping you informed.

 

[bumbershoot]

You are hilarious.

I was offered just a ROOM, not even a suite, at DLH Dec 7-9 at $450 per night. Ha ha ha ha ha! I actually started laughing when she said that. Laughing nicely, but still laughing.

Yeah, I'm calling for the AP4 rate hoping for 129 at PP or 149 at DLH, and I'll change my mind and pay 450...
************

It's really not that bad, though. With the exception of the two security areas you have to go through (though you're only going "in" one, and out the other), it's not horrible walk at all.

 

[pixiewings71]

LOL you've got a great attitude about it! Keep that and you'll have a great trip no matter what!! I did want to say that we stayed at the Radisson Maingate last spring (april 2006) and we thought it was much too far to walk, but we also have 2 kids and at the ages they were then it was too far for them to walk. They were just turned 6 and 9 and they were not up for that on top of walking around the parks all day. LOL

 

[CoolPool]

LoL. I just now called and was offered a suite at the GCH for $775 this time. HAHAHAHAHA!

 

[SamIAm21]

If the walk is too much, there's always the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit). It's a short and often interesting ride (depending on your fellow travelers) to the HoJo. I think it costs about $3.00...

 

[Master Mason]

I phoned Mickey and he still says "hahahahaha - no." Sometimes that silly laugh is not funny.

I'd try priceline but don't you have to accept what you are given? I'd be sorely dissappointed if I ended up in Lower Minsk or Pinsk instead of an easy stroll to DTD/DLR. That makes me nervous. I've looked at Travelaxe and a few other sites but no availability there either.

I think I shall do as many of you good people suggest and just hound reservations.

I should point out in all fairness they did offer to let me have a suite at the DLH for $600. Duh. (That's me: slapped into virtual stunned silence) And then I realized I do want to save money. I offered to meet them halfway but my Las Vegas tactics failed to entice. Keeping you informed.

sorry yes your correct on priceline, try hotels.com and expedia.com in both of those you chose the room. I couldn't search for you because you never said what day in November.

 

[CoolPool]

*New Update*
I just booked a 2 bedroom/disney view suite at the Tropicana. The price is roughly equivalent to the GCH standard room at AP4 rates. LoL.

If anyone has any experience with this room, please let me know. Obviously it is a shorter walk than the HoJo but it is also $50 more a night than the room I had there. (Before, I beg you, anyone suggests that you would prefer to spend the $50 on tchochkes than on the room, I shall plainly state that I already have enough Disney crapola to last the rest of my life.) So I think I'm pleased. So long as no room magically open up at the GCH. (nark nark nark).

On a related note, pray for a cold front. For blizzard conditions in the O.C.!! so that I wouldn't weep when I look at the Tropicana pool. Oh, cry me a river of ice.

 

[TripHHH]

We stayed at the Tropicana last week in a regular room. It was nothing special...but it was a nice, clean, affordable place to sleep. For an inexpensive motel, the pool area is actually fairly nice. It's decent-sized with a hot tub, and they have put some potted palm trees in to try to make you forget you're in the middle of a parking lot. We used the pool, but it was pretty cold...they should heat it!

Our room was okay though....very clean, comfortable (but firm) beds.

 

[Hound 109]

LoL. I just now called and was offered a suite at the GCH for $775 this time. HAHAHAHAHA!

Park view or DTD view?

JK..... .

 

[Hound 109]

*New Update*
I just booked a 2 bedroom/disney view suite at the Tropicana. The price is roughly equivalent to the GCH standard room at AP4 rates. LoL.

If anyone has any experience with this room, please let me know. Obviously it is a shorter walk than the HoJo but it is also $50 more a night than the room I had there. (Before, I beg you, anyone suggests that you would prefer to spend the $50 on tchochkes than on the room, I shall plainly state that I already have enough Disney crapola to last the rest of my life.) So I think I'm pleased. So long as no room magically open up at the GCH. (nark nark nark).

On a related note, pray for a cold front. For blizzard conditions in the O.C.!! so that I wouldn't weep when I look at the Tropicana pool. Oh, cry me a river of ice.

I heard most folks pick the Tropicana OVER the GCH BECAUSE of the pool. It doesn't have those huge dangerous slides or that annoying luxurious landscaping that attracts bees. Besides, why use plush hotel towels when you can bring your own from home??