Deciding between Residence Inn Maingate or Desert Inn & Suites

[ski_mom]

There are 6 of us in our group - DH, DD17, DD16, DS12, my mom and me.

Right now I have both of the above hotels booked for our stay and I need to cancel one of them.

At the Residence Inn I have the 2 BR penthouse suite booked which has 1 king bed, 2 queen beds and 2 bathrooms. It also has a great free breakfast.

At the Desert Inn & Suites, I have the family parlor suite which has 4 queen beds and a bath and a half. Both would be fine as far as sleeping goes. The girls are used to sleeping together on vacation and DS enjoys sleeping with grandma on the king beds.

The Residence Inn is a little more expensive, but not much and considering it comes with a free breakfast, it more than wipes out any cost difference.

I usually love RI hotels, but I don't know if the convenience of being closer at the Desert Inn would be worth more than the free breakfast.

Anyway, I've never been to DL, so not sure what to think and would love other's opinions.

Thanks!

 

[zanzibar138]

FWIW, DI&S does have a complimentary continental breakfast. Apparently it's not that good, but it might tide you over until a morning snack in the park or an early lunch.

Either way, I would stay at DI&S for the convenience. After a long day in the parks, that 5 minute walk looks pretty good It also makes it so much easier to go back to the room for an afternoon rest, if you forget something, or to grab extra layers for the evening

 

[hyperminimalism]

I don't have experience with Desert Inn, but I did stay at the Residence Inn last year when I came down with my friend. I'll have to admit, the position of the hotel--while close to Disneyland--is awkward and somewhat difficult to get to. I think we screwed up every single day trying to get to Disneyland from the hotel and back. Luckily, I had my own car, which we drove down, but that meant trying to navigate the roads on my own. Normally, I'm good with directions, but this one had us turned around. This was the only gripe of mine in that it wasn't actually on a major road, but tucked away.

The room itself was great, though. A little outdated in the furnishings and the carpeting, but the kitchen was nice to have. While we didn't use it much for anything other than storing food in the fridge, it would've worked better for a family and not for two people spending the majority of their time at the park. The rooms were clean and we stayed in an upstairs unit 'cause there wasn't any way in heck I was going to sleep downstairs. I don't recall it being very loud either, but I could've just forgotten. Last time we were there was the first week of July.

 

[seacruise]

We really like the Residence Inn Maingate. Stayed there for a week on our last trip and will be there for a week again in August. Never thought of it as difficult to find or get to. It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the parks depending on the time waiting at the crosswalks on Harbor and Disney Way. We have two little kids and the walk wasn't any problem even going back to the hotel for a break in the afternoons.

One of our favorite things about staying there is the grocery delivery service. give them a list in the morning and they will shop for you and put everything away in your kitchen while you are at the parks.

The breakfast is pretty decent and they also do snacks in the evening on some nights.

There is a small playground as well which was something else for the kids to do when we were taking a break from the parks.

 

[hyperminimalism]

We really like the Residence Inn Maingate. Stayed there for a week on our last trip and will be there for a week again in August. Never thought of it as difficult to find or get to. It's about a 10-15 minute walk from the parks depending on the time waiting at the crosswalks on Harbor and Disney Way. We have two little kids and the walk wasn't any problem even going back to the hotel for a break in the afternoons.

I think one of the reasons why it was difficult for us was because we were driving and not walking a straight shot across Harbor, down Disney Way and onto Clementine. Plus, it was night time and we got turned around a lot. T_T Normally, I have no issues and have stayed on Harbor plenty of times, but really the hotel is great regardless.

 

[ten6mom]

I am in need of either two regular rooms or a suite of some sort that has two bathrooms (I am not sharing one bathroom between 6 of us!). Are you all just booking these rooms through the hotel website or do you have to call the hotel directly to make sure you're getting the number of beds /bathrooms you need?

 

[seacruise]

For the Residence Inn I believe all the suites with 2 bedrooms also have 2 bathrooms. The 1 bedrooms suites and the studios only have 1 bathroom. Even the studios have full kitchens so there are no "regular" hotel rooms at this property.

I always just book through the hotel website. But I would call them first with any questions to make sure you are getting they type of rooms you want.

 

[zanzibar138]

I am in need of either two regular rooms or a suite of some sort that has two bathrooms (I am not sharing one bathroom between 6 of us!). Are you all just booking these rooms through the hotel website or do you have to call the hotel directly to make sure you're getting the number of beds /bathrooms you need?

For the DI&S, check out the accommodation options on their website to see which room type suits you best. Most have floor plans available, which I love! Room types that have two full baths are Family Suites, Executive Family Suites, and Parlor Family Suites (C2). Parlor Family Suits (C1) have 1 1/2 baths.

You can choose which room type you want when you book online, so just make sure you choose the one you decided on and you'll definitely have the configuration that you wanted.

 

[DisneyAZfam]

We just returned from our stay at Desert Inn and Suites yesterday. It is a basic hotel but the price and close proximity alone make it worth it. They do have a small breakfast (cereal, muffins, bagels, fruit, coffee, juice). They do have a suite that has 2 bathrooms, thought I haven't stayed in it. We have enjoyed they two stays we have had here.

 

[ten6mom]

For the DI&S, check out the accommodation options on their website to see which room type suits you best. Most have floor plans available, which I love! Room types that have two full baths are Family Suites, Executive Family Suites, and Parlor Family Suites (C2). Parlor Family Suits (C1) have 1 1/2 baths.

You can choose which room type you want when you book online, so just make sure you choose the one you decided on and you'll definitely have the configuration that you wanted.

I will do that. Thank you!

 

[bayoulife4me]

I have stayed at the Residence Inn a few times and have enjoyed their hotel, their breakfast and their proximity to Disneyland. While not just across the street, the walk is about 5 minutes more to Disneyland in general from the Desert Inn. If you would like, you could choose to park your car at the Toy Story parking lot just a block away. You'd get to Disneyland faster by walking.

 

[awinangie]

While I'm a big fan of the Desert Inn and Suites, I don't think the distance for the Maingate is all that big of a deal. If the Maingate wins out on all the other factors, then I wouldn't hesitate. According to my look at Google Maps, the entire block is just 1/4 mile. Not that big of a deal.

That said, Desert Inn and Suites is a perfectly good hotel, so if the distance difference is important, I wouldn't hesitate staying there either.

Have fun!!!

 

[jlp879]

We almost always stay at the Residence Inn because we love the extra space we get for our family of five and the homey feel that comes from it.

We usually travel with 2 or 3 other families and have a BBQ at least one evening while the kids hang out and swim in the pool.

On our last trip my sister and her family suggested the Desert Inn because it is a bit closer, however the Residence Inn won out again because everyone likes their amenities so much.

 

[kazbar]

There are 5 of us (2 adults, 3 kids) going in December and we had the same decision to make. We have been a few times before and decided, that for us, being closer to the parks at the end of a long few days was worth more than a better breakfast. Because we are there in December (and our kids are mad keen swimmers) the inside pool at DI&S was also a deciding factor)

 

[Malcon10t]

For me, hands down Residence Inn Maingate. Between parking, breakfast, and nicer rooms, it is a no brainer for us.

 

[PixiePowered]

We just got back from our first stay at DI&S. We've stayed several times at RI. Both are great places. DI&S is excellent for the location and price. RI is great for the extra space, kitchen, free parking and breakfast.

I wouldn't hesitate to return to either.

That being said, WHERE I book for our next trip would depend upon the time of year. The main reason being the a/c (which I haven't seen mentioned). At DI&S, our particular room (A-Parlor Suite) had a wall a/c unit. It worked great, however, it didn't quite reach the "living room" where the sofabed (and DS16) was located. RI, if I recall correctly, has a more traditional a/c with thermostat (like you would have in your home)...so the entire space was equally cooled.

Just my two cents

 

[ski_mom]

Just posting a follow up since I posted the original question.

We are back from our trip and decided to stay at the Residence Inn. We really enjoyed it, but I have to admit that walking by the Desert Inn & Suites after a long day in the park make me wonder if I'd made the right choice.

If we go back, I'd have to really consider it again. The Residence Inn was a great hotel, but we really didn't use the kitchen area other than to keep soda cold. We did enjoy to pool and liked that it was open 24 hours so you could swim after being in the parks.

As far as the breakfast goes, ours at RI wasn't really very enjoyable because there were SO many people eating at the same time. We ate there anyway because it was included.

After seeing that there is an Ihop and a Denny's right by DI&S where we would be able to get a really nice breakfast for not a huge amount of money, that would have made the difference about the breakfast being included at RI even less of an advantage.

Overall, I'm very happy with where we chose, but I still don't think there's a clear cut choice.

 

[ski_mom]

I also wanted to add that my mom was with us and we had just spent a few days in San Francisco prior to going to Disney. She was tired of walking, but the had a shuttle (I can't remember what it was called right now) that ran from the hotel right to the front gates. I think it is $5 per day per person, but her pass was only $2 because she qualified for the senior rate.

That worked out great for her!

 

[seacruise]

Just posting a follow up since I posted the original question.

We are back from our trip and decided to stay at the Residence Inn. We really enjoyed it, but I have to admit that walking by the Desert Inn & Suites after a long day in the park make me wonder if I'd made the right choice.

If we go back, I'd have to really consider it again. The Residence Inn was a great hotel, but we really didn't use the kitchen area other than to keep soda cold. We did enjoy to pool and liked that it was open 24 hours so you could swim after being in the parks.

As far as the breakfast goes, ours at RI wasn't really very enjoyable because there were SO many people eating at the same time. We ate there anyway because it was included.

After seeing that there is an Ihop and a Denny's right by DI&S where we would be able to get a really nice breakfast for not a huge amount of money, that would have made the difference about the breakfast being included at RI even less of an advantage.

Overall, I'm very happy with where we chose, but I still don't think there's a clear cut choice.

The main benefit of the RI us is the kitchen and grocery delivery service. If someone looking to stay at the RI wasn't going to take advantage of those then they would probably be better served staying somewhere closer. It is nice having the larger rooms at the RI, but many of the closer places have suites as well.

 

[lalasmama]

Just posting a follow up since I posted the original question.

We are back from our trip and decided to stay at the Residence Inn. We really enjoyed it, but I have to admit that walking by the Desert Inn & Suites after a long day in the park make me wonder if I'd made the right choice.

If we go back, I'd have to really consider it again. The Residence Inn was a great hotel, but we really didn't use the kitchen area other than to keep soda cold. We did enjoy to pool and liked that it was open 24 hours so you could swim after being in the parks.

As far as the breakfast goes, ours at RI wasn't really very enjoyable because there were SO many people eating at the same time. We ate there anyway because it was included.

After seeing that there is an Ihop and a Denny's right by DI&S where we would be able to get a really nice breakfast for not a huge amount of money, that would have made the difference about the breakfast being included at RI even less of an advantage.

Overall, I'm very happy with where we chose, but I still don't think there's a clear cut choice.

Thanks for the update!

If it will ease your mind at all, that IHOP is flippin' expensive. Seriously, kids eat free, and with just me and a 10yo DD, we still can't get out of there for under $25! Sodas are like $3, and a country fried steak and eggs is like $16! (I think it's like $12 at home!).. We may eat there for an easy meal after the flight, on a non-park day, but it can be a waste of time/money on a park day, unless you are up seriously early!... DI&S's breakfast really isn't much, just some fruit, breads, cereal, and pastries, but it's usually enough to tide us over until snack/lunch time.